John Sessions | University of Bath (original) (raw)
Papers by John Sessions
Contemporary Economic Policy, 1996
... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restrictin... more ... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restricting hours of work, establishing rights for part-time and sub-contracted workers, and creating informa-tion, consultation, and training rights. ...
We explore the implications of labour dem and constraints on the propensity to experience poverty... more We explore the implications of labour dem and constraints on the propensity to experience poverty. Since these constraints can manifest themselves in terms of both prices and quantities, we focus particularly on the relative contributions of underemployment and underpayment. Our analysis suggests that there has been a significant increase in working poverty in Britain over the period 1985-1996, the majority of which can be attributed to underpayment. Underemployment, however, is seen to represent a significant, and increasing, constraint on the ability of employees to escape poverty.
We explore the significance of intra-couple and intra -household influences on three broad types ... more We explore the significance of intra-couple and intra -household influences on three broad types of employment contracts: self-employment, performance related pay, and salaried employment. Individuals may pool income risk with their partners by holding a diversified portfolio of employment contracts, introducing intra-household risk pooling. Alternatively, employment contract matching may occur whereby individuals within couples or households are employed under similar contracts. Our empirical analysis, based on cross-section data drawn from the British Family Expenditure Surveys 1996 to 2000, provides evidence of employment contract matching both within dual earner couples and, to a lesser extent, in the context of working household members.
In this paper we utilise the British National Child Development Study to explore the determinants... more In this paper we utilise the British National Child Development Study to explore the determinants of children’s career expectations formed at the age of sixteen. We analyse how such career expectations impact upon human capital accumulation at the same age. We also analyse the extent of any divergence between childhood career expectations and the actual career outcomes experienced by the individuals at three distinct ages in adulthood (23, 33 and 42) as well as the impact of any such divergence on early- and mid-career wage growth. Our findings suggest that career expectations are an important determinant of human capital accumulation, which in turn is a key determinant of occupational status.
... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restrictin... more ... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restricting hours of work, establishing rights for part-time and sub-contracted workers, and creating informa-tion, consultation, and training rights. ...
In this study we developed a forest road design program based on a high-resolution digital elevat... more In this study we developed a forest road design program based on a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) from a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. After a designer has located the intersection points on a horizontal plane, the model first generates the horizontal alignment and the ground profile. The model precisely generates cross-sections and accurately calculates earthwork volumes using a high-resolution DEM. The model then optimizes the vertical alignment based on construction and maintenance costs using a heuristic technique known as tabu search. As the distance between crosssections affects the accuracy of earthwork volume calculations, the results were examined by comparing them with the exact earthwork volume calculated by the probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation method. The earthwork volumes calculated by the Pappus-based method were similar to those calculated by the Monte Carlo simulation when the distance between cross-sections was within 10 m. The model was applied to a high-resolution DEM from the LIDAR of Capitol Forest in Washington State, USA. The model generated a horizontal alignment, length 827 m, composed of five horizontal curves. We examined the number of grade change points. The results indicated that tabu search found the best solution ($61.42/m) with five grade change points. This was composed of two vertical curves that almost followed the ground profile. As the accuracy of a highresolution DEM from LIDAR increases, the model would become a useful tool for a forest road designer because it eliminates or at least reduces the time-consuming process of road surveys.
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society), 2006
We consider three broad types of employment contract vis, self-employment, PRP, and fixed wage em... more We consider three broad types of employment contract vis, self-employment, PRP, and fixed wage employment. We focus on the implied degree of income risk associated with each type of employment contract, arguing that such risk falls as we move from self-employment at one extreme to fixed wage employment at the other. We investigate the possibility that there is a systematic relationship between employment within a particular contract type and risk preference as proxied by expenditure on risky goods and goods associated with risk averse behaviour. A typical question might be: 'do self-employed individuals attempt to compensate for the relatively high level of income risk they face by reducing their expenditure on relatively risky goods? Or, do such individuals have a taste for risk which they express in both their working and non-working life?' Our empirical analysis, based on pooled cross-section data drawn from the British Family Expenditure Survey 1997-2000, provides evidence of a systematic relationship between employment contract type and risk preference, with, for example, self-employed workers being more (less) likely to engage in the consumption of "risky" (financial security) products. The results are based the Ordered Generalized Extreme Values model (OGEV), a relatively infrequently used discrete choice model, which importantly allows for ordering and correlation in the observed alternatives.
Journal of Forest Research, 2005
Two heuristic techniques, the genetic algorithm (GA) and Tabu search (TS), both with an embedded ... more Two heuristic techniques, the genetic algorithm (GA) and Tabu search (TS), both with an embedded linear programming routine for earthwork allocation, were compared to a manually designed forest road profile. The manually designed road length was 345.7?m and its average gradient was 14.1%. The best costs of the profiles designed by GA and TS, without changing the placement of control
Economics of Education Review, 2006
We explore the relationship between the signaling role of education and direct screening measures... more We explore the relationship between the signaling role of education and direct screening measures adopted by employers using a matched employee-employer data set drawn from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey for Great Britain. We identify which firms use personality/attitude and/or performance/competency tests during the hiring process and, by combining this and other firm level information with employee level characteristics, investigate whether such tests affect the signaling role of education. Our results suggest that hiring tests inhibit the signaling role of education, and that a failure to control for such tests may bias estimates of the returns to education.
Applied Economics, 1997
ABSTRACT This paper proffers the first formal econometric analysis into the privatization of publ... more ABSTRACT This paper proffers the first formal econometric analysis into the privatization of public housing under the Conservative Government's 'Right to Buy' (RTB) legislation. Results reveal that both actual and prospective RTB beneficiaries exhibit significantly different demographic and attitudinal characteristics from other owneroccupiers and council tenants. Given the close links between housing tenure and labour mobility, a closer analysis of these differences would be informative in any analysis of the RTB scheme, and in any future review of housing policy.
Regional Studies, 1997
BROWN S. and SESSIONS JG (1997) A pro®le of UK unemployment: regional versus demographic in¯ uenc... more BROWN S. and SESSIONS JG (1997) A pro®le of UK unemployment: regional versus demographic in¯ uences, Reg. Studies 31, 351±366. This paper pro®les the incidence of unemployment in the UK over the period 1985±91 using data derived from the British Social Attitudes ...
Economics of Education Review, 1999
The relationship between schooling and productivity has long intrigued economists and in recent y... more The relationship between schooling and productivity has long intrigued economists and in recent years two contrasting views have emerged. Human capital theory holds that schooling directly augments individual productivity (Mincer, 1974 and Becker, 1975). The screening ...
Journal of Forest Research, 2005
K. Aruga (*) Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350 Min... more K. Aruga (*) Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350 Mine, Utsunomiya 321-8505, Japan Tel. 81-28-649-5537; Fax 81-28-649-5545 e-mail: aruga@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp J. Sessions Department of Forest Engineering, College of ...
Journal of Sustainable …, 1999
ABSTRACT. Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, so-cial, and environmental sustaina... more ABSTRACT. Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, so-cial, and environmental sustainability. Intentional management is de-signed to manage conflicts among groups with conflicting interests. Our goal was to ascertain if intentional management and principles of ...
Contemporary Economic Policy, 1996
... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restrictin... more ... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restricting hours of work, establishing rights for part-time and sub-contracted workers, and creating informa-tion, consultation, and training rights. ...
We explore the implications of labour dem and constraints on the propensity to experience poverty... more We explore the implications of labour dem and constraints on the propensity to experience poverty. Since these constraints can manifest themselves in terms of both prices and quantities, we focus particularly on the relative contributions of underemployment and underpayment. Our analysis suggests that there has been a significant increase in working poverty in Britain over the period 1985-1996, the majority of which can be attributed to underpayment. Underemployment, however, is seen to represent a significant, and increasing, constraint on the ability of employees to escape poverty.
We explore the significance of intra-couple and intra -household influences on three broad types ... more We explore the significance of intra-couple and intra -household influences on three broad types of employment contracts: self-employment, performance related pay, and salaried employment. Individuals may pool income risk with their partners by holding a diversified portfolio of employment contracts, introducing intra-household risk pooling. Alternatively, employment contract matching may occur whereby individuals within couples or households are employed under similar contracts. Our empirical analysis, based on cross-section data drawn from the British Family Expenditure Surveys 1996 to 2000, provides evidence of employment contract matching both within dual earner couples and, to a lesser extent, in the context of working household members.
In this paper we utilise the British National Child Development Study to explore the determinants... more In this paper we utilise the British National Child Development Study to explore the determinants of children’s career expectations formed at the age of sixteen. We analyse how such career expectations impact upon human capital accumulation at the same age. We also analyse the extent of any divergence between childhood career expectations and the actual career outcomes experienced by the individuals at three distinct ages in adulthood (23, 33 and 42) as well as the impact of any such divergence on early- and mid-career wage growth. Our findings suggest that career expectations are an important determinant of human capital accumulation, which in turn is a key determinant of occupational status.
... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restrictin... more ... SARAH BROWN, KENNETH BUTTON, AND JOHN SESSIONS* ... More controver-sial were items restricting hours of work, establishing rights for part-time and sub-contracted workers, and creating informa-tion, consultation, and training rights. ...
In this study we developed a forest road design program based on a high-resolution digital elevat... more In this study we developed a forest road design program based on a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) from a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. After a designer has located the intersection points on a horizontal plane, the model first generates the horizontal alignment and the ground profile. The model precisely generates cross-sections and accurately calculates earthwork volumes using a high-resolution DEM. The model then optimizes the vertical alignment based on construction and maintenance costs using a heuristic technique known as tabu search. As the distance between crosssections affects the accuracy of earthwork volume calculations, the results were examined by comparing them with the exact earthwork volume calculated by the probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation method. The earthwork volumes calculated by the Pappus-based method were similar to those calculated by the Monte Carlo simulation when the distance between cross-sections was within 10 m. The model was applied to a high-resolution DEM from the LIDAR of Capitol Forest in Washington State, USA. The model generated a horizontal alignment, length 827 m, composed of five horizontal curves. We examined the number of grade change points. The results indicated that tabu search found the best solution ($61.42/m) with five grade change points. This was composed of two vertical curves that almost followed the ground profile. As the accuracy of a highresolution DEM from LIDAR increases, the model would become a useful tool for a forest road designer because it eliminates or at least reduces the time-consuming process of road surveys.
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society), 2006
We consider three broad types of employment contract vis, self-employment, PRP, and fixed wage em... more We consider three broad types of employment contract vis, self-employment, PRP, and fixed wage employment. We focus on the implied degree of income risk associated with each type of employment contract, arguing that such risk falls as we move from self-employment at one extreme to fixed wage employment at the other. We investigate the possibility that there is a systematic relationship between employment within a particular contract type and risk preference as proxied by expenditure on risky goods and goods associated with risk averse behaviour. A typical question might be: 'do self-employed individuals attempt to compensate for the relatively high level of income risk they face by reducing their expenditure on relatively risky goods? Or, do such individuals have a taste for risk which they express in both their working and non-working life?' Our empirical analysis, based on pooled cross-section data drawn from the British Family Expenditure Survey 1997-2000, provides evidence of a systematic relationship between employment contract type and risk preference, with, for example, self-employed workers being more (less) likely to engage in the consumption of "risky" (financial security) products. The results are based the Ordered Generalized Extreme Values model (OGEV), a relatively infrequently used discrete choice model, which importantly allows for ordering and correlation in the observed alternatives.
Journal of Forest Research, 2005
Two heuristic techniques, the genetic algorithm (GA) and Tabu search (TS), both with an embedded ... more Two heuristic techniques, the genetic algorithm (GA) and Tabu search (TS), both with an embedded linear programming routine for earthwork allocation, were compared to a manually designed forest road profile. The manually designed road length was 345.7?m and its average gradient was 14.1%. The best costs of the profiles designed by GA and TS, without changing the placement of control
Economics of Education Review, 2006
We explore the relationship between the signaling role of education and direct screening measures... more We explore the relationship between the signaling role of education and direct screening measures adopted by employers using a matched employee-employer data set drawn from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey for Great Britain. We identify which firms use personality/attitude and/or performance/competency tests during the hiring process and, by combining this and other firm level information with employee level characteristics, investigate whether such tests affect the signaling role of education. Our results suggest that hiring tests inhibit the signaling role of education, and that a failure to control for such tests may bias estimates of the returns to education.
Applied Economics, 1997
ABSTRACT This paper proffers the first formal econometric analysis into the privatization of publ... more ABSTRACT This paper proffers the first formal econometric analysis into the privatization of public housing under the Conservative Government's 'Right to Buy' (RTB) legislation. Results reveal that both actual and prospective RTB beneficiaries exhibit significantly different demographic and attitudinal characteristics from other owneroccupiers and council tenants. Given the close links between housing tenure and labour mobility, a closer analysis of these differences would be informative in any analysis of the RTB scheme, and in any future review of housing policy.
Regional Studies, 1997
BROWN S. and SESSIONS JG (1997) A pro®le of UK unemployment: regional versus demographic in¯ uenc... more BROWN S. and SESSIONS JG (1997) A pro®le of UK unemployment: regional versus demographic in¯ uences, Reg. Studies 31, 351±366. This paper pro®les the incidence of unemployment in the UK over the period 1985±91 using data derived from the British Social Attitudes ...
Economics of Education Review, 1999
The relationship between schooling and productivity has long intrigued economists and in recent y... more The relationship between schooling and productivity has long intrigued economists and in recent years two contrasting views have emerged. Human capital theory holds that schooling directly augments individual productivity (Mincer, 1974 and Becker, 1975). The screening ...
Journal of Forest Research, 2005
K. Aruga (*) Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350 Min... more K. Aruga (*) Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350 Mine, Utsunomiya 321-8505, Japan Tel. 81-28-649-5537; Fax 81-28-649-5545 e-mail: aruga@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp J. Sessions Department of Forest Engineering, College of ...
Journal of Sustainable …, 1999
ABSTRACT. Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, so-cial, and environmental sustaina... more ABSTRACT. Conservation of biodiversity provides for economic, so-cial, and environmental sustainability. Intentional management is de-signed to manage conflicts among groups with conflicting interests. Our goal was to ascertain if intentional management and principles of ...