Today, innovation is present in the discourse of politicians and business leaders. They see innovation as a positive value and as a solution to solve social problems and company’s competitiveness, so organizations are encouraged to adopt innovative practices through incentives and innovation...

Historically, actuaries have been calculating premiums and mathematical reserves using a deterministic approach, by considering a deterministic mortality intensity, which is a function of the age only, extracted from available (static) life tables and by setting a flat ("best estimate") interest...

Linear models are typically used in the regression analysis of capital structure choices. However, given the proportional and bounded nature of leverage ratios, models such as the tobit, the fractional regression model and its two-part variant are a better alternative. In this paper, we discuss...

The purpose of the current paper is to provide a critical state-of-the-art review of current research on clusters and its correlation to innovation dynamics in small and medium-sized regions. In particular, we focus on the systematization of the main concepts and theoretical insights that are...

African countries involved in monetary integration projects have been advised to peg their currencies against an external anchor before the definite fixing of exchange rates. In this study we estimate optimum currency area indices to determine, between four alternatives, which international...

In a report from 2008 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development came to the conclusion that Portugal is still a country very much marked by regional asymmetries and in need of better regional governance mechanisms and policies. In the face of these conclusions it becomes...

This paper reviews the literature on new housing supply. The paper starts by summarizing the results of the empirical studies on housing supply, showing that overall these studies reject the hypothesis of a perfectly elastic housing supply and reveal that housing supply is negatively related...

The objective of this paper is to analyze the degree of persistence of final energy demand in Portugal. Our results suggest the presence of a strong level of persistence for aggregate final energy demand. Final demand for gas is the most persistent component of energy demand, while the final...

In this study we have analyzed the evolution of foreign trade and we have identified areas of regular cross-border trade relations between the province of Huelva and the region of Alentejo, as well as the companies that carry out these activities. We have identified a number of elements linked...

Considering the important role of irrigation in the socio-economic development of the Alentejo region in Portugal, this paper aims to assess the economic impact of water pricing in the context of the public irrigation perimeter of Odivelas in that region. The methodological framework uses the...