A History of Foreign Multinational Enterprises in Australia from Federation. We aim to deliver the first history of foreign multinational firms in twentieth-century Australia, connecting to, and enhancing, a rich overseas literature on global business. Foreign corporations have played a critical but poorly understood role here with public and policy opinions polarised between approval for new investment, job creation and innovation against concern for their impact on tax revenue, competition, an ....A History of Foreign Multinational Enterprises in Australia from Federation. We aim to deliver the first history of foreign multinational firms in twentieth-century Australia, connecting to, and enhancing, a rich overseas literature on global business. Foreign corporations have played a critical but poorly understood role here with public and policy opinions polarised between approval for new investment, job creation and innovation against concern for their impact on tax revenue, competition, and economic policy. Through a closer, long term understanding of multinationals – their magnitude, motives to settle here, corporate structures, and adaptation to local conditions – our findings will inform public debate and policy about the roles of foreign investment and foreign enterprises in the Australian economy today.Read moreRead less
Honesty and efficiency in the provision of expert services: doctors and other experts as participants in economic experiments. Experts serve us when we see the doctor, the financial planner or the car mechanic. In all these case the expert can take advantage of his superior knowledge and sell us something we do not need. This research will inform policy makers about the underlying motives of real world experts and allow them to design better institutions.
International coalitions for climate change mitigation: the role of carbon market linkages and trade restrictions. This project uses cooperative game theory, implementation theory and agent-based modelling to investigate how coalitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could be formed and maintained among countries. Applications include the role of carbon market linkage and trade policy, in countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
Automation and Income Inequality: Macroeconomic Policy Implications. The transition to wider use of robotics and artificial intelligence may eventually make our citizens better off, yet effects on domestic income and wealth inequality remain uncertain, depending strongly on general governance and macroeconomic policy regimes. This project would help clarify income inequality effects, both abroad and in Australia, through (i) new numerical theory from calibrated economic models at the global and ....Automation and Income Inequality: Macroeconomic Policy Implications. The transition to wider use of robotics and artificial intelligence may eventually make our citizens better off, yet effects on domestic income and wealth inequality remain uncertain, depending strongly on general governance and macroeconomic policy regimes. This project would help clarify income inequality effects, both abroad and in Australia, through (i) new numerical theory from calibrated economic models at the global and national levels; (ii) econometric testing of results from global and national data; (iii) the use of emerging insights to analyse economic policy responses and their global interaction as well as the implications for Australian economic policyRead moreRead less
Height, Body Mass Index and Demographic Changes in the Asian Giants. This project aims to examine and explain trends in height and body mass index of the populations of the three Asian Giants, China, India and Indonesia, and to explore the links with two key demographic developments: fertility decline and urbanisation. The three parts of the project are: using anthropometric survey data on adults, to compare, contrast and analyse trends at the national and regional levels; to examine the relatio ....Height, Body Mass Index and Demographic Changes in the Asian Giants. This project aims to examine and explain trends in height and body mass index of the populations of the three Asian Giants, China, India and Indonesia, and to explore the links with two key demographic developments: fertility decline and urbanisation. The three parts of the project are: using anthropometric survey data on adults, to compare, contrast and analyse trends at the national and regional levels; to examine the relationship between adult height and childhood family size using econometric methods that account for possible endogeneity; and, to examine the link between individual BMI and rural or urban residence paying special attention to rural-urban migrants. Read moreRead less
Sustaining India's economic transformation: challenges, prospects and implications for Australia and the Pacific region. India's emergence from economic stagnation is beginning to have a profound impact on the world economy, including Australia. This project aims to investigate the sources of India's growth and the reforms needed to ensure that growth generates reductions in poverty and ensures equity and political stability.
Understanding online attention and user-generated content creation: An information consumption and production perspective. There is a strong practical need for methods for understanding and measuring online behaviour. In this project, economic index number theory will be used to study information consumption, leading to new ways of measuring online attention and influence. Techniques for studying scaling relationships in the physical world will be used to study information production, leading to ....Understanding online attention and user-generated content creation: An information consumption and production perspective. There is a strong practical need for methods for understanding and measuring online behaviour. In this project, economic index number theory will be used to study information consumption, leading to new ways of measuring online attention and influence. Techniques for studying scaling relationships in the physical world will be used to study information production, leading to new insights into the efficiency of production of user-generated content. The project will contribute to understanding how social media such as Twitter contribute to social unrest and affect consumer decisions, and how distributed online collaboration can produce economically-valuable information resources such as Wikipedia.Read moreRead less
Time-consistent macroeconomic policy in nonlinear models. Efforts to use fiscal policy for macro-stabilisation have led to elevated debt levels and possible default in many countries. This project examines the appropriate design of fiscal policy and its implications for debt over the business cycle.
Towards an enhanced understanding of child and youth social exclusion risk at a small area level in Australia. This project will produce major national benefits, improving our understanding of child and youth social exclusion risk at a small area level, and putting Australia at the forefront of research into child well-being. Communities will benefit from the availability of high quality, rigorously developed measures of child and youth disadvantage at a local area level. Results from this proje ....Towards an enhanced understanding of child and youth social exclusion risk at a small area level in Australia. This project will produce major national benefits, improving our understanding of child and youth social exclusion risk at a small area level, and putting Australia at the forefront of research into child well-being. Communities will benefit from the availability of high quality, rigorously developed measures of child and youth disadvantage at a local area level. Results from this project will provided policy makers with tools to develop measures for overcoming disadvantage and narrowing gaps in outcomes for Australia's young people. The international team will ensure that methodological developments will be widely available in other countries interested in developing small area measures of child and youth disadvantage.Read moreRead less
Trade and investment in the face of declining international cooperation. This project aims to investigate the impact and policy implications of trade and investment policies in a world trade system facing increasing uncertainty. The project intends to gain an improved understanding of investment regulations like Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) agreements and their impact on trade and foreign direct investment. Expected outcomes include new theories for the breakdown of international agr ....Trade and investment in the face of declining international cooperation. This project aims to investigate the impact and policy implications of trade and investment policies in a world trade system facing increasing uncertainty. The project intends to gain an improved understanding of investment regulations like Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) agreements and their impact on trade and foreign direct investment. Expected outcomes include new theories for the breakdown of international agreements and their effects on third world countries as well as empirical methods that allow for a quantification of the welfare and employment effects of investment policies like ISDS. This project should provide benefits by informing government policy makers to improve Australia’s trade and investment policies.Read moreRead less