Essays examine the impact of social networks and collective action on growth and other economic outcomes, contributing to understanding of the interaction between economic processes and their social framework.

Using an extended Fama-French model for REIT returns, we examine how the net impact of the COVID-19 pandemic differs from that of recessions. We find that, as anticipated, recessions have a negative net impact on office and residential REIT returns but that the COVID-19 pandemic has a positive...

The rate of incarceration has increased dramatically in the U.S. since 1980. We explore the implications of this increased incarceration on national poverty measurement using micro data for the period 1979-1997. We make use of an as-yet unexplored data set on prisoner earnings, in conjunction...

How do firms adjust prices in the marketplace? Do they tend to adjust prices infrequently in response to changes in market conditions? If so, why? These remain key questions in macroeconomics, particularly for central banks that work to keep inflation low and stable. The authors use the Bank of...

Purpose – This paper aims to extend the Fama and French (FF) three‐factor model in studying time‐varying risk premiums of Sector Select Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) under a Markov regime‐switching framework. Design/methodology/approach – First, the original FF model is augmented to...

This paper examines the risk of value investing from the point of view of a myopic loss-averse investor holding a diversified portfolio and relying on infrequent portfolio rebalancing. This closely resembles purchasing a large portfolio, such as those created by BARRA, and following a...

Purpose – This paper aims to extend the Fama and French (FF) three-factor model in studying time-varying risk premiums of Sector Select Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) under a Markov regime-switching framework. Design/methodology/approach – First, the original FF model is augmented to include...

This paper uses a poverty intensity measure to provide additional empirical evidence on the assimilation of immigrant cohorts over time in Canada. This method is used because a reliable, and conservative, indicator of the poor integration of immigrants is the disproportional, prolonged poverty...