Public Lectures

Who Really Won World War I?

So Germany was defeated in 1918 - and France seemed to have won. But of course, as we all know, it was the US who really won. But they did not like the result - and withdrew into what is often called "isolationism". Up to World War I, France had always relied on Russia as a counterweight to Germany. But after 1918 Russia no longer counted as an ally. France (and Britain) had failed to either overthrow the Bolsheviks - as Kramar had advised them to do - or make friends with them - as Benes had maybe wanted them to do. As a result, Germany had lost the colonies (that only cost money) and the battlefleet (that was no use on the continent) but its strategic position within Europe had in fact suffered far less than was generally believed.

MUNI Seminar Series

Unethical behavior: A matter of incentives and punishment?

Dishonesty takes a variety of forms (tax evasion, corruption, book cooking, ...) and it has major implications for growth and trust in society. The standard "economics of crime" approach has shown its limits to analyze decision making in the ethical domain. Under the influence of behavioral economics, the role of monetary incentives and moral norms on unethical behavior has been reconsidered. During her lecture, Marie Claire Villeval brings together research in behavioral economics and field and laboratory experiments to analyze how and when individuals misbehave, and whether deterrence institutions and punishment are always the solution to discourage such misbehavior.

MUNI Seminar Series

Economic and Political Integration of Refugees

The 2015 European migrant crisis shifted media and scholarly attention to the economic and political integration of refugees. During the MUNI lecture, Bratsberg will draw on his recent research on refugees as well as family and labor migrants in Norway and discuss the merits of policies targeted at immigrant integration.

MUNI Seminar Series

Feeling Smart: Why our Emotions are More Rational Than We Think

"Feeling Smart"  is the title of Eyal Winter's book that appeared 2015  with Perseus Books Group. The book deals with the relationship between our emotional being and our rational one, and the implications of this relationship to areas such as economics, business, romance and the social interactions. We shall address the following questions: Are emotions and rationality two separate systems? Can we synthesize emotions?  What is the difference between autonomous and interactive emotions. What is the role of altruism in promoting self‐interest? We shall also mention recent research findings on the "love hormone" Oxytocin, and in particular the implications for economic and social interactions. Finally, if time permits we shall discuss how regret and our fear of regret shapes our financial behavior.

website

Behavioral Foundations of Collective Actions

Lecture is organized within Seminar Series sponsored by Masaryk University.

Abstract: The focus of my work is on the analysis and design of institutions (rules of the game) that promote cooperation among individuals and the solution of social dilemmas (such as environmental issues) in the fairest, efficient, equitable, democratic and sustainable manners possible. My reflection is based on two main points. (i) First, I challenge two analytical frameworks for understanding and addressing environmental problems, namely market environmentalism and the institutional framework. I call for adopting a vision that conceives environmental problems basically as social collective action dilemmas, instead of market failures. (i) Secondly, I analyze current trends in behavioral and experimental approaches to the study of collective action and summarize the main contributions to the growing literature in this field.

https://seminarseries.muni.cz/social-sciences-humanities/lectures/behavioral-foundations-of-collective-actions

Challenges to European Integration: Missions and Instruments

Abstract: The lecture attempts to highlight challenges to European integration by raising key concerns and generating debate about potential responses. This discussion is intended to be a starting point for further reflection on specific issues related to the European integration process. The starting point is the explanation why there is a need for a clear and realistic integration mission; the argumentation is supported by the example of the history of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), one of the most tangible achievements of European integration policy. The history of the EMU also highlights the critical importance of clarity and realism in any approach to integration. The discussion analysis moves next to the challenges that the EU is facing today and considers how the European Commission has evaluated and reacted to these challenges so far. Finally, the lecturer proposes some key elements of – and makes the case for – a constructive practical approach.

The lecture is based on the article entitled Challenges to European Integration: Missions and Instruments written by the lecturer, published in Politics in Central Europe (ISSN: 1801-422), Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 77–91, DOI: 10.2478/pce-2018-0004

Bio: Tamás Szemlér, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the Faculty of International and European Studies of the National University of Public Service (Budapest) since 1 September 2016. Between 1993 and 2010, he was a researcher at the Institute for World Economics (IWE) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; in 2008-2009, he was Deputy Director (responsible for scientific affairs) of IWE. Between 2009 and 2016, he worked as an associate professor at the Faculty of International Management and Business of Budapest Business School; between 2009 and 2014 he was head of the Department of Economics; between 2012 and 2016, he was Dean of the Faculty of International Management and Business. He has over 140 publications; in his research and teaching activities, he focuses mainly on the issues of deepening, enlargement and external relations (economic and political) of the European Union.

Anonymous Black and Brown Bodies

Event 

Personal website

Paying for what kind of performance? Incentive pay and multitasking in mission-oriented jobs

Authors: Daniel Jones (University of South Carolina), Michael Vlassopoulos (University of Southampton), Mirco Tonin (University of Bozen-Bolzano)

Abstract: How does performance pay (P4P) impact productivity on incentivized and unincentivized dimensions when workers may be intrinsically motivated by their job (e.g., public sector, nonprofit sector)? How does P4P impact the composition of workers in such jobs? We conduct a real-effort laboratory experiment, manipulating compensation and motivation, to answer these questions. We find that P4P has positive effects on productivity on the incentivized dimension (quantity) and negative effects on the unincentivized dimension (quality) for non-motivated workers. For motivated workers, P4P does not lead to a statistically significant change in either dimension. Finally, when workers can choose to remain in the experimentally-assigned payment scheme or opt for an outside option with a flat payment, but also no opportunity to be intrinsically motivated, we find that non-motivated workers sort on ability (higher ability workers opting into the P4P scheme) while motivated workers do not.

Venue information

Odhad dopadu a škod kartelových dohod

Kartelové dohody mezi konkurenty oslabují konkurenci na trhu a vedou k vyšším cenám. Firmy v takovýchto případech platí svým dodavatelům, kteří se domluvili na ceně, více, než kolik by platily na správně fungujícím trhu. Pokud je kartel odhalen, mohou poškozené firmy žádat o náhradu škody u soudu. Ale jak velkou škodu tyto firmy utrpěly? Jaká by byla tržní cena na fungujícím trhu a jak ovlivnil kartel zisk poškozených firem? Odpovědím, které soudu běžně poskytují ekonomové, se bude věnovat i tento seminář.

Is Economics Useful for Public Policy?

Prof. James Alm is Chair of Economics at Tulane University in New Orleans. Alm’s most recent research areas include tax compliance and tax evasion, the marriage tax, tax and expenditure limitations, tax amnesties, taxpayer responses to tax reforms, enterprise zones, the determinants of state economic growth, and corruption. He has worked extensively on fiscal and decentralization reforms in numerous countries, including Bangladesh, Jamaica, Grenada, Indonesia, Turkey, Hungary, China, Egypt, the Philippines, Russia, Uganda, Nigeria, India, Colombia, Nepal, Ukraine, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tunisia. Alm's international projects have been funded by the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Program, and the International Monetary Fund. Alm has published in various respected journals and has been ranked among the world's top economists of today.

http://seminarseries.muni.cz/lectures-by/james-alm