This dissertation examines three distinct empirical questions in macroeconomics and finance. Chapter 1 studies the reasons why households file for bankruptcy. The debt relief households obtain in bankruptcy provides insurance against wealth losses, but also distorts borrower incentives to repay debt, discouraging lending. Understanding how bankruptcy filings respond to changes...
Context: Crowd logistics is a novel shipping concept where delivery operations are carried out by employing existing vehicle capacity and drivers from the crowd, relying on their planned tours, thereby offering potential for economic, social, and environmental benefits. Despite the promise of this new logistics model, little is known about...
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is a powerful phenomenon that dictates the functional properties of transition metal complexes essential for information processing, catalysis, and magnetism. Though it is relegated to lower energy scales within the orbital description of first-row transition metal complexes, SOC impacts crucial aspects of electronic structure such as promoting...
Sexual orientation is conventionally understood as relative attraction to men versus women. It has recently been argued that male sexual orientation in particular can be extended to include other dimensions of sexual attraction besides gender, such as sexual maturity and location. With respect to the dimension of location, most men...
Millions of years of evolution have produced fascinating biological materials and structures that are optimized to perform a wide spectrum of functions essential for the survival of organisms. These biological materials have been intensively studied in order to decipher the intricate interplay between their superior material properties and structural design...
What is the role of entrepreneurship – a predominantly market-based approach – in addressing social problems such as inequality and social exclusion? How do entrepreneurial organizations with a distinctly social purpose (often referred to as hybrid organizations) manage additional imperatives, such as those related to democratic governance? Based on 70...
Despite advancing knowledge about the mechanics of earthquakes, earthquake prediction remains, and will likely remain, an unsolved problem. Hence in order to reduce the risk posed by earthquake shaking, seismologists have developed tools called earthquake hazard maps. Earthquake hazard maps communicate expected future shaking scenarios, and are used by engineers...
Many volunteer communities rely on technological systems to help their members connect, collaborate and learn the norms of how to participate in the organization. This dissertation presents research that examines technological interventions designed to support participation in three different volunteer-run communities, all of which have porous boundaries, and allow volunteers...
In this thesis, I present the development and benchmarking of several theoretical methods designed to enable the rigorous modeling of magnetic properties of molecules containing one or a few heavy atoms, particularly single-molecule magnets. The new methods use a full four-component treatment of relativity, allowing spin–orbit effects to be taken...
Using carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) to reduce vehicle weight has received growing attentions because it can effectively curtail greenhouse gas emissions and slow down global warming. The thermoforming process is among the most promising techniques for mass production of CFRP parts because it is highly automated and has relatively...