Abstract The foundational nature of expectations‐based theories and the prominence of symmetric unimodal stochastic assumptions in economic research render the expected outcome the go to locational focus throughout its many realms. When symmetric unimodality prevails, expected and most likely outcomes are identical; however, when it does not, they are not, begging the question ‘Why not use most likely rather than expected outcomes as the locational focus if there is potential for asymmetry?’ Here, the issue is explored by examining what drives the selection of locational foci by characterizing the choice as the solution to an analyst's optimization problem that reflects their perspective and typology. The choices are then discussed in the context of various economic modelling scenarios. The issue is generic to a wide variety of analytic scenarios, and its relevance hinges on the prevalence and extent of distributional asymmetries in those scenarios. To emphasize its diversity, four disparate modelling contexts where locational focus matters are examined. All demonstrate that possessing a ‘most likely’ as opposed to an ‘expectations‐based’ perspective makes a substantive difference to the analysis and conclusions drawn, which should give pause for thought.

Abstract This paper presents a non‐price‐based conservation experiment performed among 6723 college dorm residents. We analyse the effectiveness of a behavioural intervention delivered through email, featuring one of two types of social‐comparison‐based energy consumption feedback: a quintile social comparison message and a mean comparison message. The quintile social comparison message ranks residents' relative energy consumption in quintiles, while the mean comparison message compares their consumption to the average. Our results show that the relative effectiveness of these messages depends on residents' baseline consumption patterns. Users in the higher quintiles (fourth and fifth) are more likely to reduce their energy consumption, while those in the lower quintiles (first and second) tend to increase their electricity usage after receiving the messages. We also observe that this adjustment towards the median consumption level appears to be more pronounced in single‐ and double‐student rooms compared to multiple‐student rooms. Using a causal forest approach to examine heterogeneity, we find that certain individual traits and physical factors may influence these room dynamics.

Abstract Education systems serve various purposes, including the enhancement of later‐life health, though effects can differ by sociopolitical regime. This paper examines the effect of communist education, which exposed children to a distinct curriculum and ideological content, on later‐life health. We exploit a novel dataset that collects information on compulsory education reforms in several European countries, with different cohorts exposed and unexposed to Soviet communist education. Using a difference‐in‐differences (DiD) design, we show that while the extension of compulsory education improved some relevant measures of health, communist education encompassed an additional health‐enhancing effect. We document that the effect remains robust when using staggered DiD approaches and various robustness tests, and that it is explained by the priority given to physical education in the school curricula, together with an increased likelihood of marriage.

Tourism represents a strategic sector with major potential for the sustainable economic development of the Republic of Moldova. This sector has the capacity to generate multiple benefits for the country by stimulating the national economy, creating new jobs, capitalising on natural and cultural resources, attracting investments, strengthening local identity, and improving infrastructure, while simultaneously enhancing the country's international visibility. The article analyses current tourism destination management practices in the Republic of Moldova, identifying the main opportunities for leveraging tourism resources, as well as the challenges that constrain the sustainable development of this sector. The study is based on a combination of quantitative analysis and an assessment of public policies. The results highlight the need for a coherent branding strategy for major tourist areas, greater investments in infrastructure and digitalisation, and, not least, adequate training of human resources. The conclusions provide recommendations for optimising tourism governance and enhancing the competitiveness of the Republic of Moldova as an international tourist destination.

Experience motivations based on the hierarchy of needs receive different emphasis in different stages of the life cycle. The basis for the creation of experiences is variety, activity and connection, as travel motivations in addition to the need for relaxation and rest. From the perspective of tourism product development, it is increasingly difficult to form homogeneous demand groups and offer them segment-specific experiences. The examination of the tourism experience behavior of the recently entered generation Z, which is formulated as a research question, is an urgent problem. The analysis of the responses related to experience motivation from the medium-sized sample of the targeted generation provides an opportunity to identify and group the motivations and images from the experience behavior of the age group, and to determine segment specificity. Based on the value and intensity of the individual experience attitudes, four main segments can be distinguished in the surveyed generation Z sample: those who mainly seek calm, safe relaxation, those who mainly get to know each other, those who mainly seek relationships and those who mainly seek challenges. The results of the research contribute to a more precise definition of the experiential behavior of Generation Z tourists.

This research analyses the spatial discrepancies of multidimensional poverty in the Southern Region of the Republic of Moldova, by applying the Alkire-Foster method to aggregated data at the level of the administrative-territorial unit (ATU) from 2023. The study employs twelve indicators that are evenly distributed across four essential dimensions: health care, education, living conditions, and the social protection. The results indicate a pattern of alarming rate of multidimensional poverty: the incidence (H) stands at 55,5%, and the intensity of the deprivations (A) at 0,681, and the aggregated Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) reaches 0,378, reflecting a high structural vulnerability. The values of the MPI vary significantly between districts, from 0,166 Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (ATU Gagauzia) to 0,830 (Cantemir). Five of the nine districts, (Cantemir, Leova, Stefan-Voda, Taraclia, and Cimislia), are classified as "poor", (score of MPI ≥ 0,333), each one presenting a structure that is specific to deprivation. The study provides a relevant territorial perspective for the regional planning, and emphasizes the necessity of using MPI in the local and regional public policy formulation adapted to the specific needs of each territory.

The general objective of this paper is to investigate the theoretical and methodological benchmarks regarding the development of competitive advantages on the petroleum products market, illustrating the factors, principles, and conditions necessary for the formation of competitive advantages. The study begins with an overview of the most relevant conceptual approaches to competitive advantages. It continues with an analysis of the specifics of the global petroleum market, identifying the problems and challenges faced by the sector. The research methodology is complex and comprehensive, focusing on the use of various research methods, such as: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, scientific abstraction, content analysis, tabular method, graphics. These tools supported the research process and helped generate relevant results. As a result of the research conducted, it can be emphasized that in the context of a competitive environment, petroleum companies must identify and develop new competitive advantages.

Abstract Remote working has rapidly become the new norm in many sectors, at least some of the time. Remote working changes where workers spend much of their time and the geographical location of demand, particularly for local personal services (LPS). Our main contribution is to systematically quantify this change for England and Wales using a new nationally representative survey of nearly 35,000 working‐age adults, which captures (pre‐pandemic) LPS spending while at work and permanent changes in remote working. On average, our work shows that neighbourhoods where people commute 20% less often experience a decline in LPS spending of 5%. There is a clear geographic pattern (the ‘donut’ effect) to these spending changes, but our granular analysis shows that they are uneven: large decreases in LPS demand are concentrated in a small number of city‐centre neighbourhoods, while increases in LPS demand around the periphery are more dispersed. Further analysis of neighbourhoods by geographical and sociodemographic characteristics shows that the least affluent are most likely to benefit the least from remote work, increasing inequality.

Abstract We study the causal impact of theocratic regimes on women's age at first marriage. We leverage spatial variation of the first Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and temporal variation in women's timing of marriage, relative to the establishment of the regime in a difference‐in‐differences estimation framework. We find that exposure to the Taliban government reduced women's age at first marriage by nearly 9 months, and this is accompanied by a concomitant reduction in age at first birth. Likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence was also higher among women exposed to the regime. The regime's ban on women accessing education led to lower educational attainment, reinforcing these effects even after its fall. Our results underscore the detrimental consequences of regimes that restrict women's civil rights.