Browsing by Author "School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Economic, sociological, and neighbor dimensions of energy efficiency adoption behaviors: Evidence from the U.S. residential heating and air conditioning market
    (Elsevier, 2015-11) Noonan, Douglas S.; Hsieh, Lin-Han Chiang; Matisoff, Daniel C.; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    This study identifies factors that affect the adoption behavior for residential Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, including a spatial and temporal contagion effect, house characteristics, and other economic and contextual factors. The study draws on a dataset of house sale records in the greater Chicago area, spanning 1992–2004. First-differenced models and restricting the sample to new construction allow separate identification of adoption determinants for homeowners and for developers, respectively. We show that attributes of the building stock and demographics influence adoption decisions of both homeowners and developers. This includes a strong influence of square footage, a modest spatial clustering effect for existing homes, a consistent deterrent effect of higher property tax rates, and a positive influence of neighborhood education levels. Adoption decisions for existing homeowners appear to be driven by different factors than sellers of newly constructed homes. Adoption coincided with multi-story homes for developers, and neighbor adoption rates predicted adoption by existing homeowners but not developers. The results highlight the need for more research into the social context of energy efficiency investment.
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    FEMA versus local governments: Influence and reliance in disaster preparedness
    (Springer, 2016) Sadiq, Abdul-Akeem; Tharp, Kevin; Graham, John D.; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    This study uses an experimental approach to examine whether disaster information sourced to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) influences intentions to adopt hazard adjustments. Survey questions are also used to determine whether individuals rely more on FEMA or local governments when preparing for disasters. Using an online sample of 2008 US employees, the results indicate that information sourced to FEMA is no more influential than information sourced to local governments and that individuals rely less on FEMA than on local agencies during disaster preparedness. These results have significant implications for practice and future research on natural hazard preparedness.
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    Is Downsizing Prisons Dangerous? The Effect of California’s Realignment Act on Public Safety
    (Wiley, 2016) Sundt, Jody; Salisbury, Emily J.; Harmon, Mark G.; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    Research Summary: Recent declines in imprisonment raise a critical question: Can prison populations be reduced without endangering the public? This question is examined by testing the effect of California’s dramatic efforts to comply with court-mandated targets to reduce prison overcrowding using a pretest-posttest design. The results showed that California’s Realignment Act had no effect on violent or property crime rates in 2012, 2013, or 2014. When crime types were disaggregated, a moderately large, statistically significant association between Realignment and auto theft rates was observed in 2012. By 2014, however, this effect had decayed and auto theft rates returned to pre-Realignment levels. Policy Implications: Significant reductions in the size of prison populations are possible without endangering public safety. Within just 15 months of its passage, Realignment reduced the size of the total prison population by 27,527 inmates, prison crowding declined from 181% to 150% of design capacity, approximately $453 million was saved, and there was no adverse effect on the overall safety of Californians. With a mixture of jail use, community corrections, law enforcement and other preventive efforts, California counties have provided a comparable level of public safety to that previously achieved by state prisons. Nevertheless, sustaining these policy objectives will require greater attention to local implementation, targeted crime prevention, and sentencing reform.
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    Mind the Gap: Expectations and Experiences of Clients Utilizing Job-Training Services in a Social Enterprise
    (Wiley, 2015-06-01) Walk, Marlene; Greenspan, Itay; Crossley, Honey; Handy, Femida; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    This paper offers an underexplored perspective of social impact assessment by integrating clients’ evaluation of the impact of job-training and skills-building programs. Drawing on the literature of ‘met expectations’, we investigate the personal and social impact, beyond job placement, of job-training and skills-building programs provided by a Canadian social enterprise from the perspective of the clients. Utilizing data from a pre-test/post-test quasi-experiment, we assess the differences, between program participants as compared to a control group of nonparticipants, on several measures. Findings illuminate the gap between expectations and actual experiences, and point to the importance of integrating the clients’ perspective. Such measures enable leaders of social enterprises to account for the often neglected intangibles of their social missions.
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    Religious and Secular Coping Strategies and Mortality Risk among Older Adults
    (Springer, 2015-01-03) McDougle, Lindsey; Konrath, Sara H.; Walk, Marlene; Handy, Femida; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IUPUI
    Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, the study identifies coping strategies used by older adults. Second, the study examines the impact of older adults’ chosen coping strategies on mortality reduction. The study focuses specifically on differences in the use of religious and secular coping strategies among this population. The findings suggest that although coping strategies differ between those who self-classify as religious and those who self-classify as nonreligious, for both groups social approaches to coping (e.g., attending church and volunteering) are more likely than individual approaches (e.g., praying or active/passive coping) to reduce the risk of mortality. The most efficacious coping strategies, however, are those matched to characteristics of the individual.