@article{RamosSuguitan, author = {Ramos, Vincent Jerald and Suguitan, Edgar Antonio}, title = {The Incomplete Leap: On the Transition From Union Registration to the First Collective Agreement}, series = {Industrial Relations Journal}, volume = {56}, journal = {Industrial Relations Journal}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, doi = {10.1111/irj.12458}, pages = {189 -- 203}, abstract = {In decentralized systems where unionization and bargaining occur at the establishment level, what explains the (speedy) transition from union registration to the first collective agreement? While prior evidence in some developed countries (i.e., the United States) estimates this transition to be approximately a year, on average, little to no evidence exists in other contexts where unions play a less central role, as is the case in many developing countries. Addressing this gap, we analyze the Philippines where national unionization and collective bargaining coverage rates are relatively low. Using methods from survival analysis on novel register data of all new union registrations from 2016 to 2021, we descriptively demonstrate that: (i) median union membership density is low at 40\%; (ii) only 20\% of all new union registrations successfully register a contract within the first 5 years; and (iii) unions with higher densities, that are independent, and in the manufacturing sector are associated with elevated transition rates to a collective agreement.}, language = {en} } @article{RamosDawayDucanes, author = {Ramos, Vincent Jerald R. and Daway-Ducanes, Sarah Lynne S.}, title = {Nonlinearities in the Intellectual Property-Manufacturing Growth Nexus in the Post-TRIPS Era: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Analysis}, series = {Journal of the Knowledge Economy}, volume = {16}, journal = {Journal of the Knowledge Economy}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, doi = {10.1007/s13132-024-02235-x}, pages = {10164 -- 10194}, abstract = {Discussions around the importance of intellectual property (IP) intensified at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as countries raced to secure IP-protected goods (e.g., vaccines and medical equipment) necessary to respond quickly and adequately to the threat of the virus' spread. Building on the growing strand of the literature that reexamines IP's effect on an array of social and economic outcomes, this paper examines the relationship between quantitative (patents and trademarks) and qualitative (IP protection) measures of IP, on the one hand, and manufacturing growth, on the other hand, accounting for the presence of nonlinearities. Using a two-step system generalized method of moments (SGMM) approach on a panel dataset of 81 countries spanning the post-1995 TRIPS Agreement period, our estimates show that these alternative measures of IP have differential and nonlinear effects on manufacturing growth. In particular, patents have a positive significant marginal effect on manufacturing growth past a minimum scale, whereas trademarks do not have a significant effect. In contrast, stronger IPR protection has a positive effect only up to a critical level of IPR protection, implying that "too much" IPR protection can stifle growth-inducing competing innovation. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the mechanisms through which IP may contribute to manufacturing growth, and on some policies, which may help realize this potential. Broadly, this paper speaks to academic and policy discussions surrounding optimal IP enforcement and the benefits and consequences of IP.}, language = {en} } @article{RamosKreyenfeldAlonsoPerezetal., author = {Ramos, Vincent Jerald and Kreyenfeld, Michaela and Alonso-Perez, Enrique and Gellert, Paul and Heisig, Jan Paul and O'Sullivan, Julie Lorraine}, title = {Future Caregiving Responsibilities, Employment Uncertainties, and Expected Childbearing Behavior: Survey Experimental Evidence from Germany}, series = {Population Research and Policy Review}, volume = {44}, journal = {Population Research and Policy Review}, publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, doi = {10.1007/s11113-025-09969-9}, abstract = {In societies experiencing declining birth rates, understanding factors that influence childbearing decisions is of interest. We used a factorial survey experiment to investigate how scenarios of future caregiving responsibilities toward aging parents and employment uncertainties shape the expected childbearing behavior of a fictitious couple. Respondents from the nationally representative German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) (n = 1,750) were randomly assigned to five vignettes, each describing a hypothetical couple with varying levels of caregiving responsibilities towards an aging parent and employment uncertainties. Respondents subsequently rated their expectations about the hypothetical couple's childbearing behavior within the next three years using an 11-point scale. Results show that high caregiving responsibilities and dual employment uncertainties reduce expected childbearing behavior by 2.8 and 1.9 units respectively, compared to when these are absent. The negative effect of high caregiving responsibilities is more pronounced among women, while respondents' own caregiving and employment experiences do not moderate these effects. These results demonstrate how both future-oriented caregiving responsibilities and employment uncertainties alter expectations about family formation and highlight the scenarios that are regarded as more or less favorable for childbearing.}, language = {en} }