Skip to main content

Robert Rudolf

Korea University, Republic of Korea, Division of International Studies, Faculty Member

Followers

73

Following

39

Co-authors

3

Public Views

I am professor in the Division of International Studies at Korea University. My research interests are in applied microeconomics, in particular in the fields of international development studies, gender, subjective well-being, education, and poverty/ inequality. I am currently a member of the academic advisory committee for the design of Korea's National Child & Adolescent Well-being Indicator System. In the past, I have been a visiting fellow at research institutes and international NGOs in Santiago de Chile, Singapore, Mexico City, and Berlin. I have been awarded research grants from the Korea Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation. My work has been published in World Development, Journal of Development Studies, Food Policy, Agricultural Economics, Review of Economics of the Household, Feminist Economics, Asian Women, and the Journal of Happiness Studies, among others.

less

InterestsView All (8)

Uploads

Papers by Robert Rudolf

The relationship between school-related gender-based violence and absenteeism: Evidence from 14 Southern and Eastern African countries

South African Journal of Education

Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) com... more Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) compared to their counterparts in other world regions (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2014). When GBV occurs in schools, it severely endangers access to education. Using the third round of data of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) from over 60,000 Grade 6 learners across 14 countries, we examined the relationship between GBV in primary schools and learners’ absenteeism. Findings indicate that sexual harassment perpetrated by teachers significantly increases learners’ absenteeism. In contrast, effects were less clear when the perpetrator was a fellow learner. Effects found are similar in magnitude for girls and boys. Violence prevention education programmes and stricter punishment for offenders are needed to establish a safer school environment and overcome harassment-related barriers to learning.

School climate, academic performance, and adolescent well-being in Korea: The roles of competition and cooperation

Child Indicators Research

The Arab Spring, a setback for gender equality? Evidence from the Gallup World Poll

Journal of Asian Economics

The Paradox of Wealthy Nations’ Low Adolescent Life Satisfaction

Journal of Happiness Studies

The Impact of Training Developing Country Ministerial Officials at Korean Universities: Evidence from the KOICA-KU Master’s Degree Program

Association of Global Studies Education, 2017

본 연구는 한국국제협력단(Korea International Cooperation Agency)과 고려대(Korea University) 석사학위프로그램 졸업생(개발도상국 공... more 본 연구는 한국국제협력단(Korea International Cooperation Agency)과 고려대(Korea University) 석사학위프로그램 졸업생(개발도상국 공무원) 80명을 대상으로 실시한 설문조사 결과를 바탕으로 해당 프로그램의 효과성을 평가한다. 석사학위프로그램의 영향력을 평가하기 위해 Kirkpatrick(1994)의 4단계 평가모형에...

Housing and happiness

Interest in the use of subjective well-being (SWB) in designing policy has been increasing in rec... more Interest in the use of subjective well-being (SWB) in designing policy has been increasing in recent years. This article builds on Clapham’s elaboration of the potential channels through which housing can contribute to SWB in order to test the impact of three housing characteristics (tenure, size, and type) on Korean households. Using an extensive panel data set drawn from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), this article employs OLS and fixed effects regressions to unveil the relationship between housing arrangements and life satisfaction in Korea. As for the type of housing, our findings indicate that Koreans are happiest when living in apartment complexes. Happiness with house size is found to peak at 135-164m² and to increase most when moving to apartments larger than 40m². In addition, living in one’s own house is associated with the highest happiness gains, followed by jeon-se and wol-se contracts. Though perhaps unsurprising, these findings provide solid empirical...

Predictors of Child Well-Being within Multicultural Families in Korea

OMNES: The Journal of Multicultural Society, 2021

The trade facilitation impact of the Chinese diaspora

The World Economy, 2020

Changing paradigms in measuring national well‐being: How does Korea rank “beyond GDP”?

Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 2020

Life Satisfaction Among Middle School Students Around the World Cross-Cultural Evidence From PISA 2018

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

Using rich data from roughly half a million 15-year-olds across 72 countries and economies partic... more Using rich data from roughly half a million 15-year-olds across 72 countries and economies participating in PISA 2018, this paper examines the predictors of adolescent subjective well-being (SWB) from a cross-cultural angle. Life satisfaction and affective well-being are found to be most strongly related to perceived meaning in life, self-efficacy, relationship quality, and peer SWB. Analyses by world region reveal several culture-specific explanations for interregional well-being gaps. In particular, low life satisfaction among academically high-performing students from Confucian East Asia is found to be associated with low meaning in life, low self-efficacy, low peer well-being, as well as with high emotional interdependence. In contrast, high life satisfaction among Latin American students can be explained by high peer well-being, high meaning in life, as well as low peer wealth. Limited evidence is also found for a negative relationship between academic performance and life satisfaction. Meanwhile, competition and cooperation among students does only affect life satisfaction of students in collectivistic societies.

The impact of maize price shocks on household food security: Panel evidence from Tanzania

Food Policy, 2019

Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries

The Journal of Development Studies, 2018

Employment, Well-Being and Gender

Does the Chinese Diaspora Speed Up Growth in Host Countries?

World Development, 2015

Does K-pop Reinforce Gender Inequalities? Empirical Evidence from a New Data Set

Asian Women, 2017

The Impact of Maize Price Shocks on Household Food Security: Panel Evidence from Tanzania

Food Policy, 2019

Using three waves (2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13) of the Tanzanian National Panel Survey, this study ... more Using three waves (2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13) of the Tanzanian National Panel Survey, this study investigates the impact of maize price shocks on household food security. Between 2008/09 and 2012/13, calorie intake stagnated for urban households, yet sharply deteriorated for rural households. The latter was driven by a significant decline in the consumption of the major staple maize which showed strongest price hikes among all major food items. Fixed-effects regressions indicate a clear negative relationship between maize prices and average household energy intake. Almost all population groups were found to be negatively affected by maize price shocks, with rural landless households being the most vulnerable group. In particular, a 50 percent rise in maize prices decreases caloric intake for rural (urban) households on average by 4.4 (5.4) percent, and for rural landless households by 12.6 percent. Results further indicate that subsistence agriculture can act as an effective strategy to insure against food price volatility.

Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries

Journal of Development Studies, 2019

Using an exceptionally rich dataset comprising over 1,800 primary schools and nearly 40,000 stude... more Using an exceptionally rich dataset comprising over 1,800 primary schools and nearly 40,000 students from ten francophone Sub-Saharan African countries, this study analyzes the relationship between teacher gender, student gender, and student achievement in mathematics and reading. Findings indicate that being taught by a female teacher increases academic achievements and that both performance and subject appreciation rise when taught by a same-gender teacher. Traditional academic gender stereotypes are prevalent among both male and female teachers. Our findings suggest that hiring more female teachers in Western and Central Africa can reduce educational gender gaps without hurting boys.

Happily ever after? Intrahousehold bargaining and the distribution of utility within marriage

by Dirk Bethmann and Robert Rudolf

Review of Economics of the Household, 2016

Lags and Leads in Life Satisfaction in Korea: When Gender Matters

Feminist Economics, 2014

Work Shorter, Be Happier? Longitudinal Evidence from the Korean Five-Day Working Policy

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2014

The relationship between school-related gender-based violence and absenteeism: Evidence from 14 Southern and Eastern African countries

South African Journal of Education

Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) com... more Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) compared to their counterparts in other world regions (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2014). When GBV occurs in schools, it severely endangers access to education. Using the third round of data of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) from over 60,000 Grade 6 learners across 14 countries, we examined the relationship between GBV in primary schools and learners’ absenteeism. Findings indicate that sexual harassment perpetrated by teachers significantly increases learners’ absenteeism. In contrast, effects were less clear when the perpetrator was a fellow learner. Effects found are similar in magnitude for girls and boys. Violence prevention education programmes and stricter punishment for offenders are needed to establish a safer school environment and overcome harassment-related barriers to learning.

School climate, academic performance, and adolescent well-being in Korea: The roles of competition and cooperation

Child Indicators Research

The Arab Spring, a setback for gender equality? Evidence from the Gallup World Poll

Journal of Asian Economics

The Paradox of Wealthy Nations’ Low Adolescent Life Satisfaction

Journal of Happiness Studies

The Impact of Training Developing Country Ministerial Officials at Korean Universities: Evidence from the KOICA-KU Master’s Degree Program

Association of Global Studies Education, 2017

본 연구는 한국국제협력단(Korea International Cooperation Agency)과 고려대(Korea University) 석사학위프로그램 졸업생(개발도상국 공... more 본 연구는 한국국제협력단(Korea International Cooperation Agency)과 고려대(Korea University) 석사학위프로그램 졸업생(개발도상국 공무원) 80명을 대상으로 실시한 설문조사 결과를 바탕으로 해당 프로그램의 효과성을 평가한다. 석사학위프로그램의 영향력을 평가하기 위해 Kirkpatrick(1994)의 4단계 평가모형에...

Housing and happiness

Interest in the use of subjective well-being (SWB) in designing policy has been increasing in rec... more Interest in the use of subjective well-being (SWB) in designing policy has been increasing in recent years. This article builds on Clapham’s elaboration of the potential channels through which housing can contribute to SWB in order to test the impact of three housing characteristics (tenure, size, and type) on Korean households. Using an extensive panel data set drawn from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), this article employs OLS and fixed effects regressions to unveil the relationship between housing arrangements and life satisfaction in Korea. As for the type of housing, our findings indicate that Koreans are happiest when living in apartment complexes. Happiness with house size is found to peak at 135-164m² and to increase most when moving to apartments larger than 40m². In addition, living in one’s own house is associated with the highest happiness gains, followed by jeon-se and wol-se contracts. Though perhaps unsurprising, these findings provide solid empirical...

Predictors of Child Well-Being within Multicultural Families in Korea

OMNES: The Journal of Multicultural Society, 2021

The trade facilitation impact of the Chinese diaspora

The World Economy, 2020

Changing paradigms in measuring national well‐being: How does Korea rank “beyond GDP”?

Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 2020

Life Satisfaction Among Middle School Students Around the World Cross-Cultural Evidence From PISA 2018

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

Using rich data from roughly half a million 15-year-olds across 72 countries and economies partic... more Using rich data from roughly half a million 15-year-olds across 72 countries and economies participating in PISA 2018, this paper examines the predictors of adolescent subjective well-being (SWB) from a cross-cultural angle. Life satisfaction and affective well-being are found to be most strongly related to perceived meaning in life, self-efficacy, relationship quality, and peer SWB. Analyses by world region reveal several culture-specific explanations for interregional well-being gaps. In particular, low life satisfaction among academically high-performing students from Confucian East Asia is found to be associated with low meaning in life, low self-efficacy, low peer well-being, as well as with high emotional interdependence. In contrast, high life satisfaction among Latin American students can be explained by high peer well-being, high meaning in life, as well as low peer wealth. Limited evidence is also found for a negative relationship between academic performance and life satisfaction. Meanwhile, competition and cooperation among students does only affect life satisfaction of students in collectivistic societies.

The impact of maize price shocks on household food security: Panel evidence from Tanzania

Food Policy, 2019

Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries

The Journal of Development Studies, 2018

Employment, Well-Being and Gender

Does the Chinese Diaspora Speed Up Growth in Host Countries?

World Development, 2015

Does K-pop Reinforce Gender Inequalities? Empirical Evidence from a New Data Set

Asian Women, 2017

The Impact of Maize Price Shocks on Household Food Security: Panel Evidence from Tanzania

Food Policy, 2019

Using three waves (2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13) of the Tanzanian National Panel Survey, this study ... more Using three waves (2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13) of the Tanzanian National Panel Survey, this study investigates the impact of maize price shocks on household food security. Between 2008/09 and 2012/13, calorie intake stagnated for urban households, yet sharply deteriorated for rural households. The latter was driven by a significant decline in the consumption of the major staple maize which showed strongest price hikes among all major food items. Fixed-effects regressions indicate a clear negative relationship between maize prices and average household energy intake. Almost all population groups were found to be negatively affected by maize price shocks, with rural landless households being the most vulnerable group. In particular, a 50 percent rise in maize prices decreases caloric intake for rural (urban) households on average by 4.4 (5.4) percent, and for rural landless households by 12.6 percent. Results further indicate that subsistence agriculture can act as an effective strategy to insure against food price volatility.

Teacher Gender, Student Gender, and Primary School Achievement: Evidence from Ten Francophone African Countries

Journal of Development Studies, 2019

Using an exceptionally rich dataset comprising over 1,800 primary schools and nearly 40,000 stude... more Using an exceptionally rich dataset comprising over 1,800 primary schools and nearly 40,000 students from ten francophone Sub-Saharan African countries, this study analyzes the relationship between teacher gender, student gender, and student achievement in mathematics and reading. Findings indicate that being taught by a female teacher increases academic achievements and that both performance and subject appreciation rise when taught by a same-gender teacher. Traditional academic gender stereotypes are prevalent among both male and female teachers. Our findings suggest that hiring more female teachers in Western and Central Africa can reduce educational gender gaps without hurting boys.

Happily ever after? Intrahousehold bargaining and the distribution of utility within marriage

by Dirk Bethmann and Robert Rudolf

Review of Economics of the Household, 2016

Lags and Leads in Life Satisfaction in Korea: When Gender Matters

Feminist Economics, 2014

Work Shorter, Be Happier? Longitudinal Evidence from the Korean Five-Day Working Policy

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2014

Employment, well-being and gender : dynamics and interactions in emerging Asia

Peter Lang, Göttinger Studien zur Entwicklungsökonomik, Bd. 35, 2012