John Leeth

John Leeth

  • Professor Emeritus, Economics
  • Ph.D. University North Carolina/Chapel Hill
  • BA University of Southern California
  • Office: Adamian Academic Center - 177 | 781.891.2029 | jleeth@bentley.edu
  • Department Fax: 781.891.2896

Teaching Interests

Labor Economics

Research Interests

Labor Economics; Workplace Safety and Health; Value of Life; Discrimination

Bio

Dr. Leeth is a Professor in the Department of Economics. From 2008 to 2013 he served as Department Chair and from 2004 to 2007 as the Gibbons Research Professor. In 2004 he received the Bentley Scholar of the Year Award. His research areas include workplace safety, executive compensation, economic inequality, and mergers and acquisitions. His articles have appeared in various journals including British Journal of Management, International Economic Review, Journal of Finance and Quantitative Analysis, and Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. He co-authored Simulating Workplace Safety Policy.

Professional Links

Professional Memberships

  • American Economic Association Present
  • Western Economic Association Present

    • Awards and Honors

  • 2004, Bentley College Scholar of the Year

    • Publications

    Journal Articles

  • Armey, L., Kniesner, T., Leeth, J. D., Sullivan, R. (2021). Combat, Casualties, and Compensation: Evidence from Iraq and Afghanistan. Contemporary Economic Policy.
  • Jinks, L., Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D., Lo Sasso, A. T. (2020). Opting Out of Workers’ Compensation: Non-Subscription in Texas and Its Effects. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. 53-76. (Link)
  • Leeth, J. D. (2012). OSHA's Role in Promoting Occupational Safety and Health. Foundations and Trends in Microeconomics, (7) 4 267-353. (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (2010). Hedonic Wage Equilibrium: Theory, Evidence and Policy. Foundations and Trends in Microeconomics, (5) 4 229-299. (Link)
  • Adams, S. M., Gupta, A., Leeth, J. D. (2010). Maximizing compensation: Organizational level and industry gender composition effects. Gender in Management: An International Journal, (25) 5 366-385.
  • Adams, S. M., Gupta, A., Leeth, J. D. (2009). Are Female Executives Overrepresented in Precarious Leadership Positions?. British Journal of Management, (20) 1 1-12.
  • Adams, S. M., Gupta, A., Haughton, D. M., Leeth, J. D. (2008). Data Mining CEO Compensation. Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods, (7) 2 561-576.
  • Adams, S. M., Gupta, A., Haughton, D. M., Leeth, J. D. (2007). Gender differences in CEO compensation: Evidence from the U.S. Women in Management Review, (22) 3 208-224.
  • Leeth, J. D., Ruser, J. (2006). Safety Segregation: The Importance of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity on Workplace Risk. Journal of Economic Inequality, (4) 2 123-152. (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (2004). Data Mining Mining Data: MSHA Enforcement Efforts, Underground Coal Mine Safety, and New Health Policy Implications. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, (29) 2 83-111.
  • Leeth, J. D., Ruser, J. (2003). Compensating Wage Differentials for Fatal and Nonfatal Injury Risk by Gender and Race. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, (27) 3 257-277.
  • Leeth, J. D., Borg, J. R. (2000). The Impact of Mergers on Shareholder Wealth During the 1920s Merger Wave. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, (35) 2 217-238.
  • Flynn, P. M., Leeth, J. D., Levy, E. S. (1997). The Accounting Profession in Transition. CPA Journal, (LXVII) 5 42-45, 56. (Link)
  • Flynn, P. M., Leeth, J. D., Levy, E. S. (1996). The Evolving Gender Mix in Accounting: Implications for the Future of the Profession. Selections. Winter 28-39.
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1995). Abolishing OSHA. Regulation. 4 45-56. (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1995). Numerical Simulation as a Complement to Econometric Research on Workplace Safety. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, (10) 2 99-125.
  • Leeth, J. D., Borg, J. R. (1994). The Impact of Mergers on Acquiring Firm Shareholder Wealth: The 1905 -- 1930 Experience. Empirica, (21) 221-244.
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1991). Compensating Wage Differentials for Fatal Injury Risk in Australia, Japan, and the United States. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. 75-90.
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1991). Improving Workplace Safety -- Standards or Insurance?. Regulation. Fall 64-70. (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1989). Separating the Reporting Effects from the Injury Rate Effects of Workers' Compensation Insurance: A Hedonic Simulation. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, (42) 2 280-293.
  • Leeth, J. D., Scott, J. A. (1989). The Incidence of Secured Debt: Evidence from the Small Business Community. The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, (24) 3 379-394.
  • Borg, J. R., Borg, M. O., Leeth, J. D. (1989). The Success of Mergers in the 1920s: A Stock Market Appraisal of the Second Merger Wave. International Journal of Industrial Organization, (7) 117-131.
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1988). Simulating Hedonic Labor Market Models: Computational Issues and Policy Applications. International Economic Review, (29) 4 755-789.

    Books

  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1995). Simulating Workplace Safety Policy. 215. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers

    • Book Chapters

  • Leeth, J. D., Kniesner, T. J., Sullivan, R. S. (2015). A New Approach to Evaluate Safety and Force Protection Investments: The Value of a Statistical Life In Francois Melese, Anke Richter, and Binyam Solomon, (Eds.) Military Cost-Benefit Analysis: Theory & Applications. 237-260. New York, NY: Routledge
  • Leeth, J. D., Kniesner, T. J. (2014). Economics of Occupational and Consumer Health and Safety In Steven Payson, (Eds.) Public Economics in the United States: How the Federal Government Analyzes and Influences the Economy. 621-645. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-Clio, LLC
  • Leeth, J. D., Kniesner, T. J. (2014). Regulating Occupational and Product Risks In Mark J. Machina and W.Kip Viscusi, (Eds.) Handbook of the Economics of Risk and Uncertainty. 493-600. Amsterdam: Elsevier
  • Leeth, J. D., Kniesner, T. J. (2013). Managing Workplace Safety and Health In Christopher R. Thomas, Jr. and William F. Shughert II, (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Managerial Economics . 513-536. New York: Oxford University Press
  • Leeth, J. D., Kniesner, T. J. (2013). Value of a Statistical Life In Jason Shogren, (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Economics . 359-367. Elsevier (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (2001). Occupational Safety and Health Administration In , (Eds.) Cato Handbook for Congress, 107th Congress. 409-417. Washington, DC: Cato Institute (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1999). Occupational Safety and Health Administration In , (Eds.) Cato Handbook for Congress, 106th Congress. 353-361. Washington, DC: Cato Institute (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1997). Occupational Safety and Health Administration In , (Eds.) Cato Handbook for Congress, 105th Congress. Washington, DC: Cato Institute (Link)
  • Kniesner, T. J., Leeth, J. D. (1989). Can We Make OSHA and Workers' Compensation Insurance Interact More Effectively in Promoting Workplace Safety? A Numerical Simulation Analysis of Hedonic Labor Market Equilibrium In Ehrenberg, Ronald, (Eds.) Research in Labor Economics. 1-51. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press

    • Book Reviews

  • Leeth, J. D. (1999). [Review of the book A Government Report Card on Health and Safety Programs ]. Regulation, (22) 3 (Link)

    • Other(s)

  • Leeth, J. D., Hale, N. (2013). Evaluating OSHA's Effectiveness and Suggestions for ReformMercatus Center/George Mason University. (Link)
  • Leeth, J. D. (2012). OSHA's Role in Promoting Occupational Safety and HealthMercatus Center/George Mason University. (Link)

    • Presentations

  • Leeth, J. D. (2012). “Looking Back to See Forward -- OSHA” Presented at the Mercatus Center/George Mason University Moving from Presumption to Proof: The Future of Regulations Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel, Washington, DC
  • Leeth, J. D. (2011). “Do Workers Earn Less in Female Jobs? The Impact of New Measures of Comparable Worth” Presented at the Eastern Economic Association Eastern Economic Association Annual Conference New York, NY
  • Leeth, J. D. (2010). “Do Workers Earn Less in Female Jobs? The Impact of New Measures of Comparable Worth” Presented at the Department of Economics, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire Economics Department Seminar Durham, NH
  • Leeth, J. D. (2008). “Do Workers Earn Less in Female Jobs? The Impact of New Measures of Comparable Worth” Presented at the Women’s Leadership Institute Faculty Research Roundtable Bentley University
  • Adams, S. M., Gupta, A., Haughton, D. M., Leeth, J. D. (2005). “An analysis of gender differences in CEO compensation” Presented at the21st EGOS Colloquium Berlin

    • Service

    Department Service

  • Tenure Track Faculty Evaluator 2018 - 2018
  • Major/Minor's Fair 2018 - 2018
  • Primary Evaluator for Tenure Track Faculty Evaluator 2017 - 2018
  • Secondary evaluator for Tenure track faculty evaluator 2015 - 2015
  • Member for Major/Minor Fair 2015 - 2015
  • Committee Chair for Promotion and Tenure 2014 - 2014
  • Member for Major/Minor Fair 2014 - 2014
  • Other for Promotion and Tenure 2013 - 2013
  • Committee Member for Department Search Committee 2013 - 2013
  • Committee Chair for Department Search Committee 2012 - 2012
  • Committee Chair for Department Search Committee 2011 - 2011
  • Committee Chair for Department Search Committee 2010 - 2011

    • University Service

  • Committee Member for Promotion and Tenure Committee 2015 - 2018
  • Committee Member for Emerging Leaders Program Review 2016 - 2017
  • Committee Chair for Faculty Affairs Committee 2016 - 2017
  • Committee Member for Faculty Affairs Committee 2014 - 2016
  • Mentor (Faculty) for First Year Seminar 2014 - 2014
  • Committee Member for Advising Advisory Board 2009 - 2013
  • Committee Member for Graduate Curriculum 2009 - 2013
  • Department Chair for Economics Department 2008 - 2013
  • Committee Member for NEASC Task Force 2012 - 2012
  • Committee Member for A&S Dean Search Committee 2009 - 2010

    • Professional Service

  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Review of Economics and Statistics 2021 - 2021
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for ILR Review 2019 - 2020
  • Reviewer, Grant Proposal for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) 2018 - 2018
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for International Journal of the Economics of Business 2015 - 2015
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources 2011 - 2012
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Social Science & Medicine 2011 - 2012
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources 2012 - 2012
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources - 2011
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Eastern Economic Journal - 2011
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Foundations and Trends in Microeconomics - 2010
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Politics and Policy - 2010
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources - 2009
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources - 2009
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources - 2009
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for International Review of Economics and Finance - 2006
  • Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Human Resources - 2006
  • Outside reviewer for promotion to Full Professor for Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis - 2005