Evaluating the long-run impact of an innovative anti-poverty programme: evidence using household panel data

Using a four-round panel data set from the first phase of the Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction – Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR – TUP) programme of BRAC, we investigate whether a one-off transfer of livestock assets improves well-being of the very poor women in Bangladesh. Programme impact is assessed on a wide range of monetary and nonmonetary measures of well-being using difference-in-difference (DD) as well as matching methods. We find significant positive long-term impact on food security, household savings, assets and participation in microfinance. Participant women are less likely to be in distress occupation and more into self-employment. However, the long-term effect is much smaller for most outcomes when compared to short- and medium-run impacts. We conclude by discussing the significance of the institutional and regional context for the observed time path of estimated programme effect.     

Does food market modernisation lead to improved dietary diversity and diet quality for urban Vietnamese households?

This study investigates the possible mechanisms through which modern food markets may affect Vietnamese households’ dietary diversity and diet quality using data from a survey of 1,700 urban households with seven‐day food recall. We calculate Household Dietary Diversity Scores to measure dietary diversity, and use consumption frequencies of micronutrients (vitamin A and heme iron) and a macronutrient (protein) to create a household measure of diet quality. We estimate a Poisson regression model using a two‐step control function approach to address the potential endogeneity of our key explanatory variable, modern market food expenditure shares. Higher modern market food expenditure share is positively and significantly associated with consumption frequency of heme iron, but there are no significant associations with consumption of vitamin A and protein. We further explore indirect linkages between food expenditure shares and dietary diversity, which in turn, may be linked to household diet quality. Results from a system of equations show that the food expenditure share variable has no significant relationship with dietary diversity, but dietary diversity is positively and significantly associated with diet quality. Our results indicate that alone, policies which encourage ‘food market modernisation’ are not enough to improve diet quality in urban Vietnam.     

Globalisation and Gender Inequality: Evidence from Labour Market in India

This paper examines quantitative and qualitative dimensions of employment issues in India from gender lens. Inequality in quantitative aspects have been analysed gender gap in work participation, composition and structure of employment. The study finds that female work participation in India has declined sharply despite faster economic growth and improvement in female literacy outcomes. The magnitude of decline is sharper in case of illiterate, women from less privileged class and rural backgrounds. Similarly, even after two decades of economic reform, female workers are highly concentrated in low productive, less remunerative and unpaid family labour category of self employment activities. Considering the qualitative dimension of jobs, the paper finds that the condition of female workers are more vulnerable as they are highly concentrated in informal sector and informal jobs with no employment security, no social security, and are being paid relatively lower wages compared to male workers in most of the sub-sector. The paper argues for an urgent policy intervention to ensure access to decent jobs and to provide protection to these vulnerably placed women workers.

     

Expressions of Relationship Networking in International Entrepreneurship

The role of networks is a major factor in the internationalization process for entrepreneurs. In this article, we analyze the influence of social networks in international entrepreneurship. We developed a multiple case study based on a qualitative perspective, selecting four fruit exporters from the Brazil’s semi-arid region and used a qualitative and longitudinal design. These firms are among the largest fruit exporters in Brazil. Content analysis was derived by examining organizational documents, bibliographical material, and semi-structured interviews with 30 managers and consultants. We used ATLAS.ti software to analyze the collected material. The major networks were formed with buyers and competitors, affording benefits such as trust and information; relationships were therefore formed in both vertical and horizontal directions. Consequently, and due to their influence on the internationalization process, social networks are considered a relevant subject in international entrepreneurship. Moreover, the expressions of social networking have interfaces with both the exploration of international opportunities and attitude towards risk, as well as the development of competitive features that are the fundamental dimensions of international entrepreneurship. The results reveal that social networks are fundamental to entrepreneurs’ businesses and are strategic for their development and maintenance. Recognition of such role of these networks in international entrepreneurship is the main contribution of this paper.     

Global Sourcing in Industry Equilibrium

This paper extends the Antràs and Helpman (2004) model to a continuum of sectors to explore a full set of possibilities for organizational forms in global sourcing. We show that industries of the economy are divided into seven classes of sectors in terms of the prevalence of organizational forms. In particular, the coexistence of different organizational forms is less likely as the sectoral input intensity is more extreme, so that intra‐industry heterogeneity is less relevant to the firms' organizational choices. It is also demonstrated that our equilibrium analysis offers a useful framework for examining comparative statics on the sectoral input intensity.     

Can Defaults Save the Climate? Evidence from a Field Experiment on Carbon Offsetting Programs

Individual preferences for environmental policies can be influenced by the frame in which choices and decisions are presented. In this paper we present results of a field experiment on the contributions to carbon offsetting programs under two alternative treatments for the default option. The opt-in treatment asked subjects to pay for the policy proposal while the opt-out treatment asked subjects if they wanted to be excluded from payment for the policy proposal. The results show that the frame of the default option had a significant effect on the amount of money paid for the policy proposal. Subjects were more likely to accept the policy proposal if the default option was the opt-out treatment. The results have implications for the design of environmental policies.     

Is Petrobras Options Market Efficient? A Study Using the Delta-Gamma Neutral Strategy

This study aims to verify if the Petrobras options market is efficient in its weak form. For this purpose, this work tries to make profits on a systematic basis through delta-gamma neutral strategies using the firm’s stocks and options. In order to simulate the strategy as it would be used in the real world, we built order books every five minutes considering all buy and sell orders sent for both the underlying asset and its options. We apply the strategy when we observe distortions between implied volatilities extracted from the options. The results show evidence that the Petrobras options market is not efficient, since in 371 day-trade transactions (with an average investment of R$81,000 and an average holding time of one hour and thirteen minutes), 85% of the options strategies were profitable and the average return was 0.49%, which corresponds to more than 1600% of the highest interbank interest rate for the period.