Impact of ICT on the productivity of the firm: evidence from Turkish manufacturing

This paper aims to explore the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on labor productivity growth in Turkish manufacturing. This is the first attempt at exploring the impact of ICT on productivity in Turkish manufacturing at the firm level. The analysis is based on firm level data obtained from Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) and covers the period from 2003 to 2012. The data used in the analysis includes all firms employing 19+ workers in Turkish manufacturing industry. Growth accounting results show that the contributions of conventional and ICT capital to value added growth are not significantly different from each other. On the other hand, results based both on static (fixed-effects) and dynamic panel data analysis highlight the positive influence on firms’ productivity exerted by ICT capital. The findings show that the impact of ICT capital on productivity is larger by about 25 to 50% than that of conventional capital. This contribution of ICT capital is higher than that of non-ICT capital for small sized and low-tech firms. Our findings imply that investing in ICT capital increases firm productivity by increasing the productivity of labor and also that convention growth accounting approaches may not be adequate to identify such linkages.     

Using strategic philanthropy to improve heritage tourist sites on the Gallipoli Peninsula,Turkey: community perceptions of changing quality of life and of the sponsoring organization

This paper examines the “Respect for History” project on Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula sponsored by a Turkish oil company, OPET. The project sought to enhance and protect the cultural and historical experiences of tourists visiting Gallipoli, and to bring direct and indirect benefits to local communities through enhancing tourism-related business opportunities and improving community infrastructure. This research investigates the project's impact on residents’ perceived social and economic wellbeing, using a quality of life framework, and also ascertains residents’ views of the sponsoring firm. The context illustrates key differences between pure philanthropy and strategic philanthropy; the latter defined as doing good by purposefully achieving corporate and civic benefits. The role of strategic philanthropy as a sustainable tourism development tool, and its impact on tourism governance, are considered. Data were collected from 674 residents on the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula in areas impacted by OPET's investment program. The results, using structural equation modelling (SEM), identify that respondents generally believe that both their economic and social quality of life have improved. This, in turn, has positively influenced respondents’ views of the sponsoring organization. The concept of strategic philanthropy appears valuable as a private sector, non-tourism, sustainable tourism development tool in some circumstances.     

Electricity Tariff Changes and Consumer Sentiment on Household Consumption Expenditure in Malaysia

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of the current electricity tariff, represented by optimized tariff calculation, on Malaysian household’s consumption across different levels of income.

Design/methodology/approach

The input-output (IO) model has vastly been used in many energy economics literature that presented the matrix of production between various sectors in an economy. This study aggregated the 124 subsectors in IO Price Table 2015 into 12 groups of consumption of goods and services based on Household Expenditure Survey 2019 (HES 2019) to meet the study’ objectives.

Findings

This study found that in all simulations, high-income earners would be highly affected by the tariff changes. The lower the increment level in electricity tariff rate, the lower the magnitude would be on the changes of household expenditure level.

Research limitations/implications

Optimization in electricity tariff consumptions can pattern the Malaysian household’s consumption across different levels of income efficiently.

Practical implications

Useful to all consumer in the Malaysia economic business sector to predict their energy consumption up to optimum level.

Social implications

The study’s findings can benefit the society in optimiza their electricity consumption since everyone requires the energy for basic needs in their life.