Trade facilitation and country size

It is argued that compared with large countries, small countries rely more on trade and therefore are more likely to adopt liberal trading policies. The present paper extends this idea beyond the conventional trade openness measures by analyzing the relationship between country size and the number of documents required to export and import, a measure of trade facilitation. Three important results follow. First, trade facilitation does improve as country size becomes smaller; that is, small countries perform better than large countries in terms of trade facilitation. Second, the relationship between country size and trade facilitation is nonlinear, much stronger for the relatively small than the large countries. Third, contrary to what existing studies might suggest, the relationship between country size and trade facilitation does not appear to be driven by the fact that small countries trade more as a proportion of their gross domestic product than the large countries.     

A Comparative Analysis of Global Halal Certification Requirements

The aim of this study is to compare the various Halal certification bodies around the world based on the criteria for Halal certification. As the process of awarding Halal certificates varies among the certification bodies, it is pertinent to identify the differences between these selected certification bodies to gauge the gap existing among them. This study will also identify the position of JAKIM, which is the main Halal certification body in Malaysia, among the other main certification bodies around the world. Nine categories were identified in awarding Halal certification to companies. Comparative analysis was then used to see the differences that exist between these certification bodies. The results of the analysis indicate that, based on the nine categories identified, JAKIM is the strictest body in awarding Halal certification to companies.     

Quality Differentiation Under Mixed Competition in Hospital Markets

We use a Hotelling-type model of two hospitals, one for-profit (FP) and the other not-for-profit (NFP) using quality to compete for patients. In an equilibrium that constrains the NFP to zero profits, the NFP share of the market decreases as fixed costs or patient’s marginal utility of quality increase, or as transportation and marginal quality costs decrease, conditions that make quality a more effective tool for attracting patients, improving the ability of the FP to compete for market share. We show that an NFP hospital cannot take the entire market without significant fundraising ability. The market shares predicted by our model are consistent with what is presently observed in Europe and the US.     

Coordination of efforts in disaster relief supply chains: the moderating role of resource scarcity and redundancy

Connecting to the ongoing conversation on the importance of effective coordination, in this paper, we empirically examine the impact of key theoretical modes of coordination, i.e. resource sharing, standardisation of operations, and synchronisation in disaster relief supply chains, on the performance of the humanitarian organisations. Survey data are collected from 101 humanitarian organisations in the emerging countries within Southeast Asia. Data are used to test a conceptually developed model, using structural equation modelling–partial least square (SEM-PLS) approach. The results reveal the significant impact of resource sharing and standardisation on performance outcomes in terms of resources used, responsiveness, and flexibility, while resource sharing is highly weakened by resource scarcity and redundancy. The managerial implication and recommendations are concluded for further research.     

The use of phase-type models for disability insurance calculations

This paper explores the use of phase-type models in actuarial calculations for disability insurance. We demonstrate that the changes in status of disability insureds can be appropriately captured by a phase-type model. Our model represents the aging process as the passage through a number of phases of decreasing vitality. When disabled, individuals additionally pass through several stages that represent duration of disability. Recovery and mortality rates from the earlier stages are greater than those in later stages. Using such a model, explicit and easily calculable expressions are obtained for relevant probabilities and actuarial present values. This facilitates the calculation of premiums and reserves.     

Demand Analysis of Meat in Malaysia

One distinct change in Malaysians' food consumption behavior has been the preference toward meat products. Thus it is meaningful to gain insight of meat consumption patterns. As the market becomes increasingly market-led, information on current meat consumption patterns is required to assess how they are likely to change as prices and incomes change. This study attempts to provide a better understanding of demand for meat products in Malaysia. By utilizing data from Household Expenditure Survey 2004/2005, Engel curve analysis was conducted to derive income elasticities of meat products from QUAIDS model. The estimated income elasticities show that current food consumption patterns are showing signs of convergence toward a Western diet, exhibiting tendency for preference toward red meats (mutton and beef) over white meats (poultry and pork). The estimated elastic own-price elasticities indicate that Malaysian consumers are sensitive to the change in prices of the meat products, with other things remain constant.     

Strategic behavior and regulation research in accounting

This paper focuses on models of political behavior that implicitly or explicitly form the foundation for empirical economic consequences studies in accounting. The studies that have appeared adopt a single-period of single-agendum-item perspective. This paper discusses differences in rational political behavior that arise naturally in single-period versus multiperiod settings. The behavioral implications of varying configurations of available information on agents' “ preferences” are also considered. Because of the tremendously complex empirical domain being studied, examples are relied on heavily to motivate the discussion rather than engaging in a formal modeling exercise.