SADC Trade with the European Union from a Preferential to a Reciprocal Modality

This study employs a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to examine the potential impacts of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The simulation results suggest that a comprehensive EPA scenario is welfare‐improving for many SADC members. SADC preferential access to the EU markets is the key source for the prospective welfare and terms of trade gains. Overall, SADC production structures become more concentrated in export‐oriented sectors. These structural changes are accompanied by a high degree of adjustment and substantial fiscal losses.     

Pluralism(s) in economics: lessons from complexity and innovation. A review paper

My analysis focuses on two main observations. First, many competing schools of thoughts are currently present in economics with no predominant paradigm. We are experiencing an era of pluralism (Davis J Econ Methodol 14(3):275–290, 2007, Camb J Econ 32:249–366, 2008; Colander 2000; Colander et al. J Polit Econ 16(4):485–499, 2004). The term ‘pluralism’ is extremely interesting since, as I will show, it has different dimensions to it. These offer insights into interpreting the tangled universe of the economics. Second, there is a progressive intertwining of innovation economics with complexity economics, which I argue provides an instance of the above-described shift toward pluralism.     

The effects of health transformation program on patient–healthcare personnel communication and interaction in Turkey

The structure of the Turkish healthcare system is being reorganized under Health Transformation Program (HTP) and some serious changes in healthcare system are being carried out. Effective healthcare personnel and patient communication has a significant impact on patients’ health behaviors and health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of communication dimensions and HTP on patient and healthcare personnel communication and interaction. The survey was conducted with simple random sampling to 9,089 patients in Turkey. Exploratory factor analysis showed three dimensions of communication which are in positive and strong relationship: building relationship, process of physical examination and ending communication. Hierarchical multiple regression was performed to measure the effect of communication dimensions and HTP to patient–healthcare personnel communication and interaction. According to the first step, communication dimensions have a statistically significant effect on patient–healthcare personnel communication and interaction. Introduction of HTP to hierarchical multiple regression explained additional meaningful variance in patient–healthcare personnel communication and interaction, after controlling communication dimensions. It is revealed that, HTP has an important role on communication and interaction. This study has a macro approach and it is limited with the patients’ point of view.     

The patterns of cross-border portfolio investments in the GCC region: do institutional quality and the number of expatriates play a role?

In this paper, we document the determinants of portfolio investments to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies by bringing up the role played by market forces, cultural affinities, and institutional quality. We classify the GCC economies as host to 35 countries as per the Coordinated Portfolio Investment Surveys (CPIS) of the IMF for the period 2001–2006. Using the CPIS data and data from various other reliable sources and appropriate panel data analysis techniques, we find a number of interesting results: 1) the relatively higher quality of institutional set up in GCC in comparison to other countries; 2) the relative volume of expatriates across source countries in GCC soil; and 3) bilateral factors such as trade linkages between GCC and source countries, all statistically and significantly explain portfolio investments to the GCC region. Additionally, we uncover the existence of a portfolio “GCC bias”. That is, GCC investors exhibit a strong preference towards their own markets when allocating their cross border financial asset holdings.     

On the Effects of Government Spending Shocks in Developing Countries

Time series analysis of annual data for a sample of developing countries shows the allocation of government spending shocks, both positive and negative, between price inflation and output growth. Cross-country regressions evaluate determinants of the difference in the real effects of government spending shocks. If the real effects decrease, capacity constraints are more binding and if they increase, the elasticity of aggregate demand is larger with respect to the change in government spending. Cross-country regressions also evaluate the implications of government spending shocks on the difference in trend price inflation and output growth. The variability of government spending shocks decreases trend real output growth and increases trend price inflation across countries.     

The Efficiency of Active Labor Market Policies: A Comparative Analysis of Tunisia and OECD Countries’

ABSTRACT

On the third anniversary of the Egyptian revolution and against the backdrop of lingering political instability and deteriorating economic conditions, we diagnose the constraints to sectoral growth in Egypt using the 2011 Egyptian revolution as a natural experiment. We combine quantile regressions to study sector outliers with a difference in difference methodology to capture sectoral behavior before and after revolution. We find that the revolution's effect has been adverse, on average, but heterogeneous across sectors. We identify and characterize sectors most and least impacted. Results reveal that Egypt's fastest growing sectors before Revolution have been the most vulnerable after Revolution. This evidence is supported by our diagnosis approach that shows that faster growing sectors are constrained by continuous increases in prices that threaten export competitiveness (as they erode the benefits accrued to nominal depreciation of currency). Such sectors also benefited from higher monetary growth and fewer constraints on credit availability that have mitigated somewhat the speed of deterioration in the aftermath of the revolution. Our results, which hold under several robustness checks, inform policy priorities as to how to revive investors’ confidence, boost competitiveness, and design priorities in industrial policy to ease structural impediments and align sectoral growth with macro priorities.     

Study on ecological migration in Xinjiang, China

1. Introduction Migration is a common subject of anthropology, demology, economics, ecology, history, law, politi- cal science and demotics, though their focuses on it are different [1]. Simply speaking, migration means the moving of population for the purpose of settling down from one region or society to another region or society. Although not a new phenomenon, as a part of the globalization of the world, migration is speeding up. The global migration could be regarded as a reflection of the…     

PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL EXPENDITURES IN INDONESIA

The economic justification for public expenditure is especially strong in the case of environmental management. Yet expenditures on environmental management have received little attention in public expenditure reviews by the World Bank and other international development organisations. An initial analysis of environmental expenditures in the Indonesian government budget between FY1994/95 and FY1998/99 yields four basic findings. First, most spending in the nominal environmental sector, sector 10 (Environment and Spatial Planning), is on non-environmental activities, and much environmental expenditure occurs in other budget sectors. Second, environmental expenditures fell sharply in real terms during the economic crisis, to levels far below those in FY94/95. Third, they also fell sharply relative to the budget and to GDP. Finally, environmental expenditures declined more in Indonesia during the economic crisis than in Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, relative to both the budget and GDP.     

Variation in the Effects of Aggregate Demand Shocks: Evidence and Implications across Industrial Countries

Over a sample of nineteen industrial countries, more variable aggregate demand and/or higher mean inflation attenuates (augments) the effect of aggregate demand shocks on real output growth (wage and price inflation) while having no effect on the response of the real wage to such shocks. In all countries examined, aggregate demand shocks are positively (negatively) correlated with nominal variables (real output). Among explanations of the business cycle based on shocks to aggregate demand, this evidence favors the new Keynesian sticky wage explanation over the sticky price and the new classical imperfect information explanations.     

Keeping sustainable innovation on a leash? Exploring incumbents’ institutional strategies

This research aims to identify the institutional strategies of incumbent firms with regard to sustainable energy innovations that threaten their interests. This exploratory study contributes to the multi‐level perspective by providing new insights into niche–regime interaction. The focus on actor behavior in transitions is informed by literature from institutional theory and strategic management. Based on semi‐structured interviews with actors and on documents related to LED lighting and biofuels in the Netherlands, this study identified a preliminary set of empirical strategies: providing information and arguments to policy makers and the general public, as well as strategically setting technical standards. Incumbents are in a position to significantly influence the innovation's development by employing these strategies; thus temporarily keeping sustainable innovation on a leash. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment