Effect of FDI and Time on Catching Up: New Insights from a Conditional Nonparametric Frontier Analysis

We use an appropriate nonparametric two‐step approach on conditional efficiencies to investigate how foreign direct investment (FDI) and time affect the process of catching up. By using a dataset of 44 countries over 1970–2007, we explore the channels under which FDI fosters productivity by disentangling the impact of this factor on the production process and its components: impact on the attainable production set (input–output space) and the impact on the distribution of efficiencies. We extend existing methodological tools—conditional nonparametric efficiency measures—to examine these interrelationships. We emphasize the usefulness of smoothing over time to better analyze the potential dynamic influence of FDI on efficiency. We find that both FDI and time play an important role as influencing efficiency distribution and affecting, to a smaller extend, the production set. This effect of FDI does not seem to vary much over time. By the second‐stage nonparametric regression of the conditional efficiencies over FDI and time we identify clearly the effect of time and FDI on conditional efficiency and we determine idiosyncratic efficiency, which represents the‘Solow residual’, measured by looking to the unexplained part of the conditional efficiencies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Regulatory impact assessment: a survey of selected developing and emerging economies

This paper reports on a survey of regulatory impact assessment (RIA) in 16 developing and emerging economies. RIA was playing an increasing role in these countries: eight had introduced RIA in the past 10 years; one had recently redesigned its existing RIA system; another had a long-standing RIA system in place. However, RIA was at an early stage of development in the majority of cases and six countries did not practise RIA.     

The establishment of the danish windmill industry—Was it worthwhile?

The paper examines the welfare effects of the Danish subsidies granted for the electricity production from wind power. This policy has induced a remarkable development of the Danish windmill industry resulting in a dominant position on the world market. The article demonstrates a strong learning-by-doing productivity growth in the Danish windmill industry and it analyzes the costs and benefits of this infant industry case. The costs consist of the efficiency loss from diverting electricity production from using fossil fuels to utilizing wind power. Benefits are the reductions in the environmental damage of using fossil fuels, however, the main benefits are related to the emergence of a new export sector. As the value of the windmill firms at the stock exchange by far exceeds that of the accumulated distorted losses in electricity production, this case demonstrates a successful infant industry strategy. JEL no. D2, L5, L6     

Injustice in Mobile Leisure: A Conceptual Exploration of Pokémon Go

In augmented reality, video games and the physical world converge as individuals participate in digital leisure overlaid on physical spaces. In Pokémon Go, game play in the physical world is impacted by constraints that limit access and play of marginalized groups. The global popularity of Pokémon Go created an opportunity to explore experiences of marginalized groups participating in augmented reality game play. Grey literature surrounding Pokémon Go is rich with accounts of constraints experienced by marginalized groups, particularly individuals self-identifying as White women, Black women, or Black men. Their experiences with Pokémon Go illustrate the need for social justice in digital leisure. Because the lifespan of mobile applications is limited, the gradual process from research to social change may be insufficient in addressing ever-evolving digital platforms. Researchers need to strategically work with industry partners to identify needs for social justice during the planning and designing stages.     

FOREIGN CAPITAL AND EFFICIENCY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

This paper uses stochastic frontier methodology to analyse foreign direct investment, imported capital goods and human capital as channels for increased efficiency in less‐developed countries. Empirical investigation reveals that developing countries differ with respect to the efficiency with which they use frontier technology. Foreign direct investment and human capital play a significant and quantitatively important role in explaining these differences.     

Impacts of the Productive Safety Net Program in Ethiopia on livestock and tree holdings of rural households

We evaluated the impacts of the Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on rural households' holdings of livestock and forest assets/trees. We found no indication that participation in PSNP induces households to disinvest in livestock or trees. In fact, households that participated in the program increased the number of trees planted, but there was no increase in their livestock holdings. We found no strong evidence that the PSNP protects livestock in times of shock. Shocks appear to lead households to disinvest in livestock, but not in trees. Our results suggest that there is increased forestry activity as a result of PSNP, and that improved credit access encourages households to increase their livestock holdings.     

更穷还是更富?

当两家公司走上合并之路时,定有坠入爱河的感觉.开始都充满了祝福和鲜花,但是只有当它们真正能够和睦相处时,才可能"相爱到永远.像其他平等关系样,合并意味着双方共同发展.但是在做战略决策时,往往是方要将自己的意图强加给另一方.     

Socialism,Spillovers and Markets in Cuba

This article undertakes an empirical evaluation of Cuba's new development strategy placing tourism at the heart of the process of incorporating markets into a socialist system. The principal research question is whether the introduction of markets related to the Cuban tourism complex has been as successful in establishing viable backward linkages to industry as claimed. Drawing on a multitude of quantitative and qualitative sources, the article demonstrates that backward linkage building has been quite successful and even made possible a transformation of Cuba's formerly so dependent trade structures. However, there are signs that backward linkages are not as viable as could be desired. Other complementary reforms beside the introduction of markets are necessary, such as fighting soft budget constraints in user and producer firms. The article concludes that it will be difficult to fight the roots of the inherited incentive problem without initiating fundamental labour market reforms.     

Genderless Fashion: A (Still) Binary Market

Gender is commonly associated with two distinct and opposing sexes. Over time, such binarity has engendered stereotypes commonly observed in the fashion market. However, something called genderless fashion has recently gained prominence in the media. This research first posits that discourse in specialized media can influence the issues of power; we then seek to understand how the business and factual media discourse in Brazil describe the genderless fashion market through a critical discourse analysis. The results revealed essentially that the genderless fashion market still reproduces the stereotypes and gender patterns of the binary perspective.