Renewable and non-renewable energy consumption,environmental degradation and economic growth in Tunisia

The aim of this document is to investigate the dynamic relationship between economic growth, renewable energy consumption, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in Tunisia over the period 1990–2015. Unit root tests and co-integration test was used in order to detect the order of stationary and to test the existence long run links between the used variables. We apply the Granger causality test and VECM model to discover the short and long run links between the variables. Results have shown a bidirectional causal relationship between energy use and CO₂ emissions. Economic growth affects CO₂ emission in the short and long run. While there is a unidirectional links running from energy use to economic growth at short run. The paper shares best practices from Tunisia in terms of efficient use of renewable energy policy enablers, which may be contextualized in other emerging economies in order to keep sustainability and to achieve the green economy.     

Do co-opted boards increase insider profitability?

Using a sample of U.S. firms over the period 1996–2014, this paper examines whether insider trading profitability increases with high board co-option. Indeed, we find that firms with a higher level of co-opted directors exhibit higher insider trading profitability, largely due to a lower level of managerial ability and analyst coverage. Co-opted boards are also unlikely to implement self-imposed insider trading restrictions, exacerbating this relationship. This positive association is mitigated by a higher level of external monitoring by institutional investors and if the CEO receives more performance-based incentives. Overall, co-opted directors demonstrate aligned interests with CEOs and corporate insiders rather than performing their role as monitors. As a result, a more co-opted board is positively associated with exploitative behaviour of insiders.     

Drowning--a major but neglected child health problem in rural Bangladesh: implications for low income countries

This study was intended to estimate the magnitude and explore the determinants of childhood drowning in rural Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey as well as a population-based case - control study was conducted. By multistage cluster sampling 51 147 children aged 1 - 4 years were identified from 108 827 rural households. All drownings in children aged 1 - 4 years in the preceding 5 years were identified and recruited as cases and two living children of the same age group were selected from the same localities as controls. Socio-economic, demographic, environmental and other related information was collected from mothers of both cases and controls by face-to-face interview with the help of structured questionnaires. The incidence of drowning among children aged 1 - 4 years old was 156.4 per 100 000 children-year. The highest rate (328.1 per 100 000; 95% CI 254.8 - 421.7) was observed in 1 year old male children. The proportional mortality due to drowning in the children was 27.9%. Mothers' age and literacy and family income were identified as risk factors. Drowning is one of the major causes of 1 - 4 years childhood mortality in Bangladesh. One-year-old male children from poor families were at great risk of drowning in rural Bangladesh.     

The absence of corporate social responsibility reporting in Bangladesh

This paper aims to broaden the present corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting literature by extending its focus to the absence of CSR reporting within a developing country, an area which, to date, is relatively under researched in comparison to the more widely studied presence of CSR reporting within developed Western countries. In particular this paper concentrates upon the lack of disclosure on three particular eco-justice issues: child labour, equal opportunities and poverty alleviation. We examine why this is the case and thereby illuminate underlying motives behind corporate unwillingness to address these issues. For this purpose, 23 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with senior corporate managers in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that the main reasons for non-disclosure include lack of resources, the profit imperative, lack of legal requirements, lack of knowledge/awareness, poor performance and the fear of bad publicity. Given these findings the paper raises some serious concerns as to why corporations would ever be expected to voluntarily report on eco-justice issues where performance is poor and negative publicity would be generated and profit impaired. Further research is still required to uncover current injustices and to imagine what changes can be made.     

Nexus Between Cultural Dissonance,Management Accounting Systems,and Managerial Effectiveness: Evidence from an Asian Developing Country

This article examines the links between corporate cultural dissonance, the management accounting system (MAS) information adequacy gap, and managerial effectiveness of the financial sector in Bangladesh. Data were collected from a random sample of 146 bank managers and were analyzed using correlation matrices. The findings suggest that the level of managerial effectiveness can be improved by decentralizing the management accounting practices through maintaining minimal authoritative power distance, improving the system for gathering and sharing information, and enhancing transparency in information flow. These findings, which have important implications for the effective performance management of banks, are highlighted in the article.     

Identifying Financial Distress Indicators of Selected Banks in Asia

The banking sector plays a pivotal role in the economic development of most Asian countries. In 1997, a full-fledged banking and financial crisis took place in South Asian countries. Many banks had to be bailed out by their governments. It is believed that an examination of indicators that led to the problems suffered by banks in this region will be of enormous benefit. Models were developed for each country that identified banks experiencing financial distress as a function of financial ratios. The countries in the study include Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand. The banking sectors of these three countries are ideal for this study, as the banks enjoyed profitability during the pre-crisis period and were the most severely affected by the financial crisis in 1997. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data sample from 1995 to 1997. In the findings, capital adequacy, loan management and operating efficiency are three common performance dimensions found to be able to identify problem banks in all three countries. It is hoped that the financial ratios and results of the models will be useful to bankers and regulators in identifying problem banks in Asia.     

IS THERE NEWS IN THE CLUB?

In September 1994, the Wall Street Journal started the Annual Report and Earning Service. Firms participating in this service volunteer to provide on request, to any reader, their annual report and current quarterly information. The daily price quotations of such firms appear with a small symbol like the club in playing cards. We examine the utility of voluntarily disclosing this second‐hand information to the public and seek to find the motivation for this disclosure. Our results show that most of the firms that joined this service had below‐industry‐average performance, or at least were headed in that direction. Membership in the Annual Report and Earning Service brought some short‐term benefits in the form of average excess returns, but the economic fundamentals reasserted, and most firms had significant below‐average returns at the end of our sample period. JEL classification: G10, G14.