Rural Electrification: International Experience and Policy in Indonesia

This paper analyses the international experience in rural electrification (RE) over the past few decades. The current status of RE is reviewed, and demonstrated benefits are identified. A case study of RE policy analysis in Indonesia is presented. The recommendations should be helpful to decision makers formulating an RE Policy for Indonesia. Finally, some general prerequisites for successful formulation and implementation of an RE strategy are summarized     

Interdependence and dynamic linkages between the emerging stock markets of South Asia

The present article examines the dynamic linkages between the stock markets of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka using a temporal Granger causality approach by binding the relationship among the stock price indices within a multivariate cointegration framework. We also examine the impulse response functions. Our main finding is that in the long run, stock prices in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka Granger‐cause stock prices in Pakistan. In the short run there is unidirectional Granger causality running from stock prices in Pakistan to India, stock prices in Sri Lanka to India and from stock prices in Pakistan to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh is the most exogenous of the four markets, reflecting its small size and modest market capitalization.     

A typology of project-level technology transfer processes

This paper develops a conceptual typology of inward technology transfer (ITT), which explicitly considers technology transfer at the project, rather than the firm, level of analysis. Building on extant technology management literature and the organizational theories of information processing and interdependence, we carefully characterize the three dimensions of the typology: the technology uncertainty of the technology that is transferred, the organizational interaction between the technology source and recipient, and transfer effectiveness. Appropriate matches of technology uncertainty and organizational interaction result in four archetypal cases called “transfer process types”, which represent the most effective approaches to technology transfer. Real-life examples of effective and ineffective matches are presented, and implications of the typology for future research and practice are discussed.     

The importance of social capital: Comparing the impacts of the 2004 Asian Tsunami on Sri Lanka, and Hurricane Katrina 2005 on New Orleans

This paper compares the experiences of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, to highlight the importance of social capital in strengthening resilience against extreme events. Key issues and implications for policy and research are discussed.     

Healthcare costs and utilization associated with muscle weakness diagnosis codes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a United States claims analysis

Aims: Muscle weakness (MW)-attributable healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have not been well-characterized in US insurance claims databases. The primary objective of this study was to estimate HCRU in patients with evidence of COPD with and without MW diagnosis codes.

Materials and methods: This retrospective analysis used the MarketScan^® Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicare Supplemental and Coordination of Benefits databases. Between January 2007 and March 2016, we identified patients aged ≥40 years with diagnosis codes for COPD (≥1 emergency department or inpatient claim or ≥2 outpatient claims within 1 year). The cohort was divided into patients with and without ≥1?MW diagnosis code. Propensity score matching was used to generate pairs of patients with and without MW (1:1). Multivariable regression analyses were used to estimate adjusted incremental costs and utilization attributable to the presence of MW diagnosis codes among patients with COPD.

Results: Of 427,131 patients who met the study inclusion criteria, 14% had evidence of MW. After matching, 107,420 unique patients remained equally distributed across MW status. Patients with MW diagnosis codes had greater predicted annual HCRU, $2,465 greater total predicted annual COPD-related costs, and $15,179 greater total all-cause costs than those without MW diagnosis codes. Overall, <1% of patients received COPD-related pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Limitations: Study limitations include the potential for undercoding of MW and lack of information on severity of MW in claims data.

Conclusion: The presence of MW diagnosis codes yielded higher HCRU in this COPD population and suggests that the burden of MW affects both all-cause and COPD-related care. However, utilization of pulmonary rehabilitation, a known effective treatment for MW, remains low. Future research should expand on our results by assessing data sources that allow for clinical confirmation of MW among patients with COPD.     

The Value Relevance of Network Advantages: The Case of E–Commerce Firms

We show that network advantages constitute an important intangible asset that goes unrecognized in the financial statements. For a sample of e–commerce firms, we find that network advantages created by Web site traffic have substantial explanatory power for stock prices over and above traditional summary accounting measures such as earnings and book value of equity. Also, network advantages are positively associated with one–year–ahead and two–year–ahead earnings forecasts provided by equity analysts. When we allow network advantages to be endogenously determined by managerial actions, we find that at least part of the value relevance of network effects stems from the presence of affiliate referral programs and higher media visibility.     

Customer experience in social commerce: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Social commerce (SC) is an upcoming trend that has changed the online shopping experience by allowing e-retailers to develop long-term relationships with customers and increase sales. Empowered by Web 3.0, SC offers many-to-many interactions, enhancing the quality and quantity of social interaction related to the seller–customer, information searches, and product/service delivery. The customer experience (CEX) has been well developed both in the online and offline contexts. However, limited attention has been paid to examining CEX in the SC setting. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature to develop a conceptual framework exploring both the antecedents and consequences of CEX in the SC setting. In the process, we make three significant contributions to academia and practice. First, the study contributes to our understanding of CEX in the context of SC. Second, it proposes a conceptual framework by identifying antecedents of CEX and potential consequences using the consumer culture theory. Finally, it highlights a subject relevant to academia and practice while proposing recommendations for further research.