Indonesia's new tax reform: Potential and direction

This study aims to provide direction for policy and provide input to improve the quality of taxation services, by emphasizing and analyzing the existing tax potential and recommending a taxation reformation plan in accordance with fiscal sustainability and efforts to increase the level of Indonesian competence both for the transition period and in the long term. The result of the study has indicated that there is still the opportunity to increase national revenue without increasing rates and by increasing the capacity of tax administration and expanding the tax base, tax collection/revenue will increase. There are a number of indicators that illustrate this, such as the ratio of tax revenue to the GDP which is still relatively low compared to other countries, wide scope for increasing value added tax (VAT), PIT and CIT revenue productivity, etc. Our best estimation for potential tax revenue expansion for the next 2–3 years would be 2.1% of GDP where PIT and CIT contributed more than half of that expansion.     

In with the old,in with the new: capabilities,strategies, and performance among the Hollywood studios

An increased focus on turbulent environments has led to a growing interest among researchers in the concept of dynamic capabilities. In this study, we approach dynamic capabilities in a framework of two complementary processes. On one hand, firms can build upon existing capabilities in products and markets in which they have experienced recent success; on the other hand, they can also intentionally focus on other products and markets in which they seek to build capabilities to address their lack of recent success. We examine these two processes within project‐based industries and identify replication and renewal as two types of strategies that firms use to add a dynamic component to their capabilities. We also theorize that the success of each of these strategies is tied to differentiation from rivals, and to firm‐level resource availability and industry‐level demand characteristics. We test these propositions by focusing on the film genres that were offered by the Hollywood studios over a thirty‐year period. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trade and productivity: Self-selection or learning-by-exporting in India

Recent literature tried to explain the Indian growth miracle in different ways, ranging from trade liberalization to industrial reforms. Using data on Indian manufacturing firms, this paper analyzes the relationship between firm's productivity and export market participation during 1991–2004. While it provides evidence of the self-selection hypothesis by showing that more productive firms become exporters, the results do not show that entry into export markets enhances productivity. The paper examines the explanation of self selection hypothesis for total factor productivity differences across 33,510 exporting and non-exporting firms. It uses propensity score matching to test the learning-by-exporting hypothesis. In line with the prediction of recent heterogeneous firm models of international trade, the main finding of the paper is: more productive firms become exporters but it is not the case that learning by exporting is a channel fuelling growth in Indian manufacturing.     

Board interlocks and greenhouse gas emissions

Using resource dependence theory, we analyze board interlocks, their industry origin, and their relationship to firms' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Interlocks create connections by having board members from one firm sit on other firms' boards, providing an avenue for sharing information and resources to aid in knowledge transfer and capability development. As firms face challenges for improved GHG emissions performance, they may look to their board members' connections to other firms to acquire needed resources. Using a sample of US Standard & Poor's (S&P) 1500 firms for years 2009 to 2018, we find that firms with a greater number of board interlocks achieve lower GHG emissions intensity. We also find that boards for the best performing companies have interlocks in the same industry, in other industries, and with firms leading in GHG emissions intensity, especially for firms in higher environmentally impacting industries, as they face greater emissions challenges.     

Understanding the framework of business in Islam in an era of globalization: a review

Despite the fact that Islam is one of the major religions, the frameworks of this faith are yet to be fully understood. As a consequence, it is being confused with activities contrary to its teachings. Islam has an elaborate treatment for almost every aspect of life including the affairs of business. Business is an acceptable and dignified occupation, which has to be conducted within the given frameworks. Islam encourages the creation, acquisition and consumption of wealth, and the fulfilling of certain conditions in so doing. Wealth is held in trust as a gift from God. The terms of reference of this trust are to be complied with. Ethical principles do play a major role in shaping the behavior of a Muslim, in or out of business. In an era of globalization, the need for a better understanding of the premises of Islamic faith cannot be overemphasized.     

A Skew‐normal copula‐driven GLMM

This paper presents a method for fitting a copula‐driven generalized linear mixed models. For added flexibility, the skew‐normal copula is adopted for fitting. The correlation matrix of the skew‐normal copula is used to capture the dependence structure within units, while the fixed and random effects coefficients are estimated through the mean of the copula. For estimation, a Monte Carlo expectation–maximization algorithm is developed. Simulations are shown alongside a real data example from the Framingham Heart Study.     

A Synthesis of the Effects of Exchange Rate Volatility on International Trade: A Meta-Regression Analysis

ABSTRACT

This article surveys literature that investigates the effects of exchange rate volatility on international trade. We perform meta-regression analysis on 41 studies with 807 estimates. We show that the empirical works exhibit substantial publication selection and show a significant genuine exchange rate volatility effect on trade flows after correction of publication bias. In addition, the literature reveals a pronounced heterogeneity with respect to model specifications, samples, time horizons, and countries’ characteristics. These findings are supported by separate assessment of primary studies with, respectively, total exports and sectoral exports as the dependent variable.