Asymmetric effects of financial development on South-South and South-North trade: Panel data evidence from emerging markets

Using bilateral trade data in total and technology-and-skill-intensive manufactured goods for 28 developing countries that account for 82% of all developing country manufactures exports between 1978 and 2005, this paper explores the effects of financial development on the pattern of specialization in South-South and South-North trade. The empirical results using dynamic panel regressions and comprehensive sensitivity tests suggest that financial development in the South has an economically and statistically significant positive effect on the share of total and technology-and-skill-intensive manufactures exports in GDP, and total exports in South-South trade. In contrast, no such significant or robust effect of financial development is found in South-North trade. Overall, the positive effect of financial development is found to be asymmetric favoring South-South significantly more than South-North trade. In addition, financial development is found to be increasing technology-and-skill-intensive manufactured goods exports significantly more than total manufactured or merchandise goods exports.     

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.     

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.     

A Test for a Functioning Market Economy: Seton'S Eigenprices of Turkey

We use Seton's eigenprices to see if some evidence can be found in support of the European Commission's official statement that the Turkish economy can be considered as a functioning market economy. Given an input–output flows matrix, there is a unique set of prices for outputs and production factors compatible with final demand, generating demand for factors. The findings based on Turkey's most recent I–O table and comparable I–O matrices for Romania and Poland (two EU members) in 2005 show that price distortions were on average five times larger in Turkey. Hence, based on price distortions alone, there was no solid evidence in support of the statement that Turkey had a functioning market economy.     

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…     

The effects of organizational training on organizational commitment

This empirical study investigated the impact of organizational training on employee commitment focusing on employees' emotional and affective responses towards their organization. Organizational training is conceptualized within a multidimensional framework consisting of motivation for training, access to training, benefits from training and support for training. The hypothesis of this study has been built on a resource‐based view, social exchange theory and psychological contract theory. Field research was conducted through surveys with 298 participants of four‐ and five‐star hotels operating in Izmir, Turkey. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to analyse the quality of the training scales and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses of the study. The results revealed that all dimensions of training positively affected employee commitment. Implications have been presented for both researchers and human resource practitioners as to how to utilize organizational training factors to increase employee commitment.     

GMM estimation of spatial autoregressive models with moving average disturbances

In this paper, we introduce the one-step generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation methods considered in Lee (2007a) and Liu, Lee, and Bollinger (2010) to spatial models that impose a spatial moving average process for the disturbance term. First, we determine the set of best linear and quadratic moment functions for GMM estimation. Second, we show that the optimal GMM estimator (GMME) formulated from this set is the most efficient estimator within the class of GMMEs formulated from the set of linear and quadratic moment functions. Our analytical results show that the one-step GMME can be more efficient than the quasi maximum likelihood (QMLE), when the disturbance term is simply i.i.d. With an extensive Monte Carlo study, we compare its finite sample properties against the MLE, the QMLE and the estimators suggested in Fingleton (2008a).     

Antecedents and outcomes of work–family facilitation and family–work facilitation among frontline hotel employees

This study developed and tested a model grounded in the scarcity and expansion-enhancement perspectives that investigated the antecedents and consequences of two directions of conflict and facilitation between work and family roles. Based on data obtained from 107 frontline hotel employees via self-administered questionnaires in Albania, the abovementioned relationships were tested using LISREL 8.30 through path analysis. The results of this study provided support for the majority of the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, work social support enhanced facilitation between work (family) and family (work) domains. The results revealed that family social support alleviated conflicts in the work–family interface and increased family–work facilitation. As predicted, employees who were confronted with both directions of facilitation displayed higher performance in the workplace. It was observed that work–family facilitation was significantly and positively related to life satisfaction. The results also indicated that family–work conflict reduced life satisfaction. Implications of the results and future research directions are presented in the current study.     

The Effects of Involvement and Social Support on Frontline Employee Outcomes: Evidence From the Albanian Hotel Industry

Using data from the Albanian hotel industry, this study developed and tested a model that examined the relationships of psychological involvement and social support with frontline employees' outcomes. The results revealed that family involvement and family support increased family satisfaction, while job involvement and work support amplified job satisfaction. Contrary to our predictions, work support did not significantly affect family satisfaction and family support did not demonstrate any significant relationship with job satisfaction. The results lent empirical support to the significant negative effects of both work and family support on turnover intentions. The results also showed that lower job satisfaction led to higher turnover intentions. In contrast, family satisfaction was found to exacerbate employees' turnover intentions. Implications of the results and future research directions are presented in the study.     

The Egyptian Government's Role in Re-Establishing the Hotel Industry in Cairo (1953–1957)

This article analyzes the role of the Egyptian Government in reviving and improving the Egyptian hotel industry in the revolutionary period. It provides a case study of a country with large political problems, but at the same time pursuing a dream—a dream that was expensive and demanding. Tourism was understood to be an important tool in promoting political stability and providing some legitimacy to a political system opposed by the major powers in the world. This study will examine the Egyptian Government's role in re-establishing the hotel industry as an important economic sector in Egypt during the period from 1953 to 1957, which was considered a critical political period. The year 1953 marked the beginning of the official plans to increase the hotel facilities in Cairo with the establishment of the Tourism Department; and 1957 marked the end of Suez Crisis of 1956. The study utilized unpublished U.S. Department of State documents that show that the hotel industry was used as tool to put pressure on the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1952–1970) to accept U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and was one of the main issues negotiated between the two countries after the Suez Crisis.