Role of Shopping Values and Web Atmospherics in E-Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention

Expected to touch US$55 billion in 2016, the e-commerce market in India presents an unprecedented growth opportunity for retailers. Existing studies have identified factors influencing shoppers’ online behaviour pertaining to the developed economies. Hence, it becomes pertinent to validate these antecedents for the economies like India. The article addresses this gap by examining the role of shopping values and web atmospherics, on e-satisfaction of Indian shoppers. Using multiple regression analysis, it also examines the influence of e-satisfaction on repurchase intention. The findings suggest that effectiveness of information content has the most significant impact on e-satisfaction. Web entertainment, utilitarian values and web informativeness are the other influencing factors. Contrary to the earlier studies, this study didn’t find any influence of hedonic shopping values on shoppers’ satisfaction. Also, e-satisfaction was found to have a positive influence on repurchase intention of e-shoppers. The article suggests select strategies that can be adopted by e-retailers.     

Imported Intermediate Inputs,R&D,and Productivity at Firm Level: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Industries

This article examines the effects of imported intermediary inputs and in-house research and development (R&D) on productivity growth, using firm-level data from Indian manufacturing industries for the period 2000–09. For this purpose, we adopted two empirical frameworks: production function and growth accounting method. The estimated results from the production function framework suggest that the impact of imported intermediary goods on output is reasonably sizable. The role of R&D activities under this framework is found to be insignificant. The analysis based on the growth accounting suggests that total factor productivity of firms is linked with import and R&D activities.     

Is an Optimum Currency Area Feasible in East and South East Asia?

Abstract

In the backdrop of the recent economic crisis in the European Union, this study attempts to assess the degree of regional integration and the suitability of a monetary union in the East and South-East Asian (ESEA) region. For this purpose, we analyse the issue in a variety of ways. First, a long-run linkage of real output of the countries is tested using the cointegration analysis. Results suggest that real output of most of the countries in the region is cointegrated and move together in the long-run. To analyse the issue in detail, we focus on the impact of three different shocks, namely global, regional and country-specific, on real output of the countries. Results of impulse response and variance decomposition analysis reveal that regional shocks do not dominate in the sample countries, which is an indication of unfavourable condition to form an optimal currency area (OCA) in the region. These results are further confirmed by the outcome of computation of the modified Bayoumi and Eichengreen's Indices. Finally, we employ the concept of Generalized Purchasing Power Parity (G-PPP), which however reveals that the bilateral real exchange rate of ESEA countries move together in the long-run and share a common stochastic trend, which in turn provides some empirical support for an OCA in the region.     

Financial Reforms and Corruption: Which Dimensions Matter?

This paper investigates the effects of reforms in different dimensions of the financial sector on corruption in a panel of 82 countries. It finds that several, but not all, of the policies targeted toward liberalizing financial sector reduce corruption. Specifically, entry barriers, directed credit, securities market development, and the extent of banking supervision are significantly negatively associated with corruption. The effects of reforms in different dimensions of the financial sector also depend on the quality of the governance (bad versus good governance) and whether the country is an advanced or a non‐advanced economy. Finally, a stronger democracy and better law and order are found to be associated with lower corruption.     

Does export and productivity growth linkage exist? Evidence from the Indian manufacturing industry

This paper examines the interrelation between exporting and productivity performance by using a representative sample of Indian manufacturing firms over the period 1994–2006. Specifically, we attempt to test the empirical validity of the learning‐by‐exporting and the self‐selection hypotheses for our sample firms. In order to investigate the linkage, in the first step, we test for causality between TFP and export intensity of firms. Although overall results are rather mixed and provide some support for both hypotheses, still the empirical results are more favorable for the self‐selection behavior of firms. In the next stage, we attempt to provide evidence on export and productivity linkage that occurs during various phases of transition in the export market. Our results suggest that entering in the export market does not improve productivity performance. However, the decision to exit from the export market does have an adverse effect on the productivity. In addition, our results indicate the presence of a high sunk cost of exporting coupled with perhaps lesser information about foreign markets. Finally, our results also lend some support to the significant role of in‐house research activities and economies of scale in firms' productivity performance.     

Mobilizing grassroots’ technological innovations and traditional knowledge, values and institutions: articulating social and ethical capital

The Honey Bee Network has helped provide a sort of loose platform to converge creative, but uncoordinated individuals across not only Indian states having varying cultural, linguistic and social ethos, but also in 75 other countries around the world. What the Network is trying to do in a rather quiet manner may transform the way the resources—in which poor people are rich—are used in the future. These resources are their knowledge, innovations and sustainable practices.I first argue that the classical concept of social capital does not distinguish between the trust in society created for social good versus social ‘bad’. For instance, the trust among members of the mafia and other socially undesirable networks does not constitute social capital. I am also trying to emphasize that part of social trust which is guided by higher ethical values which may not have become social norms as yet. This is being characterized as ethical capital. Finally, I conclude that the Honey Bee Network has tried to articulate the social and the ethical capital of society at the grassroots to demonstrate how local individuals and communities are trying to solve local problems without any outside help.     

On the Good and Bad of Natural Resource,Corruption, and Economic Growth Nexus

Environmental and Resource Economics - The empirical finding that countries endowed with vast reserves of natural resources are expected to experience slower economic growth – the resource...     

Imports,technology, and employment: Job creation or creative destruction

This study examines the employment impact of technology by using firm-level survey data for a large number of developing countries. We not only examine the impact of technology on overall employment but also investigate the effect on different types of employment, such as skilled, unskilled, temporary, and seasonal. Considering asymmetric distribution of employment, we utilize quantile regression for empirical analysis. Our findings unequivocally suggest that technology does not kill jobs. Further, we could not find any skill-biased impact of technology. Finally, results suggest that technology received through alternative sources works in combination, enhances absorptive capacity and promotes employment.