Regional economic performance in China1

This paper investigates convergence patterns among China's provinces using GDP data for the period 1952–97. We analyze convergence behaviour on the basis of Markov chains proposed by Quah (1993 ) and the generalized entropy decomposition proposed by Shorrocks (1980, 1984 ). Both sets of results show similar evidence of convergence within the pre‐defined geo‐economic sub‐regions, but no evidence is found of convergence between the sub‐regions. This finding has important policy implications for regional economic development in China. JEL classification: C33, E20, O47.     

A Profile of Poverty in Egypt

This paper presents a profile of poverty in Egypt for 1997. It assesses the magnitude of poverty and its distribution across geographic and socioeconomic groups, provides information on the characteristics of the poor, illustrates the heterogeneity amongst the poor, and helps identify empirical correlates of poverty. This poverty profile is constructed using data from the Egypt Integrated Household Survey (EIHS), which is a nationwide, multiple‐topic household survey. One of the more striking set of findings relates to the differences between the poor and the non‐poor in their educational attainments. Our results indicate a significant literacy and schooling gap between the poor and the non‐poor. On average the poor have 2.6 fewer years of schooling than the non‐poor, and their literacy rate is 27 percent lower than the non‐poor. Our results also indicate that augmenting educational attainment of the poor does not require building more schools, but reducing the poor’s opportunity cost of attending schools and increasing their returns from extra schooling, both suggesting the importance of income generating activities as a policy instrument.     

E-tailer personality and behavioral intentions: the application of self-congruity theory

The present study is an effort to develop an e-tailer personality scale. Subsequently, we check the impacts of e-tailer personality on self-congruity and behavioral intentions such as intention to re-shop and intention to recommend. We have followed a traditional scale development method – item generation, purification, and dimension assessment. A structure questionnaire has been used to collect primary data online. A structure equation model was used to analyze the data. This study has developed a e-tailer personality scale of five dimensions: sophistication, competence, excitement, sincerity, and convenience. The results of a structural equation model largely support the propositions that e-tailer personality is positively related to self-congruity. The results also show that e-tailer personality, behavioral intentions and self-congruity are positively related. A comparison of the developed scale with the existing brand personality scales, results in a unique dimension of e-tailer personality scale. Arguably, this study may be seen as a first study in an emerging economy and online retailing domain. The results have both academic and managerial implications.     

Is more IT offshoring better?: An exploratory study of western companies offshoring to South East Asia

We explore the link between a company's performance and the extent of its offshoring of IT-enabled services, focusing on large western companies. Our performance measures comprise sales, profit as percentage of sales, profit/employee and sales/employee over 1999–2004. To measure offshoring, we consider the extent to which these companies have offshored: (1) software development and other IT-related development and maintenance, (2) business processes such as payroll or claims processing, and (3) call centers. We performed cluster analysis using the three corresponding offshoring variables to obtain broad patterns of offshoring. Then we compared the average performance of the companies in different clusters using ANOVA; did a regression analysis of the performance measures against the three offshoring variables; and performed non-parametric correlations within industry sectors. None of these tests indicated any clear link between company performance and the extent of offshoring thus suggesting that further study is needed to understand when to offshore and how best to do it.     

Exploring alternative strategic management paradigms in high-growth ethnic and non-ethnic family firms

The primary research question examined in this paper is whether ethnic and non-ethnic family firms in the United Kingdom differ in their strategy-making. The paper uses the typology of strategic decision-making produced by Whittington [(1993). What is strategy: and does it matter? New York: Routledge] to derive contrasting predictions of strategy-making by ethnic versus non-ethnic firms. Drawing on a questionnaire study of 76 high-growth family firms, and subsequent in-depth fieldwork with 40 of these, the findings show that the ethnic origin of the controlling family has a significant influence in determining the dominance of a particular strategy paradigm. However, successful high-growth family firms are not associated with any particular school of strategy. The influence of family bonding on strategy-making was greater in ethnic family firms than non-ethnic family firms. The advent of the second generation of South Asians in family firms, and closer integration of immigrant and host communities, has not altered these apparent differences. The findings challenge researchers on family firms to adopt a multiple perspective approach to strategy-making.     

Shall One Sit “Longer” for a Free Lunch? Impact of Trading Durations on the Realized Variances and Volatility Spillovers

This study examines the effect of trading durations on the realized variance of rupee futures traded in national stock exchange (NSE), India and Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX), Dubai as there exists a difference in the trading durations at these exchanges, where DGCX has longer trading duration. The empirical results suggest that longer trading duration has significantly higher realized variance, and also non-trading durations at NSE account for higher overall realized variance of Rupee Futures. We model the impact of trading durations on intraday and overnight realized variance for rupee futures and estimate a reduced realized volatility of 40–70 bps due to shorter trading duration. We find that non-trading durations at National Stock Exchange account for 60–70% of the overall realized variance of rupee futures. Using MGARCH model with BEKK parameterization, we find evidence of bidirectional volatility spillover from Offshore to Onshore Rupee markets.

     

Determinants of Trade Costs and Trade Growth Accounting between India and the European Union during 1995–2010

This study aimed to utilise the micro‐founded measure of trade cost derived by Novy to estimate the relative bilateral trade costs of India with its European Union partners. The advantage of using such a model is that the trade costs can be derived entirely using observable trade data. The results show that Indian tariff equivalent with its major EU trading partners has declined by 20 percentage points between 1995 and 2010, with Malta and Latvia experiencing the greatest decline. The study then decomposes the bilateral trade growth to ascertain whether it is an outcome of increased domestic production or reduction in bilateral and multilateral trade barriers. Novy's model indicates that the decline in relative bilateral trade costs explains the greatest percentage of this trade growth, which is partially offset by decline in multilateral resistance terms that has diverted trade away to other trading partners primarily in South and South‐East Asia and North America.     

Is emigration of workers contributing to better schooling outcomes in Nepal?

This paper presents evidence on how emigration for work affects schooling outcomes for primary and secondary school‐age children in Nepal. Using an instrumental variable strategy exploiting past migration network, we show that the identified effects critically depend on how schooling outcomes are measured. While conventional measures of school attendance indicate no impact, our new set of schooling status and schooling gap measures reveals significant impacts. Schooling status measures reveal favorable impacts for girls, and for emigration to India. Schooling gap measures reveal favorable effects of all emigration on schooling outcomes for girls and of emigration to other countries for boys.     

How much would low- and middle-income countries benefit from addressing the key risk factors of road traffic injuries?

Abstract

Despite strong advocacy, the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011–2020) is ending with most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) no closer to the Sustainable Development Goals target of reducing traffic mortality by half. In contrast, most high-income countries (HICs) have seen large benefits in recent decades from large-scale safety interventions. We aimed to assess how much LMICs would benefit from interventions that address six key risk factors related to helmet use, seatbelt use, speed control, drink driving, and vehicle design for safety of occupants and pedestrians. We use a comparative risk assessment framework to estimate mortality and health loss (disability adjusted life years lost, DALYs) that would be averted if these risks were reduced through intervention. We estimate effects for six countries that span all developing regions: China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Iran, and Russia. We find relatively large benefits (27% reductions in road traffic deaths and DALYs) from speed control in all countries, and about 5%-20% reductions due to other interventions depending on who is at risk in each country. To achieve larger gains, LMICs would need to move beyond simply learning from HICs and undertake new research to address risk factors particularly relevant to their context.