Behavior In Asia Research Articles

What leader behaviors evoke employee innovative work behavior in Asia? Validation of a new survey scale

Abstract In Asian workplaces, effective innovative work behavior (IWB) presents challenges. Knowledge on how Asian leaders can promote employee IWB through their behavioral repertoire is needed. This assumption prompted us to develop and validate the so-called Innovative Leader Survey (ILS), covering a repertoire of leader behaviors by which employee IWB is stimulated in Asia. Study 1 interviewed 60 high-performing leaders and employees on such behaviors, bringing forth three leader-behavioral dimensions and survey items for fostering employee idea generation, promotion, and implementation, labeled Envisioning, Energizing, and Enabling. Study 2 involved 1,037 survey respondents through which we validated these three sets of specific leader behaviors. Study 3, with 287 respondents, established ILS’s discriminant validity while all of its 11 operationalized leader behaviors were found to predict their followers’ IWB after 4 months. Future research with the ILS is proposed to enrich theory and empirical research on the relationship between effective leadership and employees’ IWB in Asian organizations.

Social Media Personalities in Asia: Demographics, Platform Preferences, and Behavior Based Analysis

This study investigates social media personalities in Asia, shedding light on their demographics, platform preferences, and user behaviors across 16 countries. The findings reveal a significant predominance of younger users, highlighting the importance of targeting this demographic in marketing strategies. The study also underscores the pervasive influence of social media in daily life, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat widely adopted for various purposes in Asia. The study shows that different personality types (Approval Seeker, Changeling, Denier, Lurker, Peacock, Quizzer, Ranter, Ultra, Virgin, Social Butterfly, and Informer) exhibit distinct preferences for social media platforms, indicating the need for tailored marketing strategies. Furthermore, the correlation between countries of origin and social media personalities underscores cultural nuances and regional trends in usage. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for effectively engaging diverse audiences across the region. The study suggests practical implications for marketers to customize their strategies based on dominant personality types and platform preferences in each market, empowering them to make informed decisions. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into social media behavior in Asia, equipping marketers, policymakers, and researchers with the understanding and tools to navigate the evolving landscape of social media engagement. The dominance of the Lurker personality type in Asia emphasizes that ‘silent majorities’ also exist in the digital sphere as they exist in the real world. Future research could explore the motivations driving social media usage and personality traits among Asian users considering cultural influences. Despite valuable insights gained, limitations such as response bias should be considered.

Measuring Asian Social Media Sentiments Toward Bat Exploitation

ABSTRACT As human activities continue to negatively affect bat populations, bat conservation efforts continue to rely on questionnaires to understand human actions toward bats; however, the use of questionnaires constrains understanding by limiting the sample size to those who choose to participate, being subject to selection bias, and overall may not be the most efficient way of understanding sentiments and behaviors toward bats. We used social media to analyze sentiment toward bat exploitation behaviors in Asia and evaluated the influence that these posts have on users in the region. We gathered and analyzed a total of 458 social media posts and 2,427 comments throughout Asia utilizing keywords and hashtags in 16 languages. We found that nearly 90% of initial posts discussing bat exploitations were discussed in an acceptive, pro-bat exploitation way. Initial posts from Southeast and South Asia showed acceptance of bat exploitation. Comments on posts from Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia, were acceptive of bat exploitation for food and medicine, whereas comments on posts from South Asia were rejective of bat exploitation, in contrast, with the initial South Asian posts, which were more acceptive of persecution of bats. We recommend using social media platforms to promote messages that reject bat exploitation and encourage bat conservation efforts as our results indicate that positive messages receive mostly positive comments, reinforcing the importance of protecting bats. Moreover, we suggest future work be conducted using social media to further understand region-specific narratives for and against bat exploitation.

Comparison of financial behavior studies in Southeast and East Asian countries: A systematic literature review

This research was conducted to see the comparative trend of behavioral financial studies in Southeast and East Asian countries. Another aim of this research is to examine the gaps in studying financial behavior in Southeast and East Asian countries. There are several reasons behind this research. First, studying financial behavior in Asian countries has unique characteristics, such as the different financial behavior of urban and rural communities. Second, society still has not fully implemented financial behavior in Asia. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with bibliometric analysis. Data will be collected through the Scopus database, which is processed with R package software. Data processing using R package software will then be analyzed using bibliometric analysis.

From the margins to the center: Advancing research on caregiver socialization of emotion in Asia

AbstractAs in other fields of developmental science, emotion socialization research in Asia, where nearly 60% of the world's population lives, has emerged on the margins. Contextualizing this marginalization within colonial foundations of our science, in this article, I discuss the historic dominance of the Global North frameworks of emotion socialization. I also address associated limitations of emotion socialization research in Asia, recent conceptualizations that integrate cultural processes and emerging insights from this research, and the need for a decolonial framework to further advance this literature. A decolonial framework would enable scholars to contextualize emotion socialization within local milieus; use research methods valued by local communities; and interpret emotion‐related beliefs and behaviors in Asia as assets, not deficits. Adopting a decolonial framework can move emotion socialization research in Asia from the margins to the center of emotion socialization literature, generating knowledge to support the well‐being of children in Asia and around the world.

Phenomenological Analysis of Consumer Shopping Behavior in Asia and Europe

This analysis is in the form of a conceptual analysis. The purpose of this paper is to find out the differences between Asian and European netizens. Asia and Europe have different numbers of netizens. Netizens in Asia have more numbers than netizens in Europe. Netizens in Asia and European netizens often use smartphones or tablets to buy products. Asia has substantial market potential in online business, while in Europe, several countries still need to improve social delivery networks and services. China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia are potential markets in Asia, while Germany, Poland, and Norway are potential markets in Europe. In conclusion, the online shopping behaviour of consumers in Asia and Europe is influenced by various factors, including demographics, cultural differences, payment methods, e-commerce platforms, mobile shopping, and cross-border shopping. Businesses catering to online shoppers need to understand these differences to tailor their marketing strategies and provide a better online shopping experience.

Factors Influencing Consumption Behaviour towards Aquatic Food among Asian Consumers: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Asia accounts for over 70% of total global aquatic food consumption, but aquatic food consumption behaviours and attitudes among Asian consumers are poorly documented and understood. This paper synthesises literature on factors influencing aquatic food consumption behaviour in Asia and the potential to support transitions toward more sustainable food consumption patterns. We identified 113 studies for inclusion in a scoping review, and identified five clusters of publications: (1) product attributes, availability, and accessibility (24% of publications); (2) willingness to pay for aquatic foods (25%); (3) psychosocial factors (e.g., attitudes and subjective norms) (17%); (4) sociodemographic and lifestyle factors (21%); and (5) miscellaneous factors, including food safety and social status (13%). This study indicates that multiple interacting factors influence aquatic food consumption behaviours among Asian consumers, among which price is central. Knowledge of, and attitudes toward, the perceived quality and safety of aquatic foods were identified as important but were mediated by household characteristics. Sustainable production practices, country of origin, and ecolabels were found to be less influential on consumption behaviour. We found that improving consumers' knowledge and attitudes about the quality and safety of aquatic foods might positively influence aquatic food consumption behaviour. Future multidisciplinary research is required to better understand interactions among the multiple factors that influence Asian consumers' aquatic food consumption behaviour.

Disruption, Digitalization and Connectivity: Asia’s Art Market in Transformation

This study investigates the ongoing transformation in galleries, auctions, and museums in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, and Singapore, where new models for art transactions and exhibiting practices lead to unprecedented evolution in the global art market. While the pandemic hit the art market unprecedentedly, art organizations in Asia are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as the digitalization of online auctions and virtual art-viewing technology has made up for the cancellation of art events. We are also seeing increased cross-regional and cross-national collaborations in marketing and exhibiting activities. Whether or not it is part of their active strategy, to keep up with the rapid market changes, galleries and auctions must now devote more resources to their digital platforms. Affluent art collectors in this region see art consumption not only as a socially conditioned, symbolic mechanism manifesting wealth and cultural capital but also as an attractive investment vehicle with an increased appetite for the financialization of artworks. What are the benefits and complications of the digitalization of online art transactions and art viewing? How do multi-sited auctions and exhibitions indicate the increased demand for collaboration between commercial art organizations and art institutions? Based on fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with actors in the art markets and secondary Chinese resources, this research generates insights into organizational behaviors in Asia’s art scene and how the art market players actively adapt and persevere via taking on new, entrepreneurial models of operation and speeding up trans-regional and trans-national connectivity with their Western counterparts.

MHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia: A scoping review.

mHealth interventions can promote healthy movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep). However, recent reviews include few studies from Asia, despite it being home to over 60% of the world population. The aim is to map the current evidence for mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia. Six databases were searched up until August 2021. Included studies described an mHealth intervention targeting one or more movement behaviors, delivered in a country/territory in Asia, to a general population. A total of 3986 unique records were screened for eligibility in duplicate. Eighty studies with 1,413,652 participants were included. Most were randomized (38.8%) or quasi-experimental (27.5%) trials. Studies were from 17 countries/territories (out of 55); majority were high- (65.0%) or upper middle-income (28.7%). Physical activity was targeted most often (93.8%), few targeted sedentary behavior (7.5%), or sleep (8.8%). Most targeted one movement behavior (90.0%), and none targeted all three together. Interventions typically incorporated a single mHealth component (70.0%; app, pedometer, text messages, wearable) and were delivered remotely (66.3%). The average intervention length was 121.8 (SD 127.6) days. mHealth interventions in Asia have primarily targeted physical activity in high- and upper middle-income countries. There are few interventions targeting sedentary behavior or sleep, and no interventions in low-income countries.

Comment on “Health and Public Health Implications of COVID ‐19 in Asian Countries”

Miyawaki and Tsugawa (2022) review the impacts of COVID-19 on public health, particularly in Asian countries, as well as the current knowledge about its pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis. They report that Asian countries had more strict physical distancing policies during the early phase of the pandemic and fewer cumulative cases and deaths on average compared with those of European Union countries. Overall, this is a well-balanced review, which considers both the positive and the negative health effects of various nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and is helpful in providing information about the current scientific knowledge on COVID-19 for nonmedical readers. I would like to add several points to this review to give a more comprehensive account of the current applications and ideas. Intensive care for COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure needs large-scale health care resources. Shaefi et al. (2021) recently report in a multicenter cohort study that patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) had lower in-hospital mortality rates than patients who did not. Once the efficacy and safety of intensive therapies such as ECMO are known, we need further research into the value of these services as preventive and treatment measures to support decision-making for health care resource allocation. The impact of COVID-19 on non-COVID diseases is huge. Miyawaki and Tsugawa (2022) acknowledge its impact not only on acute care, and the screening, and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, other infectious diseases, traffic accidents, and psychological distress, but also on lifestyle changes during the pandemic. Evidence has shown changes in tobacco behavior in Asia. Also, a few empirical studies have investigated alcohol consumption in the region. Martino et al. (2021) report that online marketing by food and alcohol companies became more active under the themes of isolation activities and community support. Physical distancing policies can change our habits and lifestyle, and these changes may persist even after the end of the pandemic. In that case, regulations aiming to restrict the consumption of unhealthy food, tobacco, and alcohol may require reconsideration after the pandemic. Older adults, the most vulnerable population, also experienced lifestyle changes during the pandemic, including decreased physical activity. If this will lead to higher incidence of disability among them in the future, preventive measures for COVID-19 will impact the distribution of health for COVID- as well as non-COVID-related diseases. This pandemic has caused extreme physical and mental stress on health care workers. At the same time, in Japan, smaller medical institutions have suffered from decreased demand. This indicates that a reallocation of health care workers is necessary both among and within institutions to deliver resilient health care during the pandemic. In Japan, financial incentives are provided to both institutions and health care workers. However, it is yet to be known whether these incentives are effective in motivating and retaining employees and preventing work burnout. An important question will be what measures are associated with a high level of motivation to deliver high-quality care during the pandemic. Public health interventions tend to be complex, programmatic, and context dependent. They may have outcomes for the individual, family, community, and society as a whole. As scientific evidence about the broader effects of interventions are accumulated, it is necessary to provide information about the overall value of an intervention for policymakers. For example, the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom produced a useful guide for the development, evaluation, and implementation of complex interventions (Craig et al., 2008). It stresses that understanding not only what works but also how it works, over what time period, in what setting, and in which population group is essential to understand the process and the outcome of complex interventions such as public health interventions for COVID-19. Investigations about various public health interventions in the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic will provide important lessons for the next pandemics in the future because the availability and timing of effective vaccines and treatments are always uncertain. Although evaluations of NPIs are always more difficult than those for pharmaceuticals because of their complex nature, the importance of collaborative investigations on the wider impact of NPIs cannot be exaggerated.

Consumption attitudes and behaviors in Asia: a “discovery-oriented” fresh look

PurposeThis paper aims to identify distinct consumption patterns among Asian consumers and examine how these relate to cultural antecedents and key human values.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a large, representative sample of almost 7,000 Asian consumers in 10 culturally varying markets, using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify the consumption profiles.FindingsThe findings empirically demonstrate that the two profiles are “inner-directed nationalistic frugals” (IDNF) and “outer-directed self-eekers” (ODSS). IDNF consumers spend more time and money on education and prefer ethnocentric consumption. ODSS consumers emphasize individuality, self-expression, seeking novelty and impressing others. Consumers with more collective values in Schwartz's typology tend to demonstrate the IDNF pattern; those with more individualistic values demonstrate the ODSS pattern. The distribution of IDNF and ODSS profiles is influenced by demographics, religion and geographical region: IDNF is greater than ODSS in Southeast Asia; ODSS is greater than IDNF in East Asia; IDNF is roughly equal to ODSS in Northeast Asia. IDNF tends to be found among older and more religious consumers, while ODSS is the opposite. Importantly, in the more religious Southeast Asian countries, even younger consumers are more IDNF than ODSS.Research limitations/implicationsThis research uses an exploratory and discovery-oriented approach; future research can use more confirmatory approaches to systematically examine the relationship between cultural dimensions (e.g. individualism-collectivism) and consumption patterns.Practical implicationsFor their brands to grow in Asian markets, marketing practitioners are advised to use multiple brands to segment Asian consumers based on their values, demographics, geographical location and what religious/faith traditions they follow.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to identify consumption profiles in Asian markets using LPA without prior conceptual biases and relate them to cultural values and demographic variables.

The interactive effects of religiosity and recognition in increasing donation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine a three-way interaction between the two motivational orientations of religiosity (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic) and recognition (in this study, an explicit expectation that behavior is recognized) on charitable behavior. Further, drawing upon the evolutionary psychology perspective, the status motive is predicted to mediate the predicted effects.Design/methodology/approachThree experimental studies were conducted using a 2 (intrinsic religiosity: low/high; measured) × 2 (extrinsic religiosity: low/high; measured) × 2 (recognition: yes/no; manipulated) between-subjects design to examine the predicted effects on likelihood to donate and donation allocations in two Asian countries, namely, Indonesia and Malaysia.FindingsThe results show that recognition increases charitable behavior among consumers with a high level of extrinsic religiosity but low level of intrinsic religiosity (Studies 1a, 1b and 2). Further, a status motive mediates the predicted effects (Study 2).Research limitations/implicationsThe present research provides a novel perspective on how marketers can purposively use recognition in charitable advertising to encourage charitable behavior among religious consumers – but only in Asia.Practical implicationsThis paper presents the case for how a non-profit organization can develop charitable advertising for disaster relief in Indonesia (Studies 1a and 1b) and Malaysia (Study 2). The findings of this research could potentially be extended to other organizations in Asia or other countries where religiosity places an important role in consumer behavior.Originality/valueThis research shows the interactive effect between extrinsic religiosity, intrinsic religiosity and recognition can increase charitable behavior in Asia.

Perceived effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on changes in smoking behaviour in Asia: a literature review

BackgroundSeveral Asian countries have implemented pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs as suggested by the World Health Organization with various policies based on countries’ systems. The study is aimed to analyse multiple research studies on the perceived effectiveness of Pictorial Health Warnings as a deterrent to smoking intention and as a stimulant of smoking behaviour in smokers and non-smokers in Asian countries.MethodPeer-reviewed articles were identified through multiple science databases indexed by Scopus, MEDLINE or PubMed. The review was limited to articles that reported original research findings, were conducted in Asian countries and were available for review by January 2010. A PRISMA Flow diagram was used to identify the articles through the process of data screening and extractions.ResultA total of 14 original articles which met the criteria were included in the review, consisting of 12 quantitative studies and 2 studies with both quantitative and qualitative methods from 17 jurisdictions. The reviewed studies found that pictorial health warnings were associated with a greater perception of salience (reading and noticing the warning), emotional effects, and cognitive increase. Additionally, in the reviewed studies, pictorial health warnings were perceived as more effective in deterring smoking initiation and encouraging smoking cessation than text-only warnings. Several studies also evaluated the effectiveness of a new pictorial warning compared with the old one. However, the relevance of refreshing the pictures of pictorial health warnings and the length of the effective period of the implementation of pictorial health warnings were less frequently studied.ConclusionPictorial health warnings perceived as more effective in deterring smoking initiation among non-smokers and as well as in stimulating smoking cessation among smokers. Future studies on pictorial health warnings should study the relevance of changing or refreshing pictorial health warning on cigarette packages in a period of time.

Alcohol drinking and problems in young populations: the challenge in Asia.

The current article reviews recent research (from 2016 onward) on drinking behaviors and alcohol-related problems among young people in Asia with an emphasis on population-based evidence. Recent evidence concerning underage drinking in Asia was limited to certain countries and societies with most data derived from cross-sectional surveys. Measures of alcohol drinking or problems were less sophisticated. The prevalence of recent alcohol drinking varies widely with the highest estimates reported in Hong Kong and Korea (∼21%). Certain emotional, behavioral, and cognitive characteristics have been linked with increased drinking behaviors, including internalizing or externalizing problems. Parents (or family) are the most studied predictors within the domain of socioenvironmental characteristics, whereas little attention has been paid to the macro environments (e.g., media, alcohol advertisement, and alcohol control policy/regulations). Research on underage drinking behaviors in Asia is urgently needed, particularly in some emerging markets. Follow-up studies with longitudinal measurements and large diverse samples will provide a better understanding of developmental stage-dependent and ever-changing macroenvironmental factors, as well as possible mechanisms.

Similarity in difference: marriage in Europe and Asia, 1700-1900

A study of marriage in preindustrial Europe and Asia that goes beyond the Malthusian East-West dichotomy to find variation within regions and commonality across regions. Since Malthus, an East-West dichotomy has been used to characterize marriage behavior in Asia and Europe. Marriages in Asia were said to be early and universal, in Europe late and non-universal. In Europe, marriages were supposed to be the result of individual choices but, in Asia, decided by families and communities. This book challenges this binary taxonomy of marriage patterns and family systems. Drawing on richer and more nuanced data, the authors compare the interpretations based on aggregate demographic patterns with studies of individual actions in local populations. Doing so, they are able to analyze simultaneously the influence on marriage decisions of individual demographic features, socioeconomic status and composition of the household, and local conditions, and the interactions of these variables. They find differences between East and West but also variation within regions and commonality across regions. The book studies local populations in Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and China. Rather than a simple comparison of aggregate marriage patterns, it examines marriage outcomes and determinants of local populations in different countries using similar data and methods. The authors first present the results of comparative analyses of first marriage and remarriage and then offer chapters each of which is devoted to the results from a specific country. Similarity in Difference is the third in a prizewinning series on the demographic history of Eurasia, following Life under Pressure (2004) and Prudence and Pressure (2009), both published by the MIT Press.

Characterization of 12 Novel Microsatellite Markers of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Identified From Next-Generation Sequence Data.

The white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a major pest of rice and has long-range migratory behavior in Asia. Microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeats) have been widely used to determine the origins and genetic diversity of insect pests. We identified novel microsatellite loci for S. furcifera samples collected from Laos, Vietnam, and three localities in Bangladesh from next-generation Roche 454 pyrosequencing data. Size polymorphism at 12 microsatellite loci was verified for 40 adult individuals collected from Shinan, South Korea. The average number of alleles per locus was 7.92. The mean values of observed (Ho) and expected heterozygosities (HE) were 0.615 and 0.757, respectively. These new microsatellite markers will be a resource for future ecological genetic studies of S. furcifera samples across more broad geographic regions in Asia and may assist in estimations of genetic differentiation and gene flow among populations for implementation of more effective management strategies to control this serious rice pest.

The Impact of Product Innovation on Behavior Intention: The Measurement of the Mediating Effect of the Brand Image of Japanese Anime Dolls

This paper aimed to investigate the correlation between product innovation and brand image, brand image and behavior intention, as well as whether or not product innovation affects the behavior intention through the mediating effect of the brand image. In this study, the consumers' perception of anime dolls in three aspects, namely, product innovation, brand image, and behavior intention were adopted as the research variables. Additionally, the consumers who had experienced buying Japanese anime dolls in major model specialty stores in Southern Taiwan were adopted as the research subjects. Then, an empirical study on the impact of the Japanese anime dolls on the consumer behavior in Asia was conducted. The brand image served as the mediating variable of product innovation and behavior intention and the results were measured. The results show that product innovation had a positive impact on the brand image, thus the hypothesis was partially supported; the hypothesis that the brand image had a positive impact on the behavior intention was established; the hypothesis that product innovation affected the behavior intention through the mediating effect of the brand image was also partially supported. This study therefore derived at the following conclusions: The mediating effect of the brand image indeed existed. Through a good brand image, product innovation had a certain extent of impact on customer loyalty and willingness to pay. Follow-up researches may include other factors that possibly affect product innovation, brand image, and behavior intention, such as sub-culture, situational factors, psychological variables, and so on, in order to understand the extent of impact the variables have on the research.

Governance, Courts and Politics in Asia

It is widely argued that an empowered judiciary supports better governance by strengthening the rule of law and helping to make government more accountable and stable, but how solidly that reasoning is based in fact has not been carefully analysed. As recent events in Asia illustrate, apparently similar constitutional choices about courts can have very different effects on political life and ultimately governance. To address the relative lack of empirical observation and more closely investigate the nexus between courts and governance, this article first presents a basic typology of judicial politics and then applies it to Thailand, Singapore, Korea and Japan. The intent is to: (1) provide a much-needed and more nuanced view of the unfolding judicialisation phenomenon; and (2) urge closer attention to how specific patterns of judicial behaviour in Asia relate to dimensions of governance. The study thus offers an opportunity to illuminate larger issues at the intersection of judicial engagement and political governance and to advance a theoretical understanding of both.

Perceptions of the ethicality of favors at work in Asia: An 11-society assessment

We explore macro-level factors that shape perceptions of the ethicality of favors in Asian workplaces using the subordinate influence ethics (SIE) measure. We also expand and use the crossvergence model to examine the cross-level relationship between socio-cultural (i.e., traditional/secular; survival/self-expression; in-group favoritism) and business ideology influences (i.e., human development level, control of corruption) on perceptions of favor-seeking at work. This study examines the perceptions of a total of 4,325 managers and professionals in a diverse set of 11 Asian societies: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Our investigation focuses on both the "softer" (image management) and "harder" (self-serving) sides of subordinate influence attempts to seek favors, as well as the degree of ethical differentiation across these societies. Key results based on hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) suggest that both the World Value Survey's socio-cultural values as well as in-group favoritism contribute to our understanding of influence behaviors in Asia. Likewise, level of human development and control of corruption also appear to be promising predictors of influence ethics. In sum, our results suggest that widening the scope of the crossvergence conceptualization of socio-cultural and business ideology influences engender a better understanding of differences in attitudes toward subordinate use of favoritism across Asian societies.

Comparing Savings Behavior in Asia and Latin America: The Role of Capital Inflows and Economic Growth

This paper investigates the determinants of savings in Asia and compares them with those of the economies in Latin America. The evidence based reveals that countries in the two regions share some common features with respect to their savings rates that are largely affected by (1) international capital inflows, which, in general, displace domestic savings in less than one-to-one fashion; (2) dependency ratios, hence supporting life-cycle hypothesis; and (3) the size of the export sector which can contribute positively to national savings. Despite these similarities, a number of important differences can be identified across country groups. First, economic growth affects national savings positively (negatively) in Asia (Latin America). Second, the long-term negative impact of capital flows on domestic savings appears to be considerably weaker in the Asian countries compared to the Latin American countries. Together, the two factors explain why savings ratios may differ markedly between the two regions.