Economics Department Research Articles

4 - The Use of Social Science Research by Environmental NGOs in Africa: Evidence from Morocco


 
 
 The literature on the use of research is both rich and varied. Yet, little is known about the use of available social research by environmental NGOs in the African context. This paper aims at contributing to the debate on this issue from the perspective of Moroccan civil society. In order to achieve this objective, we have analysed the results of a survey conducted among a sample of Moroccan NGOs working in environmental protection. Overall, it seems that a relatively large proportion of surveyed environmental NGOs receive and understand social research findings, but the process remains incomplete, as the use of these findings tends to diminish during the adoption stage and especially during the decision-influencing stage. Moreover, this conclusion must be regarded cautiously, given the confusion that arises from the lack of distinction between research and consulting activities. Finally, PLS regression reveals that the use of social science research by Moroccan environmental NGOs is influenced by three main factors: research adaptation effort, relational proximity between researchers and users, and the NGO director’s employment status.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Brahim El Morchid, Department of Economics, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech. Email: b.elmorchid@uca.ma
 Hind Hourmat Allah, Department of Management,Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech. Email: h.hourmatallah@uca.ma
 
 

A CAREER IN THE ROMANIAN BANKING SECTOR: OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant part of the activities carried out by the banking units is moved to the online environment. This fact automatically decreases the number of subsidiaries and, implicitly, generates the staff layoff. Also, this phenomenon affects the potential candidates for a position within a banking unit. Here, the most vulnerable category is students studying in the Department of Economics. One of the reasons they choose to enroll in a department with an economics major is the opportunity to work in the banking units. A survey was conducted to find out how economics students in Romania perceive these threats. A questionnaire was used as an instrument. Respondents (N=453) had the opportunity to express their intentions regarding career development in the banking sector, given the context created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The article concludes with the most representative findings on this research topic.

Parental Labor Supply

Anna Godøy†⇑, Michael Reich‡⇑, Jesse Wursten§⇑ and Sylvia Allegretto¶,‖⇑ †IRLE, University of California, Berkeley, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway, and the Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Norway. ‡IRLE, University of California, Berkeley. §KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. ¶IRLE, University of California, Berkeley. aago{at}niph.no mreich{at}econ.berkeley.edu jesse.wursten{at}kuleuven.be. allegretto{at}berkeley.edu

More in Good Condition or Less in Bad Condition? Valence-Based Framing Effects in Environmental Valuation

Michela Faccioli, Research Fellow Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute, Department of Economics, University of Exeter Business School, Exeter, United Kingdom; Honorary Research Associate, Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Research Group, The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; m.faccioli{at}exeter.ac.uk

Household Sorting as Adaptation to Hurricane Risk in the United States

Qin Fan, Associate Professor Department of Economics, Craig School of Business, California State University, Fresno; qfan{at}csufresno.edu

Over-Perception about Land Use Changes: Assessing Empirical Evidence and Linkage with Decisions and Motivated Beliefs

Hongli Feng, Assistant Professor Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames; hfeng{at}iastate.edu

The Impact of Indonesia’s School Operational Assistance Program on The Transition Rate from Primary to Junior Secondary School

This study investigates the impact of Indonesia’s School Operational Assistance Program (BOS) on the transition rate from primary to junior secondary school using data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) and the Difference-in-Differences method. The results showed that the School Operational Assistance Program (BOS) significantly increases the transition rate from Primary to Junior Secondary School. Meanwhile, the School Operational Assistance Program (BOS) is more effective in increasing the transition rate in girls compared to boys. When comparing rural and urban settings, the program is more effective in rural than urban areas. Despite results showing that the School Operational Assistance Program (BOS) has successfully increased the transition rate from primary to junior secondary school, the program still has several problems, such as inadequate management of the funds and the lack of quality control related to its usage. The three models tested in the study conclude that the School Operational Assistance Program (BOS) significantly improved the overall transition rate from primary to junior secondary school in Indonesia, particularly for girls and rural areas. Acknowledgments. This research is supported by DRPMI Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) for Lecture Competency Research (RKDU) scheme. We thank our colleagues from the Department of Economics, who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research and we thank “anonymous” reviewers for their so-called insights.

Doctoral Research in Economics: A Study of Doctoral Theses Citations at the Bangalore University

17291 citations from 130 thesis in the doctoral dissertations submitted between 1984-2014 in the Department of Economics, Bangalore University were analysed for identifying their document types, authorship pattern, ranking of cited journals and subject wise distribution of citations. The finding reveals that nearly (60.9%) citations were from journals and books. The subject wise distribution of theses reveals that maximum thesis belongs to Micro Economics (58.46%). India, USA and UK contribute 5691 (94.68%) of total citations. The authorship pattern study reveals that the highest number of journal citations from Single authors around (70.89%) percent of total journal citations.

Delineation of Efficient Paddy Cropping Zones in Andhra Pradesh

The research delineated efficient paddy crop zones in Andhra Pradesh. The area, yield and production of paddy were gathered from the Andhra Pradesh Department of Economics and Statistics to compute the Relative Spread Index (RSI) and Relative Yield Index (RYI). The definition of an efficient cultivation zone for paddy shows that in all nine districts of Andhra Pradesh there are numerous possibilities to increase overall paddy production. The primary source of irrigation is groundwater, comprising tubes and wells that cover 49 percent of net irrigation. The grade is of four types: Most Efficient Cropping Zone (MECZ) and Area Efficient Cropping Zone (AECZ) and Yield Efficient Cropping Zone(YECZ) and Not Efficient Cropping Zone (NECZ). It was noted that the West Godavari, East Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Nellore are five districts inside Paddy's Most efficient cropping zone. Srikakulam and Vizianagaram are two districts within the Area efficient cropping zone. The Kurnool and Prakasam are two districts in which Yields efficient cropping zone. Visakhapatnam, Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur are four districts belong to the Not-efficient cropping zone. It is concluded that there was a lot of possibilities of increasing the overall production of paddy in all nine districts of Andhra Pradesh by delineating the efficient cropping zone for paddy. In the case of AECZ there is a need for popularisation of high-yielding cultivars, for better management technologies like the Rice Intensification System (RIS) and for integrated nutrient handling to increase yield levels and convert this zone into MECZ. In the case of YECZ, these sites offer promise for rice growing, although a decrease in water availability may be attributed to the less extensive area.

APIs, the glue under the hood. Looking for the “API economy”

Purpose Some specialized consultancies have been making the case of an “API economy”. This study aims to investigate the issue, marshalling data on the economic dimension, to better understand the environments of APIs. It offers an overview of the functions and definition of application programming interfaces (APIs) in the backdrop of the history of services computing. The paper attempt assessing the economic value (size of the market) of APIs and reviews some of the available metrics. The paper also takes a look some issues and challenges ahead for the deployment of all kind of APIs. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on desk research and a scientific and grey literature review. However, it relies mostly on specialized consultancies although from a critical viewpoint. The paper provides an historical account of the notions of APIs and API economy. Findings The paper questions the idea of an “API economy” that still stands on the “hype” side and is not clearly substantiated. It reveals that the number of firms with mature API programs remains small and that there is an uneven development across industries (traditional firms are less active than digital natives) and countries (Silicon Valley is leading). It highlights that the domination of IT companies (leaders and pioneers of APIs) raises issue of competition and at some point, may prevent rather than foster innovation. Research limitations/implications There is no robust data about the size of the API market nor about its value. Sources are highly heterogeneous and delimitations not always precise. The standard metrics or indicators are hard to find. Further research would be needed to better document this area. Practical implications The paper reviews some of the expected benefits of the use of APIs as enablers of private or public ecosystems. Social implications The paper delineates some of the economic benefits of the public APIs based on open data. It shows some positive examples of public APIs in the EU. Originality/value There is hardly any mention of the API economy in research literature. Most of the academic literature still stems from engineering department or business-management departments, not department of economics. Consultants would usually focus on the potential of business growth, on how to design an effective API strategy but not on the very economic dimension. The paper attempts providing a synthesis of the available data.

Village Economic Potential for The Implementation of Learning Building Village / KKN Thematic MBKM Program Economic Study Program Development Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business of The UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta

The background of this research is the preparation of the Independent Learning Curriculum for the Independent Campus (MBKM) of the Development Economics Study Program. One of the mandates of the curriculum is the flexibility of the student learning process to get an off-campus learning experience for one semester (6 months), including through village building activities/thematic Real Work Lectures (KKN thematic), which are equated with the achievement of 21 credits. The purpose of this research is the availability of a thematic Village Development Activity Implementation Guide/KKN as a complement to the curriculum that has been prepared. This guide provides directions and detailed instructions for managers of study programs and their staff, students of the development economics study program (S1) who choose to learn through village building activities/thematic KKN. The problem of this research is: what are the village economic activities that can be used as objects of activities to build the thematic village / KKN. The method used to answer these problems is (1) Survey at the location of Wirokerten Village (2) Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with stakeholders (village officials, villagers, and lecturers of the Department of Economics). The results showed that village programs related to village economic development programs were sub-programs related to the field of small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the fields of trade and industry, which was the choice for student development study programs in the implementation of the MBKM program to build Thematic Village / KKN

О положительном опыте использования возможностей взрывотехнической лаборатории Экспертно-криминалистического центра Главного управления МВД России по г. Санкт-Петербургу и Ленинградской области в раскрытии и расследовании преступлений террористической направленности

This article is devoted to the description of the still functioning explosive laboratory created in the structure of the Expert and Technical Department of the Criminal Militia Service of the Central Government of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. The main tasks carried out by the employees of the 10th department of the State Economic Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region (department of explosive and fire and technical expertise) are highlighted. Special attention is paid to the participation of these employees in crime scenes investigation of offences involving using explosive objects with subsequent explosive expertise. The author provides examples of high-profile criminal cases. In addition, the author underlines the significant role of interaction of the laboratory under consideration with various law enforcement services for highly efficient expert support in the investigation of crimes related to the illicit trafficking of explosive objects, as well as in solving complex and far from secure operational tasks in order to further scientific and practical development for needs of law enforcement agencies (emphasis is placed on scientific researches of the employees of the 10th department of the Forensic Center).

Original

The Kakodonga river basin covers an area of about 1,113 km2. The average maximum temperature is 28.50C and the minimum temperature is 18.40C. The average rainfall of the basin is 1766 mm. The present paper is an attempt to analyze spatially land-use concentration and land-use efficiency of the Kakodonga river basin. For the preparation of thematic maps, Survey of India topographic sheets and IRS P6 LISS-III imagery (2011) data are used. The land-use categories data has been collected for three years (2012-2014) at the revenue circle level from the Economic and Statistical Department of Assam. To work out land-use concentration Bhatia’s (1965) method was adopted. The major land-use categories are forest cover, area put under non-agricultural use, barren lands, permanent pastures, and other grazing lands, miscellaneous trees and groves, culturable wasteland, current fallow land, other fallow lands, and the net area sown. The land-use efficiency has been worked out taking five positive variables are net sown area, total irrigated area, area irrigated more than once, the intensity of irrigation, and intensity of crops.

Course-Based Versus Field Undergraduate Research Experiences

This paper compares undergraduate course-based research experiences to field-based research experiences to understand the relationship between these different forms of experiential learning. I study undergraduate research experiences across an economics department at a large Canadian research university. Statistical analysis indicates there are not large differences between field- and course-based experiences. The main differences favour course-based instruction, with course-based experiences associated with more independent thinking and relevant task engagement. Overall, I conclude curriculum designers should focus attention on proper course-based curriculum design rather than simply trying to adapt “research-like” experiences into the classroom.

Distance learning in the COVID-19 period

In the given article an attempt to consider new possibilities and threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for university and college students is made. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data obtained is carried out. To collect data, 226 respondents studying in the RUDN economics department were interviewed. The research showed that most students and teachers perceive online learning and teaching negatively. Most students experience difficulties when perceiving online learning, they don't acquire the most part of information, lose soft skills. At the same time, remote technologies have become the tool to minimize losses in education which has been under the threat of failure for the uncertain period of time, and application of these technologies gave many students the chance to successfully graduate from universities and colleges despite the pandemic and get good jobs.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ECONOMY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

In the modern, globalised world English language has an important role as a means of communication. The use of language in business environment facilitates communication and economic efficiency. Global language survey, carried out in 2013 in 60 countries worldwide, links English language proficiency to economic and social development (ICEF Monitor, 2014). Results of the survey indicate that the countries with higher levels of English language proficiency have stronger economies and higher per capita income levels, and thus a better quality of life. Nevertheless, due to globalisation process and the Internet, the role of English has changed in so far as English proficiency is not only an economic advantage but also a basic skill needed for the entire workforce (ICEF Monitor, 2014). The aim of this paper is to give an insight into attitudes of students of economics and business economics on the significance of English in the business environment. The paper analyses differences in students’ attitudes in relation to the gender and the year of study. For that purpose, the research was carried out among the students enrolled in undergraduate study programmes at the Department of Economics and Business Economics. As the research instrument, the Questionnaire “English in Business Environment” has been applied. The research results indicate that the participants consider English language to be an important factor in economy and their future business environment. There were no statistically significant differences relating to gender while some statistically significant differences for the year of study have been found. This paper suggests further research based on a context-specific approach, to be carried out in other educational contexts, encompassing different study programmes and levels of study. Keywords: language proficiency, economy, business environment

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7 - Understanding Shifts in Nigeria’s Trade Policy: From Realism to Protectionism


 
 
 The reluctance of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, to sign two major international trade liberalisation agreements in 2018 shocked many local and international observers. However, these trade policy postures were not unexpected. Undiscerned by many analysts, many subtle changes had happened to Nigeria’s international co-operation architecture and foreign economic policy in a seemingly incoherent manner. In addition, the premise for expecting Nigeria to automatically consent to both agreements was faulty for two main reasons. First, the pretext of connectivity and market access as the underlying rationale for both agreements was allegedly hinged on the fallacy of composition, with the assumption that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. This pretext was increasingly questioned by the influential, organised private sector in Nigeria, which had shifted from the altruistic foreign policy tenets of the 1970s to insulation from negative externalities of trade. Second, Nigeria’s trade posture was erroneously considered separately from its foreign economic policy posture, which was increasingly hinged on beneficial concentricism and regaining internal capabilities. In this new dispensation, with a focus on strategic trade policy underpinned by economic pragmatism, understanding shifts in the domestic balance of power is critical to predicting Nigeria’s trade policy responses.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Folarin Alayande, Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria Email: falayande@yahoo.com
 
 

8 - Africa’s Economic Transformation and Global Value Chains: An Analysis of the Platinum Value Chain in South Africa


 
 
 
 
 
 This article is concerned with the transformation of the African continent beyond the supply of raw materials towards the expansion of productive capabilities in ways that meet the needs of the African people. The article assesses the platinum value chain in South Africa to examine how the sector has impacted on economic transformation in the country. The analysis shows that South Africa is the biggest supplier of platinum globally but continues to miss economic opportunities presented by its platinum endowment. This is due to very weak forward or upstream linkages between the platinum sector and the related manufacturing sectors. Additionally, even though the platinum sector captures a notable share of both production and employment in the mining industry, when it comes to wealth redistribution, gender and race relations, the sector is lagging. Arguably, a country’s mineral resources ought to bring about economic transformation required to meet the needs of its people, by leveraging sector specific legislations. This requires deliberate determination to ensure that such a form of resource mobilisation transitions into economic self-sufficiency for the African continent, by also leveraging regional value chains and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
 
 
 
 Asanda Fotoyi, PhD candidate and lecturer, Department of Economics, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Email: afotoyi@gmail.com
 
 

ANALISIS PENGARUH ORIENTASI BELANJA DAN KEPERCAYAAN KONSUMEN TERHADAP MINAT BELI

The development of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is currently being welcomed by the Indonesian through the growing development of digital businesses. The increasing of digital businesses nowadays must be followed by a business competition strategy, example: online shops. Therefore an analysis of the factors that impact the consumer buying interest in online shopping was needed. Thus this study aims to determine the effect of Shopping Orientation and Consumer Confidence on Consumer Buying Interest. The method used in this research is quantitative research methods. The population in this study were students of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Universitas Negeri Medan and the sample used was 205 people by using purposive sampling technique. The data collection technique was using a questionnaire and the data analysis method was multiple linear regression analysis. Based on the research results, it is found that (1) Shopping Orientation has a positive and significant effect on Buying Interest, (2) Consumer Trust has a positive and significant effect on Buying Interest and (3) Shopping Orientation and Consumer Trust simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on Buying Interest.