Developed Economy Countries Research Articles

Digital transformation: A literature review in the context of international economies and finance

Purpose: The digitisation of economies and finance shows the importance of digital transformation (DT) in helping countries, markets and institutions to remain competitive. The changes brought about are not only technological in nature in certain market niches but affect the globality of a country’s institutions with environmental and social implications. For this reason, in recent years, DT has received increasing attention from researchers, and this study will show its evolution of DT and its components in the period 2012–2022.Design/methodology/approach: For this purpose, a literature review with bibliometric analysis is carried out, in order to evaluate DT and its components in emerging and developed economy countries. In the statistical work, the bibliometrix and biblioshiny software packages were used to perform data extraction and quantitative analysis of the research articles, obtained from the Web of Science databases.Findings/results: A total of 164 articles were selected for the research, which served to identify the most relevant publications on the case of DT in developing versus developed countries.Practical implications: Thus, this research is of great interest to academics and practitioners who can explore knowledge on DT in a global context and analyse the main trends and authors contributing to knowledge in this scientific field.Originality/value: The conclusions obtained refer both to the theoretical framework and to the implications for the management of both public administrations and international governmental organisations.

Implementing a cost-effective soil monitoring system using wireless sensor networks to enhance farming practices for small-scale farmers in developing economy countries

Implementing a cost-effective soil monitoring system using wireless sensor networks to enhance farming practices for small-scale farmers in developing economy countries

Micro-Segregation of Ethnic Minorities in Rome: Highlighting Specificities of National Groups in Micro-Segregated Areas

This paper aims to study ethnic micro-segregation in Rome, namely, high residential concentrations of ethnic groups at the micro-area level within neighbourhoods with low concentrations of these groups, with a focus on specific situations of spatial inequality often overlooked in the debate. The Italian capital is one of the five most populous cities in the European Union and a multi-ethnic metropolis with relatively low levels of segregation. It is an urban context that has been little studied, partly due to the lack of reliable and granular data. This work is based on unpublished individual data from the 2020 population register, disaggregated into 155 neighbourhoods and 13,656 census tracts with average populations of about 18,000 and 200 residents, respectively. The five minority groups considered, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Filipinos, Romanians, and migrants from developed economy countries (DECs), add up to 55% of the total foreign residents and show different settlement patterns. The concept of micro-segregated area (MSA) is central to the scope of the analysis. An MSA is a census tract that shows a strong over-representation of a specific ethnic group despite being located within a neighbourhood where that group is under-represented. MSAs can be considered ‘interstitial’ micro-areas embedded in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. Descriptive analysis based on location quotient (LQ) mapping and bivariate logistic models is developed to highlight (a) differences in the settlement patterns of minority ethnic groups; (b) differences in the micro-segregation of minority ethnic groups in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, settlement location, and socioeconomic status; and (c) the particular characteristics of minority ethnic groups underlying these differences. The findings indicate that differences in settlement patterns can be related to the interplay between real estate constraints and labour market specialisation. National specificities in micro-segregation are mainly linked to length of stay, but the models of the Asian groups do not offer any empirical support for the spatial assimilation hypothesis, unlike those of Romanians and DECs citizens. Further development of this research will aim to explore segregation patterns and motivations to move to MSAs using a mixed method approach.

Barriers and Facilitators to Health-Care Provider Payment Reform - A Scoping Literature Review.

Changes to provider payment systems are among the most common reforms in health care. They are important levers for policymakers to influence the health system performance. The aim of this study was to identify, systematize, and map the existing literature on the factors that influence health-care provider payment reforms. A scoping review was conducted. Literature published in English between 2000 and 2022 was systematically searched in five databases, relevant organizations, and journals. Academic publications and grey literature on health-care provider payment reform and the factors influencing reform were considered. An inductive thematic analysis was applied to map the barriers and facilitators that influence payment reforms. The study included 51 publications. They were divided into four categories: empirical studies (n=17), literature reviews (n=6), discussion/policy papers (n=18), and technical reports/policy briefs (n=9). Most of the studies were conducted in developed economy countries (n=36). The most frequently reformed payment method was fee-for-service (n=37), and the newly implemented methods included bundled payments (n=16), pay-for-performance (n=15), and diagnosis-related groups (n=11). This study identified 43 sub-themes on barriers to provider payment reforms, which were grouped into eight main themes. It identified 51 sub-themes on facilitators, which were grouped into six themes. Barriers include stakeholder opposition, challenges related to reform design, hurdles in implementation structures, insufficient resources, challenges related to market structures, legal barriers, knowledge and information gaps, and negative publicity. Facilitators include stakeholder involvement, complementary reforms/policies, relevant prior experience, good leadership and management of change, sufficient resources, and external pressure to introduce reform. The factors that influence health-care payment reforms are often contextual and interrelated, and encompass a variety of perspectives, including those of patients, providers, insurers, and policymakers. When planning reforms, one should anticipate potential barriers and devise appropriate interventions. The study was registered with the Open Science Framework.

Quantifying the Economic Impact on Farmers from Agricultural Machinery: A Case Study of Farmers in Sudan

The adoption of agricultural technologies in developing economy countries has the potential to reduce poverty through sustainable intensification. Mechanized farming can also improve perceptions of farming and mitigate rural out-migration. However, many traditional farmers do not have access to machinery and/or machinery is cost prohibitive. The objective of this paper is to quantify how the use of machinery affects costs, revenue, net-profits, and returns on investment for a case study of farmers in Sudan, Africa. A treatment control study (N = 36) was performed across the 2019 (baseline), 2020, and 2021 farming seasons, where the treatment group was provided tractors. ANOVAs and t-tests were used to compare financial values between these groups across the farming seasons, to quantify economic differences associated with farming machinery. We show that all farmers had similar net-profits when farming without machinery, while mechanized farming yielded significantly higher net-profits (USD 16.61/acre more in 2020, USD 27.10/acre more in 2021). Our study also finds that the volatility of the black-market exchange rate and labor shortages have a significant impact on farming net-profits. These results provide a quantified difference between farming with and without machinery, which can provide a financial basis for purchasing and borrowing models, machinery design requirements, and educational value to farmers.

Clinicians’ preferences and attitudes towards the use of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders around the world: a survey from the ISBD Lithium task force

BackgroundLithium has long been considered the gold-standard pharmacological treatment for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders (BD) which is supported by a wide body of evidence. Prior research has shown a steady decline in lithium prescriptions during the last two decades. We aim to identify potential factors explaining this decline across the world with an anonymous worldwide survey developed by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Task Force “Role of Lithium in Bipolar Disorders” and distributed by diverse academic and professional international channels.ResultsA total of 886 responses were received of which 606 completed the entire questionnaire while 206 completed it partially. Respondents were from 43 different countries comprising all continents. Lithium was the most preferred treatment option for the maintenance of BD patients (59%). The most relevant clinical circumstances in which lithium was the preferred option were in patients with BD I (53%), a family history of response (18%), and a prior response during acute treatment (17%). In contrast, Lithium was not the preferred option in case of patients´ negative beliefs and/or attitudes towards lithium (13%), acute side-effects or tolerability problems (10%) and intoxication risk (8%). Clinicians were less likely to prefer lithium as a first option in BD maintenance phase when practising in developing economy countries [X2 (1, N = 430) = 9465, p = 0.002) ] and private sectors [X2 (1, N = 434) = 8191, p = 0.004)].ConclusionsClinicians’ preferences and attitudes towards the use of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders appear to be affected by both the patients’ beliefs and the professional contexts where clinicians provide their services. More research involving patients is needed for identifying their attitudes toward lithium and factors affecting its use, particularly in developing economies.

Influencing Factors on Adoption of Modern Agricultural Technology in Developing Economy Countries

The adoption of advanced agricultural technologies is crucial in reducing poverty and improving food security on the developing economy countries. Despite the recognition of its importance, smallholder farmers in developing nations often face obstacles in adopting new technologies, leading to slow uptake. To better understand the factors that impact the use of agricultural technology in these nations, this study seeks to provide insights through a review of previous research on technology adoption. The results of the study highlight several key elements that determine whether or not agricultural technology is adopted, including factors related to the technology itself, the economic situation of farmers, the institutional and organizational affiliations of the farmers, and unique household factors. In order to fully comprehend the complexities involved in the adoption of agricultural technology, future research is recommended to include the perspectives and experiences of farmers. By considering their perceptions of new technologies, the range of factors influencing. The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in adopting new technologies and to identify opportunities for improvement. By considering their perceptions of new technologies, the range of factors influencing technology adoption can be broadened, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. Keywords: Agricultural Technology, smallholder farmers, Adoption, developing economy countries, economic situations, household situations. DOI: 10.7176/DCS/13-2-01 Publication date: February 28 th 2023

How Do Illiterate People Interact with an Intelligent Voice Assistant?

The use of intelligent voice assistants is enabling people who previously could not easily interact with a graphical interface to have access to digital services. However recent works have shown that voice assistants fail to attend certain types of user’s profile. Our research focus on the interaction to an IVA with people with illiterate people. An investigation was made into the use of Google Assistant by literate and illiterate people. In order to verify if the assistant can understand the commands spoken to it, an experiment was conducted with 45 people. The experiment indicates that two characteristics are essential to be improved in the IVA while interacting to illiterates: the ability to understand a more diverse and specific vocabulary of this audience, and an ability to understand the grammatical structure of sentences produced in an ad hoc manner by them. As a suggestion to minimize the problem, we think that AVI should be designed to include illiterate people, specially in developing economy countries, otherwise those assistants will be a factor to increase digital exclusion for poor populations.

Do small‐scale fisheries have the capacity to provide food security to coastal populations?

AbstractWhilst total global fisheries landed catches declined from 1950 to 2016, small‐scale fisheries (SSFs) landed catches increased. Amongst SSFs landed catches, approximately 95% are consumed domestically. Taken together, these highlight the importance of the potential for SSFs to contribute to food security and well‐being of coastal populations, particularly in Developing Economy Countries (DECs). We used the Sea Around Us database to evaluate long‐term trends of marine SSFs landed catches in 85 DECs. We analyse whether yields from SSFs have the capacity to provide the coastal populations of DECs with a recommended annual intake (RAI) of 10.6 kg of fish per person, and how that capacity has changed over the period of 1960 to 2016. We show that landed catches of SSFs increased in the majority of DECs evaluated from 1950 to 2016. However, in 2016, over one‐third of SSFs in DECs assessed did not have the capacity to provide the RAI of fish to coastal communities, and 64% of all SSFs assessed are exhibiting significant declines in their capacity to fulfil this need. Regional trends in providing RAI were highly variable, putting the long‐term sustainability and capacity of SSFs to contribute meaningfully to food security in doubt. This study demonstrates that landed catches of SSFs alone are not a useful proxy for food security. Implementation of proven effective management practices, policies to improve accessibility and consumption patterns, and the prioritization of small‐scale wild‐caught fisheries are needed to ensure the food security of billions of people in coastal communities.

Human‐Systems Integration of Agricultural Machinery in Developing Economy Countries: Perceptions of Adoption

AbstractWidespread adoption of agricultural machinery for developing economy countries is commonly regarded as a fundamental component of pro‐poor growth. This study evaluates agricultural practices using a Human‐Systems Integration approach to more effectively adapt technologies to satisfy farmers’ needs. Six farms in Sudan, Africa were surveyed regarding their opinions towards using farming machinery, were then provided a tractor, and surveyed again after using the tractor for the planting season. The largest barriers for adoption were culture, security, and maintenance costs. However, the biggest challenges of their current practices were related to labor, safety, and profit margins; all of which could be addressed with machinery. Despite the initial resistance, all of the farmers were satisfied by their experience and expressed an even more accepting attitude from their children.

Ebanking - measuring attributes of banking new technologies adoption in developing economy countries

This study intended to develop, explore and validate a new measurement scale for the attributes of eBanking adoption dedicated to developing economy countries. It gathered items from previously validated instruments underlying eight banking customers' characteristics, performance expectations, effort expectations, perceived ease of use, social influence, perceived digital banking services quality, hedonic motivation and customer experience to form the initial measurement scale. Once, data was collected using convenience sampling, they were analysed through factor analysis procedures. At the exploratory phase, five components were retained and while four have been labelled according to some initial dimensions, one was renamed "perceived performance of digital banking". Furthermore, one item was removed from each reorganised component to increase internal consistency. At confirmatory factor stage, all remaining items were allowed to be incorporated in the final measurement scale, though, reaching an overall good fit model index necessitated the technique of correlating error terms for two measurement models: perceived performance of digital banking and social influence. Recommendations were made to extend the study kind investigation to gather data from much more developing economy countries as well as integrating other components that were not considered.

IMPERATIVES OF THE GLOBAL GRAIN MARKET DEVELOPMENT

The imperatives of the global grain market development, in the context of the strengthening of global integration processes, were analyzed, within the framework of which it was established that the improvement of the efficiency of grain production at the global level is currently being observed. However, even under the conditions of maintaining the existing rates of its development, the exacerbation of the food crisis remains a significant problem in variety of world regions. Based on grain production key parameters analysis, its producers main problems were detected. A number of such factors as the limited potential for agricultural land expansion (and relatively, the area of arable land), the formation of infrastructure, the need to ensure environmental sustainability, etc., increase the turbulence of their economic activity. Growing competition for these resources can lead to their further overexploitation and destabilization of ecosystems. Taking into account innovative approaches to the economic activity implementation, the factors and determinants of the available production involvement optimization are defined. It was established that the cereal yields varies between groups of countries with different economic system development degrees. In particular, there are very large its differences between high- and low-income countries. Its level is almost twice as high in the former as in the latter. Within the agricultural activities of some low-income countries, it is still possible to find the implementation of only the first, second or third industrial revolution achievements. It was determined that the increase in economic efficiency of the grain market suppliers within developed economy countries and, partially, with a developing economy, occurs mostly due to the production technological modernization (accordingly to the fourth industrial revolution level). At the same time, the use of high-tech tools with no-increasing the cultivated arias volume and simultaneously maintaining produc- tivity require a greater number of highly qualified workers and a corresponding redistribution of the workforce. The strategic directions of the grain production intensification in the regional section are substantiated considering creating conditions for leveling the food crisis.

ANALYZING DEMOGRAPHIC CLUSTERS BEHAVIOR AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS EBANKING IN EMERGING FREE-MARKET ECONOMIES SOUTH AFRICA AND UKRAINE

The objective of this study is to portray banking customers’ behavior and perceptions towards the use of new technology platforms, apps, services and products, to advise banks in their strategic approach to designing customized digital offers. The analyzed data were collected by means of a questionnaire administered online to 374 participants selected using convenience sampling. The empirical findings demonstrated that eBanking behavior and perceptions differ statistically significantly from one country to another as well as for demographic clusters such as gender, age, level of education, occupation, and digital banking level of knowledge. They confirmed the importance of scrutinizing demographic clusters’ behavior and perceptions towards online banking, an area, which is largely under-researched in both South Africa and Ukraine. This study suggested banks elaborate tailored marketing strategies to enhance banking customers’ intention to use eBanking and increase their positive perceptions for specific clusters. Providing the in-depth understanding of each demographic cluster’s eBanking behavior and perceptions that this study provides will serve banks in their segmentation and targeting strategies to enhance the use of digital platforms and apps, services and products in developing economy countries. Furthermore, they will be adequately informed to design customized eBanking offers.

Indonesian Students Intellectual Internship Overseas

Indonesia is classified as developing country which still have low level of national education. One of the way to improve the level of education happening in this era is by studying abroad. There are lot of universities in Indonesia that already establish cooperation with foreign universities. This cooperation helps Indonesia student get the accessibility to join study abroad program. This paper has two objectives. The first one is to know the development of studying abroad program conducted by Indonesian student spatially and temporarily. The second one is to know Indonesian student’s perspectives about study abroad program from their level of satisfaction. This paper uses primary and secondary data to analyze this issue. This primary data was taken from questionnaire through 14 respondents and the secondary data was taken from UNESCO statistical data and news. The results of the paper show that the spatial distribution of Indonesian student international mobility varies from Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and American countries. Indonesian student tends to visit development economy countries rather than developing economy countries. According to the data collected from 14 respondents, Japan is the most visited country and also shows that the temporal development of this international mobility is growing from 2013 to 2019. This positive development is reinforced by the high level of satisfaction according to 14 respondents. These respondents had joined 23 program and only two programs were not satisfactory for two respondents.

Health Literacy and Medical Policy Advocacy

In 2014, almost one third of the world's population had access to the fixed Internet through individual home computers or mobile devices, with China and the United States being the top users. Introduction of mobile devices produced significant shifts in access to information. The network penetration is now approaching the size of the world population, providing more convenient, affordable, on demand, and on the go services. This expanded access has led to a new global cyber-society, which is influencing socioeconomic, political, and educational developments. Medical and public health workers, professional societies, educators, and publishers, are either exploring or already using social media for research, information dissemination and educational purposes (Djuricich, 2014; Frosch et al., 2011). Online social networking rapidly expands its reach to health consumers, patients, and advocates. Unfortunately many websites can also contain misleading information (Phillips, Wang, & Guenzel, 2005). Thus, health literacy is becoming an important asset to promote health safety while navigating social media “health” networks, in interpreting, understanding, and analyzing the information, and effectively participating in advocacy programs. While access to social media has dramatically increased, the same is not true for health literacy. Socioeconomic disparities affect health literacy in developed economy countries (Champlin & Mackert, 2015; Chesser, Burke, Reyes, & Rohrberg, 2015), while the information from developing countries is sparse or nonexistent. Health literacy, especially underpinned by evidence, is a scarce commodity, but when used effectively can lead to beneficial outcomes. Smoking cessation; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; and, more recently, political actions taken by the European Union (EU) and the United States to combat microbial resistance through comprehensive prevention plans, legislation, and research, are success stories. In contrast, we still struggle with inadequate immunization rates for preventable infections worldwide, youth smoking, and the rising threat of sexually transmitted disease. Several models for developing health literacy programs have been identified (Champlin & Mackert, 2015; Sørensen et al., 2012). These models can be adapted by governments for conducting educational campaigns and empowering their citizenry. Health literacy is an essential tool for the successful delivery and practice of medicine in the twenty-first century. As we move toward a participatory health-care approach, consumers, patients, and medical professionals will share the responsibilities for improvement in their health care and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Medical and health professional societies and organizations must continue to address and advance health literacy among their constituents, policy-makers, and different interest groups by developing informational and educational materials to be accessible through social media.

Spread of Infections and Global Health Security

The resurgence and rapid spread of Ebola in Africa, and the Enterovirus (EV-D68) respiratory infection among U.S. children, have heightened concerns of policy makers and medical communities. Ebola, spread only through direct contact with body fluids, results in a high fatality rate. EV-D68, causes mild respiratory distress, especially in children with asthma, and can require hospital admissions for supportive therapy. Both infections were identified some 40 years ago, but only recently evolved into a perceived serious global treat (Li & Chen, 2014). Reservoirs, mode of transmission, and preventive measures were studied for both viruses, but many uncertainties still remain, as exemplified by the discovery of bats as a source for Ebola, and motor taxis (World News Report, 2014) as a potential long-distance vector for transmission. In both cases a major concern is the imposed strain on the existing medical infrastructure, and the ability to mount a rapid response within communities at risk to respond to the challenges. Since their discoveries, both viruses have continued to evolve and spread globally (Li & Chen, 2014). Modern technology allows us to rapidly identify potential strains and “hot areas” responsible for the spread of infections. Technology helps us devise novel vaccines, but can also act as a vector, as in the case of transportation, to seed infections around the globe. Proper hygiene and regular decontamination of transport are not readily offered in many developing-economy countries. Other important contributors to the spread of infections include: socioeconomic instability, migration, and malnutrition. Urban disparities; poor sanitation; and crowding in dwellings, schools, religious and sporting events, and at work, all act as amplifiers for infection transmission. Homelessness, poverty, and poor nutrition are potential foci for sexually transmitted infections, mental problems; and metabolic disorders promoting poor health outcomes and increase risks for epidemics (Amiri et al., 2014; Fekadu et al., 2014; Johnson et al., 2014; Kerker et al., 2011; Medlow, Klineberg, & Steinbeck, 2014; Thompson, Wall, Greenstein, Grant, & Hasin, 2013). Alcoholism and other “recreational substances” are associated with the loss of immunosuppression and vulnerability to infections, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and hepatitis among others (Friedman, Newton, & Klein, 2003). Our global security is dependent on preserving population health and reducing the impacts on national health-care infrastructure. Human activities, socioeconomic inequalities, and uncertain funding for inquiries into the complex interplay between the use of technology, sanitation, livability, and the environment put us on a collision course with possible biological disasters. Protecting against the rising threat of infection, implementing proper environmental and health policies, and supporting research are necessary to ensure a healthy future. On August 28, 2014, the World Medical Association (WMA) released a statement about the “serious deficiencies in the working conditions of junior doctors dealing with the Ebola virus in West Africa.” The statement expresses concern for the rising morbidity and mortality among physicians caring for patients, which has the potential to aggravate the already weakened public health infrastructure. The Editors support the U.S. and WHO response to the Ebola threat, to improve public health and medical care infrastructure in African nations, and reduce suffering and loss of life. The Editors wish to express our sincere gratitude to our readers, contributors, peer reviewers, and Board Members, and wish you a joyful 2014 holiday season and a prosperous 2015.

Comorbidities Associated With Intellectual Disability among Pediatric Outpatients Seen at a Teaching Hospital in Northern India

AbstractThere is a dearth of comprehensive studies on comorbidities associated with intellectual disability (ID) in developing economy countries. This prospective study reports the prevalence of common comorbidities observed in a cohort of children with ID presenting to a regional medical center in Northern India. Subjects were drawn from the first three children between 6 months and 15 years of age presenting with complaints of developmental delay or mental dullness on one day a week at a pediatric outpatient unit and at the pediatric neurology clinic of a university teaching hospital. All potential subjects were tested for global developmental delay or ID by validated tests, and then the children were assessed for a set of predefined comorbid conditions, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, microcephaly, impaired vision or hearing, feeding disorder, malnutrition, constipation, squint, drooling, violent behavior, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The prevalence of comorbidities was found to be high, and it increased with severity of ID, except for ADHD, autism, and violent behavior, which decreased. Comparisons between children with and without cerebral palsy showed that most conditions were more common in children with cerebral palsy (in particular, epilepsy and constipation). A high prevalence of neurologic and medical comorbidities was seen in children with ID in Northern India, which underlines the need for a multidisciplinary approach to their identification and treatment.

Government Size, Economic Growth and Unemployment: Evidence from Advanced and Developing Economy Countries (A Time Series Analysis, 1996–2006)

The primary objective of this study is to estimate empirically the impact of government size on economic growth in 32 advanced and 51 developing countries from 1996 to 2006. Specifically, how do the effects of government size on economic growth in two groups of countries differ? In contrast to previous studies, this one attempts to gauge the relative effect of government size on economic growth by using a united regression model combining advanced and developing countries, as well as the same control variables. As theoretically expected, this study demonstrates that the effect of government size on economic growth is positive for developed countries and negative for advanced countries. Furthermore, the model confirms that the relative effect of government size on economic growth in developing countries is almost five times higher than in advanced ones. Another purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of government size on the unemployment rate in two groups of countries. The evidence from the regression results shows that greater government size is associated with a higher unemployment rate in both groups of countries. The study demonstrates that a larger government has a detrimental effect on economic growth, due, at least in part, to a higher unemployment rate. In addition, the model confirms that the relative effect of government size on the unemployment rate in developing countries is almost three times higher than in advanced countries. Finally, based on the result that government size has significantly different effects on economic growth and the unemployment rate across two groups of countries, this study implies that policy makers need to consider different levels and types of fiscal policies to improve economic growth depending on the country’s economic level.