DO Analysis Research Articles

How Upgrading of Provincial Development Zones Reduces Urban Carbon Emission: Evidence from a Time-Varying DID Analysis

This study examines the impact of upgrading provincial development zones on urban carbon emission reduction in China, a vital policy instrument for achieving the nation’s dual objectives of economic growth and green development under the “carbon neutrality and carbon peak” framework. Utilizing panel data from 276 Chinese cities spanning 2006 to 2019, this study employs a time-varying difference-in-differences model to empirically assess the effects of these upgrades. The findings indicate that these upgrades significantly reduce urban carbon emissions through policy, agglomeration, and regulatory effects. The heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the policy’s effectiveness is amplified by higher levels of government participation, increased attention to environmental protection, and greater urban emission reduction pressures. Moreover, while the policy facilitates carbon emission reductions in neighboring cities through spatial spillover effects, it does not achieve synergistic control over multiple pollutants, showing no significant impact on other industrial pollutants emissions. These findings provide value insights for policymakers aiming to balance economic development with environmental sustainability.

Hybrid model of care for older persons for improvement of frailty index—a community-based interventional study in an urban setting

BackgroundAn older person undergoes a ‘disablement’ process with aging. A comprehensive geriatric assessment centered around the functional status informs the healthcare provider of their frailty status, based on which tailored interventions may be designed to help prevent/reverse frailty. This study was conducted to assess the improvement in frailty index by training older persons for self-care practices using a multi-domain behavioural intervention, assisted by their caregivers.MethodsIt is a community-based interventional trial among older persons aged ≥ 60 years and their primary caregivers conducted in an urban community for a period of 15 months. A hybrid model, which exploits the advantages of every indigenous geriatric model of care, in providing a holistic care to old persons, was developed and adopted. Intervention was designed to incorporate all domains of frailty assessed, based upon self-efficacy and social interdependence theory. Frail-VIG scale and SPPB scores were used to measure the outcomes.Results128 older persons and their primary caregivers were recruited. Median age was 70 and 67 years in the intervention and control group respectively, with majority being males. The median frailty index at baseline was 0.36 in both the groups, with improvement in intervention group (0.20) and worsening in control group (0.44) at end-line. From the DID analysis, a reduction of 0.19 points of frailty index was observed (even after adjustment for co-variates) in the intervention group, as compared to the control group. Also, it was observed that age and gender of the old person, their per capita income and the family support played an interactive effect in improvement of the frailty index. There was a significant difference in SPPB scores as well, between the groups [5 (1) in CG vs. 7 (2) in IG, p < 0.001].ConclusionFrailty could be reversed with appropriate interventions designed on the pillars of self-efficacy, and social interdependence among family members. The hybrid model of care delineates the role of caregivers, who reinforce the old persons to follow prescribed interventions.

Capital market opening and related party transactions: quasi-natural experimental evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study takes a quasi-natural experiment from China, the ‘Shanghai/Shenzhen – Hong Kong Stock Connect policy’, as the research background to study the relationship between capital market opening and related-party transactions (RPTs) in listed companies. Based on DID analysis and subsequent robustness tests, capital market opening policies significantly inhibit related-party transaction behaviours in listed companies. Further analysis reveals that the mechanism behind this effect lies in its ability to enhance information transparency and improve financial performance of listed companies. The study also finds that this mechanism is primarily driven by abnormal related-party transactions, financing-related transactions, and large-scale transactions. Moreover, these policies have a more pronounced effect on privately-owned companies and those with weaker external auditing supervision. This paper enriches the research on the consequences of capital market opening and expands the study of factors influencing corporate related-party transaction behaviours, providing empirical evidence for further deepening capital market opening and corporate governance in emerging market countries.

The Effectiveness of Nutritional Interventions Implemented through Lady Health Workers on the Reduction of Stunting in Children under 5 in Pakistan: The Difference-in-Difference Analysis.

In Pakistan, the 2018 National Nutrition Survey reported that 40% of children under five years old were stunted. This study assessed the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation in reducing stunting among children under five years old in two rural districts in Sindh, Pakistan. This was a mixed-method quasi-experimental study comprising intervention and control populations, with 3397 and 3277 children under five years old participating in the baseline and end-line surveys, respectively. The study areas were similar in terms of demographic and economic circumstances. In the intervention group, pregnant and lactating women (first six months post-partum) received wheat soy blend, children 6-23 months old received Wawamum (lipid-based supplement), and children 24-59 months old received micronutrient powders, all through lady health workers. This was underpinned by nutrition behaviour change communication for appropriate complementary feeding practices and hygiene promotion targeted at primary caregivers. The control group received no intervention. The impact was assessed using the difference-in-difference analysis with kernel propensity score matching to adjust the differences among the control and intervention populations. The overall DID analysis indicated that the intervention did not significantly reduce the prevalence of stunting (under 5 years) [DID = -5.1, p = 0.079]. The adjusted DID indicated a significant decrease of 13% [DID = -13.0, p = 0.001] in the number of stunted children 24-59 months of age at the endline survey. A significant reduction in underweight among children 24-59 months old was also observed (DID = -9.4%, p = 0.014). In conclusion, this evidence further establishes that nutrient uptake through an intervention for a short duration cannot effectively reduce stunting. It requires continuous nutritional supplementation for mothers during the pregnancy and an initial six months of lactation and then nutritional supplementation for children 6-59 months of age underpinned by effective behaviour change communication targeting mothers and other caregivers for improving complementary feeding practices and hygiene promotion.

THE IMPACTS OF CASH WAQF LINKED SUKUK EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

This study analyzes the impact of Cash Waqf Linked Sukuk (CWLS) empowerment programs on beneficiaries’ welfare, financial inclusion, social participation, and spirituality. Using questionnaires administered to the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the empowerment programs in Central Lampung, South Tangerang, Trenggalek East Java, and Bima Nusa Tenggara Indonesia, the study constructs three impact indicators: the welfare index, financial inclusion index, and social and spiritual index. The data are analyzed using the difference-in-difference (DiD) method, where the three impact indices are compared between the two groups of respondents in 2021 and 2022. We find that the CWLS empowerment programs improve the welfare and financial inclusion of beneficiaries but have no discernible effect on social and spiritual participation. However, the DID analysis reveals that the overall impacts of welfare, financial inclusion, and social and spiritual participation are not statistically different between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in 2021 and 2022. This study provides significant implications for policymakers and nadzir to enhance the impacts of CWLS on socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation.

Income taxation and labour response. Empirical evidence from a DID analysis of an income tax treatment in Italy

Income taxation and labour response. Empirical evidence from a DID analysis of an income tax treatment in Italy

코로나19가 가구의 경제적 수준에 미치는 영향

Considering that Covid-19 has influenced economics negatively, this study aims to examine the extent to which Covid-19 affect household’s economic conditions. For the research question, this study used 14 to 17 waves of the Korea Welfare Panel Study(KoWePS). The household’s economic conditions include disposable income, real assets, total assets, and total debts. The DID analysis was utilized for the statistical analyses. Key findings are summarized as follows: Covid-19 has negative impacts on real assets, total assets, and total debts, in particular for the disadvantaged populations. Based on the study findings, this study concludes with several policy implications.

Supply Chain Interconnectedness in Times of Crises: A Gravity Model with DiD Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Central and Eastern European Trade

This paper explores the impact of COVID-19-induced disruptions on supply chains, specifically focusing on the interconnectedness of supply chains and the transmission effects they cause. The gravity model framework, together with difference-in-differences analysis, is employed to analyze monthly trade patterns among Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, Western European countries, and other trading partner countries. The model presented accounts for the country’s roles in global value chains (GVCs) by incorporating data related to exports, imports of intermediate and capital goods, and imports of final consumption goods. CEE countries have demonstrated a certain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, they were not immune to adverse consequences due to disrupted supply chains, primarily in the imports of intermediate and capital goods. We find that the countries that suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic the least demonstrated remarkable resilience against disrupted GVCs. The findings of our study enrich the literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for the CEE region, by providing a framework for understanding the pandemic’s impact on international trade. The results show that supply shock might be greater than demand shocks on production and trade dynamics. Furthermore, our results suggest that policymakers seek adaptability to changing supply and demand patterns, while enterprises should consider broader diversification both within the region and locally.

Patients' and Care Professionals' Evaluation of the Effect of a Hospital Group on Integrated Care in Chinese Urban Health Systems: A Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-differences Regression Approach.

A hospital group is an organizational integration strategy that has recently been widely implemented in Chinese urban health systems to promote integrated care. This study aims to evaluate the effect of hospital group on integrated care from the perspectives of both patients and care professionals. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Shenzhen city of China, in June 2018 and July 2021. All thirty Community Health Stations (CHSs) in the hospital group were included in the intervention group, with 30 CHSs in the same district selected as the control group by simple random sampling. All care professionals within both the intervention and the control groups were invited to participate in the surveys. Twelve CHSs were selected from 30 CHSs in the intervention and the control groups by simple random sampling, and 20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were selected from each of these selected CHSs to participate in the survey by systematic sampling. The Rainbow Model of Integrated Care-Measurement Tool (Chinese version) was used to assess integrated care. Propensity score matching and difference-in-differences regression (PSM-DID) were used to evaluate the effect of the hospital group on integrated care. After matching, 528 patients and 1896 care professionals were included in the DID analysis. Results from care professionals indicated that the hospital group significantly increased technical competence of the health system by 0.771 points, and cultural competence by 1.423 points. Results from patients indicated that the hospital group significantly decreased organizational integration of the health system by 0.649 points. The results suggests that the effect of the hospital group on integrated care over and above routine strategies for integrated care is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to implementing professional, clinical and other integration strategies beyond establishing hospital groups, in urban Chinese health systems.

Impact evaluation of KOICA MNCH project in Jimma Ethiopia using a difference in differences analysis

Abstract Background The maternal mortality ratio in Ethiopia is 412, which is higher than its neighboring countries. To address this issue and improve the health of women of childbearing age, the Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) project was implemented in Jimma zone, Oromia, Ethiopia with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The objective of this study is to measure the impact of the project on maternal health in Jimma, Ethiopia. Methods The study employed DID analysis to measure the impact of the project on five key variables, including ANC 4, institutional delivery, satisfaction with MCH-related services, pregnancy-related knowledge, and delivery-related knowledge. A total of 789 participants were randomly selected for the baseline survey from both the intervention and control groups in 2017. The same groups were surveyed again one year later using the same study design for the endline survey. Results The study found that the trends in ANC4 and the level of satisfaction with the MCH service provided were similar in both the intervention and control groups. However, significant impacts were observed in terms of institutional delivery, pregnancy-related knowledge, and delivery-related knowledge. The odds ratio for institutional delivery was 2.83 (p &amp;lt; 0.01) for women in the intervention group compared to the control group. Similarly, the odds ratio for pregnancy-related knowledge was 0.67 (p &amp;lt; 0.01), and the odds ratio for delivery-related knowledge was 1.70 (p &amp;lt; 0.01) for women in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusions The study concludes that the KOICA MNCH project partially achieved its objective, as the intervention had a positive impact on institutional delivery and maternal knowledge levels. However, the insignificant impact on ANC4 and the level of satisfaction with MCH services suggest the need for further intervention to fully address maternal health issues in Ethiopia. Key messages • This study is significant because it has provided empirical evidence that maternal health projects implemented in the Jimma Zone of Ethiopia can positively impact various aspects of maternal health. • The results of this study can serve as a valuable reference for policymakers and healthcare professionals involved in designing and implementing maternal health interventions.

The female audit committee members expertise and experience: is there a trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management?

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of female AC representation (ACFEMALE) following the adoption of gender quota legislation on the trade-off between accrual-based (AEM) and real earnings management (REM), taking into consideration their demographic attributes. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 89 companies listed in the SBF 120 during the period 2012–2018 has been employed. The authors have obtained the explanatory variables using the principal component analysis method. To provide empirical evidence for the testable hypotheses, the authors have estimated a least squares regression. A differences-in-differences analysis has been estimated to analyze the impact of the gender quota law imposition. Findings The regression results indicate that companies with a higher proportion of ACFEMALE have more tendency to use REM rather than AEM. The authors further denote that the ACFEMALE expertise negatively affects AEM. Moreover, the authors find that the ACFEMALE experience helps reduce both AEM and REM. Results from the DID analysis exhibit that the ACFEMALE effect on the trade-off between REM and AEM occurs for the period that follows the implementation of the French gender quota law. Furthermore, the authors denote that the negative link between the ACFEMALE experience and AEM and REM dissipates for both the pre- and the postgender quota law adoption. Originality/value This study extends the prior existing research by examining, for the first time, the relationship between female directors’ appointments and the trade-off between accrual-based and REM. As well as, the research provides primary evidence on the channels through which female directors may affect the managerial preference regarding the earnings management techniques AEM or REM.

Does green finance and natural resources agglomeration have potential for green economic growth? Evidence from Asian perspective

This study examines how natural resources, carbon emissions, and foreign direct investment impact China’s long-term economic regeneration initiatives. Between 2001 and 2021, data from 286 cities were gathered, and DID analysis and other econometric methods were used to examine the data. The results indicate that although the cost of carbon emissions severely impacts China’s green economy, short-term growth is boosted by the expansion of natural resources and the development of financial markets. These findings support the hypothesis that the relationship between natural resources, economic development, and carbon emissions is linear. Policymakers should build a framework for policy based on these results that promote better and more effective use of natural resources for both financial and developmental growth. This may support long-term sustainability in China and green economic growth. Overall, this study provides insightful information on the connection between natural resources, carbon emissions, and economic development.

Share pledge and earnings persistence: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This paper studies the effect of share pledges on earnings persistence and the mechanism that explains the effect. We find that both the existence of share pledges and the percentages of pledged shares are negatively related to firms’ earnings persistence, and the results are robust to the DID analysis. Our results indicate that firms with share pledges are more likely to engage in upward earnings management, resulting in diminished earnings persistence. We further find that the negative effect of share pledges on earnings persistence is most significant among non-SOEs, followed by local government-controlled SOEs, and insignificant among central government-controlled SOEs. The effect is mitigated when firms are subject to better audit monitoring or have higher institutional ownership.

The environmental protection law and the zombie companies – evidence from a quasi-natural experimental method

ABSTRACT This paper takes the public companies as a sample during 2012–2017, using DID analysis to test the relationship between 2015 new ‘Environmental Protection Law’ and zombie companies. The results show that the promulgation of the new environmental protection law has significantly negative with zombie enterprises. The strengthening of environmental regulation has accelerated of transformation and upgrading by assets restructuring and promoted technological innovation, which inhibiting the formation of zombie enterprises. Furthermore, this paper found that the negative relationship between environmental law and zombie companies mainly concentrate in non-state-owned enterprises, small-scale enterprises and enterprises with high regional environmental law enforcement intensity. Moreover, the promulgation of the new environmental law has a significant positive effect on corporate value in the medium and long term. This paper enriches the research literature in the field of zombie enterprises and economic consequences of environmental regulation.

Poverty alleviation and firm productivity: Evidence from China's minimum wage system

The reduction of income inequality is important for poverty alleviation. We manually collect the data of the local minimum wage standard of the 254 prefectural cities of 31 provinces in China. The results show that higher minimum wage attributes to the rise of firm productivity. Minimum wage hikes force the enterprises to optimize internal production, reduce redundant employees, and develop innovations. Moreover, the enterprises with higher sensitivity in labor cost, less governmental support, and stronger financial pressures are more intensive to higher minimum wage. It is robust when choosing alternative measurements, an IV strategy, and a DID analysis. It is implicated that an appropriate minimum wage system plays a positive role in achieving balance between poverty alleviation and economic growth, and the improvement in compensation can stimulate high-quality development in practice.

‘Care for Environment, Care for Each Other’: Environmental Values and GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion) Institutionalization among Secondary Education Students in Kepulauan Riau Province, Indonesia

This study evaluates Kepulauan Riau-Indonesia's efforts to infuse international environmental norms into the curriculum of coastal schools, crucial due to their vulnerability to climate change. The study explores whether this integration not only heightens environmental awareness but also nurtures empathy among students, fostering care for their peers and society. A survey of 400 secondary education students in Kepulauan Riau was conducted, gauging attitudes toward environmental issues and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). The research aimed to assess the impact of the integrated curriculum on students' values and perceptions of others in the realm of environmental concerns. DiD analysis and ANCOVA revealed a significant link between the integrated curriculum and positive student values. Environmental education not only enhanced environmental awareness but also fostered empathy and care for peers and society. The integration of environmental education and GESI principles transformed students into socially responsible individuals, nurturing a sense of community. Educational institutions embracing environmental values play a transformative role. Schools integrating environmental education and GESI principles cultivate values transcending self-interest, fostering genuine empathy and care. This integration not only shapes environmentally conscious citizens but also nurtures a society characterized by compassion and solidarity, emphasizing the critical role of education in fostering social and environmental responsibility.

Regional integration policy, industrial chain and corporate total factor productivity: An econometric empirical analysis from China

This paper aims to investigate the impact, mechanism, and heterogeneity of regional integration policy (RIP) on firms’ total factor productivity (TFP). We take the integration of the Shenzhen-Dongguan-Huizhou policy (ISDHP) as the research object and conduct a multi-dimensional fixed-effect DID analysis based on China’s listed A-share firms’ data. The results show that RIP can significantly improve corporate TFP within the region, while it is more pronounced in the SOE group. After a series of robustness tests, the policy effects are summarized as robust. In addition, we use a set of industry chain indicators to identify the mechanism between RIP and corporate TFP from the industry chain perspective. We conclude that the ISDHP can improve corporate TFP by significantly improving the upstream degree of firms’ industrial chain. Further research shows that the impact of ISDHP policies can also improve corporate TFP by green innovating, innovating, and improving market competitiveness. Moreover, the state-owned listed firms have significant advantages in these mechanisms. In general, China’s ISDHP has achieved the expected effect in improving enterprises’ TFP. However, in the future, attention should be paid to the issues of “state tilt” and “private discrimination”.

Air Pollution Control and Public Health Risk Perception: Evidence from the Perspectives of Signal and Implementation Effects.

The main purposes of government environmental policy include improving the objective natural environment as well as reducing the health risk of the public. A majority of studies have tested the means of achieving the first goal. In this paper, we aimed to gather empirical evidence pertaining to the realization of the second goal by drawing on a quasi-natural experiment that was conducted based on the “Action Plan on Air Pollution Prevention and Control” issued in 2013 (AP2013). The research data came from the tracking data of 17,766 individuals from 112 prefecture-level cities of China in 2012 and 2014. Through ordinal logistic regression and DID analysis, a causal relationship between the AP2013 policy and public health risk perceptions was verified, indicating that this policy can significantly decrease public health risk perceptions. By constructing different subsamples, an inverted U-shaped relationship between the causal effect and the length of the policy implementation window was established, which demonstrated the short-term signal effect and long-term implementation effect of this policy. The conclusions can help with the communication and implementation of a government’s policy.

The Air Quality Impact Evaluation of Modular Construction Practices in Hong Kong and Singapore

As a new approach to construction practice, modular construction allows the building to be split into modular units and prefabricates them in factories, transports the units to the site, and assembles them into the whole construction through reliable connections. Whilst it is regarded to be the future direction in the development of the construction industry, Hong Kong and Singapore, amongst many other cities, both use modular constructions in public and private constructions. There have been many evaluations of the sustainability performance of a single construction using modular constructions, but the environmental impacts of implementing modular constructions on a city scale have been rarely explored. Few scholars have studied the impact of the application of this technology on the air quality on a small regional scale. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by comparing and analysing the modular construction policies in Hong Kong and Singapore and evaluating the impact of the policies on air quality in the two cities. By using OLS and DID analysis, we found that the air quality can be affected by modular construction, though the impact was found to be limited. The modular construction policies had a positive effect on sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in both cities, and a negative effect on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter &lt; 10 μm (PM10) emissions. Meanwhile, greenhouse gases (GHG) and ozone (O3) varied between the two.

Environmental Information Disclosure and Export Product Quality: Extension of Product Quality Heterogeneity Model and a DID Analysis on China's Industrial Data

Firstly, based on the product quality heterogeneity model, this paper analyzes the influence mechanism of environmental information disclosure on the quality of industrial export products. Secondly, using China's industrial data and HS-6 quantile product data in UN Comtrade database from 2005 to 2016, this paper constructs a generalized DID model to investigate the impact of environmental information disclosure on the quality of China's industrial export products. The results show that: environmental information disclosure significantly improves the quality of China's industrial export products. The promotion effect is greater in industries with low financing constraint, strong profitability, high labor intensity and high degree of government control. In addition, environmental information disclosure can improve the quality of export products by stimulating innovation and improving productivity, and reduce the quality of export products by increasing the production costs.