Distinct Economic Characteristics Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Capital Structure Dynamics: Evidence from GCC Economies

This study seeks to investigate the potential effects of the recent pandemic (COVID-19) on capital structure dynamics. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a fascinating topic for this study because of its distinct economic characteristics. The analysis draws upon a cross-country dataset covering 208 non-financial listed firms across five GCC countries, with data spanning the years 2010 to 2022. Capital structure is a dependent variable and is measured by total debt to equity, equity multiplier, and short-term debt ratios, while the COVID-19 pandemic, firm size growth, return on assets, tangibility, and growth were applied as independent variables. Using the generalized least squares (GLS) method, findings demonstrated that COVID-19 has a significant and positive influence on debt-to-equity and equity multiplier ratios but a negative one on short-term debt ratio. Thus, non-financial firms increased their debt financing and transferred debt from short-term to long-term funding. In addition, firm-specific factors, such as firm size, tangibility, and macroeconomic factors, such as GDP growth, positively and significantly impact capital financing. Conversely, profitability has a negative relationship with financial leverage. There is a lack of empirical research on how COVID-19 affects the financial structure of non-financial listed companies in GCC nations. Consequently, by filling the previously specified gaps, this study provides proof to support the idea of using debt financing to raise capital for economic recovery. GCC policymakers need to give priority to ensuring that firms have convenient access to inexpensive finance in light of the financial consequences caused by COVID-19. This will guarantee that companies have the resources necessary to bounce back and support economic growth.

Economic Effect of Globalization on Island of Mauritius: ARDL Bounds Testing Approach

This study analyzes the effect of economic globalization on Mauritius from 1981 to 2019 using the ARDL approach. Due to their distinct economic characteristics, isolated island economies react differently to globalization than other countries. Our study investigates whether Mauritius's global trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have an impact on the country's GDP growth. The findings suggest that in the short run, FDI inflows are an impetus for the growth of GDP, while in the long term, the opposite occurs. Likewise, the long-term relationship between global trade and GDP growth concluded with the same result. In the light of our findings, the Government of Mauritius needs to focus on encouraging global FDI using various economic administrative measures and taking initiatives for enhancing the country’s global trade.

Augustine Investments and Weapons Systems

ABSTRACT Augustine weapons systems are proposed as a new class of investment good. They have distinctive economic characteristics (technology intensive, high and rising unit costs, and declining volumes) leading to extensive changes in armed forces’ arsenals including the progressive replacement of military bulk with ever-smaller volumes of increasingly complex, capable, but also expensive weapons systems. While much has been written about their costs, there remain gaps in our understanding of their investment rationale and the modus operandi of their procurement. We distinguish between incremental and transformative Augustine weapons systems and discuss their investment rationale. We show that further understanding of Augustine weapons systems is obtained by using Lancaster’s model of product characteristics and the real investment options framework. Some civilian parallels are also discussed.

Making the Most of Platforms: A Policy Research Agenda

Digital platforms are proliferating in many countries and many sectors of the economy. Platforms create immense value, for their customers and also for their suppliers. Yet all too often they are seen only through the lens of the ‘disruption’ of incumbents, resulting in a narrow debate about whether platforms should be more heavily regulated. Yet the right questions are: what policy framework will ensure the immense benefits are encouraged and widely shared; what will help create new platforms, and sustain healthy competition and innovation; and how can unwelcome aspects of platform behaviour be avoided? This paper gives a broad overview of theory and evidence to date on digital platforms and aims to set out the issues that remain to be addressed by researchers, policymakers, and the platform businesses themselves. The distinctive economic characteristics of platforms, their global scope and their rapid evolution make for a rapidly-changing landscape in which traditional policy tools and business strategies do not apply, and there are many questions to be answered.

Strategic Interaction in the Dutch Market for Consumer Magazines

Information goods such as newspapers and magazines have a number of distinct economic characteristics such as a ‘high fixed cost – low marginal (variable) cost’ structure and the possibility to subsidize content through selling advertising space. We develop a simple one-shot duopoly model that analyses strategic interaction in a market with such features. We focus on the firms’ best responses and test the theoretical predictions of the model empirically by panel regression techniques using a balanced panel data set of 60 Dutch consumer magazines over the period 1991–1998. Our 3SLS estimation results confirm the prediction of our model that the Dutch market for consumer magazines is characterized by strategic complementarity between magazine and ad prices.

The Economics of Health

The Economics of Health is one of three monographs commissioned by the Ford Foundation and dealing with the economics of health, education, and welfare. It was written to interest and inform medical personnel, hospital administrators, and legislators, but particularly economists. Of the three areas mentioned, health economics is perhaps most neglected by economists despite the fact it currently presents challenging problems in financing, pricing, staffing, and organizing medical services. The distinctive economic characteristics of the health and medical care industry, the factors influencing these characteristics and their interrelationships, the present problems in the industry, and the difficulties and pitfalls of economic analysis are masterfully presented and without apparent bias. An extensive and diverse bibliography is appended. For a dabbler or neophyte in medical economics, this monograph provides a sound basic groundwork for further efforts. To a physician, it conveys a reasoned warning that any and all conclusions regarding need, demand,

The Distinctive Economic Characteristics of Health Services

The Distinctive Economic Characteristics of Health Services

The Distinctive Economic Characteristics of Health Services

The Distinctive Economic Characteristics of Health Services