Economic Perspective Research Articles

Comprehensive assessment of green hydrogen potential in Jordan: economic, environmental and social perspectives

Comprehensive assessment of green hydrogen potential in Jordan: economic, environmental and social perspectives

Quality of accounting graduates and employers’ expectationsin Ghana

Purpose This paper aims to examine the skills expected by employers and the skills demonstrated by accounting graduates with data from 160 employers of accounting graduates in Ghana. From the perspective of employers, the authors compare the expected skills to the skills demonstrated by accounting graduates and identify any significant gaps. Design/methodology/approach One-way analysis of variance, T-tests and factor analysis are used to test significant gaps that exist between expected and demonstrated skills by employers and accounting graduates using survey questionnaires and purposive sampling. Findings The results reveal that there are significant gaps between the expected skills of employers and the demonstrated skills of accounting graduates. The authors find generic skills to be more expected by employers, while technical skills are demonstrated most by accounting graduates. The top five skills expected by employers are: business ethics and integrity; problem solving and decision analysis; written communication skills; learning skills; and application of accounting principles. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on organizations that use fresh accounting graduates in Ghana. Further studies may consider other business-related fields like finance, human resource management and marketing. Practical implications The study provides insights on standards that serve as benchmarks for the conduct of accounting graduates as well as the development of accounting curriculum in Ghana. Accounting education should incorporate work-integrated learning as part of their curriculum to enable accounting graduates to solve problems and make decisions through a practical application of accounting principles, standards and concepts, especially in conducting audit and writing reports. Originality/value This study fills the gap in the literature on accounting education from employers’ perspectives in a developing country. It conducts a comparative analysis between the most important skills required by employers and the ones demonstrated by accounting graduates to provide insights on standards that should serve as benchmarks for the development of the accounting curriculum from an emerging economy perspective.

An Economic Analysis of Adverse Possession Statutes -- The Case of China and Germany

Adverse possession, a doctrine whereby a possessor of land who is not the true owner acquires title to the land without the consent or compensation of the "true" owner, while simultaneously appearing to be a trespasser's possession of the land adverse to the owner's interests from an economic perspective. This paper explores the economic implications of adverse possession statutes, focusing on China and Germany. It provides an overview of adverse possession, comparing relevant national laws, particularly those of Germany. Despite its economic efficiency, China has not established an adverse possession system. The analysis examines the current legislative status in China and explores inherent reasons for its absence. Evaluating the necessity for China to adopt such a system, potential problems are identified, including issues related to homeless individuals seizing property and challenges in replacing existing systems. However, the study highlights the economic benefits, such as enhancing transaction certainty reducing costs, and preventing errors through adverse possession.

Economic modelling and optimisation of SPRT-based quality control schemes for individual observations

In many industrial processes, it may not be practical to obtain sample sizes larger than one due to various reasons. As a result, practitioners must rely on control charts based on individual observations for statistical process monitoring and control. The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) chart is an appropriate solution for such situations. Existing literature predominantly delves into the statistical aspects of designing or optimising an SPRT chart, neglecting the economic and associated design aspects. However, past experience suggests that statistical design may not always be optimal from an economic perspective. This paper aims to bridge this research gap by proposing a two-stage Markov chain approach to develop an economic model for the optimal design of the SPRT chart with individual observations. Following the principles of economic-statistical designs, optimal parameters are determined by solving a mixed-integer non-linear programming problem that minimises the long-run cost per item while ensuring compliance with practical constraints. Through an extensive study, we find that the economic performance of the SPRT chart surpasses that of competing individual control charts in many cases. This indicates that the economic-statistical design of the SPRT chart can yield significant economic benefits while maintaining desirable statistical properties. Moreover, enhancements have been introduced to refine the optimal design of the SPRT chart, retaining excellent overall performance across a wide range of shifts. Finally, we provide two industrial examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed SPRT chart.

The role of direct air carbon capture in decarbonising aviation

Aviation is the most energy and carbon intensive mode of transport and the most difficult to decarbonise. Greenhouse gas emissions from aviation comprise around 2 % of global totals. The low energy density of current battery technologies presents significant technical challenges for use in the aviation sector. This study compares two use cases of direct air carbon capture to decarbonise aviation, from an economic and environmental perspective. The first is where continued use of fossil jet fuel is offset by capturing and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. The second is where CO2 captured from the atmosphere is used as a feedstock, in conjunction with hydrogen from electrolysis, to produce a synthetic jet fuel. Depending on input parameters such as electricity cost and plant capacity factor, the levelised cost of carbon capture and storage falls between €160/tCO2 to over €1300/tCO2, while the cost of synthetic fuel production falls between €2/kg of fuel and €12/kg of fuel. Due to the high electricity inputs for hydrogen production, the use of direct air capture to produce a synthetic jet fuel results in 9.8 times more greenhouse gas emissions than sequestering it for a given electricity emissions intensity. The results presented in this study indicate that offsetting continued fossil jet fuel use using direct air capture has the lowest cost of abatement but there are overall sustainability concerns surrounding this pathway. Furthermore, the estimated cost increases associated with decarbonisation may indicate that the age of low-cost flying will not persist in a net-zero future.

Operation scheduling method in an off-grid considering frequency violation probability caused by short-term variation

The use of renewable energy (RE) resources in off-grid applications is a promising solution from both the economic and environmental perspectives. However, the employment of RE generation should consider the uncertainty in their generation output; in particular, short-term variations in generation output result in serious frequency violations. The development of the off-grid planning, operation, and scheduling considering frequency variation is significant. This study proposes a probabilistic model for the frequency variation caused by load variation, which includes the dynamics of rotating generators and frequency-supporting smart inverters. The proposed method calculates the maximum frequency deviation by transforming the block, considering the output limit of the governor and smart inverters. This calculation is fast because it does not require time-sequential simulation. The effectiveness of the proposed method for off-grid operational scheduling problems was demonstrated through numerical studies. The results show that the proposed method can evaluate the same results as time series simulations 1500 times faster. Additionally, frequency deviations caused by short-term variations can be avoided, and battery capacity for zero frequency deviation is estimated with a 5% error. These results have the potential to contribute significantly to the operation of the grid with a large portion of RE resources.

Social Media Tourism Marketing Optimization: Improving Promotion Effectiveness and Broadening the Consumer Base

This research investigates the price-based strategy of social media in tourism marketing, specifically in China. The study involves both primary and secondary methodology research, represented in qualitative format. The primary research evidence is collected from Chinese travelers and relevant people in the travel industry by using online questionnaires and interviews since it is a more efficient way to receive more responses within less amount of time. On the other hand, secondary evidence is collected from various online sources, including relevant and credible articles, news reports, and academic essays. According to the secondary evidence, the key areas considered in the pricing-based Marketing Landscape for the Travel industry on social media are the challenges, stakeholders perceptions, pricing-based strategies, and the impact of social media marketing. By evaluating the evidence and data, the research concludes that from both social and economic perspectives, social media marketing has a more significant positive impact than a negative one on the views of companies and customers, which benefit both firms and consumers in terms of the ability to provide better product quality. This research further shows that the tourism industry needs to adopt a pricing strategy tailored to firms specific cases in order to achieve more effective marketing and operation efficiency with long-term development.

Evaluating video and hybrid group consultations in general practice: mixed-methods, participatory study protocol (TOGETHER 2)

Background General practice is facing an unprecedented challenge in managing the consequences of the pandemic. In the midst of a policy drive to balance remote and in-person service provision, substantial workload pressures remain, together with increasing prevalence of long-term conditions, and declining staff numbers and morale. To address these challenges, some practices in the UK have been delivering video and hybrid group consultations (VHGCs). Despite positive initial findings and enthusiasm, there are still gaps in our understanding of the influence VHGCs have on patient experience, healthcare utilisation, quality, safety, equity and affordability. Objectives To generate an in-depth understanding of VHGCs for chronic conditions in general practice, surface assumptions and sociotechnical dynamics, inform practice and extend theorisation. Methods Mixed-methods, multi-site research study using co-design and participatory methods, from qualitative, quantitative and cost-related perspectives. WP1 includes a national, cross-sectional survey on VHGC provision across the UK. In WP2 we will engage patients and general practice staff in co-design workshops to develop VHGC models with emphasis on digital inclusion and equity. In WP3 we will carry out a mixed-methods process evaluation in up to 10 GP practices across England (5 sites already running VHGCs and 5 comparison sites). Qualitative methods will include interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observation to examine the experiences of patients, carers, clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, commissioners and policy-makers. Quantitative methods will examine the impact of VHGCs on healthcare utilisation in primary and secondary care, patient satisfaction, engagement and activation. We will also assess value for money of group and individual care models from a health economics perspective. Conclusions We aim to develop transferable learning on sociotechnical change in healthcare delivery, using VHGCs as an exemplar of technology-supported innovation. Findings will also inform the design of a future study.

How institutions are related to agriculture? Systematic literature review

In this paper, the author reviews the literature on institutions and their relations with agricultural economics. The aims of the article are to clarify the definition of an institution, indicate its relevance from the perspective of agricultural economics and propose a method of institution classification. Using the PRISMA method, 35 articles were selected out of 238 articles from the Web of Science database that met the established requirements (i.e. they were simultaneously related to institutions, economic performance and the agricultural sector). Based on the identified articles as well as the preliminary literature review it can be concluded that there is a lack of research that precisely defines institutions and examines the historical context at the same time. There are not many papers in which authors assess relations between institutions.

Variables affecting new drug prices in South Korea’s pricing system

Objective: The price of pharmaceuticals is important from the economic and industrial perspectives but as well as patients’ access to treatment. This study aimed to analyze the variables affecting the prices of new drugs in South Korea’s pricing system.Methods: Data on 192 new drugs listed in South Korea from 2012 to 2022 were collected from the official website of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The independent variables included drugs for severe diseases, alternatives, number of patients, number of advanced 7 countries listed, budget impact, and listing period. The dependent variables included annual treatment cost and the price ratio to the advanced 7 country’s average adjusted price. Descriptive statistics of variables, linear correlations between quantitative independent and dependent variables, and associations between independent and dependent variables were analyzed.Results: The mean annual treatment cost and price ratio to the advanced 7 country’s average adjusted price were higher for drugs for severe diseases and those with no alternatives. Annual treatment cost and price ratio to the advanced 7 country’s average adjusted price were negatively correlated with the number of patients and positively correlated with the number of advanced 7 countries listed. Annual treatment cost was affected by the variables drugs for severe diseases, alternatives, number of patients, number of advanced 7 countries listed, and budget impact. The price ratio to the advanced 7 country’s average adjusted price was affected by drugs for severe diseases, alternatives, and the number of patients.Conclusion: This study revealed the effect of different variables on the prices of new drugs in South Korea, allowing for the development of a more effective assessment system to evaluate the prices of new drugs while ensuring profitability for pharmaceutical companies, sustainability of public insurance, and accessibility to drugs by patients.

Trading-off or trading-in? A critical political economy perspective of green growth’s policy framing

ABSTRACT The trade-off policy framing has been a central feature of green growth since the 1980s, employed to frame the countervailing spheres of social, environmental, and economic policies purported to ensure the sustainable development of the global economy. This article argues that so central has this framing become that IPE scholars have tended to focus on different types of ‘greenable’ growth observable within capitalism, rather than question the prospect of greening growth itself. Far from value-free, the trade-off framing is ultimately determined by the structural imperative for economic growth, veiling the disciplines anthropocentric ontology in a normative or objective guise. To account for the tacit prioritization, the trade-in policy framing – the compromising of environmental objectives to accommodate the growth imperative – is advanced as an alternative framing. The trading-in of environmental policies is legitimized through political-industrial narratives, of which three, the (i) consequential, (ii) allay, and (iii) finance are outlined in this analysis.

‘Left Behind’ neighbourhoods in England: Where they are and why they matter

AbstractThe term ‘left behind’ has come to connote political disaffection, alongside social and spatial inequalities in wealth and opportunity. Yet the term is also widely contested, often prioritising a regional and economic perspective at the expense of a more local and nuanced approach. In response, we argue that neighbourhood context is integral to understanding and identifying ‘left behind’ places. Building a neighbourhood classification of ‘left behindness’ for England, we evaluate the extent to which the neighbourhood trajectory contributes to our understanding of a range of multidimensional individual‐level outcomes. Our findings reveal a geography of neighbourhoods that are systematically disadvantaged over time, concentrated in major urban conurbations, and post‐industrial and coastal towns. The magnitude and impact is highlighted through poorer economic, health, social and political outcomes for those living in ‘left behind’ areas.

The economic argument for hepatitis B treatment simplification and expansion.

One component of decisions regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatment simplification and expansion is the economic perspective. Literature was reviewed for studies which provide estimates for the economic impact of simplifying and expanding treatment eligibility. Eight published studies and four unpublished studies were included and all but one subset of one study found that expanding treatment criteria would result in programs that would be at minimum cost-effective and most often highly cost-effective.

Hierarchical dynamic estimation of fire service accessibility based on POI big data

Failure to obtain timely fire services will lead to thermal runaway phenomenon, which will seriously threaten the lives of people and property safety. In this study, a dynamic method was proposed to estimate fire service accessibility based on real-time traffic. To validate the method, a total of 110,055 POls extracted from online maps and existing 12 fire stations in Yiyang were used as fire service demand points and supply points. Travel times of fire trucks from supply points to demand points were calculated based on real-time traffic, and a total of 550,275 valid samples were obtained. The results showed that the ≥10 min fire service coverage rate in Yiyang is only 71.60 %. Based on the distribution area of demand points ≥10 min, the locations of three optimization solutions of new fire stations are proposed. By calculating the total average time (TAT) of the three optimization solutions of proposed new fire stations, it is concluded that TAT decreases by 743.99 s, 99.72 s, 92.59 s, respectively. From perspectives of safety and economy, the construction of the 10 fire stations of optimized solution I will effectively improve the regional fire service level.

Developments and implications of tourism information technology: a horizon 2050 paper

Purpose This study aims to provide an overview of the development of tourism information technology from a macro perspective of the chronological lineage of tourism and information technology from its origins to the present. This study also explores the progression of tourism information technology, its implications and its future directions based on a macro environmental analysis framework comprising political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal perspectives. Design/methodology/approach This study serves as a valuable connection between theoretical knowledge and practical application, combining the experiences of academic researchers and industry practitioners to thoroughly examine the progress and developments in tourism information technology. This research also identifies critical points in the domain to provide a unified and comprehensive explanation that aligns with the current research findings. Findings This research reveals the continuous timeline of tourism and information technology development. It discusses the origins, progress and interactions of tourism and information technology, revealing the structural political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal drivers of tourism information technology. This paper also presents suggestions for future agendas on the basis of a compendium and outlook of influences and implications for the domain. Originality/value Findings of this study set the foundation for a comprehensive analysis of the transformative influence of information technology on tourism and provide a contextual framework and insightful future agenda guide for subsequent academic and industry exploration and analysis of tourism information technology.

Research on optimal configuration of natural gas electric hybrid energy system

Natural gas resources are crucial for the development of the international community, which has the advantages of energy conservation, economy, and environmental protection. By optimizing the allocation of natural gas energy storage resources, the negative impact of randomness and volatility on the energy system can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, this article proposes a research on optimal configuration of natural gas electric hybrid energy system. Using the investment payback period as the economic evaluation indicator, analyze the influencing factors of the economic performance of the natural gas electricity hybrid energy system from a technical and economic perspective. By using historical data of actual natural gas electricity hybrid energy systems for example calculation and analysis, the configuration method under the proposed strategy was verified to meet the multi time scale requirements of the system while considering equipment characteristics, effectively improving system economy. l gas electric hybrid energy system

Invasiveness, privacy concerns and mobile banking services technology adoption by millennials: Emerging economy perspective

Purpose: This study was conceptualised to investigate the relationships of invasiveness, privacy concerns, perceived usefulness and the adoption of mobile marketing technology by millennial banking customers in an emerging market economy.Design/methodology/approach: This was a quantitative study that targeted millennial banking service customers from an emerging market environment. The non-probability sampling approach was used, and the data were collected via a survey questionnaire. For data analysis, SPSS and SmartPLS Structural equation modeling were used.Findings/results: The results confirmed a direct relationship between privacy, invasiveness and usefulness perception. It also confirmed a direct relationship between perceived usefulness and the intention to accept mobile-marketed banking services. In addition, the results also showed that in addition to the direct impact of perceived usefulness on intention to adopt mobile marketing usage for banking services, it acts as a mediator variable.Practical implications: Academics can pursue a qualitative study to unpack the reasons for sensitivity around banking technology in emerging markets. The study should lead to better understanding of both the investigated market and others like it. Organisations will gain valuable insight for informed investment in such markets.Originality/value: The article is the first empirical investigation into the adoption of mobile-marketed banking services by millennials in a developing economy context. The study adds a valuable component to academic debates by using two independent theories to gain a holistic view of the performance of advanced technology in banking business. The study adds to the literature by also proving the mediation role of perceived technology usefulness in banking.

Climate Policy in Global and Local Aspects

A review article summarising the current state of knowledge and suggesting directions for further research. It is part of a wider review aimed at assessing the effectiveness of climate change policies. The main difficulties considered in the article include the problems of environmental management and strategies for building resilience to climate change induced stress. The issues analysed in the article concern selected problems in the implementation of climate policy at global, regional and local levels. It was found that, under certain conditions, the effects of the measures taken can be counterproductive. The effectiveness and rationality of climate policy was also analysed from an economic perspective. The aim of the article was achieved on the basis of a review of domestic and foreign literature and documents on the subject, as well as a comparative analysis. The study covered selected issues that, in the author's opinion, should be taken into account when adapting the climate policy formulated at world summits to local conditions. This adaptation should include not only solutions but also targets. In conclusion, the author points out that the evaluation of the effectiveness of climate policy should be carried out at the local level and should include social and economic issues in addition to environmental ones, and should be accompanied by a balance of losses and benefits.

Youth employment amid successive crises and the low-carbon transition: The case of Εurozone coal regions

Over the last decade, the EU has entered a phase of transition to a low-carbon economy, which has led to a decline in the competitiveness of coal. Despite efforts to restructure their energy sectors, coal regions continue to struggle with the lingering effects of the 2008/09 Global Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, which affect their economies and decarbonisation trajectories. In this context, the paper examines the role of youth in the local labour regimes (LLRs) of Eurozone coal regions. Drawing on perspectives of Geographical Political Economy and Political Ecology, the transition from coal to renewable energy is conceptualised as a new socio-ecological fix, reflecting capitalist mechanisms seeking novel avenues for profiting while maintaining established power asymmetries and inequalities. The study employs a mixed methods approach to examine the exacerbated structural challenges faced by youth. Firstly, by analysing secondary macroeconomic, (youth) employment and demographic data, key differences between the LLRs of the coal regions of six Eurozone countries are highlighted. Secondly, a qualitative analysis of Western Macedonia in Greece, one of the most lagging coal regions, is carried out. The analysis is based on primary data collected in focus groups and interviews with key informants, energy workers and locals in the period 2021-2022. Findings suggest that uneven development, labour flexibilisation, and lack of economic diversification hinder the entry of young people into the labour market and contribute to their out-migration from coal regions, thus the latters' role in shaping the changing energy landscape remains marginal.

Institutional effects on family business internationalization: a systematic review

Abstract Family firms play a vital role in the global business landscape, significantly impacting their home countries GDP. These firms diverge from non-family counterparts in their internationalization strategies, yet they stand to gain substantial benefits from international expansion. Beyond economic considerations, family resources and values introduce non-economic factors that challenge traditional economic theories. This study leverages an institutional approach to illuminate the multifaceted influences shaping family firms’ internationalization, encompassing positive and adverse dynamics. The integration of institutional theory marks a recent shift in understanding family firm internationalization, encompassing institutional and economic geography perspectives. To foster discourse and guide future research, this paper systematically reviews peer-reviewed articles covering over a decade, from 2010 to 2023. It identifies formal and informal institutional elements, alongside economic geography factors, that either facilitate or impede family firms’ internationalization. This review underscores existing knowledge gaps at the nexus of institutional theory, economic geography, internationalization, and family business studies. Notably, the systematic literature review uncovered a limited corpus of only 41 articles, indicating the need for more research exploring the synergy between economic geography and institutional factors in the context of diverse internationalization strategies. Furthermore, the review highlights the underexplored terrain within social institutions and economic geography, revealing a notable gap in the extant research.