Transition Economies Research Articles

Fiscal decentralization, leader localization, and reduction of pollution and carbon emissions —empirical evidence from China's fiscal “province-managing-county” reform

The fiscal system plays an important role in the government's environmental governance efforts. There is currently no consensus on how fiscal structure adjustments impact pollution and carbon reduction. This paper uses China's fiscal “province-managing-county” reform (FPMCR) implemented in 2004 as a quasi-natural experiment, utilizing panel data from 1670 counties in China from 2000 to 2020 to investigate the impact of fiscal decentralization on reduction pollution and carbon emissions (RPCE), as well as its underlying mechanisms. The results show that (1) from 2000 to 2020, China's RPCE shows an overall trend of fluctuating increase, with its value turning positive after 2013. China's RPCE exhibits a spatial pattern characterized by “lower in the north, higher in the south; higher in the east, lower in the west”. (2) After implementing FPMCR, the RPCE levels in reformed counties decreased by −1.44%, showing that reformed county-level governments prioritize economic development over environmental protection. (3) The mechanism analysis found that after implementing FPMCR, reformed counties experienced a 9.16% increase in nighttime light intensity (NLI), and a 3.99% and 4.34% increase in the number of large-scale industrial enterprises (NLIE) and industrial agglomeration (IA), respectively. This suggests that FPMCR leads to radical urbanization and rapid industrialization in counties, which is detrimental to the improvement of RPCE levels. (4) The spatial heterogeneity analysis found that FPMCR's impact coefficient on RPCE levels in the eastern regions is −1.96%, while in the western regions it is −1.16%. This indicates that reformed counties in the eastern regions are more likely to invest expanded fiscal resources in economic development projects, leading to a decrease in RPCE levels. (5) The temporal heterogeneity analysis found that after the promulgation of the “Three-Year Action Plan to Win the Blue Sky Defense Battle” in 2018, the adverse impact of FPMCR on RPCE is completely reversed, leading to a 1.76% increase in RPCE levels. (6) Further analysis reveals that localizing leaders can slow down the promotion of county-level urbanization and industrialization by the FPMCR, benefiting the improvement of RPCE levels. In other words, “the outsider monk will not recite scriptures as well as a local one”. This study has clarified the causal relationship and underlying mechanisms between fiscal decentralization and environmental governance, providing reliable theoretical support for optimizing grassroots fiscal systems and reducing environmental pollution in other transitional economies. It enriches the field of environmental economics related to fiscal decentralization.

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Multi-Energy Optimization: Promoting Green Transition of Rural Energy Planning and Sustainable Energy Economy

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Multi-Energy Optimization: Promoting Green Transition of Rural Energy Planning and Sustainable Energy Economy

Food ethnobotany of forest resource in the high-altitude Himalaya Mountains: Enhancing the food sovereignty of ethnic groups

The vital knowledge of traditional foraging techniques used in indigenous peoples' cuisines may be preserved through gastronomical field studies before it is lost forever. Certain plants are appreciated for their gastronomic, social, economic and ecological importance in the High Himalaya because they play such a significant role in the daily life of the local indigenous populations. To determine the plant cultural indicators for each ethnic group, the data were analyzed using an indicator species analysis. Semi-structured interviews of 167 participants, focus group discussion, and field observations were used to gather information from February 2019 to August 2022 for a comprehensive and systematic gastronomical survey. Across four ethnic groups, a total of (N = 99) wild edible plant species and (N = 9) fungi species from 38 families were documented. Tender leaves were the most commonly used, while tubers were the least commonly used. The majority of the species reported were used as vegetables, followed by species used as fruits and herbal tea. For the first time, we examined cross-cultural similarity and dissimilarity for gastronomic usage: vegetables and savoring plants,fruits, and herbal tea across the cultures studied from the perspective of food ethnobotany. We discovered a clear difference in how different cultures used forest resources, with Gujjar and Pahari showing the most species similarity. This is because these ethic groups are culturally linked with one another and share a common social structure, geography, and language. We calculated plant cultural markers for each species, and 19 of them had significant p-values among the four ethnic groups. The findings revealed a positive relationship between the Gujjar and Pahari ethnic groups and the gastronomical indicator values, while the Kashmiri ethnic group had a negative relationship. The Kashmiri ethnic group experienced the loss of traditional knowledge because of the economic transition that caused people to prefer purchasing vegetables from the market rather than foraging for them in the wild. Traditional knowledge was also dwindling between the Gujjar and Pahari ethnic groups because of social changes brought on by developmental activities that changed their way of life. The identified plant cultural markers were significant to local residents and frequently had adaptations to extremely harsh climatic and environmental conditions. Our finding that 47% of species had market value suggests that these species have a sizable market demand and a promising economic value. They have the potential to boost food security, local community sovereignty, and people's living standards. Food production systems may become more resilient and sustainable by incorporating these indicator species into conventional agriculture. The current study raises awareness about forest resources and enables ethnic groups to live in a natural environment without food scarcity.

The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on High-Quality Economic Development: A Research Study

As China's economy transitions from high-speed growth to high-quality development, digital inclusive finance emerges as a dynamic and pivotal sector within the country's financial system. This domain plays a crucial role in addressing the shortcomings of traditional financial services, enhancing the efficiency of financial services, promoting consumption, and driving economic growth. As the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 epidemic gradually stabilizes, the impact of the epidemic on the economic development of various countries is gradually reduced, and the development of the global economy gradually returns to normal, China's economic development is facing new opportunities and challenge. Given the current challenges in China's economic environment, China has made new adjustments and begun to promote high-quality economic development on the premise of significantly improving quality and efficiency. Therefore, in the current stage of China’s economic development, it is imperative to investigate whether digital inclusive finance can indeed foster high-quality economic development. This paper begins by reviewing literature relevant to digital inclusive finance and high-quality economic development. Subsequently, utilizing panel data from 2011 to 2020 across 30 provinces, a bidirectional fixed-effects model is employed to validate the positive impact of digital inclusive finance on high-quality economic development. The study further explores whether digital inclusive finance exhibits positive effects on high-quality economic development in different regions. Finally, based on the research findings, the paper concludes with several policy recommendations for optimizing the role of digital finance in promoting regional economic growth.

Physical growth and body weight index of children of Darhan-Uul province

The aim of the study is to examine the progress of physical growth and body mass index of children in Darkhan-Uul province relevant socio-economic factors , and the phenomenon of early acceleration. The findings of our research present that children living in apartments, which provide comfortable living condition and environment, are more advanced than their peers who lived in the ger district in their middle and last stages of growth. Social and economic factors, such as housing conditions and the number of family members had feasible impacts on the physical growth. Since the economic transition of the 1990s, the increase in the main indicators of the physical growth and development shows the acceleration phenomenon among the children in Darkhan-Uul province.

Adaptation of Life Cycle Costing Practices to Financial Performance Analysis in Transitional Economies: The Experience of Russian Manufacturing Firms

Adaptation of Life Cycle Costing Practices to Financial Performance Analysis in Transitional Economies: The Experience of Russian Manufacturing Firms

“Oh Yes! Net-Zero”: Sociotechnical capabilities and regional innovation systems for British industrial decarbonization

Few sectors in the global economy need deep decarbonization as much as heavy industry, which is currently the largest and fastest growing source of global carbon emissions. Based on an original dataset of 111 expert interviews and 52 site visits, this paper asks: what sociotechnical pathways, capabilities, and regional innovation systems are emerging to support industrial decarbonization? It combines and applies insights from evolutionary economic geography and transitions studies, such as sociotechnical capabilities and learning, as well as spatial frameworks such as challenge-oriented regional innovation systems (CoRIS) and green industrial restructuring. It utilizes these collective concepts of pathways, capabilities and CoRIS to explore the organizational and technological, individual, and systems level dimensions of industrial decarbonization efforts ongoing across Great Britain. We find that within industrial net-zero clusters, spatial and technological proximities are being effectively leveraged, especially through new forms of networking, collaboration, and partnerships. CoRIS provides the basis for greater reflection on perennial transitions issues, both within and across clusters, related to incumbency and innovation, in addition to spotlighting emergent issues such as light versus deep green restructuring and incremental versus transformative change. In simpler terms, industrial decarbonization unfolds as a multi-scalar process. Industrial decarbonization exhibits both incremental and transformative patterns of change. Industrial decarbonization lastly involves dynamic processes that coevolve across a spectrum of sociotechnical attributes.

Shark Fin City: transitional marine wildlife economies in Global Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Hong Kong has historically been the epicenter of the global shark fin trade. Despite this legacy, recent public outreach campaigns highlighting the effects of consumption on marine ecosystems have precipitated shifts in the market. Fish maw and sea cucumber have emerged as substitutes in wildlife markets, marking an understudied phenomenon from urban geographical perspectives. This article investigates the transitional nature of social value systems underpinning Hong Kong's marine wildlife market through interviews with retailers, conservation organizations, and government officials, as well as visual surveys of market displays. Hong Kong's marine wildlife market, this article contends, brings into sharp relief how transitions in social value systems that substitute one type of non-fungible wildlife commodity for others can amplify biodiversity loss and reproduce expressions of social difference in urban space. The article illuminates how social value systems embedded in urban wildlife markets are related to human health, aging, gifting, and relationship building. Furthermore, it analyzes how the possession, consumption, and display of high-value wildlife commodities in cities reflects classed and gendered forms of social difference. The article further examines the challenges of regulating the market and shaping public values and actions in the face of escalating global biodiversity loss.

Environmental regulation and environmental performance of enterprises: Quasi‐natural experiment of the new environmental protection law

AbstractWhether command‐control environmental regulation can play a positive role in circumstances of imperfect market incentive‐based environmental regulation remains rarely explored. Using the difference‐in‐difference model, we find that command‐control environmental regulation can significantly improve the environmental performance of heavily polluting firms. This result still holds after a sequence of robustness tests. The analysis of the economic mechanism indicates that the new environmental protection law mainly contributes positively to the environmental performance of high‐polluting firms by improving the quality of their environmental investments and pollution treatment disclosures, and by reducing the government subsidies they receive to improve the environmental performance of high‐polluting firms. Meanwhile, the new environmental protection law has a more pronounced impact on heavily polluting enterprises in the eastern region, with imperfect internal control, stronger environmental regulations, more distant political connections, greater pressure on regional GDP growth and weaker industry competition. This paper confirms the effectiveness of the new environmental law in improving environmental performance of heavily polluting enterprises in pursuit of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, and provides new evidence to test the weak Porter hypothesis in the context of transition economies.

Impact of Customer Relationship Management Dimensions on Customer Retention through Customer Satisfaction: A Customer Perspective of Balkan Transition Economies

One of the main challenges of service providers is the retaining of the acquired customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has proved to be an effective tool in reaching this objective. Many researchers tested the effect of CRM on customer retention (CR), but most of the studies were focused on developed economies and were analyzed from a business perspective. The literature review highlights the lack of studies that examine the impact of CRM on CR from a customer perspective and that are focused on transition economies, especially in Balkan developing countries. Considering this, our paper aims to develop a model that proves the impact of CRM on CR, focused on three Balkan countries (Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia). Data was collected using an electronic questionnaire from a sample that consists of 764 residents of the three above-mentioned Balkan countries, all customers of the services sector. The research model shows the impact of three CRM dimensions (key customer focus - KCF, technology-based CRM - TCRM, and CRM knowledge management – KM) on customer retention through customer satisfaction (CS). The model fit and research hypotheses were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Model. Findings show a positive impact of KCF, TCRM, and KM on CS, which as a result positively affects CR as well. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The comparative political economy of sustainability transitions: Varying obstacles, accelerants and power in national capitalisms

Sustainability Transition Research (STR) has increasingly recognised the importance of capitalism and the capitalist state in constraining and accelerating the adoption of low-carbon innovations, but has engaged far less with the distinctive forms of national capitalisms. This article highlights the relevant insights of comparative political economy (CPE) that provide a fuller comprehension of the capitalist diversity shaping contemporary sustainability transitions. Specifically, it calls for greater attention to be awarded to the idiosyncratic supply and demand dynamics relating to national growth models, interest coalitions and institutional coordination, and historically-constituted political tendencies of governance. Through these insights, it is argued, the complexities of instigating industrial decarbonisation though the effective application of low-carbon technologies and the geographic asymmetries of transition can be better understood. The importance of these insights is outlined theoretically and demonstrated empirically through an examination of the varying strategic and institutional dynamics characterising sustainability transitions in the contemporary global economy.

Transforming capital: The role of human capital structure in modulating environmental outcomes across economic transitions

Based on the perspective of new structural economics, this study builds a theoretical framework of human capital structure and environmental pollution. Human capital structure on pollution has different manifestations at different stages of development, the effect of pollution based on human capital structure follows the environmental Kuznets curve. Using multinational panel data (1990–2015) and provincial panel data for China (2004–2020), examined the dynamic relationship between human capital structure upgrading and pollution by introducing an interaction term between human capital and economic development level, applying random-effect, fixed-effect models, and a dynamic model test. The results support our theoretical analysis.

Abstract PO4-27-10: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Performance of Fluorescein Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early Breast Cancer

Abstract Background: Evaluation of axillary lymph nodes status in cN0 axilla is performed by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) utilizing a combination of radioactive isotope and blue dye. There is a paucity of radioactive tracer in many countries of transitional economies. Hence, alternatives to isotope have been explored, viz. indocyanine green (ICG), superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and Fluorescein Sodium (FS). This systematic review and meta-analysis, evaluates the diagnostic performance of Fluorescein Sodium guided SLNB. Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Fluorescein Sodium for sentinel lymph node biopsy in early breast cancer. Methods: PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed for this meta-analysis. Eligibility criteria: Studies where SLNB was performed using Fluorescein Sodium for breast carcinoma. Information sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library and online clinical trial registers Risk of bias: Articles were assessed for risk of bias using the QUADAS-2 tool. Synthesis of results: The main summary measures were pooled detection rate and pooled false negative rate using random effects model. In order to describe heterogeneity, we constructed summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves with 95% prediction regions, estimated using bivariate meta-analysis with a test level random effect only, and forest plots. Calculations were performed using the Meta-Disc v1.4 program (available from https://metadisc.software.informer.com/1.4/). Results: Out of 45 studies found on initial systematic search, 7 studies were found eligible and were included in the meta-analysis based on data on 332 patients. The pooled detection rate was 93.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 87% to 97%).). The heterogeneity (I2 value) of the pooled detection rate was 71%. Five validation studies were included for pooling the false negative rate (FNR) and included a total of 211 patients. The pooled FNR was 5.6% (95% CI; 2.9 to 9.07). Five validation studies were included for sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, LR+ and LR- meta-analysis. With regards to the identification of SLN the pooled sensitivity was 80% [(95% CI, 68% to 89%); I2=79.8]; specificity was 98% [(95% CI, 95% to 100%); I2=0.0]. The likelihood ratio for a positive test LR+ was 23.2 [(95% CI, 5.91 to 95.18); I2=0.0] and likelihood ratio for a negative test a LR- of 0.41 [(95% CI, 0.16 to 1.05); I2=88.1]. The diagnostic Odds ratio OR was 76.94 (95% CI, 15.88 to 372.79). Diagnostic accuracy as measured by SROC was 99.08%. Q index was 0.96. Publication bias for pooled detection rate as per Egger’s test was -2.2 (p= 0.66) and for FNR was 1.85 (p=0.29). Visual inspection of summary ROC curve and of forest plots did not show significant heterogeneity. Conclusion: Fluorescein guided SLNB is an affordable option for detection of lymph node metastases in cN0 patients with early breast cancer. It achieves a high detection rate of 93% with a false negative rate of 5.6% for the detection of axillary lymph node metastasis. We recommend larger multinational trials to confirm its high detection rate with low false negativity. Citation Format: Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Bharath S, Sarada Khadka, Dhananjaya Sharma, Chandan Kumar Jha, Gaurav Agarwal, Manju Singh, Anurag Srivastava, Amit Goyal. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Performance of Fluorescein Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-27-10.

The Economic Impact of Climbing in the Lander Area of Wyoming

The popular climbing destination of Lander, Wyoming receives nearly 37,000 climbing visits every year, with 78% of those visits coming from persons living outside of this area. Climbing tourism expenditures result in an estimated $4.5 million in visitor spending each year. Climber demographics indicate these visitors are well-educated with 98% choosing to stay overnight on their visits. The average visit also lasts nearly a week. Climbing tourism expenditures support $1.7 million in wages for local workers, highlighting an opportunity to increase regional tourism and its economic impact amid a rural, transitional economy.

Prussian blue analogue-derived Co-Ni5P4 porous nanosheet arrays composite coal-based carbon nanofibers as efficient self-supported electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

The development of economical, earth-rich, and high-performance transition metal phosphides electrocatalysts is crucial for water splitting. Herein, the NiCo PBA/Ni(OH)2 hierarchical nanostructure arrays are in situ grown on the coal-based carbon nanofibers (C-CNFs) using hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods. Subsequently, the Co-doped Ni5P4 porous nanosheet arrays composite coal-based carbon nanofibers electrocatalyst (Co-Ni5P4@C-CNFs) is obtained through low-temperature phosphorization process. Benefiting from cation-doped, porous nanosheet arrays structure and self-supported conductive substrates, the Co-Ni5P4@C-CNFs has excellent electrocatalytic performance for overall water splitting. It provides low overpotentials of 75 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 231 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, the Co-Ni5P4@C-CNFs demonstrates a low overall water splitting cell voltage of 1.537 V at current density of 10 mA cm−2 and remarkable long-term stability for over 160 h. It outperforms the most transition metal phosphide bifunctional electrocatalysts reported to date. This research provides a novel strategy for synthesizing high-performance transition metal phosphides bifunctional electrocatalysts.

Vietnam tourism at the crossroads of socialism and market economy

Purpose Vietnam has repositioned itself from a war-torn country to a popular tourist destination. Although research on Vietnam tourism has grown in number, a macro analysis of national tourism governance and policies has largely been missing. Design/methodology/approach This synthesis paper offers a systemic analysis of Vietnam’s tourism accommodating intensified government intervention and dramatic market changes in recent decades. The authors offer a chronological analysis of tourism development along with the major political and economic turns of the country. Findings The patterns of tourism development reflect a compromise between centralization and decentralization of the governance system and a trade-off between economic and social objectives of development. Balancing these opposites, the internal strength of the domestic market and the resilience of communities and businesses become key assets for growth in circumstances where the socialist market economy continues to inform the current and future development of the industry. Research limitations/implications Although the case of Vietnam is unique, the adaptive mechanism of the tourism industry highlighted in this paper offers a useful lesson for other developing countries. The research addresses tourism in the political economy in developing countries, which is valuable for researchers, policy analysts as well as practitioners in tourism. Practical implications The practical contribution of the study is derived from authors’ academic and industrial backgrounds. Findings from the study serve as a useful reference for those who embark on the study of tourism governance and policy-making in developing countries and problems associated with the economic transitional process. Those problems of the disparity between centralization and decentralization of the political system might not be only significant in Vietnam, but also prevail in developing countries. Thus, this study offers a point of departure for future empirical and comparative research on the kindship of tourism and political economy in a full scale. Social implications The transitional economy as viewed through the tourism industry is prominently presented in the “evolutionary” approach to the transitional economy, which exhibits several unique features: the transition from a centrally planned (command) economy to a market economy and the manifestations of a socialist orientation in the modern economic management system (Vuong et al., 2019). While data from this study is mainly illustrative of the first point, the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, the second characteristic, the manifestation of a social orientation has only slightly been addressed and will need further elaboration in a future study. While Vietnam’s tourism positions itself in a socialist market-oriented economy might set a unique case, the study highlights the politics of tourism is shaped by the politico-economic system. The authors conclude that the adaptation of Vietnam tourism to a socialist market-orientated economy is better perceived as a social evolution achievement rather than a feature of capitalism. Originality/value The latest study on tourism governance (Bui et al., 2022) has outlined the evolution of the tourism administrative system and markets in the country; however, linkages of tourism to the broader political economic system have yet to be addressed. Addressing this gap, the authors carry out analysis of policies and governance from the insider’s viewpoint, when team members have been involved in numerous tourism planning and development projects, both on international and national scales. The practical experience along with thorough review of literature and statistical data contributes to shaping a fresh understanding of tourism in a transitional economy.

Defining the directions for the impact of administrative management tools on the project management system

The object of this study is project management under the changing conditions of the modern economy. The way the top management of the company affects the implementation of projects in various sectors and branches of production is an issue related to business development in general. An increasing number of enterprises use project tools to adjust production processes. To this end, in particular, it is advisable to use administrative management tools against the background of its improvement at the level of the company's management. The logic of this study construction implies an emphasis on theoretical and experimental components. The theoretical foundations of the study include the identification of administrative management tools. The coverage of the experimental part is devoted to multifactorial regression analysis (the coefficient of determination is 0.715) of the influence of administrative management factors on the effectiveness of projects based on construction excavations. The interpretation of the research data confirms that the administrative management toolkit could be optimally used to establish high-quality project management. Based on the study of aspects of the relationship between administrative management and project management, the definition of administrative management and the project management system at modern enterprises is proposed. The study concluded that it is necessary to use those levers that are common in companies of industrialized countries of the world. Europe's experience will be useful in spreading the practice of project management in enterprises of countries with transition economies. The results of the research could be used at enterprises of various sectors of industry, agriculture, and the service domain, in particular at construction enterprises that were chosen as the object of research

The Relationship between Biodiversity, Circular Economy, and Institutional Investors in the Sustainable Transition: A Mixed Review

The Relationship between Biodiversity, Circular Economy, and Institutional Investors in the Sustainable Transition: A Mixed Review

Learning from the best: how regional knowledge stimulates circular economy transition at company level

Abstract This paper investigates whether, and what kind of, regional knowledge has a stimulating effect on circular economy (CE) innovation by companies. We thus add to the literature on regional knowledge spillovers, which has rarely focussed explicitly on the CE. For the empirical study, we create econometric regressions based on a representative dataset with extensive information on the CE activities of about 1400 Swiss firms. The results confirm that regional knowledge is important for the implementation of CE innovations. However, geographical distance and the quality of the knowledge must be taken into account, that is, companies primarily learn from the best.

SUPPORTING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY TRANSITION USING THE EMERGENT ROLE OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS

Supporting the circular economy transition using the emergent role of the Internet of Things. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 30(2), pp. 338-343.