Market Transition Research Articles

Long COVID: The evolution of household welfare in developing countries during the pandemic

This study examines household welfare dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic, using harmonized data from over 300 phone surveys in 80 countries during 2020 and 2021, representing more than 2.5 billion people. The analysis traces out the evolution of employment and income across and within countries as restrictions on economic activity were relaxed. We show some groups initially experiencing higher rates of employment loss – including women, informal workers, and those with less education – also recovered jobs at a slower pace. Based on panel regressions, changes in policy stringency were associated with unequal employment outcomes. Labor market transitions were toward jobs of inferior quality on average, especially for workers with less education. Household income dynamics suggest uneven impacts in the intensive margin of employment consistent with these transitions. Lower wages were not offset by additional social assistance. Taken together, these dynamics may amplify the inequality impacts of the pandemic over the medium to long term.

State of the art and future scenarios for bio-packaging market transition: evidence from Poland

PurposeThe purpose of this article is twofold. First, this study characterises the current state of the bio-packaging market's development. Second, it identifies key factors influencing and possible scenarios of the bio-packaging market transition to increase the market share of compostable packaging.Design/methodology/approachThe results of 29 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with representatives of the key groups of bio-packaging supply chains' (SCs') stakeholders were the input for the consideration of the research problem.FindingsThe main economic, legal, social and technological enablers and barriers to the bio-packaging regime transition are recognised, and their impact at the market level is explained. The authors recognised the hybrid transition scenario towards an increase in the market share of compostable packaging related to the three traditional pathways of transformation, reconfiguration and technological substitution.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a better understanding of the socio-technical system theory by examining interdependencies between landscape (external environment), market regime (bio-packaging market) and niche innovations (compostable packaging) as well as system transition pathways. The findings and conclusions on bio-packaging market developments can be important lessons learnt to be applied in different countries due to the same current development stage of the compostable packaging lifecycle worldwide.

Researching China’s Development and Globalization in an Era of US-China Tensions

The role that China is perceived to present for the global economy—much less global security—has changed remarkably since China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001. During the height of neoliberalism and third-wave democracies, China appeared more open to foreign capital than the developmental states of East Asia, which had restricted foreign direct investment (FDI) in favor of domestic industrialization during a comparable stage of economic development. Through the first 15 years of China’s WTO membership, many in academia and the policy world depicted a modernizing China undergoing market transition, in parallel to Eastern European countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Immigration and labour market flows

We document facts about the labour–market transition rates of immigrants and natives in France, Spain and the US, for the period between 2003 and 2018. We find large differences in how immigrants’ labour–market transitions compare to those of natives across the three countries. Native-immigrant gaps in transition rates are not equal across nationalities of immigrants within each county, and cannot be explained by compositional differences in terms of observable characteristics such as education, age, sector or occupation. Our results point to other factors, such as human capital transferability, discrimination, type of migration and language proficiency as being more important determinants of immigrants’ labour market performance. Despite the differences across the three countries, using a VAR model we find a common stylized fact: inflows of foreign workers have a weak and mostly non-significant effect on the job-finding and job-separation rates of natives.

A Psychometric Analysis of The Behaviour of Online FMCG Buyers: A Study

General\Purpose: A market transition to Online e-tailers (Oe) from local Physical Retailers (PR) for daily requirements has huge insight. The aim of the present research is to analyse the factors influencing the behaviour of online FMCG buyers. Different online platforms offering a variety of FMCG have impacted their buying behaviour. The study has admitted comparative analysis of online FMCG buyers’ agreements considering factors such as Product Quality and Range (PQR), Price Competitiveness (PC), Information Availability About Products (IAAP), Ease of Security in Shopping (ESS) and Ease of Product Return (EPR) and its variables-items, in overall forming study framework. Approach to Study: The researcher has undertaken an Integrative Approach (IA) for both, related to the literature reviewed and the survey so far observed. Materials\Methods: Both primary data through well-structured questionnaires from 300 online FMCG buyers from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and secondary data from various published sources have been centred and cited to understand the syntactic research gap. The researcher has enforced Convenient Random Sampling to make the sample representative. Analytical Tools: The objectives were studied thoroughly and hypotheses were tested in SPSS. The researcher has used Kolmogorov-Smirnov (D-Statistic) and Shapiro-Wilk test (W-Statistic) to test data normality, Cronbachs’ Alpha to test Data Reliability, Descriptive Statistics i.e. frequency and per cent count to describe data and Chi-square to measure significant associations and differences if any. Results: The researcher has drawn an epilogue purely on the basis of data collected and analysed. PPIEE variable and is found to be significant and calculated statistics by chi-square 211.040 ? 101.879 and p (0.000) ? level of significance (0.05) show PPIEE and demographic factors influence the behaviour of online FMCG buyers. Research Value: The researcher has extended the literature gap to validate and explore PPIEE variable items. The results will be helpful in presenting adequate psychometric evidence to measure the value of PPIEE and its influencing impact on the behaviour of online FMCG buyers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Thus, the scientific approach to studying these variable items will contribute towards the advancement of the online marketing of FMCG. Novelty/Originality of this study: This paper gives a unique insight into PPIEE in MMR

Becoming A Market Participant

Drawing on the frameworks of moral economy and relational sociology, this article examines how small farmers have developed different dispositions toward risk calculation during the market transition in China. Using interview data and ethnographic observation from a village in northeast China, I show that monocropping farmers tend to view and manage risks differently from diversified farmers. Monocroppers, who rely on state procurement along with migrant work, have developed a personal-relationship-oriented style of risk calculation that avoids unfamiliar connections and prioritizes kinship ties in their economic lives. Diversified farmers have adopted market-cycle-oriented risk calculation due to their experience of boom-and-bust cycles. I find that individuals’ market dispositions are shaped by their lived experience of the immediate environment and have far-reaching effects on actors’ capacity to participate in markets.

Energy Market Transition and Climate Change: A Review of TSOs-DSOs C+++ Framework from 1800 to Present

In response to the pressing global challenges around climate change and the imperative of transitioning the energy market towards sustainability, this paper presents a comprehensive review starting from the late 18th century. The study examines the pivotal role of Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) in shaping the evolving energy landscape, with a specific emphasis on the C+++ Framework. This framework emphasizes coordination, cooperation, and collaboration between TSOs and DSOs to achieve sustainable energy systems through the integration of renewable energy technologies, storage systems, and efficient energy demand management. In addition, the review provides a historical overview of global warming from 1800 to the present, highlighting key events and developments related to greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the paper delves into the significance of international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for a sustainable future. Recognizing the vital role of the C+++ Framework, the paper concludes with a discussion of future hybrid sustainable technologies incorporating various storage and efficient lighting technologies that can optimize energy management and reduce carbon emissions. This research aims to contribute valuable insights to inform energy policy and decision-making processes for a reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy delivery system.

Urban Housing Inequality and the Nature of Relationship Between Formal and Informal Settlements in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria

The proliferation of urban informal settlements indicates a failure in housing delivery. Stipulations in the SDGs for better affordable housing for all toward eradicating the heinous housing inequality in society seem to be lacking in a deeper understanding of why housing inequality prevails. Debates on housing inequality were mostly concerned with market transition, changing the order of social stratification, and transitions from a centrally planned economy to a market economy; hence the emphasis on the need for a better understanding of the role of housing in social-spatial equity and justice. This study, therefore, aims to fill this research gap by examining the nature of the relationship between informal and formal neighborhoods of the Enugu metropolis, Southeast Nigeria to make an evidence-based contribution to the body of knowledge on this subject. A cross-sectional survey using a quantitative approach was adopted and 24 informal settlements were identified and studied. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and Chi-square. Findings showed the nature of housing inequality in the area as a product of spatially inherent symbiotic relationships embedded in social exclusion, deprivation, and dependency between the formal and informal settlements situating in juxtaposition to one another. At a Chi-square value of 42.643, p = .317 significant at 0.01; residents perceived significant differences in access/availability of decent housing and housing facilities/utility. Interestingly, these informal settlements accommodated over 361,785 unaccounted spill-over populations representing over 60,298 households, constituting 34.69% of the city population not captured in official census records, including over 72.58% of migrants claiming to have relatives residing in these settlements.

Changing times and subjective well-being in urban China 2003–2013: An age-period-cohort approach

This paper analyzes the intersection of individual lives and historical context by examining how cohort membership, historical conditions, and individual maturation influence subjective well-being in urban China. We use cross-classified multilevel models and repeated measures of happiness from seven waves of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2003–2013, N = 43,308). The results indicate that individuals born between 1956 and 1961 experienced setbacks at various pivotal moments throughout their life, including education, employment, economic stability, and social connections, and this cohort reports a lower overall sense of happiness when compared to other cohorts. The effect of aging on happiness comprises a U-shaped pattern; the middle-aged are the least happy. We observe an upward trend in happiness from 2003 to 2013. These results are confirmed by using subjective socioeconomic status (SES) as an alternative measure of well-being from CGSS 2003 and CGSS 2005 (N = 11,992). This paper contributes to studies of market transition by identifying the birth cohort as an important mechanism of inequality. It also augments the life-course paradigm by highlighting the significance of timing when individual lives intersect with historical context.

Heterogeneity and Changes in Early Adulthood Labor Market Transition Trajectories

Heterogeneity and Changes in Early Adulthood Labor Market Transition Trajectories

Enacting “Bottom-up” Solidarity in Labor Market Integration for Refugees in England

Abstract This article examines the role that third sector organizations (TSOs) play in supporting refugees’ access to the labor market in England. TSO practices are conceptualized through the notion of “bottom-up” solidarity. Data gathered through interviews with refugees and representatives from charities, social enterprises, and public authorities are used to identify how TSO actors enact bottom-up solidarity and, in turn, facilitate integration of refugees into the labor market. The findings show how labor market transition is built on the transformation of the wider circumstances faced by refugees. Data also demonstrates how the creation of direct employment opportunities, coupled with intermediation and trust brokerage, and alongside episodic and extended coaching, is key to enacting “bottom-up” solidarity.

The future of work guaranteed: Assembling NEETs in the apparatus of the welfare state

The future of work is partially written in the organisation of the welfare state – particularly in social policies and practices which imagine a vibrant labour market with ever-more employment. Here, we offer a genealogy of the peculiar formulation of the term NEETs, ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’ as emblematic of a deep cultural and organisational commitment to work. To understand this array of policies, we draw on the Foucauldian concept of the dispositif. We move between the authoritarian valency of the concept as used by Agamben, and the looser Deleuzian assemblage, to investigate the policy, discourses and material structures that guarantee the future of work. NEETS conceptually and practically narrows the broad liminal transition from adolescent to adult into a labour market transition – producing work-ready, employable subjects for any future. The future of work need not be NEETs, but to approach that future we need to attend to the overwhelming policy apparatus and assemblage that holds a post-work future at bay.

Understanding the Rise of Illiberal Populism in Central and Eastern Europe. Insights from Scholarship Influenced by Karl Polanyi

The illiberal turn marked by the rejection of the main tenets of political, cultural, and (to some extent) economic liberalism poses a serious threat to the liberal status quo which emerged in CEE after 1989. We maintain that embracing the concept of countermovement derived from the thought of Karl Polanyi provides valuable insights into comprehending the dynamics of this socio-political phenomenon. In this introduction, we sketch the general background for the papers included in the symposium. We start by outlining the core features of market transitions and discussing briefly the leading research strands inspired by Polanyi’s ideas. Then we try to demonstrate how the legacy of Polanyi’s thought could be useful in understanding the contemporary ascent of illiberal populism. In our view, the chief advantage of Polanyian scholarship lies in its ability to account for the interdependence of economic (or global) and cultural (or local) causes of populist reaction.

The Deepening of Gender-based Division of Labor under the Three-child Policy

As China has accomplished a successful market transition over the last four decades, the Chinese governments fertility policies also continuously change in order to serve productivity needs. After the implementation of the one-child policy for decades, the government issued the two-child policy and the three-child policy in a short period of time. The three-child policy has gained much attention in contemporary Chinese society. Existing literature has made great contributions to analyzing the rationale and effectiveness of the implementation of the policy. However, to date, little attention has been paid to the role conflicts and dilemmas encountered by child-bearing women under the three-child policy. By employing interviews, online posts, and videos from Chinese social media such as weibo and xiaohongshu, and making great use of research results from previous academic papers, the study examines the three ways in which the implementation of the three-child policy has strengthened the gender-based division of labor in todays China.

Wage premium and master's degrees: some empirical evidence from Spain

PurposeThe current expansion of the knowledge economy and its requirements of highly educated workers make interesting to analyse the effects on the labour market outcomes of completing a master's degree. This study examines the factors determining the probability of pursuing a postgraduate programme and observes whether workers reaching this educational attainment reap the benefits of their human capital investment through better paid jobs compared to college-only degree holders. On the other hand, it analyses whether individuals with a master's degree are more prone to upward wage mobility.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on data obtained from the second survey on the Labour Insertion of University Graduates conducted by the National Statistics Institute (INE, 2019). This survey allows us to observe labour market transitions of the first group of Spanish university graduates under the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and their earnings. The methodological procedure consists of the estimation of wage models controlling for the unobservable differences between workers who have or have not completed a master's degree.FindingsThe results indicate a significant positive impact of master's degree on salaries. Furthermore, individuals with postgraduate studies are more prone to upward wage mobility in comparison to college-only degree holders.Research limitations/implicationsData used does not allow us to identify which competences associated with the completion of a master's degree are more remunerated by employers.Practical implicationsThe econometric specification applied allows us to compute the direct effect of a master's degree on wages and predict the average probability that an individual is in a determined wage interval according to the knowledge area and controlling by the rest of characteristics.Social implicationsThe findings are helpful to diagnose and understand how the knowledge acquired through postgraduate studies are rewarded by the labour market, which is essential to evaluate the return on educational investments when making decisions about whether or not to continue postgraduate studies.Originality/valueThis research addresses novelty aspects on tertiary education in Spain and its effects on workers' careers.

Biopower in Transition

This article examines the shifting biopolitical significance of poverty in Vietnam’s post-reform period, drawing on ethnographic interviews with poor Hanoians. Concomitant with the political economic and sociocultural shifts of market transition, public accounts of poverty’s nature and causes have transformed. The diminished national prevalence of poverty, rapid macroeconomic growth, and the ethos of “socialization” inform accounts that depoliticize deprivation and present it in biopolitical terms, as an inherent characteristic of some social groups. Economic and policy transformations mean that low-income urban residents navigate competing obligations under market socialism: to be as self-reliant as possible while remaining legible as legitimately deserving.

Just transition and welfare states: a largely unexplored relation

Climate emergency has been recognised as a top policy priority by more and more policy-makers and the restructuring process it entails is seen as the main challenge of the coming decades. The welfare state that emerged in the context of a fossil fuel-based extractive economic model, based on a belief in sustained growth, cannot remain unaffected by the ongoing transition to a net-zero economy (Gough et al., 2008). Possible linkages between the welfare state and climate and environmental issues largely remain unexplored and until very recently discussion of social welfare systems in Europe has been disconnected from ecological concerns and policies and as well from the just transition narrative that took a prominent role in shaping the social dimension of climate policies. Both on the other hand assume continuing economic growth. This article aims to present a broad mapping of the current debates mainly at EU level, highlighting possible alternative directions (from green growth to sustainable welfare; from technology to behavioural changes). It proceeds through selected literature reviews offering a dialogue between different perspectives and opening successive routes of questioning. It also highlights the current limitations in the analysis of the role and the shape of welfare states in tackling environmental challenges and labour market transitions.

The Dual U.S. Labor Market Uncovered

Aggregate U.S. labor market dynamics are well approximated by a dual labor market supplemented with a third, predominantly, home-production segment. We uncover this structure by estimating a Hidden Markov Model, a machine-learning method. The different market segments are identified through (in-)equality constraints on labor market transition probabilities. This method yields time series of stocks and flows for the three segments for 1980-2021. Workers in the primary sector, who make up around 55 percent of the population, are almost always employed and rarely experience unemployment. The secondary sector, which constitutes 14 percent of the population, absorbs most of the short-run fluctuations, both at seasonal and business cycle frequencies. Workers in this segment experience six times higher turnover rates than those in the primary tier and are ten times more likely to be unemployed than their primary counterparts. The tertiary segment consists of workers who infrequently participate in the labor market but nevertheless experience unemployment when they try to enter the labor force. Our individual-level analysis shows that observable demographic characteristics only explain a small part of the cross-individual variation in segment membership. The combination of the aggregate and individual-level evidence we provide points to dualism in the U.S. labor market being an equilibrium division of labor, under labor market imperfections, that minimizes adjustment costs in response to predictable seasonal as well as unpredictable business cycle fluctuations.

From snapshot to movie: decomposing the minimum wage effects on employment into hirings and separations

PurposeWhile the effect of the minimum wage (MW) on employment has been widely studied, less is known about its impact on hirings and separations. Whereas the adverse effects of MW on hiring are quite familiar, results of studies indicating reductions in separations are less expected. This study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by performing a meta-analysis, which allows for understanding the real effect of MW on employment's two components: hirings and separations.Design/methodology/approachSince mixed results cloud understanding of the issue, a meta-regression analysis was conducted. This technique permits understanding the effect of MW on labor market transitions and offers additional explanations for controversial results.FindingsDespite the evidence that MW increasing the turnover and reducing permanence could negatively affect employment, findings from meta-regression analysis pointed out that increases in MW reduce hirings but also separations offsetting the negative effect on employment. Overall, the results imply that the standard finding that MW changes have little or no impact on employment rates reflects offsetting reductions in hiring and separations. Evidence of negative publication bias is also found.Research limitations/implicationsThe results emphasize the importance of looking beyond employment rates to understand the impacts of MW. Overall, the evidence implies that the standard finding that MW changes have little or no impact on employment rates reflects offsetting reductions in hiring and layoffs. In addition, the results suggest that MW tends to have a much larger impact on employment flows than on employment levels. This finding has to be considered by policymakers when they make decisions about increasing the MW. These analyses assist in clarifying debates about the effects of MW on the labor market in the changing economic environment and conduct a labor policy in the right direction.Practical implicationsThe meta-regression analysis (MRA) conducted in this study emphasizes the importance of looking beyond employment rates to understand the impacts of MW (Brochu and Green, 2013). Overall, the evidence implies that the standard finding that MW changes have little or no impact on employment rates reflects offsetting reductions in hiring and layoffs. Therefore, the evidence from the performed MRA is consistent with those previous meta-analysis studies that found little or no evidence about MW adversely affecting employment and, at the same time, provide additional explanation for these findings. In addition, the results suggest that MW tends to have a much larger impact on employment flows than on employment levels (Dube et al., 2016).Social implicationsEven though hirings are reduced due to MW, this evidence could not necessarily imply a negative effect of MW on the labor market since job searching or matching is improved. Additionally, the increases in MW could improve the quality of the job and the job attachment, which are consistent with a recruitment-retention model (Dube et al., 2007). The evidence from this MRA, which is consistent with little or no impact of MW on employment, also could imply that although the MW is set relatively high to balance the supply and demand of labor, their level is close to optimal. Setting the right level is also associated with compliance with MW. This issue deserves attention since any adverse employment effects of MW could be strengthened by incomplete coverage. The effectiveness of the entire process of developing, putting into practice and enforcing MW rules hinges on compliance.Originality/valueAs prior meta-regression analysis did not have the same objective, the results of this article move current research forward. Based on the analysis, future research lines are delineated, and some public policy implications are assessed.

Indian Urban Workers’ Labour Market Transitions

Indian Urban Workers’ Labour Market Transitions