Non-economic Factors Research Articles

Dynamics of Land Governance, Extractivism, Urban Tech and Waste Infrastructures, and the Everyday State in Contemporary Africa

In the development discourse, there has been a tendency to frame the Global South, especially Africa, as a perpetual recipient of ideas from the Global North. This has led to the implementing of “development” initiatives based on the unsuccessful modernization paradigm and the associated Washington Consensus. Despite the emergence of counter theories such as dependency and underdevelopment theories, they share similar assumptions with the modernization paradigm. These assumptions include the belief that historical change brings development or progress, the sidelining of noneconomic factors like ethnicity, race, and gender, and the sole emphasis on economic growth as a measure of development. Both models assume that the state should primarily drive advancement. To address the weaknesses of these development models, alternative perspectives such as women and development, women in development, and gender and development were introduced. However, these perspectives would be integrated into the mainstream development discourse, diluting their impact.

The Impact Mechanism of Non-Economic Policies on Social and Investor Disagreement in China: A Dual Analysis Based on Empirical Evidence and DSGE Models

This study investigates the integration of non-economic policies into the framework for assessing macroeconomic coherence as applied by the Chinese government, with a particular focus on green policies. We examine the impact of non-economic factors on social disagreement and investor disagreement (expectations), and how these influences interact with macroeconomic regulation, employing both empirical evidence and dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) theoretical models. In the basic analysis section, we merge statistical data on social divergence with policy implementation, utilizing multiple regression and deep neural network models. Our findings provide direct evidence that non-economic policies significantly regulate social sentiment. Additionally, theoretical analyses using contagion models, grounded in real textual data on social and investor divergence, demonstrate that expectations of social sentiment can ultimately affect economic variables. In the extended analysis, we enhance the classic DSGE model to delineate the pathways through which non-economic policies impact the macroeconomy. Drawing from our analyses, we propose specific optimization measures for non-economic policies. The results indicate that targeted policy optimization can effectively manage social disagreement, thereby shaping expectations and harmonizing non-economic with economic policy initiatives. This alignment enhances the coherence of macroeconomic policy interventions. The innovative contribution of this study lies in its provision of both theoretical and empirical evidence supporting the formulation of non-economic policies for the first time, alongside specific recommendations for improving the consistency of macroeconomic policies.

Sport, Choice and Social Class: Reading Indian Female Sports Life Writings

Sports form a continuous part of any culture, created and sustained for entertainment, pleasure, competition and bonding; founded on certain standards, interests, requirements, and resources of the sports community. Yet, the classification of some sports as ‘elite’ goes unrecognised simply because it appears to be natural and moreover it is always ‘how things are’. Traditional theories of class indicate that economic differentiation is the reason for various choices in the society. On the other hand Bourdieu has suggested that economic capital is not the only element influencing one’s choice and there are other multiple non-economic criteria too. Taking into account Bourdieu’s class concepts we seek to identify the non-economic factors that have led sportspersons in India to their choice of sport. Narrative analysis is performed for autobiographies of two female sportspersons, Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, to highlight the different parameters that have influenced their choice of sport. The identification of such non-economic factors like a person’s mental strength, level of angst, resilience, emotional and financial well-being, and others, provide insight into the stratifications that impact sports culture in India.

Co-evolutionary decoupling in EMNEs’ internationalisation: A Chinese bank's journey of drifting apart from the US-led global financial system

We develop a co-evolutionary decoupling model to explain the decoupling process and its contributors, based on a Chinese bank's dynamic interdependency with the US-led global financial system. This decoupling is the joint outcome of the firm's strategic adaptations in response to economic, institutional, and geopolitical environmental challenges. By incorporating co-evolution and international relations perspectives into international business research, we reveal how and when non-economic environmental factors can decisively hinder a firm's, especially an EMNE's, internationalisation. This study provides new firm-level evidence on the ongoing Sino-US decoupling process, extending our understanding of international business through co-evolution and international relations perspectives.

Club convergence of real wages in the European union

This study analyzes real wage convergence within the European Union, scrutinizing it on both regional and national scales. It questions the prevalent notion that open labor movement within the EU naturally leads to wage parity. Using a flexible log t regression and clustering algorithm, the research uncovers a lack of real wage convergence across all EU countries and regions. Instead, it identifies distinct convergence clubs based on real wages, delineated as core versus peripheral countries, and further divided into four regional categories. These findings suggest the existence of significant differences between the core and peripheral countries, hindering wage equalization. Clubs converge to different steady states which yield substantially different average real wages. At the national level, the formation of these wage-based clubs is influenced by the output gap and unemployment benefits, competitiveness and labor productivity, trade integration, and partly by human capital and development level. This study's results are robust and consistent with economic theories concerning real wage determinants. On the regional front, the analysis reveals a complex interplay of multiple variables affecting club formation, with no significant distinctions between certain club pairings. The findings highlight the complex dynamics of wage convergence in the EU, influenced by both economic and non-economic factors. The differences between core and peripheral EU countries are still strong and affect labor market outcomes and real wage convergence.

Health, Insurance, and Social Capital’s Impact on Housing Debt and Assets Using a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Technique

China’s current real estate market transactions are relatively subdued; hence, finding means to repower the engine for further development becomes vital. However, few studies investigated the relationships between family non-economic factors, assets, and housing debt. This study highlights the impact of family members’ health, insurance, and social capital’s impact on housing debt and assets. The family-size data from the China House Finance Survey are analyzed using a partial least squares structural equation model. The results indicate that family members’ poor health and uninsured endowment insurance individuals negatively affect housing debt and family assets. In contrast, the impact of medical insurance is insignificant. Besides, social capital substantially and positively impacts assets and debts. The labor supply and the proportion of kids have a negligible impact. Hence, this study recommends that loan-offering enterprises may change their marketing targets according to family situations, such as health status and insurance coverage. The government might promote endowment insurance and strengthen higher education to revitalize the real estate industry.

Affection and Responsibility: Driving Mechanism of Local Tourism Employment of Farmers in Ethnic Villages

In tourism employment, the participation of farmers is closely linked to the development of ethnic villages. Existing literature often overlooks the role of farmers’ non-economic rationality factors in their employment behavior. This study investigated the mechanism of farmers’ livelihood capital, place attachment, and family care on their local tourism employment behavior. The research found: First, livelihood capital facilitates farmers’ participation in local tourism employment, with place attachment mediating the correlation between livelihood capital and participation of farmers in local tourism employment, and family care positively moderating their participation in local tourism employment. Second, three distinct configurations drive farmers’ participation in local tourism employment. Third, complementary and substitution effects exist between livelihood capitals. Fourth, place attachment and family care demonstrate a masking effect. The government should actively maintain farmers’ place attachment, address farmers’ family care difficulties, guide farmers to utilize the substitution and complementary influences of livelihood capital and select appropriate paths to promote farmers’ participation in local tourism employment.

Defining, Measuring, and Increasing “Rootedness” in the High Migration Context of Honduras

Executive Summary The notion of “rootedness” in the sociology and migration literature is not well defined despite its increasing use by academics and, especially, practitioners. Defining and measuring rootedness has been problematic given that it is often operationalized as, but is not fully captured by, a concept related to social capital, community attachment, and participation. Rootedness is also often thought of as solely the absence of the desire to migrate. However, we argue that an individual’s desire to stay can be just as important as the well-documented “root causes” of migration; that is, economic poverty, insecurity, and strong migration networks. We propose a working definition of the concept of rootedness based on an empirical analysis of data from a nationally representative survey in the high migration context of Honduras. We find that rootedness can both be defined as and measured by an individual’s agreement with the idea that where they live is their “true home” and that they “see a good future” in that location. We further find that rootedness can be increased via a strong sense of security (not only the absence of victimization) and active community support for youth. Programs and policies should therefore promote security that goes beyond just preventing crime and fosters a general sense of wellbeing. In particular, programs should promote efforts to ensure that youth are supported by incorporating them in community decision-making, listening to what youth propose, promoting youth participation, and supporting youth leadership. Importantly, income is not strongly associated with this definition of rootedness. This finding highlights the important role of non-economic factors in migration decisions. Even when income increases, it does not necessarily increase the aspiration to stay. To be rooted, as we conceive of it, means more than having sufficient income. In summary, the paper examines and offers a new understanding of the concept of “rootedness,” which speaks to why some members of a community want to migrate and others desire to remain in their home communities. Fleshing out our understanding of rootedness as a way to talk about and measure the desire to remain is therefore crucial to realizing the “right” or “freedom” to stay at home.

Influence of Non-Economic Factors on the Formation and Development of the Design of Financial Systems

The purpose of this scientific work is to investigate the impact of non-economic factors on the design of financial systems, focusing on the concept of institutional quality, which is measured using six indices according to the World Bank's methodology. To assess this impact, we utilized data from 1996 to 2022 for a wide range of countries, grouped into five clusters based on per capita income. The comparative analysis of these country clusters revealed a direct and consistent relationship between per capita income dynamics and financial development with changes in institutional quality. It also highlighted the significant influence of this relationship on the structural features of national financial systems. The study demonstrates that institutional quality is the starting point of this entire process, determining the effectiveness of the link between financial development and economic growth through changes in the financial structure. The findings confirm the convergence of financial development levels among countries with different financial system structures and legal traditions, provided they maintain high-quality institutions. The study underscores the importance of institutional quality in minimizing the consequences of structural distortions in the financial system and addressing gaps in financial and economic development. These results are crucial for economic policymakers in developing countries and those with low per capita incomes. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-08 Full Text: PDF

The Impact of the Last Two Presidential Periods on the Performance of the Indonesia Stock Exchanges: An Approach of Arbitrage Pricing Theory

This study aims to examine the influence of economic and non-economic macro factors on the performance of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and the differences in their effects on the last two presidential terms using the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) approach. The macro factors studied are an aggregate of 41 indicators of stock market index returns, benchmark interest rates, exchange rates, economic stability indicators, commodity prices, and corruption perception index (CPI). For the process of aggregation and identification of macro factors, this study uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The population studied were publicly listed companies on the IDX since October 2004 (299 companies) with a sample size of 157 companies. The observation period is 205 months: 120 months of the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and 85 months of the presidency of Joko Widodo (JKW). The research design used the explanatory study method. The research model was analyzed using panel data regression. The results identified seven macro factor aggregates from 41 indicators studied: global index, macro economy, world oil prices, China index, Arabia index, inflation, and competitive resources. There was a simultaneous effect of macro factors on stock performance during the presidency of SBY and JKW. Partially, stock returns during the SBY era were positively influenced by the global index, world oil prices, the China index, the Arabian index, and inflation and negatively influenced by the macroeconomy. Meanwhile, during the JKW period, returns were positively influenced by the global, China, and Arabia indexes and inflation.

How to Enhance Elderly Life Satisfaction in China?—Exploring the Impact of Economic and Non-economic Factors

How to Enhance Elderly Life Satisfaction in China?—Exploring the Impact of Economic and Non-economic Factors

The impact of EU public procurement regulations on tenders in Spain: a study with adalimumab.

Pharmaceutical spending accounts for a significant portion of public healthcare budgets. To manage these costs, EU countries implement various cost-containment policies, including competitive tendering for pharmaceuticals. This study examines the impact of EU public procurement regulations on medication procurement practices. A search for all published tenders of adalimumab in Spain from 2018 to 2024 in the Spanish Public Sector Procurement Database, a period that coincides with the implementation of European legislation and the emergence of adalimumab biosimilars. All available documentation for each tender was reviewed, including the tender offer, technical specifications, specific administrative clauses, appointments of evaluation commissions, supporting memorandum, and evaluation reports. Our findings reveal substantial price reductions following the introduction of adalimumab biosimilars, yet highlight significant variability in tender criteria and practices across different regions. Despite adherence to EU directives, the inconsistent application of economic and non-economic factors and an erratic criteria concerning price undermine the intended balance of quality and cost, complicating procurement processes and potentially affecting the availability of a given treatment for patients.

“The Ocean is a Part of Me”: The Importance of Coastal Place Attachment to Well-Being and Implications for Coastal Access Management

Public coastal access is a growing issue in coastal management, particularly as both environmental changes and increased coastal development threaten existing public coastal access points around the country. This has implications both economically and on non-economic factors such as individual and community well-being. Through a mixed-methods case study of coastal users in Rhode Island (n = 200 surveys and n = 29 interviews), this study explores the concept of attachment to coasts as a specific type of place attachment by identifying Coastal Place Attachment (CPA) as a concept, developing a quantitative index to measure CPA, and qualitatively describing the value that coastal attachment brings to well-being. Results show that individuals do have a unique attachment to coastal environments that is not transferable to other natural areas, although it may be generalizable to other coastal areas. We also document how this attachment provides important contributions to psychological, physical, and social well-being. Implications for coastal access management are discussed.

Determinants of Young Polish Consumers’ Food Product Purchases

ABSTRACT This article investigates the factors influencing food product purchases by young Polish consumers aged 18–25 – a group important for the development of the economy. In the process of deciding to purchase specific food products, consumers pay attention to various economic and non-economic factors, including marketing. We carried out survey in October/November 2020 using the CAWI method (Google Forms) to test the importance of 17 factors on young Polish consumers’ food purchases, applying factor analysis and cluster analysis to the resulting data. The results reveal that price and product expiration date are young Polish consumers’ primary concerns when purchasing food products. The study also found that environmental sustainability attributes, although less critical than price or product quality, are increasingly influencing young Polish consumers' purchasing decisions.

An Analysis of Key Macroeconomic Factors Driving Chinese Tourism Demand for South Korea

This study employs a random effects model to examine the macroeconomic factors that shape Chinese tourism demand for South Korea. Key drivers identified include per capita income, exchange rates, and the consumer price index (CPI). As Chinese incomes rise, there is a notable shift towards more premium travel destinations, which may result in decreased demand for South Korea. Exchange rate fluctuations, though significant, have not meaningfully stimulated tourism, potentially due to non-economic factors such as geopolitical tensions. In contrast, rising CPI in South Korea has not negatively impacted its appeal, indicating that other elements, such as cultural attractions and service quality, may offset price increases. Additionally, trade volume between China and South Korea contributes to shaping demand, highlighting the complex interplay between economic activity and tourism. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to strengthen the China-South Korea tourism market by addressing income distribution, exchange rate stability, and enhancing non-price factors in tourism promotion strategies.

What Happens When Your Hand is in My Pocket: The Foreign Policy Effects of China’s Foreign Direct Investment in Africa

AbstractThis study utilizes social exchange theory to argue that a more complete picture of the effects of China’s FDI in Africa needs to include non-economic factors, especially institutional forces that incorporate macro political considerations. We propose that economic dependencies created by China’s FDI in Africa are reciprocated by votes in international organizations, and thus, we hypothesize and test that increasing China’s FDI in African nations leads to increased political alignment in international affairs with those African nations. The proposed relationship, however, will be weakened for African countries with stronger governance mechanisms. Using data for China’s FDI in African countries from 2001–2019, we find support for our hypotheses. We find that China’s economic engagement in Africa has resulted in increased political alignment on international issues evidenced by votes in United Nations organizations raising the possibility Africa’s most attractive resource may not be economic, but rather political. This, however, poses the question of whether votes are a ‘resource’ that can be traded for economic purposes.

Reaksi Pasar Modal terhadap Faktor Ekonomi dan Faktor Non Ekonomi di Indonesia

The purpose of this study is (1) to examine how much influence economic and non-economic factors have on the movement of the Jakarta Composite Index (CSPI), (2) to examine the most dominant factor in the movement of the Composite Stock Price Index (CSPI). The method in this study uses monthly data and is processed using the Vector Auto Regression (VAR) analysis technique. the results of the variance decomposition test before social / political turmoil showed that the most dominant contribution was recorded at the CSPI itself 61 percent, with economic factors 21 percent and non-economic factors 18 percent. However, the results of the variance decomposition test after social / political turmoil showed that the most dominant contribution was recorded in non-economic factors, 52 percent, with economic factors 36 percent, and CSPI itself at 18 percent. Thus, there are differences before and after social / political turmoil.

Analysis of Competitiveness and Efficiency the Export of Essential Oils from Indonesia

This study analyzes the competitiveness, efficiency, and factors influencing Indonesia's essential oils exports using the Stochastic Frontier Gravity Model (SFGM). The main variables examined include Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), population, exchange rate, and geographical distance. The findings indicate that Indonesian essential oils are highly competitive in international markets, particularly in France, Spain, and Switzerland. Significant factors affecting export value include the real GDP of the destination country, RCA, population, exchange rate, and geographical distance. Additionally, inefficiency factors are influenced by area, language, business freedom, investment freedom, and financial freedom. Export efficiency is categorized into five levels. This study provides empirical insights into the impact of economic and non-economic factors on the export performance of Indonesian essential oils, offering valuable implications for policymakers and industry stakeholders to enhance global competitiveness and efficiency.

A systematic review of residents’ perceptions towards tourism development in ethnic tourism contexts

ABSTRACT Ethnic tourism, an indispensable component of global tourism, has gained increasing scholarly attention recently. Despite the well-studied nature of residents’ perceptions, scant literature has scrutinized ethnic residents’ perceptions systematically. Therefore, this review aims to examine the current body of knowledge concerning residents’ perceptions in ethnic tourism contexts and contribute to a generalized conceptual model of residents’ perceptions. Following the PRISMA protocol, a literature search on the Scopus database yielded 1803 records, among which 64 journal articles were proven eligible. The review demonstrated that most residents’ perception studies in ethnic tourism contexts are qualitative, and predominantly conducted in developing countries. Given the distinct ethnic attributes and place-specific circumstances, the sociopolitical dimension has been introduced as the fourth dimension evaluating residents’ positive and negative perceptions jointly with economic, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions in ethnic tourism contexts. Additionally, ethnic values are recognized as a common thread in interpreting non-economic factors influencing residents’ perceptions, like place attachment, emotional solidarity, and perceived conflicts. Apart from the commonly examined support for tourism development and quality of life, citizen behaviours, as a significant consequence, have gained growing academic interest as of late. Correspondingly, some implications and recommendations for future studies are discussed in this review.

Experiences of seeking diabetic eye care among patients with diabetes in China: a community-based convergent mixed methods study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to characterize the most updated utilization of eye care services and obtain a holistic understanding of barriers among patients with diabetes in China. Study designThis was a convergent mixed methods study. MethodsA convergent triangulation mixed methods approach was used, with a quantitative cross-sectional survey of patients with diabetes and semistructured interviews involving patients and health workers. Following the conceptual framework of the World Health Organization Determinants of Health Behaviours, multivariate logistic regression for quantitative analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative data were used to examine barriers to seeking eye care among patients with diabetes. Triangulation was used to integrate quantitative and qualitative results. ResultsAmong 1167 surveyed patients who participated in the quantitative component, 29.1% had undergone eye examinations within the last 12 months, and 9.3% had received eye surgery. Awareness that diabetes causes eye diseases (P < 0.001) and knowing laser treatment can treat diabetic retinopathy (DR; P < 0.001) were associated with higher examination rates. In the qualitative component, involving 20 patients and 11 health workers, barriers were identified from individual, social, and cultural environmental factors. Integration of data highlighted the complex interplay of these factors in shaping care-seeking behaviors and the importance of non-economic factors, including patients' information about costs of DR services and cultural environmental factors. ConclusionsDiabetic eye care utilization remains suboptimal in China, emphasizing the impact of cultural and contextual factors. Comprehensive education strategies, along with training for primary health workers and task-shifting, are likely to enhance eye care service utilization in underserved settings.