Narrow Results

This paper investigates the effect of Aid for Trade (AfT) flows and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, as well as their interplay on the utilization of non-reciprocal trade preferences (NRTPs) offered by the Quadrilaterals (i.e., QUAD countries, which are Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States). Two major blocks of NRTPs provided by the QUAD countries have been considered, namely, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programs and other NRTPs. The analysis has covered 114 beneficiary countries of these NRTPs and the period of 2002–2018. Several findings have emerged from the analysis. Total AfT flows and FDI inflows contribute to enhancing the utilization rate of both GSP programs and other NRTPs, and are strongly complementary in affecting positively the utilization of both types of NRTPs. Finally, beneficiary countries’ level of export product diversification matters for the effect of both AfT flows and FDI inflows on the utilization of NRTPs. The conclusion section discusses the implications of these findings.

This paper develops two models to study the impact of trade in intermediate goods on wage inequality between skilled and unskilled labor in a developed country and a developing country. The first model assumes symmetric production technologies in the intermediate good. It predicts that trade in the intermediate good will increase wage inequality in the developed country, but decrease wage inequality in the developing country. The second model assumes asymmetric technologies in the intermediate good. It predicts that trade in the intermediate good can lead to an increase in wage inequality in both the developed country and the developing country.

The paper reviews critically the arguments concerning greater voice for Developing Countries in global governance. It supports the arguments for greater voice but argues that greater voice brings with it greater responsibilities in terms of the actions and commitments from Developing Countries. The two main illustrations are the multilateral trade negotiations in the WTO and the negotiations concerning climate change in the UN. In both case, it is argued, developing countries must assume greater responsibilities if these negotiations are to be concluded. This can be done in a way which yields net benefits to the Developing Countries themselves.

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption through non-linear causality tests. Eight developing countries from Europe and Central Asia spanning the period 1993 to 2008 are selected for the purpose of panel empirical analysis. Panel unit root and panel cointegration tests with and without considering cross section dependency (CD) problems are implemented. Next, linear panel cointegration tests are employed and, finally, a two-regime Dynamic Panel Smooth Transition Vector Error Correction (PSTRVEC) model is estimated for testing the presence of non-linear short- and long-run causality. To this end, a new estimator, called the Dynamic Non-linear Pooled Common Correlated Effect Estimator (DNPCCEE) is proposed. The empirical findings indicate that short and long-run causalities are regime-dependent.

This paper empirically investigates the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on inequality using a panel data set of 65 developing counties. While the existing literature mainly examines the impact of FDI on growth, this study explores the importance of domestic conditions of the host countries in determining the distributional effects of FDI. The results show that the impact of FDI is not homogenous on host countries as FDI inflows exert inequality-narrowing effect only in countries that have stronger investment in human capital, better financial sector and a high level of economic development. While FDI accentuates not ameliorates inequality in countries with low level of economic development, findings of the study are robust to the use of different specifications, different estimation methods, inclusion of regional effects and time specific effects.

In this paper, we identify the different determinants of the location of research and development (R&D) on foreign direct investment (FDI) in both developed and developing countries. In the case of host developed countries, we find that private R&D investment is positively associated with attracting R&D on FDI. In contrast, in the case of host developing countries, we find that private R&D investment is not significantly associated with attracting R&D FDI, but public R&D induces it. These findings imply that the objective of R&D FDI in developed economies is to advance multinational corporations’ (MNCs) technology further by targeting the local technology market. In contrast, the R&D FDI of MNCs in developing countries is attracted toward localities where the R&D infrastructure is better developed due to public R&D investment. MNCs in developing countries do not direct considerable attention to the R&D activities of the local private sector because their goal is to modify their own technology or products for the local product or export markets in the host countries. Therefore, although one obvious policy implication is the importance of conducting local R&D to attract foreign R&D, the more important factors are to stimulate private R&D further in the case of developed countries and to initiate public R&D first in the case of developing countries.

The world produces countless tonnes of food to feed everyone, yet the numbers of people who suffer from hunger remain high, especially in developing countries. This issue may highlight the importance of institutions as a foundation for the issue of food security. Hence, this study investigates the role of institutions on food supply in a panel of 56 developing countries. The dynamic generalized methods of moments results indicate that institutional factor plays a vital role in improving the availability of food and access to nutritious food for all people, thereby ameliorating the food supply problem. Therefore, the overall result suggests that policy-makers should improve the level of institutional quality so that it can form the fundamental ground toward alleviating hunger and improving the food supply.

The paper empirically examines the redistributive effect of monetary policy and assesses whether financial development plays any role in shaping monetary policy — inequality relations in developing countries. We uncover evidence supporting the redistributive consequences of monetary policy especially in more financially developed countries. We further note that while financial development raises income inequality in countries with low financial development, it leads to a reduction in income inequality in high financial development countries. As a side result, economic growth contributes favorably to income equalization in these countries. Finally, such financial indicators as financial access, financial efficiency and financial stability also condition the impacts of monetary policy on income distribution, although they are independently insignificant. Our results hint that the improvements in information and in efficiency rather than depth and access that would attenuate the negative impacts of contractionary monetary policy on income distribution.

This study investigates the impacts of financial inclusion on poverty and income inequality in 27 developing countries in Asia during 2004–2019 based on a composite financial inclusion index (FII) constructed using principal component analysis (PCA). The generalized method of moments (GMM) was employed for the estimation. The results show that financial inclusion can influence the reduction in both poverty and income inequality. The empirical findings also reveal the contribution of such control variables as economic growth in decreasing income disparity and trade openness in helping improve the standard of living of poor households despite its tendency to co-vary with income inequality. The present empirical evidence supporting the role of financial inclusion in reducing poverty and income inequality in developing countries has led to a policy implication that financial sector development should focus on the availability, usage, and depth of credit to cover all poor households or low-income groups to help improve their access to financial services, enable them to increase their income, and reduce the income gap between poor and rich households.

This study uses a firm-level dataset to examine the impacts of taxation on multinationals’ decisions to set up new foreign subsidiaries in developing ASEAN countries. It finds that while taxes play a critical role in multinational enterprises’ location choice decision, there is an important heterogeneity in the tax responsiveness. First, the tax sensitivity for high-tech firms is significantly lower than that for low-tech firms. Second, having a prior presence in the respective host country is associated with substantially lower tax responsiveness. Finally, in accordance with international-tax-avoidance considerations, the tax responsiveness is significantly diminished for affiliates with a connection to tax-haven countries.

For more than 50 years, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics has fostered the growth and sustainability of physics and mathematics in the developing world, benefitting hundreds of thousands of scientists. What began as a dream by its founder, Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, has become a first-rate international research hub connecting scientists from all corners of the globe. As the social and economic situations in many developing countries has shifted, ICTP has responded with the creation of relevant research and training programmes that continue to boost science in disadvantaged parts of the world. Today, ICTP remains a beacon of hope for scientists who aspire to greatness.

This study explores the factors determining the entry and stay of entrepreneurs in the informal economy in a Least Developed Country (LDC): Tanzania. Qualitative data from a focus group with six experts, and individual interviews with two experts and 15 entrepreneurs from the informal economy, were analysed. The results show that (1) necessity motivations are important for the entry and stay of entrepreneurs, as well as (2) the unattractive factors of the formal economy (e.g. degree of excessive regulations regarding high taxes)/attractive factors of the informal economy (e.g. little procedures, low capital requirements) and (3) low levels of education possessed by entrepreneurs, emerged as essential. This study enriches the literature with personal narratives of entrepreneurial activities from the micro level. Therefore, many detailed factors are revealed of the lives of entrepreneurs and experts, dealing in one way or the other with the informal economy.

Telemedicine is an emerging industry with the potential to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare for the benefit of consumers, providers and payors. In general, telemedicine refers to the use of information and telecommunication technologies to distribute both information and expertise necessary for healthcare service provision, collaboration or delivery among geographically separated participants — physicians and patients. In short, it is a generic term which is used to define various aspects of healthcare at a distance. Telemedicine has been heralded as one of several possible solutions to some of the medical dilemmas that are faced by many developing countries. In this paper, we will discuss the current state of telemedicine in developing countries in South-East Asia (SEA) in general, with Malaysia and Indonesia in particular.

This paper analyses the impact of the use of electronic resources and Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) services for medical research libraries in Bangladesh, emphasising the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). Purposeful use of e-resources, time and cost-saving benefits, research impact, and challenges of using HINARI are discussed. The basic study was conducted at icddr,b in January–February 2014, using a mixed methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, including a background literature review, usage data shared from the HINARI secretariat at the World Health Organization (WHO), questionnaires, personal observations, and interviews with staff members of icddr,b. Findings revealed that icddr,b is the heaviest user of HINARI (a major source of public health and medical e-resources) in Bangladesh, with demonstrable increases of health research journal articles after introducing HINARI in 2003.

This study was conducted to assess the frequencies of 11 problems hampering the optimal utilisation of e-resources in two Nigerian Federal University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University. A structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. A total of 480 lecturers were involved in the study with 240 per institution, 80 from each of the three faculties per institution and 20 lecturers from each of the four departments per faculty. Frequency counts (often, occasional and never) for each of the 11 problems were subjected to Analysis of Variance and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Results showed that all the six faculties studied indicated that frequencies of poor electricity supply and maintenance problem were significantly “often”. Five of the six faculties indicated that the frequencies of lack of internet connectivity and the problem of internet bandwidth to access e-resources were significantly “often”. These were followed by insufficient training of personnel and lack of awareness of the existence of e-resources in which four faculties indicated their frequencies to be significantly “often”. Three of the six faculties showed that the frequencies of frequent power outage, fluctuation in power supply and lack of technical expertise were significantly “often” while for lack of infrastructure (Software/Hardware) and frequent power changeover, two of the six faculties showed their frequencies to be significantly “often”. The higher the frequency of a problem, the more prominent the problem is in hampering e-resources utilisation. It is concluded that optimal utilisation of e-resources in the developing countries is beset with many problems and that the prominence of the problems varies from one to another.

Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD), usually expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), is a widely used indicator to reflect the research intensity within a national economy, and hence its capacity to develop new and innovative products or services. It is also used as a key target in the management of national innovation systems. For instance, the South African National Research and Development Strategy set a target of raising GERD/GDP to 'somewhat over 1%', and in 2002 the Barcelona European Council set an EU target of 3%. Despite its widespread usage, there is little discussion or agreement on how this target should be derived within a broad range of economic contexts and levels of affordability. In this paper, a composite indicator based on GERD/GDP, normalised for GDP per capita, is developed and its use in a number of countries explored and explained. As a result, a set of GERD/GDP targets for various categories of developing countries is proposed.

This paper examines 45 current electronic and mobile payment systems in developed and developing countries. First, each payment technology was assessed and classified as belonging to one of the several major categories consisting of SMS, WAP, USSD, NFC (RFID), Smart Card, Internet and IVR. Then, a technology prevalence matrix drawn from the previous stage was used as an input for sub-sample factor analyses. SMS, IVR and PC-based payment technologies were found to be more prevalent in developing countries, while smart card appeared most popular in developed countries. This contrast suggests that developing countries may have bypassed some established technologies and leapfrogged to mobile EPS instead. Factor analyses were run for each group and the first factor shows some differences in the main pattern of EPS for developing and developed countries. Mobile and PC-based technologies stand out when compared with NFC and smart card technologies for EPS.

International technology-based collaborations require that industry managers adequately deal with multiple factors. This is particularly the case in the pharmaceutical industry where strict standards, advanced technologies, and complex managerial aspects exist. This paper studies the critical factors affecting international technology transfer (TT) projects in the Iranian pharmaceutical industry. To this end, it adopted a qualitative method to investigate participants’ experiences and their viewpoints regarding the factors contributing to TT success. The main finding of the research revealed that, among others, supportive governmental policies and large market size were the main environmental factors which facilitate TT processes. Findings also showed that there are some imperative issues such as regulatory frameworks, lack of intellectual property regimes, and political factors which have to be taken into account in the process of TT.

The research attempts to determine the inclination toward embracing e-commerce, focusing on the satisfaction of low- and middle-income consumers with online services and their ability to navigate a secure online platform. We examine our hypothesis with survey technique. The questionnaire was adapted from prior studies. The research was carried out through empirical methods, utilizing a convenience sample of 290 participants from various locations in Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, from Bangladesh. SMARTPLS was used for analysis of the gathered data. The findings demonstrated that the desire to utilize e-commerce is strongly and positively predicted by perceived risk, social influence, and facilitating aspects. This study addresses the gap by identifying and understanding these three aspects together, beyond contextual barriers, that influence e-commerce adoption among low- and middle-income consumers in Bangladesh. The study contributes to the understanding of e-commerce adoption in emerging markets by providing a comprehensive, theoretically grounded model that identifies key institutional and contextual elements influencing online shopping behavior. The insights gained offer valuable implications for policymakers and e-commerce platforms aiming to enhance user engagement in online shopping. However, the lack of thorough study that addresses problems outside contextual imperatives limits our knowledge of what motivates e-commerce in Bangladesh. This study examines a comprehensive, theoretically developed model that find the pertinent institutional and contextual elements that might lead to the uptake of online shopping in underdeveloped countries.

Entrepreneurship has become a defining business trend in many countries throughout the world. The ranks of entrepreneurs contain a sizable contingent of women. As a result, research into the pathways of entrepreneurship as a general phenomenon as well as a career option for women has flourished in recent years. However, very little of this research has focused on women entrepreneurs in Arab countries, particularly those around the Gulf of Arabia, where private enterprise is viewed as a way for these nations to reduce their reliance on oil and their dependence on expatriate (foreign) workers. This study of the business start-up experiences of ten Arab women from Bahrain and Oman can serve as a starting point for such research. Although based on a non-representative sample, it suggests that the experiences of the Arab women entrepreneurs studied generally parallel those of their counterparts from other parts of the world with a few distinct differences. These differences relate to securing start-up capital and other resources, networking, and work/family balance. Infused with Arab and Islamic values, the unique cultural milieu played a major role in shaping the entrepreneurial experiences of the Bahraini and Omani business owners studied.