International Journal of Development Issues最新文献

{"title":"Efficiency of BRICS countries in sustainable development: a comparative data envelopment analysis","authors":"Isabella Melissa Gebert, Felipa de Mello-Sampayo","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-12-2023-0287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-12-2023-0287","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose\u0000This study aims to assess the efficiency of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) countries in achieving sustainable development by analyzing their ability to convert resources and technological innovations into sustainable outcomes.\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using data envelopment analysis (DEA), the study evaluates the economic, environmental and social efficiency of BRICS countries over the period 2010–2018. It ranks these countries based on their sustainable development performance and compares them to the period 2000–2007.\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The study reveals varied efficiency levels among BRICS countries. Russia and South Africa lead in certain sustainable development aspects. South Africa excels in environmental sustainability, whereas Brazil is efficient in resource utilization for sustainable growth. China and India, despite economic growth, face challenges such as pollution and lower quality of life.\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The study’s findings are constrained by the DEA methodology and the selection of variables. It highlights the need for more nuanced research incorporating recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical shifts.\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000Insights from this study can inform targeted and effective sustainability strategies in BRICS nations, focusing on areas such as industrial quality improvement, employment conditions and environmental policies.\u0000\u0000Social implications\u0000The study underscores the importance of balancing economic growth with social and environmental considerations, highlighting the need for policies addressing inequality, poverty and environmental degradation.\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This research provides a unique comparative analysis of BRICS countries’ sustainable development efficiency, challenging conventional perceptions and offering a new perspective on their progress.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140696273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable rural electrification: small hydropower stations, electrification and rural welfare improvement in Tanzania","authors":"Evaristo Haulle, G. K. Ndimbo","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0194","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose\u0000Tanzania is rich in small hydropower (SHP) potentials. However, many of these potentials have yet to be fully used, and more than two-thirds of its rural population lacks access to electricity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of SHP stations in improving rural welfare in the southern highlands of Tanzania. It further explores the history, cost-effective analysis and threats to the sustainability of SHP as one of the renewable energy sources.\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The study uses a qualitative research design to explore respondents’ views on the role of SHP stations in facilitating rural electrification and welfare improvement. Primary data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with the 27 key informants and beneficiaries of SHP stations from the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. In addition, the study used documentary research to complement the information from the field survey.\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings found that SHP stations enhance rural electrification and welfare by providing electricity in remote areas with sparse populations. They operate as standalone off-grids, often by church communities and individuals. However, the sustainability of SHP stations is hampered by challenges such as climate change impacts, high capital investment costs, heavy siltation of small reservoirs, skilled manpower shortages, limited local manufacturing capabilities and infrastructural issues.\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The study contributes to the ongoing debate on renewable energy supply and uses, focusing on how SHP stations could contribute to sustainable rural electrification and achieve the 2030 United Nations agenda for sustainable development, which, among other things, aims to safeguard access to sustainable and modern energy and alleviate energy poverty.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140233455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of informal competition on firms’ innovation in Greece","authors":"Vasileios Vlachos","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0192","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Several empirical studies indicate that the existence of a large informal sector is a major obstacle to firms’ choices of innovation strategies. This paper aims to address this issue and investigates the effect of the informal sector on the innovation of formal firms in Greece.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using the World Bank’s Enterprise Survey data, the impact of informal competition on formal firms’ innovation in Greece is investigated by testing whether formal firms use innovation as a tool to protect and sustain their competitive advantage vis-à-vis informal firms and whether overall and informal competition has an inverted-U relationship with the innovation of formal firms. The effects of bribing and other variables drawn from the empirical literature are also controlled for.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings fill a gap in the literature regarding the effects of the informal sector on formal economic activity in Greece, by indicating that the informal sector puts pressure on formal firms to innovate, in order to differentiate their product or service and enhance their productivity and by offering learnings to help policymakers to promote innovation in Greece.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The originality of this study is that it investigates the impact of informal competition on formal firms’ innovation in Greece, a developed economy with a large informal sector. It does so by focusing on the effects that formal firms’ informal practices have on their competitors’ innovation activities, and the role of informal competition in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage in Greece.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139785197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of informal competition on firms’ innovation in Greece","authors":"Vasileios Vlachos","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-08-2023-0192","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Several empirical studies indicate that the existence of a large informal sector is a major obstacle to firms’ choices of innovation strategies. This paper aims to address this issue and investigates the effect of the informal sector on the innovation of formal firms in Greece.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using the World Bank’s Enterprise Survey data, the impact of informal competition on formal firms’ innovation in Greece is investigated by testing whether formal firms use innovation as a tool to protect and sustain their competitive advantage vis-à-vis informal firms and whether overall and informal competition has an inverted-U relationship with the innovation of formal firms. The effects of bribing and other variables drawn from the empirical literature are also controlled for.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings fill a gap in the literature regarding the effects of the informal sector on formal economic activity in Greece, by indicating that the informal sector puts pressure on formal firms to innovate, in order to differentiate their product or service and enhance their productivity and by offering learnings to help policymakers to promote innovation in Greece.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The originality of this study is that it investigates the impact of informal competition on formal firms’ innovation in Greece, a developed economy with a large informal sector. It does so by focusing on the effects that formal firms’ informal practices have on their competitors’ innovation activities, and the role of informal competition in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage in Greece.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139844858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leading countries and research networks advancing clean production and environmental sustainability in Southeast Asia","authors":"Shahryar Sorooshian, Navidreza Ahadi, Ahmed Zainul Abideen","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-06-2023-0165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-06-2023-0165","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to assess the response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cleaner production and environmental sustainability, with a specific focus on identifying the leading countries and research networks driving these efforts.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000A benchmarking academic journal was chosen, and the journal’s archive was comprehensively examined. To construct the data set, a conventional keyword search technique was applied in February 2023 to filter for ASEAN affiliations. The study used hybrid bibliometric analyses and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to analyze the collected data and address the research purpose.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The data analysis revealed a rising research trend, particularly after 2014. Malaysia had the most publications, followed by Thailand and Singapore, and their publications had the most cumulative citations among ASEAN countries. Research collaborations between Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore were frequent, but participation from other countries was low. The research topics on which ASEAN members focused were also identified, but it became apparent that there was little coordination. A scant few collaborations involving more than two countries were observed; thus, the MCDA analysis concluded that research leadership was absent in ASEAN countries.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This study contributes insights to the existing literature and offers a valuable overview of the research direction and collaboration status of cleaner production and environmental sustainability in the ASEAN region, thus benefiting policymakers. Additionally, this study introduces a novel approach combining bibliometrics analysis with MCDA to assess research collaboration, thus providing a novel methodology for future research policy evaluations.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139683651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-border mergers and acquisitions from emerging economy firms: a new channel for technology augmentation","authors":"Eunsuk Hong, J. Shin, Huan Zou","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0083","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Extending the springboard perspective with the resource dependence theory, the authors posit that cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a new channel for emerging economy firms (EEFs) to enhance their technology capabilities. This study aims to examine the impact of cross-border M&As initiated by EEFs on their technology augmentation vis-à-vis matched domestic M&A cases and investigate the factors influencing the difference in post-merger innovation capability.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This paper estimates the post-acquisition innovation capability of acquirers from emerging economies (EEs) that engage in cross-border M&As. To remove possible selection bias, the authors leverage a difference-in-difference-style approach in combination with a matched sample constructed by pairing each cross-border M&A case with a similar domestic deal. The data set contains 266 cross-border M&As and 266 matched domestic M&A deals between 2003 and 2011, whereby acquirers are based in 6 EEs and targets are in 36 countries consisting of both EEs and advanced economies (AEs).\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The present empirical results show that cross-border M&As engaged by EEFs are an important engine for improving EEFs’ innovation capability through technology augmentation. The main empirical results are as follows. First, compared with matched domestic acquirers with similar characteristics, EE cross-border M&As have a positive effect on innovation capability. Second, the positive effect of the EEFs’ cross-border M&As relative to the matched domestic M&As on innovation capability is driven largely by cross-border M&As with targets in AEs. Third, the increase in post-M&A innovation capability of the EE cross-border acquirers comes mainly from deals where targets are based in countries with relatively superior human capital and innovation capability than those of the acquirers.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first systematic study of whether cross-border M&As serve as an effective channel of technology augmentation for EE acquirers compared to matched domestic acquirers with similar characteristics.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140482854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inward foreign direct investment and domestic entrepreneurship in China: the moderating role of intellectual property infringement hazards","authors":"Na Liu, M. Bae, Keon Hee Lee","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0076","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The scholarly debate regarding the impact of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on entrepreneurship remains inconclusive. This study aims to tackle this discrepancy by positing that the relationship between inward FDI and entrepreneurship in the host nation is not deterministic but is moderated by intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement hazards. These hazards are postulated to dictate the level of knowledge spillovers from inward FDI, thereby affecting entrepreneurial activities.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This study uses panel data regression analysis using data spanning 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2018. The Hausman test results rejected the null hypothesis, recommending the use of the fixed-effects estimator over the random-effects one for statistical consistency. Therefore, the fixed-effects estimator is used to test the hypotheses.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The study’s analysis reveals that the main effect of inward FDI on entrepreneurship is statistically insignificant. However, once IPR infringement hazards are introduced to the model as a moderator, the main effect turns statistically positive and significant. Notably, the positive main effect diminishes as IPR infringement hazards increase.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000Highlighting the role of IPR infringement hazards as a moderator, this research unveils the nuanced relationship between inward FDI and entrepreneurship, thereby addressing the ongoing theoretical debate. This study demonstrates that knowledge spillovers from inward FDI are not automatic but depend on concerns about IPR infringements in the host nation. The resultant spillovers are then translated into entrepreneurial activities.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Why do MNE foreign subsidiaries differ in supply chain management capability, and how does it matter?","authors":"Mengmeng Wang, Shufeng (Simon) Xiao","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-03-2023-0081","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Despite the growing and widespread importance of exploring the primary factors facilitating global value chain (GVC) and supply chain management, this topic has received surprisingly little attention to date. Drawing upon the technology–organization–environment framework and the resource-based view, this study aims to fill these important gaps in the literature by theorizing and developing a comprehensive model to explain how a foreign subsidiary of multinational enterprises can improve the upgrading of the GVC and supply chain performance in a host market.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using survey data collected from 266 foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises operating in the Chinese manufacturing sector, this study empirically examines the theoretical framework using a structural equation modeling approach.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results demonstrated that the relative advantages of digital technology, supplier diversification and environmental uncertainty all contribute positively to the development of foreign subsidiaries’ supply chain management capabilities. Meanwhile, supply chain management capability plays a positive role in foreign subsidiaries facilitating GVC upgrading and enhancing supply chain performance.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The findings of this study provide many important implications and useful insights to foreign subsidiaries operating in an emerging host market by concentrating on how to develop and maintain their competitive advantages in the process of GVC reshaping and supply chain restructuring.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This study provides a useful guide to help firms better understand how they may develop and enhance their competitive advantages in upgrading their GVCs and implementing supply chain restructuring. In addition, this research generates important policy implications considering the recent trend toward creating more effective and sustainable global supply value chains.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139611878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Foreign aid impact on the economic growth of the Western Balkans during 2009–2021","authors":"Lir Hoxhaj, Driton Qehaja","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-09-2023-0217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-09-2023-0217","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of foreign aid in the Western Balkans countries’ economic growth between 2009 and 2021.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This paper uses a panel data approach to examine the effects of foreign aid on economic growth in the region and incorporates a random-effects model to accommodate the unique cross-country variations and time-specific factors, as well as a pooled OLS and fixed-effects model for a comprehensive, comparative analysis.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The in-depth regression analysis shows that foreign aid has not had a significant impact on the economic growth of the region. Further evidence suggests that trade openness exhibited a significant positive correlation with economic growth, while gross capital formation, although positively associated, did not significantly impact it, indicating the complexity of its role in the region’s economies.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The analysis presented in this study has significant practical implications, particularly for policymakers in the Western Balkans. Given the region’s ambitions for European Union membership and the challenges of high unemployment and inflation, understanding the role of foreign aid is crucial.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This research provides a unique contribution to the field of development economics by examining foreign aid effectiveness within the context of a region often overlooked in the literature. The analysis also offers fresh insights into the complex dynamics of foreign aid and its implications for policy and development strategies.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139439848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of financial inclusion and institutional factors on banking stability in developing countries","authors":"João Jungo, Mara Madaleno, A. Botelho","doi":"10.1108/ijdi-09-2023-0233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdi-09-2023-0233","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to examine the role of financial inclusion and institutional factors such as corruption and the rule of law (RL) on the credit risk and stability of banks.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The study considers a sample of 61 developing countries and uses very robust estimation techniques that allow controlling for endogeneity, heteroskedasticity and serial correlation, such as instrumental variables method in two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS), instrumental variables generalized method of moments (IV-GMM), as well as system of generalized methods of moments in two stages (Sys-2GMM).\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results confirm that financial inclusion and strengthening the RL can significantly contribute to reducing credit risk and improving the financial stability of banks; in contrast, the authors find that weak control of corruption aggravates credit risk. In addition, they found that greater competitiveness in the banking sector increases credit risk.\u0000\u0000\u0000Social implications\u0000This study supports the need to promote financial inclusion and strengthen institutional factors to improve the stability of the banking sector, as well as promote general well-being in the economy.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This study contributes to the scarce literature by simultaneously using institutional factors such as corruption and the RL and macroeconomic variables such as economic growth and inflation in the relationship between financial inclusion and the banking sector, as well as considering competitiveness as an explanatory factor for banks’ credit risk and stability.\u0000","PeriodicalId":37830,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Development Issues","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139379949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}