EconomiesPub Date : 2024-08-06DOI: 10.3390/economies12080202
Kostas Rontos, Dimitrios Antonoglou, Luca Salvati, Marco Maialetti, Georgios Kontogiannis
{"title":"Revisiting the Spatial Cycle: Intra-Regional Development Patterns and Future Population Dynamics in Metropolitan Athens, Greece","authors":"Kostas Rontos, Dimitrios Antonoglou, Luca Salvati, Marco Maialetti, Georgios Kontogiannis","doi":"10.3390/economies12080202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080202","url":null,"abstract":"Being intertwined with economic development, urbanization determines the present and future development path of regions and countries. The intimate relationship between urban expansion and economic development is of particular interest in the case of large regions with complex (and mostly non-linear) socio-demographic dynamics and a relevant primacy in the metropolitan system of a given country. Typical examples of advanced economies with settlement systems characterized by a high degree of city primacy are peripheral and disadvantaged European countries such as Portugal and Greece. For instance, the administrative region of Attica—centered on Athens, the Greek capital city—represents the largest metropolitan area of the country, hosting almost 3.8 million inhabitants in 2021 (36.2% of the Greek population). In this context, this study investigates the internal redistribution of the resident population in metropolitan Athens and the progressive development of satellite cities over a relatively longtime interval, testing the assumptions of the Spatial Cycle Theory (SCT) between 1951 and 2021 and predicting future development paths up to 2051. To investigate past, present, and future intra-regional population trends, we used data released from decadal (1951–2021) censuses and demographic forecasts for the years 2031, 2041, and 2051. Being in line with the SCT, the empirical results of our study document how demographic dynamics of individual centers influence largely—and independently—the long-term development of metropolitan regions, both with policy/planning regulation and in conditions of non-intervention (spontaneous urban growth).","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141947803","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-08-05DOI: 10.3390/economies12080200
Agung Suwandaru, Widhiyo Sudiyono, Ahmed Shawdari, Yuntawati Fristin
{"title":"Understanding the Economic Drivers of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: An Econometric Analysis","authors":"Agung Suwandaru, Widhiyo Sudiyono, Ahmed Shawdari, Yuntawati Fristin","doi":"10.3390/economies12080200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080200","url":null,"abstract":"This study analyses macroeconomic trends in Southeast Asian countries and their implications for climate change, focusing on urbanisation, GDP per capita, energy intensity, FDI, inflation, and trade. Using panel data from 1970 to 2020, we investigate climate change drivers across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand through panel ARDL with PMG and MG analyses, along with Hausman tests. Our results highlight the need for tailored urbanisation policies for sustainability, as the consistent positive correlation between GDPs per capita and emissions, underscores the challenge of decoupling economic growth from emissions. Urbanisation’s varying impact calls for proactive planning, and mixed FDI results suggest nuanced investment approaches aligned with sustainability. Inflation’s negative impact hints at environmental benefits during price increases, necessitating integrated economic and climate policies. The positive relationship between trade openness and emissions emphasises the need for eco-conscious trade agreements to mitigate emissions from industrial activity. Our study stresses the importance of considering macroeconomic heterogeneity in crafting climate policies. Policymakers must adopt multifaceted approaches that prioritise sustainability across economic growth, energy efficiency, technology adoption, and trade to balance development with environmental preservation. This approach enables Southeast Asian countries to contribute effectively to global climate change mitigation.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141947801","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-08-01DOI: 10.3390/economies12080199
Faozi A. Almaqtari
{"title":"The Role of IT Governance in the Integration of AI in Accounting and Auditing Operations","authors":"Faozi A. Almaqtari","doi":"10.3390/economies12080199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080199","url":null,"abstract":"IT governance is a framework that manages the efficient use of information technology within an organization, focusing on strategic alignment, risk management, resource management, performance measurement, compliance, and value delivery. This study investigates the role of IT governance in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in accounting and auditing operations. Data were collected from 228 participants from Saudi Arabia using a combination of convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods. The collected data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling. Unexpectedly, the results demonstrate that AI, big data analytics, cloud computing, and deep learning technologies significantly enhance accounting and auditing functions’ efficiency and decision-making capabilities, leading to improved financial reporting and audit processes. The results highlight that IT governance plays a crucial role in managing the complexities of AI integration, aligning business strategies with AI-enabled technologies, and facilitating these advancements. This research fills a gap in previous research and adds significantly to the academic literature by improving the understanding of integrating AI into accounting and auditing processes. It builds on existing theoretical frameworks by investigating the role of IT governance in promoting AI adoption. The findings provide valuable insights for accounting and auditing experts, IT specialists, and organizational leaders. The study provides practical insights on deploying AI-driven technology in organizations to enhance auditing procedures and financial reporting. In a societal context, it highlights the broader implications of AI on transparency, accountability, and trust in financial reporting. Finally, the study offers practitioners, policymakers, and scholars valuable insights on leveraging AI advancements to optimize accounting and auditing operations. It highlights IT governance as an essential tool for effectively integrating AI technologies in accounting and auditing operations. However, successful implementation encounters significant organizational challenges like organizational support, training, data sovereignty, and regulatory compliance.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141882808","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-31DOI: 10.3390/economies12080198
Lena Bedawi Elfadli Elmonshid, Omer Ahmed Sayed
{"title":"The Relationship between Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development in Saudi Arabia: A Comprehensive Perspective","authors":"Lena Bedawi Elfadli Elmonshid, Omer Ahmed Sayed","doi":"10.3390/economies12080198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080198","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Saudi Arabia from 2006 to 2022, focusing on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, the research investigates both short-run and long-run dynamics to understand how entrepreneurial activities influence sustainable development within the framework of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative. The findings indicate that entrepreneurship significantly contributes to economic growth through job creation and innovation, thereby aiding in the diversification of the economy away from oil dependency. Socially, entrepreneurial initiatives have a positive impact on gender equality and social inclusion by empowering women and integrating youth into the labor market. Environmentally, entrepreneurship helps reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainable business practices. Despite these positive outcomes, challenges such as regulatory barriers, limited access to finance, and the need for a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem remain. Recommendations include enhancing entrepreneurial education, providing financial incentives, and streamlining regulatory processes to better support start-ups and SMEs. This study highlights the necessity of addressing these challenges to fully realize the potential of entrepreneurship for sustainable development in Saudi Arabia. By providing empirical evidence on the significant role of entrepreneurship in driving sustainable development, this research offers actionable insights for policymakers aiming to foster a more resilient and diversified economy in line with Vision 2030.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"195 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141863995","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-29DOI: 10.3390/economies12080196
Hideaki Endo, Mika Goto
{"title":"Cost Inefficiency of Japanese Railway Companies and Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic and Digital Transformation","authors":"Hideaki Endo, Mika Goto","doi":"10.3390/economies12080196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080196","url":null,"abstract":"The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected railway businesses. The motivation of this study is to provide vital information to railway company management and policymakers by quantitatively assessing the cost efficiency of railway operations. We examine the efficiency of Japanese listed railway companies by applying stochastic frontier analysis to their operational and financial data from 2005 to 2020. Then, we classify the companies into four groups by cost efficiency levels and identify the characteristics of the best-practice companies. Furthermore, we analyze the factors influencing cost efficiency before and during the pandemic. Finally, we discuss the sustainable business practices and measures of digital transformation (DX) that can be applied to improve efficiency and survive severe events like the pandemic. From the results, we reveal that cost-efficient companies succeeded in securing profits through the creation of new services by proactive DX investments. The practical contributions of this study are threefold: quantifying the deterioration in efficiency due to the pandemic; identifying characteristics of best-practice companies; and examining the relationship between cost efficiency levels and concrete measures and investments for sustainable business practices. This study proposes a new analytical framework that combines conventional methods.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141863997","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-29DOI: 10.3390/economies12080197
J. Adolfo Hinojosa Pérez, Hernán Ricardo Briceño Avalos, Ivonne Yanete Vargas Salazar, Christian Sergio Carrasco Mamani
{"title":"Social Programs and Socioeconomic Variables: Their Impact on Peruvian Regional Poverty (2013–2022)","authors":"J. Adolfo Hinojosa Pérez, Hernán Ricardo Briceño Avalos, Ivonne Yanete Vargas Salazar, Christian Sergio Carrasco Mamani","doi":"10.3390/economies12080197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080197","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this research is to establish the extent to which social programs and socioeconomic variables have been influencing poverty in the 24 Peru regions (2013–2022). The study is quantitative, non-experimental, and correlational. We use secondary data obtained from official sources such as the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as the Peruvian Institute of Economics. For estimations, we use the Generalized Method of Moments System and dynamic panel data. The results indicate that Juntos, Pensión 65, Qali Warma, and Trabaja Perú social programs, with p-values of 0.383, 0.715, 0.681, and 0.870, respectively, have not had favorable impacts on reducing poverty. On the contrary, negative coefficients for human capital and physical infrastructure mean that improving them will reduce poverty at the regional level. A year more in schooling for the population aged over 15 years reduces poverty between 1.7% and 1.2%. Increasing 10% of the proportion of national roads in paved condition reduces poverty levels between 1.9% and 2.4%.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141863998","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-25DOI: 10.3390/economies12080195
Adis Puška, Miroslav Nedeljković, Branislav Dudić, Anđelka Štilić, Alexandra Mittelman
{"title":"Improving Agricultural Sustainability in Bosnia and Herzegovina through Renewable Energy Integration","authors":"Adis Puška, Miroslav Nedeljković, Branislav Dudić, Anđelka Štilić, Alexandra Mittelman","doi":"10.3390/economies12080195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080195","url":null,"abstract":"With the development of agricultural production, the demand for electricity correspondingly increases. To sustainably meet this demand, renewable energy sources (RESs) can be utilized. This paper explores the application of RES alternatives in agriculture to provide guidelines for enhancing sustainable agricultural practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study employs expert decision making using fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods. A decision-making model incorporating nine criteria and six alternatives was developed. Using the direct weight calculation (DiWeC) approach, the findings indicate that economic criteria are prioritized over other sustainability criteria. The results from the fuzzy RAWEC (ranking of alternatives with weights of criteria) method reveal that solar energy has the greatest potential for advancing sustainable agricultural production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For practical implementation of RES alternatives, active involvement from state institutions and local communities is essential.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141777222","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3390/economies12080192
Bedassa Tadesse, Elias K. Shukralla, Bichaka Fayissa
{"title":"Does Mainstreamed Aid Advance Gender Parity? Insights from Empirical Evidence","authors":"Bedassa Tadesse, Elias K. Shukralla, Bichaka Fayissa","doi":"10.3390/economies12080192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080192","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the effectiveness of gender-mainstreamed aid in mitigating gender inequality. We develop a robust theoretical model that accounts for the potential positive and perceived negative effects of shifts toward gender parity, capturing diverse societal perspectives. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset on aid activities focused on gender (in)equality and women’s empowerment across 118 countries from 2009 to 2022, primarily low-income nations, we employ panel fixed-effects and mixed-effects random coefficient models to examine the impact of gender-related aid on gender inequality. Our findings reveal that significant gender-related aid (SGRA), which integrates gender considerations into broader development projects, reduces gender inequality in 115 out of 118 countries. In contrast, principal gender-related aid (PGRA), which explicitly targets gender equality, shows significant effects in only 85 countries. When analyzing the effects of both components of gender-related aid, we find that SGRA consistently impacts gender inequality. However, the effectiveness of PGRA becomes less clear-cut. This observation, coupled with the variation in the effectiveness of the components across countries, underscores the importance of developing strategies tailored to country-specific needs and conditions in promoting gender parity effectively.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141777224","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3390/economies12080191
Olajide O. Oyadeyi
{"title":"Financial Development, Monetary Policy, and the Monetary Transmission Mechanism—An Asymmetric ARDL Analysis","authors":"Olajide O. Oyadeyi","doi":"10.3390/economies12080191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080191","url":null,"abstract":"This paper’s objective is to examine the asymmetric cointegration and asymmetric effects of financial development and monetary policy on monetary transmission mechanisms in the Nigerian context using annual data spanning the period from 1986 to 2023. This study pushes the frontiers of knowledge by providing information on the nonlinear impacts of monetary policy and financial sector innovations on monetary transmission mechanisms in Nigeria to help policymakers tailor their strategies to local conditions, enhancing the effectiveness of monetary interventions in the economy. To achieve this, this paper adopted nonlinear ARDL models to understand how changes in the direction of monetary policy and developments in the financial system induce changes in the transmission of monetary policy. The findings document the existence of asymmetries in both the short and long run, revealing that the impacts of financial development and monetary policy on the different monetary policy channels are not uniform. These asymmetries indicate that the responses of various economic variables to monetary policy actions differ depending on the level of financial development. These findings underscore the complexity of the monetary transmission mechanism and the necessity for a nuanced understanding of how financial development and monetary policy interact in different contexts. Consequently, this finding is symptomatic of some characteristics of those financial markets on their way toward advanced developments. As the financial system matures, monetary policy may have a greater impact on the cost of short-term funding for banks without having any discernible effect on the rates at which businesses and households access funding. Therefore, this paper recommends focusing on the policies that will foster the financial system across the banking sector, capital market, bond market, and overall financial sector to improve the efficiency of the monetary transmission process.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141777223","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}
EconomiesPub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3390/economies12080193
Milos Milosavljevic, Marina Ignjatovic, Željko Spasenić, Nemanja Milanović, Aleksandar Đoković
{"title":"Is There a Link between Tax Administration Performance and Tax Evasion?","authors":"Milos Milosavljevic, Marina Ignjatovic, Željko Spasenić, Nemanja Milanović, Aleksandar Đoković","doi":"10.3390/economies12080193","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12080193","url":null,"abstract":"The performance of tax administrations (TAs) is usually described as their capacity to complete activities with the minimum of resources engaged. Accordingly, tax administration performance is a multifaceted phenomenon, and measuring and benchmarking its performance against other countries or regions remains a puzzle for researchers and practitioners. This paper introduces a new approach for measuring tax administration performance using the Composite I-Distance Indicator (CIDI) based on 11 individual performance measures from 35 European tax administrations over two consecutive years (2018–2019). For the given scores of tax administrations, we conducted a correlation analysis with (a) tax evasion loss and (b) the fiscal deficit of countries in which these tax administrations operate, aiming to assess the strength of the statistical relationship between these variables. The study highlights Denmark and the Netherlands as exemplary models for tax administration, with “Revenue Collection” being identified as a crucial driver of excellence and “Operational Performance” (such as “e-filing” and “on-time filing”) forming critical aspects of TA efficiency. Also, the study finds a negative correlation between tax avoidance and tax administration performance.","PeriodicalId":52214,"journal":{"name":"Economies","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141777225","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}