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on Arab World |
| By: | Cortuk, Orcan; Singh, Nirvikar |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we study the trilemma configuration of the Turkish economy. The paper starts by empirically testing the Mundell-Fleming theoretical concept of an “impossible trinity” (trilemma) for Turkey, following the Aizenman, Chinn and Ito (ACI) approach. This includes calculating the trilemma indices and investigating their evolution over the period of 1998Q1-2010Q4, which is split into sub-samples according to the Turkey’s macroeconomic policies. We also introduce alternative empirical techniques in order to deal with possible misspecification problems detected in the ACI approach. These techniques include employing additional terms in the regression, Two Stage Least Squares and Kalman filtering. These analyses show how contributions of financial integration and monetary independence have increased from the first period to the last, with corresponding limitations on exchange rate stability. The analysis continues by exploring the implications of changes in the trilemma indices for inflation. Accordingly, it reveals evidence that trilemma indices have impacts on inflation for the period of 2003-2010. Finally, it finds that there is a key role for international reserves as trilemma trade-offs and their effects on inflation can be mitigated with their accumulation. * |
| Keywords: | Trilemma; exchange rate stability; monetary independence; capital openness; reserve accumulation |
| JEL: | F15 F32 F41 F31 |
| Date: | 2011–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:35623&r=ara |
| By: | Elasrag, Hussein |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibilities and problems for establishment of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Egypt. The paper explores the nature and concept of CSR. As well as studying the activation of the corporate social responsibility role in the economic and social development of Egypt. |
| Keywords: | corporate social responsibility ; economic and social development ; Egypt |
| JEL: | M14 O1 |
| Date: | 2011–12–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:35599&r=ara |
| By: | Tansel, Aysit; Kan, Elif Oznur |
| Abstract: | Informality has long been a salient phenomenon in developing country labor markets, thus has been addressed in several theoretical and empirical research. Turkey, given its economic and demographic dynamics, provides rich evidence for a growing, heterogeneous and multifaceted informal labor market. However, the existing evidence on labor informality in Turkey is mixed and scant. Along these lines, we aim to extend the existing literature by providing a diagnosis of dynamic worker flows across distinct labor market states and identifying the effects of certain individual and job characteristics on variant mobility patterns. More specifically, we first develop and discuss a set of probability statistics based on annual worker transitions across distinct employment states utilizing Markov transition processes. As Bosch and Maloney (2007:3) argue: “labor status mobility can be assumed as a process in which changes in the states occur randomly through time, and probabilities of moves between particular states are governed by Markov transition matrices”. Towards this end, we will use the novel Income and Living Conditions Survey (SILC) panel data set to compute the transition probabilities of individuals moving across the labor market states of formal-salaried, informal-salaried, formal self-employed, informal self-employed, unemployed and inactive. The transitions analysis is conducted separately for two, three and four year panels pertaining to 2006 to 2007, 2006 to 2008 and 2006 to 2009 transitions; for total, male and female samples; and lastly for total and non-agricultural samples. In this way, we aim to contribute to the limited body of stylized facts available on mobility and informality in the Turkish labor market. Next, we conduct multinomial logit regressions individually for each set of panel to identify the impact of individual characteristics (i.e. gender, age, education level, work experience, sector of economic activity, firm size, number of other household members, having/not having children, rural/urban) underlying worker transitions. The results reveal several relationships between the covariates and likelihood of variant transitions, and are of remarkable importance for designing policy to adress labor informality and reduce its negative externalities. |
| Keywords: | Labor market dynamics; informality; Markov processes; multinomial logit; Turkey |
| JEL: | J63 J40 O17 J21 J24 |
| Date: | 2011–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:35672&r=ara |
| By: | Papps, Kerry L. (University of Bath) |
| Abstract: | Worker-level panel data are used to analyse the separate employment effects of increases in the social security taxes paid by employers and increases in the minimum wage in Turkey between 2002 and 2005. Variation over time and among low-wage workers in the ratio of total labour costs to the gross wage gives rise to a natural experiment. Regression estimates indicate that a given increase in social security taxes has a larger negative effect on the probability of a worker remaining employed in the next quarter than an equal-sized increase in the minimum wage. This result is incompatible with the textbook model of labour supply and demand and suggests that workers may increase effort in response to an increase in wages. Consistent with this explanation, it is found that groups with the least access to the informal sector experience the smallest disemployment effects of the minimum wage. |
| Keywords: | minimum wages, payroll taxes, employment, Turkey |
| JEL: | J32 |
| Date: | 2011–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6214&r=ara |
| By: | Aysit Tansel (Middle East Technical University, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Germany and Economic Research Forum (ERF), Egypt); Elif Oznur Kan (Cankaya University) |
| Abstract: | Informality has long been a salient phenomenon in developing country labor markets, thus has been addressed in several theoretical and empirical research. Turkey, given its economic and demographic dynamics, provides rich evidence for a growing, heterogeneous and multifaceted informal labor market. However, the existing evidence on labor informality in Turkey is mixed and scant. Along these lines, we aim to extend the existing literature by providing a diagnosis of dynamic worker flows across distinct labor market states and identifying the effects of certain individual and job characteristics on variant mobility patterns. More specifically, we first develop and discuss a set of probability statistics based on annual worker transitions across distinct employment states utilizing Markov transition processes. As Bosch and Maloney (2007:3) argue: “labor status mobility can be assumed as a process in which changes in the states occur randomly through time, and probabilities of moves between particular states are governed by Markov transition matrices”. Towards this end, we will use the novel Income and Living Conditions Survey (SILC) panel data set to compute the transition probabilities of individuals moving across the labor market states of formal-salaried, informal-salaried, formal self-employed, informal self-employed, unemployed and inactive. The transitions analysis is conducted separately for two, three and four year panels pertaining to 2006 to 2007, 2006 to 2008 and 2006 to 2009 transitions; for total, male and female samples; and lastly for total and non-agricultural samples. In this way, we aim to contribute to the limited body of stylized facts available on mobility and informality in the Turkish labor market. Next, we conduct multinomial logit regressions individually for each set of panel to identify the impact of individual characteristics (i.e. gender, age, education level, work experience, sector of economic activity, firm size, number of other household members, having/not having children, rural/urban) underlying worker transitions. The results reveal several relationships between the covariates and likelihood of variant transitions, and are of remarkable importance for designing policy to address labor informality and reduce its negative externalities. |
| Keywords: | Labor market dynamics, informality, Markov processes, multinomial logit, Turkey |
| JEL: | J21 J24 J40 J63 O17 |
| Date: | 2012–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:koc:wpaper:1201&r=ara |
| By: | Cizakca, Murat |
| Abstract: | This article assumes that within the next five years or so the bulk of the Islamic world will get rid of their dictators and aims to propose a blue print of governance for the newly emerging democracies. |
| Keywords: | Arab spring; Islam and democracy; Islam and economic development; rule of law; freedom of thought; secularism |
| JEL: | Z12 O53 O43 P50 P16 |
| Date: | 2011–12–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:35651&r=ara |
| By: | Cheriet, F. |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to present international partnerships issues in the Mediterranean agribusinesses through a survey of twenty operators located in five countries (France, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco) and involved in four food chains (cereals, milk, poultry, oilseeds). The survey was conducted between January and May 2010, through a series of face-to-face discussions with company executives of strategic and organizational different enterprises. These discussions have permitted to identify needs, opportunities and challenges that hinder such cooperative relations in the region. An analysis of key results led us to establish several types of businesses according to their profiles or to the nature of cooperative partners, and to the main difficulties encountered. ...French Abstract : L’objet de cet article est de présenter les enjeux des partenariats inter-entreprises agroalimentaires en Méditerranée à travers une enquête menée auprès d’une vingtaine d’opérateurs localisés dans cinq pays (France, Liban, Algérie, Tunisie, Maroc) et intervenant dans quatre filières agroalimentaires (céréales, lait, aviculture, oléagineux). Cette enquête a été conduite entre janvier et mai 2010, à travers une série d’entretiens en face à face avec des cadres dirigeants d’entreprises aux profils stratégiques et organisationnels distincts. Ces entretiens ont permis de recueillir les avis des industriels pour déterminer les besoins, les opportunités et les difficultés qui entravent de telles relations coopératives dans la région. L’analyse des principaux résultats a débouché sur l’établissement de plusieurs typologies d’entreprises selon leurs profils coopératifs ou la nature des partenaires recherchés, ainsi que les difficultés rencontrées. |
| Keywords: | PARTNERSHIPS; MEDITERRANEAN; AGRIBUSINESS; INDUSRY; COOPERATION; AGROALIMENTAIRE; MEDITERRANEE; FILIERE |
| JEL: | L21 L24 M16 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:umr:wpaper:201105&r=ara |