nep-ara New Economics Papers
on MENA - Middle East and North Africa
Issue of 2016‒10‒16
nineteen papers chosen by
Paul Makdissi
Université d’Ottawa

  1. What Do Educational Superintendents Think About Mathematics Reform in Turkey? By Muammer Yildiz; Renan Sezer; Aysegul Bayraktar; Zeynep Akkurt Denizli; Necdet Guner
  2. The Size of Informal Economy and Demand Elasticity Estimates Using Full Price Approach: A Case Study for Turkey By Armagan Tuna Aktuna-Gunes; François Gardes; Christophe Starzec
  3. Advance Warning Indicators of Past Severe GDP per Capita Recessions in Turkey By Oliver Röhn
  4. Gender, Subjective well-being and capabilities: an application to the Moroccan Youth By Mehdi Khouaja; Noémie Olympio; Gwendoline Promsopha
  5. Economic growth in Iran through labor productivity growth By Nazak Nobari; Mahmoud Askari Azad
  6. Short term Bayesian inflation forecasting for Tunisia By Dahem, Ahlem
  7. On the Number of Social Reforms in MENA Economies By Christophe Muller; Klarizze Anne Martin Puzon
  8. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN TURKEY AFTER THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS By Mustafa Göktuğ Kaya; Perihan Hazel Kaya
  9. The links between crude oil prices and GCC stock markets: Evidence from time-varying Granger causality tests By Mehmet Balcilar; Rangan Gupta; Ýsmail H. Gençb
  10. ECONOMICS OF REGULATION: CREDIT RATIONING AND EXCESS LIQUIDITY By Hyejin Cho
  11. Environmental Degradation, Energy consumption, Population Density and Economic Development in Lebanon: A time series Analysis (1971-2014) By Audi, Marc; Ali, Amjad
  12. Financial impact of certifications to management system standards: Evidence from Tunisian listed companies By Omri imen
  13. Economic Transition in Algeria: A Review in Wake of the Recent Oil Crisis By Abdelkader Nouibat
  14. Daily Currency Interventions in Emerging Markets: Incorporating Reserve Accumulation By Murat Midiliç; Michael Frömmel
  15. Economic growth and energy consumption in Iran: an ARDL approach including renewable and non-renewable energies By Mohamad Taghvaee, Vahid; Mavuka, Clever; Khodaparast Shirazi, Jalil
  16. The Effect Of Logistic Businesses’ Green Warehouse Management Practices On Business Performance By GOKHAN AKANDERE
  17. Influence of Family Role on Political Participation Intention among University Students in the State of Kuwait By ABEER E. J. S. ALDUWAILA
  18. Principals' Transformational Leadership Behaviours in Public Secondary Schools in the State of Kuwait: A Comparison between Male and Female Principals By ALIAH ALDUWAILAH
  19. Symbioses Port-Ville pour un meilleur ancrage local des activités industrialo-portuaires : l’exemple de Safi au Maroc By Myriam Donsimoni

  1. By: Muammer Yildiz (Turkish Ministry of Education); Renan Sezer (Ankara University); Aysegul Bayraktar (Ankara University); Zeynep Akkurt Denizli (Ankara University); Necdet Guner (Pamukkale University)
    Abstract: Starting in 2004-2005 Turkish education system went through a reform starting with elementary school and moving up to all levels. The middle school (grades 6-8) mathematics curriculum in Turkey also changed in terms of its content, emphasis and pedagogy. This study aims to evaluate and compare the current curriculum with that used prior to 2005. Superintendents (n=47) working in Istanbul, participated in the study. Data of the study was collected through a questionnaire developed by the researchers based on related literature and experts’ opinions. The questionnaire consisted of 10 open-ended, eight multiple-choice and 31 Likert type questions.According to the study findings, 80% of the superintendents agreed that with the mathematical activities offered in the new curriculum students develop critical thinking skills. Additionally, 85% of them agreed that the said mathematical activities develop independent thinking skills. Of the superintendents 87% agreed that students engage in higher order thing skills during these activities. Only 9% of the superintendents thought that various teaching methods are being used in schools. Also 24% of the superintendents and 26% of them agree that teachers and students respectively had adopted to their new roles defined by the constructivist pedagogy. One major finding was that 18% of the superintendents agreed that the national curriculum takes the socio-economic level of students whereas that percentage was 13 with respect to the infrastructure of schools. Compared to the previous mathematics program, 47% of the superintendents thought that the new program was more successful in teaching mathematics. Furthermore 18% of the superintendents agreed that class size does not affect the applicability of the curriculum. Even though, half of the superintendents (49%) thought that teachers followed the new program’s recommendations in planning their lessons, 82% of them wrote that the most commonly used teaching method was lecturing. Thus, only 26% of them observed that the recommended teachings methods were used in classrooms. Moreover, 38% of the superintendents mentioned that teachers continued using conventional teaching methods; 15% of them voiced concern that parents, students, principals and even teachers did not truly accept the pedagogy endorsed by the new program. Though the new program puts an emphasis on use of mathematics in daily life, 19% of the superintendents found this aspect lacking in application. The findings of this study might be useful in future revisions and implementations of the national mathematics program.
    Keywords: Mathematics reform, superintendents, mathematics curriculum evaluation, mathematics education in Turkey
    JEL: I29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106815&r=ara
  2. By: Armagan Tuna Aktuna-Gunes (PSE - Paris School of Economics, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); François Gardes (PSE - Paris School of Economics, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Christophe Starzec (PSE - Paris School of Economics, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: In this article, the size of informal economy is measured by using the full price method proposed by Gardes F. (2014). As an extension of this method, price elasticities are re-estimated by integrating the underreported earning shares both for wage workers and self-employers from cross-sectional data covering 2003-2006 in Turkey. The contribution of this paper is threefold: The size of informal economy is estimated by a statistical matching of the Turkish Family Budget and Time Use surveys through a complete demand system including full prices. Second, more accurate price and income elasticities are estimated by using the monetary incomes from informal activities for an emerging economy such as Turkey. Third, extended full price estimation of demand elasticities allow us to discover for which consumption group households are more likely to engage in informal work.
    Abstract: Dans cet article, la taille de l'économie informelle est estimée en utilisant la méthode du prix complet proposée par Gardes F. (2014). Les élasticités de prix sont estimées en intégrant les parties sous-déclarés des revenus des travailleurs indépendants et salariés en utilisant des données transversales couvrant 2003-2006 en Turquie. La contribution de cet article est triple : la taille de l'économie informelle est estimée par l'appariement statistique des enquêtes turques sur le Budget des Familles avec l'enquête sur l'Emploi du Temps en intégrant les prix complets dans le système complet de demande. Deuxièmement, les élasticités des prix et de revenu sont estimées plus justement en élargissant les ressources monétaires avec les parts des revenus provenant des activités informelles, pour une économie émergente comme la Turquie. Troisièmement, cette dernière nous permet de découvrir pour quels groupes de consommation sont les ménages plus susceptibles de s'engager dans le travail informel.
    Keywords: informal economy,complete demand system,full prices,demand elasticity,économie informelle,système complet de demande,prix complets,élasticités de demande
    Date: 2014–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01149595&r=ara
  3. By: Oliver Röhn
    Abstract: The global financial crisis and its high economic and social costs have revived academic and policy interest in “early warning indicators” of crises. This paper aims to investigate the performance of vulnerability indicators as advance warning indicators of past severe GDP per capita recessions in Turkey. It draws on the recently established database of vulnerability indicators (Röhn et al., 2015) and employs the signalling approach as in Hermansen and Röhn (2015) complemented by visual inspections to detect vulnerability indicators that performed particularly well in the Turkish context. The evidence suggests that an index of the global stock market performs extremely well in the Turkish context. This index, which could be interpreted as a proxy for the risk appetite of global investors, exceeded its critical threshold before almost all past severe GDP per capita recessions in Turkey while sending only very few false alarms. Among domestic indicators, large positive deviations of household credit and the domestic stock market from trend also perform relatively well in signalling subsequent past severe GDP per capita recessions. The evidence is broadly robust to considering a more homogenous set of lower income OECD countries when defining the critical thresholds. Indicateurs d'alerte des récessions sévères passées en Turquie La crise financière mondiale et ses coûts économiques et sociaux élevés ont ravivé l'intérêt académique et politique pour les « indicateurs d'alerte rapide » des crises. Ce document vise à étudier la performance des indicateurs de vulnérabilité comme indicateurs d'alerte des récessions sévères passées en Turquie. Il se fonde sur un nouvel ensemble d'indicateurs de vulnérabilité récemment établi (Röhn et al., 2015), et emploie la méthode de signalisation utilisée dans Hermansen et Röhn (2015), complétée par des inspections visuelles pour détecter des indicateurs de vulnérabilité ayant particulièrement bien fonctionné dans le contexte turc. Les résultats indiquent que l'indice du marché boursier mondial performe extrêmement bien dans le cas turc. Cet indice, qui pourrait être interprété comme un proxy de l'appétit pour le risque des investisseurs mondiaux, a dépassé son seuil critique avant presque toutes les récessions sévères passées en Turquie. Il a envoyé très peu de fausses alarmes. Parmi les indicateurs intérieurs, de grands écarts positifs des crédits aux ménages, et du marché boursier par rapport aux tendances fonctionnent aussi relativement bien. Les résultats sont dans l’ensemble robustes à la considération d’un ensemble plus homogène de pays à faible revenu de l'OCDE dans la définition des seuils critiques.
    Keywords: resilience, imbalances, recession, crisis
    JEL: E32 E44 E51 F47 O5
    Date: 2016–10–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1334-en&r=ara
  4. By: Mehdi Khouaja (LEST - Laboratoire d'économie et de sociologie du travail - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille 2 - Université de Provence - Aix-Marseille 1 - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Noémie Olympio (LEST - Laboratoire d'économie et de sociologie du travail - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille 2 - Université de Provence - Aix-Marseille 1 - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, ESPE AMU - Ecole supérieure du professorat et de l'éducation - Aix Marseille - AMU - Aix Marseille Université); Gwendoline Promsopha (LEST - Laboratoire d'économie et de sociologie du travail - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille 2 - Université de Provence - Aix-Marseille 1 - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: Our paper investigates how gender shapes youth's aspirations, subjective well-being and capabilities in Morocco. We compare two different informational basis in analysing gender inequalities: the subjective well-being framework, and the capability approach. To do so we propose to operationalize capabilities through mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) based on: 1. Qualitative data that we collected in Morocco and 2. An innovative dataset collected by the Office of Economic Cooperation for Mediterranean and Middle East (OCEMO), among 1333 young Moroccan individuals aged 15-35 living in rural and urban areas of the Marrakesh region. Our results suggest that subjective well-being poorly reflects gender inequalities among Moroccan youths, as it does not consider adaptive preferences. Capabilities indicators perform much better as they account for both the capability to choose a lifestyle, and the ability to fulfill one's choice; i.e. spaces of freedom. The paper also reveals the striking significance of adaptive preferences among rural young women; as well as the frustrations among young educated men resulting from an inability to fulfill a chosen lifestyle. Gender justice and capabilities-as the freedom to choose and to turn opportunities into valuable outcome-indeed appear significant in understanding the structural transformations of the Moroccan society.
    Keywords: gender, happiness economics,Capabilities, subjective well-being, youth, Morocco
    Date: 2016–08–26
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01356682&r=ara
  5. By: Nazak Nobari (Management and Planning Organization of Iran); Mahmoud Askari Azad (Free Researcher)
    Abstract: Economic growth is a fundamental measurement to assess a country's performance and productivity. For this reason, growth and productivity are in policy agenda of many countries especially success economic countries. Based on some studies and reports (e.g., those by UK parliament, 2016; OECD, 2012), labor productivity in developed countries is analyzed and considered as a secondary economic growth. In this study, we investigated the relationship between economic growth and change of labor productivity in Iran and their challenges. Our object was to answer to two questions: 1) Is any relationship between level of GPD and labor productivity in Iran? ; 2) What are the driving forces (effective factors) behind the growth of labor productivity?To answer to question 1, economic data from national and international information bank gathered. Relation between GDP and labor productivity examined by calculating some ratios and finally, trends and behavioral patterns analyzed. Patterns drew on Iran’s economic status compared with 10 other countries in regional category (such as USA, Japan, Turkey, and France). Therefore, the study findings revealed that there is a direct relationship between GDP and labor productivity In Iran. To answer to the question 2, initially we developed a conceptual model based on theories and considered labor productivity as complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon (Economic and social dimensions) and assumed labor productivity as a function of internal (organizational) and external (environmental) factors. According to find effective factors, a questionnaire based on conceptual model designed and before evaluating the reliability and validity of questionnaire, it reviewed with 15 academic and professionals. Data collected through questionnaires that distributed to 250 managers and employees from government and non-government sectors.Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) employed, which reported significant and positive relationship between the labor productivity and driving forces such as: competitiveness, size of government sector, unemployment, corruption, social security system (external factors) and Wage/salary, work culture, employee adaptability, employee knowledge and skill, team working, performance appraisal system, career management (internal factors). Whereas, the association between labor productivity and some variables such as sex, age, post and position, sector were not supported. Eventually, challenges based on driving forces that are identified as more effective, discussed.As conclusion findings can be applied by policy makers and managers to make policies to improve labor productivity and increase economic growth rate in Iran.
    Keywords: labor productivity, Economic Growth, Effective Factors, Modeling, planning
    JEL: J24 O53 O20
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106582&r=ara
  6. By: Dahem, Ahlem
    Abstract: In order to explain clearly inflation forecasting and the dynamic of Tunisian prices, this paper uses two econometric approaches, the Standard VAR and Bayesian VAR (BVAR), to assess three models for predicting inflation, the mark-up model, the monetary model and Phillips curve over the period 1990 Q1 – 2013 Q4. In order to compare predictions, an out-of-sample estimation was conducted. We used the structural break test of Bai & Perron (1998, 2003) and the RMSE criterion for both inflation indices: CPI and PPI. We found that the Bayesian VECM mark-up model is best suited to forecast inflation for Tunisia. Our conclusions corroborate the literature of Bayesian VAR forecasting. Our findings indicate that the models which incorporate more economic information outperform the benchmark autoregressive models (AR (1) and AR (2)). The results reveal that forecasting with the BVECM markup model leads to a reduction in forecasting error compared to the other models. The results of the study are relevant to decision-makers to predict inflation in the short- and long-terms in Tunisia and may help them adopt the appropriate strategies to contain inflation.
    Keywords: Bayesian VAR - Bayesian VECM - Inflation forecasting - Mark-up Model - Monetary Model - Phillips Curve
    JEL: C11 C51 C53 E31 E37
    Date: 2015–09–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:66702&r=ara
  7. By: Christophe Muller (AMSE - Aix-Marseille School of Economics - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - Ecole Centrale de Marseille - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales); Klarizze Anne Martin Puzon (AMSE - Aix-Marseille School of Economics - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - Ecole Centrale de Marseille - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales)
    Abstract: By constructing a novel measure on the frequency of changes in social protection policies, we provide preliminary, yet new evidence on the determinants of social security reforms in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. This fills a gap in literature where analyses of MENA social policies have been lacking due to limited data. Using panel data for seventeen countries from 1961 to 2015, we estimate RE Poisson regression models. Our results indicate that growth in national income and the frequency of social reform in MENA countries are related, first positively for low growth rates, then negatively for high growth rates. This finding is completed by the negative effects of oil production and of the population size on the number of social reforms. Among the avenues of interpretation we examined - investment model, social objectives pursued by the government, and socio-political equilibrium - this is the first one which seems to be better able to fit our results, accompanied by political disturbances.
    Keywords: social protection,welfare programs,Middle-East and North-Africa
    Date: 2016–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01341184&r=ara
  8. By: Mustafa Göktuğ Kaya (The Ministry of Finance, Tax Inspector Association); Perihan Hazel Kaya (Selcuk University)
    Abstract: With the globalization process, economic, commercial and technological boundaries have become uncertain and in this way capital transfer has been possible between different countries. Capital transfers which is realized through short term portfolio investment and foreign direct investment are very important for the countries. In this study on existence of a potential relationship between economic growth (GDP) and foreign direct investment (FDI) was examined fort he period of 2008-2015 quarterly for Turkish economy after the global financial crisis. the mentioned relationship was investigated using stationary, test, Johansen-Juselius co-entegration test, Granger causality test and variance decomposition. As a result, Granger causality test, variance decomposition showed that there exit a uni-directional causality relation running from GDP to FDI.
    Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Economic Growth, Turkish Economy, Co-Entegration Test
    JEL: A10 C01 E00
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106831&r=ara
  9. By: Mehmet Balcilar (Department of Economics, Eastern Mediterranean University); Rangan Gupta (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria); Ýsmail H. Gençb (Department of Economics School of Business Management American University of Sharjah)
    Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of crude oil price movements on the stock markets of Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries using weekly data for the period of February 2, 1994-February 26, 2010.
    Keywords: Oil Price; Stock Market; Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries;Markov Switching Model; Time-Varying Granger-causality
    JEL: E44 Q43 C32
    Date: 2016–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:emu:wpaper:15-30.pdf&r=ara
  10. By: Hyejin Cho (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: In examining the global imbalance by the excess liquidity level, the argument is whether commercial banks want to hold excess reserves for the precautionary aim or expect to get better return through risky decision. By pictorial representations, risk preference in the Machina's triangle (1982, 1987) encapsulates motivation to hold excess liquidity. This paper introduces an endogenous liquidity model for the financial sector where the imbalance argument comes from credit rationing extended from outside liquidity (Holmstrom and Tirole, 2011). We also conduct a stylistic analysis of excess liquidity in Jordan and Lebanon from 1993 to 2015. As such, the proposed model exemplifies the combination of credit, liquidity and regulation.
    Keywords: credit rationing, excess liquidity, inside liquidity, risk preference, machina triangle JEL: D81,E58,L51
    Date: 2016–07–15
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-01375423&r=ara
  11. By: Audi, Marc; Ali, Amjad
    Abstract: This study has investigated the impact of energy consumption, financial development, economic development, population density and secondary school education on environmental degradation in Lebanon over the period of 1974 to 2014. ADF unit root test and ARDL bound test method of co-integration have been used for empirical analysis. The results show that energy consumption, financial development and population density have positive and significant relationship with environmental degradation in Lebanon. The results show that economic development has positive but insignificant relationship with environmental degradation. The results show that secondary school education has negative and significant relationship with environmental degradation in Lebanon. The estimated results show that for reducing environmental degradation, the Lebanese government should increase energy efficient methods of production as well as increase the educational level.
    Keywords: economic development, population density, environmental degradation
    JEL: O1 Q53 Q56
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:74286&r=ara
  12. By: Omri imen (Laboratory of Economics and Applied Finance, IHEC, University of Carthage)
    Abstract: Certifications to management system standards (ISO 9000, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, etc.) are a widespread benchmark for thousands of organizations around the world. A number of studies have been carried out in order to analyze the impact of these certifications over companies’ performance. However, conclusions reached so far have been of a contradictory nature. The real benefits of these certifications continue to raise the debates and the different results show that the effect of certifications to management system standards on firms’ performance remains to be explored specially in terms of financial improvement. The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between certifications to management system standards and Tunisian companies’ financial performance covering the period 2010-2014. Such a study is likely to provide a useful insight to managers since the process of achieving and maintaining these certifications involves costs and time. The results find that there is no evidence that improvements in performance follow certifications and certified firms do not present higher performance than those that are not certified.
    Keywords: Financial Performance, Operating Performance, Certifications, ISO, Propensity Score Matching
    JEL: C19 G39 L25
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iefpro:4206838&r=ara
  13. By: Abdelkader Nouibat (University of M'sila)
    Abstract: The sudden and sharp fall in oil prices, in the summer of 2014, triggered a new debate about the ‘bleak future’ that awaits Algeria. Many asked whether the country would experience another economic and political crisis similar to that of the 1980s. In the ongoing debate, some blame the failure of the state for not having a clear and conscience economic policy to deal with this multidimensional crisis, while others refer to the inadequacies of the reforms put in place for the country’s transition from socialism to a market economy as the cause of the crisis. Proponents of the economic argument, see the recent crisis in Algeria as a manifestation of the contradiction between the accumulated wealth and the dire economic situation that the country periodically finds itself in because of the instability of oil prices. Political views, on the other hand, differ according to political affiliations, however most political parties call for a “smooth transition†in order to enhance the existing democratic practices and put the country’s economy on the “right truck.†This paper will not try to foresee Algeria’s near future, but rather to look back at the experience of the country in terms of (1) the economic and political conditions under which the country made its transition from ‘socialism’ to ‘market socialism’, then its struggle to make the transition from ‘market socialism’ to a ‘market economy’, (2) the reform programs that were deemed necessary to make these transitions, and (3) the economic and political dynamics behind the failure of these reforms that many hoped they would help Algeria to become industrialized nation in the 1980s and an emergent country in the first decade of this century.
    Keywords: Algeria, Dutch Disease, Economic Reforms, Economic Transition, Market Socialism, Market Economy,
    JEL: O20 P27 P35
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106712&r=ara
  14. By: Murat Midiliç (Ghent University); Michael Frömmel (Ghent University)
    Abstract: This study considers international reserve management motivation of emerging market central banks in foreign exchange market interventions. Emerging market central banks use currency intervention as a policy tool against exchange rate movements and accumulate international reserves as an insurance against sudden-stops in capital flows. To account for both of these motivations, a model of infrequent interventions only with exchange rates is extended to include international reserves-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio at the daily frequency. Daily values of the ratio are forecast using the Mixed Data Sampling (MIDAS) model and exchange rate returns. The model is estimated by using the floating exchange rate regime period data of Turkey. Compared with the benchmark model, it is shown that the MIDAS model does a better job in the forecasting of the reserve-to-GDP ratio. In addition to that, there are breaks in the interventions policy in Turkey, and the extended intervention model performs better than the model only with exchange rates especially in predicting purchases of US Dollar.
    Keywords: currency intervention, international reserves, emerging markets, Turkey, mixed data sampling
    JEL: F31 E58 G15
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106590&r=ara
  15. By: Mohamad Taghvaee, Vahid; Mavuka, Clever; Khodaparast Shirazi, Jalil
    Abstract: Iran experiences a high level of energy consumption which is threatening not only economically but also politically and environmentally. This study aims to estimate the relationship between the economic growth with the various kinds of energies, non-hydroelectric, renewable, non-renewable, and total energies in Iran during 1967–2012, using an autoregressive distributed lags (ARDL) model. The results show the ineffective relationship between the economic growth and energy consumption in Iran, considering non-hydroelectric energy, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and total energy, one by one as the energy proxy. It implies the ineffectiveness of both the quantitative and qualitative deflationary policies over the energy sector. In another word, neither decreasing energy consumption nor changing energy portfolio affects the economic growth. Therefore, the policy makers are advised to formulate those policies which reduce the quantity of energy consumption or increase the segment of renewable energies in the portfolio of energy consumption because they do not lead to the considerable negative consequence on the economic growth, while they increase both the environmental quality and energy security.
    Keywords: Economic growth; Energy consumption; Renewable energies; Non-renewable energies; Iran
    JEL: Q4
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:74323&r=ara
  16. By: GOKHAN AKANDERE (SELCUK UNIVERSITY)
    Abstract: Due to the inevitable effect that businesses are living organisms, the concepts of sustainability and green have become the main values for many businesses. Today, the concept of sustainable green warehouse is commonly related with integration, balancing and management of economic, environmental and social inputs and outputs of operations in warehouses with green buildings. Sustainable green warehouse can be defined as the cluster of technological and organisational solutions designed for the efficiency of warehouse processes by maintaining the highest social standards and minimizing the effect on nature in terms of financial efficiency. However, businesses are aware that it is difficult to get effective and efficient warehousing and distribution services as third party logistics (3PL) for flows in supply chain in the present business environment. In this context, companies offering warehousing and distribution services should have values that provide them with competition advantage, increase their brand equities, and decrease operation costs such as green buildings, lighting systems with motion and time sensors, automatic handlings equipment that uses renewable energy, natural ventilating systems, solar panels, water treatment systems, ISO standards, and 5S philosophy. In near future, it will be understood that maintaining economic and operational efficiency, minimising damage to environment, and creating appropriate working environments can only be possible, and permanent via efficient management of green warehouses. The present study investigates the practice of sustainability principles in terms of warehouse, warehousing and distribution management. This paper explores the GWM practices and performance of the business an empirical analysis of logistic enterprises within Turkey.
    Keywords: Green warehouse management, Green warehousing, Performance, Environment, Green Economy
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106594&r=ara
  17. By: ABEER E. J. S. ALDUWAILA (The Higher Institute of Musical Art, The Ministry of Education, The State of Kuwait)
    Abstract: Political socialisation has seemingly wrought significant changes in political attitudes and associated behavioral paradigms. This could be reflected in how the political inclination of the youngsters is normally perceived to be reflective to that of their parents/guardians. In the Kuwaiti context, there is minimal empirical knowledge since there are hardly any research and related studies exploring the causal mechanisms of how the political attitudes and behaviour of the younger generation is influenced by their parents. Therefore, this paper aimed at investigating how familial roles play an important role on the political participation intention among university students in Kuwait. The participation in the study consisted of 635 undergraduate students from both public and private higher educational institutions in the State of Kuwait. The findings derived upon a structural equation model (SEM) revealed that parental participation in politics had a direct effect on the younger generation. Besides, it is further considered that the intergeneral transmission of political thoughts and ideologies through parents is considered as a indirect effect on the younger generation via the political discussions conducted within family, the positive attitude about politics within family and the personal interest of the individual, respectively. To conclude, the intergenerational transmission and associated processes impacting the inclination of the younger generation to participate in the political process is significantly affected both directly and indirectly as a function of the political attitudes and environment within the family as a whole via process of family socialisation.
    Keywords: Family Role, Political Participation Intention, University Students, Kuwait
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106805&r=ara
  18. By: ALIAH ALDUWAILAH (University of Southampton)
    Abstract: The paper reports an empirical study investigating transformational leadership practices among principals in public secondary schools in the State of Kuwait, as perceived by secondary-school teachers. This research adopted the taxonomy of the transformational leadership paradigm and the conceptual model for school restructuring proposed by Leithwood (1994) and Janie and Leithwood (1995). The respondents consisted of 682 teachers from 118 public secondary schools in six educational regions in Kuwait. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the core transformational leadership dimensions of principals are: (I) cultivating extensively shared visions; (ii) constructing consensus about school goals and priorities; (iii) having high performance expectations; (iii) modelling behaviours; (iv) providing personal support to teachers and school staff; (v) providing intellectual stimulation; (vi) consolidating a school culture; and (vii) constructing a collaborative school structure. Such finding on transformational leadership behaviours in the Kuwaiti school context are highly consistent with the original model proposed by Leithwood (1994) and Janie and Leithwood (1995). In addition, the result on the measurement invariance showed that there was not statistical difference between male and female principals' transformational leadership model.
    Keywords: Principals' Transformational Leadership; Public Secondary Schools; Confirmatory Factor Analysis, The State of Kuwait
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:4106767&r=ara
  19. By: Myriam Donsimoni (PACTE - Politiques publiques, ACtion politique, TErritoires - UPMF - Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 - UJF - Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)
    Abstract: Les travaux sur les villes portuaires au Maghreb mettent en évidence des tensions entre les prérogatives des ports pour développer leurs activités et les nécessités pour les villes d’évoluer et d’améliorer la qualité de vie des habitants. Ouvert sur le monde et contraint à affronter une concurrence internationale accrue, le port évolue dans une logique privée de rentabilité. En pleine mutation, avec des besoins criants de nouveaux logements, infrastructures et services publics, la ville du Maghreb bouge très vite mais dans une logique différente, tournée vers des exigences internes. Cet article examine, à partir de l'exemple de Safi au Maroc, les éléments qui peuvent faire converger ces deux logiques pour qu’émerge une symbiose entre la ville et le port, indispensable à l’ancrage territorial des entreprises et des activités et à l’instauration d’un processus durable de développement.
    Keywords: territoire industrialo-portuaire, écologie industrielle, ancrage territorial
    Date: 2015
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01347996&r=ara

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