|
on MENA - Middle East and North Africa |
| By: | Abdessalam Jaldi; Hamza Mjahed |
| Abstract: | This policy paper examines India’s growing engagement in North Africa, focusing on five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Despite lacking a distinct regional policy for North Africa, India has amplified its bilateral engagement with these countries, underpinned by a steadfast commitment to the principle of South-South cooperation. Through its strategic moves in North Africa, India has established a powerful southern-west axis for its foreign policy that stretches from Iran to Morocco, enabling it to effectively cover the entire southern Mediterranean region. This paper traces the trajectory of India’s relations with North Africa, from an ideological approach to a more pragmatic approach focused on economic and security cooperation. It also highlights India’s economic engagement in the region, which has enabled it to emerge as one of the top trading partners for Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria. Based on this analysis, the paper concludes with recommendations to deepen India’s engagement in North Africa, and to enhance its regional presence. |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rtrade:pp_04-23 |
| By: | Çevik, Salim |
| Abstract: | Since 2021, Turkey embarked on a Middle East reconciliation initiative involving Syria, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This initiative responds partly to evolving regional dynamics and Turkey's specific challenges, such as its protracted economic crisis and regional isolation. These reconciliation initiatives are not a single package. Although they are part of a broader process of regional reconciliation and thus interrelated, Turkey's reconciliation with each individual country has its own unique dynamics. Each case has its own drivers, strengths, and obstacles, resulting in a wide range of outcomes at the conclusion of the reconciliation initiatives. With Syria, reconciliation has remained at the level of diminished hostilities (détente), while with Egypt it has reached the level of full diplomatic normalisation of relations. Reconciliation with the UAE has gone further, and it even has the potential for a realignment between the two countries. The state of reconciliation efforts with Israel and Saudi Arabia remains uncertain and subject to constant fluctuations, especially due to the war in Gaza. Given the direct consequences of the ongoing tensions in Europe's southern neighbourhood, Europe should support Turkey's reconciliation efforts, as it will lead to a reduction in tensions in some regions, notably in Libya. However, Europe should also recognise the limits of reconciliation processes. They are compromises between regimes that are highly personalised with no institutional basis or people-to-people dimension. They are therefore inevitably unstable. In the case of Turkey, Erdoægan's constant zigzagging, his use of foreign policy for domestic political gains, and the low level of trust among his interlocutors make the reconciliation processes particularly fragile. Regional reconciliation efforts can inadvertently strengthen authoritarian regimes by making it easier to suppress dissent at home. Europe can counterbalance this by closely monitoring political refugees and critical voices, and also by offering safe haven if and when necessary. |
| Keywords: | Turkey, Middle East, Recep Tayyip Erdoægan, reconciliation initiative, regional order, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hamas attack |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:swprps:304314 |
| By: | RezaeeDaryakenari, Babak (Leiden University); Özdamar, Özgür; Akbaba, Yasemin |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of faith-based national role conceptualizations (NRCs) in the Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry in recent history. We build on the previous scholarship that merges the influence of power politics and religion with a focus on how instrumental motivations shape religion-based policymaking. Employing automated content analysis, we quantify religious and secular foreign policy role conceptualizations ascribed to Iranian and Saudi foreign policy by their officials from 2015 to 2021. We analyze eight official Twitter/X accounts to illustrate role conceptualizations. Results reveal the coexistence and frequent, dynamic, and selective use of both types of NRCs by both states’ officials. Also, each state’s utilization of specific NRCs correlates with responses to the rival’s adoption of competing NRCs, offering insights into the nature of Iran-Saudi competition in the region. We conclude by discussing the role of religion in the foreign policies of Saudi Arabia and Iran, two MENA states with theocratic structures. Methodologically, this study contributes to the emerging field of political analysis of social media data in International Relations and represents a pioneering effort within religion literature in political science. |
| Date: | 2024–10–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:rt2pb |
| By: | Isabelle Tsakok |
| Abstract: | For over six decades, Morocco has largely equated the achievement of food self-sufficiency (FSS) in ‘strategic’ food commodities to achieving food security. Successive governments have succeeded in guaranteeing the availability of and access to these commodities for the poor and vulnerable. In so doing, they have maintained social stability by fulfilling a basic social contract with the people. This is a major achievement, but the financial, economic, and environmental costs of this FSS approach are enormous. Morocco is now under increasing pressure to revisit these costs under the existential threat of climate change. Water scarcity, is of course, not a new problem for Morocco, a semi-arid country, but climate change threatens to turn water scarcity into a water crisis. Although governments have invested heavily in dams, irrigation infrastructure, and micro-irrigation technologies, and have succeeded in building a significant irrigated agriculture sector; recurrent droughts still have major adverse impacts on GDP growth and the livelihoods of the smallholder majority, most of the poor and vulnerable in rural areas. Despite the substantial achievements of the Plan Maroc Vert with irrigated agriculture, Moroccan agriculture is still dualistic. Rainfed agriculture still occupies 80% of the cultivated area, employs most of the agricultural workforce, and is relied on by the majority of smallholders most of whom are still involved in low-productivity farming. |
| Date: | 2023–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pp_06-23 |
| By: | Elhoussaine Wahyana; Eduardo Amaral Haddad |
| Abstract: | The debate on global value chains (GVCs) has emphasized countries’ contributions to value-added creation. From an intercountry perspective, a new body of research is addingto this debate by studying how subnational regions contribute to the indicators in specific countries. Proper assessment of economic contributions is essential for designing incentive policies. This paper analyzes the role played by the main trading partners of Moroccan regions in local value chains. We use input-output (IO) analysis to decompose regional value-added in Morocco, based on different sources of domestic and foreign final demand, taking into account the differences in regional economic structures and the nature of systematic interdependence associated with the structure of inter-regional linkages in Morocco. For each final demand originating from and into one of the Moroccan regions, we estimate measures of trade in value-added (TiVA). The output decomposition of final demand into domestic and foreign demand, where the latter is broken down into the final demand from each trading partner, serves as the methodological anchor for the study. We use the inter-regional input-output table for Morocco with 2019 data. The measures of trade in value-added reveal different inter-regional and international trade integration hierarchies, with implications for regional inequality in the country. We try to answer two main questions. First, how do domestic absorption and foreign exports affect value-added generation in Moroccan regions? Second, what is the regional value-added content incorporated in the components of final demand by geographical source? |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rtrade:rp_01-24 |
| By: | Abdelmounaim Aggour (Université Ibn Zohr [Agadir]); Raja Elboq (ESITH) |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to identify and analyse the main obstacles hindering the transition of textile and apparel supply chains towards sustainability, while exploring the motivations to overcome them. Using a qualitative research methodology based on semi-structured interviews with 6 key informants from the textile and apparel industry in Morocco, this study seeks to understand the specific challenges and motivations of companies in this sector on their path to sustainability. The findings enhance our understanding of the complex dynamics within the industry, providing insights for guiding policies and practices aimed at promoting a more sustainable textile and apparel supply chain in Morocco. |
| Abstract: | Cet article vise à identifier et analyser les principaux obstacles entravant la transition des chaînes logistiques du textile et de l'habillement vers la durabilité, tout en explorant les motivations pour les surmonter. En utilisant une méthodologie de recherche qualitative, basée sur des entretiens semi-directifs menés auprès de 6 informateurs clés de l'industrie du textile et de l'habillement, cette étude cherche à comprendre les défis spécifiques ainsi que les motivations des entreprises de ce secteur dans leur parcours vers la durabilité. Les résultats obtenus améliorent notre compréhension des dynamiques complexes du secteur, offrant ainsi des indications utiles pour orienter les politiques et les pratiques visant à promouvoir une chaîne logistique du textile et de l'habillement plus durable au Maroc. |
| Keywords: | sustainable supply chain, textile and apparel industry, barriers, motivations, Morocco, chaîne logistique durable, textile et habillement, obstacles, Maroc |
| Date: | 2024–10–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04739495 |
| By: | Ahmed Hefnaoui (Faculté des Sciences Juridiques Economiques et Sociales Mohammedia, Université Hassan II de Casablanca); Ibnouzahir Youssef (Faculté des Sciences Juridiques Economiques et Sociales Mohammedia, Université Hassan II de Casablanca) |
| Abstract: | This study assesses the effectiveness of Morocco's monetary policy following the adoption of inflation targeting in 2006. The objective is to evaluate whether this strategy has stabilized inflation and supported economic growth. The methodology is based on a VAR model using quarterly data from 2007 to 2023, with Granger causality tests and impulse response functions to capture the simultaneous effects between monetary variables. The results indicate that inflation in Morocco is driven by shocks to the exchange rate and money supply, while the effect of the policy rate remains limited. Although monetary interventions have short-term effectiveness, their moderate impact suggests the need for structural reforms to enhance inflation targeting efficiency. |
| Abstract: | Cette étude examine l'efficacité de la politique monétaire au Maroc après l'adoption du ciblage d'inflation en 2006. L'objectif est d'évaluer si cette stratégie a permis de stabiliser l'inflation et de soutenir la croissance économique. La méthodologie adoptée repose sur un modèle VAR avec des données trimestrielles de 2007 à 2023, incluant des tests de causalité de Granger et des fonctions de réponses impulsionnelles pour mesurer l'effet simultané entre les variables monétaires. Les résultats montrent que l'inflation au Maroc est influencée par les chocs sur le taux de change et la masse monétaire, mais que l'impact du taux directeur reste limité. Les interventions monétaires, bien qu'efficaces à court terme, ont un effet modéré, ce qui suggère la nécessité de réformes structurelles pour renforcer l'efficacité du ciblage d'inflation. |
| Keywords: | Inflation, Inflation targeting, Monetary policy, VAR model, Policy rate, Ciblage d'inflation, Politique monétaire, Modèle VAR, Taux directeur |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04737587 |
| By: | Koura Abdelghani (USMS - Université Sultan Moulay Slimane); Boudhar Abdeslam; Mohamed Koura Oudgou |
| Abstract: | This study provides a comprehensive contextual analysis of the Moroccan SME financing landscape, with a particular focus on addressing the undercapitalization issue as a significant barrier to their growth and sustainability. The research fills a gap in understanding how the structural limitations and unique characteristics of Moroccan SMEs hinder their ability to access and effectively utilize financial resources, particularly within the traditional banking system. The primary goal of the study is to critically evaluate the predominant reliance on bank credit for SME financing, identifying the challenges posed by risk perceptions, information asymmetries, and the constraints imposed by monetary policy and banks' regulation. The study utilizes a rigorous evaluation of both traditional and alternative financing mechanisms, such as participatory banks, the stock market, and private equity. It also includes an overview of the increasing role of public actors and the forms and intensity of government support provided to Moroccan SMEs. The findings offer actionable policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the SME financing ecosystem. Our study emphasizes the need for targeted government interventions and institutional reforms while proposing future research directions to build on the insights gained from this analysis. |
| Keywords: | SMEs financing, Bank credit, Alternative financing, Public support, Subsidies and direct aids, Public guarantee schemes |
| Date: | 2024–08–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04681802 |
| By: | Rim Berahab |
| Abstract: | The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has emerged as an important policy tool in the European Union's (EU) efforts to combat climate change and prevent carbon leakage. By put ting a price on carbon emissions embedded in certain goods imported into the EU, the CBAM has the potential to impact economies worldwide, including Morocco. This policy brief examines recent CBAM developments and assesses their implications for Morocco's economy and climate change efforts. It analyzes the challenges that the Moroccan economy may face, including implications for costs , competitiveness, compliance requirements, supply chain adjustments, and increased risk exposure. The brief also highlights the opportunities available to Morocco, and the importance of implementing targeted policies, strengthening the regulatory framework, promoting capacity-building initiatives, and fostering cooperation to navigate the CBAM transition period effectively . By understanding the complexities of CBAM and adopting proactive strategies, Morocco can position itself to capitalize on the opportunities and overcome the challenges presented by this transformative policy. |
| Date: | 2023–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pb_29_23 |
| By: | Mina Baliamoune |
| Abstract: | Greater female participation in the labor market and in international trade have been recognized as important drivers for economic growth and essential targets in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, achieving both targets simultaneously will be difficult, if not impossible, in most Middle East and North African (MENA) countries without additional policies to eliminate the remarkably high levels of gender inequality in the labor market. In such countries, women are either excluded from the gains from trade or bear most of the burden of adjustment to greater integration in the global economy. Policymakers should recognize the impacts of greater integration into global trade on women’s labor-market outcomes, and should implement resolute policy measures to alleviate (if not eliminate) these impacts. |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rtrade:pb_06-24 |
| By: | Mina Baliamoune |
| Abstract: | Greater female participation in the labor market and in international trade have been recognized as important drivers for economic growth and essential targets in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, achieving both targets simultaneously will be difficult, if not impossible, in most Middle East and North African (MENA) countries without additional policies to eliminate the remarkably high levels of gender inequality in the labor market. In such countries, women are either excluded from the gains from trade or bear most of the burden of adjustment to greater integration in the global economy. Policymakers should recognize the impacts of greater integration into global trade on women’s labor-market outcomes, and should implement resolute policy measures to alleviate (if not eliminate) these impacts. |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:pbtrad:pb_06-24 |
| By: | Mohamed, Souad; Abbashar, Aida; Abushama, Hala |
| Abstract: | This policy paper presents the results of a study that sought to identify the key organisational barriers impeding women’s leadership in Sudan and recommends policy reforms to overcome these challenges. The study involved 75 women leaders from various sectors who completed three rounds of Delphi study and focus group discussions. The paper provides a framework and specific policy recommendations that support women’s advancement and participation in decision-making positions in Sudan. The study identifies cross-sectoral barriers and enablers as well as maps existing organisational policies in Sudan. The policy recommendations can inform legislative reforms and promote gender-responsive policies that address the barriers and enablers to women’s advancement and meaningful participation in decision-making processes. This study highlights the urgent need to address the organisational and governmental barriers that impede women’s leadership development in Sudan and provides a roadmap for achieving gender equity in leadership and decision-making positions. The low representation of women in leadership roles in Sudan emphasises the critical role that the government must play in supporting these policy reforms. The paper’s findings and recommendations are relevant to scholars and practitioners in multiple fields, including MENA region studies, organisational behaviour, women’s career advancement and leadership development. |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2024–10–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:125780 |
| By: | Perthes, Volker |
| Abstract: | The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) was established at the request of Sudan's government to assist the country's political "transition" towards domestic peace and democratic governance. Rather then being able to see its mandate through, the Mission witnessed a transition to the ongoing war between the country's two military formations. UNITAMS' good-offices function came into play in all three phases of the Mission's lifespan - under the civilian-military partnership, under the military government, and in the first weeks of the war. Facilitation efforts became particularly relevant following the October 2021 military coup and after the conclusion of a Framework Political Agreement by the military and their civilian counterparts in December 2022. UNITAMS worked with a broad spectrum of civilian, "para-civilian" and military Sudanese stakeholders and with various regional and international partners. The establishment of the Tripartite Mechanism in cooperation with the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) lent additional legitimacy to the efforts of all three organisations - and was at the same time a valuable learning exercise. One of the main lesson for international actors is not to underestimate the strength of actors who fear losing out in a transition process that the international community seeks to support. The UNITAMS experience demonstrates that even a small political mission can play an effective good-offices role, but it also shows the limits of this function - especially where military actors are set for war. |
| Keywords: | United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, Framework Political Agreement, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, IGAD, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan, SRSG, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, Rapid Support Forces, RSF, Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan, JPA, Permanent Ceasefire Committee, PCC, Omar al-Bashir, Abd al-Fattah al-Burhan, Muhammad Hamdan Daglo, Hemedti, Abdallah Hamdok, Mini Minawi, Jibril Ibrahim, Malik Agar, Musa Hilal, Forces for Freedom and Change, FFC, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, SPLM, Justice and Equality Movement, JEM, Coalition of Civic Democratic Forces, Armed Struggle Movements, ASMs |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:swprps:304299 |
| By: | Eduardo A. Haddad; Inácio F. Araújo |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a synthetic view of the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the economic sectors and regions that make up the Moroccan economy, taking into account the current economic structure and production technologies. Therefore, the potential effects must be understood as signals to think about interventions aimed at redirecting the desired trajectories of sustainable development. The application of the tools developed to give scientific support to this analysis reveals the current structure of Morocco’s regional economies, inserted into the context of the national and world economies. The intricate web of interrelationships between the different sectors of each region’s productive apparatus— manifested by its supply chains, the generation of income by sectors, and their expenditures— is duly represented. Each of the 20 sectors into which the Moroccan economy was divided produces distinct effects on the productive system as a whole, duly measured by the instruments developed. Likewise, when analyzing the 12 regional economies one by one, one can assess their multidimensional impacts in the context of an integrated interregional system. Finally, to implement the hierarchical analysis based on pre-defined weights for the different structural indicators considered in the study, a tool was developed that provides a hierarchy of sectors (regions) most likely to contribute to the dimensions of development most closely associated with revealed preferences of the actors involved in the decision-making process. |
| Date: | 2023–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pp_07-23 |
| By: | Mounia Boucetta |
| Abstract: | Le développement industriel au Maroc a connu globalement une croissance soutenue durant les deux dernières décennies. Des locomotives ont contribué à l’émergence et à la consolidation d’écosystèmes industriels compétitifs et résilients. Leur rôle moteur et catalyseur, appuyé par un ensemble d’initiatives portées par des politiques publiques volontaristes, ont permis de placer le Maroc dans des chaînes de valeur mondiales et dans des secteurs de haute technologie. La prochaine décennie se profile avec plusieurs opportunités associées à de grands défis. Les secteurs de l’énergie verte présentent un grand potentiel de positionnement pour le Maroc à l’échelle du continent et nécessitent la construction d’écosystèmes industriels avec des locomotives à fort impact et à effets multiples, des plateformes technologiques et d’innovation performantes et des politiques publiques bien orientées. |
| Date: | 2023–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pb_35-23 |
| By: | Rabi Mohtar |
| Abstract: | National and regional visions for the future of water and food security have been at the forefront of sustainability talks. Nevertheless, the role of soil in water and food security and carbon management needs to be highlighted and integrated into these discussions and visions. The dynamic characterization of soil as a medium that accounts for the long-term impact of the agro-environmental conditions is of utmost importance to sustainability of these resources and to sustainable development in general. As the agriculture sector seeks to provide for growing populations by increasing food production, alternative sources of water must be found to alleviate the competition for water with other sectors, including energy and domestic water demand. Alternative sources include grey water, green water, and increasing water productivity for food production. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pb_14-24 |
| By: | Rim Berahab |
| Abstract: | Green industrial policies are essential to enable the structural transformations needed for a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. Because of the pressing need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, it is imperative to reallocate resources strategically from carbon-intensive sectors to sustainable, high-productivity industries. This transition is critical both to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to promote long-term economic growth and sustainability. This paper examines Morocco’s green transition and identifies several key issues that must be addressed to ensure success. These include the need for a coherent institutional framework, the implementation of effective regulatory measures, and greater private-sector involvement. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the importance of regional collaboration, innovation, and research and development in overcoming challenges to a sustainable transition. It also analyses the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as a case study of how trade policies can be used to encourage decarbonization and align international trade practices with environmental objectives. |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pp_13-24 |
| By: | Talaat, Abdalla; Gadallah, Omar Mohyi |
| Abstract: | “How I wish you could reshape this reality”1 was one of the messages left to us in the open-ended comments. Our engineering community is desperate for both acknowledgement of their struggles, and action against them. This study investigates the wages and working conditions of early-career civil engineers working in Cairo, hoping to assess their compensation and ascertain its fairness. An online questionnaire was delivered to 366 early-career civil engineers through non-probabilistic sampling. Engineers had an average monthly salary of 8, 712 – 9, 584 EGP (180 – 198 USD) and a median of 8, 000 EGP (166 USD), with certain demographic factors having a more pronounced effect than others on salary, satisfaction, and social mobility. More alarming results indicate that less than 4% of the surveyed engineers have reported their satisfaction living in Egypt. Furthermore, 13% of the reported salaries fell below the 6, 000 EGP national minimum wage limit, and only 8% reported a salary higher than the socially advocated 15, 000 EGP limit. The results of this study have multiple implications on both the Egyptian engineering industry and engineers themselves. |
| Date: | 2024–10–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:dvbqs |
| By: | Mehmet Muzaffer Sandalc? (Department of Engineering, K?rklareli University, Kayal? Campus) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper titled ?The Modelling of Potential Evapotranspiration Based on Climate Data Using Empirical and Heuristic Methods? is to estimate the potential evapotranspiration in the Ergene Basin, Turkey. Accurately observing the amount of total evapotranspiration in any given region usually is a perilous task given the fact that setups to directly observe evapotranspiration are costly build and highly effort-inducing to operate. Therefore, calculating the potential evapotranspiration of a region by using the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith formula instead of observing directly is preferred. However, FAO-56 PM formula requires a lot of different data sets, which may not be accessible in various regions, to effectively utilize. For this reason, scientists have been researching different methods to calculate potential evapotranspiration without the need for numerous climate data sets. In this paper, in the first step, reference evapotranspiration was calculated using the FAO-56 PM empirical formula. In the second step, potential evapotranspiration was calculated using the Blaney-Criddle empirical formula. In the third step, climate data including Rs, E, Tmax, Tort, Tmin, and Sh were used to calculate potential evapotranspiration using the MARS and GMDH heuristic methods. Among these methods, the GMDH method combining Rs, E, Tmax, Tort, Tmin, and Sh yielded the best performance with performance criteria of R2= 0.9846, MSE=49.07, MAE=5.56, and AARE=7.23 compared to the reference evapotranspiration. |
| Keywords: | Evapotranspiration, FAO-56, Blaney-Criddle, Heuristic Methods, Ergene Basin |
| JEL: | C51 C52 |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14816441 |
| By: | Rim Awkal (UFC - Université de Franche-Comté - UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE]) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the institutional pressures faced by Lebanese private universities, using neo-institutional theory as an analytical framework, within a context marked by Lebanon's deep economic and political crisis. Through in-depth interviews with university professors and administrators, we identify and analyze the forms of isomorphism—coercive, mimetic, and normative—that influence the functioning of these institutions. The analysis reveals that coercive isomorphism, primarily driven by government regulations and accreditation requirements, is the most dominant form of pressure. However, elements of mimetic isomorphism are also observed, where universities adopt practices similar to those of institutions perceived as more prestigious, in response to the environmental uncertainty exacerbated by the crisis. Normative isomorphism, though less prominent, emerges through the shared professional standards of faculty and administrative staff. These findings offer a new perspective on institutional dynamics within Lebanese private universities, highlighting the additional challenges they face in a national environment in crisis. |
| Abstract: | Cette étude explore les pressions institutionnelles qui s'exercent sur les universités privées libanaises en utilisant la théorie néo-institutionnelle comme cadre d'analyse, dans un contexte marqué par une crise économique et politique profonde au Liban. À travers des entretiens approfondis menés avec des professeurs et des administrateurs universitaires, nous identifions et analysons les formes d'isomorphisme—coercitif, mimétique, et normatif—qui influencent le fonctionnement de ces institutions. L'analyse révèle que l'isomorphisme coercitif, résultant principalement des régulations gouvernementales et des exigences des organismes d'accréditation, est le type de pression le plus dominant. Cependant, des éléments d'isomorphisme mimétique sont également observés, où les universités adoptent des pratiques similaires à celles d'institutions perçues comme plus prestigieuses, en réponse à l'incertitude environnementale exacerbée par la crise. L'isomorphisme normatif, bien que moins prononcé, émerge à travers les standards professionnels partagés par le corps professoral et administratif. Ces résultats offrent une nouvelle perspective sur les dynamiques institutionnelles au sein des universités privées libanaises, mettant en lumière les défis supplémentaires auxquels elles sont confrontées dans un environnement national en crise. |
| Keywords: | Pressions institutionnelles, Isomorphisme, Théorie néo-institutionnelle, Universités privées libanaises, Crise économique, Crise politique, Régulation, Gouvernance universitaire |
| Date: | 2024–09–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04729394 |
| By: | Nuno Garoupa; Rok Spruk |
| Abstract: | The synthetic control method has emerged as a widely utilized empirical tool for estimating the causal effects of public policies, natural disasters, and other interventions on various economic, social, institutional, and political outcomes. In this study, we demonstrate the potential application of this method in empirical comparative law by estimating the impact of the 2010 constitutional referendum in Turkiye on the trajectory of judicial independence. By comparing Turkiye with a salient Mediterranean donor pool of countries that did not experience similar interventions during the period from 1987 to 2021, we provide evidence of a severe breakdown and erosion of judicial independence. This deterioration appears to be a direct response to the populist constitutional backsliding initiated by the government-orchestrated assault on the judiciary, which was carried out under the guise of judicial modernization in 2010, before the additional constitutional reforms in 2017. |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2410.02439 |
| By: | Abdelmonim AMACHRAA |
| Abstract: | Nothing better illustrates the positive contribution of the integration of national economies into global value chains than the fact that in the 1990s, the automotive sector barely existed in Morocco. Now, it is the leading export sector, with a production and assembly capacity of 700, 000 vehicles, making it an attractive and competitive hub linking Africa and Europe in the automotive value chain. However, the automotive industry is on the cusp of change, with advances in electric and autonomous vehicles, and transformations in mobility, lowering the barriers to entry in car assembly, and increasing the need for labor- intensive products such as wiring harnesses. We have identified two trends. First, vehicle manufacturers are engaging in the supply of raw materials. Second, the reorientation of investment flows and the organization of the location of production units will allow Western countries to reduce their dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly China. Upstream integration, semiconductors, clean energy, and batteries are at the center of decoupling negotiations. In an uncertain context, this research is intended to conceptualize an adaptive integration strategy for middle-income countries in global automotive value chains. |
| Date: | 2023–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ocp:rpcoen:pp_09-23 |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | A significant tightening of macroeconomic policy since mid-2023 has substantially reduced crisis risks. Tighter financial conditions are weighing on domestic demand and inflation has fallen. Tax and expenditure measures partly dampened an expansionary fiscal impulse and the commitment to stronger incomes policies has strengthened credibility. Market sentiment has improved, with investors shifting into lira while lower commodity prices, buoyant exports, and reduced gold imports have strengthened the current account and boosted international reserves. Türkiye’s sovereign ratings have been upgraded and country risk premia have halved. While now subsiding, still-high inflation expectations and sequential inflation suggest an insufficiently tight policy stance to reach the midpoint of the authorities’ inflation forecast range. |
| Date: | 2024–10–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:2024/312 |