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on Confederation of Independent States |
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Issue of 2018‒12‒10
sixteen papers chosen by |
| By: | Belyaeva, Maria |
| Abstract: | The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Russian grain production, to determine country’s production potential and its possibility to remain one of the major grain producers on the world market. On the one hand we estimate the technical efficiency during the period of transition to the market economy. By applying a novel approach to the estimation of production efficiency on a regional level, we assess the grain production potential and determine factors that influence productivity beyond the control of the farmers. On the other hand we conduct a detailed analysis of the climate change impact on grain production. We base our study on panel fixed-effect regressions of grain yields on a set of crop specific weather indicators. Furthermore, we use climate change projections for the medium and long terms to estimate the effect of global warming on grain productivity in different regions of the country. Empirical results of the production efficiency model are based on a balanced panel of Russian regions which were involved in grain production during the period 1995-2011. We rely on a production function that accounts for the effect of labour, land, capital, and variable inputs. In addition, we construct specific variables to control for factors that remain outside of the farmers’ control, i.e. the level of human and infrastructure development and climate and soil conditions. In the climate change model we use yields of three the most popular grain types – winter wheat, spring wheat, and spring barley – on a regional level to determine their relation to indicators that account for climate conditions during the vegetation period, specific for each grain type. Specifically, we approximate the distribution of daily temperatures using a trigonometric sine curve to construct measures of growing and heat degree days. The data covers the period from 1955 to 2012. In order to estimate the effect of future climate change we rely on the latest available projections, provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2014) for the medium and long terms. The analysis of technical efficiency demonstrates that an average farm in a Russian region is functioning at its full production capacity, and further development and productivity increases depend on factors that are not directly related to technical aspects of production and that remain beyond the control of farmers, namely the level of human and institutional development, access to infrastructure and climate conditions. We indicate that further exploitation of natural production possibilities has a positive impact on the process of agricultural improvement. We then conduct an examination of the climate effect to analyse the historical dependence of grain production on temperatures and precipitation levels, and project this dependence to estimate the productivity of studied grain types in the medium and long terms, given four different greenhouse gas concentration pathways. We find that altering temperatures have an equivocal effect on agriculture. The most productive zones of the southern black soil belt is projected to face considerable declines in yields, due to insufficient precipitation levels and high probability of heat waves during the summer vegetation period. The northern part, on the contrary, can experience increases in productivity as a result of milder and drier winters and warmer springs. Obtained empirical results allowed us to determine that climate plays a major role in grain production in Russia. Although northern regions will experience considerable increases in yields in the medium and long terms, projected falls in productivities in the southern part of the country cannot be compensated by production increases in the North: insufficiently developed infrastructure, low productivity of soil and lack of investments to safely reintroduce the abandoned lands into the agricultural process prevent substantial agricultural growth. Accordingly, in order to maintain sufficient production levels more efforts should be concentrated on adaptation measures to breed more drought-resistant grain varieties and to adopt soil moisture accumulating and preserving technologies. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, Productivity Analysis |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iamost:280713&r=cis |
| By: | Elena Grigorieva (RUDN University); Darya Karpova (RUDN University) |
| Abstract: | The article presents an analysis of the foreign experience of the mechanism of tax increment financing (TIF) in the financing of infrastructure projects and assesses the possibility of implementing this mechanism in the Russian investment practice.Investment in infrastructure development is an important factor in the socio-economic development of the country and has a multiplier effect. In the world practice, the involvement of private capital in the creation and subsequent operation of infrastructure facilities contributes to the sustainable growth of the national economy, the introduction of promising technological, organizational and institutional innovations, resource saving and energy independence, improving the quality of services provided to the population.The problem of efficiency of joint investment activity of private and public capital owners in infrastructure projects is due to the complexity of taking into account the interests of all participants. The format of joint activities should be based on the principles of risk sharing, connection of projects with the target socio-economic characteristics of the development of territories, obtaining benefits from the results of projects.The authors studied the most successful practices of infrastructure development financing, taking into account possible future benefits from the creation of these facilities in the form of additional revenues from taxes, fees, access rights to the operation of infrastructure and other privileges. One of these tools is the mechanism of tax increments of financing.The paper analyzes the conditions for the implementation and fulfillment of this mechanism in different countries of the world, studied the experience of the TIF mechanism, taking into account industry specifics and other features of the projects, describes the specific models of the TIF mechanism.The comparative approach and macroeconomic analysis were used to compare the conditions of implementation of the TIF mechanism and project financing, and to identify fundamental similarities and differences. The conclusion is made about the possibility of embedding (diffusion) of individual elements of the TIF mechanism in project financing in Russia.The use of institutional and statistical analysis, as well as the methodology for assessing the effectiveness of investment projects, allowed the authors to form a comprehensive assessment of the possibility of using the TIF mechanism in the Russian environment. |
| Keywords: | tax increment financing, TIF, investments, project finance, infrastructure development, public-private partnership |
| JEL: | E62 O22 O18 |
| Date: | 2018–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7010124&r=cis |
| By: | Anna Demianova (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses indicators which describe the employment of disabled people in Russia and the position of this group in the Russian labour market. Special attention is given to disabled workers skills in the sphere of information and communication technologies. The analysis is based on data from the Rosstat population surveys and administrative data. The analysis shows that the information on the disabled people employment is limited due to an underrepresentation of the disabled in the data from population surveys and the methodological approaches used in administrative data. Available statistics demonstrate that the disabled are in a weak position in the Russian labour market: low employment rates, high unemployment rates, widespread employment in the informal sector, and the concentration of employment in low-skilled occupations. Furthermore, disabled people of working age in Russia possess markedly weaker digital skills than non-disabled, which further worsens their position in the labour market |
| Keywords: | Disability statistics, Employment of persons with disabilities, Digital skills, Russian Labour force survey, Russia. |
| JEL: | J21 J24 I14 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:91sti2018&r=cis |
| By: | Anna Mironova (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Lidia Prokofieva (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how households of various demographic compositions are involved in private intergenerational transfers in Russia. The authors provide a descriptive analysis of private exchanges using household surveys. The Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey—Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE, 2004, 2008, 2013), The Comprehensive Monitoring of Living Conditions (KOUG, Rosstat), The Survey of the Population Income and the Participation in Social Programs (VNDN, Rosstat). The study demonstrates that the demographic composition of households is an important predictor of household involvement in private exchanges of different goods and services. Single-person households and households represented by couples without children show their particular donor capacity in private intergenerational transfers. The recipients of private material transfers are primarily one-parent families and couples with under-age children. Multigenerational households and other households are also recipients of private material transfers. This paper demonstrates that the role of a household’s private exchange is related to their financial situation, but the role of private intergenerational transfers is not limited to giving assistance to the poor |
| Keywords: | private intergenerational transfers, households, family support system, government transfers |
| JEL: | J1 D64 J18 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:18/psp/2018&r=cis |
| By: | Lychakov, Nikita |
| Abstract: | How can industrial policies lead to bank distress? In the 1890s, when undergoing rapid state-led industrialisation, the Russian Empire grew by foreign capital inflows into national debt and by state procurement of industrial output. Concurrently, state policies incentivised, but did not compel, commercial banks to finance industry. In 1899, the inflow of foreign capital fell sharply, initiating a financial crisis. Using newly-collected historical data and extensive narrative evidence, I find the banks which experienced greater distress in the crisis had more personal connections to the government officials who were close to the epicentre of policymaking. Moreover, these banks had more personal ties to the companies which had been most-stimulated by state policies to expand production. Taken together, these two findings suggest that national development policies had a destabilising impact on bank performance. |
| Keywords: | financial crises,bank failures,development policies,political economy,Russia |
| JEL: | G01 L5 O25 P16 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:qucehw:201811&r=cis |
| By: | Tommaso Agasisti (Politecnico di Milano School of Management); Aleksei Egorov (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Daria Zinchenko (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Oleg Leshukov (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the link between the efficiency of regional higher education systems and the rates of regional economic development between 2012 and 2015 in Russia. The efficiency scores are calculated at the institutional level using a double-bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) procedure, taking into account the different internal characteristics of universities which may affect their production process, and the scores are then aggregated at the regional level. We formulate a regional economic growth model that considers the efficiency of regional higher education systems as one of the explanatory variables. As an econometric method, we employ a robust GMM estimator. The model also includes spatial interactions between regional economies and between regional higher education systems in neighboring regions. The findings highlight a positive, substantial and statistically significant effect of HEI efficiency on the regional economic growth rate. We also found negative spillover effects indicating that efficient regional higher education systems may extract resources from neighboring regions |
| Keywords: | Regional economic development; efficiency in higher education; knowledge spillovers; economic growth; Russia. |
| JEL: | I25 I21 E02 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:203/ec/2018&r=cis |
| By: | Maltseva, Elena.; Janenova, Saltanat. |
| Abstract: | This paper documents the reversal of pension privatization and the reforms that took place in the 1990s and 2000s in Kazakhstan. The report analyses the political economy of different reform proposals, and the characteristics of the new pension system, including laws enacted, coverage, benefit adequacy, financing and contribution rates, governance and social security administration, social dialogue, positive impacts and other key issues of Kazakhstan’s pension system. |
| Keywords: | pension scheme, social security reform, privatization, Kazakhstan |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ilo:ilowps:995005392902676&r=cis |
| By: | Vasily Yu. Kostenko (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Konstantin G. Klein (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This study tests the psychometrics of a Russian version of the Couple Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ), and analyzes the possible distinctions between the Russian and English versions of the instrument. We hypothesize that the adopted version of CMQ repeats the original structure, and a continuum of motivation in romantic relationships will be found as a result of the correlation analysis. We conducted a correlation study on an online sample of (N = 497) using CMQ, the Test of Existential Motivations in Interpersonal Relationships, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Codependency Scale. The theoretical model, which was proposed in the original study (Blais et al., 1990), linked self-determination theory's motivational styles to adaptive relationship behaviors and the general quality of romantic relationships. The model was successfully confirmed for the Russian sample using a reverse translation and the psychometric testing of CMQ. The model revealed resistance to cultural influences, and the new instrument is suggested for studies of the motivational aspects of relationships using Russian samples. |
| Keywords: | self-determination theory, motivation, romantic relationships, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:103psy2018&r=cis |
| By: | Simplice A. Asongu (Yaoundé/Cameroon); Nicholas M. Odhiambo (University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa) |
| Abstract: | We analyze the evolution of fast emerging economies of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) and MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria & Turkey) countries, by assessing growth determinants throughout the conditional distributions of the growth rate and real GDP output for the period 2001-2011. An instrumenal variable (IV) quantile regression approach is complemented with Two-Stage-Least Squares and IV Least Absolute Deviations. We find that the highest rates of growth of real GDP per head, among the nine countries of this study, corresponded to China, India, Nigeria, Indonesia and Turkey, but the highest increases in real GDP per capita corresponded, in descending order, to Turkey China, Brazil, South Africa and India. This study analyzes the impacts of several indicators on the increase of the rate of growth of real GDP and on the logarithm of the real GDP. We analyze several limitations of the methodology, related with the selection of the explained and the explanatory variables, the effect of missing variables, and the particular problems of some indicators. Our results show that Net Foreign Direct Investment, Natural Resources, and Political Stability have a positive and significant impact on the rate of growth of real GDP or on real GDP. |
| Keywords: | Economic Growth; Emerging countries; Quantile regression |
| JEL: | C52 F21 F23 O40 O50 |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:afe:wpaper:18/011&r=cis |
| By: | Vaiva Jucevi?i?t?-Bartkevi?ien? (Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences); Ri?ardas Bartkevi?ius (Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences); Oleksandra Yehorova (National Pedagogical Dragomanov University) |
| Abstract: | Historically, Lithuania is a multicultural country, where many nations ? Lithuanians, Jews, Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and others ? have beautifully lived together from ancient times. In the face of globalization and migration of nations, a two-way issue arises: how to maintain our own cultural identity and heritage, and how to enrich it, by adopting traditions and customs of other nations. At the same time, it is important to grasp the experience of these issues in neighbouring countries.The aim of the research ? to reveal the approach of young people, who are involved in the artistic activities of non-formal education, towards their cultural identity. This aim dictates research questions: how do young people describe the notion of cultural identity? are they prepared for the integration of cultural heritage of other nations in their artistic activities? what is the extent to which ethnic music and folk art are relevant in the context of their cultural identity today?The theoretical analysis involved the examination of the scientific literature and documents. The empirical research was carried out using questionnaires and interviews. Qualitative research was conducted in 2015-2018.The questionnaire survey (with opened questions) was performed in higher education schools in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine in the processes of non-formal activities (clubs for fine art activities, musical ethno-cultural ensembles). The total sample consisted of 43 informants. The qualitative content analysis was applied processing the accumulated data.Main results show that despite the fact that young people understand very differently the concept of cultural identity, many of them very much appreciate their traditions and ethno-culture. At the same time, they say they want to learn more about other cultures, people of other nations, their art. They highlight the fact, that the multicultural experience and knowledge of ethnic culture makes it possible to be more tolerant for ethnic and cultural differences. |
| Keywords: | Cultural identity, non-formal education, art education, higher education |
| JEL: | I20 I23 I21 |
| Date: | 2018–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7009401&r=cis |
| By: | Krzysztof Hryszko (The Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics ? National Research Institute); Piotr Szajner (The Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics ? National Research Institute) |
| Abstract: | Pork production in Poland has a significant economic, social and environmental impact. Favourable natural conditions as well as the tradition and consumption patterns have made Poland, producing 2.5-2.8 million tonnes of pig livestock (in liveweight), one of the biggest producers in the EU. The pig sector is not only one of the most important branches of the Polish agri-food economy, but is also considered one of the most sensitive ones (Rowinski, Tereszczuk 2008). What makes it so important is its large share in commercial production and agricultural income, sales revenue and employment, as well as a high level of pork consumption and its share in consumers? food spending. Following Poland?s accession to the EU, the development of the pig sector has been more hindered than the production and processing of poultry, milk and beef. Poland has become a shortage country in pork production, the share of imports in the supply of the domestic market has increased to 40%, and the negative balance of foreign trade in pork reached in 2016 220 thousand tonnes in a meat equivalent and EUR 342 million. The article presents the changes taking place on the pork market in Poland in 2004-2016 and indicates the factors determining them. Problems relating to pork production are mainly due to: fragmented farm structure compared to those in EU-15 Member States, decreasing share of pork in agricultural commercial production und in the total meat production, low price competitiveness, problems with ASF in the eastern regions of Poland and hindered exports due to an embargo imposed by Russia. |
| Keywords: | pig livestock, structure of pig farming, industrial processing, pig market, supply chain, foreign trade, prices and profitability |
| JEL: | Q11 Q13 Q17 |
| Date: | 2018–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7010084&r=cis |
| By: | Kirill Chmel (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Nikita Savin (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Michael X. Delli Carpini (Annenberg School for Communication) |
| Abstract: | There is an extensive body of research devoted to how political satire affects political knowledge and political behavior. Extant studies are focused on political satire in democratic countries and do not pay enough attention to authoritarian regimes. This study extends this research to non-democratic regimes, while also adding to it by exploring the extent to which the use of political satire encourages exposure to political information. We conduct an online experiment on the sample of Russian students. We borrow satirical pictures from Lentach – popular Russian social media public page, whose motto is “a propaganda of common sense” as opposed to biased political messages proliferated by government-controlled media outlets. Using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches, we found that access to political information containing satirical illustrating content increases attention to the information, relative to political news reports accompanied by standard news illustrations. The findings contribute to the literature on the political entertainment and exposure to political information, as well as to research on media under authoritarianism |
| Keywords: | political satire, selective exposure, new media environment, authoritarianism, Russia |
| JEL: | Z19 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:63/ps/2018&r=cis |
| By: | Gagalyuk, T. |
| Abstract: | The agricultural sector in transition economies is marked by the prominence of agroholdings, i.e., conglomerates of agricultural enterprises controlling up to hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland. Drawing on a mix of primary and secondary information from Ukraine, this paper explores the hypothesis that membership in an agroholding presents a strategy for agricultural enterprises to remain resilient in the midst of the severe institutional turbulence characteristic of a transition economy. Institutional shocks and uncertainties disrupt the access of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises to critical finance, land, and labor resources. Enterprises are shown to cope with these disruptions by joining agroholdings, which facilitates access to these resources and creates a kind of protected enclave in which the enterprises can concentrate efforts on the organization of production. Notably, the rationale for agroholding membership is centered on resilience rather than efficiency. The focus on resilience rather than efficiency thus provides a tentative explanation of why the remarkable growth of agroholdings fails to be accompanied by evidence of their superior efficiency. Acknowledgement : |
| Keywords: | Land Economics/Use |
| Date: | 2018–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae18:277115&r=cis |
| By: | Simplice A. Asongu (Yaoundé/Cameroon); Uduak S. Akpan (Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria); Salisu R. Isihak (Rural Electrification Agency, Nigeria) |
| Abstract: | This study employs panel analysis to examine the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (MINT) using data for eleven years i.e. 2001 – 2011. First, it uses pooled time-series cross sectional analysis to estimate the model on determinants of FDI for three samples: BRICS only, MINT only, and BRICS and MINT combined; then, fixed effects model is also employed to estimate the model for BRICS and MINT combined. The results show that market size, infrastructure availability, and trade openness play the most significant roles in attracting FDI to BRICS and MINT while the roles of availability of natural resources and institutional quality are insignificant. Given that FDI inflow to a country has the potential of being mutually beneficial to the investing entity and host government, the challenge is on how BRICS and MINT can sustain the level of FDI inflow and ensure it results in economic growth and socio-economic transformation. To sustain the level of FDI inflow, governments of BRICS and MINT need to ensure that their countries remain attractive for investment. BRICS and MINT also need to ensure that their economies absorb substantial skills and technology spillovers from FDI inflow to promote sustainable long-term economic growth by investing more in their human capital. The study is significant because it contributes to literature on determinants of FDI by extending the scope of previous studies which often focus only on BRICS. |
| Keywords: | FDI, determinants, fast-growing economies, BRICS, MINT |
| JEL: | C52 F21 F23 O40 O50 |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:afe:wpaper:18/032&r=cis |
| By: | Fultz, Elaine.; Hirose, Kenichi. |
| Abstract: | Most analyses of Central and Eastern Europe’s (CEE) second-pension pillars focus on Hungary and Poland, the first CEE governments to establish such pillars (1997-1999) and the first to retrench them (2010-2011). However, as the regional front-runners in second-pillar creation and termination, Hungary and Poland differ in some important ways from other CEE countries that adopted this model. This paper concentrates on the other CEE second pillars, a majority of which have matured and begun to pay benefits, although only to small numbers of workers. For seven CEE countries, it describes these private benefits, compares them with public pensions and presents available evidence concerning their durability, adequacy and financing. |
| Keywords: | pension scheme, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ilo:ilowps:995005392402676&r=cis |
| By: | Anna Yurchenko (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Anastasiya Lopukhina (National Research University Higher School of Economics); Olga Dragoy (National Research University Higher School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Previous research showed that polysemous and homonymous words are processed differently. However, mechanisms underlying processing of ambiguous words are still unclear. The goal of the present study was to investigate comprehension of metonymies, metaphors, and homonyms using priming paradigm and the method of event-related potentials (ERPs). We asked participants to read two-word phrases with ambiguous words and make a sensicality judgement. The results demonstrated the difference between metonymic and metaphorical senses of polysemous words in the amount of priming for the literal sense. The priming effect between metonymic and literal senses supports the idea that these senses share a single representation in the mental lexicon. In contrast, metaphorical senses of polysemous words showed a very limited priming effect on literal senses of the same words. Similar results were observed for different meanings of homonymous words. We conclude that metaphorical senses should have separate representations in the mental lexicon similarly to homonyms |
| Keywords: | ambiguous words, metonymy, metaphor, homonymy, event-related potentials, the Russian language |
| JEL: | Z |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hig:wpaper:67/lng/2018&r=cis |