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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Ajitava Raychaudhuri; Prabir De (Jadavpur University) |
| Abstract: | The study, thus, touches only tip of an iceberg in terms of its analytical power to explain movement of students across nations. It points out to the definite existence of country specific barriers and from a pilot case study in India, highlights some of these possible barriers. However, future studies should be attempted to understand the extent of barriers to trade in education services through more intensive primary survey and bilateral country studies. |
| Keywords: | Trade in Education Services, Asia-Pacific |
| JEL: | F1 |
| Date: | 2007–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esc:wpaper:3407&r=cwa |
| By: | Siddiqui, Rizwana; Kemal, A.R. |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the impact of two shocks, trade liberalisation policies and decline in remittances, on welfare and poverty in Pakistan. It begins by reviewing the economy, which reveals that during the Nineties although import tariffs were reduced by 55 percent, poverty however remained higher in this period than in the Eighties. At the same time, Pakistan has experienced a slow down in the inflow of remittances, which reduces the incomes of households and puts pressure on the exchange rate resulting in reduction in the inflow of imports despite a reduction in import duties. Thus, in the absence of the effects of decline in remittances, the analysis of the impact of trade liberalisation policies may render biased results. This study overcomes this constriction and analyses the impact of trade liberalisation policies in the absence and presence of decline in remittances in a CGE framework with all the features necessary for trade policy analysis with poverty and remittances linkages. The simulation results show that a decline in remittances reduces the gains from trade liberalisation. The negative impact of remittance decline dominates the positive impact of trade liberalisation in urban areas. But, the positive impact of trade liberalisation dominates the negative impact of a decline in remittances in the case of rural areas. Poverty rises in Pakistan as a whole. It shows that the decline in remittance inflows is a major contributory factor in explaining the increase in poverty in Pakistan during the Nineties. |
| Keywords: | Pakistan; Remittances; Trade Policy; CGE; Poverty |
| JEL: | C68 F24 F1 |
| Date: | 2002–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:4228&r=cwa |
| By: | Knorringa, Peter |
| Abstract: | This paper raises two questions to take a first step in developing a research agenda to assess the developmental relevance of responsible production, which includes both Fair Trade and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The first question is: How likely is it that responsible production becomes increasingly mainstreamed? After defining responsible production and contrasting the models and realities of Fair Trade and CSR, I present the rather optimistic 'business case' for a 'race to the top' which would also imply a further mainstreaming of responsible production. However, this optimism is put in perspective with some sobering observations about how the rise of China and India as centers of global production and consumption may well limit the reach of responsible production. The second question to begin assessing the developmental relevance of responsible production is: To what extent can we expect the 'tool' of responsible production to enhance developmental outcomes? Notwithstanding the limited overall reach of responsible production, I will argue that it might be feasible to develop 'pockets' of responsible production in which various stakeholders have found ways to selectively work together in order to enhance the localized depth of responsible production. The paper concludes with formulating some hypotheses for further research and putting forward the policy relevance of such research. |
| Keywords: | Asian drivers, corporate social responsibility, fair trade, responsible production, NGOs, labour standards, Asia, China, India |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iss:wpaper:442&r=cwa |
| By: | Abdullah Al-Hassan; Mohammed Omran; Fernando-Luciano Delgado-Fernández |
| Abstract: | This paper documents the phenomenon of underpricing initial public offerings (IPOs) for 47 firms that went public between 2001 and 2006 in the equity markets of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The average initial abnormal returns of 290 percent exceed those found in the existing literature for both developed and emerging markets IPOs. Although the IPOs' returns over the one-year horizon beat the market index benchmark, they present negative abnormal returns once initial returns are excluded, which is consistent with findings in other industrial and emerging markets. The empirical models reject the hypothesis that the IPOs' performance is driven by the common independent variables employed in the literature. On the contrary, in the case of the GCC, country- and industry-specific characteristics, in addition to the timing of the offers, play key roles in explaining the abnormal returns of IPOs. This paper's empirical findings support the hypothesis that investors initially tend to be over-optimistic about the performance of IPOs, but grow more pessimistic over time. |
| Date: | 2007–07–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:07/149&r=cwa |
| By: | Biswajit Nag; Saikat Banerjee; Rittwik Chatterjee (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) |
| Abstract: | The global automotive industry, increasingly characterized by global mergers and relocation of production centers to emerging developing economies, is in the grips of a global price-war. The industry is subject to imperfect competition which has resulted in too much of everything — too much capacity, too many competitors and too much redundancy and overlap. The industry is concerned with consumer demands for styling, safety, and comfort; and with labor relations and manufacturing efficiency. In this context, the study examines the growth patterns, changes in ownership structures, trade patterns and role of governments of selected Asian countries (viz. China, India, Indonesia and Thailand) in the automobile sector. |
| Keywords: | Automobile, Asia, Market Structure |
| JEL: | F1 |
| Date: | 2007–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esc:wpaper:3707&r=cwa |
| By: | Ensar Yesilyurt (Department of Economics, Pamukkale University); Filiz Yesilyurt (Department of Economics, Ege University) |
| Abstract: | Data Envelopment Analysis is frequently used in the measurement of hospital efficiency as in several other institutions, whereas not enough emphasis has been laid on the concepts of ‘congestion’ and ‘slack’, which widen the application field of this analysis and broaden the possibility of its usage as a means of politics. In this study, besides the efficiency levels of 600 general hospitals currently active in Turkey, their congestion and slacks have also been calculated. Moreover, welfare losses due to the existence of congestion and slacks, which have been ignored up to now in relation to the costs of input, have been determined. The present study, above all, constitutes a sample case about the possibility that the slacks can occur in DEA even when in an entirely efficient state. As a result, the hospitals affiliated to the Social Security Organization (SSK in Turkish) have been found out to be the most efficient and the private hospitals have been found to take the second order while the hospitals operating under the Ministry of Health have taken the third order. Considering all the hospitals altogether, the total welfare loss has been calculated to be $94.523.320. |
| Keywords: | Data Envelopment Analysis, Hospital, Congestion, Slack |
| JEL: | I1 P3 |
| Date: | 2007–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ege:wpaper:0705&r=cwa |
| By: | Cedric Gossart (Cankaya University, Department of Economics); Muge Ozman (Science and Technology Policies Research Centre, METU) |
| Abstract: | We analyse the coauthorship networks of researchers affiliated at universities in Turkey by using two databases: the international SSCI database and the Turkish ULAKBIM database. We find that coauthorship networks are composed largely of isolated groups, permitting little knowledge diffusion. Moreover, there seems to be two disparate populations of researchers. While some scholars publish mostly in the international journals, others target the national audience, and there is very little intersection between the two populations. The same observation is valid for universities, among which there is very little collaboration. Our results point out that while Turkish social sciences and humanities publications have been growing impressively in the last decade, domestic networks to ensure the dissemination of knowledge and of research output are very weak and should be supported by domestic policies. |
| Keywords: | Research collaboration, coauthorship, networks, research policy. |
| Date: | 2007–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:met:stpswp:0702&r=cwa |
| By: | Ensar Yesilyurt (Department of Economics, Pamukkale University) |
| Abstract: | (This paper is in Turkish) Long term data are important in terms of scientific researches that have economic and statistical applications have got meaningful results. But differences which occur in International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system, especially for many variants, prevent long term data from being formed. In other words, because of revise-2 and revise-4 not having a complete harmony, data can not be used efficiently. Revise-3 system has been used in Turkey since 1993. Thus especially for sectoral based (4-dijit) studies, for example, a twenty-year series can not be owned. In other words, either data after the 1993 or those before 1993 can only be used. This prevents some economic realities being analyzed and some economic realities being learned. This study presents a proposal in solving this problem. By using eight and nine digit data in revise-2 and revise-3, four digit transformation ratios are calculated. The data sets that are used for this purpose are the production values that belong to manufacturing industry, mining and stone quarry and energy, oil and water sectors. By using obtained ratios a data set that is classified according to revise-2 (revise-3) could be transformed into revise-3 (revise-2). |
| Keywords: | ISIC, Revise 2, Revise 3, Transformation ratio, Manufacturing Industry, Mining Industry, Energy, Gas and Water, Revize-2, Revize-3, Dönüþüm oraný, Ýmalat Sanayi, Madencilik ve Taþocakçýlýðý, Enerji, Gaz ve Su |
| JEL: | C1 C4 |
| Date: | 2007–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ege:wpaper:0706&r=cwa |
| By: | Erdal Ozmen; Cihan Yalcin |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:0706&r=cwa |
| By: | Ensar Yesilyurt (Department of Economics, Pamukkale University); Filiz Yesilyurt (Department of Economics, Ege University) |
| Abstract: | Turkish Statistics Institution (TUIK) has formed input-output tables for various years. For example, in the years 1959, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1979, 1985, 1990 and 1998, input-output tables and, in relation to them, coefficient matrices and Leontief inverse matrices were formed. Although all these tables have been formed in 4 digits, some sectors are defined in 3 digits while others in 2 digits because they are combined. For this reason, there appears a sort of handicap for the models using the coefficients of Leontief inverse matrix as explanatory variables in applied studies. To use these coefficients in the studies in which data sets are based on 2 and 3 digits, such inaccurate methods as adding these coefficients are preferred. Therefore, forming of Leontief inverse matrices in both 2 and 3 digits is vitally important. Thus, it will be possible researchers to use these coefficients in applied studies. Depending on all the above mentioned points, the 1998 input-output tables – not coefficient matrix and inverse matrix – that have been prepared by TUIK, will firstly be transformed into 2 and 3 digits by using additive keys. Then 2- and 3-digit coefficient matrices and Leontief inverse matrix will be formed by considering these tables. By this way, backward and forward linkage relations will be determined in 2- and 3-digit frame. Besides, correct values will be formed for the models that use these coefficients as explanatory variables. |
| Keywords: | Leontief Inverse Matrix, Input-output |
| JEL: | C67 D57 R15 |
| Date: | 2007–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ege:wpaper:0708&r=cwa |
| By: | Raghbendra Jha |
| Keywords: | India, Economic Growth, Resilience to Shocks |
| JEL: | B22 E21 E66 N15 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pas:asarcc:2007-06&r=cwa |
| By: | Mavalankar Dileep; Shastri Priya; Ramani K.V. |
| Abstract: | Chikungunya is a virus spread by the bite of the Aedes mosquito, which recently reemerged as a massive epidemic in the Indian Ocean islands and India. Chikungunya is generally considered self-limiting and has been reported as non-fatal but, since March 2005, one-third of the 770,000 people in the Indian Ocean Island of Réunion (a French territory) have been affected by Chikungunya with 237 deaths. India reported 1.3 million cases of Chikungunya however the Government of India has not reported any deaths. However there is evidence that deaths due to Chikungunya did occur. The lack of official reports of deaths is mainly due to the poor recording of ‘Causes of Death’ in India. The London Bills of Mortality from the 17th provides a very good example of the importance of proper reporting of deaths especially during an epidemic period. This paper reflects on the London bills of mortality and modern day lessons to be drawn from it as well as the reasons behind the apparent lack of death reporting in 2006’s Chikungunya epidemic. |
| Date: | 2007–07–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-12&r=cwa |
| By: | Asopa V.N. |
| Abstract: | Indian tea has virtually lost all global markets because it continues to be traded as a commodity. The much talked about value addition is limited and rather late. Only the markets that have consumers with shallow pockets buy tea as a commodity and that share is fast depleting. The industry needs to be competitive in production, marketing, logistics and product forms. India, despite being a large producer of tea, lacks properly organized production systems in which small tea producers find a respectable place. The industry must have access to capital at globally competitive rates. The subsidies in any form are undesirable. The Indian tea industry must face the market realities, redefine its business strategies and reposition its products. The first step in that direction is a complete restructuring of the tea industry, redefining the roles of various agencies like the Tea Board and Producers’ organizations, and developing a healthy partnership with the labour. There are the problems of market access and discriminatory treatments through non-tariff trade barriers such as maximum residual limits (MRL) and social clause. |
| Keywords: | Tea, Global, Markets, Commodity, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Competitive, Tea Board |
| Date: | 2007–07–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-02&r=cwa |
| By: | Bishwanath Goldar; Rashmi Banga (University of Delhi Enclave) |
| Abstract: | The paper undertakes analyses at three levels and the results arrived at different levels indicate that trade liberalization has had a favourable effect on FDI flows in India. It is also found that the regions having greater extent of international trade are able to attract greater amount of FDI. Some evidence is found that point to differential effects of trade associated with international vertical integration and intra-industry trade. Though liberalization has led to a substantial increase in intra-industry trade, much of the intra-industry being horizontal in nature in India is not found to have a strong favourable effect on FDI. |
| Keywords: | Trade Liberalization, Foreign Direct Investmetn, India, Indian Industries |
| JEL: | F1 |
| Date: | 2007–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esc:wpaper:3607&r=cwa |
| By: | Sharma Vijay Paul |
| Abstract: | Indian agriculture is at crossroads and one of the major challenges is to reverse deceleration in agricultural growth. Main reason for deceleration in agricultural growth is declining investment particularly public investment in agriculture research and development and irrigation, combined with inefficiency of institutions providing inputs and services including rural credit and extension. Other factors such as land fragmentation, out-dated tenancy laws, lack of modern market and rural infrastructure, inappropriate input pricing policies, etc. are also responsible for agrarian and ecological crisis in the country. The crisis of stagnation in agriculture needs urgent attention. The government has renewed focus on agriculture and promoting public-private partnership to accelerate growth in the rural economy. Many Indian and multi-national agribusiness companies have entered Indian agribusiness sector. The central government has also initiated reforms in outdated laws such as Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, Essential Commodities Act (ECA), and given some incentives like waiver of market fee, rural development tax, etc. for companies making investment in agribusiness sector. The central as well as state governments are promoting involvement of corporate sector in agriculture through contract farming with a view to enable farmer to have access to better inputs, extension services and credit from agribusiness companies. Contract farming is also supposed to eliminate and/or reduce markets and price risks, which farmers face. However, it all depends on the nature of contracts, legislation for regulation of contract farming, enforcement, dispute resolution mechanisms, etc. This paper tries to understand socio-economic implications of corporate-led initiatives in agriculture (mainly contract farming) in the state of Punjab, which has more experience in contract farming compared to other states. The results indicate that contract farming is a good initiative for medium and large-scale farmers producing for the market but the long-term success of such initiatives will depend on how a large number of small and marginal farmers can be linked to restructured markets under changing market and policy environment. The study points out that it is important to provide an integrated set of services including credit and not just seed and limited extension services. Partnership between public and private sector companies/organizations is needed in order to provide these integrated services. More important is to improve bargaining power of smallholder producers while also reducing transaction costs for companies through promotion of producers’ groups/association/cooperatives. Small farmers will be able to effectively participate in the changing markets and establish links with new market chains (supermarkets, agribusiness companies, processors, exporters, etc.) only if they have access to basic infrastructure, quality inputs and services and are organized. |
| Keywords: | Agrarian crisis, smallholder participation, contract farming, agribusiness, land tenancy, public-private partnership |
| Date: | 2007–08–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-08-01&r=cwa |
| By: | Gupta Anil K. |
| Abstract: | A simple search on the web about unaided technological innovations by common people from the unorganized sector will reveal the paucity of information worldwide. It is this gap, which Honey Bee Network started at IIMA about two decades ago tried to fill. In this paper, a very brief history of the steps taken to establish National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has been given. A detailed history remains to be written. Now that NIF will become an autonomous Institute of Department of Science and Technology, its role within India and outside needs to be redefined. How a small academic initiative has spawned multiple institutional innovations is a subject that deserves further study. |
| Date: | 2007–07–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-10&r=cwa |
| By: | Sonia Bhalotra (University of Bristol, CMPO and IZA) |
| Abstract: | There are severe inequalities in health in the world, poor health being concentrated amongst poor people in poor countries. Poor countries spend a much smaller share of national income on health expenditure than do richer countries. What potential lies in political or growth processes that raise this share? This depends upon how effective government health spending in developing countries is. Existing research presents little evidence of an impact on childhood mortality. Using specifications similar to those in the existing literature, this paper finds a similar result for India, which is that state health spending saves no lives. However, upon allowing lagged effects, controlling in a flexible way for trended unobservables and restricting the sample to rural households, a significant effect of health expenditure on infant mortality emerges, the long run elasticity being about -0.24. There are striking differences in the impact by social group. Slicing the data by gender, birth-order, religion, maternal and paternal education and maternal age at birth, I find the weakest effects in the most vulnerable groups (with the exception of a large effect for scheduled tribes). |
| Keywords: | public spending, health, poverty, infant mortality, India |
| JEL: | I18 I38 O15 O12 |
| Date: | 2007–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2914&r=cwa |
| By: | Raghuram G.; Gangwar Rachna |
| Abstract: | Indian Railways (IR) had lost its market share in high rated freight commodities especially cement, POL, and iron and steel. IR was missing an overall strategy for freight business, which was overcharged without sensitivity to competition. Over time, other transport modes, especially road (and pipeline in the case of POL) captured a very significant share of freight due to their faster and door-to-door deliveries. Several initiatives have been taken in the recent past to make IRs’ strategies market oriented like increased axle loading, better pricing strategy, and improved services. In 2005-06, IR loaded 667 mt of revenue earning freight traffic, marking an increase of 110 mt over 2003-04. Additional freight revenue was Rs 9172 crore during the same period. IR still has a tremendous potential in the freight business, but it needs to be examined with an appropriate framework for segmentation of the market. Like in any other transport business, an origin-destination (OD) based systems perspective could be used. The primary categorization of origins would be industry/collection centre, mine and port. The primary categorization of destinations would be industry, port and distribution center. An attempt was made by the authors to do an OD analysis on the 666.5mt (602.1 mt) of freight traffic of 2005-06 (2004-05). The above analysis has implications for leveraging the four Ps of marketing; product (service attributes), price, promotion, and place (logistics). This paper attempts to evolve marketing strategies for freight traffic, based on the OD market analysis specified above. |
| Date: | 2007–07–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-03&r=cwa |
| By: | Gupta Anil K. |
| Abstract: | There is a widespread concern all over the world about the emerging tensions in the local, regional and global dialogues on relationship between formal and informal knowledge systems. It is realized that the basic social contract between knowledge producing communities and the knowledge valorizing corporations and professionals needs redefinition. Several professional societies have incorporated discussions on ethical issues in accessing knowledge, innovations and practices of local communities involving use of local biodiversity resources. The situation becomes even more complex when we realize that the healthcare needs of large majority of poor people still are met by their own survival strategies dependent upon use of local knowledge and resources. It is obvious that this knowledge is precious and can generate viable and productive alternatives valued by modern markets. At the same time, it is also true that if this knowledge was sufficiently robust as it stands, the local health conditions would not have been as precarious as these often are in many regions because of nutritional and other economic hardships. The linkage with formal science and technology is therefore vital. The paper deals with four issues: (a) what can we learn from the analysis of a country wide campaign in India on documenting more than 30000 local health traditions maintained by communities and individuals, (b) whether the health priorities and the options for addressing them require new technological and institutional paradigms, (c) how can new partnership between people, professionals, public policy makers and profit-oriented corporations be conceptualized so that not only benefits are shared fairly but also the knowledge systems grow and thrive and (d) what should be the ethical code of conduct guiding the knowledge exchange, value addition and benefit sharing for generating viable health options for knowledge rich, economically poor people. The paper would thus provide an overview of the global debate on this subject and also suggest how an ethnobotanist can become the watchdog of, as well as the advocates for, the interests of healers, herbalists and other traditional knowledge rich communities. |
| Date: | 2007–07–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-05&r=cwa |
| By: | Deodhar Satish Y.; Ganesh Sankar; Chern Wen S. |
| Abstract: | This paper addresses the issues of consumer awareness, opinion, acceptance and willingness to pay for GM foods in the Indian market. A random utility approach is used to estimate a logit equation which indicates what factors affect the likelihood of consumption of non-GM and GM foods and whether or not consumers are willing to pay a premium for non-GM/GM foods. Data was generated through questionnaire survey which was administered to 602 respondents in the city of Ahmedabad and 110 respondents on internet. More than 90% of the respondents from the city survey did not know about GM foods. However, after informing them about the pros and cons of GM foods, more than 70% were willing to consume even if GM and non-GM foods were available for the same price. Ceteris paribus as the price difference between non-GM and GM food rose, people were more likely to consume GM foods. Likelihood of GM food consumption seemed to increase as one moved from very poor and not-so-poor income brackets to higher income brackets. Being a female or a joint family member increased the likelihood of choosing non-GM rice and edible oil. On an average, consumers were willing to pay 19.5% and 16.12% premiums for golden rice and GM edible oil, respectively. Overall, it appears that GM foods will be acceptable in the Indian market. However, consumer education societies, government ministries, and food companies may have to create awareness about the GM foods among Indian consumers. |
| Date: | 2007–06–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-06-08&r=cwa |
| By: | Sahoo Debajani; Vyas Preeta H. |
| Abstract: | Retaining all customers would not be a good idea for any business. In contrast, allowing the profitable customers to leave would be an even worse idea. Consequently the real solution rests in knowing the value of each customer and then focusing loyalty efforts on those customers. Customers are more likely to be loyal to a group of brands than to a single brand. This is particularly true if the chosen brand is the category leader and costs more. In contrast to the one – brand- for – life mentality of the past, today’s consumers are blatant in their divided loyalties, for their own safety and pleasure. The conceptual framework presented helps to understand the evolving logic of loyalty programs and process of implementing the same. Applications in different service industry for building and sustaining loyalty provide an overview of the status of such programmes. |
| Date: | 2007–07–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2007-07-11&r=cwa |