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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | C. Emre Alper; Orhan Torul |
| Date: | 2009–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bou:wpaper:2009/06&r=cwa |
| By: | Alper, Emre; Hatipoglu, Ozan |
| Abstract: | We document the role of independence for Central Bank of Republic of Turkey (CBRT) as it matters to successful implementation of monetary policy. We compare the implementation of monetary policy pre- and post-crisis periods within an empirical framework which allows us to measure the role of independence quantitatively. We estimate a Taylor rule with time varying coefficients by employing a dual extended Kalman filter. We find that the coefficient of inflation gap has increased substantially since CBRT gained de-juro independence. |
| Keywords: | Taylor Rule; Kalman Filter; Monetary Policy |
| JEL: | E58 E52 E00 C11 |
| Date: | 2009–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:18426&r=cwa |
| By: | Içduygu, Ahmet |
| Abstract: | As often argued, a negative perception of immigration, or even emigration, prevails public opinions and governments in most countries. It is argued that caused by economic hardship or political hardship or political unrest in countries of origin, it would threaten well-being and identity in countries of destination, and sometimes endanger political security. However, on the other hand, social scientists recognize that, being a part of the global circulation and global integration, human mobility bears a tremendous potential for human progress. This view is increasingly shared by several actors for which adequate policies could make migration a genuine instrument for economic and social development. Therefore, the conditions under which, and the mechanisms through which, migration can transform individual benefits into an aggregated one, for the greater society, are to be studied. From this perspective, Turkey provides us with an interesting case study; firstly because of its multiple migration roles as a country of emigration, immigration and transit, over time; secondly because, this ongoing flows of emigration and immigration involve various stages of a migration cycle; thirdly because, this migration cycle reflects, both explicitly and implicitly, some gains, and occasionally loses, both for the country and its people, migrants and non-migrants; and finally because of Turkey’s longestablished EU-membership process which highlights various types of migration issues. This report provides us with an overview of some aspects of migration-development nexus in the case of Turkey. |
| Keywords: | Development; emigration; immigration; remittances; migration cycle; Turkey; European Union. |
| JEL: | F22 O15 F24 |
| Date: | 2009–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19235&r=cwa |
| By: | Korap, Levent; Saatçioğlu, Cem |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to investigate the relationship between inflation and inflation uncertainty in the Turkish economy by using contemporaneous Exponential GARCH (EGARCH) estimation methodology. Our findings indicate that inflation leads to inflation uncertainty, and dealing with the information content of this relationship, the conditional variance of inflation reacts more to past positive shocks than to negative innovations of equal size. Causality analysis between inflation and inflation uncertainty reveals that inflation Granger- causes, or in other words, precedes inflation uncertainty, but no clear-cut and significant evidence in the opposite direction can be obtained. Furthermore, generalized impulse response analysis estimated in a vector autoregressive framework yields supportive results to these findings. |
| Keywords: | Inflation ; Inflation uncertainty; Granger causality analysis ; EGARCH modelling ; Impulse response analysis ; |
| JEL: | C51 C32 E31 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19246&r=cwa |
| By: | Korap, Levent |
| Abstract: | In this study, the causal relationships between inflation, output growth and uncertainty have been re-examined for the Turkish economy. Based on the system-GARCH methodology, estimation results reveal that for the 1987M01 2008M09 investigation period with monthly data, the mutual Granger causality between inflation and inflation uncertainty cannot be rejected in a positive way. For the output growth and its uncertainty relationship, it is observed that the larger the output growth the lower the output growth uncertainty. Some evidence have also been obtained in favor of that an increase in inflation uncertainty lowers output growth and that an increase in the latter lowers the former. Furthermore, an increase in output growth uncertainty is likely to lead to more inflation. A sensitivity analysis implemented for the post-2001 period supports to a great extent these results. Consequently, it is inferred that policies aiming at reducing inflation would lead to a more efficient functioning of the price system, and this would contribute to the real output growth. |
| Keywords: | Inflation ; Output growth ; System-GARCH ; Turkish economy ; |
| JEL: | C51 C32 E31 |
| Date: | 2009–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19054&r=cwa |
| By: | Sprietsma, Maresa |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effect of teacher expectations on essay grades in an experimental setting. To this purpose, we randomly assign Turkish or German first names to a set of essays so that some teachers believe a given essay was written by a German native pupil, whereas others believe it was written by a pupil of Turkish origin. We find that essays obtain significantly lower grades and lower secondary school recommendations when bearing a Turkish sounding name. -- |
| Keywords: | Experiment,discrimination,grading,pupils with migration,background |
| JEL: | I20 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:09074&r=cwa |
| By: | Masood, Tariq; Ahmad, Mohd. Izhar |
| Abstract: | Abstract The study attempts to investigate the factors responsible for the inter-state variations in women’s labour force participation in India by using the NSSO 61st round (2004-05) data. Two separate regression models for rural and urban women between women’s labor force participation as dependent variable and its various possible determinants have been estimated to identify the factors determining the rural and urban women’s labour force participation by using cross sectional data of all states and union territories of India. Our findings suggest that Personal variables education and wages are significant determinants of urban women’s labour force participation but not of rural women’s labour force participation. Other important determinants of women’s labour force participation are sex ratio, Muslim population, SC and ST population and Unemployment rate. |
| Keywords: | Women’s Labour Force Participation, Interstate Variations, India |
| JEL: | J21 J71 C21 |
| Date: | 2009–10–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19297&r=cwa |
| By: | Saboo, Sidharth; Gopi, Sunil |
| Abstract: | Mergers and acquisitions are used for improving competitiveness of companies and gaining competitive advantage over other firms through gaining greater market share, broadening the portfolio to reduce business risk, entering new markets and geographies, and capitalising on economies of scale etc. India has emerged as one of the top countries with respect to merger and acquisition deals. Indian companies have been actively involved in mergers and acquisitions in India domestically as well as internationally. The value share of deals where India has been a target or an acquirer has risen sharply over the past decade, from $2.2 billion in 1998 to $62 billion in 2007. As India increases its participation in M&A deals, it is instructive to compare the domestic and cross-border acquisitions due to their distinctiveness. The distinction between them is a function of the change in market integration which changes the costs and benefit structure and also the difference in synergies – social, cultural and organisational. This research study was aimed to study the impact of mergers on the operating performance of acquiring firms by examining some pre- merger and post-merger financial ratios of these firms and to see the differences in the pre merger and post merger ratios of the firms that go for domestic acquisitions and the firms that go for the international/cross-border acquisitions. The results suggest that there are variations in terms of impact on performance following mergers, depending on the type of firm acquired – domestic or cross-border. In particular, mergers have had a positive effect on key financial ratios of firms acquiring domestic firms while a slightly negative impact on the firms acquiring cross-border firms. |
| Keywords: | Mergers and Acquisitions; Domestic Mergers; Cross-border Mergers; Operating performance |
| JEL: | G34 G3 |
| Date: | 2009–12–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19274&r=cwa |
| By: | Garg, Rahul |
| Abstract: | The Value Added Tax (VAT) system is a system of indirect taxation that replaced the previous sales tax regime in India. Like its predecessor, VAT is implemented at the state level and applies to all goods traded within the state. The Delhi Value Added Tax Act was passed on 2004 and there were follow-up Rules in 2005. The new consumption tax system was finally put in force from 1 April 2005 in Delhi, along with 20 other states. Delhi VAT Act replaces the old Delhi Sales Tax Act, Delhi Sales Tax on Works Contract Act, Delhi Sales Tax on Right to use goods Act and Delhi Sales Tax on entry of motor vehicles. The Department of Trade and Taxes is the state department in charge of all matters related to VAT administration. |
| Keywords: | VAT; GST; Delhi; India |
| JEL: | K34 H2 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19073&r=cwa |
| By: | Deshingkar, Priya; Akter, Shaheen |
| Abstract: | The paper discusses how gaps in both the data on migration and the understanding of the role of migration in livelihood strategies and economic growth in India, have led to inaccurate policy prescriptions and a lack of political commitment to improving the living and working conditions of migrants. Field evidence from major migrant employing sectors is synthesised to show that circular migration is the dominant form of economic mobility for the poor; especially the lower castes and tribes. The authors argue that the human costs of migration are high due to faulty implementation of protective legislation and loopholes in the law and not due to migration per se. The paper discusses child labour in specific migration streams in detail stressing that this issue needs to be addressed in parallel. It also highlights the non-economic drivers and outcomes of migration that need to be considered when understanding its impacts. The authors calculate that there are roughly 100 million circular migrants in India contributing 10% to the national GDP. New vulnerabilities created by the economic recession are discussed. Detailed analysis of village resurveys in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are also presented and these show conclusively that migration is an important route out of poverty. |
| Keywords: | India; circular migration; caste; tribe; child labour; human development |
| JEL: | Z1 O15 |
| Date: | 2009–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19193&r=cwa |
| By: | Masood, Tariq; Ahmad, Mohd. Izhar |
| Abstract: | The study attempts to analyse the behaviour of some macroeconomic variables in response to total capital inflows in India using quarterly data for the period 1994Q1-2007Q4. Time trend of all variables except nominal effective exchange rate-both export and trade based and current account balance shows instability over the period of study. Current account balance is the only variable which is stationary in level form all other variables are stationary in first difference form. Cointegration test confirms the long run equilibrium relation between total capital inflows (TCI) and real effective exchange rate-both trade based and export based and between TCI and nominal effective exchange rate-export based. Granger causality test confirms the bidirectional causality between real effective exchange rate-export based and TCI and between foreign exchange reserve & TCI and unidirectional causality from TCI to real effective exchange rate-trade based. |
| Keywords: | International Capital Inflows; Time Series Econometrics |
| JEL: | F30 C22 |
| Date: | 2009–03–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19299&r=cwa |
| By: | Singh, Lakhwinder; Shergill, Baldev Singh |
| Abstract: | The recent spurt of economic growth in India has been described as ‘jobless growth’. In this paper an attempt has been made to examine the question of when industrial development provides required dynamism for generating desired employment opportunities for labour force and when it does not. An industrial technological capability based approach has been adopted to analyse the Indian Industrial development experience during the period 1980 to 2005, which is a quarter century time period. The main finding that emerged from the empirical evidence is that the medium-high-tech industries have shown dynamism in terms of generating employment growth. The labour market regulation view put forward by various scholars supporting the liberalisation policies could not stand the scrutiny of clear demarcation among job creating and job destroying industries under the same circumstances. The relationship between industrial technological capabilities and employment growth turns out to be ambiguous. This implies that weak technological capabilities adversely affect employment growth and heavy dependence on imported technological know-how from the developed countries is labour displacing. It is thus suggested that developing countries should invest both in institutions and industrial firms to develop technological development that suits to resource endowment, specificities of local conditions and suitable to the stage of industrial development. There is a dire need to explore alternative paths of industrial and technological capability development to sustain economic transformation process for achieving prosperity and reducing the time for catch-up development. |
| Keywords: | Industrial development; jobless growth; technological capabilities; employment elasticities |
| JEL: | O25 C23 J01 O14 |
| Date: | 2009–12–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19059&r=cwa |
| By: | Roman Stöllinger (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Gábor Hunya (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | On a global level, the EU emerges as the most important foreign direct investor, also if considering extra-EU investments only. This reflects the capability and propensity of EU firms to internationalize their business activities. A joint analysis of two methodologically very distinct databases - Eurostat FDI data for FDI flows and stocks, and the FDI Intelligence from Financial Times Ltd. for the number of investment projects - made it possible, for the period 2001-2007 and 2003-2008 respectively, to reveal several facts and trends concerning the competitive position of EU firms in the BRICs and vice versa. The EU is among the main investors in each of the BRICs and the dominant investor in Brazil and Russia. In China and India, the EU has less weight. But after correcting for particularities in FDI data, such as the prominent role of Hong Kong and off-shore centres in Chinese FDI and of Mauritius in Indian FDI, the EU ranks higher also in these countries. In a direct comparison with the US and Japan, the EU emerges as the leading investor among the Triad countries in each of the BRICs. This suggests that EU firms are well positioned to compete with other multinational corporations in the BRICs. The analysis of the number of projects confirms this finding, the role of the EU in China is much greater than suggested by FDI data. China emerges as the main BRICs target for EU projects, but in terms of FDI inflows China occupies rank three after Russia and Brazil. The divergent results can be explained by the small number of very large projects in the natural resource sector of Russia and the great number of finance- and trade-related small investments in China. In some cases, FDI has become the major entry strategy of EU firms into the BRICs markets. Global and EU-15 investments in the BRICs, as measured by the number of investment projects, were resilient to the global crisis until 2008. With regards to the current economic downturn and the expected drop in global FDI, the BRICs may find themselves in a privileged position in several respects. First of all they are large economies where FDI is mainly attracted by the local markets with growth expectations above world average, although not in Russia. Local economic growth especially in China and India will allow for FDI to grow if companies from crisis-hit countries are in the position to invest. Larger multinationals may increasingly concentrate on the very few countries in the world where they can expand sales, such as China, India and Brazil, and shift investments there. Also for European companies the expansion to the BRICs remains a major attraction. Due to the size of the BRICs and their distance to Europe, only larger or more specialized investors may benefit from this opportunity. The main conclusion based on the statistical analysis is that the EU is well positioned as a direct investor both on the global level and in the BRICs. In the fast growing markets of China and India, however, the share of EU firms in total FDI is rather low and not particularly dynamic. As investments in such geographically more distant places are mainly realized by large corporations while SMEs typically limit their foreign operations to nearby countries, policy levers may be necessary to expand EU presence there. This is all the more desirable as China and India have a high market potential and EU firms can expect high returns on FDI. |
| Keywords: | FDI, competitiveness, EU, BRICs, Brazil, China, European Union, India, Russia, Foreign Direct Investment |
| JEL: | F21 O52 O53 O54 |
| Date: | 2009–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:rpaper:rr:358&r=cwa |
| By: | Das, Amarendra |
| Abstract: | This paper compares the environmental performance of public and private firms in the context of Indian chromite mining industry. It proposes a new methodology to measure firms’ environmental performance in a multidimensional framework. Comparison of unidimensional and multidimensional environmental defiance indices reveal no significant difference between the public and private firms. |
| Keywords: | Firm ownership; Multi Dimensional Environmental Compliance |
| JEL: | G38 Q53 L72 |
| Date: | 2009–08–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:18716&r=cwa |
| By: | Pfau, Wade Donald |
| Abstract: | Pakistan’s pension system is in the process of increasing funding in anticipation of providing for a growing elderly population. The pension assets are mainly invested domestically, as it was just in January 2007 that regulations changed to allow the purchase of international assets. In this paper, we quantify how diversification of the pension funds to include world financial assets could help a great deal in improving the sustainability of Pakistan pensions by simultaneously increasing expected returns and decreasing volatility. These arguments are made using historical data, and the robustness of our findings is demonstrated using a large variety of alternative assumptions about future asset returns, risks, and correlations. We find that international diversification could dramatically help to create sustainability for Pakistan’s main public pension system available to private workers. |
| Keywords: | pension; asset allocation; financial markets; Asia; Pakistan |
| JEL: | G11 H55 G23 |
| Date: | 2009–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19037&r=cwa |
| By: | Marcel Mérette (Department of Economics, University of Ottawa); Patrick Georges (Graduate School of Public and International Affairs,University of Ottawa) |
| Abstract: | This paper develops a multi-country overlapping-generations general equilibrium model to gauge the economic impacts of demographic changes in the global economy and its transmission effects on different countries. Although severe demographic pressures contribute to significantly lower real GDP per capita across several regions in the world, globalisation through international trade generates an improvement in the terms of trade of older OECD countries, which sustains their real consumption per capita, while globalisation through capital flows stimulates capital deepening and therefore growth in younger countries such as India and various parts of the Rest of the World. The general equilibrium nature of the ageing process is crucial to understand the net foreign asset dynamics of countries during the demographic transition, and this is particularly relevant for a country like China that is caught, in the global economy, between relatively older and younger countries. On this regard China, unlike older countries, does not benefit from a terms of trade improvement which could otherwise sustain its consumption, nor does it benefit, unlike India, from capital deepening, which could otherwise sustain its GDP growth. |
| Keywords: | Inequality Demographic transition, ageing, globalisation, overlapping generations, computable general equilibrium modeling |
| JEL: | D58 F41 J11 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ott:wpaper:0903e&r=cwa |
| By: | Das Gupta, Monica |
| Abstract: | Son preference is known to be found in certain types of cultures, that is patrilineal cultures. But what explains the fact that China, South Korea, and Northwest India manifest such extreme child sex ratios compared with other patrilineal societies? This paper argues that what makes these societies unique is that their pre-modern political and administrative systems used patrilineages to organize and administer their citizens. The interplay of culture, state, and political processes generated uniquely rigid patriliny and son preference. The paper also argues that the advent of the modern state in these settings has unraveled the underpinnings of the rigid patrilineal rules, and unleashed a variety of forces that reduce son preference. Firstly, the modern state has powerful tools for incorporating and managing its citizenry, rendering patrilineages a threat rather than an asset for the state. Secondly, the modern state has brought in political, social, and legal reforms aimed to challenge traditional social hierarchies, including the age and gender hierarchies of the kinship system. Thirdly, industrialization and urbanization have ushered in new modes of social organization, which reduce the hold of clans and lineages. Studies of the impact of the media suggest that states can accelerate the resultant decline in son preference, through media efforts to help parents perceive that daughters can now be as valuable as sons. |
| Keywords: | Population Policies,Gender and Law,Anthropology,Population&Development,Gender and Development |
| Date: | 2009–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5148&r=cwa |
| By: | Peter Havlik (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Olga Pindyuk (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw); Roman Stöllinger (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | This policy paper, prepared as part of the Background Study for the European Competitiveness Report 2009, analyses the external trade in goods and services between the EU and the BRICs. The paper starts with the analysis of the global position of the EU and the BRICs in world trade (using the IMF DOT and UN COMTRADE databases) and moves subsequently to a more detailed analysis of regional (individual EU countries' trade with the BRICs), commodity and industry-specific trade specialization patterns, using the Eurostat Comext database. The key features of services trade are addressed as well. |
| Keywords: | foreign trade, trade specialization, competitiveness, European Union, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Industry, International Trade and Competitiveness, Services |
| JEL: | F10 F14 F23 |
| Date: | 2009–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:rpaper:rr:357&r=cwa |
| By: | Kundu, Amitabh |
| Abstract: | The present paper overviews urbanisation and migration process in Asian countries at macro level since 1950s, including the projections made till 2030. It questions the thesis of southward movement of urbanisation and that of urban explosion in Asia. Increased unaffordability of urban space and basic amenities, negative policy perspective towards migration and various rural development pogrammes designed to discourage migration are responsible for this exclusionary urban growth and a distinct decline in urban rural growth differential, with the major exception of China. The changing structure of urban population across different size categories reveals a shift of growth dynamics from large to second order cities and stagnation of small towns. The pace of urbanization has been modest to high in select countries in Asia, not because of their level of economic growth but its composition and labour intensity of rapidly growing informal sectors. Several countries have launched programmes for improving governance and infrastructural facilities in a few large cities, attracting private investors from within as well as outside the country. These have pushed out squatter settlements, informal sector businesses along with a large number of pollutant industries to a few pockets and peripheries of the cities. The income level and quality of basic amenities in these cities, as a result, have gone up but that has been associated with increased intra-city disparity and creation of degenerated periphery. Nonetheless, there is no strong evidence that urbanization is associated with destabilization of agrarian economy, poverty and immiserisation, despite the measures of globalization resulting in regional imbalances. The overview of the trend and pattern suggests that the pace of urbanization would be reasonably high but much below the level projected by UNPD in the coming decades. |
| Keywords: | urbanisation; migration; exclusion; periphery; informalisation; small towns; economic concentration; urban rural growth differential; Asia; China and India |
| JEL: | O15 P25 N95 |
| Date: | 2009–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19197&r=cwa |
| By: | Tisdell, Clem |
| Abstract: | The production of biofuels has been supported by many conservationists and environmentalists on the grounds that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is a renewable energy substitute for non-renewable fossil fuels, mainly oil. More recently the domestic production of biofuels (and the domestic supply of other forms of alternative energy) have been welcomed by several nations as ways to reduce their oil imports and increase their energy self-sufficiency, as for example, has happened in the United States. India also which is very dependent on oil imports has also begun to produce biofuels in Kerala and elsewhere. However, doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of biofuel use as a means to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases and elementary economics teaches us that it is likely to have opportunity costs. For example, increased cropping to provide biofuels can be at the expense of the production of food and natural fibres thereby adding to their prices. It may also increase the conversion of natural areas to agricultural use and consequently, add to biodiversity loss and an increase in greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. For example, in Borneo, forests are being converted to grow oil palm, partly used for biodiesel production in developing countries. These issues are discussed generally and their economic welfare implications are given particular attention in relation to Asian nations. Amongst the different situations examined from economic welfare and environmental points of view are the following: 1. Asian nations producing biofuels for their own use from home-grown crops, as is the case of India and China. 2. The external trade of Asian countries in feedstock for biofuels, such as palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia and in biofuel itself. 3. Possible Asian ventures to grow crops for biofuels abroad or import biofuels. 4. The economic consequences for Asian countries of decisions by higher income countries, such as the United States (which also happens to be a major global exporter of food and natural fibre), to raise their production of biofuels. Analysis is provided that casts doubts on the likelihood that the introduction of biofuels will reduce greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. |
| Keywords: | Biofuels, conservation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2009–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uqseee:55340&r=cwa |
| By: | Dailami, Mansoor; Masson, Paul |
| Abstract: | Backed by rapid economic growth, growing financial clout, and a newfound sense of assertiveness in recent years, the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India, and China - are a driving force behind an incipient transformation of the world economy away from a US-dominated system toward a multipolar one in which developing countries will have a major say. It is, however, in the international monetary arena that the notion of multipolarity - more than two dominant poles - commands renewed attention and vigorous debate. For much of its history, the quintessential structural feature of the international monetary system has been unipolarity - as American hegemony of initiatives and power as well as its capacity to promote a market-based, liberal order came to define and shape international monetary relations. As other currencies become potential substitutes for the US dollar in international reserves and in cross-border claims, exchange rate volatility may become more severe. There are also risks that the rivalry among the three economic blocs may spill over into something more if not kept in check by a strong global governance structure. While the transition will be difficult and drawn out, governments should take immediate steps to prevent financial volatility by enhancing cooperation on monetary policies, currency market intervention and financial regulation. |
| Keywords: | Currencies and Exchange Rates,Debt Markets,Emerging Markets,Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Economic Theory&Research |
| Date: | 2009–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5147&r=cwa |
| By: | Andrabi, Tahir; Das, Jishnu; Khwaja, Asim Ijaz |
| Abstract: | Female education levels are very low in many developing countries. Does maternal education have a causal impact on children's educational outcomes even at these very low levels of education? By combining a nationwide census of schools in Pakistan with household data, the authors use the availability of girls'schools in the mother's birth village as an instrument for maternal schooling to address this issue. Since public schools in Pakistan are segregated by gender, the instrument affects only maternal education rather than the education levels of both mothers and fathers. The analysis finds that children of mothers with some education spend 75 minutes more on educational activities at home compared with children whose mothers report no education at all. Mothers with some education also spend more time helping their children with school work; the effect is stronger (an extra 40 minutes per day) in families where the mother is likely the primary care-giver. Finally, test scores for children whose mothers have some education are higher in English, Urdu (the vernacular), and mathematics by 0.24-0.35 standard deviations. There is no relationship between maternal education and mother’s time spent on paid work or housework - a posited channel through which education affects bargaining power within the household. And there is no relationship between maternal education and the mother's role in educational decisions or in the provision of other child-specific goods, such as expenditures on pocket money, uniforms, and tuition. The data therefore suggest that at these very low levels of education, maternal education does not substantially affect a mother's bargaining power within the household. Instead, maternal education could directly increase the mother's productivity or affect her preferences toward children’s education in a context where her bargaining power is low. |
| Keywords: | Education For All,Primary Education,Access&Equity in Basic Education,Early Childhood Development,Youth and Governance |
| Date: | 2009–11–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5143&r=cwa |
| By: | Kinda, Tidiane |
| Abstract: | Using a one-step stochastic frontier model for five developing countries (Brazil, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, and Vietnam), we show that foreign firms benefit from a better investment climate, which significantly explains why they are more efficient than local firms. Unlike former studies, this paper uses the share of each firm’s sales to multinationals located in the country to assess the importance of vertical spillovers, and it controls for the direct impact of the investment climate on efficiency. The results show that firms (particularly small local firms) that sell more of their production to multinationals are more efficient. |
| Keywords: | Foreign ownership; firm-level efficiency; vertical spillovers; investment climate; developing countries |
| JEL: | F23 F21 D24 O14 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:19160&r=cwa |
| By: | Viswanatha, Sankara Rama Subramaniam |
| Abstract: | The foundation for the independence approach of Gandhi were more based on Social and Personal freedom than Economic independency and prosperity of the people concerned. British rulers in South Africa and India strategically used the social wedges as a tool to utilise the occupied territory and people, for the economic gains of Britain and their people. Any Psyco-social management action on the public can over power the management decision of any ruler, however powerful they may be. A social freedom movement develops attractive domestic economic concepts. But, without any thought, methodology or any plan to create the resources, infrastructure and input to achieve the same. Social freedom inducts domestic orientation. Opens up the past cultural heritages. Pools the people and their thoughts towards self development. But a strategic management methodology to achieve the same are absent. Literature, the inner spirits and social freedom thoughts go together. But how to get economic prosperity, rule and manage the nation after independence were completely blank. Social freedom, not based on economic development orientation and a blind belief that people can rule themselves leads to apartheid, unsafe alliances, export of local talents to developed nations and a looping poverty. Management and Productivity (Both Government and Private) concepts and evaluation should be with reference to Socio-Economic Development units, than unilateral quantum and financial units. Intangible (Psychological, Social, Environmental, International and Universal) components should be given more importance, than physical and financial factors. Domestic investments should be from Domestic Savings. Domestic technology (Latest moderated to suit local environments) should be manned by Domestic Manpower. Any public investment should be justified with reference to a cumulative gain in Economic, Financial, Social and Technological rate of return. |
| Keywords: | apartheid; british rule; commonwealth; democracy; domestic; economic; gandhi; independence; investment; japan; manpower; panchayat raj; poetic freedom; social; sarvodaya; satyagraha; savings; swadeshi; swaraj; technology; trusteeship |
| JEL: | A13 A14 |
| Date: | 2009–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:17991&r=cwa |