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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Alexander Libman (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management); Joachim Zweynert |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates the current status of economic research in Russia using a previously unexplored dataset of Russian ‘Doctor of Science’ (Dr. Sc.) theses. The Dr. Sc. degree is a postdoctoral qualification necessary for career advancement at most Russian universities. Thus, by looking at the Dr. Sc. theses we are able to provide a systematic overview of ‘average’ scientific standards in Russia, particularly at the mass universities at which most administrators and bureaucrats are trained. We show that the level of integration of Russian economics into the international scientific community remains very low. Moreover, we obtain a picture of a mostly ‘ceremonial’ science. Researchers combine references to ‘classical’ research, formal methods and practical application merely as an instrument for presenting the mostly verbal argument in a more scientific’ way. |
| Keywords: | Russian economics, international integration, scientific methodology |
| JEL: | A11 B41 I23 P39 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ost:wpaper:337&r=cwa |
| By: | Afandi, Elvin; Kermani, Majid |
| Abstract: | By employing a rich sample of firm-level data in seven Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries from Europe and Central Asia, our paper investigates core as well as some specific determinants of firm innovation. We find that the likelihood of engaging in innovation for a firm increases with its core socio-economic characteristics such as size, age, capacity utilization, domestic competition and foreign ownership. In addition to the estimates of these socio-economic covariates, the ultimate purpose of our study is to obtain more in-depth knowledge about the policy implacable factors for firm innovation that the countries could focus on. These policy-related factors are: (i) access to finance, (ii) human capital, and (iii) foreign trade. In this respect, our study finds that firm’s innovation increases with better financial inclusion, greater human capital and engagement in foreign trade. We argue that these analysis and results, coupled with inclusive and targeted policies, can be used to enrich the process of private sector innovation in the region’s countries. |
| Keywords: | Firm innovation, access to finance, human capital, foreign trade |
| JEL: | G0 J24 O31 P33 |
| Date: | 2013–02–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:53255&r=cwa |
| By: | Bengtsson, Ola (Department of Economics, Lund University); Ekeblom, Daniel (Department of Economics, Lund University) |
| Abstract: | Existing empirical evidence suggest that entrepreneurs are optimists, a finding researchers often interpret as evidence of a behavioral bias in entrepreneurial decision-making. We revisit this claim by analyzing an unusually large survey dataset (180,814 responses) that allows us to create a good measure of entrepreneurial optimism. Our measure is based on the individual’s beliefs about nationwide future economic conditions. These beliefs form a good measure of optimism because they, unlike an individual’s beliefs about her own future economic conditions, are completely uncorrelated with the individual’s own life or work situation (which is not optimism). Our data highlight the importance of measuring optimism correctly. About half of the survey respondents differ in their beliefs about nationwide and own conditions. In addition to its conceptual and empirical relevance, our measure of optimism makes it possible to relate an individual’s beliefs to actual outcomes. We can thereby test, in a novel way, whether entrepreneurial optimism is a behavioral bias or not. We first show that entrepreneurs have more favorable beliefs about nationwide conditions. We then show that these entrepreneurs’ beliefs are relatively good predictors of the future. We conclude from these two findings that entrepreneurs are less biased towards optimism than non-entrepreneurs are biased towards pessimism. Additional evidence pertaining to education, which arguably correlates positively with rational decision-making, supports this conclusion. We show that entrepreneurs are more educated and their beliefs about the future are more similar to educated peoples’ beliefs. In summary, our paper documents that entrepreneurial optimism is an important real-world phenomenon, yet, it may not be a behavioral bias that gives rise to irrational decision-making. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship; forecast; optimism; survey data |
| JEL: | C83 D84 E27 L26 |
| Date: | 2014–01–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:lunewp:2014_001&r=cwa |
| By: | Türkcan, Kemal |
| Abstract: | Recent empirical research in international trade emphasizes the role of the extensive and intensive margin to the export growth. This paper examines the sources of export growth in Turkey. For this purpose, the study decomposes Turkey’s export growth into extensive and intensive margins by using two methodologies, the count method and the decomposition method of export growth shares. The intensive margin into price and quantity components is further decomposed in order to evaluate the role of changes in price and changes in quantity. Detailed bilateral trade data, BACI, from CEPII are employed to analyze Turkey’s export statistics with 209 countries at the HS-6 level over the period 1998–2011. Additionally, these methods are employed for different categories of goods (final goods and intermediate goods exports). The results suggest that the extensive margin, particularly geographic diversification, plays the most important role in Turkey’s total goods export growth. Further, the growth in Turkey’s total goods exports is mainly explained by quantity rather than price growth. The results further point out that growth in Turkey’s final goods was driven by price growth, whereas growth in intermediate goods exports was mainly explained by quantity growth. Yet the results also suggested that product and geographic diversification of Turkey’s exports have not been materialized at all so that opportunities to expand product range or expand into new markets will bring significant benefits in the form of stable, sustainable economic growth. |
| Keywords: | Turkey, export margins, product diversification, geographical diversification |
| JEL: | F12 F14 F15 |
| Date: | 2014–01–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:53292&r=cwa |
| By: | Félix Badolo (CERDI - Centre d'études et de recherches sur le developpement international - CNRS : UMR6587 - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I); Somlanare Romuald KINDA (CERDI - Centre d'études et de recherches sur le developpement international - CNRS : UMR6587 - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I) |
| Abstract: | This paper contributes to the existing literature on climatic variability and food security. It analyses the impact of climatic variability on food security for 71 developing countries, from 1960 to 2008. Using two complementary indicators of food security (food supply and proportion of undernourished people), we find that climatic variability reduces the food supply and the proportion of undernourished people in developing countries. The adverse effect is higher for African Sub-Saharan countries than for other developing countries. We also find that the negative effects of climatic variability are exacerbated in the presence of civil conflicts and are high for the countries that are vulnerable to food price shocks. |
| Keywords: | Food Prices Vulnerability; Food security; Climatic variability; Civil conflicts |
| Date: | 2014–01–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00939247&r=cwa |
| By: | Laszlo Goerke (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the EU, University of Trier); Jörn Block (University of Trier, Erasmus Institute of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam); Jose Maria Millan (Department of Economics, Universidad de Huelva); Concepcion Roman (Department of Economics, Universidad de Huelva) |
| Abstract: | Work effort varies greatly across employees, as evidenced by substantial differences in absence rates. Moreover, absenteeism causes sizeable output losses. Using data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), this paper investigates absence behavior of family employees, i.e. workers who are employed in enterprises owned by a relative. Our estimates indicate that being a family employee instead of a regular employee in the private sector significantly reduces both the probability and duration of absence to a substantial degree. |
| Keywords: | absenteeism, family employees, European Community Household Panel, work effort |
| JEL: | I10 J22 M50 |
| Date: | 2014–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iaa:dpaper:201402&r=cwa |
| By: | Fanny A. Kluge (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany); Emilio Zagheni (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany); Elke Loichinger (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany); Tobias Vogt (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany) |
| Abstract: | Population aging is an inevitable global demographic process. Most of the literature on the consequences of demographic change focuses on the economic and societal challenges that we will face as people live longer and have fewer children. In this paper, we (a) describe key trends and projections of the magnitude and speed of population aging; (b) discuss the economic, social, and environmental consequences of population aging; and (c) investigate some of the opportunities that aging societies create. We use Germany as a case study. However, the general insights that we obtain can be generalized to other developed countries. We argue that there may be positive unintended side effects of population aging that can be leveraged to address pressing environmental problems and issues of gender inequality and intergenerational ties. |
| Keywords: | Germany, ageing |
| JEL: | J1 Z0 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2014-003&r=cwa |
| By: | Galina Besstremyannaya (CEFIR) |
| Abstract: | The paper assesses the impact of urbanization on the quality related outcomes of social health insurance systems in 85 Russian regions in 2000-2006. The results of parametric and kernel regressions reveal that controlling for regional income is a significant determinant of infant and under-five mortality. Arguably, the influence of urbanization on health outcomes is due to latent processes (e.g. the development of infrastructure). The methods of provider reimbursement are related to infant and under-five mortality, which offers suggestive evidence for selective contracting. Yet, insurer competition might increase urban inequity. |
| Keywords: | Social determinants of health, urbanization, social health insurance, infant mortality, provider payment, kernel regression, health care systems |
| JEL: | I10 I18 C14 C26 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfr:cefirw:w0204&r=cwa |
| By: | Martin Halla; Martina Zweimüller |
| Abstract: | Little is known about the response behavior of parents whose children are exposed to an early-life shock. In this paper we interpret the prenatal exposure of the Austrian 1986 cohort to radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident as a negative human capital shock and examine their parents’ response behavior. To identify causal effects we can rely on exogenous variation in the exposure to radioactive fallout (over time and) between communities due to geographic differences in precipitation at the time of the accident. We find robust empirical evidence of compensating investment behavior by parents in response to the shock. Families with low socioeconomic status reduced their family size, while families with higher socioeconomic status responded with reduced maternal labor supply. Compensating investment made by the latter group seems relatively more effective because we do not find any detrimental long-term effects for exposed children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. In contrast, exposed children from low socioeconomic backgrounds have significantly worse labor market outcomes as young adults. |
| Keywords: | Fetal origins, parental response, Chernobyl, radiation, health, culling, human capital, fertility, labor supply |
| JEL: | I18 I20 Q48 Q53 J24 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jku:nrnwps:2014_01&r=cwa |