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The main aim of this paper is to find the relationship between agriculture investment and the growth of the gross domestic product in North Macedonia. We collected the yearly secondary time series data between the periods 1991 to 2020. We run the ARDL co-integration test to check the long-run as well as the short-run relationship between dependent and independent variables. We found a positive and significant relationship between agriculture valueadded and the growth of the GDP in the long run. The agricultural land has a positive relationship with the growth of the GDP in the long run but negatively correlated in the short run. Last, both variables agricultural methane emissions and inflation are negatively correlated with the growth of the gross domestic product in both the long and the short run.

The present work deals with the theoretical prediction of warmth parameters of clothing assembly. Theoretical expressions are derived for calculating both air flow resistance and thermal resistance of clothing assembly. Three different cases which represent the most common wearing cases in winter season were selected for applying the theoretical expressions. The derived relations were found to be fairly close to those observed experimentally. Also an empirical relationship is fitted to the measured thermal resistance data of clothing assembly using stepwise multiple regression analysis. The regression analysis relates the thermal resistance of the clothing assembly to the parameters of weight per unit area, thickness and air resistance. This empirical relationship is shown to predict the thermal resistance of clothing assembly accurately.

Quantitative determination of the physical properties of natural granite has been attempted from remotely sensed information, for which the Hapke model is a popular method. However, using the model to retrieve the photometric properties of terrestrial rocks (slab or particulate samples), especially for those with complex surface conditions such as natural granite, remains a challenge. In this study, we have approached the dilemma by coupling both radiative transfer (Hapke’s isotropic multiple scattering approximation (IMSA) model) and an empirical relationship between particle sizes with its critical parameter, the single-scattering albedo (SSA, $\omega$ ), determined from bidirectional reflectance (BDR) measurements. The results clearly indicated that the particle size of natural granite systematically controlled the BDR, which can be well fit by the Hapke model with varying parameters. The retrieved photometric parameters of the coefficients in the phase function ( $b$ and $c$ ) can effectively indicate the scattering behavior of natural granite, but the variations in their values did not strongly correlate with the change in particle sizes. Instead, a good linear relationship between the SSA values and particle sizes has been established. By coupling the relationship into the Hapke model, we found a practical approach to estimate the particle size for measured samples from inversely retrieved SSA. Through this method, we are able to retrieve the physical properties of granite under natural surface conditions, and we foresee that the approach will be widely used in the future.

Evaluation of fragmentation efficiency is an integral aspect of blasting operation. This study therefore assesses the efficiency of fragmentation size at Eminent granite quarry, Ibadan, Nigeria using Split Desktop software and Kuz-Ram empirical model. Five muckpiles of blasted rocks with the same blast design were analysed. The muckpile images were captured using smart high precision digital camera and uploaded into computer for Split Desktop analysis. The results of the fragment size distribution obtained from Kuz-Ram vary slightly with that of the Split Desktop but follow similar trend. The average values of F80 and F90 from the Split Desktop image analysis were 90.96 cm and 98.24 cm respectively. The Kuz-Ram model values for F80 and F90 were 88.52 cm and 92.95 cm respectively. The results of the Split Desktop were compared to the results obtained from the Kuz-Ram experiential model. The findings showed that the results obtained from Kuz-Ram empirical model were in conformity with the results from the Split Desktop software based on empirical relationship. Hence, the model is good for preliminary evaluation of blast design. Keywords: Blasting, Particle Size Distribution, Split Desktop Software, Muckpile, Fragmentation Indicator

Since deregulation of the currency market in 1986, the Ghanaian economy has been bedevilled with persistent depreciation of the Cedi; forcing currency redenomination in 2007. The Ghana Cedi (GH¢) which traded at 0.94 to the US Dollar (USD) immediately after the redenomination has since lost so much value, and currently trades at almost GH¢6 to the USD. While the relationship between exports and import, and currency volatility is theoretically established, the empirical relationship has been varied and observed to be country-specific as well as skewed in favour of currency variation shocks to trade. This study used econometric modelling to assess the reverse i.e., impact of exports and imports on exchange rate in Ghana using monthly data from 2005M1-2019M3. The results show that while merchandise exports impact real effective exchange rates negatively, merchandise imports impact it positively. Notwithstanding that both were observed to be persistent, the magnitude of their impact on exchange rate differ, with import shocks being steeper than export shocks. The study concludes that for an import-dependent economy such as Ghana, imports may not necessarily occasion negative outcomes on REER, since majority of imports also serve as inputs into major production processes.

PurposeHuman resource management (HRM) is struggling to cope with the increasingly volatile demand for skilled resources in the logistics and supply chain sector. Thus, this study discovers the possible integration of HRM and supply chain management (SCM) practices for improved supply chain performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of intra HRM–SCM and joint HRM–SCM decisions on the performance of the supply chain.Design/methodology/approachAn intra HRM–SCM and joint HRM–SCM model is developed following an empirical study. Survey data collected from 109 supply chain managers from Indian logistics firms are used to test the developed hypotheses. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze and validate the model.FindingsThe results suggest that supply chain performance is significantly influenced by joint HRM–SCM, compared to intra HRM–SCM practices, especially under volatile demand environments. Training and development, recruitment and selection, and performance management affect joint HRM–SCM significantly compared to the other three factors identified. Moreover, HRM and SCM show strong correlation and mutual support in identifying and fulfilling the demand of the logistics and supply chain sector.Practical implicationsWith a growing trend toward globalization and digitalization, a joint HRM–SCM model will help businesses make robust and informed decisions for improved supply chain performance.Originality/valueAn empirical relationship between joint HRM–SCM, intra HRM–SCM, supply chain inhibitors and supply chain performance is established in this study. Although some part of this relationship may already exist, the study provides robust evidence to support this complex, collaborative relationship.

In this paper the measured air resistance of single jersey fabrics made from acrylic yarns is investigated. A mathematical approach on a geometrical model is attempted to relate the fabric porosity to yarn diameter and wale and course spacing. An empirical equation is fitted to the measured air resistance data using multiple regression analysis. The regression equation relates the air resistance to the fabric parameters of tightness factor, porosity and bulk density. This empirical relationship is shown to predict the air resistance accurately.

The measurement of site amplification of microtremors is an important tool for evaluating seismic hazard at local and regional level. The H/V spectral ratio (HVSR) method is applied to estimate the amplification of ground motion at resonance frequency. The fundamental resonance frequency is estimated at 8 different sites in study region and shows the maximum vulnerability of the site to the earthquakes. This frequency ranges between a minimum of 2.8 Hz to a maximum of 9.3 Hz. The thickness of the sediments below the surface of recording sites is calculated using the empirical relationship that comes out to be in a particular range of 9.5 m–33.1 m above the bed rock. The sedimentary thickness and the resonance frequency clearly matched with geological setting of the study area. The observation shows a slow reduction in the thickness of the sediments and increase in the resonance frequency from South-western part to North-eastern part of the study region. The results show that most of the sites are highly vulnerable to seismic risks with high amplification of seismic waves in the area. Thus, current study provides a deep insight in to the seismic hazard of the Sikkim region with a clear emphasis on the site amplification and the sedimentary cover for the region.

The kinetics of changes in the lubricating, antifriction, and antiwear properties of Aero Shell Grease 33 and Era VNIINP-286M lithium lubricants is considered under the conditions of stopping the supply of lubricant to the frictional contact zone. A relationship between the level of self-organization disturbance in dissipative structures and the specific work against friction is established. An empirical relationship for predicting the linear wear level of contact surfaces under critical friction conditions is proposed taking into account the effect of the contact load, the specific work against friction, and the thickness of the lubricant layer.

How do changes in aggregate volatility alter the impulse response of output to monetary policy? To analyze this question, I study whether individual prices in Producer Price Index micro data are more likely to change and to move in the same direction when aggregate volatility is high, which would increase aggregate price exibility and reduce the effectiveness of monetary policy. Taking advantage of plausibly exogenous oil price volatility shocks and heterogeneity in oil usage across industries, I find that price changes are more dispersed and less frequent, implying that prices are less likely to move in the same direction when aggregate volatility is high. This contrasts with findings in the literature about idiosyncratic volatility. I use a state-dependent pricing model to interpret my findings. Random menu costs are necessary for the model to match the positive empirical relationship between oil price volatility and price change dispersion. This is the case because random menu costs reduce the extent to which firms with prices far from their optimum all act in a coordinated fashion when volatility increases. The model implies that increases in aggregate volatility do not substantially reduce the ability of monetary policy to stimulate output.

Any increase in the productivity of the SAW process will immensely benefit the welding industry, as this process is widely used. Since the traditional single wire DCEP SAW system is extensively used even today, any enhancement using this system will benefit the industry in a big way, if this traditional SAW system is part of the improvisation process. This paper establishes a relationship between welding current and productivity (deposition rate), for the three common sizes of both solid wires and metal cored tubular wires at different current values over its full range, through bead-on-plate experimentation. At each preset current value, the weld bead was optimized for acceptable visual quality, by adjusting arc travel speed and voltage, then the wire feed rate-making optimized bead was noted. The weld metal deposition rate was calculated for establishing A vs WMDR empirical relationships. From the results, ten progressive strategies have been established which can improve welding productivity from 21 to 211% from baseline. The established relationships, strategies can be effectively used, to estimate/optimize the productivity based on the welding current values, for each wire type and diameter.

In the last two decades the trading system in developing countries has become more open with reduced trade barriers through decreasing import tariffs. Based on previous research, there is a theoretical and empirical relationship between the reduction in import tariffs and the demand for labor. This study examines the relationship between the reduction in import tariffs and the demand for formal labor at the district / city level in the medium term. Meanwhile, workers need time to move between sectors and between regions to be absorbed in sectors that are experiencing an increase in exports. Therefore, in analyzing the demand for manufacturing labor due to a reduction in import tariffs, this research is conducted in the medium term, namely in a five-year period. By using data on labor in the manufacturing sector at the district / city level in Indonesia from 2000 to 2015, this study estimates the effect of reducing import tariffs on the demand for formal manufacturing labor with weighted regression. In contrast to previous studies, this study uses the measurement of exposure to the reduction in import tariffs by Dix-Carneiro Kovak (2017) for the manufacturing sector at the district / city level and covers 22 manufacturing subsectors. The estimation results show that the reduction in import tariffs in the manufacturing sector in the medium term increases the demand for formal manufacturing labor. This needs to be supported by the formation of industrial areas with diverse manufacturing sectors. However, this empirical evidence contradicts the policy of forming industrial estates that are specialized with regional superior potential in accordance with Presidential Regulation Number 28 of 2008.

The study aims to examine the relationship between the stakeholder's involvement, project manager skills, top management strategy and project scope management in the funded government project in the sultanate of Oman. A mapping of this relationship has been issued in previous paper to highlight the importance of these variables and effect on the scope management. A statistical tool which is spss was used to analyze the data collected. The findings indicated that there are positive and significant relationship between the stakeholder's involvement, project manager skills, top management strategy and project scope management. Moreover, these variables can be further tested to evaluate their effect on government projects. The findings also confirmed that stakeholder's involvement, project manager skills, top management strategy has positive effect on the project scope management. Finally, the study suggested numbers of others influencing factors for future study on the project management practices of government projects.

Hydraulic conductivity is a vital hydraulic property of porous media that influences the movement of water and the transport of dissolved contaminants. The present study investigates the influence ...

The current study examines the empirical relation between energy consumption and industrialization concerning other macroeconomic variables like as infrastructure, manufacturing, and capital formation with covering the period from 1975 to 2018. The Johansen co-integration estimation asserts the long-run association in this process. Whatever granger causality shows the bidirectional causality between electricity consumption and industrialization. Capital formation and industrialization have the bidirectional causality also. A unidirectional causality exists between oil and industrialization where manufacturing and industrialization have bidirectional causality. The estimated result of the error correction mechanism (ECM) shows the speed of long-run equilibrium at 45% within the time. The ECT has been significant at a 1% level with a pessimistic sign. The assistances of this attempt ensuring the importance of energy use and energy supervision in the aspect of industrial enlargement with making an allowance for the other macroeconomic indicators.Keywords: Industrialization, Energy, DOLS, Granger CausalityJEL Classifications: O13, 014, P18, Q43DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.10843

The study in hand attempts to investigate the intervening role of satisfaction on service quality and reputation relationship with brand loyalty in the hotel industry of Pakistan. The sample of the current research was customers of the hotels operated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Based on convenience sampling, a total of 400 respondents were selected. A total of 356 questionnaires were received back, from which 345 were usable. Data were collected from the targeting customers through a structured questionnaire. The instrument validity and reliability were checked. The study found that reputation and service quality are significantly related to brand loyalty. The relationship between service quality and brand loyalty is did not mediated by satisfaction. Based on these results, the study recommended that the hotel industry give due importance to service quality, including physical environment, location, and staff behaviour, and reputation, to gain customer loyalty. In the end, we also recommend future directions to explore the phenomena further.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the dynamic co-movement and interconnection among 69 security investment indices in China using the multi-time scale framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors first use the multiple coherence analysis method to exhibit the degree of relationships among the variables under study. In addition, the wavelet multiple correlation and wavelet multiple cross-correlation analyses are used to examine the time-frequency synchronization interdependence structure among the variables. Findings From the empirical findings, one may infer less opportunity for portfolio diversification at higher time scales. Obviously, at these scales, the authors find that the 69 Chinese investment indices generate a simple security investment class, as indicated by higher interconnection between the indices. Research limitations/implications Further research can increase the sample size to re-investigate the empirical relationship for security investment indices. Practical implications In the nutshell, the results demonstrate the potential for Chinese investors to invest in security investment indices to earn from portfolio diversification at lower time frequencies. The Chinese investment market indices under study yield further opportunities of portfolio diversification toward the short-term investors than the long-term investors. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the dynamic co-movement and interconnection for security investment indices in China.

This paper proposes a model of statehood, defined as elite extraction of resources from a subject population. Different from most of the existing literature, the size of the subject population evolves endogenously in a Malthusian fashion, and the elite take into account the effects on future population levels when taxing the current population. The elite can spend extracted resources by investing in productive and extractive capacities. Productive capacity increases the size of the pie, while extractive capacity makes it easier for the elite to tax it. Together—but not each on its own—these two types of investment can give rise to multiple steady-state equilibria, such that one steady state has both a higher rate of extraction, and higher population density and output, than the other steady state. The model can also account for a positive empirical relationship between land productivity and state antiquity among countries with relatively late state development. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10887-021-09188-9.

Based on the recent scientific literature on the social ecology of smartphone addiction, we have examined the empirical relationship between social digital pressure (SDP) and smartphone addiction by also looking at the influence of users’ personalities, psychological distress, social support, and residential social living conditions on this addiction. The analyses were carried out on a nationally representative sample of 2,820 Spanish smartphone users. The results of the causal and multigroup models (structural equation model) indicated that the SDP was positively related to smartphone addiction. This influence was also independent of the effects on smartphone addiction of some personality traits (mainly low conscientiousness), high depression, low social support, and high social disorder in the neighborhood. SDP also showed an important mediating effect mainly for social factors (social support and social disorder in the neighborhood). SDP may be a relevant variable for understanding the potential risk of smartphone addiction in cases where there is a high need for social connection.

This article critiques and builds on Max Weber’s concept of rationalization, using his discussion of legal and scientific rationalizations and his distinction between formal and substantive legal rationalizations to define and illustrate processes of technocratization and substantivation of law. It shows the logical and empirical relationship between the two, and discusses tensions they generate in common law and code law systems. Conceptualizing technocratization and substantivation, and examining these processes in empirical research on regulatory law illuminates the nature, causes and consequences of important aspects of legal change. Substantivation as elaborated by the group-centered effects framework (GCE) formulated specifically to research legislation providing anti-discrimination legal rights to disadvantaged populations in capitalist democracies, helps specify when and how such laws are more versus less likely to increase equality.

Post-weld slag and weld metal analyses were used to interpret the effects of different commercial flux compositions on element transfer between molten flux (slag) and weld metal in Submerged Arc Welding (SAW). Selected fluoride based flux compositions cover a wide range of basicity index (BI) values of 0.5–3.0. Thermochemical modelling in FactSage software is used to simulate the welding process in terms of gas-slag-metal equilibria. The importance of the gas phase in SAW element transfer is illustrated. The model provides improved accuracy in predicted weld metal oxygen values (ppm O) compared to the generally used empirical relationship of weld metal ppm O vs. flux BI. Model predicted oxygen values are within 150 ppm of the analysed values, compared to the empirical relationship values which are within 240 ppm from the analysed values. The model provides resolution in ppm O values at BI > 1.8. This information is lacking in the empirical relationship with constant ppm O of 250 ppm at BI > 1.8. The measured ppm O values follow the Fe–FeO equilibrium trend with a positive offset. The relative level of oxygen to deoxidation elements (Ti, Al, Mn, Si) in the weld metal is an important factor in oxide inclusion engineering. This model will aid in the specification of flux formulations to attain specific weld metal compositions for maximum acicular ferrite formation. In this way the weld metal mechanical properties can be improved. This model will reduce the number of welding tests required to develop new flux formulations.

We re‐examine the theoretical and empirical relationship between income inequality and long‐run economic growth in an endogenous growth model with a flat tax on income, distributive conflicts among agents, and median voter dynamics. We show that when government spends tax revenue on the provision of public goods in the form of both production and consumption services, the theoretical relationship between inequality and economic growth is neither strictly positive nor strictly negative, but ambiguous. An empirical evaluation of the theoretical findings is carried out by applying a semi‐parametric model on a sample of 63 countries for the period 1991–2017. Results show that the relationship between income inequality and growth takes the form of an inverted U‐shape in that income inequality initially has a positive impact on growth up to an average Gini coefficient threshold of 35.92, beyond which it negatively impacts on growth.

PurposeThe study aims to examine the non-linear relationship between self-employment and economic growth (growth) in the context of developing countries.Design/methodology/approachData from a sample of 83 developing countries covering a period 2002–2015 is used. The empirical analysis is based on the dynamic panel data estimation, and the results are estimated using the two-step system GMM technique. Non-linearity between self-employment and growth is validated using Sasabuchi (1980) and Lind and Mehlum (2010) (SLM) test.FindingsThe empirical analysis suggests a non-linear and a U-shaped relationship between self-employment and growth, confirmed by the SLM test. The threshold levels for total self-employment, female self-employment and male self-employment are 57.49%, 58.86 and 55.81%. The findings are also robust to alternate estimation technique and alternate measure of the dependent variable.Practical implicationsPolicy implications of the findings include the need for policies that foster and channel self-employment properly as the higher level of self-employment is found to benefit growth.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to examine the empirical relationship between self-employment and growth. As such, it makes a novel contribution to the extant literature on the relationship between the two variables.

This paper examines the empirical relationship between trade agreements and domestic labour mobility. The domestic‐commitment motive from Maggi and Rodriguez‐Clare (American Economic Review, 97, 2007, 1374) and standard trade models with labour frictions predict that trade liberalisation should occur when labour is more mobile. I find support for this prediction. Using regional trade agreements (RTAs) covering 56 countries in 2015, I show labour mobility is a strong predictor of trade liberalisation. The probability of an RTA increases when the country pair's average domestic labour market is less rigid. When the average labour mobility increases by 1 standard deviation from the mean, the probability of an RTA increases by 14–26%. These results are also consistent with the bound tariffs negotiated under the World Trade Organization, where less rigid labour markets are associated with lower bound tariffs.

The inflow of foreign direct investment shows the economic and political strength of a country (Bevan & Estrin, 2004). Resources agglomeration and foreign direct investment have a theoretical and empirical relationship (Carlton, 1983; Hansen, 1987; Krugman, 1991; Wheeler and Mody, 1992; Friedman et al., 1992; Head et al., 1995; Henderson and Kuncoro, 1996; Head and Ries, 1996; Devereux and Griffith, 1998; Head et al., 1999; Guimaraes et al., 2000). This paper has examined the impact of aggregate and disaggregates natural resources agglomeration on foreign direct investment in the case of France from 1989 to 2012. Seven different model specifications are used for empirical analysis. The inflow of foreign direct investment from Greece, Australia, Austria, Germany, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Italy, Republic of South Korea, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Mexico, Korea and United Kingdom in France is taken as the dependent variable. Total natural resources agglomeration, population density, trade openness, secondary education, taxes, inflation rate, primary education, agriculture land agglomeration, forest agglomeration, oil production agglomeration, mineral production agglomeration and natural gas production agglomeration are selected as explanatory variables. The results show that aggregate and disaggregate natural resources agglomeration are important indicators of foreign direct investment. The results show that the population density is a key indicator of foreign direct investment, the current population growth of France and many developed countries is below the replacement rate. Agriculture land agglomeration, oil production agglomeration and mineral production agglomeration are the inputs of many economic activities. This shows that for higher amount of foreign direct investment, natural resources agglomeration must be encouraged. Keywords: natural resources agglomeration, foreign direct investmentJEL Classifications: N5, F21DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.10869

The study examines the moderating role of institutional quality and technological innovation on the empirical relationship between FDI inflows and four indicator variables of CO2emissions in 40 Asian countries for the period 1996–2016, by using generalized method of moment (GMM) estimation. First, from non-interactive regression, FDI inflows have positive impacts on CO2emissions; over all, from our empirical results, we conclude that the moderating role of institutional quality and technological innovation is crucial in the nexus between FDI and carbon CO2emissions and the interaction between institutional quality indicators and FDI inflows significantly reduce the level of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the significant moderating effect of technological innovation is observed on the association between FDI and CO2 emissions. The results are important for policy makers in setting up long- and short-term policy to protect environmental quality.

The impact of the rigid flora on longitudinal dispersion was examined in the laboratory channel located at Thapar University Patiala. The total of nine rigid plant density used with a varying diameter of 12, 16, and 20 mm. The total 27 velocities taken and the discharge is calculated using calibrated v-notch. Rhodamine dye is used as a tracer and injected in upstream of flow and collection of a sample every 1 m distance in downstream of the canal. The dispersion coefficient stands influenced by the diameter of the rigid flora. As the diameter of rigid vegetation is increased the dispersion coefficient increases and declines with increases in the density of the flora. In vegetation, the longitudinal scatter is reduced as the vegetation density increases, with a decrease of about 30% to 50% when the density is doubled. In the pollution aspect, the speed of cloud and dispersion play a vital role and as the Reynolds number value is large the speed of cloud is slow and vice-versa. The results of the experiences gained in this study are compared with the empirical relationship of different researchers. Also, the equation is developed for calculating the dispersion coefficient with rigid vegetation in the flow of the channel of varying density and diameter.

Very few manufacturers that are providing a wide range of graphical data necessary to use high-performance predictive tools for PV systems. On the other hand, reliable graphical data require precise laboratory measurements that increase manufacturing costs. Furthermore, most of the methods used to determine photovoltaic performance require iterative techniques, additional mandatory information and users with a certain level of knowledge. For this reason, PV system designers have to choose between the use of cheap PV modules, lacking in technical data, and the reliable energy predictions that are possible only if the current–voltage characteristics are provided by the PV module manufacturers. This paper presents a novel method to extract the single diode five parameters model for different manufacturer's modules using the minimum set of technical data that are usually provided by all manufacturers. The proposed procedure uses an accurate and easy method that does not require iterative techniques, other obligatory information or users with special knowledge but only datasheet values from a technical catalog of photovoltaic modules to simulate photovoltaic performance. The method uses an empirical relationship that enables to calculate the initial values of series and shunt resistances and extracts the parameters of the model from datasheet values provided by manufacturers only. The capability of the proposed model to calculate the current–voltage characteristics was tested by comparing the results with data measured by different manufacturers’ panel models (mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline) silicon modules. The method was also compared with other similar methods. The results of the new model application confirm the reliability of the procedure.

The quest to implement innovative practices that will lead to a high level of sustainability at the firm level within the construction sector cannot be overemphasised. The aim of this study is to establish the empirical relationship between organisational innovativeness and sustainability of construction firms using a structural equation modelling approach. The study has adopted a survey approach and 1179 copies of structured questionnaire have been administered to construction firm representatives. A total of valid 980 copies of questionnaire have been received giving a response rate of 83.2 %. Data collected have been analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. The correlation coefficient (β = 0.81) shows that organisational innovativeness positively influences the sustainability of construction firms. The study reveals that 66.1 % of the variability in the overall sustainability of construction firms operating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is accounted for by the implementation of innovative practices by the construction firms. It is concluded that 67.1 %, 83.8 % and 45.7 % of the variability in the construction firm’s social, environmental and economic sustainability, respectively, are explained by the implementation level of innovative practices by the top management teams of the firms. In line with the findings, this study concludes that efficient implementation of innovative practices at the firm level has a significant and positive influence on the overall sustainability of construction firms.

This paper estimates the impact of reducing export and import tariffs on firm input choices. In presence of borrowing constraints, lower export tariffs facilitate the reallocation of capital and labor inputs across firms, while a decline in import tariffs either tightens import competition or increases the availability of imported inputs; all three mechanisms suggest that a higher degree of openness should be associated with lower misallocation. To analyze the empirical relationship between openness and input misallocation, we draw on the annual surveys conducted by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) between 1998 and 2007. From the surveys, we con- struct firm-level measures of input misallocation that control for firm heterogeneity; we identify shocks to openness using industry tariff levels and firm trade shares. We find that firm facing higher tariffs in either import or export markets make less optimal input choices. We further decompose our analysis between input and output tariffs: our results suggest that the labor reallocation mainly occurs because of lower input tariffs, while the selection effect induced by changes in output tariffs does not necessarily cause more distorted firms to exit and, therefore, tends to have an insignificant effect on input allocation. Finally, we calculate the contribution of tariff changes towards aggregate misallocation and productivity: our results indicate that the impact of firm-level tariff reductions on aggregate misallocation and productivity was marginal in our sample period, but the presence of sizeable interactions between trade shocks and mis- allocation at the sector level suggests that our result should be interpreted as a lower bound of the overall effect.

This study examines the empirical relationship between earnings quality (EQ) and bank continuity. Moreover, it examines the moderating role of ownership structure, and women on boards of directors ...

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of adopting the principles of corporate governance on the financial performance of companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE). To assess the implementation of corporate governance principles, the authors built an index based on the principles specified in the BSE Corporate Governance Code (CGC).Design/methodology/approachAn econometric analysis was conducted to estimate the impact that the authors’ corporate governance indicator had on financial performance, measured successively through Tobin's Q, return on equity (ROE), economic value added (EVA) and total shareholder return (TSR).FindingsFollowing the regression model, the authors noticed the absence of a significant impact of corporate governance practices on performance measured by ROE, EVA and TSR but instead, a significant and positive relationship for Tobin's Q rate was found.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the lack of data before the implementation of the BSE Code of Corporate Governance, the research period is limited to 2010–2015, but the authors’ future studies will try to extend the research period.Originality/valueAlthough numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the empirical relationship between corporate governance and financial performance, no conclusive results have been obtained. The diversity of these findings can refer to methods used in the construction of a corporate governance measure as well as to the accuracy of financial reporting.

Much of traffic flow theory and highway design is based upon the fundamental relationship, FR, between speed, flow, and density. Traditionally, the FR is assumed to be a static curve over time and space. This paper presents new empirical findings that show the FR in one lane of a freeway can actually change shape in a rapid and systematic response to conditions in the adjacent lanes. This paper demonstrates the dependencies for a general purpose freeway lane that is operating in the congested regime. The drivers become more conservative in response to slower speeds in either adjacent lane, conversely, they become less conservative in response to higher speeds in either adjacent lane. It is also shown that as drivers become more conservative the signals and waves move upstream slower. So this inter-lane dependency has a direct impact on how fast signals propagate through the traffic stream. For the study site the empirical relationship between the wave speed and relative speed is close to linear. This interdependence between lanes is an important factor that it is absent from most traffic flow and car following models. Given these findings the discussion explores hypothetical examples showing how the inter-lane dependencies can give rise to mechanisms for waves in adjacent lanes to synchronize, as well as a mechanism for a queue spreading from one lane to another without any lane change maneuvers. Finally, this work closes with an exploration of the possible physiological mechanisms that might be occurring in the drivers.

This article examines the empirical relationship between electricity consumption, economic growth, energy prices and technology development for India by taking annual time series data from 1981 to 2017. By using the ARDL bounds testing approach to co-integration, the study found long-run equilibrium relationship does exist among the variables. The article reports the existence of positive and significant impact of economic growth on electricity consumption, whereas technological development negatively affects electricity consumption in both the long run and short run. The Granger causality results reveal the presence of unidirectional causality from economic growth and technological development to electricity consumption in India. Therefore, the present study suggests policy makers in India to increase investment in electricity infrastructure to support high economic growth in the country. Further, the policy makers and the government should encourage more technological innovation to minimise usage of fossil fuels and support the use of green energy. This action could help the economy achieve a sustainable economic growth with better environmental quality. JEL Codes: C22, O4, O13, Q43, Q48

The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of a Floating Market’s destination image on tourist satisfaction. A closed-question questionnaire was prepared drawing from the attributes that influence tourist destination satisfaction in the literature. The sample in the study consisted of 200 tourists who visited Nakhon Pathom’s Don Wai Floating Market in January 2018. Multiple regression analyses were applied to empirically test the study’s four hypotheses. The results found that the uniqueness of nature, uniqueness of history, and uniqueness of tourist products are the most critical factors affecting the tourists’ satisfaction at the 95 percent significance level. However, the uniqueness of architecture factor did not have a significant effect on tourist satisfaction. The study for the first time established an empirical relationship between the uniqueness of nature, uniqueness of history, and uniqueness of tourist products of a floating market and tourist satisfaction with a Floating Market as a tourist destination. These insights may help other Floating Markets to better understand the factors that influence tourist satisfaction with such facilities. Keywords: destination image, floating market, tourism management, tourist satisfaction, Thailand

​According to Mayr, polar organic synthesis can be rationalized by a simple empirical relationship linking bimolecular rate constants to as few as three reactivity parameters. Here, we propose an extension to Mayr’s reactivity method that is rooted in uncertainty quantification and transforms the reactivity parameters into probability distributions. Through uncertainty propagation, these distributions can be transformed into uncertainty estimates for bimolecular rate constants. Chemists can exploit these virtual error bars to enhance synthesis planning and to decrease the ambiguity of conclusions drawn from experimental data. We demonstrate the above at the example of the reference data set released by Mayr and co-workers [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 9500; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 13902]. As by-product of the new approach, we obtain revised reactivity parameters for 36 π-nucleophiles and 32 benzhydrylium ions.

Purpose Human capital flight from Nigeria to developed countries has remained a topical issue. This paper aims to empirically analyze the push factors for the migrants who explore the various legal migrant schemes from a macro perspective. The authors examine human capital development and its role in contributing to human capital flight to more developed counties. Design/methodology/approach This paper is anchored on the push–pull model. Using secondary data from 1990 to 2019, the authors look at the relationship between human capital flight and variables such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate, population growth rate and Nigeria’s unemployment rate. The auto-regressive lag model (ARDL) was adopted to estimate the empirical relationship among these variables. Findings The results from the ARDL model suggest a positive relationship exists between population growth rate and migration rate. A negative relationship was, however, observed between life expectancy and migration rate. This study also found that an increase in the infant mortality rate negatively impacted migration significantly. Therefore, an increase in infant mortality rate lowered the migration rate. Finally, an increase in the unemployment rate increased migration; however, insignificantly. Research limitations/implications The findings from this study are limited to the push factors influencing migration out of Nigeria. These factors are also restricted to variables for which data can be derived under the study’s scope. The results of this study have far-reaching implications, especially for policymakers and citizens alike. Better human capital development through enhanced life expectancy and reduced population in Nigeria will reduce the migration rate. Therefore, this study calls for the doubling of developmental and infrastructural efforts at all levels of governance. Originality/value This paper’s importance lies in its ability to elucidate push factors that influenced migration out of Nigeria empirically. An empirical approach to the subject matter will explain these factors and the degree to which they influence migration. This will guide the policy-making process in curbing brain drain, which is a major challenge in Nigeria.

Previous studies on the impact of immigration on productivity in developed countries remain inconclusive, and most analyses are abstracted from firms where production actually takes place. This study examines the empirical relationship between immigration and firm-level productivity in Canada. It uses the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database that tracks firms over time and matches firms with their employees. The study finds that there is a positive association between changes in the share of immigrants in a firm and changes in firm productivity. This positive effect of immigration on firm productivity is small, but it is stronger over a longer period. The effect tends to be larger for low-skilled immigrants as compared with highly-skilled workers, as firm productivity growth is more strongly associated with changes in the share of recent immigrants (relative to established immigrants), and immigrants who intended to work in non-high skilled occupations (relative to immigrants who intended to work in high-skilled occupations). Those differences are more pronounced in technology-intensive and knowledge-based industries. Immigration is found to have little estimated effects on capital intensity in a firm. Finally, this study finds that high skill and lower skill immigrants have similar effects on average worker earnings arising from the positive productivity effect of immigration, but only skilled immigrants are associated with higher firm profits.

The climatology and numerical modeling of tropical cyclones (TCs) both are the primary focus area of research over the North Indian Ocean (NIO); however, the size determination and variation are a less emphasized topic. Therefore, the present study deals with the determination of the size of TCs over NIO mainly by following the vorticity-based approach and using scatterometer data sets. It assesses the ability of this data set to determine the size of the NIO TCs. Different parameters such as Rmax, Rvor, R34 (i.e., the radius of 34 knots winds; 1 knot = 0.514444 ms−1), R50 (i.e., the radius of 50 knots winds), and R64 (i.e., the radius of 64 knots winds) are determined for the said purpose. The error between TC center determined by the vorticity-based approach and India Meteorological Department (IMD) data is in the range of 30–105 km (mean value is 76.34 km) and with Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) is within 25–115 km (mean value 79.77 km) when all of the observations are considered. However, if the observations with the smallest time gap of < 30 min are considered, the corresponding mean error values become 30.12 km (± 20.83 km) and 36.47 km (± 20.21 km). The comparison of Rmax with JTWC observation is having a correlation value of ~ 0.75 with RMSE of ~ 7.6 km. The radial parameter Rmax varies in the range of 15–90 km, R64 varies within 15–60 km, R34 lies in the range of 80–300 km, R50 varies within 15–60 km, and Rvor is within 190–485 km for the NIO region that is comparable with the JTWC data. Larger size TCs are observed near the higher latitude of the NIO region, and the size of systems increases with an increase in latitude. The size of the pre-monsoon season TCs is found to be larger in comparison to post-monsoon season systems over NIO. An empirical relationship is also established based on the linear regression method to determine the size of TCs using SCATSAT-1 data. The results presented in this work indicate that scatterometer wind data with the spatial resolution of ~ 6 to 25 km would be handy enough to study the structural characteristics of NIO TCs.

PurposeThe purpose of this study aims to investigate the nature of the relationship between workers' remittances and financial development (FD) in Sri Lanka for the period from 1975 to 2017.Design/methodology/approachThis study used both the exploratory data analysis and inferential data analysis (IDA) techniques to test the objective of this study. The IDA technique consisted of the augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) and Phillips–Perron unit root tests, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds cointegration technique, the Granger causality test and impulse response function analysis.FindingsThe unit root test results show that the variables are in mixed order. The empirical results of cointegration confirm that workers' remittances have a beneficial long-run relationship with FD in Sri Lanka. The Granger causality test result indicates that there is a bidirectional relationship between workers' remittances and FD. The impulse response analysis indicates that a positive shock to workers' remittance has an immediate significant positive impact on the FD of up to 10 years.Practical implicationsThe analytical techniques used in this study explain how workers' remittances induce FD in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueThis study fills an important gap in the academic literature by using newly developed ARDL bounds cointegration techniques in Sri Lanka, by using impulse response function analysis, and by studying the dynamic relationship between workers' remittances and FD using time series data.

The average shear wave velocity for a soil depth of 30 m (VS30) is crucial for seismic hazard assessments. However, VS30 measurements are not available at most recording stations in Korea. The P-wave seismogram method is an efficient way to estimate VS30 because it only utilizes P-wave seismograms recorded on the ground surface without boring process. VS30 measurements for 51 recording stations are acquired from previous literature, and downhole tests were performed at 10 stations for additional VS30 measurements. The P-wave seismogram method is validated for 50 stations using 359 seismograms recorded during 66 earthquake events with local magnitudes greater than 3.0. The average shear wave velocity for a certain depth (VSZ) can be estimated using the ratio of radial to vertical components in the initial P-wave velocity seismograms, which can be converted to VS30 using an empirical relationship. The residuals between the measured and estimated VS30 are divided into the overall bias, between-site residuals, and within-site residuals. The standard deviation for between-site residuals is 0.37, which is comparable with the values of previous studies for other countries. After bias correction, 70% of measured VS30 and estimated VS30 are within ±50% of each other. This study estimates VS30 values for 118 stations where VS30 is not available.

This paper investigates the empirical relationship between carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth and energy use in post-communistic countries during 1990-2018. Pedroni’s (1999) panel cointegration test discovered cointegrating relationship between the variables. To distinguish short- and long-term effect, as well as to account for homogeneity caused by previous common socio-political system and current country specific characteristics, Pesaran’s (1999) Pooled Mean Group estimator is employed. PMG estimates identified short- and long-term relationship between energy use and CO2 emissions and short-term relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth. Finally, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin’s (2012) Granger non-causality test for heterogeneous panels revealed bidirectional causality between CO2 emissions, energy use and economic growth. Keywords: CO2 emissions, economic growth, energy consumption, post-communistic countries.JEL Classifications: C23, P18, O47DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.9637