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This article examines the regulation of labor in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) in Eastern and Southern Africa, with a focus on South Africa and Kenya. It identifies two main concerns: the regulation of labor for African workers engaged in low-end AI work and the sharing of information in authoritarian states and its impact on organized labor and civil society. The article also discusses the lack of regulation for low-end AI work, such as data janitorial work, and the potential biases and negative effects of AI on women in sectors like fintech. It provides country-specific examples, including the use of AI in South Africa's healthcare and transportation systems, as well as the limited attention given to AI by established unions. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of responsible AI practices and addressing regulatory concerns while harnessing the economic potential of AI. In South Africa, the call center industry is at risk of job loss due to AI, and the lack of AI policy and regulation exacerbates this issue. In Kenya, the development of a strong Fintech sector based on AI technologies has led to financial inclusion but also raises concerns about data privacy and protection. The article also highlights the emergence of union-like organizations in Kenya to represent workers in the digital platform economy. Overall, AI regulation in Africa is incomplete, and progress towards informal regulation has been uneven. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the importance of governance quality of local government in small businesses' future revenue growth forecasting accuracy. Forecasting errors are due to either overestimation or under-estimation. When local governance quality improves, transaction costs are eliminated, boosting firms' actual performance up to the level forecast, thereby reducing overestimation. Also, when local governance quality improves, institutional trust (trust in government) and generalized trust (trust in strangers) improve, lifting the expectation of future performance to the actual level, thereby reducing under-estimation. We investigate these two mechanisms using a set of more than 250,000 small businesses in Vietnam using an instrumental variable approach to control for potential endogeneity. It is found that governance quality enhances forecasting accuracy by reducing under-estimation forecasting errors but, interestingly, without affecting overestimation errors. This paper is one of the first that links governance quality to business forecasting, indicating that local authorities can help local businesses make efficient resource preparation by improving their governance quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy (CE) is necessary for achieving sustainability goals. Nonetheless, the distillation of CE practices into business operations has been unsatisfactory as firms struggle to transition to CE. There is an increase in studies that have attempted to identify challenges impeding the implementation of CE practices. However, most of these studies focus on technical and external aspects affecting CE, leaving intra-organisational aspects such as organisational learning and knowledge largely unexplored. The latter aspects can play a significant role in CE transitions, and thus warrants further research. To address this research gap, this study draws on lean thinking as an organisational learning system and accentuates knowledge obstacles, seen as wastes, that can stifle a transition to CE. Subsequently, it deploys action-learning research, involving collaboration between researchers and the participants in the action to generate actionable knowledge. The analysis of the findings is used to develop a novel framework including six measures that can be implemented to counteract knowledge obstacles and lay a foundation for a CE transition. The proposed framework can be the basis for further research on lean and intra-organisational aspects that can help firms restructure the current linear mode of production, and thus accelerate a smooth CE transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis doctoral thesis explores the educational journeys of Japanese learners enrolled in a Top Global University Project college. Drawing on Foucauldian governmentality and grounded in a phenomenological-ethnographic approach, results highlight the pervasive impact of the neoliberal knowledge economy as subjects transition from childhood to adolescence and, finally, “functional” grown-up status. At each stage, the pressures inherent to Japan’s gakureki shakai (“credential society”) mold subjects into entrepreneurial projects, wherein success is synonymous with one’s credentialed resources and economic ­productivity. Here, learners optimize their skills, qualifications, quantifiable achievements, and personal “brands” to meet market demands, gradually enhancing their entrepreneurial selfhood as they transition through education. In doing so, traits rooted in Japanese society—responsibility, harmony, hierarchical meritocracy—merge with neoliberal imperatives, producing a hybrid “small-n” model distinct to the local context. Accordingly, this thesis contributes to Japanese anthropological literature by highlighting how broad economic concepts indigenize and recontextualize within unique socio-cultural frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study examines the evolution of China’s collective contract system from 1979 to 1992, a period marked by the country’s transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy. Utilizing institutional theory, specifically the concepts of institutional voids, transitions, and strategic choices, we analyze how collective contracts emerged and adapted to address distinct regulatory challenges in foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) during the early reform era. Through case studies of Beijing Jeep and the Shenyang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Plant, we demonstrate that these contracts initially served as functional mechanisms for regulating labor relations and filling institutional voids in a dual-track economy. However, the system’s eventual decline into symbolic formalism by the mid-1990s reveals the limitations of strategic adaptation in the face of rapid, discontinuous institutional transitions driven by accelerated market reforms and the standardization of labor laws. Our findings highlights the complex interplay between institutional context, strategic choices, and the effectiveness of collective labor regulation in transitional economies, offering valuable lessons for policymakers and labor advocates navigating similar institutional changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research on the technical–economic optimization of FDM parameters (Lh—layer height and Id—infill density percentage) for the manufacture of tensile and compression samples from recycled materials (r) of PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) and ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) in the context of the transition to a circular economy. To carry out our technical–economic study, the fundamental principle of value analysis was used, which consists of maximizing the ratio between Vi and Cp, where Vi represents the mechanical characteristic (tensile strength or compressive strength) and Cp represents the production cost. The results of this study showed that, in the case of tensile samples manufactured by recycled PETG (rPETG), the parameter that significantly influences the results of the Vi/Cp ratios is Lh (the height of the layer), while for the samples manufactured additively from recycled ASA (rASA), the parameter that decisively influences the tensile strength is Id (the infill density percentage). In the case of compression samples manufactured by FDM from recycled PETG (rPETG) and recycled ASA (rASA), the parameter that signified influences the results of the Vi/Cp ratios is Id (the infill density percentage). Following the optimization of the FDM parameters, using multiple-response optimization, we identified the optimal parameters for the manufacture of parts by FDM from rPETG and rASA: Lh = 0.20 mm and Id = 100%. The results of this study demonstrated that the use of recycled plastics from PETG and ASA lends itself to a production and consumption model based on a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of public, private, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on provincial economic growth in transitional economies, using panel data from 63 Vietnamese provinces over the period 2010-2022, comprising 819 yearly observations. The findings indicate that public investment and FDI positively influence economic growth, while private investment shows no statistically significant impact. These results highlight the importance of prioritizing infrastructure development through public investment to enhance regional connectivity and reduce disparities. Addressing structural barriers that hinder private investment, such as inconsistent legal frameworks and restricted credit access, requires policy reforms to enhance its effectiveness. The positive role of FDI underscores the need for a stable investment environment to facilitate technology transfer, innovation, and capacity building. These insights provide valuable guidance for optimizing investment strategies in transitional economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of public, private, and foreign direct investment (FDI) on provincial economic growth in transitional economies, using panel data from 63 Vietnamese provinces over the period 2010-2022, comprising 819 yearly observations. The findings indicate that public investment and FDI positively influence economic growth, while private investment shows no statistically significant impact. These results highlight the importance of prioritizing infrastructure development through public investment to enhance regional connectivity and reduce disparities. Addressing structural barriers that hinder private investment, such as inconsistent legal frameworks and restricted credit access, requires policy reforms to enhance its effectiveness. The positive role of FDI underscores the need for a stable investment environment to facilitate technology transfer, innovation, and capacity building. These insights provide valuable guidance for optimizing investment strategies in transitional economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAccess to finance for women-led firms remains a significant challenge due to cultural and socio-economic barriers. This article assesses the impact of a top manager’s gender on a firm’s probability of seeking and obtaining external finance, using survey data from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Employing diverse methodologies, the study finds that having a woman top manager decreases the likelihood of obtaining a loan. Additionally, firms managed by women are less likely to apply for external finance, partly due to discouragement. These disparities persist even when women-led firms have similar business characteristics to those led by men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article focuses on contemporary and medium-term logistics trends that have emerged in the post-quantum period, under the impact of the fragmentation of the global economy and the transition to digital globalisation. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of logistics chains, changes in the structure of demand for transport services and the increasing role of regional transport corridors. These phenomena have the potential to become long-term trends in global transport logistics, defining new priorities in infrastructure and technology development. These processes will continue to have a significant impact on international transport in the Union State, creating prerequisites for the formation of new cooperation strategies and increasing the sustainability of logistics systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a circular economy (CE) in underdeveloped countries faces several barriers, including legal, infrastructure, and technological challenges. This article discusses the main issues slowing this process, such as the lack of legal initiatives, weak recycling infrastructure, and limited access to modern technologies. Strategies for overcoming these barriers are proposed, including the development of national strategies, the creation of tax incentives for businesses and the development of recycling capacities. Special attention is given to the role of international organizations in supporting the transition to circular models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the main leaching indices that have been used for decades for the protection of groundwater against contamination by pesticides. We describe the index classifications in detail and discuss their advantages and limitations relative to their prediction value. Most of the indices have similarities in the types of parameters they use. Some of the similarities are basic physicochemical properties of the pesticides such as their water solubility and their organic carbon partition coefficient, as well as characteristics such as environmental persistence in the soil and some soil characteristics. It is very difficult to maintain a simple index with high predictive power. However, comparisons are allowed by many indices among different active ingredients before pesticides are classified according to the risk of being groundwater contaminants. In contrast, limitations are the scarce inclusion of pesticide byproducts in the ground, lack of prediction capacity for polar pesticides, and lack of prediction of the vulnerability of groundwater to being contaminated by pesticides. Despite the limitations of such approaches, they are of great utility, particularly for protection of groundwater from pesticide contamination when little information is available, which is the case in most developing countries and in countries with economies in transition. Caution is recommended in the analysis of information generated by these approximations, which ideally should be validated experimentally in the different application scenarios and the needs for pesticide assessment based on local information. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2478–2491. © 2024 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria's clean energy transition is imperative for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable development. However, the country's transition to a low-carbon economy faces significant epistemological barriers, hindering the adoption of clean energy solutions. Despite growing concerns about climate change, the nation's energy sector remains dominated by fossil fuels. This study critically examines the epistemological barriers to Nigeria's low-carbon economy, exploring the intersections of knowledge systems, power dynamics and energy policy. The research reveals that dominant western epistemologies perpetuate fossil fuel-centric energy policies, overlooking indigenous knowledge and contextualized solutions. Epistemological barriers, including the marginalization of local perspectives and the prioritization of technical expertise over traditional knowledge, hinder the adoption of renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, the study highlights how power dynamics, influenced by international agreements, global economic interests and national politics, reinforce these epistemological barriers. Using a critical discourse analysis and epistemological critique, this study demonstrates the need for epistemological diversity and reflexivity in Nigeria's energy policy. It argues that integrating indigenous knowledge, contextualized solutions and participatory approaches can facilitate a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on low-carbon transitions in developing economies, offering valuable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper presents the results of a research on the optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) parameters, namely the height of the deposited layer in one pass, Lh, and the filling percentage, Id, with the purpose of manufacturing compression specimens from recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (rPETG), and thus, aiming the transition to circular economy. A total of 45 compression specimens were manufactured from rPETG on the Anycubic 4Max Pro 3D printer with variable parameters Lh = 0.10 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.20 mm, and Id = 50%, 75%, 100%. All 45 specimens were tested in compression on the Barrus White 20 kN universal testing machine. The considered variable parameters influence the Compressive Strength (CS) of the specimens, with Id being the parameter with overwhelming influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-fired power plants in use and planned for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, if not phased out, would add roughly 215 Gt of carbon emissions to the atmosphere between now and 2050. That's more than 40% of the global carbon budget that remains if society is to limit warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Still, phasing out coal more rapidly presents practical challenges as coal-fired power plants and mines tie tightly to energy security and jobs for countries that depend on it. In this context, countries may prefer an orderly transition away from coal designed to minimize the risk of energy disruption and job losses yet aiming to achieve national climate plans designed to stave off the worst warming. In this report, we simulate potential pathways for a managed phaseout (MPO) of coal power in 15 markets in APAC. We observe that individual markets, by following their most orderly phaseout pathway, could slash nearly three-quarters of the region's combined carbon emissions while minimizing economic and social disruptions from the transition to a clean-energy economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research empirically examined a central claim of the social identity approach to leadership in the context of organizational change, namely that group prototypical leaders possess a 'special credit' in leadership performance and consequent follower support. We investigated leader prototypicality in comparison to and combined with change leadership and explored its boundaries focusing on organizational identity strength. Furthermore, we situated our analysis in two countries, Austria and Germany, that differ along cultural dimensions known to influence the effectiveness of leader group prototypicality. In our study of 207 Austrian and 206 German employees, we found that leader prototypicality, change leadership, and organizational identity strength each uniquely predicted perceived leader support, both in the combined sample and within each country. Furthermore, we observed the hypothesized two-way interaction between leader prototypicality and change leadership across these samples, as well as a three-way interaction with organizational identity strength in the combined and Austrian samples. Change leadership was less predictive with increasing leader group prototypicality, particularly in organizations with strong organizational identity. We interpret this as evidence of a 'change credit' for prototypical leaders, allowing them to compensate for a deficit in change-specific leadership behaviours, especially in contexts where organizational and leader identities are salient. MAD statement Our study investigates how leaders who embody their group's identity can more effectively drive organizational change, requiring fewer change management efforts to secure follower support. By exploring the idea of 'change credit' among Austrian and German employees, we highlight the critical role of social identity leadership, alongside a strong team and organizational identity, in achieving successful organizational transformations. This research contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by offering scientifically-backed insights into more effective leadership strategies during challenging transitions in companies and economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professors Robert A. Baron and Michael Frese are the joint recipients of the 2024 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research. Their research contributions have helped establish the disciplinary foundation necessary to explore entrepreneurship from theoretical and applied psychological perspectives. From a theoretical psychological perspective, Professor Baron has repeatedly introduced a disciplinary scaffolding from cognitive psychology, social psychology, and judgment and decision-making psychology to develop the field's socio-cognitive perspective. He has examined entrepreneurship's basic "why" questions: (1) Why do some persons but not others choose to become entrepreneurs? (2) Why do some persons but not others recognize opportunities for new products or services that can be profitably exploited? (3) Why are some entrepreneurs so much more successful than others? From an applied psychological perspective, Professor Frese has examined entrepreneurship as the epitome of a proactive approach to work, advocating the benefits of personal initiative and the need for a self-regulatory approach to performance among both small business owners and employees in transition economies. Continually taking stock of what is known about the psychology of entrepreneurship through reviews and meta-analysis, he and his students have advanced an evidence-based approach to entrepreneurial training and performance in challenging contexts. Together, Professors Baron and Frese have served as ambassadors for the field of entrepreneurship, welcoming an entire generation of micro scholars to explore the entrepreneurial process and the psychology of the entrepreneurs who enact it. Plain English Summary: The winners of the 2024 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research, Robert Baron and Michael Frese, have improved our understanding of the psychology of entrepreneurship, introducing many of the conceptual tools needed to examine why some persons but not others become entrepreneurs, recognize opportunities, and succeed in entrepreneurship. Professor Baron illuminated the role of affect in the entrepreneurial process, developed the notion of opportunity recognition as pattern detection, and enabled the study of entrepreneurial cognition by articulating the potential of the cognitive perspective as an alternative to the personality traits approach. His efforts have helped facilitate the field's rapid theoretical maturity, equipping it to examine not only its own knowledge frontier but also the disciplinary foundations that it draws upon. Simultaneously, Professor Frese demonstrated the importance of personal initiative and efficient self-regulation in the practice of entrepreneurship in several challenging settings, ranging from transition to developing economies. His tireless efforts to promote an evidence-based approach to the phenomenon and to document its empirical findings have facilitated entrepreneurial training and development while advancing an applied psychological approach to the field of entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has struggled in its efforts to transition to a circular economy (CE) due to lock‐ins, where the industry remains entrenched in practices that resist this much‐needed transition. The solutions implemented so far have been unsuccessful. This failure can largely be attributed to the prevailing paradigm, which assumes that by sequentially removing barriers transition will naturally follow. However, this assessment overlooks the "lock‐in" effect of practices within the industry's linear model. A comprehensive, holistic "whole of industry" approach is essential to uncover these lock‐ins. In this context, O'Brien's "three transformational spheres framework" is introduced to examine how Australia's AEC sector is deterred from transitioning to a CE by three groups of lock‐ins, and provide viable recommendation to tackle them. Fifteen industry experts were interviewed, covering the three dimensions of the framework. The findings specify three levels of intervention that must be addressed in the industry and recommend an order for tackling them: first, political systems and structures; second, practical behavioral and technical responses; and finally, personal beliefs and values. This article contributes significantly to the field by outlining a comprehensive array of strategies for industry transition. Implementing these strategies in the discussed order has the potential to catalyze the long‐awaited transformation of the industry. This advances the theoretical framework concerning the adoption of a CE within the AEC sector and provides a reliable reference for policymakers, practitioners, and advocates who are orchestrating this transformative journey based on circular principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a circular economy (CE) has become one of the main issues of sustainable development policies in many countries worldwide. The present paper offers an empirical analysis of this transition to circularity in European Union (EU) countries. It provides multidimensional indicators for CE performance and observes the interrelationship between macroeconomic indicators and the level of CE implementation. Taking data from 26 EU member states during the period 2010–2019, weighted indicators are constructed for the assessment and comparison between heterogenous countries. Subsequently, a multivariant analysis is performed to quantify the impact of different macroeconomic variables on circularity indicators, such as R + D, sectoral added value, renewable energy usage and population density. The results reveal three distinct groups: those whose indicators display a positive sign, those that show a negative sign, and those that display a changeable evolution throughout the period studied. The panel data regressions carried out to assess the determinants of circularity show the positive impact of expenditure on R + D. Also, it is worth mentioning the existing differences in the implementation status of CE among countries, contingent upon on when they joined the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at enabling the acceleration of CE transitions by offering insights into processes that need to take place to mainstream (or scale from niches to regimes) entrepreneurial solutions in two contexts, i.e., developed versus emerging markets and developing economies. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in spurring innovation. The emergence of innovative solutions is a prerequisite for unlocking CE transitions. Yet, to sustain the transitions, it is critical that the solutions are mainstreamed. The mainstreaming is facilitated by strategic collective system building activities of entrepreneurs as a necessary but probably not sufficient element of CE transitions. Based on a qualitative approach to assessing such activities, involving an online survey and interviews with entrepreneurs in Austria and Southern Mediterranean, the research results reveal that technological innovation is significantly more important in developed economies in comparison to emerging markets and developing economies, where societal innovation is at the core of CE transitions. Also, raising user awareness and competition with incumbents are significantly more important in emerging markets and developing economies than in developed economies. In both contexts, knowledge development within a company is the key activity enabling mainstreaming of innovative CE solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's rapidly evolving landscape, supply chains must develop specific dynamic capabilities for initiating and successfully governing their transformations toward new configurations to withstand pressures arising from competitions and global changes. Differently from dynamic capabilities that enable adaptation, supply chain transformative capabilities include four core dimensions: triggering, envisioning, navigating, and stabilizing capabilities. By using a multiple‐case study approach involving six Italian companies related to fashion and furniture sectors, we investigate these concepts and identify the microfoundations of supply chain transformative capabilities for circularity. They are classified with reference to individuals, processes, and structures. Our findings illustrate how supply chains can facilitate and effectively govern their circular transformation by developing the transformative capabilities and their microfoundations. This paper provides valuable theoretical insights and managerial perspectives, advancing the concept of transformative supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For every nation, the era of transition to a market economy is marked by a severe lack of financial resources. Bringing in sectors of the economy that yield the fastest and most efficient returns is one strategy to develop and overcome this issue. Agrotourism, which is seen as a new trend in the tourism business, is one of these industries. The Samarkand region is used as an example to examine the scientific and theoretical underpinnings of agrotourism as well as its geographical characteristics in this article. Furthermore, an agrotourism map of the region was created by evaluating each location's potential for agrotourism, classifying the regions based on how desirable they are for agrotourism, and identifying the facilities and resources available for agrotourism. Factors affecting the market of tourist services in the area were studied, and forecast values of the volume of tourist services were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting financial distress of corporations is a difficult task in economies undergoing transition, as data are scarce and are highly imbalanced. This research tackles these difficulties by gathering reliable financial distress data in the context of a transition economy and employing the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). The study employs seven different models, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), logistic regression (LR), support vector machines (SVMs), neural networks (NNs), decision trees (DTs), random forests (RFs), and the Merton model, to predict financial distress among publicly traded companies in Vietnam between 2011 and 2021. The first six models use accounting‐based variables, while the Merton model utilizes market‐based variables. The findings indicate that while all models perform fairly well in predicting results for nondelisted firms, they perform somewhat poorly in predicting results for delisted firms in terms of various measures including balanced accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), precision, recall, and F1 score. The study shows that the models that incorporate both Altman's and Ohlson's variables consistently outperform those that only use Altman's or Ohlson's variables in terms of balanced accuracy. Additionally, the study finds that NNs are generally the most effective models in terms of both balanced accuracy and MCC. The most important variable in Altman's variables as well as the combination of Altman's and Ohlson's variables is "reat" (retained earnings on total assets), whereas "ltat" (total liabilities on total assets) and "wcapat" (working capital on total assets) are the most important variables in Ohlson's variables. The study also reveals that in most cases, the models perform better in predicting results for big firms than for small firms and typically better than in good years than for bad years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the process of scaling second-hand fashion and how different strategic paths develop over time. This is theoretically grounded in two distinct scaling logics synthesised from the literature: a process that includes strategies for organisational growth (breadth-scaling) and a process that influences change in formal and informal institutions (depth-scaling). Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a process-based study based on the growth of a second-hand fashion retail organisation over 20 years. Qualitative materials such as interviews, observations and documents were collected and analysed. Findings: The findings illustrate how a circular business model (CBM) can make use of a mix of strategies aiming for both organisational growth and impacting practices and habits within the fashion industry. Strategies building on breadth-scaling logic are found to be a prerequisite for engaging with depth-scaling strategies since they contribute to necessary resources and confidence, while depth-scaling secures future scaling opportunities by changing the conditions for scale. Originality/value: The study contributes to the relatively scant literature on the process of scaling CBMs by exploring how different strategic paths unfold over time. The process-based approach, in combination with the two scaling logics, gives new insights into how CBMs go from niche to mainstream and thus influence the transition to a circular economy (CE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article examines potential impacts of increase in non-tax government revenues and public expenses on corruption for 11 transition economies in the Central and Eastern Europe. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical analysis uses yearly panel datasets and employs second-generation panel data models which take cross-sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity into account. Findings – The empirical results reveal the fact that there is a strong linkage between public expenses and corruption and a weak linkage between non-tax revenue collection and corruption in the transition economies. We perform the same analysis by using data sets from G-7 countries but do not notice any linkages between those variables. Research limitations/implications – The research topic requires further discussion on constitutional political economy to digest the empirical findings. Thus, an extended version combined with political economic approach might be useful. Practical implications – Through economic transitions, there might be a linkage between public expenditures and corruption index. Thus, public spending might be controlled by using constitutional economics policies. Originality/value – This paper is the first empirical work in the literature, which examines if there is a linkage between corruption and public expenditures and government tax income structure by using panel data sets. Moreover, it compares the results from transition countries with those of G-7 countries and provides certain policy suggestions in the context of constitutional economics.

A major objective of economic development or growth is poverty reduction, and it is especially a high priority in developing, low-income economies such as Vietnam. Vietnam is an important transition open high-growth economy since Doi Moi in 1987 and with increasing global geopolitical influence in South East Asia but with concerning high poverty incidence. While poverty is recognised internationally as a multidimensional incidence with interdependent relationships among the country's many activities in the sense of Marshall or Haavelmo, rigorous studies with focus on these multidirectional causality issues for Vietnam are currently very limited. The paper addresses these issues by introducing an endogeneity or simultaneous multi-equation modelling approach with World Bank and other international data and system estimation to studying the growth-poverty relationship with Vietnam as a case study. The objective is to explore empirical evidence for this causal relationship with an economy-wide transmission mechanism and with common causality postulates for the improvement of sustainable growth and poverty reduction strategic policy analysis. The main findings show growth-poverty circular causality and the strong impact of growth on poverty reduction and of trade openness on growth. The approach advances the literature, and the findings are also a useful guide for aid consultants, economic researchers, policy makers, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and official development assistance (ODA) donors in Vietnam in particular and in developing countries in general.

ABSTRACT In this work, we look at the role played by cultural values on individuals' tax preferences towards contributing to public goods. More specifically, looking at the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Former Soviet Union (FSU), we analyse the role of specific cultural values in the willingness of an individual to pay more taxes with the aim of improving public good provision relating to education, health and support of people in need, as well as to combat climate change. To this purpose, we integrate Hofstede's cultural dichotomy individualism–collectivism with Schwartz's cultural dichotomy embeddedness–autonomy, as both capture similar values regarding group interest and self‐determination. We posit that individual values aligned with the concept of individualism/autonomy will be associated with a greater willingness to contribute towards public good provision. Our analysis exploits data from the third wave of the Life in transition Survey (2015–2016). Our analyses reveal that respondents' willingness to contribute to different types of public and common goods is positively associated with them holding values compatible with individualism/autonomy. These associations are statistically significant and robust to changes in specifications and estimators and to changes in the sample investigated.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the social mobility of men in Scotland between the late‐19th and the late‐twentieth century are examined using new individual‐level data from nineteenth‐century censuses, linking records of men aged 0–19 in 1871 to their records in 1901, and then comparing their patterns with the social mobility of men aged 30–49 in 1974 and in 2001 as recorded in social surveys at these dates. The extent of social mobility in the nineteenth century was large. In particular, the social origins of people in the highest classes—the salariat—were very varied, indicating a society that was more open than is sometimes supposed. There was a slow growth in social mobility between then and 2001. In both periods, class inheritance—sons in the same social class as their father—was strongest in the economically declining sectors, which were agriculture and fisheries in 1901 and industry in 1974 and 2001. In the 1901 data, however, the transition to a non‐agricultural economy induced strong outward mobility from agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since gaining academic and financial autonomy in 2018, a number of leading private universities in Kazakhstan have separated teaching and research into two distinct career tracks and implemented outcome-based faculty performance evaluation. This initiative aimed to increase the quality of both teaching and research, boost faculty’s research productivity, and improve the competitiveness of these universities in the local higher education market. However, despite being central to the development of universities, the restructuring of academic careers in Kazakhstan has received little scholarly attention. This study employs the framework of managerialism and collegiality to explore how faculty in research-track and teaching-track positions perceive and respond to the new career structures. Drawing upon the thematic analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews with faculty members working in the country’s top private universities, the study provides nuanced insights into the changing career structures in Kazakhstan by examining faculty experiences related to research and teaching, faculty evaluation and promotion, development of research culture, and work environment. By interpreting the study findings in light of the concepts of managerialism and collegiality, the study offers a fresh perspective on the neoliberal trends in university governance in the context where universities historically lacked autonomy from the state. The paper concludes by discussing the potential implications of the findings for improving the conditions of research-track and teaching-track faculty. The study may be of interest to policymakers, university administrators, and researchers concerned with changes in academic careers in transitional economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate scientists are warning policymakers across the globe that climate change, biodiversity loss and declining ocean health are leading to the collapse of critical ecosystems. Together with the United Nations (UN), they are calling on nations to immediately transition their economies in a sustainable direction. Moreover, in the eyes of scientists as well as the UN, shifting to sustainable development will invariably lead to improvements in social development and human health. Focusing on the Caribbean, which comprises one of 36 global hotspots, this study hypothesizes that higher levels of intentional economic/regulatory policy development, will showcase stronger sustainability results across the SDGs that deal with climate change, ocean health and biodiversity loss (SDGs 13–15). Utilizing Cuba, the Dominican Republic (DR) and Jamaica as test cases, this study employs the process-tracing method to analyze major national planning documents to assess each nation's approach towards sustainability, in response to major UN initiatives during the MDG and SDG-eras. Afterwards, various quantitative assessment instruments are utilized to measure the sustainability progress of each nation. Overall, there is modest evidence that Cuba deployed the highest levels of regulation and enjoyed the greatest sustainability gains and scores, relatively to DR and Jamaica. As far as the DR, with low levels of regulation, and Jamaica, with moderate levels, the picture was mixed with recent data suggesting that Jamaica may be beginning to outgain the DR. As such, the results of this study give modest support to those who believe strong levels of state intervention are necessary to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of coal in the bays of Concepción and Arauco, in the 19th century, was fundamental for the capitalist transition of the Chilean economy. The beginning of extractive activity coincides with the creation of the Province of Arauco and the arrival of Matías Cousiño to the coal industry in Lota. It was in the previous decade, however, in the town of Colcura where the transformations that determined the destiny of the coastal region began. The evolution of Colcura anticipated what happened later in many places in Arauco: industrial and mining boom, radical transformation of the space and, in several cases, abandonment and desolation. Today it poses a challenge of ecological recovery and heritage revaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable finance is an important part of the water governance landscape that has not received sufficient attention in the water governance and policy literature. In this paper, we approach sustainable finance as a 'non-water' factor that influences water governance situations. Two key water policy objectives in Ontario municipalities provide the focus: water system financial sustainability, and industrial water use reduction. We find that sustainable finance as a sector has significant potential to drive future decision-making around water in municipalities in the context of chronic underfunding and the transition to low-carbon economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a neoliberal economy that has been happening in Northern Canada has promised increasing control over resources to residents. Yet, the neoliberal approach carries significant risk, especially as it attempts to extract profit from failed and abandoned public projects—what Anna Tsing calls "salvage accumulation". In Churchill, Manitoba, the primary economic drivers—shipping and tourism—have turned the town as a place into a particular type of salvage commodity. Built upon abandoned infrastructure, non‐human nature, the collapse of other industries, and the changing climate, these industries rely upon the overall place image of Churchill to bring non‐market goods into the commodity process. This process removes local control of place image (and experience) yet still embeds the risk of the venture in the location itself. Salvage accumulation as an entrepreneurial practice unequally distributes the risk onto residents while allowing the profits to accrue elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How has the changing structure of the economy during the transition in Central and Eastern Europe resulted in reskilling, deskilling, or upskilling of the labor force? Using data from the Life in Transition Survey and survival analysis we find that the scale of changes in the skill-sets has been surprisingly limited. Instead, the transition has resulted in a generational change: workers from declining sectors left employment, while the young cohorts took up the jobs in the emerging sectors. Furthermore, to a large extent, pre-retirement exits can be explained by a lack of relevant skills in the older generation that were necessary for the open market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and analyzes the process of the implementation of the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Spain, and its links to the low-carbon transition. The EU implementation of the circular economy went through several stages. Since the adoption of the first action plan in 1993, the links between the circular economy and carbon transition goals have become intertwined. Recently, the EU approved the framework of new monitoring measures and indicators for the circular economy. The adopted actions have involved the adaptation of European legislation at the national level. Spain has participated in this process since 2017, when the Circular Economy Pact was signed. The subsequent approval of the Spanish Strategy for a Circular Economy in 2020 was developed, considering a close relationship between decarbonization and the circular economy. Lately, the circular economy implementation has been strengthened with the strategic project for economic recovery and transformation, linked to the recovery of COVID-19, and the roadmap for the sustainable management of mineral raw materials, with both documents including actions directly related to transforming the energy system. Data show that Spain has made significant improvements in the circular economy transition. However, Spain's vulnerability to externalities is greater than that of the EU as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the adverse effects of the existing linear model on economic, social, and environmental aspects, the circular economy has emerged as a more sustainable alternative for economic growth and environmental sustainability. Further, the increasing significance of the circular economy as a means to achieve sustainability has prompted researchers to suggest various approaches. In this study, we employed a systematic literature review to present a unified perspective on the concept of circular economy and emphasize the connection of it with eco-innovation. We found that the last three years have witnessed a sudden rise in the publications related to a circular economy, stating the rise in interest of researchers towards a circular economy. While in its nascent phase of execution, much research has been carried out on the importance of adopting a circular economy for achieving sustainability. However, most researchers have failed to explore the contribution of the circular economy in the UN sustainable development strategies (SDGs) and the role of eco-innovation in the circular economy. Therefore, this research is novel, and we explored the role of circular economy and eco-innovation towards sustainability through a systematic literature review. This research indicated that while developed countries have shifted to a circular economy, developing countries need to transition to a circular economy for sustainable benefits. A correlation was also found between the circular economy and some SDGs. The results emphasized that the incorporation of eco-innovations can help in mitigating the environmental consequences of production and consumption activities. It also sheds light on notable instances of eco-innovations that have been developed for deployment in the circular economy. This research will be helpful to industries, universities, and other major sections of society in developing circular economy practices in their core processes and ensuring the attainment of sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euroization is considered as a solution for transition economies or as a step toward later integration into the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). This article seeks to challenge this conventional trajectory by arguing that a country already participating in the EMU could opt for euroization. Instead of adopting a binary analysis of pros and cons, a moderate perspective is employed, taking into account the specific institutional setup of Eurozone member countries. The aim of this article is to underscore the potential advantages of euroization, positioning it as a strategy that, though limited, can provide greater fiscal policy space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether, and what kind of, regional knowledge has a stimulating effect on circular economy (CE) innovation by companies. We thus add to the literature on regional knowledge spillovers, which has rarely focussed explicitly on the CE. For the empirical study, we create econometric regressions based on a representative dataset with extensive information on the CE activities of about 1400 Swiss firms. The results confirm that regional knowledge is important for the implementation of CE innovations. However, geographical distance and the quality of the knowledge must be taken into account, that is, companies primarily learn from the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to understand the role of workers' bargaining for the labor share in transition economies. We rely on a share-capital schedule, whereby workers' bargaining power is represented as a move off the schedule. Quantitative indicators of bargaining power are supplemented with self-constructed qualitative indices derived from textual information describing the legal environment enabling bargaining in each country. Due to multiple data constraints, we employ a cross-sectional empirical model estimated using instrumental variables (IV) methods, where former unionization rates and the time since the adoption of the ILO Collective Bargaining Convention serve as instruments. The sample comprises 23 industrial branches across 69 countries, including 28 transition economies. In general, we find the stronger bargaining power to influence higher labor share, when the former is measured either quantitatively or qualitatively. Conversely, higher bargaining power is associated with a lower labor share in transition economies. This is likely a matter of delayed response to wage pushes, a function of the structural transformation of transition economies, and reconciled with the increasing role of MNCs which did not confront the workers' power rise per se, but introduced automation and changed market structure amid labor market flexibilization, which eventually deferred bargaining power's positive effect on labor share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last third of the 20th century was marked by the transition of a number of countries to the information civilization, under which the majority of workers are employed in the field of information activities, and the main product of production and commodity is information. Currently, information has become the most important resource of society and has acquired strategic importance. Globalization of world processes, on the one hand, and deep socio-political and economic transformations that unfolded in the 1990s, on the other, created the prerequisites for Ukraine's rapid entry into the global information space. In the new century, the future of our country will largely depend on how energetically and effectively it moves in this direction. Information processes actively affect all aspects of human life. The use of the latest information technologies multiplies this influence. Most of the information is recorded on various material media, contained in various documents. The role of information in the management process is particularly important - at all its levels and in all spheres: political, economic, scientific, cultural, etc. Documenting information, its search, processing, storage and transmission require significant financial, material, labor resources and time. Therefore, the organization of effective work with documents, improvement of all information and documentation processes both on the scale of society as a whole and at the level of individual enterprises, organizations, and institutions is an extremely important direction of management activity. In turn, qualified work with documented information requires a significant number of professionally trained specialists. The current stage of Ukraine's development is characterized by a difficult and contradictory path of the country's transition to a market economy. Without a doubt, the success of this transition largely depends on the effectiveness of the management structures of the market economy, whose activities are based on the production and use of information, a large part of which in any organization, as mentioned above, is concentrated in documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of green innovation (GI) on financial performance under both accounting and market‐based perspectives in European Union (EU) listed non‐financial firms. In addition, this study explores whether the R&D investments and the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure play a mediating role over the association between GI and accounting‐based and market‐based financial performance, respectively. Based on a sample of 526 firms over the period 2012–2022, we find that GI is negatively associated with accounting‐based financial performance and positively associated with market‐based financial performance. We further find that GI impacts on accounting‐based financial performance via the channel of R&D investments and on market‐based financial performance via the channel of ESG disclosure. This study provides useful contributions to prior research by encouraging the adoption of an integrated perspective when evaluating potential effects of GI. This study can also assist managers in better preparing for the challenges of implementing GI by leveraging the ESG disclosure. It also advices to investors to carefully assess the more complex impact of GI on financial performance of the firm within their capital allocation decision‐making process. In the same vein, it offers some insights to policy makers interested in facilitating the transition to a sustainable economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The transition to a circular economy (CE) is a known concern in the context of the textile industry, in which business actors attempt to facilitate circular activities such as textile recycling. However, a lack of established business relationships and networks creates uncertainty for textile circulation. In such business environments, managerial decisions regarding CE may depend not only on normative behaviour but also on heuristics that guide their choices. Since business relationships for textile circularity require interactions between business actors, this study explores how managerial heuristics are shaped in the CE transition within the textile industry and their impact on actors' interactions within business relationships and networks. Design/methodology/approach: Empirically, this qualitative study is based on interviews with managers representing companies and organisations engaged in business relationships and networks aimed at a CE transition in the textile industry, as well as on publicly available secondary data. Findings: The findings indicate that managerial decisions promoting circularity can be influenced by, besides normative information assessment, factors predominant in (1) the business and regulatory environment, (2) managers' experience and knowledge obtained during interactions within business networks and (3) the internal strategic approaches of business organisations. This study identifies adaptation, experience, interaction and strategy heuristics that may be utilised by managers in making decisions in the context of uncertainty, such as the industrial transition to a CE. Originality/value: This study expands the knowledge of heuristics applied to managerial decision making in interacting business firms and institutional organisations aiming to facilitate textile recycling and proposes a heuristics toolbox. The study provides an insight into business actors' interactions, as well as various factors inside and outside the organisations shaping the managerial decisions. By doing this, the study adds to the literature, highlighting the importance of contextualisation and the interrelation between the individual and business environment levels in business-to-business management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and economic growth possess a very central and pivotal importance in the economic development of any country. Keeping this in view, Saudi Arabia is also trying to attract more FDI like other transition economies. By the end of 2023, over 200 international firms have shifted their headquarters to Riyadh as the Kingdom had announced previously that foreign firms with their Middle Eastern bases outside of Saudi Arabia would not be able to bid for Saudi Government contracts. This smart move surely would help the Saudi economy to attract more FDI as compared to the other gulf neighboring countries. In this article, we have examined the impact of FDI on the economic growth of thriving Saudi Arabia. We took the annual time series data for the dependent variable and the explanatory variables for the period ranging from 1991 to 2022. To explore the long-run relationship among the variables we used Auto regressive distributed lags (ARDL) Bounds test. The empirical findings revealed the existence of a long-run relationship among the variables of the model, but we found an insignificant impact of FDI on economic growth. These insights offer valuable implications for policymakers aiming to optimize the economic impact of FDI in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on imprinting theory, this study examines how organisational imprinting, i.e. imprinting with the research institute background, impacts innovation of enterprises from restructured research institutes in subsequent periods. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies during 2000–2020, this study uses firm random effects and industry / year fixed effects models to test the hypotheses. Our study finds that organisational imprinting positively influences corporate innovation. Furthermore, CEO’s ideological imprinting weakens the impact of organisational imprinting on corporate innovation. Finally, as the institutional development improves and equity checks and balances strengthen, the negative impact of CEO’s ideological imprinting on the relationship between organisational imprinting and corporate innovation will be weakened. This study contributes to the literature on the imprinting theory by predicting the impact of organisational imprinting on innovation using a consistent and integrative framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether capital account liberalization is beneficial for inducing foreign investment and positively affects allocative efficiency and economic performance in Korea. Using panel data on Korean industries and firms from 1991 to 2019, we confirm that capital account liberalization is positively associated with foreign investment. This effect is more pronounced for industries with high external financing dependence. Additionally, we conduct a firm-level analysis and find that capital account liberalization improves capital allocative efficiency, indicating that it helps firms with high growth opportunities to make more investment. Furthermore, changes in allocative efficiency attributable to capital account liberalization positively affect firms' future financial performance. Overall, our study highlights the importance of capital account liberalization in attracting foreign capital, improving allocative efficiency, and enhancing the economic performance of firms in a transition economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]