Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies
Founded in 2010 and dedicated to publishing articles on emerging economies from the perspectives of organizational sciences, marketing, economics, finance and related disciplines. Indexed in the Scopus (Q3) database since 2016 and in the Web of Science since 2021.
Vilniaus universiteto leidykla / Vilnius University Press
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The Role of Green Self-Identity and Self-Congruity in Sustainable Food Consumption Behaviour
The aim of this paper is to explore the role of green self-identity and self-congruity with green food products in predicting consumers’ sustainable food consumption behaviour. Previous research suggests that there is a relationship between individuals’ self-identity and the consumption of products. However, when it comes to the realm of sustainable food consumption, those relations are not unambiguous. This study employs a survey with a sample of 837 respondents in Lithuania. The findings confirm that green self-identity and self-congruity with green food products positively influence subsequent sustainable food consumption behaviour both directly and indirectly. The implications of this study can be used to better understand green consumer behaviour and provide useful information to marketers and policymakers by suggesting that the promotion of sustainable food consumption behaviour should highlight not only functional but symbolic benefits as well.
Copyright (c) 2022 Žaneta Gravelines | Jūratė Banytė | Aistė Dovalienė | Agnė Gadeikienė
Does Financial Inclusion Reduce Poverty in Niger State? Evidence from Logistic Regression Technique
This study employs the logistic regression method to examine the effect of financial inclusion on the level of poverty in Niger State of Nigeria based on cross-sectional data randomly collected from 624 respondents across 224 towns and villages in 12 local government areas (LGAs) of the state. The estimation results illustrate that financial inclusion (proxied by bank account ownership, including access to bank, credit, and mobile phone) is significantly and negatively related to the level of poverty. This empirical outcome is further validated by the results of the Probit regression technique which show a significant negative relationship between financial inclusion and poverty in the state. Based on these empirical findings, the study recommends policies which include broadening bank coverage, softening credit requirements, and enhancement of people’s access to mobile phone and internet services in rural areas of Niger state.
Copyright (c) 2022 Nurudeen Abu | Musa Abudullahi Sakanko | Joseph David | Awadh Ahmed Mohammed Gamal | Ben Obi
Customer Engagement in Emerging Markets: Framework and Propositions
Emerging markets are a major contributor to global GDP, thus offering a primary source for economic growth. However, despite these acclaimed benefits, little remains known regarding customer engagement (i.e., a customer’s resource investment in his/her brand interactions) in emerging markets, thus exposing a pertinent literature-based gap. The development of enhanced insight into customer engagement dynamics in emerging (vs. developed) markets is important, given the idiosyncrasies characterizing these markets (e.g., chronic resource shortages, inadequate infrastructure), thus warranting the undertaking of further research in this integrative area. In response to this gap, this paper develops a framework and an associated set of Propositions of emerging market-based customer engagement, by drawing on Sheth’s (2011) emerging market hallmarks. Specifically, our Propositions postulate that the emerging market tenets of socio-political governance, inadequate infrastructure, market heterogeneity, chronic resource shortages, and unbranded competition uniquely affect emerging market-based customer engagement. We conclude by discussing our findings and by outlining key implications that arise from our analyses.
Copyright (c) 2022 Linda D. Hollebeek | Norberto Muniz-Martinez | Moira Clark | Agne Simanaviciute | Neda Letukyte
Investigation of Fractal Market Hypothesis in Emerging Markets: Evidence from the MINT Stock Markets
This study aims to investigate the market efficiency of emerging stock markets, namely the Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (MINT) stock markets based on the Fractal Market Hypothesis. For this purpose, the ARFIMA and ARFIMA-FIGARCH type models are used to analyze the MINT stock return series. In this study, the dataset encompasses the daily frequency data of the MINT stock market indices from January 12, 2018, to January 12, 2022. The empirical findings show that long memory is reported for the MINT stock returns. The long memory in the returns implies that the MINT stock prices follow a predictable behavior that is consistent with the Fractal Market Hypothesis. The long memory in the volatility implies that the uncertainty or risk is an important factor in the formation of price movements in the MINT stock prices. Moreover, the MINT stock prices consist of the effect of shocks and news that occurred in the recent past. Thus, this study contributes to investors, academics, and market regulatory authorities. Besides, as far as we know, the current literature on the analysis of the fractal market hypothesis to explore the efficiency of the MINT stock markets has not been found.
Relationship between Person–Environment Fit Types and Turnover Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model
In this study, drawing on Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, we tested a moderated mediation model that investigates person–organization (PO) fit as the mediator and per- son–job (PJ) fit as the moderator in the relationship between person–supervisor (PS) fit and turnover intention. Data were collected from 232 bank employees in Turkey by using a survey method. Consistent with hypothesized conceptual scheme, results showed that PO fit mediated the relationship between PS fit and turnover intention. Furthermore, moderated mediation results indicate that PJ fit not only moderated the relationship between PS fit and PO fit but also reinforced the indirect effect of PS fit on turnover intention (via PO fit). We argue that indirect effect of PS fit on turnover intention through PO fit was stronger for employees with high job fit than for employees with low job fit. The theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research directions are also discussed.
Copyright (c) 2022 Gökhan Kerse | Daimi Koçak | Mustafa Babadağ
Fair and Square: Impact of Hospitality Employees’ Justice Perceptions and Job Embeddedness on Citizenship Behavior during COVID-19
COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted all industries, and the hospitality sector has been the worst hit. Drawing upon conservation of resource (COR) theory, it was hypothesized that organizational justice as well as job embeddedness will positively impact employees’ engagement in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In addition, the moderating role of job embeddedness in organizational justice–OCB relationship was studied. Using time-lagged data of hospitality employees from India, the results demonstrate that of all dimensions of organizational justice, interactional justice emerges as the strongest predictor of OCB. Further, job embeddedness was seen to have a significant relationship with all dimensions of OCB. Support was also found for the moderating role of job embeddedness in strengthening the positive relationship between justice perceptions and certain dimensions of OCB. Finally, the implications are discussed enhancing our understanding of organizational justice—job embeddedness—OCB relationship in Indian hospitality sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting several measures which can be taken by managers of this sector to promote employee extra role behaviors.
Copyright (c) 2022 Bindu Chhabra | Manit Mishra
Trade Integration and Export Aspiration: Evidence from India’s Trade in Goods with BRICS Countries
The purpose of this study was to examine the dynamics of trade between India and the BRICS countries as well as to gauge the relative strength of Indian exports to those nations. The trade integration patterns among BRICS countries were also analyzed. To quantify the extent to which India’s exports correspond to the needs of its BRICS counterparts, a novel export aspiration index was constructed. The index of trade integration patterns has also been employed to quantify India’s trade integration pattern with other BRICS members. Further, the gravity model of trade has been employed to analyze the fundamentals of India–BRICS trade. The export aspiration in individual BRICS countries shows a diverse pattern. However, India’s export aspiration in these countries has improved, although marginally in the long run. Such empirical evidence substantiates that the relative strength of India’s exports within its BRICS counterparts has marginally improved over time. Moreover, the trade integration index indicates a similar trade integration pattern among the BRICS countries and corroborates the presence of inter-industry trade. Added to the conventional variables of the gravity model, India’s outward multilateral trade resistance and BRICS inward multilateral trade resistance significantly promote India–BRICS trade. Hence, the relative strength of Indian exports will increase substantially if India’s commodity composition is diversified by including more commodities in its export baskets that correspond to the needs and changing conditions of the BRICS economies.
Copyright (c) 2022 Aamir Jamal | Mirza Nazrana Beg
Emerging Market versus Western Expatriates in Japan during the Covid-19 Pandemic
In this paper, the term “EMex” is coined to refer to emerging market expatriates who had to adjust to working and living in Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Social Identity Theory is applied together with the Grounded Theory to develop a more nuanced picture of how EMex coped with the adjustment process. We found that EMex were confronted with various challenges, some of which were somewhat similar, while others were quite different compared to those experienced by the Western expatriates. All the interviewees in this study spent most of their assignment duration in Japan at their home office. Occasionally, when EMex were allowed to go to their office, they were assigned to special projects with international teams, and so they did not have any contact with non-English speaking local (Japanese) managers. Like Western expatriates, they also missed in-person meetings with their workmates at the office; in spite of their IT literacy, they also faced challenges conducting online meetings from their home office. EMex were not given housing allowance, and this added to the difficulty in adjusting to living in Japan compared to Western expatriates. Moreover, their motivations and perspectives of the future differed from those of Western managers, who had a more secure future with their company. Also EMex faced out-group categorization issues by host-country nationals (HCNs) even if some of them planned to extend their stay in Japan after their assignment ended.
Copyright (c) 2022 Ralf Bebenroth | Yasmin Nur Nahar
Does Religious Proximity Affect FDI Location Choice? An Empirical Analysis of Outward FDI from Morocco to 54 Host Countries
The present paper investigates the effect of religious distance on the choice of location of Moroccan Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) when investing abroad. The main research hypothesis considers the religion as an element of the psychic distance between the home country and host countries that can affect the FDI location decision. The results of the Robust Weighted Least Squares (RWLS) estimation method using panel data of outward FDI flows from Morocco to 54 host countries from 2007 to 2020 show that the more the local Muslim population is important in the host country, the more it receives FDI from Morocco. The results of the study are highly relevant to policymakers as they prove that the religion is important for inward and outward foreign direct investment. On the one hand, policy makers in charge of FDI attractiveness in the host country have to adopt religious strategies accompanied by public–private partnerships to integrate main foreign religions to facilitate the integration of MNEs and reduce their transaction costs. On the other hand, policy makers in charge of promoting outward FDI from the home country have to establish a liaison office in host countries to support the MNEs and facilitate their internationalization process.
Copyright (c) 2022 Jihad Ait Soussane | Dalal Mansouri | Zahra Mansouri
Economic Integration in Latin America: An Approach Through the Analysis of Biblio­metric Indicators on Research Production
This article analyzes different bibliometric indicators on research papers which examine the issue of economic integration in the Latin American region. The documents have been obtained from the Scopus bibliographic database; a total of 564 papers published in the time span from 2000 to 2020 have been identified, processed, and analyzed using the open-source software Bibliometrix and Vos Viewer. The results achieved allow identifying elements such as volume and relevance in scientific publications by country, H-G-M index of researchers with the greatest impact, estimation of Lotka’s Law, the analysis of co-occurrence between keywords, the dynamics in publication of the main sources, and finally, the thematic evolution in the last two decades. The findings provide a better understanding of the research processes as well as a comprehensive analysis of authors, their impact and the relevant sources in the economic integration of Latin America.
Copyright (c) 2022 William A. Malpica Zapata | Víctor Hugo Nauzan Ceballos | Leidy Maritza Silva Rodríguez
Strategic Partnership between SME Retailers and Modern Suppliers in Indonesia: A Relationship Marketing Approach
This study aimed to analyze the business marketing relationship between modern suppliers and SME retailers to empower and strengthen SMEs in Indonesia. The theoretical framework is the relationship marketing model developed by Morgan and Hunt (1994). This framework is based on trust and commitment as the two key mediating variables. The study surveyed 250 SME retailers as respondents selected using purposive sampling. Furthermore, hypotheses were tested using path analysis. The findings showed that trust and commitment to business partnerships mediate the effect of influence strategy on loyalty to business partners and economic performance. The influence strategy significantly affects the business performance of the involved parties. Therefore, strategic business partnerships with modern suppliers improve SME retailers’ business performance.
Copyright (c) 2022 Anton Setyawan | Fairuz Mudhofar | Yasinta Arum | Ihwan Susila | Moechammad Nasir
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Hysteresis Effects on Unemployment Rates: A Comparative Study of the Baltic States Before and After EU Accession
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This study examines the hysteresis effects on unemployment rates in the Baltic countries using the RALS-LM unit root test method, based on monthly data from February 2000 to August 2024. It assesses the persistence of unemployment by gender, focusing on both female and male unemployment rates. Additionally, the study provides a detailed evaluation of the hysteresis effects observed on unemployment rates before and after the Baltic countries’ accession to the European Union (EU). The findings show that the unemployment rates in these countries are highly sensitive to long-term structural changes. Structural breaks occurred mainly between 2001 and 2003 before EU accession, while the 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis and the European Debt Crisis shifted these breaks to the 2007–2010 period. Significant structural changes in total unemployment were observed in Estonia and Lithuania after their EU accession. The results indicate hysteresis effects in Estonia and Latvia, whereas Lithuania shows varying patterns of unemployment persistence. This study highlights the importance of understanding the long-term effects of structural changes and external shocks on labor market dynamics in the Baltic countries.
Copyright (c) 2025 Tuna Köse https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Analyzing the Influence of Sustainability Benefits on Chilean Consumers’ Intentions to Purchase Refurbished Smartphones
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This study examines the willingness of Chilean consumers to buy refurbished smartphones and how various benefits associated with these products, including sustainability advantages, influence their decision-making processes. Utilizing the consumer acceptance model for refurbished smartphones, data was collected through personal interviews with 190 consumers in a shopping mall setting. The findings indicate that the intention of Chilean consumers to purchase refurbished products is primarily driven by their subjective evaluations of perceived product value and risk as well as their positive brand evaluations. However, environmental concerns did not significantly impact purchase intentions. The study discusses both the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. By identifying enablers and barriers to sustainable consumption among Chilean consumers, our study complements research on the sustainability marketing of refurbished products in emerging markets. Furthermore, it adds to the literature on the evolution of circular economy approaches in emerging markets such as Chile, which differ in both socio-economic and cultural terms from more developed markets.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ali Kara | John E. Spillan | Guido Grunwald | German Rojas Cabezas | Nicholas Marquez Alvarez | Victor Raul Nocetti Nuñez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Unlocking Financial Potential: Self-efficacy Transforming Capability into Well-Being for Working Women
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The primary purpose of this study is to identify the influence of financial capabilities on women’s financial well-being and to study the mediating influence of self-efficacy in this relationship in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The data were collected through purposive sampling using a questionnaire distributed from February to May 2024 to Delhi-NCR women engaged in any economic activity. Delhi-NCR is a metropolitan area encompassing Delhi and its surrounding districts in neighbouring states. Data analysis was performed on 250 responses from working women using purposive sampling. Variance-based Partial Least Square Structure Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the conceptual model. This study operationalizes and validates financial capabilities as a reflective higher-order construct formed by two dimensions such as financial literacy and inclusion. Findings illustrate that financial capabilities directly influence working women’s financial well-being, and this relationship was partially mediated by financial self-efficacy. To improve women workers’ financial well-being, such policies and programs should be tailored to boost women’s confidence levels and beliefs, education, and inclusion in the financial dimension. This study directs policymakers, government, employers, and financial institutions to build confidence levels among women by organizing workshops and programs, which promotes their financial well-being and ultimately empowers them financially.
Copyright (c) 2025 Priya Gupta | Mamta Aggarwal | Meera Bamba https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Does Fintech Usage Alter the Relationships Between Financial Literacy, Behaviour and Well-Being? Evidence from India
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The emergence of fintech has rapidly transformed the way people manage their finances, yet its impact on personal financial outcomes remains relatively understudied. This study aims to examine how fintech usage (FTU) influences the relationship between financial literacy (FL) and financial well-being (FWB) through financial behaviour (FB) using a moderated mediation model. Using a proprietary dataset, the hypothesised relationships are analysed applying the PROCESS macro in IBM SPSS Statistics. The analysis reveals that FB is a partial mediator in the FL-FWB equation, while FTU negatively moderates the relationship between FL and FB. However, FTU does not significantly moderate the relationship between FL and FWB. The findings carry significant implications for policymakers and fintech service providers. Policymakers should strive to include a digital literacy component in financial education programs to better equip individuals to navigate today’s digitalised society, while fintech companies should focus on designing products that complement users’ FL and facilitate the adoption of financially healthy behaviours.
Copyright (c) 2025 Shamli Prabhakaran | Mynavathi L https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Geopolitical Uncertainty and Spending Behavior: Examining the Roles of Consumer Risk Perception, Coping Appraisal, and Resilience
<p class="ISSN-abst-virsus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Nowadays consumers increasingly navigate uncertainties arising from cross-border conflicts, commercial tensions, and political instability, which pose threats not only to their mental well-being but also financial security. While existing research documents shifts in spending patterns and increased price sensitivity during geopolitical uncertainty, the psychological mechanisms driving these changes remain underexplored. This study applies Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine how psychological factors shape spending patterns during periods of geopolitical uncertainty, with particular attention to the moderating role of individual resilience. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) on survey data from 1000 Lithuanian consumers, we find that both threat appraisals (perceived vulnerability and severity) and coping appraisals (self-efficacy and response efficacy) significantly influence conservative spending behaviors. Notably, individual resilience buffers the impact of perceived vulnerability on spending patterns and enhancing both response and self-efficacy. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Our findings advance understanding of consumer responses to geopolitical uncertainty in three ways: by providing a theoretical framework for individual-level psychological responses, identifying resilience as a key moderating factor, and offering insights from a smaller economy’s perspective. These results have important implications for policymakers and businesses seeking to maintain economic stability during periods of geopolitical turbulence.
Copyright (c) 2025 Viltė Auruškevičienė | Eimantė Survilaitė | Dalius Misiūnas | Joseph Reardon https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Calendar Anomalies in African Stock Markets: Does the Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic Matter?
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted global economies and financial systems, altering investor behavior and challenging traditional market dynamics. Among these disruptions, calendar anomalies, which challenge the efficient market hypothesis, offer a unique lens to assess market efficiency during crises. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of Covid-19 on calendar anomalies in the main African stock markets, an area largely overlooked in existing research despite the region’s increasing importance in global financial systems. Using daily closing prices from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2021, and employing a GJR-GARCH (1,1) model, the findings indicate that calendar anomalies exhibit temporal variation within the sample markets, influenced by trends that shift markets between periods of efficiency and inefficiency. Additionally, the study highlights the emergence of new calendar anomalies coinciding with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. These results offer lasting insights for investors, suggesting the need for dynamic trading strategies that can adapt to calendar anomalies during global crises. For policymakers, the research underscores the importance of reducing information asymmetry to enhance market resilience in times of crisis. The study also emphasizes the need for further research to explore how systemic shocks, such as Covid-19, can disrupt traditional market patterns and affect stock market behavior.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fouzia Alloul | El Mehdi Ferrouhi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Study of Determinants of Intellectual Capital Performance in Firms: The Vietnamese Case
This research examines determinants of intellectual capital (IC) performance in firms in Vietnam during the period 2007–2022 through employing the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) and the structural equation model (SEM). Our findings show that market capitalization (MC), sales growth, profitability, leverage, FDI, inflation and GDP significantly affect IC performance. Global crises influence it negatively and have a moderating effect on IC performance through MC, sales growth, and return on asset. This research contributes to the existing literature by examining IC performance with a consideration of the effect of the global crises and analyzing the moderating effect of the crises on IC performance. It also contributes to the literature by adding and examining the effect of MC on IC performance.
Copyright (c) 2024 Phan Dinh Nguyen | Thi Nhat Minh To https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of the Underground Economy in the Oil Wealth-Growth Nexus: New Insight from Nigeria
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Research on the relationship between oil wealth and economic growth has shown that the impact of oil can depend on various factors or conditions. However, the role of the underground economy in this relationship remains underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by examining how the underground economy influences the oil wealth-growth nexus in Nigeria from 1990 to 2022, using the bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds-testing technique. The empirical findings reveal that the effect of oil wealth on economic growth varies with the size of the underground economy. Specifically, the results indicate that the marginal impact of oil wealth on growth is positive when the underground economy is relatively small, but becomes negative as the underground economy expands. This suggests that the underground economy serves as a channel through which oil wealth negatively affects long-term economic growth. The economic implication of this finding is that for sustained long-term growth, increases in oil wealth must be accompanied by significant efforts to reduce the size of the underground economy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Joseph David | Awadh Ahmed Mohammed Gamal | Sultan Ali Mohammed Salem | K. Kuperan Viswanathan | Norasibah Jalil https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Inclusive Finance, Entrepreneurial Activity of Farmers, and Urban–Rural Income Disparity: Evidence from China
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In recent years, although the ratio of urban to rural per capita income in China has exhibited a continuous downward trend, the income gap between urban and rural areas remains significantly higher than that of developed countries. Addressing this inequality and achieving common prosperity has become one of the key objectives of national development. Utilizing a sample from mainland China, this paper empirically analyzes the role of digital inclusive finance in narrowing the urban–rural income gap by employing <span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">the <span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Theil index to assess this disparity. The findings indicate that digital inclusive finance significantly alleviates the urban–rural income gap; however, its impact varies across different dimensions and regions. Furthermore, threshold effect analysis reveals a non-linear relationship between digital financial inclusion and the urban–rural income gap, with farmers’ entrepreneurial activities serving as an important moderating factor in this process. The results of this paper provide new insights into the understanding of urban–rural income distribution issues and offer valuable policy recommendations for addressing imbalances in urban–rural development.
Copyright (c) 2025 Xiaobing Le | Sarma Binti Aralas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Growth Effect of Foreign Direct Investment in Asean Economies: Does Institutional Quality Matter?
<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This paper empirically studies how foreign direct investment affects economic growth and how this effect depends on institutional quality. Using threshold regression analysis on panel data for nine ASEAN countries from 2002 to 2020, the estimated results indicate a nonlinear impact of foreign direct investment on growth across various institutional regimes. When the institutional quality falls below the threshold value, foreign direct investment has a negative effect on growth. However, when institutional quality exceeds this value, foreign direct investment contributes positively to economic<span class="italik" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> growth. In particular, we observe that FDI facilitates economic growth in most ASEAN countries when institutional quality is above the threshold value, except for Laos. This finding emphasizes that institutional quality significantly influences the effectiveness of foreign direct investment on economic growth. Based on the research findings, we propose several policy implications to improve institutional quality in ASEAN countries to enhance the positive impact of foreign direct investment on the economy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bao-Chau Xuan Nguyen | Thị Lam Ho https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Unveiling Green Supply Chain Practices: A Bibliometric Analysis and Unfolding Emerging Trends
Supply chain management is a multi-dimensional approach. Growing eco-consciousness has forced businesses to optimize operations and incorporate green practices across all the stages of supply chain in manufacturing and service sectors. Reviewing the past research literature propels us to understand its current and future prospects. Employing a systematic analysis, this research explores the intellectual structure of green supply chain practices and their connection to performance outcomes in various industries. This study covers a systematic literature review, content analysis, and bibliometric analysis on green supply chain management using VosViewer. It utilizes a PRISMA-guided screening method for identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion of literature from the literature available since 1999. The bibliometric analysis reveals key contributors, thematic clusters, prevailing theoretical frameworks, and emerging research trends in the domain of green supply chain management. China, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom, emerged as leading contributors to research in this area, driven by rapid economic growth, heightened environmental concerns, and well-established academic and industrial infrastructures. The study identifies eight thematic clusters within green supply chain management, including the triple bottom line, circular economy, and carbon emissions. The most highly cited papers within these clusters were examined for their methodologies, tools, and key findings, highlighting the prominent theories utilized in this field. Moreover, the research discusses how advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, and big data analytics are poised to transform supply chains by enhancing decision-making and mitigating risks, thus playing a pivotal role in the future of green supply chain management.
Copyright (c) 2024 CA Rajkiran | Shaeril Michel Almeida https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Improving Job Performance in the State Sector by Public Service Motivation and Job–Person Fit toward Sustainable Development
Job performance in the state sector is essential for the sustainable development of an economy. However, previous studies on the relationship among public service motivation (PSM), person–job fit (PJF), and job performance have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, this study aims to explore the correlations between PSM, PJF, and job performance, with a particular focus on the state sector. After an extensive literature review, this study utilized quantitative methods to examine the correlation between PSM, PJF, and job performance. The data were analyzed employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), utilizing a sample of 263 participants who work at social insurance agencies, which are the state public organizations that serve employees for social insurance and health insurance. Preliminary results indicate that PSM positively influences both in-role job performance and extra-role job performance within the state sector. Moreover, the results also indicate the mediating role of PJF in the correlation between PSM, in-role job performance and extra-role job performance. The research contributions provide theoretical evidence that PSM is one of the key factors in increasing job performance in the state sector. In addition, the practical implications are discussed to assist managers in improving job performance for the country’s sustainable development.
Copyright (c) 2024 Hoa Dinh Nguyen | Phuong Thanh Thi Do | Quyen Thuc Vo Huynh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bank Diversification, Competition and Earnings Opacity
The paper explores the impact of bank diversification on earnings opacity. We aim at offering a comprehensive analysis by focusing on four dimensions of diversification: income, assets, funding, and loan portfolios. Using data from Vietnam over the period 2007–2022, we document consistent and robust evidence that increased diversification across all forms mitigates earnings management via discretionary loan loss provisions. To shed further light on this pattern, we examine how the banking complexity and opacity nexus varies with multiple measures of bank competition. We find that more intense competition in the banking system likely accentuates the impact of diversification on bank earnings manipulations. Our findings provide important implications related to bank business models and banking market structures in the era of financial deregulation and innovation.
Copyright (c) 2024 Japan Huynh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Consumer Engagement with Gamified Branded Apps on Gameful Experience in Emerging Markets: An Empirical Study
Drawing on social exchange theory, this article examines how consumers’ engagement with gamified branded mobile apps impacts different aspects of their gameful experience, which comprises accomplishment, competition, challenge, immersion, guidance, playful experience, and social experience. We test the proposed conceptual model by drawing on data collected from 319 adult gamified app users from the emerging market of Pakistan, which was analyzed by using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that consumers’ engagement with gamified branded mobile apps in the emerging market context impacts each of the studied gameful experience dimensions, raising important theoretical and practical implications, as discussed in the article’s final section.
Copyright (c) 2024 Amir Abbasi | Linda D. Hollebeek | Maria Hassan | Ding Ting | Eliis Salm | Vytautas Dikcius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Examining the Impact of Bank Cost Efficiency on Non-Performing Loans in a Dollarised Economy: Evidence from Zimbabwe
This paper investigates the effects of cost efficiency on non-performing loans (NPLs) in Zimbabwe during dollarisation. The research applies the random effects and bootstrap quantile regression models using the full dollarisation era dataset for 13 banks from 2009 to 2017. The obtained results revealed that: (i) the average cost efficiency score for the Zimbabwean banking industry is 81.36%, (ii) improvement in cost efficiency leads to an increase in NPLs but begins to fall for a cost inefficiency level of 7.14% and below, (iii) the effect of bank cost efficiency on NPLs is prominent and highly significant at a higher quantile (90th), (iv) the interaction effect between cost efficiency and bank size on NPLs is negative and significant. According to these results, NPLs tend to fall when large banks are more cost-efficient. Thus, the present study recommends that banks employ strategies that simultaneously improve the asset base and cost efficiency.
Copyright (c) 2024 Blessing Katuka | Calvin Mudzingiri | Edson Vengesai | Juniours Marire https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Impact of Economic Freedom and International Tourism on International Trade: An Empirical Study in Asian Countries
The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of economic freedom and the development of international tourism on international trade, encompassing exports, imports, and total trade. The research sample includes 22 Asian countries over the period from 1995 to 2020. The study employs the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) for estimating the research models. Results indicate that economic freedom, business freedom, and trade freedom play a crucial role in international trade activities (both exports and imports). Furthermore, the development of international tourism also demonstrates a significantly positive impact on trade (both exports and imports). The study suggests that policies towards economic openness, increasing economic freedom, business freedom, and trade freedom should be carefully considered and promoted within the trade development strategies of nations. Additionally, economic policies should also focus on solutions to attract international tourists not only as a source of foreign currency but also as a support to foster the development of trade.
Copyright (c) 2024 Buu Kiem Dang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0