scholarly journals It matters to be in good hands: the relationship between good governance and pandemic spread inferred from cross-country COVID-19 data

Author(s):  
Munirul H. Nabin ◽  
Mohammad Tarequl Hasan Chowdhury ◽  
Sukanto Bhattacharya

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between good governance and pandemic control using month-wise COVID-19 pandemic data within a time window from April to September 2020. The study argues that countries with better governance are more capable of adopting and implementing appropriate policies and that such governments are considered more trustworthy by their people. Combined, these factors enable such countries to better control a pandemic like COVID-19. Using several measures of good governance and two measures of pandemic spread, namely the COVID-19 positive rate and the COVID-19 growth rate, this paper tests its argument econometrically in a sample of 185 countries. The results show the existence of a significant inverse relationship between all measures of good governance, and the COVID-19 positive and growth rates. The significant inverse relationship largely persists even after controlling for continent-fixed effects and a host of geographic, demographic, and socio-economic factors. This indicates the presence of a strong systemic linkage between quality of governance and pandemic control. The findings empirically strengthen the argument of eminent medical historians concerning the importance of effective governmental intervention for epidemic control. The study reveals that the quality of governance is a key factor in a country’s success in pandemic management and encourages further investigation.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 972
Author(s):  
Susana Santiago ◽  
Itziar Zazpe ◽  
Cesar I. Fernandez-Lazaro ◽  
Víctor de la de la O ◽  
Maira Bes-Rastrollo ◽  
...  

No previous study has assessed the relationship between overall macronutrient quality and all-cause mortality. We aimed to prospectively examine the association between a multidimensional macronutrient quality index (MQI) and all-cause mortality in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) (University of Navarra Follow-Up) study, a Mediterranean cohort of middle-aged adults. Dietary intake information was obtained from a validated 136-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. We calculated the MQI (categorized in quartiles) based on three quality indexes: the carbohydrate quality index (CQI), the fat quality index (FQI), and the healthy plate protein source quality index (HPPQI). Among 19,083 participants (mean age 38.4, 59.9% female), 440 deaths from all causes were observed during a median follow-up of 12.2 years (IQR, 8.3–14.9). No significant association was found between the MQI and mortality risk with multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the highest vs. the lowest quartile of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.59–1.06; Ptrend = 0.199). The CQI was the only component of the MQI associated with mortality showing a significant inverse relationship, with HR between extreme quartiles of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.45–0.90; Ptrend = 0.021). In this Mediterranean cohort, a new and multidimensional MQI defined a priori was not associated with all-cause mortality. Among its three sub-indexes, only the CQI showed a significant inverse relationship with the risk of all-cause mortality.


Author(s):  
Hassan Gharayagh Zandi ◽  
Sahar Zarei ◽  
Mohammad Ali Besharat ◽  
Davoud Houminiyan sharif abadi ◽  
Ahmad Bagher Zadeh

Coaching has often been viewed as a context within which coaches operate to largely bring about changes in athlete’s performance and flourishing. One key factor to successful outcomes in coaching is the quality of the relationship between coaches and athletes. The coach–athlete relationship is at the heart of coaching; however, limited studies have been conducted on its antecedents. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between coaches’ forgiveness and perceived relationship quality toward their athletes through verifying the mediating role of interpersonal behaviors of coaches. A total of 270 Iranian coaches participated in the survey, and the data sets were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that forgiveness positively predicted the coaches’ perceived relationship quality with their athletes, and this pathway was mediated by the coaches’ interpersonal behaviors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-69
Author(s):  
Dewan Azmal Hossain

Objective – This study aims to examine the relationship between ownership structure (determined by institutional and foreign ownership) and earnings management in the context of Bangladeshi Pharmaceuticals and Chemical firms. Methodology/Technique – Out of 32 listed firms, this study examined 29 firms from the pharmaceuticals and chemical industry of Bangladesh from 2014 to 2018. Three firms are omitted as they got listed in 2018 and 2019 respectively. This study uses discretionary working capital accrual to measure earnings management that is the dependent variable. Ordinary least square regression analysis is conducted to assess the result of this study. Institutional and foreign ownership are independent variables. ROA, size, cash flow from operation, and leverage are control variables. Findings – It is found that institutional ownership is negatively related to earnings management and foreign ownership is positively related to earnings management but none of them are statistically significant indicating institutional and foreign ownership do not help in resolving or reducing the earnings management problems in the context of Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals and chemical firms. Novelty – Previous studies in Bangladesh deal only with the techniques of earnings management. To my knowledge, it is the first study that tries to assess the relationship of ownership structure defined by institutional and foreign shareholdings with earnings management in the context of Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals and chemical firms. These two ownership patterns are selected because they are supposed to increase the quality of financial information and also because in Bangladesh state and general shareholders are too dispersed to monitor the governance issues. The practical implications of this study is that investors should not consider institutional and foreign ownership percentage as a determining factor of good governance when considering investment decisions rather should look for other firm-specific factors as institutional and foreign shareholders are found to be inactive in increasing the quality of financial information in the context of Bangladesh. Policymakers should identify why institutional and foreign shareholders are not active and should revise the governance mechanisms accordingly. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Ownership structure; Institutional Shareholdings; Foreign Shareholdings; Earnings Management; Bangladesh. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Hossain, D.A. 2020. Ownership Structure and earnings management: Empirical evidence from listed pharmaceuticals and chemical firms of Bangladesh, J. Fin. Bank. Review, 5 (2): 58 – 69 https://doi.org/10.35609/jfbr.2020.5.2(3) JEL Classification: G40; G41; G49.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (82) ◽  
pp. 191-200
Author(s):  
Fábio Gama ◽  
Suzana Quinet de Andrade Bastos ◽  
Tiana de Paula Assis ◽  
Luíza Carvalho

This article evaluates the evolution of motorcycle adoption in Brazil. More specifically, we aim to empirically understand the relationship between the number of two-wheeled vehicles and the country's level of development, as well as some of the factors that reinforce vehicle adoption in determined areas. The work uses data for 5565 Brazilian municipalities from 2010 to 2016 and implements a fixed-effects panel model. The results indicate an inverse relationship between income and number of motorcycles, corroborating the hypothesis of a Kuznets curve for motorcycles and income level in Brazil. In addition to the validation of the increase in the number of motorcycles observed in the country in recent years, we also find evidence that the increase in the number of motorcycles in municipalities may be related to the drop in formal employment, and big municipalities have the lowest per capita motorcycle ratio.


2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
MADHUSUDAN BHATTARAI ◽  
MICHAEL HAMMIG

This paper reports the results of an empirical analysis of the relationship between income and the rate of deforestation of tropical natural forests. The inverted U-shaped relationship known as the environmental Kuznets curve is confirmed. The study focuses on the role of institutions and macroeconomic policy in the deforestation process. Results indicate that the quality of governance is an important determinant of forest resource preservation, and that rural population pressure is not as important as suggested by other studies. Agricultural technology improvement and enhanced educational attainment also lead to reductions of deforestation rates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1265-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Amiri ◽  
Hossein Ebrahimi ◽  
Maryam Vahidi ◽  
Mohamad Asghari Jafarabadi ◽  
Hossein Namdar Areshtanab

Background: To provide care with high quality, nurses face a number of moral issues requiring them to have moral abilities in professional performance. Moral sensitivity is the first step in moral performance. However, its relation to the quality of care patients receive is controversial. Research objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between the moral sensitivity of nurses and the quality of care received by patients in the medical wards. Research design: A descriptive correlational study using validated tools, including Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire and the Quality Patient Quality Scale. Participants and research context: In total, 198 nurses and 198 patients in 17 medical wards of hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Ethical considerations: The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Findings: The mean values of nurses’ moral sensitivity and nurses’ quality care were 136.47 ± 13.30 and 196.36 ± 44.10, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the patient care quality and nurses’ moral sensitivity ( r = −.14, p = .5). However, there was a significant inverse relationship between the dimension of “Experiencing moral conflicts” and the overall score of quality care ( r = −.50, p = .04), the dimensions of “psychosocial ( r = −.50, p = .04)” and “physical ( r = −.50, p = .03).” Conclusion: Considering the significant inverse relationship between the score of patient quality care and the dimension of moral conflict experience, it seems when nurses make moral decisions, they experience a conflict between personal and professional values in their careers and thus experience moral tension. If this tension is not resolved properly, it can provide a way for them to distance themselves from patients, thereby making nurses indifferent to moral care.


Author(s):  
Fahmi Adicipta ◽  
Bayu Kharisma

This paper aims to analyze whether Coordination and synchronization of programs or activities and budgeting in regional development planning agency is possible. Lack of synchronization and coordination between SKPD externally so as to affect the quality of development planning. The Relationship Between Strategic Planning and Budgeting Is expected to play a role other than as a control tool, but it can also be used as a performance quality appraisal tool, as well as a tool for the realization of a clean and authoritative government (good governance). There are relationship between strategic planning in Regional Development Planning Agency of sukabumi city  (Renstra) and its budgeting. The relationship particularly can be seen in the flow of Renstra (from vision to activities) and the achievement from targets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (74) ◽  
pp. 213-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Rouquayrol Assunção ◽  
Márcia Martins Mendes De Luca ◽  
Alessandra Carvalho de Vasconcelos

ABSTRACT In light of the need to develop mechanisms of control, protection, and transparency regarding the relationships between principal and agent, and with the aim of eliminating or reducing the agency problem, corporate governance has emerged. Based on Agency Theory, separation of ownership and control of activities derives from the complexity of organizations. In this context, this study aims to analyze the relationship between dimensions of complexity and corporate governance in companies listed on the São Paulo Stock, Commodities, and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA), in which contingency factors might influence organizational characteristics. The investigation gathers data from a sample of 162 companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA. The following statistical tests were used in the data analysis: Factor Analysis, Multiple Linear Regression, Correspondence Analysis, and Correlation Analysis. For measuring complexity, contingency variables such as age, size, diversification, and internationalization were adopted; and, to assess corporate governance, a representative index of the adoption of good governance practices was used. The results show that organizational complexity is explained by the size and diversification variables, whereas operational complexity is explained by the size, diversification, and internationalization variables. It was observed that in the two dimensions of complexity - organizational and operational - corporate governance was influenced by the diversification, internationalization, and age variables, with the latter involving an inverse relationship. It is concluded that companies displaying more complexity, in its two dimensions, record a higher level of corporate governance, which confirms the research hypothesis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 624-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregmar I. Galinato ◽  
Asif Islam

AbstractThe authors develop a theoretical model that elucidates the relationship between the quality of governance, the composition of government spending and pollution as a by-product of the consumption process. In particular, they determine the impact of government spending that alleviates market failure such as subsidies to the poor which reduce credit market failure and environmental regulations to correct for pollution externality. It is found that a shift in government spending towards goods that alleviate market failure has countervailing effects – consumption pollution rises due to increases in income, but consumption pollution also falls due to increasing environmental regulations. Conditional on the government adopting a democratic regime, the effect through environmental regulations outweighs the effect through income leading to lower consumption pollution. The authors estimate an empirical model and find that the results support their theoretical predictions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Mansoob Murshed ◽  
Muhammad Badiuzzaman ◽  
Rashel Hasan

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between food insecurity and conflict events short of war in Africa, taking account of a host of mediating factors, including the degree of inequality, the level of development, democratic quality, quality of governance and the degree of government expenditure, which we incorporate into our analysis. Our results suggest that food price volatility does contribute significantly to conflict events measured by political events in Africa (ACLED). Greater democracy can engender more conflict, but in a non-linear fashion. The broader V-DEM participatory index of democracy also encourages more protest. Our governance variables are significant, emphasising the salience of state capacity in this regard. An innovation of our study is the inclusion of inequality. We deploy two metrics of vertical inequality: the GINI coefficient and the broader V-DEM egalitarian index. The GINI index of income inequality has a counter-intuitive statistically insignificant sign, suggesting that greater income equality or middle-class share of income results in greater political unrest. We also utilise political measures of inter-group horizontal inequality which significantly engender conflict risk.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document