scholarly journals Social inclusion and financial inclusion: international evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peterson K. Ozili
Keyword(s):  
Development Policy ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Financial Institution ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Major Development ◽  
Policy Agendas

Purpose This study aims to investigate the association between social inclusion and financial inclusion. Social inclusion and financial inclusion are two major development policy agendas in many countries, and the association between them has received little attention in the policy and academic literature. Design/methodology/approach The findings reveal a positive and significant correlation between social inclusion and financial inclusion for Asian countries, Middle Eastern countries and African countries while the correlation between social inclusion and financial inclusion is negative for European countries. The findings also show that European and Asian economies experience higher levels of social inclusion and account ownership in a formal financial institution while African countries and Middle Eastern countries experience lower levels of social inclusion and account ownership. Originality/value The association between social and financial inclusion has received little attention in the policy and academic literature. This is the first study that investigates the association between social and financial inclusion.

Earnings management and ownership structure in emerging market

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1117-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naima Lassoued ◽  
Mouna Ben Rejeb Attia ◽  
Houda Sassi
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Loan Loss ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether ownership structure affects earnings management in the banking industry of emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study is conducted using a sample of 134 banks from 12 Middle Eastern and North African countries. Econometrically speaking, the study used a panel data regression analysis. Findings The authors found convincing evidence that banks with more concentrated ownership use discretionary loan loss provisions to manage their earnings. The authors also found that state and institutional owners encourage earnings management, while family owners reduce this practice. Practical implications The findings would be valuable for investors since they should take into account ownership structure in order to reach a better investment decision. Moreover, regulatory reforms in emerging markets should push for more transparency about ownership structure, high levels of supervision, and external audit quality. Originality/value This study presents international evidence on the prominent role of owners in earnings management in emerging markets with weak shareholder rights protection.

Shadow economy in Africa: how relevant is financial inclusion?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Folorunsho M. Ajide
Keyword(s):  
Shadow Economy ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Panel Data Estimation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Data Estimation ◽  
Toda And Yamamoto

Purpose This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between financial inclusion and shadow economy in selected African countries. Design/methodology/approach The study uses panel data estimation technique and Toda and Yamamoto causality approach. The data of selected African counties over a period of 2005–2015 are sourced from World Bank Development Indicators, International Monetary Fund International Financial statistics database and International Country Risk Guide. Findings The results show that financial inclusion reduces the size of shadow economy. The causality results show that there is a unidirectional causality moving from financial inclusion to shadow economy. The results demonstrate that a country with lower level of corruption and higher level of growth can benefit more in reducing the size of shadow economy through financial inclusion. Originality/value This study provides the first evidence of the link between financial inclusion and shadow economy from the Sub-Saharan Africa perspective. The study suggests that financial inclusion may be useful in affecting the size of shadow economy in Africa.

Connecting the poor: the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 568-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaniyi Evans
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
The Internet ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Causality Tests ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The increased adoption of internet-enabled phones in Africa has caused much speculation and optimism concerning its effects on financial inclusion. Policymakers, the media and various studies have all flaunted the potentials of internet and mobile phones for financial inclusion. An important question therefore is “Can the internet and mobile phones spur the inclusion of the financially excluded poor? This study therefore aims to examine the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis followed these three steps: examination of the stationarity of the variables; testing for the cointegration; and evaluation of the effects of the internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period using three outcomes of panel FMOLS approach and Granger causality tests. Findings The empirical evidence shows that internet and mobile phones have significant positive relationship with financial inclusion, meaning that rising levels of internet and mobile phones are associated with increased financial inclusion. There is also uni-directional causality from internet and mobile phones to financial inclusion, implying that internet and mobile phones cause financial inclusion. The study also shows that macroeconomic factors such as capital formation, primary enrollment, bank credit, broad money, population growth, remittances, agriculture and interest rate, as well as institutional factors such as regulatory quality are important underlying factors for financial inclusion in Africa. Originality/value In the literature, there is a dearth of research on the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion, especially in Africa. Most of the related studies are conceptual and micro-based, with little empirical attention to the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion. In fact, this dearth of rigorous empirical studies has been attributed as the main cause of inadequate policy guidance in enhancing information communication technologies (Roycroft and Anantho, 2003), despite saturation levels in developed economies. This study fills the gap by evaluating the effects of the Internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion for 44 African countries for the 2000-2016 period.

scholarly journals A bibliometric analysis of greenwashing research: a closer look at agriculture, food industry and food retail

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (13) ◽  
pp. 547-560
Author(s):  
Antonio Montero-Navarro ◽  
Thais González-Torres ◽  
José-Luis Rodríguez-Sánchez ◽  
Rocio Gallego-Losada
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Food Retail ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Major Development ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims at providing an overview and synthesis of the existing body of knowledge about greenwashing. Special attention is paid to the articles directly linked with agriculture, food industry and food retail.Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric analysis was performed over 351 documents extracted from the WoS database, using SciMAT and VOSviewer software programs.FindingsThree periods in the academic literature about greenwashing can be distinguished: ground-setting (2003–2010), trail-blazing (2011–2015) and remarkable growth (2016–2020). Along this evolution, a body of knowledge which stemmed from the literature about CSR has achieved a major development, deploying different research lines such as stakeholders' management, marketing and communication and audit. A specific analysis of the academic literature about greenwashing in agriculture, food industry and food retail has been carried out, showing a need for further development.Social implicationsThe development of scientific knowledge about greenwashing puts this social claim on the spotlight of business management studies, helping to fight greenwashing and, this way, to reduce the environmental impact of corporate activities. Studying greenwashing will help to reduce its frequency and, therefore, heal the planet.Originality/valueSome previous studies have provided systematic reviews of the literature using different approaches, but they did not untangle the intellectual structure and the evolution of the body of research about greenwashing. This article originally provides a thorough analysis of these aspects, as well as a closer look at the impact of greenwashing practices in the academic literature regarding agriculture, food industry and food retail.

Can financial inclusion reduce the presence of corruption? Evidence from selected countries in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1345-1362
Author(s):  
Folorunsho M. Ajide
Keyword(s):  
Random Effect ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Square ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Control Of Corruption

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of financial inclusion (FI) on control of corruption in selected African countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs secondary data spanning over a period of 2005–2016. These data are sourced from IMF's International Financial Statistics, World Bank Development Indicators, Global Financial Development Database, Transparency International and International Country Risk Guide. The author uses Sarma (2008) approach to construct the FI index for 13 countries in Africa. The author applies random effect, robust least square and instrumental variable (IV) estimations to examine the impact of FI on control of corruption in Africa.FindingsThe author finds that financial inclusion improves the control of corruption. The author tests for possible FI threshold to avoid the case of extreme FI in Africa. The results show that there is a threshold level if reached, FI would have negative impacts in the control of corruption. This may likely happen mainly due to weak institutions in Africa. The results are robust to alternative proxy for control of corruption and various alternative estimation techniques.Practical implicationsThe finding indicates that FI can serve as part of toolkits for reducing corruption in Africa.Originality/valueThis study stresses the important role of FI in the economic system. It is the first paper that empirically suggests the role of FI in controlling corruption in Africa.

Institutional determinants of financial inclusion: evidence from world economies

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Tarek Eldomiaty ◽  
Rasha Hammam ◽  
Rawan El Bakry
Keyword(s):  
Credit Card ◽  
Financial Institution ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Institutional Determinants ◽  
World Governance Indicators ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Financial inclusion is an approach for mobilizing saving and facilitating investments that help promote economic development and pave the way for sustainable development. This paper aims to examine the impact of world governance indicators (WGIs) on the improvement of financial inclusion across world economies. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the global database of financial inclusion indicators (global findex) for the years 2011, 2014 and 2017. The WGIs are used as proxies for the effects of governmental institutional arrangements. Using panel data analysis, a fixed generalized linear model is estimated for four common financial indicators; namely, borrowed from a financial institution, saved at a financial institution, credit card and debit card ownership. Findings The empirical results reveal that control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability and voice and accountability are the significant WGIs that influence financial inclusion significantly. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, this paper offers validating the results previously reported in related studies. Second, this paper offers robust estimates of the effects of the institutional WGIs on the promotion of financial inclusion.

Qatar will deploy Al Jazeera as a vital weapon

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
English Language ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Satellite Network ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Al Jazeera ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
Initial Support

Significance After initial support by US President Donald Trump for the measures launched by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt on June 5 against Qatar, Washington has shifted towards a push for dialogue. However, it has little leverage. The boycotting states maintain their list of 13 demands on Qatar, which include the closure of satellite network Al Jazeera, a key instrument of Qatar’s ‘independent’ foreign policy since 1996, as well as other media outlets. Impacts There is no chance Doha would close down Al Jazeera without regime change, given how humiliating that would be for the ruling family. The diplomatic focus will be almost entirely on Al Jazeera Arabic, with little interest in the English-language editorial line. Efforts to ban or exclude Al Jazeera from various Middle Eastern and African countries may gather pace, but with limited success.

Aid to the Middle East will fall far short of needs

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gulf States ◽  
North African Countries ◽  
In Transit

Significance The UN is seeking an additional USD10.3bn in donations to combat the pandemic worldwide, with around one-fifth earmarked for the Middle East. Impacts An upsurge in migration to Europe would put new pressure on resources in transit as well as destination countries. Internal rural-urban migration patterns may be disrupted as poverty rises. Low oil prices will reduce aid and worker remittances from Gulf states to poorer Middle Eastern countries. A failure to contain COVID-19 in Middle East and North African countries could contribute to new waves in Europe and elsewhere. A change in US administration after the November elections could lead to a reversal of recent decisions cutting support to UN aid agencies.

scholarly journals Mapping Academic Literature on Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa: Geographical Biases and Topical Gaps

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Cooper ◽  
Chipo Mukonza ◽  
Eleanor Fisher ◽  
Yacob Mulugetta ◽  
Mulu Gebreeyesus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Green Growth ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Stage Process

A strong indigenous capacity for credible, salient and legitimate knowledge production is crucial to support African countries in developing their economies and societies inclusively and sustainably. In this article, we aim to quantify the current and historic capacity for African knowledge production to support the green economy in Africa, and identify important topical gaps. With a focus on topics relating to Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa (GIGGA), our research mapped how much Africa-focused research is being produced, from where and which African countries have higher or lower supply; and the topical focus of the research, mapping it against the African GIGGA policy discourses visible in government strategies. To do this we undertook a systematic review using a two-stage process, mapping the literature for GIGGA. This resulted in 960 verified citations. Content analysis of core metadata and article abstracts enabled mapping of the research focus. The analysis revealed a significant role for South Africa as both the pre-eminent producer of GIGGA literature as well as the geographic focus of GIGGA research, with Nigeria, Ethiopia and Kenya representing emerging loci of credible, African-relevant knowledge production. Topically, there was a strong emphasis on development, policy and environment while topics important for growth that is inclusive in character were infrequent or absent. Overall the results reinforced the view that investment is needed in research on inclusive green growth, linked to capacity building for knowledge production systems in Africa. Furthermore, from a policy perspective, policy makers and academics need to actively explore best to collaborate to ensure that academic research informs government policy.

Colombia financial inclusion set to progress

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Foreign Banks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Exclusion

Subject Financial inclusion in Colombia. Significance Colombia saw nearly 1 million adults join the financial system for the first time in 2016, despite the economy struggling with sluggish growth. Financial inclusion is a high priority for several Latin American governments at the moment, with high degrees of financial exclusion viewed as obstacles to economic growth, social inclusion and poverty reduction. Impacts Greater financial inclusion will help reduce informality in the Colombian economy, and the high use of cash. Improved access to credit and a range of financial services will support the growth of the country’s many SMEs. Millions of new financial system customers will make Colombia even more attractive to foreign banks.

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