scholarly journals Comparative human development thresholds for absolute and relative pro-poor mobile banking in developing countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice A. Asongu ◽  
Jacinta C. Nwachukwu
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the correlations between mobile banking and inclusive development (poverty and inequality) in 93 developing countries for the year 2011. Design/methodology/approach Mobile banking entails the following: “mobile phones used to pay bills” and “mobile phones used to receive/send money”, while the modifying policy indicator includes the human development index (HDI). The data are decomposed into seven sub-panels based on two fundamental characteristics: regions (Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, and Middle East and North Africa) and income levels (upper middle income, lower middle income and low income). Findings The results show that at certain thresholds of the HDI, mobile banking is positively linked to inclusive development. The following specific findings are established. First, the increased use of mobile phones to pay bills is negatively correlated with: poverty in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC), upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) and Latin American (LA) countries, respectively, at HDI thresholds of 0.725, 0.727 and 0.778 and inequality in UMIC and LA with HDI thresholds of, respectively, 0.646 and 0.761. Second, the increased use of mobile phones to send/receive money is negatively correlated with: poverty in LMIC, UMIC and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries with corresponding HDI thresholds of 0.631, 0.750 and 0.750 and inequality in UMIC, CEE and LA at HDI thresholds of 0.665, 0.736 and 0.726, respectively. Practical implications The findings are discussed in the light of current policy challenges in the transition from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals. Originality/value The authors have exploited the only macroeconomic data on mobile banking currently available.

scholarly journals The comparative exploration of mobile money services in inclusive development

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Ndemaze Asongu
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mobile Money ◽  
Poverty And Inequality ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to respond to some challenges in the transition to sustainable development goals by examining the correlations between mobile and inclusive development (quality of growth, poverty and inequality) in 93 developing countries for the year 2011. Design/methodology/approach Mobile money service entails: “mobile used to pay bills” and “mobile used to receive/send money.” Interactive ordinary least squares are employed. Findings The following findings are established. First, increasing use of the mobile phones to pay bills is positively linked to “quality of growth” in lower-middle-income countries and negatively correlated with inequality in Latin American countries. Second, growing use of mobile phones to send/receive money is negatively associated with poverty in Asia and Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe. Originality/value Macroeconomic data on mobile money service are scarce. No study to the best of our knowledge has used this macroeconomic mobile money service data before.

Achieving SDG target 8.1 (sustain economic growth) in developing countries: how aid for trade policy and regulations can assist?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandan Kumar Roy ◽  
Huang Xiaoling ◽  
Banna Banik
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Trade Policy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Aid For Trade ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth

Purpose This study aims to examine how aid for trade policy and regulations (AfTPR) contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.1 (sustain per capita economic growth) and whether the effectiveness of AfTPR is conditional to the stable political environment. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a widely accepted endogenous growth framework and applies panel data fixed effects and two-step difference and system generalized method of moments estimation strategies on panel data of 50 developing countries over 2005–2017. Findings The findings of the study confirm that aid to trade policy promotes sustainable economic growth in developing countries, but this category of development assistance is only effective and significant for low and lower middle-income (LLMI) economies. The positive and significant effect of AfTPR in upper middle-income countries is conditional to their level of political stability. Under a stable political situation, the positive effect of AfTPR on sustainable growth remains almost same for the LLMI countries, whereas for the upper middle-income countries this growth effect reached almost double. Research limitations/implications International trade is considered as a driver for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, whereas aid for trade is acknowledged for its prospective contribution toward achieving these goals. The findings have dominant policy implications for the international development organizations and donors, which recommend that it is more desirable to transmit aid toward developing and implementing trade policy and regulations as per capita economic growth improves in the aid recipient countries. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, no prior study empirically analyzes the effect of AfTPRs on SDG target 8.1.

Competitiveness, economic growth and human development in Latin American and Caribbean countries 2006-2015

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni E. Reyes ◽  
Alejandro J. Useche
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Real Gdp ◽  
Latin America And Caribbean ◽  
Latin American And Caribbean

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance and the relationship between competitiveness, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth and human development in 20 countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region during the 2006-2015 period. The main argument to uphold here is that – from the perspective of virtuous circle – countries with better conditions of competitiveness are those with better economic performance and with better conditions for human development. Design/methodology/approach Time series data were organized at three levels: individual countries, groups of nations and Latin America and Caribbean as a whole. Indicators used were: index of competitiveness, rates of change in real GDP and Human Development Index. Cluster analysis tests were performed: data ranges were determined and quintiles were established. Countries were ranked in five categories and comparative position matrices were determined for each variable. Linear correlations between indexes were calculated. Linear correlation coefficients were determined in terms of groups of countries and considering Latin America and Caribbean as a whole. Findings Findings revealed that decreasing conditions in competitiveness and economic growth indicators are the representative situation since 2009. The most competitive country in the region is Chile, and the weakest is Venezuela. Nevertheless, all Latin American and Caribbean countries analyzed seem to have made progress in terms of human, economic and social development. Regarding correlations, Dominican Republic showed an inverse relationship between competitiveness and economic growth, while Jamaica and Venezuela showed inverse relationships between competitiveness and human development. At the individual country level, no statistically significant relationship between economic growth and human development was detected. Research limitations/implications Findings highlight the necessity of future research that result in a deeper understanding of the transmission mechanisms between economic and social performance in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Particular reasons at the micro level that explain improvements or deteriorations in competitiveness and human development must also be analyzed. Based on the degrees of freedom, time series could have included more years, but a lack of information was found for some countries. It would also be necessary to observe each particular case considering the type of economy, production characteristics and export/import composition. Practical implications Results complement the existing literature by exploring competitiveness and its relationship with economic and social variables in developing countries. The authors also believe that this paper is relevant for macroeconomic and social policy debates involving competitiveness and human well-being in this region of the world. Originality/value This paper supports an important argument: human well-being and national development must be the ultimate goal of competitiveness. Traditional literature focuses on levels and determinants of competitiveness in developed countries, but it usually does not take into account social and human aspects of the process in developing countries. Little attention has been paid to analyze the relationship between competitiveness and socioeconomic variables in developing countries. Methods and findings of this paper complement the existing literature by studying the relationships among competitiveness, real GDP growth and human development in Latin American and Caribbean countries, using correlation analysis.

Digital divides impede 'edtech' in developing world

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Digital Divides

Significance While access to schools has expanded in low- and middle-income countries in recent decades, learning outcomes have not seen a corresponding improvement. The onset of school closures during the pandemic created an unprecedented opportunity to deploy edtech solutions for distance learning. Impacts Infrastructure limitations are matched by lack of familiarity of both learners and teachers on how to make the best use of edtech content. A major push for online teaching amid the pandemic risks widening educational gaps between those with and without access. Further investment in expanding digital access is critical for taking edtech tools to remote and rural areas in developing countries.

scholarly journals Mobile banking usage, quality of growth, inequality and poverty in developing countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice A. Asongu ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Mobile Banking Applications ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Relationship

The transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals has substantially shifted the policy debate from development to inclusive development. Using interactive quantile regressions, we examine the correlations between mobile banking and inclusive development (quality of growth, inequality and poverty) among individuals in 93 developing countries for the year 2011. Mobile banking entails: ‘mobile used to pay bills’ and ‘mobile used to receive/send money’. The findings broadly show that increasing mobile banking dynamics to certain thresholds would increase (decrease) quality of growth (inequality) in quantiles at the high-end of inclusive development distributions for the most part. The study is original in that it explores the relationship between mobile banking and inclusive development using three measurements of inclusive development, namely: quality of growth, inequality and poverty. As a main policy implication, encouraging mobile banking applications would play a substantial role in responding to the challenges of immiserizing growth, inequality and poverty in developing countries.

scholarly journals Cancer Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 153s-153s
Author(s):  
F. Humura
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Cancer Control ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Background: Cancer is also referred to as malignant tumor or neoplasm. It is one of the leading causes of death on the global scale. The knowledge and tools to manage and even cure cancer patients exist in developed countries but are unavailable to many who live in the developing world, resulting in unnecessary loss of life. Strategies are needed to close the gap between developed and developing countries in cancer survival and the effects of the disease on human suffering. It is also pertinent to bridge the gap to ensure universal health coverage which is very important to achieve the sustainable development goals. Aim: The aim of this abstract is to review the barrier to cancer control in developing world especially the low-and middle-income countries. Method: Selected papers amounting to 79 papers in PubMed from 2007 to 2017 were used from peer-reviewed literature and relevant publicly available documents with the appropriate keywords searched. Results: In spite of significant limitations in the available data, it is clear there are substantial barriers to access to cancer control in developing countries and also substantial limitations in the quality of cancer control and a great need to improve economic efficiency. Cancer is low or absent on the health agendas of low- and middle-income countries (LMCs) despite the fact that more people die of cancer in these countries than from AIDS and malaria combined. International health organizations, bilateral aid agencies, and major foundations which are instrumental in setting health priorities also have largely ignored cancer in these countries. Conclusion: and recommendations: There is an urgent need to improve health services for cancer control in developing countries to ensure health equity which is one of the key areas to be addressed in other to achieve sustainable development goals. Current resources and much-needed investments must be optimally managed. To achieve this, recommended investment should be focused in the following key priorities: capacity building in oncology health services research, policy and planning relevant to developing countries, development of high-quality health data sources, more oncology-related economic evaluations in developing countries, exploration of high-quality models of cancer control in developing countries. Meeting these needs will require national, regional and international collaboration as well as political leadership. Horizontal integration with programs for other diseases will be important.

scholarly journals From classical developmentalism and post-Keynesian macroeconomics to new developmentalism

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUIZ CARLOS BRESSER-PEREIRA
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Industrial Policy ◽  
Latin American ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Keynesian Economics ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Latin American Countries

ABSTRACT New developmentalism was a response to the inability of classical developmentalism and post-Keynesian macroeconomics in leading middle-income countries to resume growth. New developmentalism was born in the 2000s to explain why Latin American countries stopped growing in the 1980s, while East Asian countries continued to catch up. This paper compares new developmentalism with classical developmentalism, which didn’t have a macroeconomics, and with post-Keynesian economics, whose macroeconomics is not devoted to developing countries. And shows that to follow the East Asian example is not enough industrial policy, it is also necessary a macroeconomic policy that sets the five macroeconomic prices right, rejects the growth with foreign savings policy, and keeps the macroeconomic accounts balanced.

scholarly journals Inclusive human development in sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-200
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Joseph Nnanna
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Economic Governance ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Political Governance

Purpose This study aims to assess the role of income levels (low and middle) in modulating governance (political and economic) to influence inclusive human development. Design/methodology/approach The empirical evidence is based on interactive quantile regressions and 49 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000-2002. Findings The following main findings are established. Firstly, low income modulates governance (economic and political) to positively affect inclusive human development exclusively in countries with above-median levels of inclusive human development. It follows that countries with averagely higher levels of inclusive human development are more likely to benefit from the relevance of income levels in influencing governance for inclusive development. Secondly, the importance of middle income in modulating political governance to positively affect inclusive human development is apparent exclusively in the median while the relevance of middle income in moderating economic governance to positively influence inclusive human development is significantly apparent in the 10th and 75th quantiles. Thirdly, regardless of panels, income levels modulate economic governance to affect inclusive human development at a higher magnitude, compared to political governance. Policy implications are discussed in light of the post-2015 agenda of sustainable development goals and contemporary development paradigms. Originality/value This study complements the extant sparse literature on inclusive human development in Africa.

A review of social marketing interventions in low- and middle-income countries (2010–2019)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David James Schmidtke ◽  
Krzysztof Kubacki ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Marketing Principles ◽  
Programme Effectiveness ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Purpose This study aims to review social marketing interventions reported in peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to 2019 that were conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper seeks to further contribute to understanding on the health of the social marketing field, synthesising studies to examine the extent of use of social marketing’s core principles. Design/methodology/approach A total of 17 interventions, discussed in 31 papers, were identified in the review. Social marketing interventions were assessed against eight elements (social marketing benchmark criteria): behavioural objectives, customer orientation, theory, insight, exchange, competition, segmentation and methods mix. Findings Evidence in this review found that most interventions yielded positive outcomes. This supports social marketing’s efficacy in addressing the United Nations sustainable development goals within LMIC contexts. None of the social marketing interventions used all eight benchmark criteria. The study found that there was limited use of insight, competition and segmentation principles followed in social marketing interventions in LMICs. Finally, although present in a number of studies, theory and customer orientation were not applied to the full extent needed. Research limitations/implications Findings indicate the social marketing field will greatly benefit from capacity building and training. Too few interventions labelled as social marketing are able to clearly apply and report application of social marketing’s fundamental principles, which is limiting programme effectiveness. Originality/value To date evidence reviews draw on interventions applied in high-income countries demonstrating extent of application of fundamental social marketing principles positively linked to behaviour change. This study extends the assessment of social marketing principles, delivering assessment of eight benchmarks encompassing insight and theory in an LMIC setting, demonstrating gaps in application and clear examples of application across all benchmarks to deliver a guide that people new to the social marketing field can follow.

Remittances and food security

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogeeswari Subramaniam ◽  
Tajul Ariffin Masron ◽  
Nik Hadiyan Nik Azman
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Dynamic Panel ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Dynamic Panel Estimator

PurposeThe continuous and rapid growth of remittances has become one of the sources of income for millions of poor families in developing countries. As such, an increase of remittance flow can have a significant impact on the ability of the household not only to get enough food but also to get nutritious foods. Therefore, this study investigates the implication of remittances on food security (FS) in 51 developing countries from 2011–2016.Design/methodology/approachA dynamic panel estimator is applied to examine remittances and FS nexus.FindingsBy using the dynamic panel estimator, the results indicate that the level of food supply tends to be higher in countries with a higher flow of remittances. This study justifies the need for high income as well as high middle-income countries to be more open and receptive to migration as this could indirectly the mean through which host countries can assist economic development in low-income developing countries.Originality/valueGiven the diverse measure of FS, past studies demonstrated a positive association between remittance and FS, but it may focus on only one dimension of FS. To the authors’ limited knowledge, this is not enough to know the importance of remittance in determining the overall FS status. Hence, this study wishes to extend the literature by using a more comprehensive measure of FS and more countries in the sample.

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