Is China’s investment in Africa good for the Nigerian economy?

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48
Author(s):  
Joseph Nnanna

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of China’s trade agreement and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Nigeria with special reference to the manufacturing sector utilizing the following key economic performance indicators: inflation, unemployment, income and gross domestic product, to name a few. Since the turn of the millennium, China has enjoyed a substantial presence in the African continent. In fact, the country has signed bilateral agreements with Angola, South Africa and Sudan to name a few. Recently, China established its West African trade hub in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, to be strategically positioned. The results of the study revealed conclusively that although China’s investments over the years have benefited the Nigerian economy and its various firms in the manufacturing sector, the agreement signed by both countries ultimately needs to be reexamined to ensure equity. Design/methodology/approach – To thoroughly analyze the effects of China’s investments in Nigeria, this study was carried out in two phases. The first analysis of this study is anchored on a “before/after” framework based on descriptive statistical analysis of the selected economic performance indicators chosen from selected cross-national data. Accordingly, the time frame for this study runs from 1993-2012 which roughly corresponds to the era when China commenced significant investments in Nigeria. Second, employees, policymakers and individuals in the manufacturing/textile industries were interviewed. Furthermore, participation from federal as well as local government agency staff members was solicited using the Delphi technique. Findings – Empirically, the results conclusively reveal China’s dominance in the manufacturing and textile sectors in Nigeria. In other words, at face value, China’s investments are ultimately good for the Nigerian economy. However, at a micro-level analysis, the researcher examined the human factor, that is, the families of former and current employees, abandoned businesses/factories and a decaying textile industry that was once vibrant. Originality/value – To the knowledge of the researcher, this is the first study attempting to assess the impact of the rise of China on the Nigerian economy by combining key economic performance indicator in tandem with face-to-face interviews and the Delphi technique.

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naércio Aquino Menezes-Filho ◽  
José Paulo Chahad ◽  
Hélio Zylberstajn ◽  
Elaine Toldo Pazello

This paper examines, for the first time in the literature, the impact of trade unions on various performance indicators of Brazilian establishments. A unionism retrospective survey was carried out among 1,000 establishments in the manufacturing sector and its results were matched to performance indicators available from the Brazilian Industrial Surveys between 1990 and 2000. The results using the pooled data indicate that the relationship between unionism and some performance indicators, such as average wages, employment and productivity is non-linear (concave), so that a rise in unionism from low levels is associated with higher performance, but at a decreasing rate. Unions also reduce profitability. Establishments that introduced profit-sharing schemes increased their productivity and profitability overall and paid higher wages in more unionized plants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 2195-2213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Hua ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Agnes L. DeFranco ◽  
Dan Wang

PurposeThis study aims to use a sample of 2,120 individual hotel properties between 2011 and 2013 to evaluate the impact of loyalty programs on hotel operational and financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides empirical support for the impact of loyalty program based on both cross-sectional and panel data analyses and uses the instrumental variable technique to avoid potential heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation and simultaneity issues.FindingsFindings of this study show that loyalty program expenses have a significant and positive impact on all three operational performance indicators of RevPAR, ADR and Occupancy and the financial performance indicator of gross operating profit.Research limitations/implicationsThis study suggests that the benefits of loyalty programs should be understood against the backdrop of a reasonable set of controlled variables such as e-commerce, franchise, advertising, other marketing expenses, hotel size and hotel chain scales.Originality/valueGiven the conflicting viewpoints about the positive and negative impacts of loyalty programs, and that the literature is scant on empirical validation of the impact of loyalty programs on the overall operational and financial performance of hotel properties, this study is an early attempt to empirically test the impact of loyalty programs on a number of hotel operational and financial performance indicators by using an extensive list of individual hotel properties between 2011 and 2013.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-96
Author(s):  
Young-Han Kim ◽  
Eui-Hyun Ha

Purpose – Rules of origin (ROOs) are often cited as major trade barriers even after tariff barriers are removed with the formation of preferential trade agreement (PTA) as shown in a survey result that a large number South Korean firms in the textile industry give up utilizing tariff-free exports to the USA after the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) due to ROOs. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of ROOs on the equilibrium FTA regime and the welfare effects. Design/methodology/approach – The authors determine the impact of ROOs on the equilibrium FTA regime based on an oligopolistic model where there are asymmetry in production technologies of intermediate goods and the capacity of outsourcing intermediate goods. Findings – The authors demonstrate that ROOs are used as a protective trade policy against the FTA member country with an outsourcing option for technologically dominant intermediate goods. Practical implications – The non-cooperative features of ROOs found in this paper necessitates the introduction of an international coordination mechanism to avoid the prisoners’ dilemma-type implementation of ROOs. Originality/value – This paper provides a theoretical frame to analyze the protective effects of ROOs under PTAs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hosam Alden Riyadh ◽  
Laith T. Khrais ◽  
Salsabila Aisyah Alfaiza ◽  
Abdulsatar Abduljabbar Sultan

Purpose The key purpose of this research paper was to identify the association between mass collaboration and knowledge management in the context of Jordanian companies. Apart from that, this study also aims to examine the moderating effect of trust and leadership on the association between mass collaboration and knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the researcher has followed theprimary quantitative method. For data collection, the researcher has conducted a survey questionnaire, whereas the sample was based on 323 participants from the manufacturing sector of Jordan specifically for data analysis; the technique of structural equation modeling was implemented. Findings All the independent variables, including organizational structure, adoptedtechnologies in mass collaboration and collaborative learning techniques, have a significantimpact on knowledge management and leadership. Moreover, leadership was also found to be significantly moderating the association between adopted technologies in mass collaboration and knowledge management. Similarly, trust also significantly moderates the association of organizational structure and adopted technologies in mass collaboration significantly with knowledge management. Research limitations/implications All study respondents were from Jordan, which might limit the generalizability of the findings. The researchers also invited for more researchers in the incorporation of the time sequence in the proposed causal relations and in the organization level through which mass collaboration and knowledge management. Originality/value This study promises to make a valuable contribution to the existing literature, as there was a lack of evidence in the previous studies regarding the impact of mass collaboration on knowledge management within the context of Jordan.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (50) ◽  
pp. 451-478
Author(s):  
Ahmed Bouteska ◽  
Boutheina Regaieg

Purpose The current study aims to investigate the impacts of two behavioral biases, namely, loss aversion and overconfidence on the performance of US companies. First, the impact of loss aversion on the economic performance of companies was assessed. Second, the impact of overconfidence on market performance was discussed. Design/methodology/approach This study used around 6,777 quarterly observations on the population of US-insured industrial and services companies over the 2006-2016 period. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression in two panel data models were used to test the hypotheses formulated for the study. Findings It was documented that the loss-aversion bias negatively affects the economic performance of companies and this is achieved for both sectors. In contrast, the findings suggest that overconfidence positively affects market performance of industrial firms but negatively affects market performance in service firms. Further robust evidence was found that overconfidence bias seems to be dominant, and hence, investors may tend to be more overconfident rather than more loss-averse. Originality/value This research can be extended by focusing on the following question: What is the impact of the contradictory (positive and negative) effects of an investor's loss aversion and overconfidence on the US company performance in case of realization of a stock market crisis or stock market crash?


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Lin ◽  
Jiannan Wang ◽  
Yingjie Shi

PurposeThis paper explores the relationship between inventory productivity and the likelihood of venture survival and then examines how financial constraints moderate the inventory productivity–survival linkage.Design/methodology/approachAccelerated failure time (AFT) model is employed to study the link between inventory productivity and venture survival by using small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) data from Chinese Annual Survey of Industrial Firms (CASIF) database over the period 1999–2007.FindingsThe paper demonstrates a converse U-curve relation between inventory productivity and venture survival. Additionally, financial constraints as the moderator weaken the marginal effect of inventory productivity on venture survival.Practical implicationsManagers should pay more attention to the important inventory performance indicator: inventory productivity. In the context of prominent financing difficulties, managers should be rapid to adjust the competitive strategy and optimize the internal production process according to the inherent nature of risks in a friction environment, and thus generate resources that enterprises cannot raise in the financial market.Originality/valueThis study may be the first to practically investigate the role of inventory productivity on venture survival and the moderating effect of financing constraints on this relationship. It adds to abundant articles as regards the interface between operation management and venture survival by exploring how financial constraints moderate the inventory productivity–survival linkage.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Robertsone ◽  
Iveta Mezinska ◽  
Inga Lapina

Purpose The fundamentals of Lean are applicable and can be used in any industry, even non-profit and government organizations, however, there might be certain limitations due to the nature and the specifics of the industry. This study aims to explore what barriers of Lean implementation textile manufacturers might encounter. The authors consider the problem is worth to be explored for the potential to improve the effectiveness of Lean implementation in textile sector companies. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted by using qualitative content analysis with open coding of the selected literature followed by empirical research in a Latvian textile manufacturing company. Findings The presented literature review shows Lean implementation barriers and critical success factors in various industries. The findings from the case study can be divided into two groups. The first confirmed the barriers already identified in the previous research. The second identified industry specific implementation barriers that were not recognized in the related literature. Research limitations/implications The original research was limited in scope to one Latvian textile manufacturer, therefore future studies on the subject to confirm the outcome of the research are required. Originality/value There is a limited number of studies on the application of Lean in the textile and apparel industry. The literature on Lean implementation in the Latvian manufacturing sector is also limited. The results of this research may have a practical application for textile manufactures considering implementing Lean in their processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ömer Esen ◽  
Gamze Yıldız Seren

PurposeThis study aims to empirically examine the impact of gender-based inequalities in both education and employment on economic performance using the dataset of Turkey for the period 1975–2018.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs Johansen cointegration tests to analyze the existence of a long-term relation among variables. Furthermore, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) estimation methods are performed to determine the long-run coefficients.FindingsThe findings from the Johansen cointegration analysis confirm that there is a long-term cointegration relation between variables. Moreover, DOLS and FMOLS results reveal that improvements in gender equality in both education and employment have a strong and significant impact on real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the long term.Originality/valueThe authors expect that this study will make remarkable contributions to the future academic studies and policy implementation, as it examines the relation among the variables by including the school life expectancy from primary to tertiary based on the gender parity index (GPI), the gross enrollment ratio from primary to tertiary based on GPI and the ratio of female to male labor force participation (FMLFP) rate.


2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Daigneault ◽  
David R. Betters

Abstract Both artificial and living snowfences are used to protect roads from blowing and drifting snow. This article evaluates and compares the economic performance of three snowfence designs--the Wyoming and double-row slatted artificial snowfences and a three-row living snowfence. The economic analysis evaluates the snowfences by applying four economic performance indicators: total net benefits, present net value, benefit/cost ratio, and annual breakeven benefits. The study uses snow removal savings and accident reduction benefit information from a case study in the state of Wyoming. The case study results show all the designs are economically efficient when used for road protection. However, the living snowfence outperformed the other designs in three of the four economic performance indicator categories. The largest proportion of total costs of the Wyoming and living snowfence are establishment costs whereas the bulk of total cost of the double-row slatted snowfence is for maintenance. The economic performance of all the snowfences is most sensitive to changes in their useful or effective lives. The procedures and general conclusions of the study can be applied to similar cases elsewhere. West. J. Appl. For. 15(2):70-74.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1443-1472
Author(s):  
Sergio J. Chión ◽  
Vincent Charles ◽  
José Morales

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediator role that knowledge sharing plays between organisational culture, organisational structure, and technology infrastructure and process improvement in a knowledge management context in manufacturing enterprises operating in the food, beverage and textile industry. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study is conducted with a sample of 200 food, beverage and textile companies. Data are obtained by means of a survey questionnaire applied to general managers in each of the sample firms. The impact of the factors organisational culture, organisational structure and technology infrastructure on process improvement via knowledge sharing is assessed. Structural equation modelling and maximum likelihood estimation are applied to find the direction and strength of the relationships. Findings The main findings indicate the significant relationships between knowledge sharing and process improvement, between organisational culture and knowledge sharing, and between organisational structure and knowledge sharing. The relationship between technology infrastructure and knowledge sharing is found not to be significant. Research limitations/implications The findings of the present study are limited to the food, beverage and textile industry. Future research could incorporate data from other manufacturing sectors or service companies. Practical implications This study provides practical guidance for general managers who wish to implement process improvement programmes. Originality/value Several authors have noted that there are few research studies concerning the interaction between each phase of knowledge management and total quality management practices. This study is interested in knowledge sharing and its impact on process improvement in a knowledge management context.


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