scholarly journals The economic consequences of crime in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliviero A. Carboni ◽  
Claudio Detotto
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Spatial Econometric ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spatial Estimation ◽  
Economic Output ◽  
Econometric Approach ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to employ provincial data to study the relationship between several crime typologies, namely murder, robbery, extortion and fraud and economic output in Italy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose a spatial econometric approach where the spatial proximity is defined by a measure of physical distance between locations, in order to take into account possible spill-over effects. Findings – The results of the spatial estimation suggest that criminal activities, namely murder and robbery, exhibit a negative impact on Italian gross domestic product while fraud and total crime do not affect economic output and that there are beneficial spill-overs from neighbouring provinces. Originality/value – The study empirically shows that only violent crimes have a crowding-out effect on economic output.

Internal control weakness and accounting conservatism in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 688-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xudong Ji ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Wen Qu
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of internal control weaknesses on accounting conservatism in Chinese listed firms. It also investigates the relationship between the demand for external audit and accounting conservatism, and whether additional assurance of internal control reports (ICRs) can mitigate the negative impact of ICWs on accounting conservatism. Design/methodology/approach An empirical research approach is taken through the use of ordinary least squares (OLS) models and hand-collected internal control weakness data from ICRs released by Chinese listed firms. Findings The results of this paper show that the existence of ICWs has a negative effect on accounting conservatism in China. Further, the results demonstrate that both accounting-related and non-accounting-related ICWs affect accounting conservatism. The authors also find that there is a complementary relationship between accounting conservatism and the demand for additional assurance of ICRs, and additional assurance of ICRs can mitigate the negative impact of ICWs on accounting conservatism. Practical Implications This study provides timely evidence to Chinese regulators of the possible economic consequences of the official implementation of internal control standard in China from 2012. The findings of this paper can also benefit regulators around the world and, in particular, the regulators in emerging markets that are considering implement regulations similar to the US SOX. Originality/value The paper demonstrates that a wider scope of ICWs, including non-accounting-related ICWs, also has a significant impact on accounting conservatism. Therefore, this research provides a more general evidence on the relationship between internal control quality and accounting conservatism.

Heuristic biases in investment decision-making and perceived market efficiency

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah ◽  
Maqsood Ahmad ◽  
Faisal Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Market Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Investment Strategy ◽  
Individual Investors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Investment ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the mechanism by which heuristics influences the investment decisions of individual investors, actively trading on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), and the perceived efficiency of the market. Most studies focus on well-developed financial markets and very little is known about investors’ behaviour in less developed financial markets or emerging markets. The present study contributes to filling this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach Investors’ heuristic biases have been measured using a questionnaire, containing numerous items, including indicators of speculators, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency variables. The sample consists of 143 investors trading on the PSX. A convenient, purposively sampling technique was used for data collection. To examine the relationship between heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency, hypotheses were tested by using correlation and regression analysis. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the relationship of heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency. The results suggest that heuristic biases (overconfidence, representativeness, availability and anchoring) have a markedly negative impact on investment decisions made by individual investors actively trading on the PSX and on perceived market efficiency. Research limitations/implications The primary limitation of the empirical review is the tiny size of the sample. A larger sample would have given more trustworthy results and could have empowered a more extensive scope of investigation. Practical implications The paper encourages investors to avoid relying on heuristics or their feelings when making investments. It provides awareness and understanding of heuristic biases in investment management, which could be very useful for decision makers and professionals in financial institutions, such as portfolio managers and traders in commercial banks, investment banks and mutual funds. This paper helps investors to select better investment tools and avoid repeating expensive errors, which occur due to heuristic biases. They can improve their performance by recognizing their biases and errors of judgment, to which we are all prone, resulting in a more efficient market. So, it is necessary to focus on a specific investment strategy to control “mental mistakes” by investors, due to heuristic biases. Originality/value The current study is the first of its kind, focusing on the link between heuristics, individual investment decisions and perceived market efficiency within the specific context of Pakistan.

Financial and social efficiency analysis of Islamic microfinance institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Fersi ◽  
Mouna Bougelbène
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Credit Risk ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Social Efficiency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Islamic Microfinance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of credit risk-taking on financial and social efficiency and examine the relationship between credit risk, capital structure and efficiency in the context of Islamic microfinance institutions (MFIs) compared to their conventional counterparts.Design/methodology/approachThe stochastic frontier approach was used to estimate the financial and social efficiency scores, in a first step. In a second step, the impact of risk-taking on efficiency was evaluated. The authors also took into account the moderating role of capital structure in this effect using the fixed and random effects generalized least squares (GLS) with a first-order autoregressive disturbance. The used dataset covers 326 conventional MFIs and 57 Islamic MFIs in six different regions of the world over the period of 2005–2015.FindingsThe overall average efficiency scores are less than 50%, where CMFIs could have produced their outputs using 48% of their actual inputs. IMFIs record the lowest financial (cost) efficiency that is equal to 28% on average. The estimation results also reveal a negative impact of nonperforming loan on financial and social efficiency. Finally, the moderating effect of leverage funding on the relationship between credit risk-taking and financial efficiency was confirmed in CMFIs. However, leverage seems to moderate the effect of risk-taking behavior on social efficiency for IMFIs.Originality/valueThis paper makes an initial attempt to evaluate the effect of risk-taking decision and its implication on efficiency and MFIs' sustainability. Besides, it takes into consideration the role played by the mode of governance through the ownership structure. In addition, this research study sheds light on the importance of the financial support for the development and sustainability of these institutions, which in return, contributes to a sustainable economic development.

Exploring relationships among ethical climate types and organizational commitment

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Japneet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Three Components

Purpose Indian banking sector is facing a number of challenges, and increasing number of corporate frauds and employee turnover are among the top list. Literature reveals that gaining insights about ethical climate may provide a possible solution and relief from the challenges being faced. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the prevalent various ethical climate types in the Indian banking industry. Furthermore, it presents interesting results by investigating the effect of five theorized ethical climate types on organizational commitment along with its three components in the banking sector. Design/methodology/approach This empirical research encompasses a descriptive research design. Sample uses 266 respondents from four prime banks of the Indian banking industry. Findings Statistical analyses unveiled that all five conceptualized ethical climate types are prevalent in the Indian banking industry. However, the perception of employees for caring climate was the highest among all others. In contrast to the results reported by Western studies, this research reveals a strong negative impact of instrumental climate on affective commitment. Furthermore, it has been seen that instrumental climate is a significant predictor for the three components of commitment (affective, continuance and normative). However, it fails to predict the overall organizational commitment construct. Likewise, opposed to findings of Western countries, law and code, rules and independent climate types have shown significant relationship and impact on organizational commitment for Indian banking sector employees. It has been found that different commitment components are predicted by a diverse mix of climate types in India. Practical implications Findings highlight varying strength of relationship and predictive ability of different ethical climate types with commitment. This helps in elucidating that managers and top executives should focus on building an ethical work environment to warrant high-level commitment among employees. Congruence between employee, manager and organizations’ perception of ethics is a pre-requisite for maintaining a long-term relationship among the parties. This study will enable understanding the role of ethical climate in reducing corporate frauds and employee turnover. Originality/value This research addresses a significant gap in literature by exploring the relationship between ethical climate and organizational commitment. The study uses data from the Indian banking industry which contributes to expanding knowledge of the relationship in the Indian context.

Landscape view, height preferences and apartment prices: evidence from major urban areas in Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andi Nidaul Hasanah ◽  
Muhammad Halley Yudhistira
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Semiparametric Regression ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Negative Externalities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Extensive List

Purpose Landscape view is a crucial factor in house-buying decisions. Landscape views provide an amenity to residents, and this can influence the house or apartment owners in their residence decisions. Yet, the relative value of different types of view potentially differs. Additionally, the value of each type of view may differ depending on an apartment’s elevation above the ground level. In this study, the authors aim to estimate the value of landscape views on apartment prices in major urban areas in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This paper evaluates to what extent various landscape views including mountain, sea, river, lake, street, urban village, garden and sports center views affect apartment prices in major urban areas in Indonesia. Two hedonic regression approaches are used: ordinary least squares and semiparametric regression. The latter is used to accommodate a possible non-linearity in the relationship between price and apartment characteristics. The model also incorporates housing and locational characteristics as control variables. Findings Using online apartment market data, the estimates in this paper show some degree of heterogeneity in the value of various views to the extent of providing negative externalities. Mountain, street and sports center views are associated with higher apartment prices. Sea, lake and garden views are statistically insignificant in explaining the prices. In contrast, the unappealing nature of the rivers and their surrounding creates a negative impact on prices. The estimates also suggest that an apartment’s floor height plays a significant role in the valuation of views. Originality/value There is little research on landscape view effects on apartment prices, especially in Indonesia. In addition, the relationship between the value of views and height preferences has seldom been analyzed. This paper provides the valuation of an extensive list of landscape views in urban areas in Indonesia. The estimation results also suggest that the value of views may differ depending on the floor on which an apartment lies.

Non-compliance behavior of de-risking force the EU to enhance anti-money laundering regulation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalle Johannes Rose
Keyword(s):  
Money Laundering ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Law And Economics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Functional Methods ◽  
Compliance Behavior ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Eu

Purpose Recent research shows that because of money-laundering risks, there has been an increase in the off-boarding of certain types of corporate clients in the financial sector. This phenomenon known as “de-risking” has been argued to have a negative impact on society, because it increases the possible risk of money laundering. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the de-risking strategy of financial institutions results in an expansion of the regulatory framework concerning anti-money laundering focusing on off-boarding of clients and, if so, is there a way to avoid further regulation by changing present behavior. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies functional methods to law and economics to achieve higher efficiency in combating money laundering. Findings In this paper, it is found that the continuing of de-risking by financial institutions because of the avoidance strategy of money-laundering risks will inevitably result in further regulatory demands regarding the off-boarding process of clients. The legal basis for the introduction of further regulatory intervention is that some of the de-risking constitutes a direct contradiction to the aim of the present regulatory framework, making the behavior non-compliant to the regulation. Originality/value There has been very little research concerning de-risking related to money laundering. The present research has focused on the effect on society and not the relationship between the financial institutions and the regulator. This paper raises an important and present problem, as the behavior of the financial institutions constitute a response from the regulator that is contradicting the thoughts behind the behavior of the financial institutions. It is found that the paper is highly relevant if an expansion of regulation is to be hindered.

The peer effect of training on farmers' pesticides application: a spatial econometric approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-505
Author(s):  
Li Zhou ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Shudong Zhou ◽  
Calum G. Turvey
Keyword(s):  
Peer Effects ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Technical Training ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Spatial Econometric ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spatial Econometric Models ◽  
Estimated Parameters ◽  
Econometric Approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of technical training and the peer effects of technical training with farmers' pesticide use behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses survey data from 300 peanut growers in Zoucheng County, Shandong, China, in 2016 and employs spatial econometric models to examine the relationships of technical training and the peer effects of technical training with farmers' pesticide use behaviors.FindingsThis paper reveals that important peer effects can be channeled through technical training and that these peer effects are sufficiently significant to encourage neighboring farmers to reduce the amount of pesticide use, to transform the structure of pesticide use, and to increase the usage amount of low-toxicity, low-residue pesticide use per hectare. The estimated parameters for the peer effects from technical training are significantly larger than those from technical training alone, which suggests that the technical training of neighboring farmers plays a greater role than technical training for farmers individually.Originality/valueThe research finds that technical training within smaller, localized, groups can induce previously unobservable spillover effects, and this provides a scientific, theoretical and empirical justification for agricultural technology extension that can lead to a rapid, effective transformation of applying new agricultural technologies in an environmentally sensitive and economically sustainable manner.

scholarly journals The human capital–economic growth nexus in SSA countries: what can strengthen the relationship?

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1143-1159
Author(s):  
Roseline Tapuwa Karambakuwa ◽  
Ronney Ncwadi ◽  
Andrew Phiri
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Econometric Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ssa Countries

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of human capital on economic growth for a selected sample of nine SSA countries between 1980 and 2014 using a panel econometric approach.Design/methodology/approachThe authors estimate a log-linearized endogenous using the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and the dynamic ordinary least squares (POLS) applied to our panel data time series.FindingsThe empirical analysis shows an insignificant effect of human capital on economic growth for our selected sample. These findings remain unchanged even after adding interactive terms to human capital, which are representatives of government spending as well as foreign direct investment. Nevertheless, the authors establish a positive and significant effect of the interactive term between urbanization and human capital on economic growth.Practical implicationsThe results emphasize the need for African policymakers to develop urbanized, “smart”, technologically driven cities within the SSA region as a platform toward strengthening the impact of human capital-economic growth relationship.Originality/valueThis study becomes the first in the literature to validate the human capital–urbanization–growth relationship for African countries.

Corporate governance and performance of medium-sized firms in Nigeria: does sustainability initiative matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-427
Author(s):  
Babatunji Samuel Adedeji ◽  
Tze San Ong ◽  
Md Uzir Hossain Uzir ◽  
Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The non-existence of the corporate governance (CG) concept for practices by non-financial medium-sized firms (MSFs) in Nigeria informed. This study aims to determine whether CG practices influence firms’ performance and whether sustainability initiative (SI) mediates the relationship between CG and MSFs’ performance in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A total of 300 firms were selected on convenience sampling basis from South Western Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. The authors used Statistical Package for Social Sciences for exploratory data analysis and hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings The results show that CG has a significant positive effect on performance [financial performance (FNP) and non-financial performance (NFP)] and SI. SI has a mixed impact on performance, e.g. a significant positive impact on NFP but insignificant negative impact on FNP. Similarly, SI has a combined mediating effect in the relationship between CG and performance, e.g. fully mediates CG → NFP and does not mediate CG → FNP. Firms are to invest in social and environmental initiatives substantially. CG codes will complement the International Financial Reporting Standards for MSFs. Research limitations/implications This study supports the assumptions of theories (institutional, stakeholder and agency) as the basis for the usage of multiple approaches to determine the outcome of hypotheses, especially in developing climes. Practical implications The study contributes to CG and performance literature by examining the mediating effects of SI. The paper also shows the necessity to emphasise NFP aspect. Policymakers should evolve CG codes to encourage stakeholders to believe more in the corporate existence of MSFs for strengthening capital-base and quality personnel engagement. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first empirical attempts showing the evidence on the relationship between CG and NFP in Nigeria.

Sexualization of the work environment and emotional exhaustion

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-573
Author(s):  
Hong T.M. Bui ◽  
Jonathan Pinto ◽  
Abhishek Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sexualization of the work environment and emotional exhaustion, and develop some key antecedents of sexualization of the work environment. It was conducted in an emerging society, India, which has a high rate of crime against women, particularly related to sexual harassment and sexual assault. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was performed. The hypotheses were tested with data from 1,098 white collar workers in India in three ways. Findings Contact with other gender and flexible work arrangements were positively associated with sexualization of the work environment; and sexualization of the work environment was positively associated with emotional exhaustion. In addition, sexualization of the work environment mediated the relationship between the two antecedent variables and emotional exhaustion. Research limitations/implications There is a possible bias arising from the use of cross-sectional data. However, a number of methods were implemented to minimize it, including survey design and data analysis. Practical implications The study offers some important suggestions for workplaces with a greater proportion of young male employees, particularly in a societal context like India. Originality/value The paper provides evidence of the negative impact of sexualization of the work environment, and thereby contributes to current understanding of the “dark side” of behavior at work that might have significant impact on society.

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