A goal programming model to study the impact of R&D expenditures on sustainability-related criteria: the case of Kazakhstan

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2497-2512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinzia Colapinto ◽  
Raja Jayaraman ◽  
Davide La Torre

PurposeMost countries face important economic, social and environmental challenges and are strongly committed to invest in research and development (R&D) activities to help support the long-run economic sustainable growth. This paper aims to extend the previous research on macro-economic growth models and introduces endogenous variables to determine the amount of investments in R&D activities.Design/methodology/approachThe model considers four different criteria and six economic sectors and aims at finding the optimal allocation of labor across different sectors. The model also endogenously determines the amount of investments in pollution abatement activities together with energy-related R&D efforts. The paper presents an application to the case of Kazakhstan, an emerging Asian country, that aims to become one of the top 30 most developed countries in the world by 2050.FindingsThe model shows the limits of the Kazakh agenda that identified too ambitious goals as the country has to go through a sociotechnical transition that involves a range of modifications in institutional structures, together with changes in user practices and the technological dimension. Kazakhstan should invest more in R&D activities able to develop sustainable energy sources to face the current electricity consumption demand and to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in the future.Originality/valueThe paper provides valuable knowledge for researchers and policy makers interested in the impact of R&D on the long-run economic sustainable growth.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-503
Author(s):  
Abiola John Asaleye ◽  
Philip O. Alege ◽  
Adedoyin Isola Lawal ◽  
Olabisi Popoola ◽  
Adeyemi A. Ogundipe

PurposeOne of the challenging factors in achieving sustainable growth is the inability of the Nigerian government to diversify the country's revenue base. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cash crop financing and agricultural performance in Nigeria.Design/methodologyFour crops were considered, namely, cotton, cocoa, groundnut and palm oil. The impact of cash crop finance shock on agricultural performance was investigated using the vector error correction model (VECM), while the long-run relationship was examined through the identification of long-run restrictions on the VECM.FindingsThe variance decomposition showed that financing shock is more sensitive to cause variation in aggregate employment than aggregate agricultural output in palm oil, while for cocoa, cotton and groundnut showed otherwise. The long-run structural equations exert a positive relationship between cash crop financing and agricultural performance, except for oil palm and cocoa financing that has a negative connection with agrarian employment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to the unavailability of data for agriculture sector capital utilisation, which was not used.Practical implicationsThese results show that long-run benefit can be maximised by appropriate funding in cotton and groundnut production to promote sustainable growth.Originality/valueThe study examines the impact of cash crop financing on agricultural performance with the aim to promote sustainable growth in Nigeria using identified VECM.


Author(s):  
Parneet Kaur Bhangu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze variations in the degree of persistence of profitability across diverse economic sectors and industry groups over the time period of 1990-2014 for a sample of top publically listed firms belonging to a selected set of developed and developing economies. Design/methodology/approach Degree of profit persistence has been estimated using Mueller’s (1990) autoregressive methodology. Firms were classified into different economic sectors and industry groups as per the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). The examination of inter-sectoral variations in profit persistence has been performed by comparing mean values of estimated short-run and long-run profit persistence parameter for all firms and between firms belonging to the developed and developing countries, respectively. Findings Firms in consumer staples, consumer discretionary and health care enjoy persistent above the norm returns, unlike firms in traditional industries, utilities and energy sectors, which are characterized by low persistence and below the norm returns. A high degree of profit persistence is observed in health care and idea- and technology-intensive sector in the developed countries; however, in the developing countries, profits persist higher in consumer discretionary and capital-intensive telecommunication services sectors. Originality/value The study provides a holistic examination of inter-sectoral variations in profit persistence of top firms in developed and developing economies using a uniform methodology and data set. It can serve as an aid to the competition commissions and anti-trust regulatory authorities to formulate policies for curtailing anti-competitive activities in certain sectors.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamil W. Senarathne ◽  
Prabhath Jayasinghe

Purpose While sustainable development policies are mostly set based on United Nations (UN) geoscheme classification, no study attempts to examine the impact of influential economic variables such as energy consumption (EC) and merchandise exports (ME) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the UN geoscheme regions. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible impact of EC and ME on CO2 emission in UN geoscheme classification regions such as Africa, America, Arab, Asia and Europe. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), Pedroni panel cointegration and panel Granger causality methodologies covering an annual panel data sampling period from 1971 to 2014. Findings The results show that there is bidirectional causality between all three variables in the European and American panel except for the non-causality from CO2 to EC in the American panel. These findings suggest possible consequences of weaker energy efficiency (even under environmental policy tightening) and strong demand for energy-intensive economic activities in those regions. Developed countries with higher environmental policy tightening (America and Europe) show significant estimates from the chosen tests supporting the Porter hypothesis. EC and ME have a long-run impact on CO2 emission in American and European panels. The African region has the least environmental impact of pollution from ME. Practical implications The ME and EC have a direct significant impact on CO2 emission in America and Europe. As these causalities, co-integrations and their impacts share a long-run equilibrium relationship, policymakers must design long-term industry policies such as cleaner production techniques focusing on environmentally sustainable practices. Also, it is suggested that the policymakers must ensure that they implement more robust policies and standards for environmental-friendly export production. Originality/value This is the first paper that examines the impact of EC and ME on CO2 emission in UN geoscheme regions. The findings of this paper provide theoretical implications supporting Porter hypothesis and practical implications for policymaking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-506
Author(s):  
Ziyan Yang

Purpose The most recent and prestigious scientific research shows that nitrogen leaching caused by over-used nitrogen fertilizer rapidly acidifies all soil types in China, revolutionizing the basic understanding of the mechanism of soil acidification. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of nitrogen on soil acidity over the long run, which is the shadow price of nitrogen. Design/methodology/approach In a discrete dynamic programming model, this paper compares the nitrogen application and soil pH between optimal nitrogen control that takes the shadow price of nitrogen into consideration and myopic nitrogen control that ignores that shadow price. Using a five-year panel experimental data on a rapeseed-rice rotation, this paper simulates and numerically solves the dynamic model. Findings Both theoretically and empirically, this paper shows that the over-use of nitrogen and the decline in soil pH are explained by ignorance of the shadow price of nitrogen. Compared with optimal nitrogen control, myopic nitrogen control applies more nitrogen in total, resulting in lower soil pH. In addition, over-use in the first season contributes to soil acidification and the carry-over effects mitigate that problem. Originality/value This paper enriches the literature by extending the study of the environmental impact of nitrogen leaching to its impact on the long-term loss in agricultural production, providing a new theoretical framework in which to study soil acidification rather than conventionally treating soil acidification as a secondary consequence of acid rain, and showing the possibility of using nitrogen control to mitigate soil acidification when lime applications are not feasible due to socio-economic constraints.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hock Tsen Wong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of real exchange rate misalignment on economy and economic sectors, namely construction, manufacturing and mining and quarrying in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe equilibrium real exchange rate and economic models are estimated using the autoregressive distributed lag approach.FindingsAn increase in productivity differential or reserve differential will lead to an appreciation of real exchange rate in the long run. An increase in positive (negative) real exchange rate misalignment will lead to an increase (decrease) in economy. An increase in long-run real exchange rate misalignment will lead to a decrease in economy. Real exchange rate misalignment or long-run real exchange rate misalignment can influence the manufacturing sector in Malaysia. More specifically, undervaluation will promote whereas overvaluation will hurt the manufacturing sector.Originality/valueReal exchange rate misalignment can be a policy to influence economy but may not be the best choice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-92
Author(s):  
T. I. Minina ◽  
V. V. Skalkin

Russia’s entry into the top five economies of the world depends, among other things, on the development of the financial sector, being a necessary condition for the economic growth of a developed macroeconomic and macro-financial system. The financial sector represents a system of relationships for the effective collection and distribution of economic resources, their deployment according to public demand, reducing the risk of overproduction and overheating of the economy.Therefore, the subject of the research is the financial sector of the Russian economy.The purpose of the research was to formulate an approach to alleviating the risks of increasing financial costs in the real sector of the economy by reducing the impact of endogenous risks expressed as financial asset “bubbles” using the experience of developed countries in the monetary policy.The paper analyzes a macroeconomic model applied to the financial sector. It is established that the economic growth is determined by the growth and, more important, the qualitative development of the financial sector, which leads to two phenomena: overproduction in the real sector and an increase in asset prices in the financial sector, with a debt load in both the real and financial sectors. This results in decreasing the interest rate of the mega-regulator to near-zero values. In this case, since the mechanisms of the conventional monetary policy do not work, the unconventional monetary policy is used when the mega-regulator buys out derivative financial instruments from systemically important institutions. As a conclusion, given deflationally low rates, it is proposed that the megaregulator should issue its own derivative financial instruments and place them in the financial market.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1688-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun Li ◽  
Qun Wu ◽  
Clyde W. Holsapple

Purpose – Best-value supply chains characterized by agility, adaptability, and alignment, have become a crucial strategic means for firms to create and sustain competitive advantage in today’s turbulent environment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate linkage between best-value supply chains and firms’ competitive performance. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, survey data from 76 firms is used to test the impact of the three qualities of best-value supply chains on firms’ competitive performance. In Study 2, to test if a firm’s competitive advantage can be sustained through building best-value supply chains, a long-run performance analysis is conducted, which is based on a stock portfolio of firms identified from the American Marketing Association’s annual list of “Supply Chain Top 25.” Findings – The results of Study 1 indicate that the three qualities of best-value supply chains are positively related to firms’ competitive performance. The results of Study 2 show that firms having best-value supply chains generate significant and positive abnormal returns for shareholders over time. Originality/value – This is a multiple-method research, providing two-level empirical evidence to the investigation of theoretical linkage between best-value supply chains and firms’ competitive performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1069-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Petit

This study investigates the impact of the international openness in tourism services trade on wage inequality between highly skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers in the tourism industry. The sample covers 10 developed countries and expands over 15 years. A cointegrated panel data model and an error correction model were used to distinguish between the short- and long-run effects. The results are compared to those of openness of business services and manufactured goods. The findings point out that tourism increases wage inequality at the expense of the least skilled workers in the long run and the short run.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalin Ionita ◽  
Elena Dinu

PurposeThe present study investigates the connection between company investments in intellectual capital (IC) and how they translate into financial value. The aim is to test the impact of intangible assets on the firm value and its sustainable growth.Design/methodology/approachThe research employs computation models to determine the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and the firm value (FV), and by using the ordinary least squares (OLS) model through a linear regression assesses the relationship between the dependent variables and expenditures on intangibles like R&D, IT programs and patents. A sample of 42 companies has been selected out of the 78 listed at Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE), based on the appropriateness of the information disclosed in the financial reports for the period 2016–2019.FindingsThe results show that intangibles classified as innovative competences (R&D and Patents) do not have a positive impact on SGR and FV in listed companies from Romania. Moreover, R&D has a negative and significant effect on FV, while IT Programs have a positive and significant impact on FV, but not on the SGR. Variables categorised as economic competencies (Brands, Shares held in associates and jointly controlled entities) and firm structure-specific variables (Leverage, Firm Performance) seem to have a significant effect on SGR and FV. Shares held in associates and jointly controlled entities is the variable that can have the biggest impact when it comes to FV for companies listed at BSE.Research limitations/implicationsDue to non-disclosure of specific information by some companies, or lack of investments in intangibles the sample had to be reduced and does not cover all listed companies.Practical implicationsCompanies listed on the Regulated Market from the Bucharest Stock Exchange should maintain their scale of liabilities at a reasonable level when financing intangible assets in order to ensure corporate long-term and sustainable development. Also, these companies should maintain awareness about the importance of intangible assets and invest more in specific sub-components, in order to sustain competitive advantage. Recognizing the roles of intangibles, managers need to develop strategies to invest in profitable intangibles by reasonably allocating their limited resources, in order to achieve sustainable growth and increase company success.Originality/valueStudies concerning the relation between investments in intangibles and sustainable growth rate and firm value of listed Romanian companies are very scarce. This paper reveals new research, never before undertaken, concerning expenditures on intangibles by Romanian companies and the valuation of such investments on Bucharest Stock Exchange.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-248
Author(s):  
Manogna R.L. ◽  
Aswini Kumar Mishra

Purpose The study aims to analyze the impact of Research & Development (R&D) intensity on the firm’s performance, measured by growth of sales in the emerging market like India. Innovation strategy and its outcomes for firms may be different in developing countries as compared to developed countries. Thus, a study that focuses on the emerging economy like India, with a majority of the population dependent on agriculture, is of prime importance to the firm performance in the food and agricultural manufacturing industry. For this study, the broader focus will be on one widely recognised factor which may influence the growth rate of firms, i.e. investment in innovations which is in terms of R&D expenditure. Design/methodology/approach The paper investigates the relationship between the R&D efforts and growth of firms in the Indian food and agricultural manufacturing industry during 2001–2019. To empirically test the relationship between firm’s growth (FG) and R&D investments, system generalised method of moments technique has been used, hence enabling to avoid problems related to endogeneity and simultaneity. Findings The findings reveal that investments in innovations have a positive effect on the growth of firms in the Indian food and agricultural manufacturing industry. Investment in R&D also enables the firms to reap benefits from externalities present in the industry. Further analysis reveals that younger firms grow faster when they invest in R&D. More specifically, this paper finds evidence in the case of the food and agricultural industry that import of raw materials negatively affects the FG and export intensity positively affects the growth in the case of R&D firms. Research limitations/implications This study suggests that the government should encourage the industries to invest optimally in R&D projects by providing favourable fiscal treatments and R&D subsidies which are observed to have positive effects in various developed countries. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, the current paper is the first to analyse the impact of innovation in food and agricultural industry on firm’s performance in an emerging economy context with the latest data. This paper agrees that a government initiative to increase private R&D expenditure would have favourable effects on FG as growing investments in R&D lead to further growth of the firms.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document