New auto regime may shake up the sector in Brazil

Subject The Brazilian auto sector. Significance Automotive production and sales have experienced a significant decline since 2014, although they have recently shown incipient signs of recovery, led by exports. Ongoing official discussions may change Brazil’s current automotive regime -- “Inovar-Auto” -- following defeat in a WTO dispute last year, replacing it with new guidelines under the plan named “Route 2030” until the end of the next decade. Impacts Developments in trade agreements with Argentina, Mexico and other main partners will directly affect the auto industry. Improved income, credit and employment conditions will be necessary to recover pre-2014 domestic auto sales levels. Increasing exports is a key short-term goal to offset negative domestic sales results.

Subject Outlook for the automotive sector. Significance The Brazilian automotive industry, one of the worst-affected sectors during the prolonged economic crisis, has been showing signs of recovery. Production and sales have experienced some improvement recently, although they remain below pre-recession levels. Production levels have been higher than domestic sales, as some output has been exported. The sector may play a key role in jump-starting the Brazilian economy. Impacts Domestic auto sales still depend on improvements in income, credit and employment conditions. New investments may be postponed by automakers if a decision is not taken on “Route 2030”. EU-Mercosur trade discussions may directly affect the Brazilian auto industry.


Subject Outlook for Ethiopia's auto sector. Significance Ethiopia boasts a small auto manufacturing sector with large ambitions. The government has designs to become the top producer of cars in Africa within 20 years. Low current exports, shortages of foreign currency and quality concerns stand in the way of this grand goal. Impacts Increased car ownership will spur the government to expand road infrastructure. South Africa's auto industry will continue to dominate the continent's production. Efforts by Kenya to increase automotive production could spur regional competition.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
İsmail Mücahit Alptekin ◽  
Ece Erdoğan ◽  
Aylin İşler ◽  
Esma Cansu Yanalak ◽  
Funda Pınar Çakiroğlu ◽  
...  

Purpose Previous studies have reported that dietary fibers such as polydextrose and maltodextrin can reduce food intake; however, the studies on the differences of this effect are insufficient. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of dietary fibers maltodextrin and polydextrose on alterations of short-term satiety, energy intake and postprandial blood glucose in healthy females. Design/methodology/approach This study was designed as a randomized, crossover and double blind research. For this purpose, 21 healthy females consumed a milkshake containing 0 g (control), 15 g polydextrose (PDX) and 15 g maltodextrin (MDX), and an ad libitum lunch meal was served 150 min later. Subjective appetite scores (hunger, satiety, prospective food consumption and desire to eat) were measured using a visual analog scale. Appetite scores and blood glucose were measured before preload and once per 15 min after milkshake consumption. Findings Visual analog scale scores showed that PDX had an improved effect on satiety and hunger feelings. Compared to the control, dietary fiber increased the Area Under Curve (AUC) scores of satiety (p < 0.001) and decreased the AUC scores of hunger (p < 0.001), prospective food consumption (p < 0.001) and desire to eat (p < 0.001). Energy intake during ad libitum meal was significantly lower in PDX (Control: 862 (54.3) Kcal versus PDX: 679 (35.4) Kcal and MDX: 780 (49.3) Kcal. Moreover, the blood glucose levels were significantly lower in MDX. Originality/value This study conducted with healthy females demonstrated that PDX was more effective in inducing satiety during subsequent food intake, and that postprandial blood glucose were within more healthy levels in MDX.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dubois ◽  
Lars-Erik Gadde ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Mattsson

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyse the evolution of the supplier base of a buying firm and the reasons behind these changes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a case study of the changes over 52 years in a sub-set of the supplier base of a firm manufacturing fork-lifts. Findings The study shows that some relationships feature substantial longevity. However, the duration of one-third of the total relationships is shorter than five years. There was considerable variation over time in the dynamics of the supplier base in terms of entries and exits of suppliers. Owing to this variation, research findings and conclusions in short-term studies are heavily dependent on the specific conditions at the time of the study. Finally, no less than one-fourth of the terminated supplier relationships were reactivated later. Research limitations/implications The study was designed in a time when purchasing was considered entirely from the perspective of the buying firm. Further studies, therefore, must increasingly emphasise the role of suppliers and the interaction in the buyer–supplier relationships, as well as the embeddedness in networks. Originality/value The findings of the study are unique in two ways. First, they are based on systematic observations over more than 50 years. Second, the study involves the purchases of 11 components representing different technical and economic features. The (few) previous studies are based on much shorter time periods and involves fewer suppliers/components. Moreover, the findings regarding re-activation of terminated relationships represent unique contributions.


Significance Many areas of the Caribbean have trade, investment and family connections with communities in Florida. As the state now plays a pivotal role in US electoral politics, crises in the region can take on added political importance for parts of Florida’s electorate. Impacts Forecasts of short-term economic recovery for Florida remain highly uncertain given the continuing impact of the pandemic. Clashing interests across the Caribbean may demand greater coordination of US policy than the government can currently offer. Healthcare and disaster relief capabilities within the state are severely overstretched and could be overwhelmed by a new crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Alan Fun-Foo Chan ◽  
Keng-Kok Tee ◽  
Thanuja Rathakrishnan ◽  
Jo Ann Ho ◽  
Siew-Imm Ng

Learning outcomes After attempting the case, users are able to: analyse issues and problems faced by a call centre in Malaysia. Determine the root causes of the problems faced by call centre employees and generate alternative solutions to solve the problems faced by the company and to ensure the sustainability of the business. Case overview/synopsis This case was about the challenges faced by Daniel, the General Manager of an integrated security protection system company, Secure First (SF). Despite investing in the latest security technologies, conducting a major overhaul of the procedures, introducing an enhanced digital system at the call centre and providing training to the call agents, it was on the verge of losing its important long-term client due to its substandard performance. The client experienced major losses due to break-ins. After a thorough investigation, the problem surfaced in their call centre. Most of the staff were not familiar with the newly adopted system. The circumstances worsened when many of the call centre’s senior employees were tendering their resignations. The case discusses the aspect of employee satisfaction, staff performance that led to the turnover issue amongst employees in a call centre. The case explores what short-term and long-term strategies could Daniel suggest to change the call centre’s course to retain SF’s key account in times of desperation. Complexity academic level This case has a moderate level of difficulty and may be used in undergraduate students. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human resource management.


Keyword(s):  

Headline INDIA: Kashmir will be very tense in the short term


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navendu Prakash ◽  
Shveta Singh ◽  
Seema Sharma

PurposeThis paper empirically examines the short-term and long-term associations between risk, capital and efficiency (R-C-E) in the Indian banking sector across 2008–2019 to answer the presence of causation or contemporaneousness in the R-C-E nexus.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on three objectives. First, the authors determine short-term causality in the risk–efficiency relationship by studying the simultaneous influence of a wide array of banking risks on DEA-based technical and cost efficiency in static and dynamic situations. Second, the authors introduce bank capital and contemporaneously determine the interplay between R-C-E using seemingly unrelated regression equation (SURE) and three-staged least squares (3SLS). Last, the authors assess stability in inter-temporal associations using Granger causality in an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) generalized method of moments (GMM) framework.FindingsThe authors contend that high capital buffers reduce insolvency risk and increase bank stability. Technically efficient banks carry lesser equity buffers, suggesting a trade-off between capital and efficiency. However, capitalization makes banks more technically efficient but not cost-efficient, implying that over-capitalization creates cost inefficiencies, which, in line with the cost skimping hypothesis, forces banks to undertake risk. Concerning causal relationships, the authors conclude that inefficiency Granger-causes insolvency and increases bank risk. Further, steady increases in capital precede technical and cost efficiency improvements. The converse also holds as more efficient banks depict temporal increases in capitalization levels.Originality/valueThe paper is perhaps the first that acknowledges the influence of the “time” perspective on the R-C-E nexus in an emerging economy and advocates that prudential regulations must focus on short-term and long-term intricacies among the triumvirate to foster a stable banking environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Khan ◽  
Muhammad Yar Khan ◽  
Abdul Qayyum Khan ◽  
Majid Jamal Khan ◽  
Zia Ur Rahman

Purpose By testing the weak form of efficient market hypothesis (EMH) this study aims to forecast the short-term stock prices of the US Dow and Jones environmental socially responsible index (SRI) and Shariah compliance index (SCI). Design/methodology/approach This study checks the validity of the weak form of EMH for both SCI and SRI prices by using different parametric and non-parametric tests, i.e. augmented Dickey-Fuller test, Philip-Perron test, runs test and variance ratio test. If the EMH is invalid, the research further forecasts short-term stock prices by applying autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model using daily price data from 2010 to 2018. Findings The research confirms that a weak form of EMH is not valid in the US SRI and SCI. The historical data can predict short-term future price movements by using technical ARIMA model. Research limitations/implications This study provides better guidance to risk-averse national and international investors to earn higher returns in the US SRI and SCI. This study can be extended to test the EMH of Islamic equity in the Middle East and North Africa region and other top Islamic indexes in the world. Originality/value This study is a new addition to the existing literature of equity investment and price forecasting by comparing and investigating the market efficiency of two interrelated US SRI and SCI.


Significance Instead he aims to create a new party. The FPI has since denied reports of mass defections by the party grassroots to Gbagbo. This comes in the context of broader public reconciliation efforts by President Alassane Ouattara, who seeks political stability in the aftermath of a highly controversial October 2020 third-term election victory. Impacts Ouattara is unlikely to grant general amnesty to all political actors in order to keep some of them outside the country. Gbagbo will likely win over most, though not all, of his former supporters within the FPI. Struggles within Gbagbo’s former party and other opposition formations will weaken the opposition in the short term. Gbagbo will consolidate his position as the main opposition leader, threatening the country’s stability in the lead-up to the 2025 election.


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