Small size blunts African sovereign wealth funds scope

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Marginal Revenue ◽  
Sovereign Wealth Funds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The One ◽  
Rich Countries

Subject African Sovereign Wealth Funds Significance Sub-Saharan African (SSA) sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are yet to live up to the promise of transforming the structure of resource-rich countries by creating significant inter-generational assets such as improved infrastructure. On the one hand, political constraints in most establishing countries have limited capitalisation of funds. On the other, low returns on investments only provide marginal revenue diversification benefits. As a result, SWFs have largely failed as a mechanism for insulating minerals exporters from lower commodity prices. Impacts With just 10% of SWF assets allocated to infrastructure, their chances of engineering a Botswana-style economic transformation are remote. Measures of overall institutional development will remain better predictors of the likely success of SWFs than fund-specific ones. A concentration of SWFs' investments in hotels and real estate will perpetuate a preference for consumption over intergenerational equity.

Subaltern mediators in the digital landscape

Target ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Iribarren
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The One ◽  
Digital Landscape

This article explores translational literary Web 2.0 practices and user-generated cultural creations on the Internet, focusing on video poetry that re-creates canonical poets’ bodies of work. It will be argued that the use of for-profit platforms like YouTube and Vimeo by indie creators and translators of video poetry favours the emergence of new translational attitudes, practices and objects that have positive but also contentious effects. One the one hand, these online mediators explore new poetic expressions and tend to make the most of the potential for dissemination of poetic heritage, providing visibility to non-hegemonic literatures. On the other hand, however, these translational digitally-born practices and creations by voluntary and subaltern mediators might reinforce the hegemonic position of large American Internet corporations at the risk of commodifying cultural capital, consolidating English as a lingua franca and perhaps, in the long run, even fostering a potentially monocultural and internationally homogeneous aesthetics.

Trade will not drive Latin America recovery this year

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economic Recovery ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Economic Nationalism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Skills

Significance These include a reorganisation of global value chains, an increase in intraregional trade in the other regions and a resurgence of economic nationalism. The report urges increased regional integration as the key to a sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery. Impacts Despite higher commodity prices, LAC’s exports are unlikely to recover their pre-pandemic level before 2022. Digital skills will become increasingly more important for LAC’s growth and how its benefits are distributed. The pandemic’s impact on tourism and the hospitality industry suggests a disproportionate effect on women’s employment.

Harris, Chomsky and the origins of transformational grammar

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-87
Author(s):  
Giorgio Graffi
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
The Other ◽  
Auxiliary System ◽  
Transformational Grammar ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The One ◽  
Working Out ◽  
Shed Light

According to Chomsky’s report of the mid 1970s, he and Harris developed their theories in an essentially independent way; whereas according to some statements by Harris, some contact actually took place between them. To shed light on this issue, it may be useful to systematically compare their respective views of the notion ‘transformation’ as well as their analyses of certain syntactic phenomena. Among the topics dealt with in the present article are: the system of syntactic categories and their symbols; the notion of ‘zero elements’; the phenomenon of discontinuous constituents; the English auxiliary system; wh-constructions; the typology of transformations; the notions of ‘kernel’ and ‘kernel sentence’. Several of these analyses show many points of contact between the two scholars (e.g., the analysis of wh-constructions or that of English auxiliaries), which allow us to maintain that they surely influenced each other. The overall differences between the two models are also clear: the transformational relation holds between sentences in Harris’s framework, while it holds between underlying strings on the one hand and actual sentences on the other in Chomsky’s. As a consequence of this different view of the notion of transformation, two problems which were fundamental for Chomsky had no importance for Harris, namely the order of transformations and the distinction between optional and obligatory transformations. It can therefore be concluded that, if the two scholars certainly influenced each other when they were working out their respective transformational theories, their theoretical views were acutely different almost from the beginning.

Toward a “reconfiguration of the material and ideal foundations” of gendered entrepreneurship?

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-272
Author(s):  
Gabriel Etogo
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Great Distance ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Differentiation ◽  
Research Outcomes ◽  
The One ◽  
Entrepreneurial Dynamics

Purpose This paper aims to analyze social sex relations by hypothesizing a reconfiguration, in a future time, of the “material and ideal foundations” of gendered entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach The approach consisted in adopting the gender approach in order to identify, on the one hand, the material and ideal elements that underlie the dominant entrepreneurial ethos; on the other hand, to question, starting from a “heuristic hypothesis”, the emergence, in a future time, of representations, behaviors and practices opposable to the dominant entrepreneurial ethos. Findings The research outcomes reveal that by investing in traditionally male bastions, women develop entrepreneurial dynamics detached from any gendered approach. This approach suggests how the representations, behaviors and practices related to the dominant entrepreneurial ethos can be modified. Originality/value At a great distance from some “naturalization of competences”, this paper deals with the modalities that contribute to overcoming the principles of gender differentiation. It proposes a theoretical framework to understand how the mobilization of the gender approach, characterized by the lack of differentiation of skills, invites, from a “heuristic hypothesis”, a questioning of the dominant entrepreneurial ethos.

Active entrepreneurs and blue-collar workers. Cultural understandings mirrored in European youth unemployment policies

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 559-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Grimmer ◽  
Jennifer Hobbins
Keyword(s):  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Blue Collar ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
European Union Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Welfare Policies ◽  
Blue Collar Workers ◽  
The One

Purpose – With a particular focus on cultural understandings and the concepts behind welfare policies, the purpose of this paper is to analyse commonalities and dissimilarities in the patterns of social policy, and more precisely youth unemployment policies, in Sweden and Germany. Design/methodology/approach – A document analysis of Swedish and German youth unemployment policies was conducted with regard to how the two welfare regimes’ policies define the underlying problem, the instruments through which this problem is tackled, and the aim of youth activation policies. Findings – The findings show congruency concerning the definitions of the problem of youth unemployment, in which the unemployed are regarded as lacking in discipline, as well as in the policies through which the problem is tackled: through conditionality and pastoral power as policy tools. The solution of the problem on the other hand, found in the notion of the ideal worker to be produced, diverges between active entrepreneurs in one country, and blue-collar workers in the other. The authors conclude that the introduction of supranational policy concepts is not a matter of mere implementation, and that concepts like activation are reinterpreted according to differing cultural ideologies and accommodated into the context of particular welfare states. Originality/value – This paper provides an innovative framework for the understanding of the influence of cultural understandings on policy making, but also on challenges facing activation governance on the one hand and European Union policy initiatives and transnational policy diffusion on the other.

Benchmarking wine tourism destinations – the case of Bulgaria

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilinka Terziyska
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black Sea Region ◽  
Wine Tourism ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Protected Designation Of Origin ◽  
The One

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold – on the one hand, to introduce a framework for benchmarking of wine regions and on the other, to analyze the activities of wineries in Bulgaria with a clear focus on tourism. Design/methodology/approach The research design includes secondary data and content analysis, which are complemented by a survey among wine cellar owners and managers in the country, including respondents from all five wine regions. Findings The paper has identified several problems that impede wine tourism development in Bulgaria, including: small number of wineries, small share of Protected Designation of Origin wines, ineffective business hours structure and small share of wineries offering additional services beyond tasting or cellar-door sales. On the other hand, wineries in Bulgaria conform to international trends in terms of providing accommodation, restaurant and SPA treatments. The survey revealed that tourism-hosting wineries consider wine tourism an important part of their activity but do not succeed in attracting a sufficient number of visitors, and the share of tourism-related revenues to their total incomes is small. Research limitations/implications The survey included all the wineries in the country; in one of the regions (the Black Sea region), however, the response rate was very low, which means that while results and conclusions are representative for the country as a whole, they might not be applicable to this specific region. Originality/value The research results refer to an emerging wine destination, which has not been the object of a comprehensive study yet. In addition, the proposed update of an existing benchmarking model reflects recent changes and trends in the wine tourism industry.

Rising African debt to backfire on unwise issuers

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Rate ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Debt Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Franc Zone ◽  
Sovereign Bonds ◽  
Management Capacity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Overseas Development Institute ◽  
Overseas Development

Significance This typifies a growing debt problem facing Sub-Saharan African (SSA) states borrowing in dollars: as local currencies depreciate on softening commodity prices, repayment costs soar -- threatening added costs of up to 10.8 billion dollars, according to the Overseas Development Institute. Impacts Currency effects on debt repayments will differ considerably between oil-producers inside the CFA franc zone and those outside, eg, Nigeria. SSA exchange rate risks posed by foreign-denominated sovereign bonds would be mitigated by future currency appreciation. Weak debt management capacity in SSA treasuries and lack of parliamentary budget offices reduces pressures that may restrain borrowing. Absent temporary consumption spikes, states are unlikely to reap lasting economic rewards where debt is used to fund recurrent expenditure.

El Nino spells multiple humanitarian crises for Africa

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Weather System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Crises ◽  
Cocoa Production ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Subject Outlook for El Nino in sub-Saharan Africa. Significance The current El Nino weather system, one of the three strongest since 1950, is causing drought in some areas and flooding in others. Past instances have resulted in significant drops in agricultural production, livestock deaths, infrastructure damage and lost income. Together with likely higher incidence of disease, similar effects could trigger humanitarian crises across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Impacts Poor sanitation infrastructure in many major SSA cities will facilitate the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera. In Southern Africa, strong institutions overseeing intra-regional water sharing will limit prospects for diplomatic disputes over water. Unusual rain and wind patterns in West Africa could curb cocoa production, creating shortages that will push up global prices. Likely lower agricultural output across SSA will compound the impact of low commodity prices on cooling GDP growth.

Prospects for Africa in the fourth quarter

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ivory Coast ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Fourth Quarter ◽  
Growth Path ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aggregate Growth ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Post War ◽  
China’S Growth ◽  
Important Milestone

Subject Prospects for Africa in the fourth quarter. Significance External headwinds facing sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies are intensifying. Uncertainty over China's growth path adds to the existing strain from lower commodity prices. The aggregate growth average is down, as the two largest economies (Nigeria and South Africa) post disappointing outlooks. Elections are due in Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso, where leaders wrestle with post-war or post-coup era settlements. Meanwhile, the delayed Nigerian cabinet will be an important milestone for gauging confidence in the new government.

Opposition split may mean more violence for Kosovo

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
United Front ◽  
The Government ◽  
The One ◽  
The Eu

Subject Kosovo's violent and fragmenting opposition. Significance Three parties which had formed a united front against the government have split into two camps. Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) is on the one side; the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Initiative for Kosovo (Nisma), which have formed a formal coalition, are on the other. The split strengthens the government's position. Impacts Further unrest will have damaging consequences for the economy, implementing the Brussels Agreement and Kosovo's passage towards the EU. The governing parties will gain from opposition disunity in any electoral contest, increasing the prospect of early elections. Kosovo's Serbs may implement the devolution aspects of the Brussels Agreement unilaterally, further exacerbating tensions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document