COVID-19 fallout will jolt Bangladesh’s ruling party

Subject Bangladesh's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Significance The Awami League (AL) government on May 31 lifted a nationwide lockdown, which it imposed on March 26 as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Before the onset of the pandemic crisis, Bangladesh was one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and the AL’s dominance of politics appeared unchallengeable. Impacts The AL will step up pressure on journalists and activists who are critical of the government. As the economic downturn leads to thousands of garment workers losing their jobs, there will likely be a rise in anti-government protests. Bangladesh will probably miss its target of graduating from the UN’s list of Least Developed Countries by 2024.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4902
Author(s):  
Zia Ullah ◽  
Rana Tahir Naveed ◽  
Atta Ur Rehman ◽  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
Miklas Scholz ◽  
...  

The literature on sustainable tourism is scant, particularly in the least developed countries. Very few studies touch upon the concept and no holistic theoretical or conceptual frameworks around the idea of sustainable tourism have been formulated. This study aims at exploring the role of tour operators in developing sustainable tourism in Pakistan and how the tour operators (TOs) conceive their role in this regard. TOs were reached through phone calls, emails, and virtual sources as face-to-face interviews were not possible due to COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel by the government. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather data. Results suggest that the TOs although realize the importance of social, environmental, and economic dimensions of tourism on the communities but have no management systems in place to cater accordingly. There are no incentives in place by the government facilitate TOs to design and implement such systems. The TOs do not select a destination based on Global Sustainable Tourism Council criterion, but rather the selection of destination is mostly demand-based and profit-oriented. The study suggests that corporate profit motive is the sole criterion for decision making and is one of the major causes impeding sustainable tourism in Pakistan. The role of TOs in developing sustainable tourism is vague as the TOs do not have any systems in place to implement sustainable models. The study recommends that efforts need to be put in place to incentivize sustainable tourism in Pakistan and proper laws should be set forth by the authorities to comply by the TOs. The role of TOs is important and understood, however, there is a need to put proper systems in place.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Lei ◽  
Jianming Liu ◽  
Wu Li

Purpose Hospital information system (HIS) can be examined as a vital factor for developing the quality of health care and cost managing. There exists abundant literature on HISs, but implementation-based literature of HIS is rare, typically about progressive countries. However, a study that can comprehensively review published articles is scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the systematic and comprehensive study of HIS in developed countries. Together, the benefits and harms relevant to HIS’s different mechanisms have been considered, and the fundamental challenges of them are addressed to design more efficient HIS in the future. Design/methodology/approach HIS has been used globally for numerous years and is now being used in a wide area. HIS is broadly used in clinical settings. Information technology (IT) and information system have been suggested as a required piece to solve the health-care-related issues. Hence, to improve HIS’s ability, this paper conducted a review method concentratating on research related to HIS until 2019. A total of 21 papers were recognized and examined as principal research for the summary. Findings The authors found that HIS can help in reduction of medical mistakes, enhancement doctors’ performance and increase in the quality of the care provided. HIS management can be used to provide better health-care services. Therefore, HIS must be sensible and use clear structures. The authors conclude that, generally, with an increase in awareness, acceptability and the need for HIS worldwide, there will be more strategies and approaches available. Research limitations/implications First, this paper provides an outline of the status of HIS. Second, it identifies some distinct research gaps that could be worth studying. Some flawless work may be removed because of applying some filters to select the original articles. Surveying all the papers on the topic of HIS is impossible, too. Practical implications Design and sustainability of HIS is still a big issue for most developing countries, despite its wide usage in the developed countries. The technology is changing rapidly, so the field should be reviewed regularly. This paper suggests a suitable framework that will guide HIS in the local conditions of developing countries. Social implications The government will be assisted by the suggested solving ways in its performance and design of electronic health-care projects. Originality/value The study brings the viewpoints on the state of HIS mechanisms in developing countries. The paper’s results can offer visions into future research requirements. By providing comparative information and analyzing the current growths in this area, this study will support researchers and professionals to understand the progress in HIS mechanisms better.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nsubili Isaga

Purpose Research on women-owned business is more extensive in developed countries than in developing countries and such one cannot compare the results. This paper aims to examine the motives of women in Tanzania (a less developed country) to start their own businesses and the challenges they faced in running their businesses. Design/methodology/approach Based on 400 response to a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview with 20 female entrepreneurs. Subsequently, descriptive and factors analysis were performed to analyze the data Findings Based on survey responses, the primary reason for starting a business was to create employment for the woman herself. Other motives include supplementing income and enabling women to be able to do the kind of work they wanted to do. According to the factor analysis, female entrepreneurs are driven more by push factors than pull factors. The most serious problems faced by female entrepreneurs are lack of access to finance, gender-related problems and social and cultural commitments. Research limitations/implications The sample was selected from urban areas of only three regions, out of 26 regions in Tanzania. Researchers may extend the study to other regions; also, the non-probability sampling method used in this study essentially means that there is a limitation to the extent to which the research findings can be generalized to the rest of the population of female entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Practical implications Policy makers, financial institutions and all organization that have a stake on development on female entrepreneurs in Tanzania should design policies and programs that encourage and promote the creation and growth of businesses. Collective efforts from the government, public and private institutions and NGOs are needed to eliminate the challenges, especially gender-related problems. Practical implications By studying female owner-managers’ motivations and constraints, the author suggests that to a greater extent, gender-related problems, social and cultural commitments and access to finance and networks are the constraints faced by female entrepreneurs. Originality/value The research on female entrepreneurs in the context of Tanzania is scarce, this study responds to a need of better understanding women motivations and constraints. By studying these factors, this study shows that startup motives and constraints faced by female entrepreneurs are unique to different contexts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 434-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena

Purpose With the ongoing drives towards Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives across the globe, governments have been keen on pursuing their OGD policies to ensure transparency, collaboration and efficiency in administration. As a developing country, India has recently adopted the OGD policy (www.data.gov.in); however, the percolation of this policy in the States has remained slow. This paper aims to underpin the “asymmetry” in OGD framework as far as the Indian States are concerned. Besides, the study also assesses the contribution of “Open Citizens” in furthering the OGD initiatives of the country. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative following a case study approach informs the present study using documentary analysis where evidentiary support from five Indian States (Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Sikkim and Gujarat) is being drawn to assess the nature and scope of the OGD framework. Further, conceptualization for “Open Citizen” framework is provided to emphasize upon the need to have aware, informed and pro-active citizens to spearhead the OGD initiatives in the country. Findings While the National OGD portal has a substantial number of data sets across different sectors, the States are lagging behind in the adoption and implementation of OGD policies, and while Telangana and Sikkim have been the frontrunners in adoption of OGD policies in a rudimentary manner, others are yet to catch up with them. Further, there is “asymmetry” in terms of the individual contribution of the government bodies to the open data sets where some government bodies are more reluctant to share their datasets than the others. Practical implications It is the conclusion of the study that governments need to institutionalize the OGD framework in the country, and all the States should appreciate the requirement of adopting a robust OGD policy for furthering transparency, collaboration and efficiency in administration. Social implications As an “Open Citizen”, it behooves upon the citizens to be pro-active and contribute towards the open data sets which would go a long way in deriving social and economic value out of these data sets. Originality/value While there are many studies on OGD in the West, studies focused upon the developing countries are starkly lacking. This study plugs this gap by attempting a comparative analysis of the OGD frameworks across Indian States. Besides, the study has provided a conceptualization of “Open Citizen” (OGD) which may be tapped for further research in developing and developed countries to ascertain the linkage between OGD and OC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1440-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Liu ◽  
Lingling Xu ◽  
Dian Zhu ◽  
Linhai Wu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer attitudes toward and willingness to pay (WTP) for traceability of tea in China. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used the payment card method to elicit WTP for certified traceable tea and logistic regression model to analyze the factors that affected consumers’ WTP. Findings – The results revealed that most consumers in China were concerned over tea safety; however, their WTP for certified traceable tea was limited. Only income and the degree of concern over tea safety affected the consumer’s WTP for certified traceable tea greatly. When it came to consumers’ WTP a positive price premium, income level, education, and attitude toward traceability of tea significantly influenced the actual premium consumers were willing to pay. Practical implications – The Chinese government and tea producers should pay attention when implementing tea traceability system. First, raising the consumers’ income contributes to the premiums that consumers are willing to pay for certified traceable tea. Second, social groups, consumer organizations and tea producers should popularize knowledge of tea traceability. Third, given the low price premiums that consumers are willing to pay, the establishment of viable traceability of tea in China requires the producers and the government to bear some of the cost associated with the implementation of this system. Originality/value – In past studies on WTP for certified traceable food, the study is focussed on meat in developed countries, and the research has expanded range of study, by conducting a survey in China to determine consumers’ WTP for certified traceable tea, and by empirically examining the main factors that influence the willingness of consumers to pay a price premium for certified traceable tea, as well as the premium that these consumers are willing to pay.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Angulo-Ruiz ◽  
Albena Pergelova ◽  
William X. Wei

Purpose This research aims to assess variations of motivations when studying international location decisions. In particular, this study aims to assess the influence of diverse motivations – seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints – as determinants of the international location choice of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) entering least developed, emerging, and developed countries. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a set of hypotheses based on the ownership–location–internalization framework and complement it with an institutional perspective. The conceptual model posits that the different internationalization motivations (seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints) will impact the location choice of EM MNEs in developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries. This study uses the 2013 survey data collected by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The final sample of analysis of this research includes 693 observations. Findings After controlling for several variables, two-stage Heckman regressions show there is a variation of motivations when EM MNEs enter least developed countries, emerging markets and developed economies. EM MNEs are motivated to enter least developed countries to seek markets and resources. Conversely, those firms enter developed countries in their search for technological assets and to escape institutional constraints at home. While the present study findings show a clear difference in the motivations that lead to location choice in least developed vs developed countries, the results are not as clear for location in other emerging countries. Research limitations/implications The paper offers empirical support for the importance of motivations as crucial determinants of location choice. Originality/value This paper provides a detailed quantitative study on the internationalization location choice of EM MNEs based on their motivations. Though theoretical models underscore the importance of motivations, we know very little about how, in practice, motivations drive location choice. This study contributes to the international location choice literature a deeper understanding of how diverse motivations drive choices of expansion into developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peterson K. Ozili

PurposeThis paper analyses the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria, its effect on the economy and the structural causes that worsened the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses simple descriptive analysis to examine the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria.FindingsThe findings reveal that the economic downturn in Nigeria was triggered by a combination of declining oil price and spillovers from the COVID-19 outbreak, which not only led to a fall in the demand for oil products but also stopped economic activities from taking place when social distancing policies were enforced. The government responded to the crisis by providing financial assistance to businesses and a small number of households that were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The monetary authority adopted accommodative monetary policies and offered a targeted 3.5 trillion loan support to some sectors. These efforts should have prevented the economic crisis from occurring but it did not. Economic agents could not freely engage in economic activities for fear of contracting the COVID-19 disease that was spreading very fast at the time.Practical implicationsThe implication of the study is that policymakers should pay attention to three areas of the economy for economic and structural reform. One, policymakers should introduce economic reforms to diversify the economy and reduce Nigeria's dependence on revenue from crude oil export. Two, policymakers in Nigeria should invest in healthcare infrastructure to improve the ability of the national health system to withstand the outbreak of contagious diseases. Three, there is also a need to build appropriate digital infrastructure to facilitate the transition from “face-to-face” business activities to a “digital or online” business activities, which can help to grow the digital economy. Also, policymakers should use legislation to create a robust social welfare safety net for all citizens particularly for unemployed citizens and poor households.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that looks at the economic implication of COVID-19 in a West African country.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanti Handriana ◽  
Praptini Yulianti ◽  
Masmira Kurniawati

Purpose This study aims to extract information and analyze the antecedents of Muslims following pilgrimage tours. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics Indonesia shows that 87.18 per cent of the total population of Indonesia are Muslims. In addition to running the ruling of Islam and the pillars of Faith, Muslims also maintain the religious tourism. The form of religious tourism which is widely followed by the Muslims of Indonesia is to follow a pilgrimage to the tomb of the wali (Guardian), both wali limo and wali songo. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative approach. Data collection was done using in-depth interviews of Muslims in Indonesia who had already attended pilgrimages to wali limo and/or wali songo. Findings The tourists are satisfied and have an intention to revisit the destination, and the interest of the community to follow religious tours is very large, as well as the opportunities to do business in this sector are still wide open. Various motives and benefits of following religious tours, as well as suggestions for improvements for religious tourism destination managers, as well as advice for the government were uncovered. Thus, the results of this study are expected to provide a theoretical contribution related to marketing management in religious tourism and a practical contribution for the managers of religious tourism. Research limitations/implications Further research can be done with a quantitative approach, as well as comparative studies between pilgrimages in Indonesia (developing countries) and pilgrimages in other developing countries or in developed countries can also be conducted. Practical implications For marketing practitioners, the results of this study can be used as a consideration to continue to improve services in the field of religious tourism in the country, given the potential for development is very large. Social implications There is a contribution from this study to the development of marketing science, particularly related to marketing management on religious tourism services. Originality/value This study offers new insight regarding factors influencing Muslims pilgrimage tourism in Indonesia.


Author(s):  
Sulaiman Lujja ◽  
Mustafa Omar Mohammad ◽  
Rusni Hassan

Purpose Islamic banking (IB) has resulted in abundant cross-border financial flows and diversified economic inter-linkages with over US$2tn in assets that have extended beyond Muslim countries to more established global financial centres and other emerging economies. Despite this remarkable diffusion, numerous developing and least-developed countries are yet to embrace IB. This study aims to examine the factors that determine public intention to adopt IB in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach This study undertook a quantitative approach where the theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used as a theoretical framework and structural equation modelling technique was applied to determine the relationship between attitude, subjective norm and public intention to adopt IB. Thus, a sample of 300 bank customers was surveyed using a questionnaire. Findings Initially, the measurement model did not fit the data well. So, the model was modified by removing an indicator with a lower loading. Finally, the structural model under maximum likelihood estimate analysis confirmed a good model fit for the data. Key findings were as follows: attitude positively influenced intention to adopt IB, whereas subjective norm influence to intention is mediated by attitude. Furthermore, public intention to adopt IB in Uganda can be predicted by attitude (R2 = 0.89) which also mediates the prediction of subjective norm to intention (R2 = 0.58). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has used the TRA on the feasibility and adoption of IB. Thus, the present study is relevant in extending the theoretical body of knowledge by validating the TRA in a new field.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv Kumar ◽  
Amit Sachan ◽  
Arindam Mukherjee

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence direct and indirect adoption of e-government services in India. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model has been proposed by integrating the factors influencing adoption of e-government services from extant literature. A quantitative technique is used for the purpose of the study. Findings The study classifies e-government adoption in two types: direct adoption and indirect adoption. The study has found that there is some difference between the factors influencing direct and indirect e-government adoption. Perceived awareness, perceived usefulness, trust in internet, trust in government and social influence are found to be positively correlated to direct and indirect e-government adoption. Availability of resources, computer self-efficacy, perceived ease-of-use, perceived compatibility, multilingual option and voluntariness are positively correlated to direct e-government adoption and negatively correlated to indirect e-government adoption. Perceived image is found to be significant for direct e-government adoption but non-significant for indirect adoption. Trust in intermediary is found to be significant only for indirect e-government adoption. Research limitations/implications The sample size of 382 may not be a proper representation of a country like India, which has huge diversity and is densely populated. The study has been conducted in India, which is a developing country. The result might not be significant for developed countries. Practical implications The findings of this study provide useful insights into the decision-making process of e-government users in India and similar emerging economies. These findings can be important for government officials tasked with providing e-governance services. Originality/value Despite the digital divide, how the government is expecting its citizens to access e-government services and derive benefits and how the needy will be able to cope with the mandatory e-government services is an interesting topic to study. This leads to a new concept of indirect adoption.


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