scholarly journals A MULTI-MODEL APPROACH TO ASSESS THE RELATIVE WEIGHTS AND SENSITIVITIES OF THE FACTORS OF REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahid RAHMAT ◽  
Joy SEN
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Zero Order ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
Commonality Analysis ◽  
Economic Infrastructure ◽  
Competitiveness Index ◽  
Critical Components

In order to prioritize the intervention to augment regional competitiveness, it is essential to assess the relative weights and sensitivities related to the factors of competitiveness. Improper assignment of relative weights is prominent in the case when multi-co-linearity exists among independent variables. The paper tests the suitability of multiple models for their capacity of assessing relative weights, and subsequently for forming a competitiveness index. The relative weights of critical components of economic infrastructure have been assessed with Zero-order correlation, Structure coefficient analysis, Beta coefficient analysis, Product measure analysis, Relative weight analysis, and Commonality analysis. Subsequently, regional competitiveness indices have been formed with relative weights as a linear combination. The most suitable technique to form an index has been identified through the Pearson correlation and Spearman rank correlation analyses. Multiple regression analysis assigns the relative weights and consecutively forms the regional competitiveness index, better than other applied techniques. Zero-order correlation and Structural coefficient analysis performed reasonably well. Commonality analysis is a very appropriate technique for the detailed investigation of unique and shared effects among variables. The result shows that the common effects of the critical components of the economic infrastructure are stronger than their unique effects. The sensitivity of competitiveness related to the variables has been assessed through Artificial Neural Network. Regional competitiveness is most sensitive to the variable of rural roads. The results indicate that better connectivity triggers capital and labor drain from the rural areas of the region.

scholarly journals Technical Infrastructure as an Element of Sustainable Development of Rural Regions in Małopolskie Voivodeship in Poland and Trnava Region in Slovakia

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Marcin Surówka ◽  
Łukasz Popławski ◽  
Helena Fidlerová
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Sustainable Infrastructure ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Progress ◽  
West Part

The work discusses issues of the infrastructure, its instruments, and specifics of infrastructure in Polish and Slovak rural areas. The aim of this article is to analyze the level of technical infrastructure development in rural regions of the Małopolskie Voivodeship in Poland and the west part of Slovakia—Trnava self-governing region (Trnava region) as two regions with a similar position regarding regional competitiveness index. Following the topic, after identification of strengths and weaknesses of mentioned regions, the opportunities, and threats of sustainable development of infrastructure in rural areas have been analyzed using the SWOT method. The development of sustainable, reliable, and functional infrastructure does not only refer to the chosen regions of Poland and Slovakia but also other regions in the European Union. Sustainable infrastructure is a factor stimulating social and economic progress as one of the most important determinants of sustainable development and regional competitiveness. The authors notice a particular lack in the sustainable development of infrastructure in the field of water and sewerage management together with the supply of water. Therefore, this article tries to complete the gap in research focusing on the concept of a more systematic approach to technical infrastructure improvement in the context of sustainable development, and strategy of cooperation.

scholarly journals Regional Climate Change Competitiveness—Modelling Approach

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3704
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Karman ◽  
Andrzej Miszczuk ◽  
Urszula Bronisz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Climate Change ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
The Face ◽  
Competitiveness Index ◽  
Modelling Approach

The article deals with the competitiveness of regions in the face of climate change. The aim was to present the concept of measuring the Regional Climate Change Competitiveness Index. We used a comparative and logical analysis of the concept of regional competitiveness and heuristic conceptual methods to construct the index and measurement scale. The structure of the index includes six broad sub-indexes: Basic, Natural, Efficiency, Innovation, Sectoral, Social, and 89 indicators. A practical application of the model was presented for the Mazowieckie province in Poland. This allowed the region’s performance in the context of climate change to be presented, and regional weaknesses in the process of adaptation to climate change to be identified. The conclusions of the research confirm the possibility of applying the Regional Climate Change Competitiveness Index in the economic analysis and strategic planning. The presented model constitutes one of the earliest tools for the evaluation of climate change competitiveness at a regional level.

Religious Minority Rights and their Satisfaction in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Muhammad Akram ◽  
Asim Nasar ◽  
Abid Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Religious Minorities ◽  
Muslim Majority

Abstract The study investigates the satisfaction of religious minorities in Pakistan subject to government policies and attitudes of the Muslim majority. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 120 respondents living in rural areas in Pakistan. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to measure the relatedness of essential factors of freedom of expression, opportunity in government services, security of unprotected assembly, prejudice in relationship with Muslims and welcomeness in Muslim neighbourhoods. Yeh’s Index of Satisfaction was used to measure the satisfaction level of religious minorities with government policies and attitudes of the Muslim majority. The study findings revealed that religious minorities are least satisfied with their citizenship rights in Pakistan, which poses various questions to government policies and legislation. Further, they were also least satisfied with the attitudes of the Muslim majority with whom they must interact in their everyday life.

scholarly journals MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS APPLIED AT THE SCHOOL OF THE UBERLAND-AMERICAN FIELD OF CONSUMER UNDERGROUND WATER QUALITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 833-847
Author(s):  
M. S. MEDEIROS ◽  
A. C. GOULART ◽  
I. S. PACHECO ◽  
F. A. AMARAL ◽  
S. C. CANOBRE
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Underground Water ◽  
Septic Tank ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Artesian Wells

The decrease of the water available for human consumption is directly related to the unregulated and unconscious action from the man himself. In rural areas, this depreciation is related to inappropriate conditions of artesian wells that capture the water (old wells and poorly sealed) and which are usually close to sources of pollution, such as septic tanks and animal grazing. In this context, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of underground water samples made available for consumption in three schools in the field next to the municipality of Uberlândia-MG. Methodologically, the data were statistically processed by means of descriptive and multivariate analysis (Pearson correlation coefficient). All schools are supplied by an artesian well, being carried out simplified treatment (chlorination mechanism of chemical treatment). In only one of the schools was identified the presence of a septic tank sewage collection system. Of samples evaluated, all were at odds with the standards laid down in annex XX of the Consolidation Ordinance No. 5 of the Ministry of health (old law 2,914/2011) in at least one of the parameters evaluated. Therefore, the results reflect the possibility of biological contamination of the water by grazing areas located in the region close to the wells, as well as the need for emerging measures, such as regular cleaning and maintenance of storage systems and distribution of the water consumed in the institutions.

scholarly journals Assessment of Photoplethysmography Method in Extraction of Hemoglobin Concentration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Azarnoosh ◽  
H Doostdar
Keyword(s):  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Optical Methods ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Pearson Coefficient ◽  
Signal Peak ◽  
Standard Pulse ◽  
Peak Value

Background: The importance of continuous monitoring along with rapid and accurate notification of changes in blood components such as hemoglobin concentration, especially in acute situations, encourages researchers to use non-invasive methods for measuring.Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the correlation between hemoglobin concentration and photoplethysmogram (PPG) and the possibility of measuring it by an optical method.Material and Methods: In this applied study, a PPG signal was simultaneously recorded at four different wavelengths for thirty subjects who were referred to the laboratory for a hemoglobin concentration test. After calibrating the special recording probe with a standard pulse oximeter system and applying the required preprocessing on the obtained signals, the peak-to-peak value of PPG signals was extracted. Finally, the correlation between the peak-to-peak value of the signal at a certain wavelength and hemoglobin concentration was analyzed using Spearman and Pearson correlation for determining the process of changes in the data.Results: The results demonstrated that based on the normal distribution of data at 590 nm wavelength, there is a significantly negative correlation between a function of the signal peak slope and the hemoglobin concentration, with a Pearson coefficient of -0.787 (p<0.01). In addition, the investigation of rank correlation indicated a significantly negative correlation of -0.842 (p<0.01) using Spearman correlation analysis.Conclusion: Considering the high correlation between hemoglobin concentration and PPG signal characteristics, optical methods can be used to develop a rapid, precise, clean and inexpensive method to measure hemoglobin concentration.

The Effect of Celebrity Endorsements on Consumers' Buying Behavior in South West Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 176-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Amara Aririguzoh ◽  
Emmanuel Mogaji ◽  
Odion Oscar Odiboh
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Purchase Decisions ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Celebrity Endorsements ◽  
Transfer Theory ◽  
South West ◽  
Meaning Transfer

Advertisers engage celebrities to endorse their products. This chapter hinges on the meaning transfer theory of McCracken that says that celebrity image can be transferred to items that users buy. Using the survey method, this work examined if celebrity endorsements affect buying. Copies of the questionnaire were administered on 1,516 residents drawn from urban, suburban, and rural areas of Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. The Pearson correlation found positive relationships between celebrity endorsements and buyers' decisions. The tests show that celebrity endorsements influence the purchase decisions of the residents, and these buyers' avoidance of a product is more clearly influenced by celebrity endorsements. People buy products because of the celebrities that endorsed them. However, some respondents, especially those in the rural areas, were not as influenced into buying these products as are those from the urban and sub-urban areas. It is advised that advertisers pursue other avenues to draw patronage from this area.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Family Farms and the Dairy Industry

2022 ◽  
pp. 898-916
Author(s):  
Vanessa Ratten ◽  
Leo-Paul Dana
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
International Standing ◽  
Entrepreneurial Strategies

There has been increasing recognition that for regional competitiveness in rural areas there needs to be a focus on sustainable farming initiatives especially for family farms that are competing with global conglomerates. Family farms, whilst declining in number, are the purpose of this paper studying the rural entrepreneurship in family farms as they are at the heart of rural communities and the overall agricultural industry and comprise a high percentage of total farms. This paper takes a case study approach using in-depth semi structured interviews to delve into the types of entrepreneurial strategies that are distinctive of family farms in terms of their sustainability approach to farming. Dairy farms in the West Victorian area of Australia are studied and the findings suggest that family farms can increase their regional competitiveness and international standing by focusing on their collaborative, social and sustainable entrepreneurial strategies.

scholarly journals Rank correlation between centrality metrics in complex networks: an empirical study

Open Physics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1009-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengcheng Shao ◽  
Pengshuai Cui ◽  
Peng Xun ◽  
Yuxing Peng ◽  
Xinwen Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
High Complexity ◽  
Computation Complexity ◽  
Scale Free ◽  
Centrality Metrics ◽  
Scale Free Networks ◽  
Better Than

Abstract Centrality is widely used to measure which nodes are important in a network. In recent decades, numerous metrics have been proposed with varying computation complexity. To test the idea that approximating a high-complexity metric by a low-complexity metric, researchers have studied the correlation between them. However, these works are based on Pearson correlation which is sensitive to the data distribution. Intuitively, a centrality metric is a ranking of nodes (or edges). It would be more reasonable to use rank correlation to do the measurement. In this paper, we use degree, a low-complexity metric, as the base to approximate three other metrics: closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector. We first demonstrate that rank correlation performs better than the Pearson one in scale-free networks. Then we study the correlation between centrality metrics in real networks, and find that the betweenness occupies the highest coefficient, closeness is at the middle level, and eigenvector fluctuates dramatically. At last, we evaluate the performance of using top degree nodes to approximate three other metrics in the real networks. We find that the intersection ratio of betweenness is the highest, and closeness and eigenvector follows; most often, the largest degree nodes could approximate largest betweenness and closeness nodes, but not the largest eigenvector nodes.

Investment obstacles to sustainable development and competitiveness index

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faris Alshubiri
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Significance Levels ◽  
Government Bureaucracy ◽  
Competitiveness Index ◽  
Using Data

PurposeThis paper was aimed to develop better knowledge to show how obstacles impact Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in investment business on the global competitiveness index (GCI). This study was applied to six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies to analyse and classify investment obstacles in order to improve GCI and mitigate the obstacles to doing business.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the 12 pillars of the GCI to classify six GCC countries and 15 factors of SDGs using data from 2008 to 2017. The data were collected from the International Monetary Fund and GCI reports from 2008 to 2018 on all six GCC countries: the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar. The paper adopted equations to analyse the GCI, along with 15 obstacles to doing investment business. The paper used regression and correlation tests by two proxies: obstacles to SDGs as an independent variable and the GCI as a dependent variable.FindingsThe findings of this study focussed on the best classification of the GCI, which went to Qatar, whereas the lowest rank went to Oman. The major components of obstacles to doing investment business are restrictive labour regulations, access to financing and inefficient government bureaucracy factors. These obstacles stand in the way of achieving SDGs and delay the improvement of the competitive field. Hence, the results of the regression test show that there is a negative and statistically significant impact in Oman, Kuwait and the UAE between obstacles to doing business on the GCI at the significance levels of 1% and 5%. The Pearson correlation matrix is strong between obstacles to SDGs, as the same elements of the GCI also exist in these countries, at 55.2%, 75% and 55.5%, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some limitations related to the study period being from 2008 to 2017. Before 2008, the GCI consisted of nine pillars rather than 12, and there were 14 problems rather than 15 related to doing investment business. Hence, this does not match with the period of this study. Furthermore, the reports after 2017 did not mention the problems of doing business, only analysing the GCI.Practical implicationsThe results of the study highlight the strategic and practical aspects of GCC countries diagnosing the SDGs to know how to reduce obstacles to sustainable development, which can enhance investments by improving the GCI.Originality/valueThe current study measured and evaluated how to mitigate the obstacles to SDGs in the GCC countries. It is the first study to explain these obstacles in the GCC countries, which are characterised by their huge wealth that contributes significantly to global economic development.

scholarly journals Thematic Maps of the Impact of Urbanization and Socioeconomic Factors on the Distribution of the Incidence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases in Sefrou Province, Central North of Morocco (2007–2011)

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Fatima Zahra Talbi ◽  
Nordine Nouayti ◽  
Hajar El Omari ◽  
Mohamed Najy ◽  
Khadija Lahouiti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Study ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Background. Leishmaniases are vector-borne diseases with health risks. They cause a big health problem. These parasitic diseases are transmitted by the parasite of the genus Leishmania through sandflies. Objective. The aim of this work is to study the distribution of the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases and the impact of urbanization and socioeconomic factors and their effects as leishmaniasis risk factors. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of CL cases collected at the level of Sefrou Province during the period from 2007 to 2011. The data was collected from registers of the Medical Delegation of Sefrou Province. The socioeconomic data, namely, the poverty rate, the popular density, and the type of environment (urban/rural) of Sefrou Province, were obtained from the High Commission for Planning. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS software (version 20). The data were registered in a Microsoft Excel 2010 file. Statistical analysis was based on one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and then a correlation study was carried out (Pearson correlation). The results were considered significant when p was less than 0.05. The database was analyzed by QGIS 2.18, which is open source software. Results. A total of 349 cases of CL were collected at Sefrou Province from 2007 to 2011. A percentage of 49% of the cases come from urban areas, while 51% of the cases come from rural areas. In the statistical analysis, the division of the incidence of CL cases was found to be significantly associated only with urbanization. For the other factors, the number of people or the poverty rate is not taken into account in the incidence dynamics. Conclusion. This study may be useful for the implementation of future adequate measures and controls. Getting rid of leishmaniasis requires a comprehensive approach by acting on the sources of contamination through good continuous surveillance, appropriate management, effective vector control, and awareness-raising strategies.

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