There has been a rise in mandatory reporting requirements, alternatively referred to as disclosures on non-financial aspects, of large businesses across countries in recent times as the perils of environmental damages and climate change become more evident. In line with this, academic attention has focused on the motivations, determinants, and impacts on shareholder value of disclosures by listed and large businesses alone, with little attention on start-ups as a category in itself. The potential in startup businesses for innovation, use of technology, job creation, and novel solutions to problems merits attention, as they remain outside the purview of mandatory reporting, which can be linked to their success rate. This paper seeks to contribute to the scant academic literature on start-ups by proposing a set of disclosures for those centred on five stakeholders. The paper reasons that the proposed disclosures could improve the success rate of start-ups, as they entail engagement with relevant stakeholders, along with encouraging beneficial business impacts on the environment/ecosystem in which the start-ups operate and draw from. India is a fertile ground for this topic since it has the third highest number of start-ups in the world and has recently made disclosures mandatory for large listed businesses.
Recent literature considers gross fixed capital formation (formally referred to as gross domestic fixed investment) to be crucial to accelerate economic growth and increase employment levels. The current body of knowledge presents conflicting empirical evidence regarding the causal pathway among domestic investment, economic growth, and employment. This research provides an empirical contribution to the present discourse by analysing the positive and negative causal linkages in the South African economy among economic growth, domestic investment, and employment, incorporating the novel aspect of the current account over the period from the first quarter of 1999 to the fourth quarter of 2019. The investigation of causal relationships employs autoregressive distributed lag estimation techniques, the bounds cointegration test, and the Toda–Yamamoto causality test. We empirically demonstrate that a significant bidirectional causality relationship exists between real GDP and employment, employment and real GDP, real GDP and total investment, total investment and real GDP, the current account and employment. Furthermore, it demonstrated that a long-run relationship exists between the variables, which is further supported by the short-run dynamic interaction.
The classical marketing management literature rests on the assumption that the marketing concept can be universally applied, with its extension celebrated as a landmark achievement in the discipline’s evolution. Yet the arts and theatre domain resists such an approach, with auteur (director-led) theatre in particular, rejecting the framing of performance as a product. This article identifies and systematizes three clusters of structural factors that impede the consolidation of cultural marketing as a distinct academic field in theatre practice. Drawing on empirical data, it further examines audience motivations to develop a comprehensive model of determinants influencing theatre attendance. The analysis ultimately culminates in a theoretical framework proposal that seeks to reconcile structural challenges with audience behaviour, thereby advancing cultural marketing research in the performing arts.
The mobility sector, a fundamental component of contemporary socioeconomic systems, is a predominant source of anthropogenic emissions. The technological development of the last decades has brought new vehicles, infrastructure, decision-making processes, and a deeper understanding of mobility. In addition to the expanded technical possibilities, the role of economic instruments in managing sustainable mobility is increasing. Our research takes stock of the economic instruments related to road mobility based on the literature analysis. Based on the National Environmental Protection Programme framework, we evaluated the instruments against the relevant objectives of the Transport and Environmental Strategy. Finally, we present which parties involved are the adoption decision-makers and who are the application decision-makers for each device.
The current study aims to investigate the impact of shareholding pattern on the performance of firms under the S&P BSE 30 Index through panel data regression analysis. The study reveals a positive association between promoter holdings and firm performance, following the alignment effect. Additionally, the results also indicated that both FIIs (Foreign Institutional Investors) and DIIs (Domestic Institutional Investors) positively influence firm performance. This suggests that FIIs and DIIs are responsible shareholders who actively monitor firm performance supporting the global advantage as well as the hometown hypothesis.
In this study, we examine the nexus between integration of knowledge and organizational performance in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry in Nigeria. A survey research design with a combination of multistage, stratified, and proportional sampling techniques was employed. Regression analysis was employed on a sample of 759 employees of the selected firms from a population of 21,490, and empirical findings provide evidence that knowledge integration shows a positive and significant effect on firm performance in the investigated fast-moving consumer goods firms in Nigeria. In addition, knowledge integration plays an important role in the performance of fast-moving consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The paper therefore concludes that knowledge integration is an important factor determining the organizational performance of the FMCG industry in Nigeria. Finally, the study recommended that the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry should employ knowledge integration towards enhancement in performance.
The goal of this study is to understand how financial literacy (FL) mediates the relationship between women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and green microfinance (GMF). The study defines women’s economic empowerment as the explanatory, financial literacy as the mediator, and green microfinance as the outcome variable by using a conceptual framework. The data for the study has been collected in the second quarter of 2024 using both Google forms and offline survey method, from 500 working women in North India. To analyse the direct and indirect relationship, Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used in the study. The study emphasizes how crucial locally relevant financial literacy is to advancing women’s empowerment in community development settings. The study provides valuable insight to stakeholders by emphasizing sustainable development and financial inclusion and also by highlighting how genderspecific programmes with pro-literacy policies are necessary to improve sustainability in green microfinance initiatives.
The nonexistence of efficient intermediate technologies that are more advanced than the traditional tools is posing a greater obstacle to development in Nigeria. Therefore, the effect of intermediate technology on sustainable development in Nigeria is explored, using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique of analysis on data collected between 1981 and 2023 from World Bank and Central Bank of Nigeria. The study findings reveal long- and shortrun relationships between the variables of the study, while the Error Correction Model (ECM) result indicates that the concomitant quick change of the variables to long-run stability after temporary instability is corrected by about 195.3% every year. Consequently, it is essential to design a suitable intermediate device as an alternative and practical solution to unemployment and poverty problems in Nigeria. The paper recommended that given the low level of capacity utilization experienced in Nigeria, designing appropriate intermediate technology that can add value to manufacturing and creates more employment is paramount.
This study examines the index tracking problem using constrained optimization with sector weight and turnover constraints. We implement a mixed-integer quadratic programming (MIQP) model using the Gurobi framework. Our goal is to construct concentrated portfolios that replicate the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 100 performance. The approach employs a rolling window methodology with in-sample optimization and out-of-sample validation periods to assess performance across varying market conditions. The analysis evaluates constraint combination effects on tracking accuracy, portfolio stability, and computational requirements for 10- and 20-stock portfolios. Results demonstrate that constraints improve index alignment and portfolio stability, while enabling substantial computational efficiency gains primarily through solution space reduction.
Since its launch in 1991, the EU’s LEADER programme has been hailed as a successful model of bottom-up rural development, relying on social networks and decentralized decision making. This study analyses the operation of LEADER programmes in the Local Action Groups (LAGs) of Harghita County, Romania, from the perspective of mayors and administrative capacity. Based on questionnaires and interviews, the research identifies an overly bureaucratic and resource-limited administrative system that restricts programme efficiency. The findings also show that the LEADER framework offers valuable opportunities for small localities and councils to familiarize themselves with the application process and to compensate for their limited administrative capacity and lack of information. The novelty of the article lies in highlighting that administrative capacity within the mayor’s offices is a key factor in the functioning of LEADER programmes. It also points out that in a framework that is not necessarily bottom-up, proper alignment with the National Strategic Development Plan is crucial; otherwise, the needs formulated at the local level cannot be effectively implemented.
This paper analyses inequality in India by considering religion, caste, and region, using consumption data from successive rounds of the National Sample Survey. Gini coefficients are estimated for Hindus, Muslims, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes at both national and state levels. The findings show that Hindus experience persistently higher inequality, while Muslims, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes tend to be more homogeneous. Although inequality declined slightly during a decade marked by economic growth and welfare expansion, pronounced disparities remain across states. Southern and western states display relatively high inequality, whereas Bihar, Assam, and much of the Northeast show lower and more stable patterns. Differences between religious groups shift depending on local social and economic structures. Results highlight India’s multidimensional inequality and emphasize the need for policies that integrate growth with identity-sensitive, region-specific approaches to address persistent distributional divides.
The systematic assessment of academic institutions is necessary in order to assure the achievement of their set objectives by proper utilization of the limited resources. Thus, the current paper focused on examining the efficiency of academic departments. The study has been conducted for a period of ten years. Efficiency scores of the departments have been examined through the application of CCR (Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes) and BCC (Bankar, Charnes, and Cooper) model of data envelopment analysis.In addition to efficiency evaluation, the factors affecting efficiency have also been analysed by applying Tobit regression analysis, which helps in improving the effectiveness of departments by focusing on significant variables impacting the efficiency. It provides a guide for policy and managerial decision making.
This study explores the interactive role of agricultural output price in the agricultural productivity and industrial output nexus. The data used are on sub-Saharan African countries as listed in the World Bank database of the World Development Indicators and Food and Agriculture Organization from 1995 to 2022. The results from the system-generalized method of moments estimation demonstrate that the agricultural output price increases the effect of agricultural productivity on industrial output. This result then shows that with a better agricultural output price, there will be a significant positive effect of agricultural productivity on the industrial output in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, the study advocates the adoption of a counterbalanced agricultural output price policy in the form of subsidy through minimum price guarantee and government direct purchase to make the price stable and attractive for the teeming population and investors while also ensuring the affordability of the output for consumers across all income groups in the region.
This study examines the causal relationship between private investment and economic growth in South Africa using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test for cointegration and data from 1980 to 2022. The study incorporated other macroeconomic determinants of private investment in the model, such as public investment and financial development, to create a multivariate Granger causality model. The results indicate that in the long and short run there is bidirectional causality between private investment and economic growth. It is also found that there is unidirectional causality from public investment to private investment in the long run. However, there is bidirectional causality between public investment to private investment, while there is unidirectional causality from private investment to financial development in the short run. Based on these results, the study concludes that economic growth and public investment promote private investment in South Africa.
In recent decades, Nigeria has emerged as a rapidly growing economy, while at the same time it faces pressing environmental concerns, particularly regarding rising carbon emissions. Although factors like foreign aid and energy usage contribute to economic prosperity, they just as well lead to increases in carbon emissions, causing concern about environmental degradation. This study investigates the complex links between foreign aid, energy usage, economic growth, and carbon emissions in Nigeria from 1990 to 2021. The autoregressive distributed lag analysis revealed mixed findings about how different economic elements relate to carbon emissions. While foreign aid, gross domestic product (GDP), and trade openness correlated positively but insignificantly, energy usage had an insignificant negative association with carbon emissions. Notably, financial development and remittances showed statistically significant inverse relationships with carbon emissions in the long run, and the speed of adjustment proved to be negative and significant in the short run. This research recommends policymakers to cut carbon dioxide while also acknowledging that the underlying dynamics are complicated.
This paper examines the asymmetric unemployment–output nexus employing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model.Cyclical components of unemployment and real output are estimated from annual data covering 1994–2019, using the Hodrick–Prescott and the Corbae–Ouliaris detrending techniques. Controlling for structural change effects, we find a statistically significant asymmetric cyclical unemployment–cyclical output relationship in the long run and the short run in the Free State province (South Africa), regardless of the detrending method used. Specifically, empirical results show that a one-percent increase in cyclical output can reduce cyclical unemployment between 0.70 and 0.87 percentage points, albeit conditioned on sustained economic growth. Also, the significant long-run coefficients of cyclical output reveal that an economic upturn between 1.88 and 2.03 percent would reduce unemployment by one percent. Based on our findings, proactive implementation of macro-fiscal policies consisting of demand-and-supply-side interventions is required to spur economic growth and lower the prevailing high unemployment rate in the province.
Safety-specific transformational leadership (SSTL) is crucial in public railway transport due to the higher occupational hazards. This paper tests the direct relationship between SSTL and safety citizenship behaviour (SCB) dimensions, such as civic virtue, helping, stewardship, voice, initiating safety-related changes, and whistleblowing. The study was conducted with employees of a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Railway Service Company, and the data were analysed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4.0.8.3. Results show significant positive relationships between SSTL and the civic virtue, stewardship, voice, and whistleblowing dimensions of SCBs. Safety consciousness significantly moderated the relationship between SSTL and both initiating safety-related changes and stewardship. The study discusses various theoretical and practical implications for public transportation.
This study examined the influence of biopsychosocial indicators (personality type A\B, self-esteem and sensation seeking) on the financial risk tolerance of individual investors and the mediating effect of financial literacy. The present study used structured questionnaire to collect the data from 586 Indian retail investors and adopted the convenience sampling technique followed by snowball sampling. The results revealed that personality type, self-esteem, and sensation seeking play a significant and vital role in influencing financial risk tolerance. Financial literacy partially mediates the relationship between personality type, self-esteem, and risk tolerance. However, our analysis did not find any significant mediating effect of financial literacy in the relationship between sensation seeking and financial risk tolerance. These findings highlight the significance of psychology of an investor and thus provide a unique contribution to the financial risk tolerance literature.
This study investigated the causal relationship between poverty, income inequality, and education in South Africa, using annual data from 1990 to 2020. The main objective of the study was to establish the causal relationship between the three variables to provide insight to policymakers. Two poverty proxies were used, namely household consumption expenditure and infant mortality rate. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration and error correction model (ECM)-based causality analysis, the study found the causality between poverty, income inequality, and education to vary depending on the poverty proxy used. Based on these findings, it is recommended that South Africa should continue with a three-pronged policy focus on poverty, inequality, and quality education.
In the twenty-first century, two multilateral development banks were set up at the initiative of emerging countries to promote the concept of development finance for emerging and developing countries, breaking away from the Bretton Woods institutional system based on the dominance of the US and Western states. China has played a very significant role in the establishment of both the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The New Development Bank established by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, the South African Republic) is the first multilateral development bank in the world in which the five founding countries have equal voting shares at the time of its establishment and which is truly focused on the needs of emerging and developing countries. No Western developed country has a stake in this bank. Although China is the largest shareholder in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, it has been joined by a number of advanced industrialized countries, and its operating mechanisms are similar to those of the Bretton Woods financial development institutions. Both new financial institutions will create competition for the Bretton Woods system of international development finance institutions, which has been in place since 1944, with the New Development Bank most likely to rival the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank could gain a foothold in the operational area of the Asian Development Bank, which was established in the 1960s.
