Original Research Article
Jan 31, 2019
We consider functions that assign to each evaluation profile a preference system or a list of menu-dependent preferences. The rule by which such an assignment takes place is said to be a menu-dependent preference functional (MDPFL). We extend the concepts of invariance under individual cardinal transformations, weak Pareto, binary independence, weak dictatorship, and veto power from the context of social welfare functional to our framework of MDPFLs. We consider admissible sets of evaluation profiles that are slightly more general than necessarily requiring that all evaluation profiles be admissible. We introduce the concepts of nested and nested* MDPFLs. Our first result says that a nested MDPFL that is invariant under individual transformations, globally weakly Paretian, and satisfies global binary independence must be weakly dictatorial. Our second result says that a nested* MDPFL that is invariant under individual transformations, globally weakly Paretian, and satisfies global binary independence must have an individual/criterion that wields veto power.
Review Article
Jan 14, 2019
Trade policy among the G20 has emerged as one of the challenges the group faces during the last decade after the 2008 global financial crisis. This paper aims at analyzing the current trade disputes between China and the United States and the efforts the G20 has taken to settle these disputes. The fundamental questions this study attempts to answer are as follows: (1) what the US–China trade dispute means for the world trading system? (2) what the G20 can do to prevent destructive trade wars? We confront this view by critically examining a large body of evidence on the effects of trade policy on economically important outcomes. We begin with a discussion of the role of G20 in stabilizing world economy. We show the G20’s recent economic and trade development challenges and measurements of trade policy and identification of its causal effects. We present the trade balance between the United States and China. We also illustrate the efforts made by the G20 in promoting the development of China–US trade cooperation. Data were collected from different sources. Data are collected from the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO) publications, and the G20 summits’ reports. The results show that the United States has a trade deficit with China, and the global growth would be notably curtailed as investment and consumer spending fall back. The G20 should focus on supporting the WTO, being upfront about the mixed effects of trade and investment, and improving G20 measures to tackle protectionism.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.735041
Review Article
Jan 14, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
The Right to Development is a relatively new right in human rights law. Although its roots may be traced to pre-world war era, Right to Development took concrete shape with the passing of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development in 1986. Some renowned academic institutions in India are making recent efforts to make the “Right to Development” a Fundamental Human Right. Climate change poses a direct threat to human rights of people, especially in tropically situated countries of the south (including India), which are coincidentally home to a large number of vulnerable/marginalized people who are considerably poor to concern themselves with issues such as climate change. Due to mounting pressure from least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing countries (SIDSs), international community has lately shown greater interest in establishing a direct link between climate change and human rights. This interest may be a reaction to the recurrent failures in reaching a consensus in the climate change negotiations through mechanical Conference of Parties (COPs). Similar to a bottom-up approach that seems to have worked well for the Paris agreement, it was believed by experts that linking human rights to climate change would shake the conscience of the reluctant parties to act expeditiously. The importance of a human rights–based approach to climate change will be highlighted in the light of two recent developments in the climate change discourse: First, the recognition by scientists of several extreme disaster as climate change events directly violating the human rights of the vulnerable; second, the dilution of the differentiation created between developing and developed nations by the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle in the recent climate change agreements. This paper seeks to establish the efficacy of the human Right to Development (through tools such as Greenhouse Development Rights) in effectuating the third world approaches to the issue of climate change in the global south.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.735011
Original Research Article
Jan 11, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
Environmental degradation (measured, for example) by CO2 emissions has an adverse effect on public health, leading to the need for a higher level of healthcare expenditure. The level of per capita income, which has been identified as a major determinant of healthcare expenditure, is associated with environmental degradation as represented by the environmental Kuznets curve. The results presented in this study show that when a country, like Australia, falls on the declining sector of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), healthcare expenditure is negatively related to environmental degradation. Although this proposition sounds counterintuitive, it is justified theoretically and supported empirically.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.735009
Original Research Article
Jan 04, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
The concerns surrounding climate change have grown manifold in recent times. It has been observed that some developed countries have been shying away from playing their part in milestone agreements on climate change. The recent withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement of 2015 and an abysmal performance post the formalization of the Kyoto Protocol of 2002 has shifted the onus of battling this catastrophic global issue on emerging economies, especially China and India. In this context, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of India’s evolving role in addressing climate change concerns. From the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement, India has made positive and sincere strides towards the issue of global warming and climate change, embracing a number of policies and measures in its hope for a sustainable tomorrow. The article also highlights the environmental challenges faced by India in its economic development. Finally, it lists out the key recommendations that can be implemented by India for improving its environmental performance.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.738226
Case Study
Jan 04, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
The role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) for sustainable development, particularly in developing countries, has become a topic of debate among environmental, business, and economic researchers. In that context, we try to explore the compatibility and congruence of the business operations of MNEs vis-à-vis sustainable development in the developing part of the world. By using a multitheoretical framework followed with a multicase analysis concerning emerging and developing countries, we investigate how MNEs are addressing regional requirements of sustainable development where environment, local culture, and institutional mechanism are the key concerns. The adherence to evolving institutional mechanism over the years along with willful ethical steps taken by MNEs are found to be important in improving the state of affairs in the developing nations.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.735006
Review Article
Jan 03, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
Asia-Pacific is currently in charge of almost half of the worldwide carbon outflows and thus causing harm to the environment. So, in order to reduce t he carbon outflow, it is important to calculate or know the carbon dioxide emissions of Indian students perusing higher education in India and analyze the attitudes of students to reduce carbon footprint levels in the university campus. For this purpose, data were collected by conducting an online survey from 200 students pursuing higher education in a leading private university to assess individual carbon footprint per student by using the calculator developed. Findings revealed that higher awareness level of individual footprints positively impacted their behavior toward carbon footprint reduction as students are willing to avail shared services available in campus.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.eS2BadarIqbal
Special Issue
Dec 20, 2018
There has been much hue and cry across the world that “earth is dying” and we have to “save the planet,” trying to influence the policies on climate change. But most unfortunately, neither the developed nor the developing countries are really sincere to tackle the planet’s worst and most critical issue. Accordingly, the earth has been facing the chronic problems of rising temperature, increasing sea level, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. These problems have become regular features. The issue of global warming and climate change has created unprecedented challenges for nations to face and to find out solutions to these burning issues. Numerous negotiations have been taking place across the world (including the last Paris Agreement), but unfortunately, nothing concrete has come up so far, and as a result, the issues are remaining as a myth. For example, the Paris accord has been taking place for climate change policies, but on the implementation horizon, nothing has happened. The worst is the disassociation of the United States from the accord. All this speak volumes about the concern, attitude, responsiveness, and sincerity of nations toward the issue of global warming and climate change.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.734411
Original Research Article
Nov 14, 2018
Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of their decision making and (2) compared the results to two other managerial level samples of 260 managers and 445 employees. The results have implications for theory and practice. Our findings contribute the new theoretical perspectives of differences in the relationship between BPNS at work and PWB by managerial level and senior executives’ gender (“complementarity effect”). In turn, our research provides evidence for practical organizational applications such as the design and implementation of effective human resource development programs based on BPNS. Our findings further underscore the importance of senior executive psychology as a field of academic inquiry and provide directions for future research focused on further improving senior executives’ optimal functioning.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.734348
Case Study
Nov 12, 2018
Twenty years ago, Google became the first web search engine to help people find things on the Internet. Today, people use Google to help organize the infinite data found on the Internet and to find things such as logo designs, business copywriting, promotional videos, or even information on astrology. With the technological advancements of the past decade, these services are found not only at the local marketplace but also in the global marketplace — a workplace of freelancing challenges in a gig economy. The term “gig economy” is clarified in a detailed analysis of one largest freelance websites, Fiverr.com. This case study starts with valuable reviews from a variety of authors about this new economy. Fiverr is the target for analysis regarding growth of the gig economy, and with that growth, there are also opportunities for Fiverr’s competitors. This study includes a PESTLE analysis, Competitive analysis, as well as SWOT analysis of Fiverr and its competition. The results are significant, because the conclusions can better assist scholars and practitioners about how to better utilize freelance services from firms such as Fiverr, found in the gig economy.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.655595
Original Research Article
Aug 06, 2018
Globally, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have been found to significantly contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) in developing nations as well as to employment. In Kenya, the SMEs have the potential of raising many citizens to the mainstream economy. Although the SMEs contribute toward economic development as well as to employment in Kenya, their financial performance is still wanting, which is evidenced by the high collapse rate of SMEs. This research project assessed the influence of accounting outsourcing (AO) on financial performance of SMEs. The study used a descriptive design, and the number of SMEs that formed the population of study was 8605 in Thika subcounty. The sample size was therefore 368 SMEs, which were sampled using stratified and simple random sampling. The study adopted a questionnaire to collect data, and the Cronbach alpha coefficient was employed for testing of reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the collected data with the assistance of statistical packages of social science (SPSS) version 23. The relationship between influences of AO and its effect on financial performance of SMEs were established through a simple regression model. The results of this study showed a significant positive association between the explanatory variables and the financial performance of SMEs. The study concludes that influences of AO have significant influence on SMEs financial performance. The study recommended that managers and owners of SMEs should seek service from qualified accountants as this may increase the quality of financial records and may improve their SMEs financial performance.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.653192
Original Research Article
May 17, 2018
In this paper, the arbitrage opportunities in a foreign exchange market are detected using analytic hierarchy process and linear matrix inequality methods. For this purpose, first, criteria are proposed to detect the direct, triangular, quadrangular, and other types of arbitrage suspect existing in a foreign exchange market. Subsequently, the optimal arbitrage paths are given. Some simulated examples are given. A real data set is analyzed as well. Finally, a conclusion section is given.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.652725
Review Article
May 04, 2018
This research seeks to analyze the effects of the Mexican trade balance on the basis of the Mexico-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement period 2005-2017. The research question is, What are the effects of the Mexican trade balance during the period 2005-2017 in terms of Mexico-Japan Economic Association Agreement (AAEMJ)? The research method used is empirical-analytical and documentary. It is observed that the AAEMJ has strengthened the economic relationship between both countries; however, it has a trade deficit with Japan of 12 million dollars, and the growth of imports is due to establishment of Japan’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico. Mexican exports need support and development programs.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.646193
Original Research Article
Apr 30, 2018
This paper examines the impact of CITIC Securities (CITICS)’ insider trading on five state-owned banks’ stock returns in China. We first conduct a structural Vector Autoregression model together with Granger causality to investigate the response of banks’ returns to that of CITICS. Next an Exponential Generalised AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity process is employed to capture the volatilities of stock returns, and therefore investigate the response of five banks to that of CITICS. The dataset for three months after the scandal is obtained and the estimation results show some significant coupling effects do exist within stock returns of financial sector in stock market as well as within their volatilities. The core findings in this study suggest that Chinese stock prices could reflect all relevant information available from past changes in the share price as well as publicly available information. To some extent, China’s stock market is semi-strong efficiency, implying the quality of investors’ rationality and providing regulators with empirical evidence to policy-making.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.523634
Case Study
Feb 14, 2018
With recent downsizing of talented professionals and the power of globalization to provide opportunities for more underdeveloped countries, the gig economy is a source of influence in today’s generation of professionals. Online outsourcing media have shown to be valuable resources for companies who need a specific set of skills for a limited period. This case study evaluates Upwork.com, one of the leading freelance websites in the gig economy; this article provides insights on how others should evaluate the power of this new economy in terms of opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Upwork has led the pack by providing a flexible platform for freelancers worldwide, including coders, writers, and web developers, putting businesses in touch with reasonably priced workers. The study begins by exploring the attributes of the gig economy. Data collection is achieved through qualitative analysis. The application of these conclusions could increase the survival rate of new freelancers on Upwork.com and in the gig economy. The study is significant because this research widens contemporary assumptions about strategic thinking for individuals engaged in e-commerce.
