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Much of existing research has attempted to explain Asian Growth Paradox through formal institution – role of the government or rule of law. Therefore, this paper attempts to empirically explain the paradox with informal institution including interaction between informal and formal institutions. Two interrelated research questions summarize this research. First, how can we capture the relationship between informal and formal institutions? Then, how is that relationship different for Asian Paradox states vs non-paradox states?

To capture the relationship between informal and formal institutions, we use Helmke and Levitsky (2004)'s framework to categorize the interaction as complementing, competing, substituting and accommodating. We perform cross-sectional regression analysis for more than 130 countries.

We find that the developed, developing and the Asian Paradox states display different patterns of interaction between informal and formal institutions. However, we also find that the interaction effect has a limited value explaining growth for most of these countries, suggesting that Helmke and Levitsky (2004)'s framework has limitations. Finally, we challenge the notion of Asian Paradox states, as countries outside of Asia also qualify as the Paradox states.

Not much empirical effort has examined how different relationships between informal and formal institutions can explain growth internationally across countries. We show that different institutional patterns explain growth across the Paradox states and non-Paradox states.

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).

The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.

This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.

This study aims to offer an up-to-date estimate of capital flight from selected emerging Asian economies and examine the anti-growth phenomenon of capital flight by using annual data for the period 1981–2019.

The study relies on residual methods to derive the estimate of capital flight with necessary adjustments. It then applies the autoregressive distributed lag Bounds testing approach in examining the impact of capital flight on the economic growth of Asian emerging economies.

The study identifies capital flight as the attributor to the slower economic growth of the selected emerging economies of Asia.

Apart from appropriate policies addressing the issues causing capital flight, unleashing the way of private sector-led growth of the emerging countries with necessary policy, infrastructural, institutional and regulatory support can rather help them retain and repatriate domestic capital.

The capital flight estimates in earlier studies are antithetical as they differ in terms of definition and estimation procedure. Again, the growth effect of capital flight in these economies has received meager attention in research and policy debates. Furthermore, being country-specific or region-specific, existing studies are unable to compare the growth effect of capital flight for different emerging economies in this region. Examining the growth effects for a large number of countries separately based on a common estimate of capital flight can resolve these issues that this study aims to do.

This study aims to extend Bowman's risk–return paradox to Asian emerging markets and explain its causes under the prospect theory.

The study is conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 4,609 firms across nine Asian emerging countries. The two stage least squares (2SLS) estimation technique is used to evaluate the three objectives of the study, i.e. Bowman's risk–return paradox, significance of firm-specific risk and prospect theory explanation of Bowman's paradox.

The authors challenge the two basic financial economics arguments that higher risk is rewarded with higher return, and firm-specific risk is diversifiable. The empirical findings confirm the negative impact of firm-specific and systematic risk on firm return, thus, corroborates the Bowman's explanation of risk–return trade-off. However, the authors did not find empirical evidence to support prospect theory's explanations of Bowman’s paradox in Asian emerging markets.

A holistic approach is adopted to analyze the various aspects of Bowman's paradox and its causes for the same time period, variables and sample. The authors also rectified several methodological limitations observed in previous studies, i.e. the use of same proxies for firm return and risk, endogeneity and survivorship issues. Furthermore, the findings of this study will enable managers to formulate critical viewpoint on firm-specific risk and systematic risk and take informed strategic decisions regarding optimum utilization of their firm's key resources in Asian emerging markets.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

The purpose of this paper (editorial) is to provide a balanced contextual overview of several South Asian countries, in order to present their relevance in international business research.

The author argues that South Asia offers a rich context for studying and advancing international business theory and practice.

South Asia presents an interesting paradox; where dynamism and growing challenges (of poverty, corruption, inadequate governance and extremism) exist side by side. The author also discusses that using South Asia as a context of the study is likely to add relevance and rigor to international business theory, therefore addressing the recent calls by many scholars.

Countries in South Asia are under‐researched by many accounts. Hence an exploration of business and management issues is likely to expose phenomena that have the potential to advance international business theory and practice.

This editorial highlights the regional importance of South Asia in international business research. It places South Asian Journal of Global Business Research, with its emphasis on South Asian economies, organizations, diaspora and people, as an important journal for developing a body of knowledge relating to South Asian business practices, deepening our understanding of South Asia, broadening our view of international business theory and research, identifying new phenomena, exploring indigenous methodological tools and increasing the output of research focused on the region that appears in and also has an impact on global research.

This paper aims to distill from both the Asian “miracle” and the “meltdown” since the Asian crisis, a generic East Asian business model which is changing in the context of globalisation, information communication technology, knowledge‐based economy, deregulation and emerging new competition.

The generic business model considers the creative and innovative nature of intellectual capital in a qualitative macroeconomic development model rather than a quantitative or econometric micro‐level business modeling for the firm or industry. Diverse and heterogeneous both within the whole of East Asia and distinguished as Northeast and Southeast Asia, the putative generic business model is further differentiated in terms of customised idiosyncratic models in more mature Northeast developmental states in Japan, Korea and Taiwan contrasted with Southeast “captured” developmental states as in Indonesia and Malaysia entrapped by ethnic politics.

City‐states Hong Kong and Singapore are exceptional because of their size and resultant globalised states. To each its own may be the conclusion in terms of customised national systems and models, but East Asian ethical and moral dimensions of integrity may generally offer a version moral capitalism of which is suited to global capitalism not of the brute Darwinist kind. In the final analysis, East Asia is increasingly exposed to the global marketplace, competition and globalisation backlash, such that some common denominator comes from DFI and MNCs from multicultural political economy dimensions.

The paper presents a putative East Asian business models.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the evolution of Chinese business ethics over time and how it impacts business. While much research attention has been directed toward China and its various industries, the Chinese diamond industry has been largely neglected. This industry is the second in size and fastest growing globally. It is interesting to examine its evolution over time and how external factors affect the firms’ business ethics behavior.

Exploratory field work involving the interview of major players was undertaken, complemented by extensive desk work, was used to create a base for future in-depth research of the secretive Chinese diamond industry.

A paradox was identified in the Chinese diamond industry, namely, that while Chinese businesses tend to follow a relational governance model, China’s diamond industry tends to use rational mechanisms of governance and exchange, a paradox that is explained by mitigating factors.

Future studies should use a quantitative questionnaire with a larger set of Chinese diamond firms to further examine the paradox found. Future studies could also examine whether the transformation from a system based on social networks to a system based on market forces as found in the Chinese diamond industry is an indicator of an ethical and business evolution of the whole Chinese industry. This may illustrate the rationalization of the Chinese economy and its progression toward Western models of exchange as it further opens up to the West.

This paper is a pioneering work on the business ethics and strategy implemented by firms in the Chinese diamond industry.