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1 – 10 of over 1000Alolote Amadi and Onaopepo Adeniyi
This paper aims to quantitively assess the resilience of residential properties to urban flooding in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and assess whether they vary at spatially aggregated…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to quantitively assess the resilience of residential properties to urban flooding in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and assess whether they vary at spatially aggregated scales relative to the level of flood exposure.
Design/methodology/approach
The study synthesizes theoretical constructs/indicators for quantifying property level resilience, as a basis for measuring resilience. Using a two-stage purposive/stratified randomized sampling approach, 407 questionnaires were sent out to residents of 25 flood-prone areas, to solicit information on the resilience constructs as indicated by the adaptation behaviors of individual households and their property attributes. A principal component analysis approach is used as a mechanism for weighting the indicators, based on which aggregated spatial-scale resilience indices were computed for the 25 sampled areas relative to their levels of flood exposure.
Findings
Area 11 located in the moderate flood zone has the lowest resilience index, while Area 20 located in the high flood zone has the highest resilience index. The resilience indices for the low, moderate and high flood zone show only minimal and statistically insignificant differences indicating maladaptation even with incremental levels of flood exposure.
Practical implications
The approach to resilience measurement exemplifies a reproducible lens through which the concept of “living with floods” can be holistically assessed at the property level while highlighting the nexus of the social and technical dimensions.
Originality/value
The study moves beyond theoretical conceptualization, to empirically quantify the complex concept of property-level flood resilience.
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Shiladitya Dey and Piyush Kumar Singh
The study aims to analyze the impact of market participation on small paddy farmers' income and consumption expenditure. The study also estimates various determinants affecting…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to analyze the impact of market participation on small paddy farmers' income and consumption expenditure. The study also estimates various determinants affecting the market participation of smallholders. Further, the study computes the efficiency of different paddy marketing channels and identifies the determinants that impact the marketing channel selection of paddy growers in Eastern India.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the propensity score matching (PSM) approach to measure the impact of market participation on farm income and per capita consumption. Further, the study employed Acharya and Aggarwal's composite index approach to estimate the marketing efficiency of various paddy marketing channels. Further, a multinomial logit model was used to determine the marketing channel selection constraints.
Findings
The outcomes indicate that market participation positively impacts farm income and consumption expenditure. Education, membership in farmers' organizations, price information and distance to the marketplace significantly affect farmers' market participation. The results show that the producer–retailer marketing channel is the most efficient compared to others. However, most paddy farmers sell paddy to farmgate collectors due to a lack of market information, vehicle ownership, storage system, and inability to take the risk of venturing out of the farmgate into markets.
Research limitations/implications
The study uses primary data and captures only farmers' perspectives to measure the impact of market participation, marketing channel efficiency and determinants for market channel selection. The other stakeholder's perceptions can be included in future studies.
Originality/value
Rarely does any study identifies the efficiency of different marketing channels for paddy farmers in India and includes cognitive factors like risk perception and trust in buyers as constraints for market channel selection.
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Xiaojie Xu and Yun Zhang
The Chinese housing market has gone through rapid growth during the past decade, and house price forecasting has evolved to be a significant issue that draws enormous attention…
Abstract
Purpose
The Chinese housing market has gone through rapid growth during the past decade, and house price forecasting has evolved to be a significant issue that draws enormous attention from investors, policy makers and researchers. This study investigates neural networks for composite property price index forecasting from ten major Chinese cities for the period of July 2005–April 2021.
Design/methodology/approach
The goal is to build simple and accurate neural network models that contribute to pure technical forecasts of composite property prices. To facilitate the analysis, the authors consider different model settings across algorithms, delays, hidden neurons and data spitting ratios.
Findings
The authors arrive at a pretty simple neural network with six delays and three hidden neurons, which generates rather stable performance of average relative root mean square errors across the ten cities below 1% for the training, validation and testing phases.
Originality/value
Results here could be utilized on a standalone basis or combined with fundamental forecasts to help form perspectives of composite property price trends and conduct policy analysis.
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Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically reveal the complex interaction between uncertainty and the international commodity market (CRB).
Design/methodology/approach
A composite uncertainty index and five categorical uncertainty indices, together with wavelet analysis and detrended cross-correlation analysis, were used. First, in the time-frequency domain, the coherency and lead-lag relationship between uncertainty and the commodity markets were investigated. Furthermore, the transmission direction of the cross-correlation over different lag periods and asymmetry in this cross-correlation under different trends were identified.
Findings
First, there is significant coherency between uncertainties and CRB mainly in the short and medium terms, with natural disaster and public health uncertainties tending to lead CRB. Second, uncertainty impacts CRB more markedly over shorter lag periods, whereas the impact of CRB on uncertainty gradually increases with longer lag periods. Third, the cross-correlation is asymmetric and multifractal under different trends. Finally, from the perspective of lag periods and trends, the interaction of uncertainty with the Chinese commodity market is significantly different from its interaction with CRB.
Originality/value
First, this study comprehensively constructs a composite uncertainty index based on five types of uncertainty. Second, this study provides a scientific perspective on examining the core and diverse interactions between uncertainty and CRB, as achieved by investigating the interactions of CRB with five categorical and composite uncertainties. Third, this study provides a new research framework to enable multiscale analysis of the complex interaction between uncertainty and the commodity markets.
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Laiming Yu, Yaqin Fu and Yubing Dong
The purpose of this study is to improve the mechanical property and processing performance and reduce the cost of the polylacticacid/polybutyleneadipate-co-terephthalate(PLA/PBAT…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to improve the mechanical property and processing performance and reduce the cost of the polylacticacid/polybutyleneadipate-co-terephthalate(PLA/PBAT) composites, the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and compatibilizer styrene-maleicanhydride copolymer (SMA-2025) were added to the PLA/PBAT system, and the effect of CaCO3 and SMA-2025 on the morphology, structure, mechanical property, thermal property, thermalstability and shape memory property of the CaCO3/PLA/PBAT composites were studied and discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
The CaCO3/PLA/PBAT shape memory composites were prepared via melt-blending and hot-pressing methods, and the effect of CaCO3 and SMA-2025 on the property of the composites was investigated via scanning electron microscope, universal testing instrument, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and DMA, respectively.
Findings
The interface property, mechanical property, thermal stability, shape memory recovery ratios and recovery stresses, and processing performance of the CaCO3/PLA/PBAT shape memory composites were significantly improved by adding of CaCO3 and SMA-2025. Moreover, the CaCO3/PLA/PBAT composites have good blowing film processing performance.
Originality/value
This study will provide a reference for the research, processing and application of the high-performance CaCO3/PLA/PBAT shape memory composites.
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Rohit Kumar Singh and Supran Kumar Sharma
The paper aims to craft a non-parametric composite value for the board quality of Indian banks where the weights can be assigned endogenously.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to craft a non-parametric composite value for the board quality of Indian banks where the weights can be assigned endogenously.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based novel extension known as the benefit of doubt approach. To measure the strength of the Indian bank corporate board in terms of board efficiency (BEF), the study used a mixed approach, i.e. first, the study calculates the percentile ranks of the five attributes that the study assumes are the characteristics of the strong board including board size, number of outside directors, frequency of meetings, non-duality leadership and board gender diversity. Thereafter, the study performs the benefit-to-doubt approach to finally measure the efficiency of the board.
Findings
The findings of the study establish that the methodological framework present in the study to measure the strength of the board in terms of BEF has been a much superior method over the other weighted and non-weighted linear average methods.
Practical implications
This methodology aids the shareholders, investors and regulatory bodies in rating the Indian banks based on their strength in terms of better monitoring boards and ensuring a smooth agent–owner relationship.
Originality/value
The benefit of doubt approach has been a unique and novel methodology to craft the composite value for any multidimensional phenomenon. One of the major benefits of using this approach is that it assigns the weights endogenously to each dimension and thereafter collectively determines the efficiency of such a phenomenon.
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This paper aims to explore the ambiguity and limitations of measuring firm-level multinationality (FLM) using theoretical and empirical comparisons of existing methods. The paper…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the ambiguity and limitations of measuring firm-level multinationality (FLM) using theoretical and empirical comparisons of existing methods. The paper puts forward a list of five key aspects that collectively serve as a tool for researchers to select the most appropriate method for future research and as a basis for the future development of methods.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, the author reviews existing methods of measuring FLM and consolidates findings into five key aspects. Secondly, the author uses the aspects to compare existing methods theoretically, and subsequently, the author groups them into three distinct streams. Thirdly, the author compares existing methods across a sample of the 35 largest European MNEs by sales in 2020 to identify and demonstrate the ambiguity and limitations of these methods.
Findings
The author identifies the five key aspects of measuring FLM: framework, aggregation, segmentation, metrics and indicators. Using empirical comparison, the author empirically confirms the limitations highlighted in the literature and shows the differences and inconsistencies among methods, which cause confusion rather than clarity in the extant literature. Additionally, the author emphasises that three distinct streams further drive the debate on the regional/global nature and present further limitations of methods not mentioned in the literature to date.
Originality/value
This paper provides the most comprehensive review of the existing literature on FLM, resulting in five novel aspects of measuring FLM. The analysis of a sample of 35 European firms demonstrates and identifies the ambiguity and limitations of FLM-measuring methods.
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Pramath Ramesh Hegde and Leena S. Guruprasad
This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital financial inclusion dynamics impact gross domestic per capita income.
Design/methodology/approach
The study creates a digital financial inclusion composite index (DFII) by incorporating essential metrics from the Global Findex report. Economic growth is measured using Gross Domestic Product per capita income in its natural logarithmic form (LnPCI), with three control variables– employment-to-population ratio; population growth and inflation. The analysis utilizes a fixed-effect dummy variable model to examine the relationship, considering unobserved country-specific heterogeneity. 30 Asian countries have been selected for the study for the periods 2014, 2017 and 2021 based on their availability, as outlined in Table 4.
Findings
The research revealed a robust positive correlation between the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFII) and logarithmic GDP per capita income (LnPCI), indicating higher per capita income with enhanced digital financial inclusion. Employment and population exhibited minimal influence, whereas inflation had a notable negative effect on per capita income. Population growth showed a limited impact. The model demonstrated a high explanatory power for the dependent variable (high R-squared), and the residuals displayed low autocorrelation (Durbin–Watson of 1.96).
Originality/value
This study adds to the existing literature by examining the intricate connection between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and economic growth in 30 Asian countries, employing a comprehensive composite index for analysis.
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Nedra Ibrahim, Anja Habacha Chaibi and Henda Ben Ghézala
Given the magnitude of the literature, a researcher must be selective of research papers and publications in general. In other words, only papers that meet strict standards of…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the magnitude of the literature, a researcher must be selective of research papers and publications in general. In other words, only papers that meet strict standards of academic integrity and adhere to reliable and credible sources should be referenced. The purpose of this paper is to approach this issue from the prism of scientometrics according to the following research questions: Is it necessary to judge the quality of scientific production? How do we evaluate scientific production? What are the tools to be used in evaluation?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a comparative study of scientometric evaluation practices and tools. A systematic literature review is conducted based on articles published in the field of scientometrics between 1951 and 2022. To analyze data, the authors performed three different aspects of analysis: usage analysis based on classification and comparison between the different scientific evaluation practices, type and level analysis based on classifying different scientometric indicators according to their types and application levels and similarity analysis based on studying the correlation between different quantitative metrics to identify similarity between them.
Findings
This comparative study leads to classify different scientific evaluation practices into externalist and internalist approaches. The authors categorized the different quantitative metrics according to their types (impact, production and composite indicators), their levels of application (micro, meso and macro) and their use (internalist and externalist). Moreover, the similarity analysis has revealed a high correlation between several scientometric indicators such as author h-index, author publications, citations and journal citations.
Originality/value
The interest in this study lies deeply in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of research groups and guides their actions. This evaluation contributes to the advancement of scientific research and to the motivation of researchers. Moreover, this paper can be applied as a complete in-depth guide to help new researchers select appropriate measurements to evaluate scientific production. The selection of evaluation measures is made according to their types, usage and levels of application. Furthermore, our analysis shows the similarity between the different indicators which can limit the overuse of similar measures.
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Sisira Bandara Wanninayake, Rekha Nianthi and Og Dayarathne Banda
Floods have been identified as the most frequent and threatening disaster in Sri Lanka amidst an increasing trend of natural and man-made disasters in the world. Subject experts…
Abstract
Purpose
Floods have been identified as the most frequent and threatening disaster in Sri Lanka amidst an increasing trend of natural and man-made disasters in the world. Subject experts state that disaster risk management should be based on the results of risk assessments, but flood risk management in Sri Lanka is seemingly not based on community-level flood risk assessments. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to introduce a community-level flood risk assessment method to the local context of Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample (n = 425) for the study was selected using the stratified random sampling method, and the Deduru Oya basin was selected as the study area. The risk assessment model introduced by Bollin et al. (2003) was used for the current study, but with some modifications. Accordingly, 16 variables were selected for the risk assessment. Descriptive data analysis methods were used in the study.
Findings
Community-level flood risk assessment method was introduced. Variable index, flood risk index and flood risk map were developed for the study area. The Grama Niladari Divisions (GNDs) were grouped into five categories from very high risk to very low risk. The GNDs named Wirakumandaluwa, Thimbilla, Deduru Oya, Bangadeniya and Elivitiya were ranked as the most flood-risk GNDs, respectively.
Originality/value
This paper produces a flood risk assessment method for the local context. Flood risk in the study area was assessed based on people’s perceptions. Accordingly, the flood risk index and flood risk map for the study area were developed based on the empirical data. GNDs were ranked based on the flood risk index.
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