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Article
Publication date: 19 December 2023

Fabrício Rios Nascimento Santos, Viviani Silva Lírio and Anderson Moreira Aristides dos Santos

In addition to being a violation of human rights, the practice of child labor can be related to criminality against young people. In view of this, the hypothesis tested in this…

Abstract

Purpose

In addition to being a violation of human rights, the practice of child labor can be related to criminality against young people. In view of this, the hypothesis tested in this article was that child labor aggravates youth homicide through educational level.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used annual data for the 26 states plus the Federal District for the period 2001 to 2014. To do so, the authors used the iterated feasible generalized least squares (IFGLS) estimator under the seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) model.

Findings

The results showed that child labor positively affects the homicide of young people, showing education as a transmission channel through which the effect is materialized. The general conclusion, given this, that work is an alternative for children not to enter the world of crime due to its socializing character, cannot be sustained.

Practical implications

This evidence provides input to the formulation of policies and programs to eradicate or slow child labor. In addition to the social and economic rise of individuals, it is important to emphasize the role of education (human capital) in explaining economic growth.

Originality/value

So far, there is no record of national research that sought to empirically assess the effect of child labor on crime, in particular, on the homicide of young people, considering education as a transmission channel, and this assessment is the contribution of the present study to the economic literature on crime.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0163

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Resty Tamara Utami, Romi Bhakti Hartarto, Wahyu Tri Wibowo and Muhammad Luqman Iskandar

This study aims to investigate the extent to which the Indonesian conditional cash transfer (CCT), known as the Family Hope Program (FHP), impacts the probability of children…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the extent to which the Indonesian conditional cash transfer (CCT), known as the Family Hope Program (FHP), impacts the probability of children engaging in labour activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey in 2014, focussing on periods following the implementation of the FHP. To estimate the impact of FHP on child labour in Indonesia, the authors employ a propensity score matching strategy to balance the characteristics observed between the participant and non-participant groups.

Findings

The estimates show that FHP has no statistical impact on child labour across all matching techniques. This implies that receiving the CCT does not always help poor households decrease the probability of stopping their children from participating in labour activities.

Social implications

The conditions applied to the beneficiaries, which only require children to attend school without requiring them to stop working, may not effectively address the issue of child labour. The current structure and design of the FHP need to be re-evaluated and improved to effectively combat child labour.

Originality/value

Despite numerous studies examining the impact of CCT on child labour which remains inconclusive in Indonesia, this study contributes to the existing literature by considering children participating in labour activities across all types of work without focussing on specific education levels or regions.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-07-2023-0580

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Elizabeth Moore, Kristin Brandl, Jonathan Doh and Camille Meyer

This study aims to analyze the short-, medium- and long-term impacts of natural-resources-seeking foreign direct investment (FDI) in the form of foreign multinational enterprise…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the short-, medium- and long-term impacts of natural-resources-seeking foreign direct investment (FDI) in the form of foreign multinational enterprise (MNE) land acquisitions on agricultural labor productivity in developing countries. The authors analyze if these land acquisitions disrupt fair and decent rural labor productivity or if the investments provide opportunities for improvement and growth. The influence of different country characteristics, such as economic development levels and governmental protection for the rural population, are acknowledged.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes 570 land acquisitions across 90 countries between 2000 and 2015 via a generalized least squares regression. It distinguishes short- and long-term implications and the moderating role of a country’s economic development level and government effectiveness in implementing government protection.

Findings

The results suggest that natural resource-seeking FDI harms agricultural labor productivity in the short term. However, this impact turns positive in the long term as labor markets adjust to the initial disruptions that result from land acquisitions. A country’s economic development level mitigates the negative short-term impacts, indicating the possibility of finding alternative job opportunities in economically stronger countries. Government effectiveness does have no influence, presumably as the rural population in which the investment is partaking is in many developing countries, not the focus of governmental protectionism.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide interesting insights into the impact of MNEs on developing countries and particularly their rural areas that are heavily dependent on natural resources. The authors identify implications on employment opportunities in the agricultural sector in these countries, which are negative in the short term but turn positive in the long term.

Practical implications

Moreover, the findings also have utility for policymakers. The sale of land to foreign MNEs is not a passive process – indeed, developing country governments have an active hand in constructing purchase contracts. Local governments could organize multistakeholder partnerships between MNEs, domestic businesses and communities to promote cooperation for access to technology and innovation and capacity-building to support employment opportunities.

Social implications

The authors urge MNE managers to establish new partnerships to ease transitions and mitigate the negative impacts of land acquisitions on agricultural employment opportunities in the short term. These partnerships could emphasize worker retraining and skills upgrading for MNE-owned land, developing new financing schemes and sharing of technology and market opportunities for surrounding small-holder farmers (World Bank, 2018). MNE managers could also adopt wildlife-friendly farming and agroecological intensification practices to mitigate the negative impacts on local ecosystems and biodiversity (Tscharntke et al., 2012).

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the debate on the positive and negative impact of FDI on developing countries, particularly considering temporality and the rural environment in which the FDI is partaking.

Details

International Journal of Development Issues, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1446-8956

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

Haobo Zou, Asad Ullah, Zubaida Qazi, Amna Naeem and Sofia Rehan

This paper examines the influence of micro-credential learning on students' perceived employability. In addition, the study aims to explore different components that will help…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the influence of micro-credential learning on students' perceived employability. In addition, the study aims to explore different components that will help students to gain knowledge, enhance their careers and develop their human capital (social, cultural and scholastic capital). Hence, the study also analyzed the mediating role of human capital on the aforementioned association.

Design/methodology/approach

Explanatory research was conducted by utilizing a correlational research design. A questionnaire comprising of closed-ended items was utilized in the study. The data was analyzed by employing PLS-SEM technique.

Findings

Our findings stipulate that micro-credential learning is an essential component to improve students' perceived employability. The study identified that micro-credential programs have a positive relationship with students' perceived employability. Moreover, the findings that micro-credential learning significantly impacts students' human capital, i.e. cultural, social and scholastic capital. Additionally, human capital acts as a significant mediator in the relationship between micro-credential learning and students' perceived employability. Moreover, participation in micro-credential learning can ensure that students can identify diverse career directions, seek information about the labor market and educational system, attain relevant qualifications for their vocations, and develop a plan for their future.

Originality/value

Micro-credential programs are short and focused educational programs that offer specialized knowledge and skills in a particular area. These programs are becoming increasingly popular in the modern workforce to upskill or reskill quickly and efficiently. However, lack of empirical evidence is the ultimate gap in determining the importance of micro-credential learning; as the limited literature is unable to determine the importance of MCL on students' perceived employability. Thus, the study identifies the impact of micro-credential learning on students' perceived employability.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Jiří Vyhlídal

The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of selected characteristics of jobseekers on employers’ decisions regarding potential hires (direct and probabilistic signals). The…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of selected characteristics of jobseekers on employers’ decisions regarding potential hires (direct and probabilistic signals). The main focus of the study is to test the impact of jobseekers’ participation in selected active labour market programmes on employers’ hiring decisions for three positions: unskilled worker, skilled worker and administrative employee. Other characteristics tested include age, gender, presence of children in the household, state of health, experience of short- and long-term unemployment and indebtedness.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyses data from a representative survey of employers with five or more employees in the Czech Republic. The survey was conducted in December 2020 using stratified random sampling, combining online questionnaires and personal interviews. The study includes 1,040 employers and uses the factorial survey experiment (FSE) design.

Findings

The results of the FSE suggest that the perceived positive impact of completing one of the activation programmes depends on the position for which the candidate is being recruited. While for the unskilled job category, the completion of any of the tested schemes (training, subsidised jobs or public works) had a positive effect; for the skilled job category, only the training and subsidised jobs schemes had a positive effect; and for the administrative job category, public works programme even had a negative effect.

Research limitations/implications

A somewhat limiting factor in the context of this study seems to be the definitions of the positions tested (unskilled and skilled workers and administrative staff). The decision-making of the respondents was somewhat restricted by such broadly defined categories. Typically, studies with FSE designs have a focus on a specific sector of the economy, which allows for a better definition of the positions or jobs under test. The relationship between position and the impact of individual characteristics is clearly a matter for further research.

Practical implications

The results of the study confirm that completion of the activation programme, as well as other candidate characteristics, constitute differentiating signals for employers that influence their hiring decisions. At the same time, there is evidence that the training programme and the subsidised jobs programme are effective in terms of increasing participants’ chances of employment.

Originality/value

The demand side should be included in the evaluation of activation policies. The design of the FSE provides an appropriate way to test the impact of activation measures on the decision-making of employers.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 January 2024

Raghuvir Kelkar and Kaliappa Kalirajan

Most economic growth is concentrated in the eastern and coastal provinces of China, while the western and central provinces have not yet experienced the expected economic growth…

Abstract

Purpose

Most economic growth is concentrated in the eastern and coastal provinces of China, while the western and central provinces have not yet experienced the expected economic growth. This study aims to address the following crucial research questions: Do the central and western provinces achieved potential efficiency in economic growth? Have China’s provinces used their resources effectively in implementing economic growth strategies?

Design/methodology/approach

The research design concerns the use of a panel dataset on province-specific economic growth in China over the years to 2000–2020. The methodology used was a stochastic frontier gross domestic product (GDP) model with time-varying technical efficiency over time. The approach uses the existing literature to identify the important variables influencing economic growth at the provincial level to model the stochastic frontier GDP model for empirical analysis.

Findings

This study concludes that the central provinces show the highest rate of efficiency in economic growth, though not 100%, followed by the Eastern and Western provinces. By increasing and improving skilled education institutes and intensifying supply chain opportunities through foreign direct investment (FDI), the central provinces achieving 100% growth efficiency may not be ruled out.

Research limitations/implications

The modes of economic governance and policies to improve GDP growth have been rapidly changing from increasing incentives to improving competition. Thus, more unique avenues and expansion of the horizon for impending research on provincial, national and international macroeconomics would emerge that would make current methodologies of the growth analysis outdated.

Practical implications

The empirical analysis highlights the importance of improving skilled education institutes and intensifying supply chain opportunities through FDI for achieving sustained economic growth.

Social implications

The empirical analysis facilitates finding ways to reduce income inequality across provinces in China.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge empirical analysis examining the Chinese province-specific economic growth efficiency explicitly has not been carried out using the recent Chinese panel dataset.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 November 2023

Esther Asiedu, Ebenezer Malcalm, Afia Nyarko Boakye and Cornelius Kwarkoh Kwarkoh Amoah

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various university strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a simple random sample to select undergraduate level 400 students from the Universities under study (the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies Ghana, Lancaster University Ghana and Webster University Ghana). Only final-year students with an informed judgement on the reflective practice and various institutional practices to acquire graduate employability skills were participated. The independent variables of the study are institutional strategies (curriculum design, extra curriculum, work-integrated learning, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement, internship job placement), the moderator is the reflective practice and the dependent variable of the study is graduate employability.

Findings

The study found that the moderation role of reflective practice had a significant effect on institutional strategies (extracurriculum, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement and internship job placement) and graduate employability.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to only undergraduate business students from four universities ignoring other disciplines and postgraduate students.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that reflective practice must be an integral tool for various universities if they want students to use their strategies to sharpen their employability skills.

Social implications

The social implications of the study emphasise the reflective practice of graduate students in universities. This implies that firms and other institutions must consider reflective practice for the maximum output of their employees.

Originality/value

The concept of employability is a bit complex as it concerns many stakeholders of the educational process; the students, academic staff, employers, policymakers and higher education; the private sector; and the government. Although examining students' employability development skills is of great importance, students' reflective practice tends to be overlooked in most studies. Therefore, the focus of this study examines how the reflective practice of graduate students promotes employability through the various university strategies, which had not been considered.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2024

Mohamed Mousa, Rami Ayoubi and Vesa Puhakka

This paper aims to answer the question: To what extent should neurodiverse students experience improved access to public universities in Egypt and why?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the question: To what extent should neurodiverse students experience improved access to public universities in Egypt and why?

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic qualitative research method was used with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 44 educators in four universities in Egypt. A thematic approach was implemented to analyze the collected data.

Findings

The addressed educators believe that greater representation of neurodiverse students in their schools should be a priority for the following four reasons: first, neurodiverse students represent a promising new market segment schools could benefit from; second, recruiting more neurodiverse students represents a chance for schools and faculties to prove the social role they can undertake; third, schools can benefit from the unique skills many neurodiverse students have, particularly in mathematical and computational skills; and fourth, the greater the representation of neurodiverse students, the more research projects and funding opportunities educators can obtain.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by filling a gap in diversity management, higher education and human resources management in which empirical studies on the representation of neurodiverse individuals in public universities have been limited so far.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 October 2023

Vandana Goswami and Lalit Goswami

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and economic growth with a special focus on the institutional environment…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and economic growth with a special focus on the institutional environment at the state level. FDI-led economic growth and economic growth-led FDI have two dominant theoretical foundations, but empirical research supports contradictory findings. These perspectives largely ignore the institutional environment, assuming institutions to be background information.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the causal relationship between FDI, the Granger causality method has been used. The impact of FDI inflows and other institutional factors on economic growth has been examined using the panel data regression method. The principal component analysis (PCA) method has also been used to develop indexes for some variables.

Findings

Results indicate a two-way Granger causality between FDI inflows and economic growth at the state level. Infrastructures, education expenses, labour availability and gross fixed-capital formation (GFCF) are positive and significant determinants, whilst corruption and FDI inflows are leaving negative impact on state-wise economic growth.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of the literature in four different ways: first, it empirically examines the trends and patterns of subnational FDI inflow and economic growth disparity in India; second, it examines the causality between FDI and economic growth. Third, with the institution-based paradigm in international business, it investigates how institutional variables affect the expansion of the economy. Fourth, it extends prior research by examining the link at the state level using a large panel data set made up of 29 states and 7 union territories (UTs) over the years 2000–2019.

Details

South Asian Journal of Business Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-628X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 August 2022

Anushka Verma, Arun Kumar Giri and Byomakesh Debata

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion in women empowerment and in fostering the process of achieving…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion in women empowerment and in fostering the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries using panel data from 2005 to 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

An ICT diffusion index was constructed using principal component analysis (PCA). Further, the study uses econometric techniques robust to cross-sectional dependence (CSD) which include Pesaran's CSD tests, second-generation unit root test, Pedroni, Kao, Westerlund cointegration test, FMOLS, DCCE, Driscoll–Kraay (DK) regression, and D&H causality tests.

Findings

ICT diffusion and economic growth have a significant and favorable impact on women's empowerment. However, fertility rates and trade openness harm women's empowerment. In addition, the causality test results depict a bidirectional causal relationship between ICT and women empowerment and between growth and women empowerment. In addition, unidirectional causality is detected between education and women's empowerment. Overall, the findings indicate that expanding ICT and bridging the digital divide, particularly among women, can be effective in achieving empowerment-related SDGs.

Originality/value

To date, there are hardly any studies in SAARC context that empirically evaluate the link between ICT, women empowerment, and the issue of sustainability in a unified framework. Therefore, this study is unique in terms of conceptualization and methodological robustness in this context. The study will benefit policymakers and regulatory bodies to formulate appropriate policies to empower women and thereby attain the SDGs by 2030.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

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