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This paper is a dedication to Professor Ngo Van Long who introduced the idea of Kant–Nash equilibrium. The author extends this analysis to the study of adult and child labor markets.

This is a game theoretic analysis of the market for adult and child workers when some firms behave in the neoclassical Nashian way and some firms follow a Kantian social norm.

The presence of Kantian firms in the output market in addition to Nashian lowers industry output and labor demand. This raises the possibility that Kantian behavior in the output market could lower wages sufficiently and increase the incidence of child labor. If firms engage in Kantian behavior in the labor market by not hiring child workers, adult wage rises but could lower child wage as children if they work can only work for Nashian firms. When labor demand is sufficiently high, more Kantians could raise adult wage above subsistence and eliminate child labor supply.

This is the first paper to apply Kant–Nash equilibrium to the labor market. The result that Kantian behavior could have an unintended negative spillover effect in other markets is new. The paper keeps alive the ideas of Professor Long, which hopefully will stimulate further work and build on his ideas.

The authors estimated the hidden overhead (capital diversion or wasteful use of capital) of Vietnam state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The authors used a panel data set of 10,200 Vietnam SOEs observed over the period 2010–2018. The authors modeled and estimated the hidden overhead by using a stochastic production frontier. The hidden overhead parameter is modelled as the technical inefficiency in the production function.

Vietnam SOEs are very capital intensive. The hidden overhead (or the wasteful use of capital) is very high with an average rate of 69%.

Alternative estimation methods should be used to account for endogeneity in production inputs. Lack of comparison with the Vietnam private firms.

The paper proposes an original way to quantify hidden overhead (or capital diversion) in the Vietnam SOEs. The finding (a capital diversion rate of 69% on average) is astonishing. It calls for an urgent and profound reform of the Vietnam SOEs.

The principal aim of this paper is to review three basic theoretical growth models, namely the Harrod-Domar model, the Solow model and the Ramsey model, and examine their implications for economic policies.

The paper utilizes a positivist research framework that emphasizes the causal relationships between the variables in each of the three models. Mathematical methods are employed to formulate and examine the three models under study. Since the paper is theoretical, it does not use any empirical data although numerical illustrations are provided whenever they are appropriate.

The Harrod-Domar model explains why countries with high rates of saving may also enjoy high rate of economic growth. Both the Solow and Ramsey models can be used to explain the medium-income trap. The paper examines the impact of Covid shocks on the macroeconomy. While the growth rate can be recovered, it may not always possible to recover the output level.

For the Harrod-Domar model, the public spending decreases the private consumption at the period 1, but there is no change in the capital stock and hence the production in subsequent periods. For the Ramsey model with AK production function, both the private consumption and the outputs will be lowered. In both the Harrod-Domar and Ramsey models with Cobb-Douglas production function, if the debt is not high and the interest rate is sufficiently low, it is better to use public debt for production rather than for consumption. If the country borrows to recover the Total Factor Productivity after the Covid pandemic, both the Harrod-Domar and Ramsey models with Cobb-Douglas production function show that the rate of growth is higher for the year just after the pandemic but is the same as before the pandemic.

The economy can recover the growth rate after a Covid shock, but the recovery process will generally take many periods.

This paper focuses on economic implications and does not aim to examine social implications of policy changes or Covid-type shock.

The paper provides a comparison of three basic growth models with respect to public spending, public debts and repayments and Covid-type shocks.

The authors investigate the impact of standards compliance on the participation in the global value chain and labour value-added of Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The authors use a three-period panel dataset of SMEs combined with Vietnam’s Provincial Competitiveness Index. The authors also use multiple econometric models; and with each model, the authors include all independent variables that are available from the study's data and that are suggested by the literature.

The authors find that standards compliance by Vietnam’s SMEs improved their participation in the global value chain via subcontracts with FDI multinational firms. The authors also find that standards compliance improved the value-added of labour in Vietnam’s SMEs, which is robust to the choice of econometric models.

The study's results suggest that better outcomes for firms and society will be possible if standards are recognised and respected.

This paper complements scant literature on the impact of standards compliance on global value chain participation via subcontracting work and labour value-added, especially in developing countries.

This paper attempts to develop a simple, static model of tax administration that is capable of explaining the widespread collusive petty tax administration corruption observed in developing countries.

This paper utilizes a positivist research framework and adopts a theoretical method of analysis, although secondary data will also be mentioned to support theoretical arguments whenever it is appropriate to do so.

A high rate of collusive tax corruption is inevitable in developing countries.

The model is static and needs to be extended into a dynamic model.

Traditional enforcement tools such as higher audits or a higher penalty regime against tax evasion do not work. Tax simplification can lessen the incidence of tax corruption.

Fighting tax corruption requires significant changes in the attitudes of taxpayers and tax auditors.

This paper combines the literature on Kantian economics and tax compliance in an innovative fashion.