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The formalisation – switch from the informal to the formal sector – of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has serious ramifications on the Egyptian economy. This study investigates the effect of the factors perceived by Egyptian informal entrepreneurs to encourage/deter formalisation on those entrepreneurs' intentions of formalising their MSMEs. Social media (SM) usage is a novel factor whose impact on the intention of formalisation is also examined.

The conceptual framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is used, and a logistic regression model is utilised. Relevant data were collected from self-assessment questionnaires of a sample of Egyptian informal female and young male entrepreneurs, who constitute the majority of informal entrepreneurs in Egypt.

Results reveal that for female entrepreneurs, only the support of the government and other institutions positively affects their intention of formalisation, whilst direct costs and lack of family support affect their intention negatively. For young male entrepreneurs, the number of employees and prospects of contract enforcement positively affect their intention of formalisation, whilst being involved in a trading activity affects it negatively. For both groups, higher levels of education and SM usage adversely affect their intention of formalisation. These varying results have a crucial policy implication: the one-size-fits-all public policies intended to stimulate formalisation might not work, and thus, more tailored policies are required.

Worldwide, research on the impact of SM on the formalisation of MSMEs is scant, if existent. In Egypt, research on MSMEs is limited, those focusing on the impact of SM on Egyptian MSMEs are even scarcer and those targeting SM's effect on their formalisation are absent.

This study aims to examine the impact of social media (SM) on the creation of digital entrepreneurship by female (irrespective of age) and youth male (aged 18–29 years) entrepreneurs, investigate if SM empowers those entrepreneurs and compare the empowerment characteristics between female and youth male entrepreneurs before and after starting their businesses.

Self-assessment questionnaires were collected from a sample of 408 Egyptian female and youth male digital entrepreneurs from Greater Cairo, whose businesses had been operating for more than one year.

The research showed the following four results: Of the surveyed entrepreneurs, 95% asserted that without SM, they would not have started their businesses. Female and youth male entrepreneurs are empowered both on personal and relational levels, and women’s empowerment is more evident in the latter. Before digital entrepreneurship, youth males have significantly higher averages than female entrepreneurs in almost all empowerment characteristics, whereas after digital entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurs have significantly higher averages in making decisions related to investment, personal education and personal health, as well as those of other household members. Female entrepreneurs are relatively more empowered than youth males after digital entrepreneurship when each group is compared with its initial status.

This study’s originality stems from using a large sample of entrepreneurs, including youth males, not just females; employing a more structured, comprehensive measure of empowerment than found in the literature because it included the rarely used psychological dimension; considering more than one SM tool and comparing empowerment of females to that of youth males.

This paper aims to investigate the host country determinants of Chinese Outward FDI (OFDI) and, given these determinants, examines whether Chinese OFDI in MENA is less than elsewhere.

Data for the top 40 Chinese OFDI recipients including seven MENA countries from 2003 to 2012 were obtained. A pooled ordinary least squares estimation technique on the lagged explanatory variables and the lagged dependent variable – flows and stocks alternatively – with robust standard errors was used.

Chinese OFDI is market, resource and efficiency seeking and is attracted by poor governance. The seven MENA countries seemingly receive significantly less Chinese OFDI flows compared to other countries. However, careful inspection shows that UAE is creating this bias. This maybe because exporting to UAE rather than licensing or FDI seems like the best scenario, or UAE is already satiated with FDI from other countries, or China is waiting for the right time to enter such an FDI-competitive market like that of UAE.

Chinese OFDI is particularly important for MENA because it has a comparative advantage relative to other FDI source countries, and no research so far has investigated if it is less than in other regions, which could provide insights on how to attract it.

This paper aims to test the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) in developing Asian countries by examining whether lax environmental laws are a determinant of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into these countries, which are characterised by being the largest FDI recipients among developing countries and also by being among the most highly polluted and the highest carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitters worldwide.

Panel data for the main determinants of FDI inflows including a carbon dioxide emissions and an agglomeration variable are collected for all developing Asian countries for the 1996-2016 period and a fixed effects model with robust standard errors is used.

Results show that lax environmental laws are a significant determinant of FDI inflows for the selected Asian countries as a whole. A closer look shows that this result cannot be generalised for the whole region, but applies particularly to three countries China, Hong Kong and the Philippines. PHH is thus only partially supported.

FDI is a main engine of growth for developing countries. However, it might adversely affect them, specifically in terms of environmental deterioration in the absence of stringent and well-enforced environmental policies. Some developing countries might even deliberately relax their environmental policies to attain comparative advantage especially in polluting industries and thus attract FDI. This leads to serious repercussions and might eventually limit growth, where augmenting it was the intention in the first place.

This paper aims to investigate the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) by Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) over the period 1985-2011.

This paper estimates a single equation model which uses long-run co-integration analysis and short-run analysis (error correction mechanism). This paper depends on annual data collected from the World Bank and the General Authority for Investment & Free zones Information & Decision Support Division for the period 1985-2011.

This paper found a conventional result for market size. The author infers from the significant role played by Egyptian natural resource endowments that the institutional environment has strongly shaped Chinese FDI, leading to significant natural resources-seeking FDI. The author also finds that policy liberalisation in China has had a positive influence in stimulating Chinese FDI in Egypt.

Despite this model being used to estimate the determinants of FDI by Chinese MNEs in several countries, this is the first time it is being used in Egypt using a time-series analysis. Moreover, this model which has been used in this paper uses both long-run and short-run analyses.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a double mechanism model to separate two foreign direct investment (FDI) intra-industry spillovers mechanisms: spillovers by FDI intensity and by FDI efficiency. This paper seeks to illustrate the potential use of the double mechanism model rather than provide precise estimates of spillovers. The evidence on the links between technology and the nature, size and mechanisms of FDI spillovers effects in economically developing countries is mixed.

A model is developed and tested, in principle. Empirical testing was conducted in two steps. In the first step, the authors examined the effect of each influencing factor to FDI spillovers separately. To complete this step, the authors divided the whole sample industry into sub-groups and tested them with the double-mechanism using ordinary least squares regression. This study applies Chinese National Bureau of Statistics manufacturing industry level data, for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, including the food industry, beverage industry, textile industry, textiles and garments, chemicals and chemical products industry, overall manufacturing equipment, special equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries.

The analysis suggests significant differences between types of spillovers: export orientation of domestic firms mainly influences FDI spillovers by intensity; the capability gap between local and foreign firms influences spillovers by efficiency; and the growth of local firms influences both types of spillovers. This paper develops existing models of FDI and suggests that disaggregating spillovers types may provide important theoretical and policy insights.

This study has found, first, that compared with the classic single mechanism model, the double mechanism model is more appropriate for testing FDI intra-industry spillovers, as it is able to separate spillovers by intensity and spillovers by efficiency, which are shown as two distinct mechanisms for FDI spillovers. This allows a deeper analysis into each mechanism and the identification of relevant influencing factors.

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of China’s trade agreement and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Nigeria with special reference to the manufacturing sector utilizing the following key economic performance indicators: inflation, unemployment, income and gross domestic product, to name a few. Since the turn of the millennium, China has enjoyed a substantial presence in the African continent. In fact, the country has signed bilateral agreements with Angola, South Africa and Sudan to name a few. Recently, China established its West African trade hub in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, to be strategically positioned. The results of the study revealed conclusively that although China’s investments over the years have benefited the Nigerian economy and its various firms in the manufacturing sector, the agreement signed by both countries ultimately needs to be reexamined to ensure equity.

To thoroughly analyze the effects of China’s investments in Nigeria, this study was carried out in two phases. The first analysis of this study is anchored on a “before/after” framework based on descriptive statistical analysis of the selected economic performance indicators chosen from selected cross-national data. Accordingly, the time frame for this study runs from 1993-2012 which roughly corresponds to the era when China commenced significant investments in Nigeria. Second, employees, policymakers and individuals in the manufacturing/textile industries were interviewed. Furthermore, participation from federal as well as local government agency staff members was solicited using the Delphi technique.

Empirically, the results conclusively reveal China’s dominance in the manufacturing and textile sectors in Nigeria. In other words, at face value, China’s investments are ultimately good for the Nigerian economy. However, at a micro-level analysis, the researcher examined the human factor, that is, the families of former and current employees, abandoned businesses/factories and a decaying textile industry that was once vibrant.

To the knowledge of the researcher, this is the first study attempting to assess the impact of the rise of China on the Nigerian economy by combining key economic performance indicator in tandem with face-to-face interviews and the Delphi technique.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) into a number of African countries for the period 2003-2012.

A series of panel data models are used to estimate the determinants of Chinese OFDI into eight African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt and the Sudan.

Results highlighted that Chinese investment in African countries is driven by access to natural resources, and factors related to infrastructure quality and the regulatory environment enforced by host governments.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to identify empirical determinants of Chinese OFDI in Africa and it contributes from two perspectives. Firstly, it identifies drivers behind Chinese OFDI, but also importantly from the African perspective helps understand the reasons that attract investment from one of the world’s largest investors into one of the world’s poorest regions, given the emphasis that is placed on foreign direct investment today as an instrument of growth and development.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate China ' s motive for its relations with Africa. Within that broad framework, the paper investigates China–Tanzania cooperation from an economic and social development perspective. It analyses the status of Chinese investments and, more specifically, it focuses on the increasing numbers of Chinese garages and assesses whether they have positive spill-over towards achievement of sustainable development.

Case study was used; it involves an up-close, in-depth and detailed examination of the growth of Chinese garages in Tanzania, as well as its related contextual conditions including the overall impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the vehicle repair sector in Tanzania. Scholarly works from various sources including researchers as well as authoritative reports were consulted.

The paper shows that there is an increase in Chinese garage investment which has brought significant benefits such as technology spill-over, increased employment albeit at low-level pay as well as functioning as a stimulus for Tanzanian self-employment.

A free market environment which attracts significant FDI including Chinese garages should be strengthened. Chinese garages should not employ Chinese when there are Tanzanians with required expertise. Further research on the long history of relations between Tanzania and Scandinavian countries is better for comparison.

The paper presents original findings based on scholarly work related to the growth of Chinese garage investments in Tanzania.