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1 – 10 of over 162000The agricultural sector is a critical component of global economic development, and its significance has grown significantly in recent years. The risks associated with agriculture…
Abstract
Purpose
The agricultural sector is a critical component of global economic development, and its significance has grown significantly in recent years. The risks associated with agriculture and the behaviors of farmers in handling these risks are becoming increasingly important, given the sector’s increasing dependence worldwide. Various activities related to agriculture are vulnerable to multiple risks, which can have severe consequences for farmers’ livelihoods. The purpose of this systematic review is to present a comprehensive analysis of the sources of risk faced by farmers and their choices in adopting risk management strategies worldwide.
Design/methodology/approach
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol was utilized to select relevant literature, and a total of 102 studies were analyzed. Through the use of Venn diagrams and graphical methods, the authors provide a transparent overview of the risks faced by farmers and the adoption of risk management strategies in developed and developing countries.
Findings
From the analysis, the authors found that, in terms of risk management strategies, diversification, reserve credit and accumulated assets are frequently used in developing countries, while developed countries tend to rely on future/forward contracts, crop insurance and hedging. Diversification is the most widely used risk management strategy across both developed and developing countries. Our study also highlights the different perceptions of weather-related risks among growers in developed and developing countries.
Practical implications
This systematic review provides valuable insights into the risks associated with agriculture and farmers' strategies in managing these risks, which could inform policy decisions and promote sustainable agricultural practices. For instance, understanding the individualistic nature of farmers' risk perception and the varying risk sources and management strategies depending on the locality and provide assistance to the farmers accordingly.
Originality/value
The paper explains how farmers behave during uncertainty in terms of risk perception and their decision to adopt risk management strategies in developed and developing countries.
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Weiling Jiang, Igor Martek, M. Reza Hosseini and Chuan Chen
Foreign direct investment in the infrastructure (FDII) of developing countries has a history of at least four decades. Bullish demand for foreign infrastructure services in…
Abstract
Purpose
Foreign direct investment in the infrastructure (FDII) of developing countries has a history of at least four decades. Bullish demand for foreign infrastructure services in developing countries, in combination with unstable political environments, has buoyed attention in political risk management (PRM). Even so, research into PRM of FDII remains fragmented and unmapped. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify the current body of knowledge in this area, uncover deficiencies and lay the foundation for further practical PRM research in FDII.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper offers a bibliometric-qualitative review of current literature on political risk in foreign infrastructure in developing countries. A 36-year period is identified, from 1983 to 2018. Publication year, area of focus, author(s), institution and country are classified and analyzed through the medium of social network analysis. The tools used are VOSviewer, CiteSpace and Gephi to analyze citation networks of 345 published papers. Out of 345 papers, 94 highly related studies were selected for further content analysis.
Findings
The study identified the research trends in related areas of PRM in infrastructure (e.g. PRM in international construction and foreign direct investment) by bibliometric analysis, which includes scattered researcher collaboration, wide-ranging and unfocused journal selection, unsystematic and discontinuous research themes. The specific research weakness in PRM in FDII is recognized by qualitative analysis from the perspective of PRM process, which reveals a lack of understanding of the impact of political risk factors, subjective risk estimations, lacking application of mature political risk database in FDII, combined with a shortage of complete and effective strategies for PRM in FDII in developing countries.
Originality/value
This paper is the first of its kind, providing a comprehensive benchmark survey of the research to date in PRM in foreign infrastructure investment in developing countries. It proposes a framework of future research agenda on PRM in FDII, including special issues on this topic, identification and assessment of political risk factors with objective methods, proposition of PRM strategies on FDII with proactive and active approaches, completing strategies of PRM with reactive strategies from the perspectives of whole life cycle of infrastructure projects, political risk factors and stakeholders. It also addressed the need to investigate the suitable literature databases for researching in this area.
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Serdar Durdyev, Kerim Koc, Ferhat Karaca and Asli Pelin Gurgun
Reportedly, green roof (GR) makes a significant contribution towards a truly sustainable-built environment; however, its implementation is yet to hit a sufficient level in…
Abstract
Purpose
Reportedly, green roof (GR) makes a significant contribution towards a truly sustainable-built environment; however, its implementation is yet to hit a sufficient level in developing countries. Thus, this study assesses GR implementation strategies in developing countries by providing a comparative analysis through experts in Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a four-step methodological approach to achieve the research aim: literature review, focus group discussion, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) analysis and correlation analyses. First, a literature review followed by a focus group discussion is used to determine 18 (out of 25 initially) strategies for the selected context and these are classified into three categories: governmental and institutional support, knowledge and information and policy and regulation. Afterward, the identified GR strategies are evaluated using the FAHP with the data gathered from the experts in the countries studied. Finally, correlation analyses were used to observe the strength of agreement between the assessments of experts from the included countries.
Findings
The findings indicate that financial incentives, low-cost government loans and subsidies and tax rebates are the essential strategies for the wider adoption of GR. Evaluating the policy and regulations strategies also showed that mandatory GR policies and regulations and better enforcement of the developed GR policies are ranked as the most prominent strategies. The findings show a low level of agreement among respondents from Kazakhstan, while there is a high level of agreement between the experts in Malaysia and Turkey.
Research limitations/implications
The research contribution is twofold. First (research implication), the study identifies the strategies through a complete literature review. Second, the identified strategies are evaluated through the lenses of experts in three developing countries which are hoped to provide (practical contribution) a better understanding of the most effective strategies that require attention and enable the frontline stakeholders (particularly government authorities) to focus on them.
Originality/value
The study findings provide a good point of departure to explore the strategies for broader adoption of GRs in developing economic setting.
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The paper aims to provide a rationale for stakeholder‐based management in developing countries. To implement the objectives, the paper contrasts the implications of agency and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to provide a rationale for stakeholder‐based management in developing countries. To implement the objectives, the paper contrasts the implications of agency and stakeholder theories as they apply to developing countries and highlight “total wealth creation” and “purposive adaptation” that support developmental goals of developing countries. This “purposive adaptation” also implicates the use of management accounting tools in a flexible way to meet the needs of the strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses conceptual analysis and the case study approach
Findings
The Tata Steel case illustrates the normative stakeholder approach in the developing country context. Specifically, the case highlights strategy developed through “stakeholder engagement” and the application of the balanced scorecard to address stakeholder issues in implementing the strategy, illustrating the rationale underlying the stakeholder approach in addressing developmental concerns through more dispersed and larger wealth creation.
Research limitations/implications
There is limited scope to use methods other than illustrating the theory using specific instances of its application, as in the case approach.
Practical implications
The paper illustrates long‐term implications on sustainable development.
Originality/value
Few papers consider contextualizing theoretical implications of management to developing countries. This is important as the theory has implications on development in such aspects as environmental costs, increasing inequality, and associated issues. The paper directs attention to the importance of identifying theory that addresses the unique management challenges in developing countries and can potentially enable further research to systematize and generalize management approaches in developing countries.
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This paper aims to reflect on different issues and perspectives on returns on investments made by MNEs towards social development. Need for an inclusive society drives accountable…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to reflect on different issues and perspectives on returns on investments made by MNEs towards social development. Need for an inclusive society drives accountable and effective cooperation between different actors in a market. Although multinational enterprises (MNEs) that operate in developing markets invest in social development, their managers find it very challenging to incorporate social development agenda into their business practices. Therefore, academics should develop business models which can guide thoughts and actions of managers of MNEs towards social development while allowing them to hold on to the business objectives and targets.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of current literature with available anecdotes about business practices helped the author to form a viewpoint and make recommendations.
Findings
The objective of the eighth millennium development goal is to promote global partnership between MNEs and domestic firms with or without intervention of a subsidiary. Addressing the particular needs of developing countries, such as capability enhancement or poverty reduction by managers of MNEs in a global setting, becomes a very complex issue. Investments by MNEs in developing countries towards these objectives are driven by different factors such as operational transparency, technological efficiency, investment types, innovation capability, branding strategy, quality assurance, public–private partnership, market-based pricing, reciprocity, distribution for penetration, etc., apart from linkages they create for developing resource-based competencies required for survival in a competitive market.
Research limitations/implications
Empirical investigation of the viewpoint presented here will be required to convert recommendations into models applicable by managers of MNEs.
Practical implications
This study will help to enable managers of MNEs to perform need-based socially responsible actions.
Social implications
This study will facilitate participation of MNEs in social development through their contributions towards poverty reduction and capability enhancement.
Originality/value
This paper pushes managers and academic scholars to think about the strategies required to incorporate social agenda into business models of MNEs benefiting from developing markets.
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There is sufficient evidence to prove that the improved health status of a nation’s citizens results in economic growth and development via improved functionality and productivity…
Abstract
There is sufficient evidence to prove that the improved health status of a nation’s citizens results in economic growth and development via improved functionality and productivity of labor. It is also commonly accepted that healthcare expenditure significantly influences health status through, for instance, improving life expectancy at birth and reducing morbidity, death, and infant mortality rates. Within healthcare, medicines account for a considerable share of health-related expenditure in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that improved access to medicines is likely to contribute not only to the well-being of families and individuals but also to the economic growth and development in all societies. It has been widely advocated that pharmaceutical multinational enterprises (MNEs) can play an important role to address this problem, as they develop and supply a significant proportion of the drugs imported by low- and middle-income countries. This chapter is dedicated to a systematic review of literature in order to identify the strategies implemented by pharmaceutical MNEs to improve access to medicines in the low- and middle-income countries. A total of 76 research articles have been identified, and we have found that the main strategies of pharmaceutical MNEs are related to improving health outcomes through R&D, establishing partnerships for product development, pricing strategies to improve access to medicines, technology transfer, licensing agreements, and nonmarket efforts to improve access to medicines, among other strategies to overcome barriers imposed by intellectual property rights. We have also found that pharmaceutical MNEs’ strategies take place within a complex system and often involve interactions with a wide range of actors, such as international organizations, governments, private not-for-profit sector, universities and research institutes, and generic manufacturers. However, there is still a need for major progress in the field of access to medicines, and pharmaceutical MNEs should be more active in this field in order to avoid potential negative consequences, such as loss of legitimacy and compulsory licensing of their patented medicines.
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Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman and Mai Gamal Hafez
This paper aims to develop a framework based on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a novel approach for marketing architectural design firms (ADFs) in developing countries.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a framework based on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a novel approach for marketing architectural design firms (ADFs) in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this aim, a research strategy consists of literature review and survey questionnaire is designed to accomplish four objectives: first, to examine the concepts of marketing and CSR in construction; second, to investigate the perception and application of CSR as a marketing tool for ADFs in developing countries; third, to develop a framework based on CSR as an approach for marketing ADFs in developing countries; and finally, to outline research conclusions and recommendations useful to government, ADFs and future research.
Findings
The research highlighted the inefficiency of current marketing strategies in developing countries due to lack of considering community needs, using incomprehensible technical language in communication with clients and misrepresenting the calibers of ADFs. ADFs believe that CSR can play a role in increasing their marketability. This requires governmental involvement and overcoming the barriers of adopting CSR.
Originality/value
This paper proposed a framework based on CSR as a novel approach for marketing ADFs in developing countries. This ideology has received scant attention in construction literature. The proposed framework represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the original body of knowledge in a manner that has not previously occurred.
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– The purpose of this paper is to formulate the manufacturing strategy in a developing country with particular reference to Nigeria in sub-Saharan African country.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to formulate the manufacturing strategy in a developing country with particular reference to Nigeria in sub-Saharan African country.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey methodology and the partial least squares – structural equation modeling technique, The authors find that in addition to the four basic environmental factors – business cost, labor availability, competitive hostility and environmental dynamism, both government policies and the adopted manufacturing practices have significant effects on the manufacturing strategic priorities.
Findings
Among other findings, the environmental factors of government policies and the type of manufacturing practices adopted have significant effects on manufacturing strategy.
Research limitations/implications
Further studies should explicitly look into the effect of the adopted manufacturing strategy on company performance. Possibly, a case study research might be considered to establish this relationship.
Practical implications
As manufacturing firms continue to experience greater competition, especially from China, and given the technological advancement in manufacturing, the business environment facing Nigerian manufacturing companies is likely to become more dynamic, complex, diverse and even hostile. Under such a turbulent climate, the configuration and effective deployment of manufacturing strategies is imperative to achieving superior business performance.
Social implications
A more effective strategy will make companies more competitive in the market place, thus creating employment in a sector that has witnessed declining growth in employment.
Originality/value
The linkage between environmental factors and manufacturing strategy has been studied widely. However, this study reveals the role of government policies and manufacturing practices in formulating manufacturing strategy in a developing country context.
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The main objective of the present chapter is to address empirically the impacts of institutional distance (ID) on the multinationality level of firms from developing countries and…
Abstract
The main objective of the present chapter is to address empirically the impacts of institutional distance (ID) on the multinationality level of firms from developing countries and interpret how the interaction between ID and firm resources affects firms from developing countries. Using data of firms from developing countries, we estimated an empirical cross-section model. The results show that while cultural distance was not found statistically significant, ID, on the other hand, was statistically significant. The higher the distance between home and host country, the higher the multinationality of firms from developing countries. We also found a positive and statistically significant correlation between intangible resource and multinationality, which suggests a tendency toward new pattern in the internationalization of firms from emerging economies.
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Wolfgang Schade, Fabian Kley, Jonathan Köhler and Anja Peters
Purpose – Electric vehicles are very topical in developed countries. The breakthrough of new battery technologies and changing conditions driven by climate policy and growing…
Abstract
Purpose – Electric vehicles are very topical in developed countries. The breakthrough of new battery technologies and changing conditions driven by climate policy and growing fossil fuel prices has caused all major car manufacturing countries in the developed world to initiate R&D programmes to gain competitive advantage and to foster market diffusion of electric vehicles (EVs). This chapter looks at developments in China and compares them with observations from developed countries to draw conclusions about differences in their future paths of development.
Methodology – This chapter escribes the potentials and R&D approaches for different types of EVs in developing countries, using China as example, in comparison with developed countries. It looks at innovation strategies, policy framework and potential diffusion of EVs.
Findings – Market diffusion strategies in developed countries and China may differ, since, in the former manufacturers try to implement a premium strategy (i.e. offer high-price sophisticated EVs), while in the latter market, diffusion will probably appear at the lower end of vehicle types, i.e. via electric scooters and small urban vehicles. It is concluded that the market introduction strategies of EVs in developing countries and developed countries could converge because signs of downsizing of vehicles can be observed in the developed world, while upscaling from bikes and electric scooters can be expected for China, so that large-scale market introduction could occur via small city cars.
Implications for China – Instead of following the Western motorisation path, an option for China could be to develop a new one-stop-shop mobility concept integrating small EVs into such a concept.
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