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The purpose of this paper is to comparatively analyse the best human resource management (HRM) practices in the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga.

This study examined best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga by using self-administered questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 73 hotels in Samoa and 66 hotels in Tonga. Out of the 73 self-administered questionnaires that were distributed in Samoa, 58 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 79 per cent. In the case of Tonga, out of the 66 self-administered questionnaires were distributed, 51 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 77 per cent.

The findings of this study show that there are 28 best HRM practices in Samoa and 15 best HRM practices in Tonga. This study also found that best HRM practices differ based on differences in internal and external environmental factors present in different geographical areas. The findings of this paper support the assumptions of the Contextual Paradigm of HRM and strategic human resource management.

This study is based on a single sector of Samoa and Tonga. A single sector study limits the generalisations that can be made across different sectors in Samoa and Tonga.

Human resource managers should incorporate cultural, political, legal, economic and social factors in HRM practices.

None of the existing studies have examined best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga. This study is a pioneering study that comparatively analyses the best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga.

The main aim of this paper is to empirically test a model that has central government health expenditure and advancement in medical technology as two separate determinants of economic growth rates in the Pacific island countries (PICs).

The data used in this research have been collected from WHO and ADB database for the periods between 2000 and 2012. The model used to test the main research question is based on the variant Cobb-Douglas production function with constant returns to scale.

This research found that health expenditure has a significant impact on the economic growth rate of the PICs. This study also found that the contemporary level of usage of advanced medical technology in the PICs is relatively low as compared to the total population of the country. If the PICs need to achieve high levels of economic growth rates, governments of the PICs need to improve its expenditure in the health sector. Good and qualified doctors need to be hired and the medical education has to be made more competitive. Improvement in the health services in the PICs will reduce mortality, improve per capita health and improve the national economic welfare of Oceania region.

Data availability was the major limitation in this research. Data were available for only seven PICs.

This research has implications for the academics, practitioners, and policy makers.

The research findings from this research have implications for the society as it shows that health expenditure is positively related to economic growth rates.

In the context of the PICs, no studies have been conducted that have analysed the relationship between health expenditure, medical technology advancement and the economic growth rate of the PICs. This research seeks to build and extend the existing state of research on augmented Cobb-Douglas production function and health economics in the PICs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga.

Data for this study was collected via face-to-face interviews with handicraft sellers in Fiji and Tonga. In total, 368 interviews were conducted in Fiji and Tonga out of which, 48 was from Tonga and 320 was from Fiji.

The results of this study show that eight factors; namely, value adding, design uniqueness, new product development, cultural uniqueness, advanced technology, experience of owner, ability of owner to adapt to trends in market and quality of raw materials have significant impact on level of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga.

To date, none of the existing studies have examined determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of the Pacific Island countries. This is a pioneering study that examines determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga.

Globally, there is an increased recognition of the important role played by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the economic development of a country. Similarly, in the South Pacific region, MSMEs is the main engine behind the economic growth. In particular, MSMEs is one of the biggest contributors to GDP, employment and plays a core role in the supply chain of large businesses. One of the major problems faced by MSMEs in South Pacific Island countries is a lack of finance to advance business growth. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper will be to examine the financial obstacles faced by MSMEs.

The main objective of this study is to explore the financial obstacles faced by MSMEs in the manufacturing sector of Fiji and Tonga. In particular, this research tries to evaluate the severity of the impact of each of the financial obstacles on the growth and survival of MSMEs in Fiji and Tonga.

The research involved conducting a survey of 200 MSMEs in Fiji and Tonga. The study concluded that financial problems faced by the MSMEs could be divided into three broad categories: financing problems; operational and administrative problems; and sales and debtors problems. The 19 financial obstacles tested in this research falls under these broad categories.

This research is original and highly value to a wide range of readers. Scholars, practitioners, aid donors are widely interested to understand the status of MSMEs in Fiji and Tonga. Research of this nature has never been conducted in Fiji.

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.