Competitiveness Review最新文献

Purpose

The measurement of regional competitiveness is becoming essential for policymakers to address territorial disparities, while considering the issue of correlations among indicators. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to measure regional competitiveness using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) by considering different distance measures and two levels of analysis to provide a comparative and comprehensive measurement of regional competitiveness in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply TOPSIS based on three different distance measures (the Manhattan, the Euclidean and the Mahalanobis distance measures) to the regions of the EU Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) 2019, which is taken as the frame of reference.

Findings

The authors replicate the RCI by using TOPSIS with a less preferred choice of distance measure, indicating TOPSIS as a valuable method for policymakers in the analysis of regional competitiveness. The authors argue in favour of the Mahalanobis distance measure as the best of the three, as it considers correlations among macro-economic indicators.

Originality/value

This study aims to make three contributions. Firstly, by replicating the RCI by means of TOPSIS with a less preferred choice of distance measure, the paper provides a benchmark for future research on regional competitiveness. Secondly, by suggesting the use of TOPSIS with the use of the Mahalanobis distance measure, the authors show how to measure regional competitiveness by taking into account correlations among pillars. Thirdly, the authors argue in favour of considering clusters of regions when measuring regional competitiveness.

Purpose

Preferential market access is a pillar of the enabling clause in international trade, and as such has received scholarly attention in the recent past. This study aims to empirically examine intensity and utilisation of Uganda’s preferential market access.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data at the six-digit level of the harmonised system was sourced from the International Trade Centre’s and UN COMTRADE’s Trade Map database on trade flows to compute; trade intensity indices, Balsa’s revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indices and the existing potential trade. The time period was 2013–2022.

Findings

It is evident that Uganda is not taking full advantage of its preferential market access. The findings of the trade intensity analysis revealed that the strength of trade relations between Uganda and its preferential markets has been consistently weak in the period 2013–2022, while the intensity of trade relations with its FTA partners has been strong. The RCA results revealed that all Uganda’s agricultural exports to its preferential markets have a comparative advantage, with exports of roses reporting an exceptionally high RCA relative to other agricultural exports. The RCA results also show that the comparative advantage of Uganda’s coffee exports recovered after a significant fall in the period 2014–2022. The analysis of the existing potential for trade reveals a disproportionally low market share held by Uganda across all product lines, notably, only 2.3% of the US$29bn coffee imports in its preferential markets.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this study is that it primarily relied on quantitative data from the International Trade Centre and thus lacks an exhaustive understanding of the circumstances at the export firm level. Qualitative data, such as interviews with exporters and policymakers, could provide deeper insights into the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Ugandan businesses in these markets.

Practical implications

This paper highlights the need for additional trade facilitation measures to address preferential market access bottlenecks such as stringent rules of origin and call for an aggressive government intervention in enhancing the export readiness of SMEs in Uganda. In addition, the paper is informative to Uganda’s exporters regarding the existing and potential increase in their exports to international markets.

Originality/value

The strength of Uganda’s trade relations with its preferential markets is empirically examined in this paper and provides useful insights for enhancing utilisation of preferential market access by beneficiary countries.

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of corporate governance on FinTech disclosure levels in Jordanian conventional and Islamic banks. It aims to determine whether governance mechanisms affect disclosure practices in the FinTech sector, exploring the interplay between governance and transparency in financial innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology entails a thorough analysis of data from all 15 Jordanian conventional and Islamic banks listed on the Amman Stock Exchange, covering the period from 2015 to 2022. This study uses manual content analysis using a custom FinTech Disclosure Index (FDI) and quantitative analysis with a two-way clustered error regression model.

Findings

The findings show that corporate governance mechanisms, particularly board size, board meetings and “Big4” audit firms, are crucial in enhancing FinTech disclosure across conventional and Islamic banks. However, Islamic banks consistently show higher disclosure levels than their conventional counterparts, attributed to their distinct governance structures that emphasize ethical governance and transparency. These results indicate an awareness among decision-makers about the importance of business model transformation toward FinTech.

Originality/value

This study pioneers the introduction of FDI, using it for a novel comparative analysis of FinTech disclosure levels between Islamic and conventional banks. By exploring how various governance structures influence FinTech disclosure, this research provides fresh insights into the interplay between corporate governance and financial technologies in the banking sector.

Purpose

This research mirrors a 360° probe into bibliometric review of various studies aimed to examine the relationship between financial inclusion and sustainable development (FI and SD). It also offers a conspectus of apex contributors, influential articles, key journals and potential avenues for further research in this crucial area of global progress.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is the abstract of a total 233 papers on the subject representing a period between 2012 and 2023 in the Scopus database in the domain. This investigation probes into publication trends, the most inexhaustible contributors by national journals, publications and authors. The study conducts keyword co-occurrence analysis and examines thematic evolution using Vosviewer and Biblioshiny.

Findings

The findings reveal four prominent clusters: (a) Financial growth with FI, (b) Economic Empowerment with Sustainable Goals, (c) Environmental Sustainability and (d) Microfinance and Digital Era. Furthermore, the study paves way for the future research agenda with the help of these research themes.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind in deeply probing the literature on FI and SD from a bibliometric perspective. Hence the findings of this study is a powerful weapon for researchers and practitioners coupled with future research inquiries, offering valuable insights and establishing robust quantitative foundations for advancing knowledge in the realms of FI and SD.

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate linear mixed data sampling (MIDAS), nonlinear artificial neural networks (ANNs) and a hybrid approach for exploiting high-frequency information to improve low-frequency gross domestic product (GDP) forecasting. Their capabilities are assessed through direct forecasting comparisons.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compares quarterly GDP forecasts from unrestricted MIDAS (UMIDAS), standalone ANN and ANN-enhanced MIDAS models using five monthly predictors. Rigorous empirical analysis of recent US data is supplemented by Monte Carlo simulations to validate findings.

Findings

The empirical results and simulations demonstrate that the hybrid ANN-MIDAS performs best for short-term predictions, whereas UMIDAS is more robust for long-term forecasts. The integration of ANNs into MIDAS provides modeling flexibility and accuracy gains for near-term forecasts.

Research limitations/implications

The model comparisons are limited to five selected monthly indicators. Expanding the variables and alternative data processing techniques may reveal further insights. Longer analysis horizons could identify structural breaks in relationships.

Practical implications

The findings guide researchers and policymakers in leveraging mixed frequencies amidst data complexity. Appropriate modeling choices based on context and forecast horizon can maximize accuracy.

Social implications

Enhanced GDP forecasting supports improved policy and business decisions, benefiting economic performance and societal welfare. More accurate predictions build stakeholder confidence and trust in statistics underlying critical choices.

Originality/value

This direct forecasting comparison offers unique large-scale simulation evidence on harnessing mixed frequencies with leading statistical and machine learning techniques. The results elucidate their complementarity for short-term versus long-term modeling.

Purpose

This paper aims to explore factors impacting citizen intention toward artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, considering government regulation as a moderating variable. It focuses on the Palestinian Cellular Communications Sector in Gaza Strip, providing insights into the citizen-AI relationship dynamics. The research contributes to enhancing comprehension of AI technology from clients’ perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses, a questionnaire was used in an empirical study to collect primary data. In total, 347 Palestinian citizens responded to the survey.

Findings

The findings of this paper reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risks, social influence, user experience and privacy and security concerns significantly influence citizen intention toward AI adoption. Furthermore, government regulations as a moderating variable strengthen the impact of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risks, social influence, user experience and privacy and security concerns on citizen intention toward AI acceptance and adoption. Thus, further research should explore specific domains and cultural contexts to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors shaping acceptance and adoption.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study should be understood in the context of their limitations. First, the study ignored cultural or domain-specific subtleties in favor of generic characteristics, which calls for more research in these particular circumstances. Second, relying on self-reported data might result in biases and limitations due to subjectivity in reporting, indicating the necessity for alternate data gathering methods and approaches in future research.

Practical implications

Policymakers, developers and organizations working to promote the acceptability and implementation of AI applications should consider the practical implications of this study’s results. To secure the long-term use of AI technologies in a responsible and user-centric way, policymakers should give priority to public education and awareness, user-centered design and ethical AI development techniques. They should also stimulate partnerships and create monitoring systems.

Originality/value

This paper investigates the originality of factors that influence citizen intention toward AI acceptance and adoption. It uniquely examines the moderating role of government regulations in shaping this intention. By addressing this novel aspect, the paper contributes to advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics surrounding citizen intentions toward AI applications.

Purpose

The purpose of this study of M&A in relation to sustainability aims to create synergies that drive both financial performance and positive environmental and social outcomes, aligning business objectives with broader societal goals. The study can help in understanding the structure, collaborations and recent keywords and topics that are related to M&A in relation to sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies comprehensive bibliometric analysis on performance analysis and science mapping of the scholarly literature related to M&A in relation to sustainability published between 2004 and 2024 in 196 publications on Web of science and Scopus by leveraging biblioshiny within R Studio and the VOS viewer software for enhanced visualization and interpretation of the bibliometric data.

Findings

This study helps to find out the co-occurrence analysis, bibliographical coupling and keyword analysis. Moreover, it scrutinizes patterns of collaboration among researchers, institutions and nations, shedding light on the global reach and influence of scholarly contributions in the field of M&A in relation to sustainability.

Practical implications

This study identified trends can help scholars, policymakers and business experts to study M&A through the lens of sustainability.

Social implications

This bibliometric study of M&A in relation to sustainability can drive positive change by promoting responsible business practices, fostering innovation and creating value for both shareholders and society as a whole.

Originality/value

The paper concludes by finding emerging topics of the research and future directions, it gives a good input to extend the line on the graph. This study provides overview of 20 years of research on M&A in relation to sustainability and discusses its findings to identify the research gap.

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the export competitiveness of Bangladesh's apparel industry by identifying the specific product categories that help sustain its export comparative advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and market share (MS) are calculated between 2011 and 2020 at the two- and four-digit level apparel product categories within the harmonized system (HS) to analyze the industry’s growth and export dominance. Trade competitiveness (TC) at the four-digit level, revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) at the two-, four- and six-digit-level apparel product categories are computed for the same 10-year period to investigate the industry’s export competitiveness. Major export destinations of the top 5 exporting product categories are identified to understand the factors facilitating the industry’s growth. A non-parametric Spearman rank correlation analysis evaluated the association between the RCA and NRCA indices.

Findings

Among the 34 product categories at the four-digit level, 29 consistently demonstrated an export comparative advantage, as did 34 out of 217 six-digit level sub-categories. In contrast, 12 sub-categories at the six-digit level consistently exhibited a comparative disadvantage in Bangladesh's export competitiveness. Furthermore, the TC measure identified 28 categories at the four-digit level with a robust comparative advantage. 30 categories displayed a positive CAGR, and Bangladesh asserted significant market dominance over 26 product categories at the four-digit level.

Research limitations/implications

This study's implications are significant for various stakeholders in Bangladesh and other apparel-exporting industries, encompassing government entities, industry officials, policymakers, investors, researchers and students. Nevertheless, limitations arise from the study's reliance on RCA and NRCA as competitiveness indicators, particularly its adoption of a macro-level approach for measurement without exploring a micro-level perspective. This constitutes a notable constraint in the study's analytical framework.

Originality/value

This study contributed novelty and enrichment to the existing academic literature by identifying distinct apparel product categories that contribute to the industry's growth.

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on earnings management (EM). Furthermore, the authors assessed the mediating effect of accounting conservatism (AC) on the CSR-EM relationship over the long term. The authors also tested the moderating effect of corporate governance (CG) on the AC-EM relationship in the Finnish context.

Design/methodology/approach

Linear regressions were applied to panel data using Thomson Reuters’ ASSET4 database. Data were collected from 140 Finnish firms between 2005 and 2022.

Findings

The results confirm that negative CSR has an impact on EM. Moreover, AC mediates the relationship between CSR and EM. Likewise, CG moderates the relationship between AC and EM.

Practical implications

This paper may interest academic researchers and potential and current investors. This paper will help investors make relevant investment decisions. Managers should pay special attention to their EM. These firms must take social responsibility vis-a-vis all their stakeholders.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use AC as a mediator and CG as a moderating variable in the Finnish context. This research will enrich the literature by providing a comprehensive picture of the relationships between CSR and EM through AC and CG in developed markets. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the implications of CSR in Finnish companies.

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the drivers of the resilience of the fintech sector in emerging Europe (EU) by analyzing the performance of 128 Bulgarian fintech companies in the period around the Referendum for Brexit in 2016. The Referendum was followed by a rapid growth of the Bulgarian fintech sector at a moment when venture capital funding was limited, which challenged firms to improve their fundamentals.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical paper uses descriptive and panel data analysis based on the firm balance sheet and income statement data at the annual level.

Findings

The results show that larger and better-capitalized firms, which outsource their non-core activities and focus on their main competitive strengths, tend to have higher operating income and profit. The authors also find positive real-economy effects as these companies hire more actively to maintain growth. The results are primarily driven by the post-Brexit period of 2016–2019 when the authors find a tighter link between performance and firm fundamentals. These results have important managerial and policy implications and provide interesting directions for future research.

Practical implications

The findings have important management and policy implications. The authors argue that the flexibility of the Bulgarian fintech cluster, including the practice of Bulgarian fintech startups to outsource non-core activities; the readiness of universities to open new master programs to address firm demand for skilled labor and the startup-friendly environment in the main cluster hotspot, Sofia, has contributed to the resilience of the sector and can explain the drivers behind our findings. Fintech firms are very efficient in utilizing external services to foster their performance and growth, which may suggest that public policies that provide financial support for cloud services and outsourcing for startups during downturns or crises may improve economic growth and may have positive externalities for the supporting sectors that provide these services.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to study the drivers of Fintech performance to identify best practices for managerial actions during economic or political crises, as well as government policy recommendations. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is one of the first empirical academic studies that examine the impact of Brexit on the European Fintech sector and real economy. The identified managerial strategies for ensuring regional resilience to economic crises and political shocks can be applied in various settings within and outside the EU.