The relation between timing of vaccinations and levels of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in society: When to roll out vaccination to minimize infections?

This study analyzes the relations between doses administrated of vaccines for Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and confirmed cases from March to May 2021 to find out the optimal level of doses administrated per 100 inhabitants, which can lead to a reduction in the diffusion of COVID-19 cases.  Findings reveal that a delay of vaccination in population, it moves up the optimal value of doses administrated per 100 inhabitants from 58.5 to more than 86 per 100 people, with consequential damages and long-run deterioration of socioeconomic systems. This study suggests that the optimal policy to pandemic threats is the early, rapid, nationally vaccination rollout for an effective reduction of the spread of infectious disease that reduces negative effects in society.Keywords. Pandemics; Vaccines; Vaccinations; Infection control; Health Planning;  Crisis management; Policy responses.JEL. C52; L25; M14

Technology ethics

Abstract. Technology ethics is a topic at the frontier of the modern day development. Mostly because due to the fact that our our reliance on technology increases as we become more accustomed to the pace of technological development. Hence, it is important for us understand the ethical implications that arise with these advances. Therefore, this article provides an introduction and foundation for technology ethics, data protection and artificial intelligence.Keywords. IT ethics, Data protection, AI, GDPR.JEL. H20, E40, M15

The financing of the long and medium term needs of SMEs: A contextualization of the rule of minimum financial balance

The main aim of this study is to highlight the breaking of the minimum financial balance rule by companies and propose ways of financing the long and medium term needs of SMEs in a context of excessive rationing of bank credit in order to obtain a balanced financial structure. We data from two surveys, the first based on the observation of 70 Cameroonian SMEs in 2011 in which we focus on the frequencies of the alternative methods of financing the long and medium term needs of SMEs. On the data of the second survey performed between 2013 and 2016 on 452 SMEs in Cameroon, we apply a Logit regression to empirically explain the probability of the choice of the mode of financing made in the presence of credit rationing and use the techniques leading to a mode of financing to highlight the modes of financing chosen by SMEs. Our results show the following modes of financing: For the first survey; equity, savings and loan associations (tontines), assistance from friends and family members, microfinance institutions, intercompany credit, leasing institutions, and bank credit. For the second survey: savings and loan associations, microfinance institutions, intercompany credit, help from friends and family members, contributions of partners, leasing institutions, and the issue of new shares are found as the main modes of financing. These findings can be important in line with the Modigliani and Miller, Myers and Majluf, and Quintart models if the question of the financing of SMEs in the context of excessive credit rationing is to be addressed.Keywords. Financing; Needs; Balance.JEL. C52; L25; M14

AHP analysis of key success factors for enterprise transformation; From the viewpoint of project management process

Nowadays, project management, instead of operations, has become the main operation mode of an enterprise, while plenty discussions on using project management to help transformation of enterprises can be easily found in the existing literature. However, only a few stages of the project management process were applied in current frameworks, which could not provide an effective and comprehensive solution for an enterprise in crisis. In view of this, this study aimed to explore enterprise transformation from the perspective of project management process, proposing a whole transformation plan more coherent and complete. It would also suggest a fresh approach for exploring this research topic. The study found that the two phases of "planning" and "execution" are the most important ones for enterprise transformation. Therefore, it should be bold but cautious when formulating a transformation plan, and the plan should be precisely executed when being implemented. More importantly, this study connected the project management process with the enterprise transformation planning process, so that the enterprise transformation can be carried out more smoothly and have better probability of success.Keywords. Enterprise transformation; Project management process; Analytical hierarchy process (AHP).JEL. C52; L25; M14

Why return to an electoral authoritarian state?

Abstract. This study provides theoretical conditions for a stable political system. This study has the trade-off that military support for the rulers simultaneously encourages military build-up, resulting in closed authoritarianism, electoral authoritarianism and stabilising military regimes, while at the same time giving the military a stronger voice, which is a cost for the rulers. Democracies that are not aligned with the military are shown to be unstable. Despite the assumption of a path-dependent model, electoral authoritarianism is a stable system in countries where the initial political system is strengthened, but where the balance between citizens and the military is struck and the amount of real resources is not sufficient for the number of resources demanded by the citizens.Keywords. Path dependency; Democracy; Electoral authoritarian; Closed authoritarian; Military.JEL. P16; P26; P48

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Low numbers of Covid-19 related infereted individuals in regions having wind resources and energy: A case study

Abstract. This paper investigates the relation between diffusion of COVID-19 and wind resources to provide insights on how sustainable policies for energy production can improve ecosystem, reduce environmental pollution, improve public health and prevent future epidemics. Results reveal that cities in regions with high wind energy production have a lower number of infected individuals of COVID-19, whereas polluted cities with less clean production and low production of energy from sustainable resources (i.e., wind) have higher numbers of infected individuals and deaths. These findings underscore the importance of sustainable energy production to support an ecosystem that protects human health and reduces the associated social welfare loss because of the COVID-19 pandemic and future similar infectious diseases.Keywords. COVID-19, Coronavirus, Wind Energy, Wind power plant, Clean energy, Climate, environmental sustainability, sustainable development, Environmental pollution.JEL. F21, F68, O53, K23

Critical decisions for crisis management: An introduction

In the presence of crisis, such as global COVID-19 pandemic crisis, governments have more and more take critical decisions to cope with consequential environmental threats in the presence of highly restricted time. This chapter provides a simple description of techniques of decision making in different environments/conditionsof crisis management and how that process is influenced by manifold social, economic and/or technical factors; ultimately it is presented how the approach of improvisation can support the process of decision-makingto cope with unforeseen and new events, rapid changes, turbulent environment and/or specific situations of emergency.Keywords. Critical decision, Decision making, Decision support, Uncertainty, COVID-19, Crisis management, Problem solving, Bounded rationality, Improvisation.JEL. F21, F68, O53, K23

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