Foreign Direct Investments and Gross Domestic Product Development in USA, European Union and China (1995-2014)

EU and China established diplomatic relations in 1975, and now became mutually indispensable economic partners, presenting both an opportunity and challenge. During that time, after the first market reforms which were introduced in 1978, China has transitioned from a predominantly agricultural to industrial and service-oriented economy. On 11 December 2001, China also became the 143rd member of the WTO. The aim of this research is to quantitatively compare the US, EU and Chinese GDP from 1995 to 2014, the US and Chinese outward FDI from 1995 to 2013, and analyse the impact of the exponentially rising Chinese investments in the European Union (EU). We have found that while the US economy experienced a regression in general, and exhibited outward FDI exponential decrease in particular, the Chinese outward FDI sustained an exponential growth. There is also possible to expect continue of exponentially rising economic investment of China in the EU. The Chinese investment in the EU is estimated to peak during the next decade, when China will become by far the foremost economic partner of the EU. Keywords: China, European Union, United States GDP, Foreign Direct Investment JEL Classifications: F5, F4, O51, O52, O5

GDP Development and Employment in Egypt (2000-2013)

The paper is focused on unemployment in Egypt during the period 2000–2013. The unemployment is slightly increasing year by year and represents serious problem because of its structure, when it is meance mainly to young absolvents of universities, which amount is also increasing in observed period. The next analysed factor is GDP. In the paper is examined its effect on unemployment. The study also reflects the impact of Arab Spring in 2011. Data has been obtained from Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). There have been used methods of chain inicies to reflect the development of observed indicators, and linear regression to describe the trend development. Regards the relationship of GDP and unemployment, Pearson correlation coefficient and elasticity coefficients have been used. Results show strong relationship between the GDP and unemployment in Egypt. Based on obtained data has been found, that there are needed reforms which would help to involve women and young absolvents to the job market. These changes require deet structural changes in whole economy. Keywords: Unemployment, Employment, Egypt, GDP, Value chain index, Education, Effectivness JEL Classifications: E2; R1; R10

Can the intention to protect the environment lead to reduced consumption among business students?

Purpose: Modifying patterns of overconsumption towards reducing consumption as a degrowth-oriented consumer attitude is crucial to mitigating the environmental impact of high-consumption households. The aim of this article is to develop a model of the intention to reduce consumption for environmental reasons and test it among business students. Methodology/approach: Grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the paper develops a model of consumption reduction intention. Based on a survey conducted among business students from six European Union countries, the model is tested using structural equation modelling. Findings: The study revealed the twofold influence of the intention to protect the environment on intention to reduce consumption: direct and indirect. The predictive power of the intention to protect the environment and willingness to accept the economic sacrifices in the intention to reduce consumption is confirmed as a direct effect. Additionally, the impact is mediated by a willingness to accept economic sacrifices. Originality/value: Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the intention to reduce consumption as a degrowth-oriented consumer attitude for environmental protection

Geopolitical risks for Egypt wheat supply and trade

IntroductionSince 2005, Russia has established a stable position in Egypt's wheat imports, and after 2016, it became the largest global wheat exporter. The shift in Russian grain production has visibly affected wheat export destinations in favor of developing countries. This paper identifies the main determinants of wheat trade in Egypt concerning the primary risks associated with the war in Ukraine.MethodsThe paper utilizes time series analysis, index analysis, and an econometric model to define the statistical relationship between the quantity of wheat imported into Egypt and population development, wheat price, and wheat production.ResultsDespite increasing wheat production growth rates (1.9% p.a. over 2000–2020) and a growing population (2.01% p.a.), Egypt is unable to reduce its import dependence below 50% of total consumption. Undernourishment in Egypt remains at 5.2%–5.4% of the population. The econometric model shows that variables describing the evolution of production, population, and prices are statistically significant in relation to wheat imports. Egypt's wheat imports continue to increase even with rising prices, which is typical for developing countries. The war in Ukraine and associated commodity price increases have far-reaching implications for Africa's food security and supply systems.DiscussionEgypt's vulnerability to external influences, such as climate change, migration, rising commodity prices, and population growth, exacerbates the situation. Most African countries, including Egypt, struggle with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also face rising food and energy prices, conflicts between the world's largest food producers, and increasing poverty rates. The research findings confirm that Egypt is among the highly vulnerable countries due to the war in Ukraine and the disruption of agricultural supply chains

The predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in shaping pro-environmental intentions: a multicountry study

Pro-environmental intentions encourage individuals to make conscious decisions that help protect the environment, reduce waste, conserve resources, and preserve natural habitats. This study aims to assess the predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in determining the pro-environmental intentions in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Methodologically we rely on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), applied to the survey study among 2,702 university students majoring in economics, finance, management, or marketing from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. The results show that the model explained 51% of the total variance of pro-environmental intentions, with the predictive power of environmental concern and perceived behavioral control at 42% and 45%, respectively, and social norms at only 6% (out of total 51% of explanatory power). The implications of our results suggest a major focus on increasing environmental concern and perceived behavioral control in behavioral interventions to support pro-environmental behavior. The effectiveness of social pressure produced by injunctive social norms proved limited. The cross-country differences were not statistically significant. More research must be done to study the relative effect of injunctive and descriptive social norms on pro-environmental behavior

The predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in shaping pro-environmental intentions: a multicountry study

Pro-environmental intentions encourage individuals to make conscious decisions that help protect the environment, reduce waste, conserve resources, and preserve natural habitats. This study aims to assess the predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in determining the pro-environmental intentions in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Methodologically we rely on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), applied to the survey study among 2,702 university students majoring in economics, finance, management, or marketing from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. The results show that the model explained 51% of the total variance of pro-environmental intentions, with the predictive power of environmental concern and perceived behavioral control at 42% and 45%, respectively, and social norms at only 6% (out of total 51% of explanatory power). The implications of our results suggest a major focus on increasing environmental concern and perceived behavioral control in behavioral interventions to support pro-environmental behavior. The effectiveness of social pressure produced by injunctive social norms proved limited. The cross-country differences were not statistically significant. More research must be done to study the relative effect of injunctive and descriptive social norms on pro-environmental behavior

Global methane pledge in Tajikistan: Assessment report

Development Strategies and Governance (DSG); Transformation Strategie

Price Development of Agricultural Commodities - Case Study of: Corn, Wheat and Soybeans

The submitted thesis is focused on price development of wheat, corn and soybeans in 1995 / 2015. The aim of the thesis is to bring complex view on price development and its volatility of chosen commodities. The other aims are determination of relations between individual markets, their volatility and liquidity. There have been also stated research questions dealing with impact of harvests of main world producers on the price volatility, relation between market volatility and liquidity, and influence of seasons on volatility of given commodities. There have been mixed two approaches fundamental and technical analysis. Fundamental analysis brings information about the main factors affecting the supply and demand of chosen commodities and putting these information into context of historical prices development. Technical analysis offers tools for volatility determination. The data based on technical analysis have been used for other processing with aim to bring better understanding of the market structure. The synthesis of previous results follow and the price development is interpreted in the context of these obtained information

Impact of foreign aid on Nigerian economy

AbstractThe study critically assessed the impact of foreign aid on the Nigerian economy with a specific interest in official development assistance from 1980 to 2019. It employed the ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration and finds a long-run relationship among the variables employed. Furthermore, the estimated results suggest that official development assistance as a form of foreign aid and credit extensions does not contribute to the progress of the Nigerian economy, it rather retards it. Also, the study concludes both the short and long run that the labor force contributes to economic progress in Nigeria, whereas gross capital formation just like foreign aid retards growth. The Granger causality test reveals no sign of either unidirectional or bidirectional causal relationship between official development assistance and economic growth in Nigeria. The study recommends that adequate support through credit extensions to SMEs should be fostered to strengthen domestic capital formation. The originality of this work lies in its rigorous analysis of the long-term impact of official development assistance on the Nigerian economy, employing the ARDL bounds testing approach. The findings challenge conventional wisdom and offer valuable insights into the dynamics of foreign aid and economic growth in Nigeria. However, this study has certain limitation. The study temporal scope spans from 1980 to 2019 due to limited data