Managers’ Practice about Demand Estimation and Demand Forecasting in Pakistan: An Analysis

The article is about estimating the demand of Medicam Toothpaste by viewing the effect of various variables like price of Medicam toothpaste, price of Shield toothbrush, price of Colgate toothpaste, advertisement and total revenue. The methodology used is multiple regression analysis using Ordinary least Square method applied on time series quarterly data. The results of this research show that coefficient of price of Medicam and the price of shield toothbrush have negative influence on demand of Medicam. The coefficient of price of Colgate toothpaste has a positive value. Similarly advertisement has direct relation with demand. Total revenue has also direct relation with demand of product. Price elasticity of demand is -0.15, cross price elasticity of demand w. r. t price of Colgate is 0.01, and w. r. t price of shield tooth paste is -0.05, advertisement elasticity of demand is 0.07 and total sales elasticity of demand is 0.02. The forecasting results show that the demand will increase in the 1st quarter of 2013 up to 48181.53 units. Keywords: Demand estimation, Demand Forecasting, Elasticities of demand, Exponential Smoothing, Econometric Methods, Quarterly data

Essays on complementarity: organizational and market changes in agriculture

Cette thèse vise à tester pour l’existence d’effet de complémentarités entre différentes activités économiques dans le secteur agricole. Pour cela, nous mobilisons les deux approches que proposent la littérature, à savoir l’approche par la productivité et l’approche par l’adoption. Nous commençons par une revue de la littérature sur l’économie de la complémentarité, en nous focalisant sur ces deux approches de la complémentarité et ses modèles empiriques. Nous proposons ensuite trois analyses empiriques permettant de tester ces modèles. La première explore les déterminants du choix de marque et/ou de signes des qualité par les petites coopératives agricoles françaises, avec un focus particulier sur la coexistence de ces deux signes. La seconde fournit un test direct de complémentarité entre labels et marques en recourant à l’approche par l’adoption. En estimant un probit multinomial, il est en effet possible de séparer l’effet de complémentarité de celui de l’hétérogénéité inobservable. La troisième introduit l’approche par la productivité, en sus de l’approche par l’adoption, pour tester de cet eet de complémentarité dans les systèmes de polyculture élevage adoptés par les petits exploitants de la province du Pendjab au Pakistan. ABSTRACT : The main objective of this thesis is to test for complementarity between different economic activities in agriculture. To do this, we have recourse to the two approaches proposed by the literature, i.e. the productivity approach and the adoption approach. First, we review the economics of complementarity and analyze the different empirical models to test for complementarity. Then, we propose three empirical analyses testing these models. The first examine closely the drivers of the branding and labeling strategies from French small agricultural co-operatives, with a focus on the coexistence of both quality signals. The second directly test for complementarity between branding and labeling using the adoption approach, by estimating a multinomal probit. This allow us to separate what is really due to complementarity and what is caused by unobserved heterogeneity. Third, in addition to adoption approach, we test for complementarity using a productivity approach in the mixed farming systems adopted by smallholder farmers in Punjab, Pakistan

Analyzing Tax Policy and Economic Growth by Using Semi-Parametric Approach

Abstract. Due to complexities in measuring the impact of tax policy on economic growth, there is need to explore functional relationship between response and predictors. Semi-parametric approaches are often very handy in modeling relationships which are non-linear but cant be completely described either through parametric or non-parametric approaches. To determine the effects of tax policy on economic growthfunctional, cubic smoothing spline method is used along with cross validation test to control the smoothing parameter. To replace the functional form of smoothing coefficients into linear mixed model, maximum likelihood estimation is used. Results indicate that proposed methodology is robust in determining functional form and in achieving increasing average marginal tax rates has negative impact on economic growth results. Empirical results indicate that high AMTRs and population growth rate reduce the performance of economic growth in the developing countries. A reduction on dependence of AMTRs in South Asian countries is needed.Keywords: Spline smoothing method, Semi-parametric, Tax structure, Economic growth, Average marginal tax rate.JEL. H26, O40, C14, H71

Efficiency of higher education in the presence of shared inputs using data envelopment analysis

This study measures the efficiency of higher education institutions with respect to teaching activity, research activity, and overall activities and also provides a direction for low-performing institutions to improve their performance. In many instances, the efficiency of the institution is a sum up of the efficiency of its activities. However, when the activities consume some resources in common, it requires the allocation of shared resources among the activities. Since sums up the efficiency of each activity does not give the institution’s overall efficiency, we use a joint data envelopment analysis that takes into account the institution’s internal operations to measure the teaching efficiency, research efficiency, and overall efficiency of the institutions. The empirical results indicate that the institutions that execute both activities simultaneously become more productive rather than adopt a single activity. Hence, this study suggests a useful and measurable action to improve the institution’s performance

A role corporate governance and firm's environmental performance: a moderating role of institutional regulations

Climate change has become one of the biggest issue across the globe as most countries have been bearing the consequences of this phenomenon on a global scale. Countries have been drafting environmental regulations to help mitigate the environmental pollution caused by climate change. Therefore, the implications of environmental policies in various sectors of the economy are dependent on state regulations. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of corporate governance on environmental performance. Furthermore, this study examines the impact of institutional regulations on the relationship of corporate governance and firms’ environmental performance. The data was collected from the top 120 manufacturing companies that are based in Pakistan, India, China and Bangladesh. The binary logit regression methodology was employed in this study. The results indicate that the attributes of corporate governance have a positive and significant impact on green performance. In addition, the results were also positive and significant on the moderating role of institutional regulation for corporate governance and firm performance. Hence, based on the empirical findings, this study recommends strict environmental institutional regulations to further enhance environmental performance

Barriers to small enterprise growth in the developing countries: Evidences from case studies in Indonesia and Malaysia

Small enterprises have played a significant role in developing economies of a nation. Researchers in the developing countries who examine the small enterprises recognize their contributions towards economic growth of these countries. Whilst only a minimum number of studies have highlighted the issues pertaining to the uniqueness of small business development that provide useful insights, the different evidence from one country to another indicates the need to report and document the insights from various countries. This paper highlights the barriers to growth of small enterprises in the context of Indonesia and Malaysia from comparative case studies done in both countries. The case studies were carried out in 2018 to achieve the four propositions set out in the research, which are (i) limited number of products being developed as a barrier (ii) wider area of marketing as another potential barrier, (iii) lack of marketing strategy by the small enterprises as the associate barrier and (iv) the inconsistent sales turnover as the final potential barrier. The internal and external forces affecting the small business case studies were carefully analyzed to determine the kind of barriers that hinder potential growth

Knowledge acquisition and product development capability magnify competitive advantage : insight into higher education institutions of Pakistan

With the emergence of a knowledge-based economy, knowledge has become an integral factor in providing a competitive advantage for organizations including higher education institutions. The objective of this study is to empirically examine the mediating effect of product development capability (PDC) in the relationship between knowledge acquisition (KA) and competitive advantage (CA) in public higher education institutions (PHEIs) of Pakistan. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. A total of one hundred questionnaires were distributed through random sampling technique to vice-chancellors of PHEIs eliciting eighty-six respondents or a response rate of eighty-six percent. Data were analysed by using PLS through a structural equation modelling approach. The findings revealed significant positive effect of KA and PDC on CA. Additionally, KA also produced a significant positive effect on PDA. Further, PDA was shown to mediate the relationship between KA and CA. The current research provides more specific direction on how practitioners can strategically gain CA through KA and PDC within context of PHEIs of Pakistan

Using employee creativity to unpack the 'black box' in the High-Performance Work System (HPWS)- firm performance nexus

The extant research findings have identified lacunas (i.e. gaps, unresolved issues, and black box) in the High-Performance Work System (HPWS)-Performance relationship and suggested usage of a mechanism (mediator) that can close up the identified lacunas. Thus, this study investigates whether employee creativity can play a mediating role in the relationship between HPWS and firm non-financial performance. The sample size of the study is 518, and respondents were selected through stratified sampling technique. Data were collected from the sampled 518 managers in Nigeria

Entrepreneurial network towards small firm performance through dynamic capabilities: the conceptual perspective

This conceptual paper reveals the hypothesized link between entrepreneurial network and small firm performance and the mediating effect of dynamic capabilities on the mentioned relationship. The theoretical grounds of the entrepreneurial network, dynamic capabilities and small firm performance established this conceptual framework. This paper adopts the Resource Based View (RBV) which claims that firm valuable strategic resources (entrepreneurial network) and capabilities (dynamic capabilities) both are important to make firm successful. Similarly, Dynamic Capability View (DCV) support and verify this conceptual framework. It means the stronger entrepreneurial network will lead to develop dynamic capabilities, which will ultimately cause the higher firm performance. Therefore, this paper incorporates two strategically important variables namely, entrepreneurial network and dynamic capabilities to enhance the small firm performance, whereas RBV suggests that firms make progress on the basis of resources and capabilities. Entrepreneurial network and dynamic capabilities both are regarded as the important elements to combat the lower firm performance in current turbulent business environment. By keeping in view, the theoretical foundations of RBV and DCV, this paper proposes a conceptual framework in examining the mediating role of dynamic capabilities on the relationship between entrepreneurial network and small firm performance

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London