Essays on banking sector performance in the CISs

This thesis consists of essays on the financial performance of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ (CIS) banking systems. Chapter 2 presents a historical overview of the financial sectors development in transition countries and the CISs in particular. It shed light on key issues of the massive changes in the financial systems of the former soviet bloc countries and their influence on the countries’ banking system landscape nowadays. This chapter aims to contribute to the better understanding of the transition processes from momobank system to two-tier banking system in the CIS countries by providing theoretical background and empirical evidence of transition processes. After more than 20 years of transition the financial systems in the CIS countries have features to different extents, which are the legacy of the former system of finance. Nevertheless, overall the banks in the CISs were transferred into commercial banks and adopted the concept of conventional banking though to different degrees across countries. One of the most important transformations in the CIS banking sectors is the ownership of banks, which were fully state-owned during the soviet times; and privatisation and liberalisation completely reshaped the ownership structure in the CISs. Moreover, the changes in regulation and supervision have critically transformed banks’ risk-taking behaviour, which is also one of the major concerns of our study. Chapter 3 examines bank performance in terms of technical efficiency with particular attention to the impact of bank ownership and risk-taking behaviour and addressing environmental effects on banks technical efficiency in the CISs. Our findings provide empirical evidence that ownership structure matters for the CIS banks efficiency. Using state-owned banks as a benchmark we found that while private banks are less technically efficient than state-owned banks in the CIS countries as well as banks with foreign majority ownership, the CIS-owned banks are more efficient than other banks in the region. Risks-taking behaviour has different impact on performance in the CIS countries. This research has found positive association between capital, credit and market risk and performance, while negative association between liquidity risks and bank performance in the CISs. Chapter 4 examines cost and profit efficiency incorporating important variables, which are considered critical for differences in efficiency, as in Chapter 3. We include ownership type, risk-taking behaviour and different environmental factors to estimate reliable cost and profit efficiency measures. Different concepts of efficiency introduced in this study extend our analysis of bank efficiency, and offer a comprehensive study of the CIS banks performance. We found that privately owned banks are less cost efficient than state-owned banks. Although foreign banks are more profitable than state-owned banks, they are as cost efficient as state-owned banks. The CIS-owned foreign banks are less cost efficient than other banks in the CIS countries. There are different impacts of risk-taking behaviour on bank cost and profit efficiency in the CIS countries. Banks with lower capital risk are more cost efficient. Higher credit risk taking is associated with lower profitability of banks. While banks with lower liquidity risk are more profit efficient, they are less cost efficient. Higher market risk is associated with less cost efficiency. Finally, there is a convergence in cost and profit efficiency scores of banks across the CIS countries indicating a process of re-integration among CIS financial systems. Chapter 5 explores the impact of competition on the stability of banks in the CIS countries. We found that competition is good for stability and verified the competition-stability nexus for the CIS countries. This study also concluded that the improvement of legal rights of borrowers and lenders and bank supervision in the CISs would contribute to banking system stability. Our concluding policy recommendation is that policymakers need to design regulations that would ensure stability and market discipline without impeding competition and efficiency of banks in the CISs

Global warming

The ecological risk assessment of microplastics under global warming receives increasing attention. Yet, such studies mostly focused on increased mean temperatures (MT), ignoring another key component of global warming, namely daily temperature fluctuations (DTF). Moreover, we know next to nothing about the combined effects of multigenerational exposure to microplastics and warming. In this study, Daphnia magna was exposed to an environmentally relevant concentration of polystyrene microplastics (5 μg L-1) under six thermal conditions (MT: 20℃, 24℃; DTF: 0℃, 5℃, 10℃) over two generations to investigate the interactive effects of microplastics and global warming. Results showed that microplastics had no effects on Daphnia at standard thermal conditions (constant 20°C)

Alcohol use and misuse of university students: the role of personal and environmental factors

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of BedfordshireThe aim of the mixed methods study was to explore students’ alcohol use and misuse taking into account personal, micro, macro level factors influencing their choice in the behaviour performance based on analysis of quantitative data obtained from longitudinal surveys and interpreting narrative data obtained during interviews and to use the findings from the quantitative and the qualitative studies to facilitate focus groups of university services, to discuss and recommend variables to be targeted during interventions for students. The first study was a cross sectional quantitative study in which the questionnaire constructed for the current study has been evaluated and the reliability of the measures was identified. In addition, the correlations of the study variables have been explored. The path analysis has been performed to examine the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Self-Determination Theory, Prototype Willingness Model and Social Learning Theory. The second study a longitudinal quantitative study in which before mentioned theories have been explored in a 3 month follow up. The change over time have been investigated by constructing models, path analysis, and the predictors of the change in outcome variables alcohol consumption, alcohol related problems, frequency of alcohol use, units consumed in a single occasion and binge drinking occasions, have been identified. The third study, a qualitative study, interviews with the students were organised to explore further the variables used in the study and explain the quantitative findings with help of interview data. The data assisted in identifying contextual factors of alcohol use and locate the components of researched theories within this context. The fourth study, another qualitative study, which explored the alcohol use of university students from the perspectives of the staff of university support services. Extra contextual factors have been identified and were added to the matrix of students’ alcohol use. The results of the research supported the use of the theories selected as Self-Determination Theory explained the predictors of Theory of Planned Behaviour

Organization of Physics Lessons on the Basis of Module Educational Technology Light Dispersion

This article discusses the modular educational technology that stands out among the pedagogical technologies. Modular learning allows students to develop their knowledge and personal skills. This technology is based on the knowledge acquisition by students as a teaching result, working with popular science literature and information

Ritual and Epic Relations in the Epic "Alpomish"

The epic "Alpomish" is very rich in such details of everyday life associated with the wedding process. The epic has a special encyclopedic significance due to its wide coverage. The epic is very rich in details of everyday life. It is notable for its wide coverage of real life episodes. It is an artistic expression of family rituals, which play an important role in the life of our people