Health care expenditure and environmental pollution: a cross-country comparison across different income groups

This paper investigates the long-run dynamics between health care expenditure and environmental pollution across four global income groups. The analysis uses data from 178 countries, spanning the period 1995–2017. Panel estimations are employed with unobserved heterogeneity, temporal persistence, and cross-sectional dependence using a model with common correlated effects. The findings document that the health care expenditure is a necessity for all sub-groups. We established that a 1% increase in national income increased health expenditure by 7.2% in the full sample, and 9.3%, 8.6%, 6.8% and 2.9% for low, low-middle, upper-middle and high-income groups, respectively, while a 1% increase in CO2 emissions increased health expenditure by 2.5% in the full sample, and 2.9%, 1.2%, 2.3% and 2.6% across these four income groups. We recommend that coordinated approach is needed in setting policy goals both in energy and health sectors in mitigating the negative effects of pollution. Our findings indicate that low-carbon emissions and energy efficient health care services will significantly reduce future health care expenses.N/

: Une étude qualitative des critères de choix d’un covoitureur sur BlaBlaCar.

International audienceL’économie collaborative connaît depuis quelques années un développement rapide, en particulier dans les services. Cette croissance pose avec acuité la question de la construction de la confiance dans ce contexte singulier qui ne réunit pas les conditions de cette dernière. La plateforme, seul intermédiaire entre les pairs candidats à l’échange doit en effet pallier l’anonymat, l’absence de réputation, le manque de répétition de la transaction, pour amener les participants potentiels à accepter de se placer en situation de vulnérabilité les uns par rapport aux autres. Nous nous proposons dans cet article d’étudier le process de construction de la confiance des jeunes de 18 à 25 ans, principaux usagers de la plateforme de covoiturage BlaBlaCar

Adoption of Cloud Computing in Emerging Countries: The Role of the Absorptive Capacity

This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework that explains the cloud computing (CC) adoption decision in emerging countries. It emphasizes the specific role of technolog- ical absorptive capacity especially if CC is adopted to boost innovation. Our examination of absorptive capacity is in line with Todorova and Durisin (2007) who propose a frame- work linking the contributions of Cohen and Levinthal (1989) and Zahra and George (2002). To test our theoretical claims, we estimate two models predicting the probabilities of adopting CC, and of adopting CC for innovative aims. We include in our model variables for the firm’s competitive pressure and external environment, perceived technological im- pacts, and technological absorptive capacity. We also include control variables such as firm age and size, and sector of activity. We employ a bivariate probit model to explain the de- terminants of the decision to adopt CC, and an ordered probit model with sample selection in order to understand the determinant of adoption for innovation. Our data are from a questionnaire administered face-to-face to a random sample of 350 Tunisian firms. Our empirical findings confirm our theoretical claims and show that perception of the technol- ogy is a key factor in CC adoption (for general purposes), and that absorptive capacity is fundamental for adoption of CC for innovation. We show also that competitive pressure is an important explanatory factor: the more competitors that adopt a technology, the more likely the firm will adopt it.

Adoption of Cloud Computingin Emerging Countries: The Role of the Absorptive Capacity

International audienceThis paper aims at developing a theoretical framework that explains the decision of cloud computing (CC) adoption in Emergent Countries. It emphasizes the specific role of the technological absorptive capacity especially when the firm is seeking innovation by adopting CC. The absorptive capacity considered in this work is close to the work of Todorova and Durisin (2007) who proposed a framework linking both the contributions of Cohen and Levinthal (1989) and Zahra and Georges (2002).To test our theoretical claims, we estimated two models predicting the probability of adopting CC and adopting CC for innovative aims with (1) competitive pressure and external environment, (2) Technology perceived impacts, and (3) technological absorptive capacity of the firm. We use control variables such as size, sector of activity and seniority in order to control the general purposes of our claims. We use a bivariate probit model in order to understand the determinants of the decision of adoption and an ordered probit with sample selection in order to understand the determinant of adoption of CC for innovative aims. Based on a face-to-face questionnaire administered to a random sample of 350 Tunisian firms, and using a Heckman selection method. Our empirical findings confirm our theoretical claims and show that technology perception is key factor for CC adoption (for general purposes) and that the absorptive capacity is fundamental when the adoption of CC is for innovation goals.We found also that competition pressureis an important explanatory factor:the more competitors that adopt this technology, the more likely the firm adopt it

Intra-Firm Diffusion of Innovation: Evidence from Tunisian SME's in Matters of Information and Communication Technologies

International audienceThe aim of this paper is twofold: first, we want to explore the intra-firm diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) within the Tunisian firms and to characterize its general trends of adoption and usage. Second, we want to emphasize the rank and epidemic effects stressed by the disequilibrium models of intra-firm diffusion of innovation following the traditional view of (Mansfield, 1963, Antonelli 1985). Based on face-to-face questionnaires of a random sample of 175 firms our paper shows that: (i) three technological waves of ICT adoption are well characterized in the Tunisian manufacturing sector. This dynamic of adoption is linked to the age of the technologies. Time is the main explanatory variable for intra-firm diffusion of these technologies. (ii) A positive correlation between the size of the firm, seniority and the depth of adoption is found. These econometric estimates show that the rank effect is well characterized within the Tunisian firms. (iii) A positive correlation between technological absorptive capacity building and intensity of ICT usage is found. This correlation confirms the epidemic effect. (iv) Our results show that disequilibrium models' explanations of intra-firm diffusion of innovation are valid within the Tunisian manufacturing sector and seem more appropriate than the equilibrium theory for developing countries

INTRA-FIRM DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION: EVIDENCE FROM TUNISIAN SMEs REGARDING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, we want to explore the intra-firm diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) within Tunisian firms and to characterize its general trends regarding adoption and usage. Second, we want to emphasize the rank and epidemic effects highlighted by the disequilibrium models of intra-firm diffusion of innovation following the traditional view of Mansfield (1963a) and Antonelli (1985). Based on a face-to-face questionnaire of a random sample of 175 firms, our article shows that:(i) Three technological waves of ICT adoption are well characterized in the Tunisian manufacturing sector. This dynamic of adoption is linked to the age of the technologies. Time is the main explanatory variable for intra-firm diffusion of these technologies.(ii) A positive correlation between the size of the firm, seniority and the depth of adoption is found. This econometric estimation shows that the rank effect is well characterized within the Tunisian firms.(iii) A positive correlation between technological absorptive capacity building and intensity of ICT usage is found. This correlation confirms the epidemic effect.Our results show that disequilibrium model explanations of intra-firm diffusion of innovation are valid within the Tunisian manufacturing sector and seem more appropriate than the equilibrium theory for developing countries.ICT adoption, depth of ICT adoption, ordered probit model