Dynamic modelling of a three-sector transitional economy

Rural industry provides inputs and markets for agriculture, which in turn provides inputs and markets for rural industry. As the mutually supportive linkages between rural industry and agriculture develop, the size of both sectors increases. Under certain conditions rural industry grows more rapidly than agriculture, resulting in the structural transformation of the rural sector. But the growth of rural industry may hurt the state-owned industrial sector if both sectors compete for similar resources and product markets. To protect their state enterprises, transitional economies have at times suppressed the growth of non-state rural industries. This can hurt the economy overall. We show how the growth rates of agriculture and rural industry may decline, and, surprisingly, how the growth of state industry might fall if rural industry is suppressed. This is especially so if agriculture supports state industry. By suppressing rural industry, agriculture is hurt. The decline in agriculture then hurts state industry, undermining the objective of protecting state industry. Depending on the magnitude of the relevant impacts, intervention to protect state industry may or may not be optimal, leaving governments with difficult policy decisions

The business of social responsibility: Evidence from the garment industry in Northeast Thailand

Many business managers demonstrate a reluctance to engage fully with corporate social responsibility (CSR). They often perceive CSR as a cost and their CSR activities tend to be piecemeal and defensive. Such suboptimal outcomes can stem from a failure to appreciate a firm’s social assets. We suggest that firms have the potential to engage much more fully with CSR, in a manner that is consistent with a profit-maximizing approach to business. But managers need help in both gaining an awareness of the social contributions that they can make and in navigating their way through CSR issues. To this end, we outline a program of four-Ds, namely dialogue, data, design and delivery, to assist managers integrate CSR issues into their overall business strategies. Our case study of the garment industry in Thailand illustrates how CSR issues can be leveraged to increase worker productivity and deliver positive social and community health outcomes, despite operating in an area that is often subject to criticism

Migration, household composition and child welfare in rural Northeast Thailand

In many developing countries, the composition of rural households is influenced by the migration of adult household members to urban locations in search of employment. Children may be left in the care of their mother alone, or in the care of grandparents when both parents have migrated. Using representative data from a household survey conducted in rural Northeast Thailand in 2003, this paper investigates whether household composition has any effect on the welfare of children, as measured by anthropometric measurements including height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height. Our findings suggest that household types other than nuclear families result in some significantly worse child nutritional outcomes. The implication is that governments should protect the welfare of the children of migrants, either through targeted programs or through increased opportunities for employment in rural areas

Recognising and building on freshman students' prior knowledge of economics

The results of three surveys of freshman economics students (2008-2010) at the Waikato Management School, New Zealand, suggest that incoming students have significant levels of prior economics knowledge. Given this head start in knowledge, we have expanded our freshman lecture material with more advanced content than students would normally encounter in a microeconomics principles class. This paper examines the sources of incoming students’ prior economics knowledge and discusses some of the changes made to the learning material. The changes relate principally to the links we make between students’ basic, prior economics knowledge and the more advanced learning content that demonstrates how formal economics training can add considerable value in thinking more deeply about current affairs, business issues and daily life experiences

Migration, Household Composition, and Child Welfare in Rural Northeast Thailand

In many developing countries the composition of rural households is influenced by the migration of adult household members to urban locations in search of employment. Children may be left in the care of their mother alone, or in the care of grandparents when both parents have migrated. Using representative data from a household survey conducted in rural Northeast Thailand in 2003, this paper investigates whether household composition has any effect on the welfare of children, as measured by anthropometric measurements including height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height. Our findings suggest that household types other than nuclear families result in some significantly worse child nutritional outcomes. The implication is that governments should protect the welfare of the children of migrants, either through targeted programs or through increased opportunities for employment in rural areas.migration, household composition, children, Thailand, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, I31, O15, O18,

Household resources, household composition, and child nutritional outcomes

In many developing countries the composition of rural households is influenced by the migration of adult household members to urban locations in search of employment. Children may be left in the care of their mother alone, or in the care of grandparents when both parents have migrated. Using representative data from rural Northeast Thailand, this paper investigates whether household composition has any effect on the nutritional outcomes of children. Our findings suggest that household types other than nuclear families result in some significantly worse child nutritional outcomes. One implication is that governments should target programs to protect the welfare of the children of migrants in origin communities.migration, household composition, children, Thailand, Consumer/Household Economics, I12, O15, O18,

Path dependence or convergence? The evolution of corporate ownership around the world

We offer a theory that sheds light on the current debate over whether the form of corporate ownership converges to the Berle-Means image. Our analytical results are threefold. First, legal rules and firm-specific protective arrangements are complementary. Secondly, corporate ownership patterns can be convergent or path dependent depending on the relative importance of these protective arrangements. We predict, for example, diffuse stock ownership in countries that impose legal limits on blockholders’ power to expropriate minority investor rights. Thirdly, we find that convergence toward diffuse share ownership is a movement towards the social optimum. Our empirical results suggest a case for the co-existence of path dependence and functional convergence (convergence to the diffuse form of share ownership through cross-listings on U.S. stock exchanges that impose more stringent disclosure and listing requirements). These results have implications for the design of executive compensation, the case for institutional investor activism and the proposal to increase shareholder power

In Situ Extraction And Transesterification Of Jatropha Curcas L. Seeds Using Supercritical Fluids For The Synthesis Of Biodiesel

Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) is an emerging non-edible oil plant which has a high potential as the feedstock for biodiesel production. In this study, supercritical in situ extraction and transesterification process (SET) developed from process intensification was applied together with methanol for the production of biodiesel from JCL in a high pressure batch reactor. Raw material characterizations were performed on the JCL oil seeds in this study to determine their physical and chemical properties. Pre-treatments of the solid seeds including solid particle size (0.5-2.0 mm), de-shelling and heat treatment at five different temperatures (45°C-105°C) and two different durations (12h and 24h) were also investigated. It was discovered that de-shelling of JCL seeds had highest influence on the product yield, followed by sieving and heat treatment. SET process was conducted in the process temperature range of 240°C to 320°C, process pressure of 4.0 MPa to 24.0 MPa, methanol to solid seeds ratio (SSR) of 2.5 ml/g to 15.0 ml/g, space loading of 90.0 ml/g to 18.0 ml/g, n-hexane to solid seeds ratio of 0 ml/g to 6.0 ml/g, process holding time of 0 min to 35 min and stirring speed of 0 rpm to 500 rpm. Co-solvents which were being employed in the process to reduce the process severity were n-pentane, n-heptane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, nitrogen gas (N2) and carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Their amounts were varied from 1.0 ml/g to 5.0 ml/g for liquid and 10 bar to 50 bar for gases. It was found that n-pentane and CO2 could further reduce the optimum operating temperature and amount of methanol for SET process due to promoting higher miscibility between reactants

Harnessing the private sector for rural development, poverty alleviation and HIV/AIDS prevention

In resource-constrained developing countries, mobilizing resources from outside sources may assist in overcoming many development challenges. This paper examines the Thai Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD), an NGO-sponsored program that brings together the comparative advantages and self-interest of rural villages, private sector firms and a facilitating NGO, to improve social and community health outcomes in rural areas. We analyze key issues in the program with data from Northeast Thailand. We find that the TBIRD program appears to improve the income earning and other prospects of the TBIRD factory workers. Further, TBIRD factory employment exhibits a pro-poor bias. A key impact is to provide jobs for people who might otherwise be at increased risk of HIV infection through poverty-induced decisions to migrate to urban centres and participate in the commercial sex industry. This program adds another important tool for development planners in the fight against HIV/AIDS