Golden-rule social security and public health in a dynastic model with endogenous longevity and fertility

In this paper we investigate long-run optimal social security and public health and their effects on fertility, longevity, capital intensity, output per worker and welfare in a dynastic model with altruistic bequests. Under empirically plausible conditions, social security and public health reduce fertility and raise longevity, capital intensity and output per worker. The effects of social security, except that on longevity, are stronger than those of public health. Numerically, they can improve welfare (better when they are used together than used separately). We also illustrate numerically that there exists a unique convergent solution in the dynamic system at the steady state.Social security; Public health; Life expectancy; Fertility

Short-term wealth effects of acquisition announcements by family-controlled firms in Malaysia

This study investigates whether Malaysian family-controlled firms create firm value when undertaking corporate acquisitions and which family-specific traits determine this value. Event study methodology is employed to examine the announcement-period wealth effect of corporate acquisition (cumulative abnormal returns – CAR). Inferences drawn in this study are based on 267-sample corporate acquisition announcements performed by publicly listed Malaysian family-controlled firms across a 10-year sample period from the years 2002 to 2011

Social security, welfare and economic growth

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Does government size affect per-capita income growth? A hierarchical meta-regression analysis

We conduct a hierarchical meta-regression analysis to review 87 empirical studies that report 769 estimates for the effects of government size on economic growth. We follow best-practice recommendations for meta-analysis of economics research, and address issues of publication selection bias and heterogeneity. When size is measured as the ratio of total government expenditures to GDP, the partial correlation between government size and per-capita GDP growth is negative in developed countries, but insignificant in developing countries. When size is measured as the ratio of consumption expenditures to GDP, the partial correlation is negative in both developed and developing countries, but the effect in developing countries is less adverse. We also report that government size is associated with less adverse effects when primary studies control for endogeneity and are published in journals and more recently, but it is associated with more adverse effects when primary studies use cross-section data. Our findings indicate that the relationship between government size and per-capita GDP growth is context-specific and likely to be biased due to endogeneity between the level of per-capita income and government expenditures

“Sustainability development strategy in rubber industry and how firms work with NGOs to achieve that” : a case study of Michelin and PT Kirana Megatara

[Introduction] In the past decade, the role of private sector in sustainable development has drawn a lot of attention by the researchers and scholars, empirical studies had been made on sustainable development strategies (Banerjee, 2003; Hart, 2005; Elkington & Hartigan, 2008). The paper will provide us in depth understanding the uniqueness of rubber industry, for over 100 years natural rubber processing remained unchanged and the existing practice of the industry is no longer sustainable to the entire supply chain and it will increase burden to externalities. Among the critical issues to be addressed are poverty problems, human rights, land loss by the smallholders, deforestation, carbon emission and water contamination. There has been pressure from government, activist, NGOs and other stakeholders for more urgent attention to find solution to address the issues. In this report the primary objective is to develop a framework about sustainability strategy in commodity sector – Natural Rubber based on Stuart Hart’s NRBV – Natural Resource Base View theory, this paper will explore how firm leverage their resource towards sustainable development strategy and challenges they attained. More importantly how firms and the industry benefited both short term and long term for the successful implemented sustainable strategy The second objective is to identify the role and constrain of NGOs in sustainable development of the industry; we will study how firms’ partnership with NGOs towards achieving sustainability milestone the various challenge. The paper will end with a discussion of implications and recommendation for further research

Detection of Campylobacter and Salmonella in ostrich

Three ostrich show farms were visited to detect the presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in the birds. Cloacal and skin swabs were taken from 31 ostriches which were clinically healthy. Campylobacter was isolated from one (1.6%) cloacal swab and Salmonella from two (3.2%) samples, a skin and a cloacal swabs; all were from different birds. Although the detection of the organisms was low, it could pose public health risk partly because of contact with the birds and the organisms in the faeces may contaminate the environment and it could be that they may be present in other birds but were not shed at the time of sampling

Occurrence of campylobacter and Salmonella Spp. in ostrich.

Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are important pathogens in veterinary medicine and public health. In Malaysia, there has been limited research done in ostriches due to the small-scale farming and small number of animals. Nevertheless, ostrich farming has a huge potential. Some of the disease agents affecting ostriches, such as Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. can also cause disease in humans. As such, infected ostrich may serve as potential public health risk. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in ostrich and this is the first report documenting the occurrence of these two bacteria in ostrich in Malaysia.Samples were collected from three ostrich show farms, with 8 ostriches from Farm A, 11 from Farm B and 12 from farm C. Samples from the cloaca and skin swabs were obtained from each of the ostrich and examined for Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. All samples were cultured for Campylobacter spp. via direct plating on CCDA. One out of 62 samples (1.6%) was positive for Campylobacter spp. and it was isolated from the cloacal swab. Pre-enrichment, enrichment and direct plating on XLT4 and Salmonella Chromogenic agar were done for isolation of Salmonella spp. from the ostriches. Two samples, one from the skin swab and another one from the cloacal swab, from two different birds were positive for Salmonella spp. The study showed the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. in ostriches. The ostrich is of public health significance as they are used in recreational activities and for human consumption

Government education expenditures and economic growth: a meta-analysis

Using a sample of 237 estimates drawn from 29 primary studies, we conduct a hierarchical meta-regression analysis that examines the association between economic growth and government expenditure on education. We find that the effect of government education expenditure on growth is positive for developed countries. However, when the evidence pertains to less developed countries (LDCs), we find a statistically insignificant association. We also examine the heterogeneity in empirical results and found that factors such as econometric specifications, publication characteristics as well as data characteristics explain the heterogeneity in the literature. We find no evidence of publication selectivity

Effects of government education and health expenditures on economic growth: a meta-analysis

Using a sample of 306 estimates drawn from 31 primary studies, this paper conducts an empirical synthesis of the link between economic growth and government expenditure on education or health using meta-analysis. We also explain the heterogeneity in empirical results. We find that the effect of government education expenditure on growth is positive, whereas the growth effect of government health expenditure is negative. Our meta-regression analysis suggests that factors such as econometric specifications, publication characteristics as well as data characteristics explain the heterogeneity in the literature. We also find no evidence of publication selectivity