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How to measure the governance pillar of agrarian sustainability
Get PDFAbstract. A need to include “the fourth” Governance pillar in the concept for understanding and the assessment system of (overall and) agrarian sustainability is increasingly justified in academic literature and finds place in the frameworks of government, international, private, etc. organizations Nevertheless, still there is no general consensus on: whether and how to include the governance as a new pillar of agrarian sustainability; how to define the governance sustainability; what are the relations between the governance sustainability of a farming enterprise and agriculture; what are the critical factors of governance sustainability; how to formulate, select, measure and integrate diverse sustainability indicators; and how to properly evaluate the level of governance sustainability, etc. In Bulgaria, like in many other countries, practically there are no comprehensive assessments of the governance sustainability of agriculture and its importance for the overall agrarian development. This study tries to fill the gap and suggests a holistic framework for understanding and assessing the governance sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture. The newly elaborated approach is “tested” in a large-scale study for assessing the governance sustainability of country’s agriculture at national, sectoral, regional, eco-system and farm levels.The study has proved that it is important to include the “missing” Governance Pillar in the assessment of the Integral sustainability of agriculture and sustainability of agro-systems of various type. Multiple Principles, Criteria and Indicators assessment of the Governance sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture indicates that the Overall Governance Sustainability is at a “Good” but very close to the “Satisfactory” level. Besides, there is a considerable differentiation in the level of Integral Governance sustainability of different agro-systems in the country. Last but not least important, results on the integral agrarian sustainability assessment based on micro (farm) and macro (statistical, etc.) data show some discrepancies which have to be taken into consideration in the analysis and interpretation, while assessment indicators, methods and data sources further improved. Having in mind the importance of holistic assessments of this kind for improving the agrarian sustainability in general, and the Governance sustainability of agriculture in particular, they are to be expended and their precision and representation increased. The later requires improvement of the precision through enlargement of surveyed farms and stakeholders, and incorporating more “objective” data from surveys, statistics, expertise of professionals in the area, etc. Since the elaboration of an effective framework for Governance sustainability assessment is far from complete our and other emerging suggestions have to be further discussed, experimented, improved and adapted to the specific conditions of evaluating agricultural system and needs of decision-makers at different levels.Keywords. Governance sustainability, Assessment, Agriculture, Agricultural systems, Bulgaria.JEL. Q12, Q13, Q15, Q18.
The determinants of moonlighting in the context of falling wages in Cameroon: A bivariate structural Probit model analysis
Get PDFAbstract. The aim of this article is to analyse the determinants of moonlighting in the context of falling worker’s wages in Cameroon. From a sample of Cameroonian workers with a main job a bivariate structural probit model analysis shows that the participation in moonlight jobs is inversely correlated with the level of education and the female gender. But it is positively correlated with both the wage of the main job and age. Moonlighting seems to play a different role in the transition from working life to retirement in Cameroon compared to developed countries.Keywords. Main job, Moonlight job, Wages, Participation, Probit model.JEL. C44, D70, D81, D91, H12, M51, Q54
Understanding and improving the governance of ecosystem services: The case of agriculture
Get PDFAbstract. (Agro)ecosystem services is a “new” term, which is rapidly and widely used in academicstudies, and policies and business practices around the globe.Nevertheless, in many countries around the globe, studies associated with agroecosystem services and their “management” are at the beginning stage.This article suggests a holistic framework for defining, evaluating and improving the system of governance of agro-ecosystem services. The interdisciplinary Theory of Ecosystem Services and the New Institutional Economy are adapted, and the governance of agroecosystem services defined, various related agents identified, principle forms and mechanisms of governance classified, an adequate criterion for assessing efficiency formulated, and stages for analysis and improvement of the system of governance characterized. The proposed new approach is based on the “building up” of a hierarchy of agro-ecosystems and services related to its different levels, and an assessment of the efficiency and complementarities of the governance modes and mechanisms, corresponding to each level of “provision” of agroecosystem services.Keywords. Agro-ecosystems, Services, Governance, Market, Private, Public modes, Efficiency.JEL. Q12, Q13, Q15, Q18
Destructive technologies as driving forces of new technological cycles for industrial and corporate change
Get PDFAbstract. This study suggests a new concept of technology that is a main element of the system of technological change in society: killer or disruptive technology is a based on new products and/or processes that destroys the usage of established products/processes sold and used. The behavior of killer technologies is operationalized here with a simple model that shows how new technologies substitute old ones. technologies. Several examples illustrate this vital concept for economics of technology that can explain the drivers of technological cycles and technological change in society. Empirical evidence of this theoretical framework is based on data of some example technologies. Theoretical framework and empirical evidence hint at general properties of the behavior of killer technologies: a) killer technology is always associated with some comparable established technology in markets; b) killer technology has a disproportionate growth in relation to victim technology; c) in the long run, killer technology has a series of technological advances of its own resulting from various major and minor innovations to pave the way for the dominance over other established technologies in markets; d) learning via diffusion and diffusion by learning are driving forces underlying the development and adoption of killer technology in turbulent markets. The proposed theoretical framework can explain industrial, economic and social change and support strategies of management of technology for competitive advantage of firms and nations.Keywords. Killer technology, Diffusion of innovation; Radical innovation, Destructive creation, Evolution of technology, Development of technology, Technological cycles, Dynamics of technological innovation, Technology change, Management of technology, Allometric process, Learning processes.JEL. O30, O32, O33, B50
Union oligopoly and entry in the presence of homogeneous labor
Get PDFAbstract. The analysis discusses the labor market equilibrium under union oligopoly, where unions represent homogeneous workers and use employment strategies. The following points are addressed: 1. The labor market outcomes in the presence of; a. uncooperative behavior among unions; b. uncooperative environment with a leading union; c. collusive (coordinated unions) behavior among unions; d. globally efficient bargaining, are confronted. A specific example with a Stone-Geary utility function and linear demand is forwarded. 2. Supply dynamics may push up employment and, therefore, the number of unions. In equilibrium, some bounds exist to the number of unions the market can support, which are investigated in the example. Five supply dynamics are considered: a. reservation wage restriction; b. a standard labor supply constraint; c. number of unions equal demand; d. individualistic unions; e. existence of a minimum (employed) membership requirement. The equilibrium number of unions for the Cournot-Nash, Stackelberg and efficient bargaining structures is derived for the case where unions exhibit Stone-Geary preferences and labor demand is linear.Keywords. Unions, Wage determination models, Union bargaining, Corporatism, Imperfect competition and union behavior. Union oligopoly.JEL. J51, E24, D49, C79
Multiple working hypotheses for technology analysis
Get PDFAbstract. Technology analysis focuses on technology that is a complex system formed by different elements given by incremental and radical innovations to satisfy needs, achieve goals and/or solve problems of users to take advantage of important opportunities or to cope with consequential environmental threats. This study suggests a methods of inquiry, called multiple working hypotheses (MWHs), for technology analysis that consider the development, prior to research, of different hypotheses concerning the origin and evolution of technology, which are likely due to several causes, not just one. The MWHs presented here are categorized in traditional hypotheses, such as demand for technology hypothesis, Induced-innovation hypothesis, learning by doing hypothesis, learning via diffusion hypothesis, specialization via scale hypothesis, disadvantage of beginning hypothesis, path-dependence hypothesis, competitive substitution hypothesis, predator-prey hypothesis, and modern hypotheses such as killer technology hypothesis, parasite technologies hypothesis. Scholars of technology studies should consider all suggested hypotheses for technology analysis, also considering the possibility that none of them are correct and that some new explanations may emerge in more and more complex and turbulent environment.Keywords. Technology, Technological innovation, Technology analysis, Induced innovation, Learning by doing, Technological evolution, Nature of technology, Path dependence, Technological change, Technological progress, Technological parasitism, Technological advances, Killer technology, Evolution of technology, Multiple working hypotheses.JEL. O30, O31, O33
Foreign direct investment, three main sectors of the economy and economic growth: Evidence from West African Countries
Get PDFAbstract. The study investigates the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth in 9 West African countries namely; Burkina-Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Using panel data econometrics for the period 2000-2016, we found empirical evidence that suggests that the effect of FDI on economic growth is negative and statistically significant. Our results show that neither foreign direct investment nor the primary sector of economy (PSE) of this region are not an adequate mechanism to accelerate economic growth in West African countries. While, the secondary and tertiary sectors of economy of the region have a positive effect and statistically significant to explain the growth.Keywords. Foreign direct investment, Sectors of the economy, Economic growth, Panel data, West African Countries.JEL. C23, F62, N17
