10.18639/MERJ.2019.738226
Case Study
Jan 04, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
The role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) for sustainable development, particularly in developing countries, has become a topic of debate among environmental, business, and economic researchers. In that context, we try to explore the compatibility and congruence of the business operations of MNEs vis-à-vis sustainable development in the developing part of the world. By using a multitheoretical framework followed with a multicase analysis concerning emerging and developing countries, we investigate how MNEs are addressing regional requirements of sustainable development where environment, local culture, and institutional mechanism are the key concerns. The adherence to evolving institutional mechanism over the years along with willful ethical steps taken by MNEs are found to be important in improving the state of affairs in the developing nations.
10.18639/MERJ.2019.735006
Review Article
Jan 03, 2019
Special Issue S3: “Global Warming and Climate Change: Part 2”
Asia-Pacific is currently in charge of almost half of the worldwide carbon outflows and thus causing harm to the environment. So, in order to reduce t he carbon outflow, it is important to calculate or know the carbon dioxide emissions of Indian students perusing higher education in India and analyze the attitudes of students to reduce carbon footprint levels in the university campus. For this purpose, data were collected by conducting an online survey from 200 students pursuing higher education in a leading private university to assess individual carbon footprint per student by using the calculator developed. Findings revealed that higher awareness level of individual footprints positively impacted their behavior toward carbon footprint reduction as students are willing to avail shared services available in campus.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.eS2BadarIqbal
Special Issue
Dec 20, 2018
There has been much hue and cry across the world that “earth is dying” and we have to “save the planet,” trying to influence the policies on climate change. But most unfortunately, neither the developed nor the developing countries are really sincere to tackle the planet’s worst and most critical issue. Accordingly, the earth has been facing the chronic problems of rising temperature, increasing sea level, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. These problems have become regular features. The issue of global warming and climate change has created unprecedented challenges for nations to face and to find out solutions to these burning issues. Numerous negotiations have been taking place across the world (including the last Paris Agreement), but unfortunately, nothing concrete has come up so far, and as a result, the issues are remaining as a myth. For example, the Paris accord has been taking place for climate change policies, but on the implementation horizon, nothing has happened. The worst is the disassociation of the United States from the accord. All this speak volumes about the concern, attitude, responsiveness, and sincerity of nations toward the issue of global warming and climate change.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.734411
Original Research Article
Nov 14, 2018
Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of their decision making and (2) compared the results to two other managerial level samples of 260 managers and 445 employees. The results have implications for theory and practice. Our findings contribute the new theoretical perspectives of differences in the relationship between BPNS at work and PWB by managerial level and senior executives’ gender (“complementarity effect”). In turn, our research provides evidence for practical organizational applications such as the design and implementation of effective human resource development programs based on BPNS. Our findings further underscore the importance of senior executive psychology as a field of academic inquiry and provide directions for future research focused on further improving senior executives’ optimal functioning.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.734348
Case Study
Nov 12, 2018
Twenty years ago, Google became the first web search engine to help people find things on the Internet. Today, people use Google to help organize the infinite data found on the Internet and to find things such as logo designs, business copywriting, promotional videos, or even information on astrology. With the technological advancements of the past decade, these services are found not only at the local marketplace but also in the global marketplace — a workplace of freelancing challenges in a gig economy. The term “gig economy” is clarified in a detailed analysis of one largest freelance websites, Fiverr.com. This case study starts with valuable reviews from a variety of authors about this new economy. Fiverr is the target for analysis regarding growth of the gig economy, and with that growth, there are also opportunities for Fiverr’s competitors. This study includes a PESTLE analysis, Competitive analysis, as well as SWOT analysis of Fiverr and its competition. The results are significant, because the conclusions can better assist scholars and practitioners about how to better utilize freelance services from firms such as Fiverr, found in the gig economy.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.655595
Original Research Article
Aug 06, 2018
Globally, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have been found to significantly contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) in developing nations as well as to employment. In Kenya, the SMEs have the potential of raising many citizens to the mainstream economy. Although the SMEs contribute toward economic development as well as to employment in Kenya, their financial performance is still wanting, which is evidenced by the high collapse rate of SMEs. This research project assessed the influence of accounting outsourcing (AO) on financial performance of SMEs. The study used a descriptive design, and the number of SMEs that formed the population of study was 8605 in Thika subcounty. The sample size was therefore 368 SMEs, which were sampled using stratified and simple random sampling. The study adopted a questionnaire to collect data, and the Cronbach alpha coefficient was employed for testing of reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the collected data with the assistance of statistical packages of social science (SPSS) version 23. The relationship between influences of AO and its effect on financial performance of SMEs were established through a simple regression model. The results of this study showed a significant positive association between the explanatory variables and the financial performance of SMEs. The study concludes that influences of AO have significant influence on SMEs financial performance. The study recommended that managers and owners of SMEs should seek service from qualified accountants as this may increase the quality of financial records and may improve their SMEs financial performance.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.653192
Original Research Article
May 17, 2018
In this paper, the arbitrage opportunities in a foreign exchange market are detected using analytic hierarchy process and linear matrix inequality methods. For this purpose, first, criteria are proposed to detect the direct, triangular, quadrangular, and other types of arbitrage suspect existing in a foreign exchange market. Subsequently, the optimal arbitrage paths are given. Some simulated examples are given. A real data set is analyzed as well. Finally, a conclusion section is given.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.652725
Review Article
May 04, 2018
This research seeks to analyze the effects of the Mexican trade balance on the basis of the Mexico-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement period 2005-2017. The research question is, What are the effects of the Mexican trade balance during the period 2005-2017 in terms of Mexico-Japan Economic Association Agreement (AAEMJ)? The research method used is empirical-analytical and documentary. It is observed that the AAEMJ has strengthened the economic relationship between both countries; however, it has a trade deficit with Japan of 12 million dollars, and the growth of imports is due to establishment of Japan’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico. Mexican exports need support and development programs.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.646193
Original Research Article
Apr 30, 2018
This paper examines the impact of CITIC Securities (CITICS)’ insider trading on five state-owned banks’ stock returns in China. We first conduct a structural Vector Autoregression model together with Granger causality to investigate the response of banks’ returns to that of CITICS. Next an Exponential Generalised AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity process is employed to capture the volatilities of stock returns, and therefore investigate the response of five banks to that of CITICS. The dataset for three months after the scandal is obtained and the estimation results show some significant coupling effects do exist within stock returns of financial sector in stock market as well as within their volatilities. The core findings in this study suggest that Chinese stock prices could reflect all relevant information available from past changes in the share price as well as publicly available information. To some extent, China’s stock market is semi-strong efficiency, implying the quality of investors’ rationality and providing regulators with empirical evidence to policy-making.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.523634
Case Study
Feb 14, 2018
With recent downsizing of talented professionals and the power of globalization to provide opportunities for more underdeveloped countries, the gig economy is a source of influence in today’s generation of professionals. Online outsourcing media have shown to be valuable resources for companies who need a specific set of skills for a limited period. This case study evaluates Upwork.com, one of the leading freelance websites in the gig economy; this article provides insights on how others should evaluate the power of this new economy in terms of opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Upwork has led the pack by providing a flexible platform for freelancers worldwide, including coders, writers, and web developers, putting businesses in touch with reasonably priced workers. The study begins by exploring the attributes of the gig economy. Data collection is achieved through qualitative analysis. The application of these conclusions could increase the survival rate of new freelancers on Upwork.com and in the gig economy. The study is significant because this research widens contemporary assumptions about strategic thinking for individuals engaged in e-commerce.
10.18639/MERJ.2018.04.eS1BAI
Special Issue
Jan 30, 2018
The Second World War was responsible for the creation of two multilateral financial institutions because of the abolition of the gold standard. The war had created two sets of global problems: first, problems of world trade and currency issues; second, how to reconstruct the world economy ravaged by the Second World War. Accordingly, multilateral institutions, namely, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), were established on July 24, 1944. They started functioning in 1945. For creating multilateral institutions for solving trade and currency issues, 44 nations had gathered at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, United States. The primary objective of establishing the IMF was to foster global monetary cooperation among the member countries on the one hand and on the other hand to create a conducive environment to facilitate trade and currency issues. Since its inception, the IMF has been playing a positive and constructive role in the promotion of world trade and solving balance-of-payments crises, particularly in developing economies. More than 73 years have elapsed, and the world economy has been witnessing radical changes in terms of contents and role. However, the IMF has not caused any change in its structure, management, and functioning. Therefore, the countries across the world have started raising their voice to bring the considerably required reforms in the 73-year-old Fund.
10.18639/MERJ.2017.03.520596
Original Research Article
Nov 30, 2017
Youth-development funds play a great role in availing resources to the youth so that they can start their own enterprises with an aim of being self-reliant. The government of Kenya through the youth enterprise fund finances viable youth enterprises in the country. Despite the effort made by the government in the provision of funds, the youth-owned enterprises continue to perform poorly. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of access to Youth Enterprise Development Funds on the financial performance of youth-owned enterprises in Kirinyaga County. The specific objectives are to determine how the type of enterprise, ease of accessing funds, credit offered, and interest rate relates to the profitability of youth-initiated enterprises. The significance of the study is to generate knowledge and information on the influence of youth enterprise development, assist the policy makers, and program implementers, which is useful to students in this field of business as the findings will form bankable empirical literature. This study is based on permanent income theory. The target population was 525, and a sample of 225 was chosen using a stratified sampling method to achieve a representative sample from the chosen geographical areas of the study. Data were analyzed on the SPSS software for both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed a p-value of 0.0232 for the type of enterprises, 0.0243 for the ease of accessing funds, 0.0214 for the credit offered, and 0.0244 for the interest rate. This showed that the relationship between the dependent and independent variables was significant. The presentation was undertaken using frequency tables and charts. The recommendations are that there is a need for enhancement of access to credit to youth-owned enterprises so that they can become more profitable.
10.18639/MERJ.2017.03.520597
Original Research Article
Nov 27, 2017
Globally, unemployment and underemployment of persons with disabilities is a major concern. A World Bank report shows that 20% of the world’s poor are persons with disabilities, 60% of them living in developing countries, such as Kenya. Lack of inclusion, and not disability, contributes to this poverty. Despite the existence of several disability legislations, unemployment of persons with disabilities still remains a challenge. The objective of the study was to establish the extent to which disability legislation awareness influences employability of persons with disabilities in Post-Secondary institutions in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The research used staff from five post-secondary institutions that were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique while five Human Resource Managers were selected using purposeful sampling. The study adopted descriptive research design. Questionnaires were used to collect data and Cronbach alpha coefficient employed to test reliability. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science. The assessment of the influence of disability legislation awareness on employability of persons with disabilities was established through a multiple regression model. The study findings established that the organizations hardly conducted capacity building for staff on disability legislation, there was little or nonexistence of disability policies in the institutions. Moreover, respondents were unaware of how to handle persons with disabilities at workplace. The study concluded that legislation awareness influences employability of persons with disabilities positively because it assists employers develop compliance toward disability inclusion in workplace.
10.18639/MERJ.2017.03.520618
Original Research Article
Oct 30, 2017
This is the first study to investigate the psychosocial impact of demonetization of 2016 in India in two opposing strata of women in the context of their social backgrounds. It provides valuable insights into the social behavior of women before, during, and after demonetization. It attempts to analyze the reasons behind the observed social behavior as well. This study demonstrates that irrespective of the social strata, difficulties encountered by women in the aftermath of demonetization were similar in the community surveyed but responses appeared to be dictated by social background and awareness. In addition, this study underscores a need for greater awareness creation with respect to various social schemes launched by the government among the women, particularly those working in unorganized sector for their greater financial inclusion.
10.18639/MERJ.2017.03.458935
Conceptual Article
Aug 30, 2017
This paper presents a conceptual framework for the socioeconomic transition of regions. It was developed in and for the region of Lusatia, which faces the challenge of becoming more entrepreneurial in order to maintain and regain economic strength. Based on theories of entrepreneurial ecosystems and structuration as well as on extensive practical experience, a mid-level framework for describing and fostering regional change is derived.
