International Economics and Business

Dopo la fine del sistema sovietico, il PIL russo si ridusse ininterrottamente fino al 1996, mentre  la dinamica dei prezzi continuò ad aumentare quasi ininterrottamente. Nel 1997 la liberalizzazione dei mercati produsse una momentanea ripresa produttiva, mentre nel 1998 i cronici deficit di bilancio, l’elevato costo della guerra in Cecenia, la crisi finanziaria asiatica, la recessione economica mondiale ed il conseguente declino della domanda di prodotti petroliferi determinarono un pesante deprezzamento del rublo, una grave stagflazione (con una caduta del PIL del 5% ed crescita dei prezzi finali dell’85%), una massiccia fuga di capitali all’estero, la chiusura di alcune importanti banche ed un inatteso default sul debito interno.

E. Rivera, Il crescente peso della Russia nell’economia mondiale e nella finanza internazionale, in Prospettive dell'Economia, n. 4/2011, pp. 65-74, ISSN 1827-7071.

A new study conducted by Windesheim University of Applied Sciences - research group International Business found a significant positive relationship between the quality of the preparation for, the program of, and the follow up after a trade mission and trade mission outcomes. The sample set was small (N=51) however. Therefore the result is just an initial indication that this relationship may exist. New research will follow up on this.

Lo sviluppo industriale della Corea del Sud è stato caratterizzato da un forte intervento dello Stato nell'economia e nel commercio estero ed è risultato possibile grazie al crescente peso dei capitali e degli investimenti stranieri.

E. Rivera, Il crescente peso della Corea del Sud nell’economia e nella finanza internazionale, in Prospettive dell'Economia, n. 4/2010, pp. 67-78, ISSN 1827-7071.

Despite the implementation of stabilization measures during the present recession in Nigeria, unemployment has assumed an alarming dimension and a crisis proportion with millions of able-bodied persons who are to accept jobs at the prevailing wage rate but are unable to find placements. Unemployment can be reduced in developing countries through developmental projects but this can be achieved due to lack of finance. Sequel to that, remittance inflow serves as finance for investment purposes. This study focuses on the impact of international migrant remittances on unemployment rate in Nigeria bearing in mind that reducing the rate of unemployment is one of the macroeconomic objectives of every country. An unemployment rate model was formulated and the unit root test was first applied to the data set. The time series were stationary and the two-stage least squares (2SLS) method was used to identify the impact of remittances on unemployment rate in Nigeria. Findings reveal that international remittances affect unemployment negatively and there exists a unidirectional causality between international migrant remittances and unemployment without feedback. The study recommends that the government and other stakeholder should map out programmes that will sensitize majority of the Nigerian populace on the benefit of investing remittance money so as to become entrepreneurs, create job opportunities and become employers of labour.

Jabwood International, a well-known wood trading company in the Middle East faces a serious crisis. Due to the unstable political climate in the region, Jabwood's sales have decreased dramatically, with an overall drop of 20%. To further complicate the situation its main supplier informs Jabwood to share their exclusivity rights for one of their most important products, TANITA, with other distributors.
It is not a fortunate situation for Jabwood, but what can they do? A decision has to be made, as the family-owned company needs to act immediately for holding and broadening its market position. Therefore they discuss entering new markets, in this case Saudi Arabian and Chinese market. As both markets offer different opportunities, risks and the success in the new market is essential for the company's surviving, the decision really matters.
In this project we are working as consultants to give Jabwood several recommendations, they could follow for overcoming the crisis.
First the country's attractiveness is evaluated. This analysis has a great focus on all possible factors, which act upon the firm in its business environment. Therefore the firm itself is evaluated with regard to all internal and external factors, while there is a special focus on the two potential markets itself. Employing the CSA/FSA matrix, we outline the international competitiveness of Jabwood and the proprietary elements it can use to its advantage. Consequently, the competition in each country is analyzed with a special focus on the competitive advantages Jabwood possesses for succeeding in the potential environment.
For evaluating the country`s attractiveness the analysis continues with calculation and assumptions in regards to the potential market share, Jabwood could reach when engaging in Saudi Arabia or Chinese market. Considering the experiential knowledge that Jabwood has gathered in all the years, they can successfully enter a market if they would be willing to make the necessary adjustments.
As both markets differ in opportunities and risks, the analysis goes on with a discussion of the possible entry modes Jabwood could choose. By applying theories and frameworks from international business we find the most suitable modes of entry for Jabwood in both Saudi Arabia and China. Considering our analysis, the most appropriate entry modes would be an acquisition, greenfield investment or joint venture on the Saudi Arabian market, while Jabwood should consider a joint venture in China on the long term.
The result of the project represents final recommendations for Jabwood. The firm should focus their efforts and resources on the Saudi Arabian market on which they have previous knowledge and where the firm could successfully re-enter through an acquisition that would not only offer them an increased market share but also the possibility of having full control over its operations. Additionally, our recommendations also anticipate the possibility of entering the Chinese market. Given the larger psychic distance that separates them and the need for Jabwood to act in a fast manner, we advise them to consider entering the Chinese market just on a long-term expansion plan via joint venture.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore marketing issues for foreign industrial companies of large, small and medium size entering emerging markets (EMs), particularly transition economies in Eastern Europe. The vast majority of current studies about emerging markets focus only on defining suitable strategies related to large consumer goods corporations.

Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted a multiple case study approach. Five Italian companies belonging to different business-to-business industries that have entered emerging countries in Eastern Europe were selected for investigation.

Findings
Empirical analysis uncovered recurring issues related to: institutional factors causing market uncertainty and instability; difficulties in building a sales network; a need for product adaptation to guarantee satisfactory performance; choices related to communication, branding and trade fairs; and considerations about competition and first mover advantage. Results can be interpreted as an extension of the analysis of institutional voids by Khanna and Palepu (1997).

Research limitations/implications
The study is based on the analysis of five case studies of companies operating in specific emerging markets, namely in Eastern Europe Countries (EEc) Further research based on different samples and different emerging countries is needed before generalizing results.

Practical implications
The study shows that the main institutional void affecting business-to-business companies entering emerging markets (EEc) is the lack of locally developed sales and after-sales networks. This institutional void slows the entry process of business-to-business companies in EMs. Given these constraints, from the perspective of business-to-business SMEs, it may be fruitful to pursue niche positioning in EMs.

Originality/value
The study analyzes emerging markets opportunities and entry strategies from the business-to-business marketing perspective, uncovering the most critical issues.

Using objective measures of investor protections in 170 countries, I establish that the level of investor protection matters for cross-country differences in GDP growth: countries with stronger protections tend to grow faster than those with poor investor protections.

This study examined the relationship between risk management and the
financial performance of insurance firms in Kenya over the period 2013–2020. The
data was collected from 51 Insurance firms licensed to operate in Kenya as of
31 December 2020. Regression analysis was used and the results showed that risk
management significantly affects the financial performance of insurance firms. In
particular, the results indicate that credit risk negatively and significantly affects
financial performance. The results suggest that firms with a higher proportion of
non-performing receivables than total receivables perform poorly. Insurance firms
should therefore put in place credit management strategies to ensure receivables
are collected within the stipulated time to avoid cases of non-performing receivables
and thus improve performance. The results also showed that market risk
management positively and significantly affects financial performance. The findings
imply that sound investment decisions result in an increase in investment income,
which in turn increases financial performance. Insurance firms should therefore
ensure proper management of their investments to boost performance. The findings
also indicate that operational risk management positively and significantly affects financial performance. The findings suggest that proper management of firms’
operations results in reduced operating costs, which in turn result in an increase in
net premiums and positively impact the performance of a firm. Insurance firms
should thus implement proper operations management strategies to reduce costs
and enhance financial performance. The results also indicate that liquidity risk
management positively and significantly affects financial performance. The results
imply that proper liquidity management ensures an increase in the proportion of
current assets to current liabilities and in turn enhances the performance of a firm.
Firms should thus ensure there is sufficient liquidity to discharge obligations when
due to enhanced performance. This study demonstrates that risk management
significantly affects the performance of insurance firms. Therefore, we recommend
that directors and other stakeholders should put in place proper risk management
strategies to boost financial performance. We also recommend that regulators and
policymakers should come up with policies and regulations that will ensure firms
adopt appropriate risk management strategies to enhance performance. The study
contributes to the risk management literature by providing an empirical examination
of the effect of the various risk management strategies adopted by insurance
firms and gives recommendations that can be utilized by policymakers in assessing
and reviewing risk management mechanisms. The study also gives recommendations
to managers and other stakeholders regarding risk management mechanisms
that can be adopted to boost the performance of a firm.

Purpose – This article aims to deal with international investment disputes, with a focus on the nature of the law applicable to the merits of such disputes. Design/methodology/approach – The procedure for determining the law applicable in investment disputes, the phases of determination and the impact thereof on the applicable law were analyzed. The diagonality of the disputes and its impact on the law applicable to the merits from the perspective of the interaction between national and international law were also analyzed. Further, the authors focused on the nature of the host state's breach of obligations towards the investor anchored in the investment treaty, and the effect thereof on the law applicable to the merits. In this respect, the notion of the investment itself was analyzed according to the relevant BITs and MITs. Finally, the authors analyzed the applicability of the Ordre Public concept to investment disputes. Findings – The study provided practical demonstrations ...

The OLI framework, also known as the eclectic paradigm, was introduced by John Dunning in order to
explain the rationale behind a firm’s decision to internationalize its activity. It has been a salient
component of the international business ever since its inception and it has been updated along its
existence in order to retain its significance. Breakthroughs in information and communication
technology have impacted the business environment and have produced changes in all sectors, at a
higher level than any other factor.
In this paper we try to show that, in spite of the changes that have unquestionably affected it, the
eclectic paradigm retains its validity and could still be used for explaining international firm’s
behavior. In order to accomplish our endeavor, we perform an extensive systematic literature review
on the topics of digitalization and the eclectic paradigm.
Our findings suggest that although the components of the eclectic paradigm are very different than
they were at the time of its inception, the OLI framework is elastic enough to embrace change, thus it
appears to retain its validity and can still represent a useful tool.

Considering Nigeria as an oil dependent country, fluctuations in oil prices as a result of policy competition between OPEC and oil shale producing countries (such as the United States and Canada) in recent years has posed an impediment on the current account balances of Nigeria. This study investigates the relationship between oil price fluctuations and the current account balances in Nigeria. The study used a time series data sample from 1977 to 2015. The Autore-gressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) was used to estimate the relationship between the current account and oil price fluctuations in the short-run and long-run. It was argued from the findings that in the short-run, the oil price had a positive but insignificant impact on the current account balances, while in the long-run, it impacted negatively, but was found to be a significant determinant of current account balances in the economy. Other variables such as population growth (POP), gross domestic product (GDP) and trade (T) had an insignificant relationship with the current account balances in the short-run, while in the long-run, only GDP and oil price (OP) were found to be significant determinants of the current account balances in the economy. The study, therefore, concludes that better performances of the current account balance in the Ni-gerian economy are a function of the stability in the oil price. From the findings, it was recommended that the economy should be tailored towards mitigating the shocks in oil price through considering alternative means of trade.

Currently, internet technology is viewed as the most utilized information and communication technology by the organization. This survey attempts to investigate the e-ticketing elements introduced by DSB that influence the expectation to buy e-ticket through the web. Technology acceptance theory was picked as the premise of system of this study along with Customer Satisfaction Theory and Value creation theory to clarify customers acknowledgment through their intention to purchase tickets on the web and to justify their expectations regarding frame of mind, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and trust. It can facilitate and strengthen the connection among the customers and the organization. The review was directed to assemble the data. The questionnaire was sent to various customers of DSB who have been using the e-ticketing services. The measures and speculations were analyzed by making a comparison to various theories utilizing the system. Results demonstrate that social elements, perceived behavioral control, demeanor, and trust altogether impact customers' aim towards embracing e-ticketing. This survey observationally looks at the effect of the e-ticketing system on customer satisfaction, customer data security and user-friendly. The effects of the discoveries for theory and practice are examined.

Problem background: The problem of this research paper is centered on project risk management process and its relation to
the success of construction projects. Organizations, project managers and all other stakeholders have been complaining of
myriads of challenges on how to identify critical factors that can lead to project success. This issue has made these scholars
and practitioners to concern themselves with the issue of project success and try to establish some other appropriate factors
that measure project success from early as 1960s.These scholars have identified different critical success factors of
construction project but how it is impacted on by risk management process is a research gap that this study will try to fill.
Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to establish the effect of project risk management process on the success of
construction project.
Methodology: The study empirically review literatures on the theoretical framework of project risk management process and
its relation to project success in construction industry
Conclusions: The study found out that risk factors have significant impact on the success of constructions project success
regardless of the type or complexity of the project. This means that the traditional success factors of cost, scope, time and
quality are universally inherent in all construction projects and should always be considered as a base for all other forms of
critical success factors however this is not a guarantee of project success since the main weakness of project success is not
from the traditional success factors but rather the society that is pressurizing project managers to succeed in all tasks.
Therefore, critical success factors are necessities aimed at supporting projects managers in tracking various risk factors
associated with projects and make an informed decision.
Recommendations: Therefore, project managers need to develop a more appropriate critical success factor identification
technique in order to avoid the problem of over planning or under planning at the start of the project. When the construction
project is being planned, an appropriate measuring tool for critical success factor analysis may need to be identified and
defined; this is a gap that needs further research. Also, the literature review on was limited to construction projects only and
it is not exhaustive thus confirmation of this work may be done in other sectors.
Keywords: Project, risk, risk factors, risk management, project management, project success, success criteria and critical
success factors.

The paper examines the BOT (build-operate-transfer) projects as a viable model of public-private partnership. Its purpose is to reveal their conceptual framework, evolution, modern interpretations and implementation benefits. In view of the current economic realities of global financial deficit there are budget constraints at all levels of government in every country. The BOT projects can be considered as an alternative strategy for solving the financial and social problems of each government. They are a popular instrument of modernizing the transport infrastructure, energy sector, telecommunications, water supply, preserving of environment, etc.
Key words: BOT projects, build-operate-transfer, concessions, project finance, infrastructure

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN ON AIRBUS AND BOEING
MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE, INCOME AND EARNINGS PER SHARE
Alexis R. Pamatong1 and Ferdinand T. Abocejo2
1University of San Carlos School of Business Economics
2Cebu Normal University Center for Research and Evaluation

ABSTRACT

This study compared the manufacturing performance, earning and income between Airbus and Boeing to determine which company yields better investment prospect. The companies’ business earnings per share, net income and efficiency levels were compared and analyzed.  Some studies have been put forward in the literature comparing both Airbus and Boeing but none delineated which company is wiser to invest hence this study endeavored to fill the information gap. Secondary annualized data covering the period 1999-2013 from both Airbus and Boeing were utilized in the study. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference between Boeing and Airbus’s net income stability with Boeing showing more stability than Airbus. As to earnings per share, Boeing provided their investors with higher earnings. Likewise, there was a significant difference between Boeing and Airbus’s level of efficiency with Boeing as the more efficient company. Boeing also provided higher earnings per share than its Airbus counterpart. Apparently, stable net income signals stability and predictability which most investors crucially consider. Evidently, higher earnings per share provided by Boeing translates to higher earning for investors. Present day international investors logically prefer a more predictable investment and higher yield taking into account the involved risks. Finally, Boeing offer better investment climate than Airbus.

Keywords:  Investment prospect, Boeing, Airbus, earnings per share, income stability, efficiency level

Publish in the "Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal", Volume 2, December 2014 issue. ISSN 2244-6710

A wide range of definitions exists of what constitutes value creation and -generation in private equity buyouts. At the core of the problem is that our understanding of the diverse set of levers, drivers and mechanisms by which financial value is generated has been inconsistent and incomplete. This paper attempts to address extant deficiencies in the literature by proposing a novel and cohesive conceptual model of value generation that connects various strands of research in the field.

The study sought to examine the effect of economic growth and energy consumption on Environmental pollution in Ghana using annual time series data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators between the period 1971 and 2013. Impact of other variables like trade openness and urbanization on the emissions of carbon dioxide for the same period mentioned above were also investigated. Econometrically, the study employed the use of Johansen and Juselius (1990) Cointegration Test and the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to investigate the feasible long-run and short-run relationship and effects among the variables under consideration. Granger Causality test was also carried out to find the causality among the variables. The study found all the variables to be integrated of order one, I (1) by applying the use of the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test. The Johansen multivariate test for cointegration indicated existence of long run relationship among the series. The study found no evidence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the long-run. The study found an insignificant negative relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth in the short run as well as in the long run while Energy consumption was found to have positive and significant impact on CO2 emissions in Ghana. A positive but insignificant relationship was also found between urbanization (UR) and CO2 emissions in the short run and a significant positive effect in in the long run. The study also found a negative relationship between trade openness and carbon dioxide emissions
The Granger Causality test revealed a unidirectional causality running from energy consumption and trade openness to CO2 emissions per capita with no feedback effect.

It is a valuable academic work that contains extended abstracts of the academic studies presented within the scope of Innovation and Global Issues Congress 3 in Antalya by InGlobe Academy and includes multidisciplinary studies.

Turkish

Innovation and Global Issues Congress 3 kapsamında sunulan akademik çalışmaların geniş özet metinlerinin bulunduğu, multidisipliner çalışmalar içeren değerli akademik bir eserdir.

Las competencias ejecutivas se refieren al conjunto de conocimientos, habilidades, destrezas y actitudes que son aplicados por los colaboradores en el desempeño de su cargo u ocupación; esto en correspondencia con el principio de idoneidad demostrada y los aspectos técnicos, productivos y de servicio requeridos, así como los estándares de calidad, productividad y competitividad, que se exigen para el adecuado desenvolvimiento de sus funciones.

Dal 1991 l'Ucraina è uno stato indipendente dall'Unione Sovietica e sta intraprendendo un percorso di riconversione verso l'economia di mercato e di avvicinamento all'Unione Europea.

E. Rivera, Il crescente ruolo economico dell’Ucraina, in Prospettive dell'Economia, n. 4/2012, pp. 65-71, ISSN 1827-7071.

Indonesia categorised as a middle economy country according to the global economic standard. The government launched the World Maritime Fulcrum as a grand strategy or doctrine that alters the development paradigm from land-based to maritime-based. This paper will discuss the policies on which the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) Sea Toll Road as connectivity with the T3P (frontier, outermost, and remote) area can support the price disparity as a form of social justice. It was reviewed using connectivity, the political economy, and economic growth theory. The author used a qualitative method to analyse the problem in addition to paper-based research. In the beginning, the background of the Sea Toll policy will be discussed, alongside the presentation of the research questions and thesis responses. At the same time, the study will include how previous studies have looked at this issue. Only then will it move on to the next chapter, which discusses conceptual connectivity, political economy and economic growth. Furthermore, the policy development from the Archipelago Belt and Nusantara Pendulum through to the Sea Toll Road will be discussed. Massive budgetary costs and empty returning freight costs will be discussed as well. After that, we will discuss the sea highway route and then the evaluation. From this arrangement, it was finally resulted and concluded that the Sea Toll has been on the right path to reach its goal, which removed price disparities involving many records being continually updated by the government and all stakeholders including those in the business world. The importance of our research is how to discuss the Sea Toll over the past four years and how to request assistance and efficiency within this concept realise social justice. Thus, it can be put out as a reference for reviewers in the field of maritime and logistics. Abstrak Indonesia merupakan negara dengan kategori ekonomi menengah dalam standar konstelasi global. Pemerintah mengeluarkan grand strategi atau doktrin paradigma pembangunan yang dulunya berbasis darat menjadi berbasis laut. Artikel ini akan membahas tentang sejauh mana kebijakan Tol Laut Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) sebagai konektivitas dengan daerah T3P (Terdepan, Terluas, dan Terbelakang) dapat menekan disparitas harga sebagai wujud keadilan sosial. Ditinjau dengan menggunakan pendekatan konektivitas, teori ekonomi politik, dan teori pertumbuhan ekonomi. Penulis menggunakan metode kualitatif dan penelitian paper based untuk menganalisis permasalahan menggunakan konsep konektivitas, ekonomi politik, dan teori pertunbuhan ekonomi. Hasil dari studi ini bahwa Tol Laut telah berada di jalan yang tepat untuk menekan disparitas harga meskipun terdapat banyak catatan untuk terus ditingkatkan ke depannya oleh pemerintah dan seluruh stakeholder yang ada termasuk dunia bisnis. Arti penting penelitian kami adalah bagaimana meninjau Tol Laut selama empat tahun ke belakang dan meninjau efektivitas dan efisiensi dari konsep ini untuk mewujudkan keadilan sosial, sehingga dapat menjadi referensi bagi pengkaji di bidang kemaritiman dan logistik.

Malaysia is blessed with a favorable climate for the production of commercially cultivated crops and currently acknowledged as the second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia. In general, palm oil is a significantly influential export industry for the local economy. In 2017 alone, the palm oil industry export value overall amounted to RM 77.84 billion, which made it the fourth largest industry contributing to Malaysia's total exports. Numerous products can be developed from palm oil itself, such as personal care products, detergent, cosmetics, cooking oil, feedstock for biodiesel, and so on. Biodiesel, in particular, is one of the palm oil downstream products with a high added-value. The development of the National Biofuel Policy of Malaysia (NBP 2006) has resulted in a higher demand for palm oil biodiesel, thereby rendering the revenue obtained from its production to relatively and significantly increased since then. Following the decline of biodiesel export revenue in 2009, the value has been fluctuating in recent years amid fierce global competition. Thus, it is important to assess the competitiveness of Malaysia-produced biodiesel and understand the challenges faced by local exporters. In comparison, other major biodiesel-producing countries include Indonesia, the United States of America, and Germany. Henceforth, this paper aimed to investigate the competitiveness displayed by the Malaysian biodiesel industry based on the Relative Trade Advantage (RTA) indices with respect to the main competitors. Data from 2012 to 2016 were analyzed for selected biodiesel commodities, whereby the RTA index indicated that Malaysia could potentially grow further despite being a minor producer. Hence, there is a need to strengthen the palm oil industry as it can be a definite source of higher export earnings.

Singapore has shown a remarkable progress in its economic growth in the last ten years. However, the country's economic growth also has lead towards higher income inequality in the society. The main objective of this research is to analyse the impact of financial development proxied by domestic credit to private sector (DC) and broad money (MS) on income distribution (GINI) in Singapore. Analysis was done using Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL) estimation and the period of study was from 1970 until 2016. The empirical results show that deepening of financial development improves the income distribution in Singapore. One policy recommendation to ensure continuous improvement on its income distribution will be widening the accessibility of the financial products. This might enhance the role of financial institutions to be part of the driver in reducing the existing income gap. A financial sector which is socially inclusive between various segments of the society, may reduce the income inequality issue in the country.

A wealth of research has addressed the internationalization of firms using different theories and conceptual approaches. This paper examines the extant research on internationalization specifically delving into seven streams of research: Market Power, Evolutionary Model, Internalization & Transaction Cost, Eclectic Paradigm, Resource-Based View, Institutional and International New Ventures & Born Global. Methodologically we conduct a bibliometric review in six leading journals recognized for publishing International Business (IB) research, during a forty one year period, from 1970 to 2010. Using citations and co-citations analyses on a sample of 1,459 articles, we sought to better understand the internationalization approaches and how they are interconnected, by examining its growth over time, the most used approaches, the works that have had the greatest impact, and the intellectual interconnections among authors. We conclude that there is no dominant approach in International Business research, albeit the Evolutionary Model has been the most cited-in almost 26% of the extant research.

The paper "Brazil and The WTO informal Dialogue in 2017: History and Achievements" addresses the challenges for the launch, in 2017, of the Informal Dialogue on Investment Facilitation for Development at the World Trade Organization - WTO. It also highlights the importance of enhancing countries' regulatory environment to attract and facilitate foreign investment and presents perspectives for the theme.

It was published at Revista Brasileira de Comércio Exterior - RBCE (ISSN-0102-5074). Available at: https://www.funcex.org.br/publicacoes/rbce/material/rbce/Artigo_Jonatas&Alexandre.pdf

Despite the importance of distance in international business and management research, the theoretical foundation for the concept and the underlying causal mechanisms are subject to shortcomings. We propose reinvigorating the study of distance through a diversity lens. We draw on research on diversity and develop a theoretical framework that distinguishes types of diversity (separation, variety, and disparity) at three levels (institutional, organizational, and individual). We show how this framework allows scholars to extend their analysis of distance, revisit important questions, and explore new issues. We discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of our diversity lens for the international business and management community.

Digitalization is one of the key drivers of accelerated change in our everyday lives, both on an economic and social level. With solutions enabled through ICT technologies, we are more connected than ever on the global scale. In this next chapter of globalization, we currently experience significant transition in the structure of industries, consumer behavior and how we collect and manage data. This transition requires a shift in mindset, as we need to reevaluate the key factors of competitiveness, in order to prepare ourselves for rapid and presumably disruptive changes. These changes, however, mean to ease our everyday lives in the long run. The presence of an advanced regional infrastructure is a crucial factor in enhancing the competitiveness of regional economies, hence the opportunities in mobility in the digital age need to be revised. The aim of the paper is to systematize the key connections between digitalization, mobility and regional competitiveness while mapping potential challenges in the topic as well.

Starting from the analogy of gravitational forces to explain the volume of bilateral
trade, the Gravity model has become a very popular model in international trade research. The
Gravity Model has also been widely developed by adding various independent variables.
Instead to measuring trading volume and various factors that influence the volume of trade,
there is not much utilization of the gravity model to measure trade potential. This research is
intended to implement a gravity model to measure the potential of Indonesian fruit trade. The
measurement of trade potential is carried out by using data on the three main group of
Indonesian exported fruits (based on 6 digits HS Code) which traded in 16 years. The classical
gravity model, employed in this research contains independent variables, such as the amount of
tariffs, the existence of free trade agreements, population, GNP of each country, distance and
share of trade. The method of analysis used refers to the gravity model applied by Susanto, et
al (2007) and regression analysis method applied by Arita et al (2014). Since its easily fits
with some important stylized facts, it is easy to use real data, and also easily estimates using
Ordinary Least Square (OLS), the Gravity Model can be a comprehensive instrument for
managing big data to present rapid and dynamic estimates of international trade in line with the
demands of the Revolution Industry 4.0.

To start any business one need resources (financial resources, energy resources, human resources), Infrastructure, Transportation, Buyers and above all secure and safe place. Here are 5 reasons why Dubai still is a best place for Starting a business.

Since Ghana gained independence, commercial activities and other related business and trading activities have greatly increased. As a result, it has become necessary to define the scope and boundary of the body of substantive jurisprudence that is applicable to the rights and relations of persons engaged in commerce and trade pursuits. It has become a difficult task to apply a universal definition to the term “commercial law.” The task of defining the boundaries of commercial law amongst other branches of human knowledge without trespassing on neighboring grounds that are interdependent on each other tends to be a difficult one. That notwithstanding, commercial law has attained a status of preeminence the world over and more specifically Ghana, due to factors including growth of entrepreneurial activity; the attitude of the legislature and the courts, amongst others. This paper seeks to give an introduction into the substantive jurisprudence of commercial law and also to attempt to define the scope and boundary of the subject as pertains to the Ghanaian context. In doing so, the paper traces the history and evolution of modern commercial law; highlights the characteristics and functions of the commercial law of Ghana; enumerates the sources of commercial law in Ghana; makes critical suggestions towards the codification of commercial law in Ghana and finally concludes with the challenges and future of the commercial law of Ghana.

PREFACE Dystopian Nationalism in Late Globalism by Zelophehad Adah Sampson has been inspired by a contemplation of the italicized words from the US Office of Policy Planning created in 1947 with George F. Kennan as its pioneer head: We have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population… In the coming period, [we have a duty] to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity.

Right-wing populist parties who obtain governmental power rely on ethno-nationalist mobilization for domestic legitimacy and may therefore adopt policies that explicitly seek to disadvantage foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs). Consequently, they constitute particularly revealing cases for scholars of international business policy and political risk. Yet, scholarship on the various ways in which populist business policies affect MNEs remains scarce. Understanding what makes a foreign MNE particularly exposed to adverse action by right-wing populists is a theoretically and practically important yet understudied question for the field of international business policy. In this paper we investigate the hitherto largely understudied context of right-wing populism in post-socialist members states of the European Union, which constitute extreme cases of right-wing populist government power. We adopt a case study-based theory-building approach. We draw on a unique set of interviews and secondary literature from a range of disciplines to developed propositions that form a research agenda on this important question.

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar evidencia de las repercusiones de la apertura económica de Cuba con Estados Unidos
en el ámbito de las relaciones internacionales. Se aplicó el método de análisis con un enfoque cualitativo y un diseño no experimental a partir de una revisión documental-bibliográfica transversal. Tras la revisión documental se encontró que existe una ruptura diplomática y comercial entre Cuba y Estados Unidos que incide en la dinámica de las relaciones internacionales a nivel interamericano. Se concluye que, a pesar del acuerdo en 2014 entre Washington y La Habana, el gobierno de Trump mantuvo una serie de actos de hostilidad que inciden negativamente en el acuerdo pactado, por tanto, se deben buscar espacios de cooperación que mejoren los vínculos bilaterales.

Tuduhan oleh pihak AS dalam hal ini ialah para pengusaha dan nelayan yang tergabung di COGSI merupakan usaha mereka untuk memproteksi pengusaha lokal dalam negeri mereka. Namun, berdasarkan Teori Keunggulan Komparatif (Comparative Advantage Theory), menunjukkan bahwa Indonesia memiliki spesialisasi produk udang yang lebih unggul dibanding AS dalam beberapa hal yaitu keunggulan harga, tenaga kerja, transportasi, dan sumber daya alam. Hal ini didukung dengan potensi kemaritiman Indonesia yang cukup besar untuk memenuhi kebutuhan domestik sehingga upaya Indonesia untuk ekspor udang ke Amerika Serikat dapat direalisasikan dengan baik.
Penyelesaian sengketa dagang yang terjadi antara Indonesia dan Amerika Serikat dilakukan secara bilateral dengan mengedepankan peran kedua negara. Dalam hal ini, Indonesia memenangkan sengketa tersebut melalui beberapa upaya diantaranya dengan menggunakan 3 pendekatan yaitu secara teknis, politis, dan diplomatis.

This study contributes to the literature on inflation dynamics by examining whether internal or external factors drive inflationary pressure in Nigeria. Using the annual time series data from 1981 to 2017 and applying Johansen cointegration analysis, the vector error correction mechanism and the impulse response function, the study reveals some compelling evidence to suggest that external forces are responsible for inflationary pressure in Nigeria. The results, amongst others, reveal that: external drivers – exchange rate, imported inflation and openness – induce a positive and direct relation to inflation. This is because a percentage change in these variables results in an increase in inflation of 0.49%, 0.47% and 4.28%, respectively, on average, ceteris paribus; the internal drivers – government expenditures, net food exports and lending interest rate – dampen inflation by 0.48%, 1.70% and 0.02%, respectively, on average, ceteris paribus; there is evidence of cointegration indica...

The paper presents results of a firm-level survey carried out between 2016 and 2017 among Polish companies who made foreign direct investment in the United States. The purpose of this paper is to identify FDI development determinants among Polish enterprises in the US market as well as to find out about the discrepancies in their perception between representatives of different business sectors i.e. enterprises from traditional and new technologies industries. The results of the study indicate that regardless of the sector, Polish enterprises seek the determinants of development of their subsidiaries in the USA primarily in the internal factors, i.e. unique and sustainable ownership-specific advantages. The ownership advantages-together with external location factors such as the demand, the ease of doing business and the business environment-affect most the development of Polish direct investment companies in the USA. There were significant differences between the assessment made by traditional and new technologies enterprises in relation to resource factors, efficiency factors and the competition in the USA.

The study examined the trend of Foreign Direct Investment and Financial Development in Nigeria. It also investigated the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment and Financial Development in Nigeria. This is with the view of analyzing the impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Financial Market Development in Nigeria from the period 1980 to 2016. The study employed Error Correction Model technique (ECM). Annual time series data on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Financial Market Development (FMD), Exchange rate (EXR), Openness (OPNX) and Inflation (INF) were sourced from the Central Bank Statistical Bulletin 2017 edition. The result of the trend analysis observed that indicators of financial market development (that is, stock market capitalization and credit to the private sector as a ratio of real GDP) and foreign direct investment experienced increased but unstable performance over the period of study. The regression estimate showed that financial market development (measured by stock market capitalization as a ratio of real GDP and interest rate margin) had significant and positive influence on stock market performance in Nigeria while liquid liability of the financial system and credit to the private sector as a ratio of real GDP had insignificant influence on the inflow of foreign direct investment during the study period. This study concludes that the relationship between financial market development and foreign direct investment depends on the measures or indicators of financial market development. This study therefore recommends that the monetary policy makers should implement saving enhancing policies in order to boast the level of credit to private sector, direct their liquid liability in the development of productive investment, increase the volume of savings and
improve their performance of stock market in order to maintain strong and positive link between financial market development and foreign direct investment in Nigeria.

The study is conducted to investigate the factors influencing outsourcing adoption decision by Malaysian hotels.
Empirical data was collected via survey questionnaire. Despite numerous attempts to increase the response rates,
only 37 hotels returned the questionnaire. The study illustrates that the hotels tend to outsource non core
functions such as laundry, cleaning and housekeeping more than other type of functions. The hotels also indicated
that the reasons they outsource is related to two main factors i.e. suppliers expertise and brand name as well as to
increase internal efficiency. Finally the results of the study also illustrated that decision to adopt outsourcing was
significantly influenced by suppliers’ performance and capability, revenue and resource distribution as well as
outsourcing risk. The results of the study maybe useful to hotels’ management in helping them make outsourcing
decisions in the future.