Showing papers by "KIMEP University published in 2014"

Gender, culture and determinants of behavioural intents to adopt mobile commerce among the Y Generation in transition economies: evidence from Kazakhstan

Abstract: This study investigates perceived risk and trust in relationship to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory [Rogers, E.M., 1962. Diffusion of innovations. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press; 1983. Diffusion of innovations. 3rd ed. New York: The Free Press] from a cultural perspective to understand the determinants of behavioural intent to adopt mobile commerce among the Y Generation in Kazakhstan. Surveys from 345 university-level students and subsequent structural equation modelling revealed perceived risk, trustworthiness and Rogers’ five innovation characteristics are important determinants. Perceived risk and trustworthiness are important determinants because of the high uncertainty avoidance characteristics of the Kazakh society. This study advances theory regarding culture- and generation-based characteristics to transition economies by verifying theoretical proposition regarding the behavioural intent towards mobile commerce adoption, resulting in a greater understanding of mobile commerce adoption among the Y...

Personality, learning strategies, and academic performance: Evidence from post-Soviet Kazakhstan

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between personality traits, learning strategies and academic performance among undergraduate students in the post-Soviet transition country of Kazakhstan. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a quantitative survey method to assess individual personality, learning strategies and academic motivations. Statistical software (SPSS) was used to conduct correlations, linear regressions and multiple regressions as a means of testing the hypotheses and making inferences. Findings – The results suggest that students with different personality characteristics have different motivations and priorities in their pursuit of university degrees. However, some of these differences seem to be related to their fields of academic study and biographical backgrounds. Practical implications – The research emphasises the importance of managing individuals by focusing on their individual differences in learning strategies, rather than by relying on the p...

Nation-building and cultural policy in kazakhstan

Abstract: Kazakhstan, the last emerging independent state from the former Soviet Union, inherited multiple challenges of having to build a new state and nation, while engaged in the painful economic and political transformation. Since independence was declared in 1991, diversity and tolerance have been officially at the heart of Kazakhstan’s national identity. Nevertheless, building a single nation in the country of two large ethnic groups (Russians and Kazakhs), with the reversed proportion of the language proficiency – as there are more ethnic Kazakhs but more Russian-speakers in the country – has been an ambivalent and controversial process. Constructing a nation in a primordial sense in this multi-ethnic country might well prove to be a mission impossible. Another option is promotion of the idea of a civic nation based on carefully drafted and consciously adapted multicultural policies. The existence, implementation, and success of such policies are contingent on several factors, including historical, demographic, and social ones. Some are linked to expedient political and economic strategies, however, and their further development would entail democratization of the political system in Kazakhstan. It seems that in Kazakhstan, inter-ethnic tensions have been alleviated by the fact that two major ethnic groups have not been, by and large, in direct confrontation and are balancing each other in the managed tradeoffs. So far, the dynamically developing society might be able to accommodate the interests of major ethnic groups but all the proposed solutions are inconclusive. The focus of this paper is on the bi-lingual and multicultural constellation and cultural and language policy pathways in Kazakhstan, as analyzed through the lenses of several models available in the respective literature on post-communist nation-building. The paper’s the methodology explores systematic historical and cultural interpretations and comparative intercultural-institutional analysis.

Public–private partnerships in Russia: dynamics contributing to an emerging policy paradigm

Abstract: Public–private partnerships (PPPs) are new in Russia and represent project implementation in progress. The government is actively pursuing PPP deployment in sectors such as transportation and urban infrastructure, and at all levels including federal, regional and especially local. Despite the lack of pertinent laws and regulations, the PPP public policy quickly transforms into a policy paradigm that provides simplified concepts and solutions and intensifies partnership development. The article delineates an emerging model of Russia's PPP policy paradigm, whose structure includes the shared understanding of the need for long-term collaboration between the public sector and business, a changing set of government responsibilities that imply an increasing private provision of public services, and new institutional capacities. This article critically appraises the principal dynamics that contribute to an emerging PPP policy paradigm, namely the broad government treatment of the meaning of a partnership and of ...

Applying transaction utility theory to sales promotion – the impact of culture on consumer satisfaction

Abstract: Customer satisfaction is known to have a positive impact on market share and satisfaction levels may be moderated by factors such as price sensitivity and perceived value. Transaction utility theory tells us that consumers make overall cognitive judgements about a price-based promotion after the experience, driving their intention to repeat the process in the future. Studies do show a link between unexpected product promotions and increased cognitive processing of satisfaction and pleasure, and other studies highlight the relationship between consumption satisfaction and culture. However, few studies consider links between culture and acquisition and transaction utility. This study examines the impact of culture on satisfaction and pleasure with, and resultant preference for, price-based sales promotion in two culturally dissimilar consumer markets, New Zealand and China. The study finds that, while transaction utility theory is supported in the collectivist market of China, it is not in the individualist...

Impact of externalities on sustainable development: evidence from public-private partnerships in Kazakhstan and Russia

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the influence of public-private partnerships (PPPs) on social and economic conditions in Kazakhstan and Russia from a public economics perspective, namely, through the lens of a market failure and PPPs’ negative externalities. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the concept of a market failure and using the externalities perspective, the paper investigates whether partnerships are instrumental in solving market problems, which is illustrated by the evidence from ongoing PPP projects in Kazakhstan and Russia. Findings – Results show that citizens face expansion of monopolistic trends in the service provision and decreased availability of public services. Additionally, the government support to partnerships recreates a negative externality in the form of a higher risk premium on loan interest rates that banks use to finance PPPs. The partnerships’ impact on sustainable development often appears detrimental, as they significantly intensify the struggle between su...

Risk allocation in a public–private partnership: a case study of construction and operation of kindergartens in Kazakhstan

Abstract: In Kazakhstan, a transitional nation in Central Asia, the development of public–private partnerships (PPPs) is at its early stage and increasingly of strategic importance This case study investigates risk allocation in an ongoing project: the construction and operation of 11 kindergartens in the city of Karaganda in the concession form for 14 years Drawing on a conceptual framework of effective risk allocation, the study identifies principal PPP risks, provides a critical assessment of how and in what way each partner bears a certain risk, highlights the reasons underpinning risk allocation decisions and delineates the lessons learned The findings show that the government has effectively transferred most risks to the private sector partner, whilst both partners share the demand risk of childcare services and the project default risk The strong elements of risk allocation include clear assignment of parties’ responsibilities, streamlined financing schemes and incentives to complete the main project pha

Challenges to the Institutionalisation of Environmental NGOs in Kazakhstan’s Corporatist Policy Arena

Abstract: Using the perspective of political opportunity structure, this qualitative survey of primary sources attempts to determine whether environmental NGOs (ENGOs) in Kazakhstan are achieving institutionalisation from the standpoint of representative democracy, or are being co-opted by a corporatist national government. Are ENGOs the harbingers of the democratisation of the country that many observers hope to see? Given increases in the nation’s budgets for the environment and easing of NGO/ENGO legislation, the institutionalising project would seem to have some prospects for success. Concomitantly, the participation of civic groups in the policy arena has contributed to better governance through experiments in new forms of state-society partnership. However, these partnerships have under-performed. Local governments face conflicting demands, while the insufficient administrative and technical capacity of state agencies highlights the need for capacity building. On the political level, authentic ENGOs m...

Early language socialization and language shift: Kazakh as Baby Talk

Abstract: This paper draws attention to the key role of a caregiver's bilingual language practices in the process of language shift. It argues that certain multilingual practices actually discourage children's multilingualism and devalue the language at the same time as they provide preverbal children with direct input. The analysis is based on data collected in Russophone urban families of ethnic Kazakhs. Drawing from work on registers and footing, the paper demonstrates that in these families the Kazakh language, while quantitatively prevailing in caregiver's speech, systematically co-occurs with Baby Talk – a specific register directed to infants and toddlers in their preverbal stage. The metapragmatic typification of talking Kazakh to non-agentive objects-of-minding, and talking Russian to autonomous social agents, suggests that language practices envision expert members of the local community as Russian speaking. This ideology sustains the ongoing language shift to Russian despite families’ aspiration to raise Kazakh-Russian bilingual children.

Nature and Economy in the Aral Sea Basin

Abstract: The desiccation of the Aral Sea since 1960 has been a notorious and well-documented example of anthropogenic ecological devastation. Equally ominous has been the devastating impact on the livelihoods and health conditions of the human populations inhabiting the Aral Sea region. As a socio-ecological crisis, the Aral Sea’s recession has demonstrated interrelationships between humans and the biophysical environment. An important societal dimension through which to access these relationships is the Aral basin’s regional economy. The Aral crisis itself has largely been a result of the large-scale Soviet-era water diversion projects whose impetus was primarily the production and export of cotton. The Aral Sea Basin today remains a globally important cotton production and export region. The most important economic activities devastated by the crisis have been fishing and fish processing. Once defunct enterprises, these activities have only recently been revived with the recent rehabilitation of the northern Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. This chapter examines the post-1960 developments of the cotton sector within the Aral basin and the fishing sector in the Aral Sea itself. Nature-economy linkages inherent in these sectors inform broader generalizations regarding human-environment interrelationships in the Aral Sea Basin today.

Kazakhstan Perspectives on ERP System Implementation

Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to explore what are the critical factors in implementing enterprise resources planning(ERP) system in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Theses critical factors are expected to be utilized in design and implementation of ERP systems in Kazakhstan. The survey has been conducted by distribution of questionnaires focusing on local companies. The respondents were two groups, group A being professionals and managers while group B being end users. It has been found that most of the respondents are aware of the ERP system while their companies were implementing or had implemented the ERP system. Based on the results of the study it is noted that despite some difficulties in identifying right target for the survey overall positive impression was observed, as most projects were implemented successfully. The research has limitations as the sample size is only 100 respondents, not randomly selected, and questionnaires were sent by email to people chosen by the convenience. Thus this factor might have affected a lot to generalize the findings of this study. This study concludes that the ERP system is becoming widespread in Kazakhstan although mainly among large companies, and there are some constraints for the wide implementation of the system such as the cost, lack of commitment from whole organization, education and training and on the perception of implementing ERP as a whole.

Protest Suicide: A Systematic Model with Heuristic Archetypes

Abstract: Suicide as a form of political protest is a little studied social phenomenon that cannot be dismissed simply as being irrational or patholognomic. We consider protest suicide to be a meaningful social action as purposive political act intended to change oppressive policies or practices. This paper synthesizes theoretical propositions associated with suicide in general, and protest suicide in particular, so as to construct a general explanatory model of protest suicide as a social phenomenon. Then, it analyzes protest suicide as a meaningful social action. People considering protest suicide have to discern the logic of the situation in which such action is to take place. This involves answering two fundamental questions: Is suicide an acceptable course of social action? Is the envisaged protest suicide likely to achieve their hopes, aspirations and goals? How these questions are answered gives rise to a set of protest suicide archetypes. Our analysis generates a more sophisticated understanding of the potential reasons for, and motivations behind, protest suicide as a social phenomenon.

Process analysis and capacity utilization in a dental clinic in Kazakhstan

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the service delivery system of a dental clinic in Kazakhstan to maximize the clinic’s efficiency. , – The study uses process analysis to determine the capacity utilization and areas of bottlenecks in the dental clinic’s system. , – The analysis shows that the most severe bottleneck is identified in step 16 of the 20-step patient flow process. The system efficiency is approximately 62 per cent. , – The study will help similar health-care organizations identify areas of bottlenecks in their operational system. This would allow management to deploy optimal resources that would improve systems’ performance. , – The paper provides a framework for health-care managers to identify how to reduce patient throughput time and increase patient satisfaction.

Effects of Out-of-Pocket Payments on Access to Maternal Health Services in Almaty, Kazakhstan: A Qualitative Study

Abstract: The current study addresses health care reform in transitional countries and explores the impact of out-of-pocket payments on access to maternal health services drawing on Kazakhstan's case. Data on out-of-pocket payments and access to maternity care were generated through qualitative in-depth interviews conducted in Almaty during the period 2009–2010. The results indicate that while health sector reform was designed to improve the quality of care and equity, the introduction of official user charges accompanied by a rapid growth of informal payments created financial barriers that prevented women from accessing maternal services leading to reduction in utilisation of maternity care.

Language modernization in kazakh: terminology issues

Abstract: Current globalization processes, technological updates and advancements in various fields of society leave different traces in languages. These changes are most noticeable in lexicon. One of the most important types of lexical changes is borrowings. To purify language from external influx a lot of substitutes have been introduced recently in the Kazakh language. This research aims to explore to what extent these new substitute words are understood by its speakers. Students participated in the study were asked to read short text from Kazakh Mass Media which included new substitutes for the previously existing borrowed words. They were asked to mark the words which they do not understand and suggest their possible meanings. The results demonstrate difficulties in understanding the new substitutes for the borrowed words.

Less Focus on the Dollar, More Focus on the Ruble: Currency Management Strategy in Kazakhstan, Post Devaluation

Abstract: The tenge devaluation occurring on 13 February 2014, approximately 5 years after the previous devaluation, marked a change in focus on the part of National bank of Kazakhstan.

Why didn't economists predict the Great Depression?

Abstract: Economists failed to forecast the Great Depression, perhaps because they had lacked reason to theorize enough about business cycles. Since theory is a public good, the market produces too little of it. The prospect of ex post fame may induce theory; but fame comes from explaining famous events, not from averting adverse events. Also, learning-by-doing induces theory by cutting its cost, favoring the first theories to be developed. These dealt with markets – not business cycles – in the decades before the Depression.

Experts versus Friends: To Whom Do I Listen More? The Factors That Affect Credibility of Online Information

Abstract: This study aims to examine how the relationship with an information source affects the perceived credibility of online information. We develop a general framework that explains how people perceive information credibility when they are familiar with the information source and/or when the information source seems credible. We then compare the associations of the model in two contexts, namely, online review and social media sites, to examine the difference. The result confirms that credibility of information is strongly mediated by credibility of information source than familiarity with information source in online review sites and vice versa in social media sites.

C -minimality and model companions

Abstract: We study the question on existence of a model companion of the theory of a C-minimal structure with a distinguished automorphism of a special form.

On dense free subgroups of the automorphism group

Abstract: We obtain results on existence of dense free subgroups of the automorphism group of a homogeneous model.

An Empirical Study to Investigate Gratification of Use Using Social Media: Focused on Kazakhstan

Abstract: Recently, it is observed that the transition from the traditional communication methods to media based communication using internet and mobile devices are rapidly increasing. In Kazakhstan it is also noticed that the usage of social media has been continuously increasing and social media is easily available. Thanks to its availability over portable mobile devices, social media has become a main tool for information sharing and communication. This trend has contributed to not only the flow of information but also the development of social relationship. According to the previous researches, there have been many studies on how social media play roles of availability for tasks using media richness theory, social existence theory, how well social media can represents the characteristics of face to face communication, and how richness of media affect the communication on social media. However, there are not many researches conducted on the difference in the gratification of social media reflecting unique features and characteristics of social media. This study is conducted to explore the relationship of competency among social media using niche theory. This study is expected to identify market structure of social media and provide an opportunity for general overview of competency in social media market.

What employees do not like about L&D opportunities: and six learning strategies to win them back

Abstract: Purpose – To highlight six commonly cited employee criticism of learning and development initiatives in organisations and recommend six innovative learning and development strategies that counter the common criticisms. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a finding of an international survey of 517 white-collar employees with regards to learning and development in their organizations. Findings – Employees appear to have numerous complaints about the learning and development opportunities they experience at work. Often learning and development specialists may never know what these grievances are. There is a range of inexpensive and easy to implement alternate strategies that overcome the commonest complaints of employees as reflected in the survey. Practical implications – The paper offers a description of six practical learning and development strategies that organizations can adopt to help develop their employees. The paper also provides practical advice on getting management support for t...

Chi‐Squared Tests ‐ Recent Advances

Abstract: Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests for parametric families of distributions are discussed. Different methods of unknown parameters estimating are compared and some modifications of the Pearson statistic depending on methods of estimation are discussed. Keywords: BAN estimator; Rao-Blackwell-Kolmogorov method; chi-squared test; Dzhaparidze-Nikulin statistic; LAN conditions; method of moments; maximum likelihood method; minimum chi-squared estimator; MVUE ; statistic of Pearson; Neyman-Pearson classes for data grouping; Rao-Robson-Nikulin statistic; Mirvaliev's test; power