Showing papers by "KIMEP University published in 2020"
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and board gender diversity on environmental and social performance are examined. But, the results reveal that the positive relationship between CSR strategy and environmental performance is negatively moderated by board diversity.
Abstract: Drawing on upper echelons and resource dependence theories and using data of European listed companies over the period 2009–2016, we examine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and board gender diversity on environmental and social performance. In particular, we investigate whether CSR strategy contributes to improving corporate environmental and social performance, and whether this relationship is moderated by board gender diversity. Our empirical findings suggest that firms with more effective CSR strategies exhibit better environmental and social performance. The results also show that board gender diversity is positively associated with environmental and social performance, thus supporting the notion that board gender diversity promotes sustainable development. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the positive relationship between CSR strategy and environmental performance is negatively moderated by board gender diversity. Finally, the results show that that national governance quality and firm size are important underlying factors affecting corporate environmental and social performance.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the impact of board sustainability committees on environmental and social performance and examine the mediating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy on the relationship between the presence of sustainability committees and corporate sustainability performance.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of board sustainability committees on environmental and social performance and to examine the mediating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy on the relationship between the presence of board sustainability committees and corporate sustainability performance. Using data of U.K. listed firms for the period of 2009–2016, the study employs panel regression analysis and bootstrapping techniques to test study hypotheses. The results suggest that the presence of a sustainability committee improves the effectiveness of CSR strategies. The results also indicate that firms with effective CSR strategies exhibit better environmental and social performance. Further, the empirical results show that the effectiveness of CSR strategy explains the positive relationship between board sustainability committees and corporate environmental and social performance, thus supporting the theoretical framework of the study. The findings of the study shed new light on this research direction and could be of interest to board members, managers, practitioners, investors, policy makers, and regulators that plan to promote sustainability practices and strategies needed for sustainable development.
104 citations
TL;DR: The results reveal that the EKC hypothesis holds only in the context of construction services only but not for the cases of restaurant services, tourism and transportation services, and call for effective measures to be undertaken to address the adverse environmental impacts that can be attributed to these three sub-sectors.
Abstract: This study examines the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the context of 12 members of the OPEC by utilizing data on both the aggregate gross value added and the services’ sectoral value-added between 1992 and 2015. This empirical work contributes to the literature by applying the panel spatial techniques which resulted in the findings as follows. Firstly, the results verify the authenticity of the EKC hypothesis for the aggregate level of gross value added as perceived from its inverted-U shaped association with CO2 emissions. Secondly, the disaggregated analysis affirms the heterogeneity of the validity of the EKC hypothesis across the subsectors within the services sector; this justifies the importance of analyzing the EKC hypothesis from a comprehensive (disaggregated) perspective for unearthing key sector-specific policy implications. The results reveal that the EKC hypothesis holds only in the context of construction services only but not for the cases of restaurant services, tourism and transportation services. These key findings call for effective measures to be undertaken to address the adverse environmental impacts that can be attributed to thse three sub-sectors for which the EKC did not hold. In line with the overall findings from the empirical exercises, it is recommended that the concerned OPEC members reduce their monotonic dependency on the consumption of fossil fuels, oil in particular, and gradually incorporate renewable energy resources into the energy-mix particularly within their respective services sector.
72 citations
Book•
02 Jan 2020TL;DR: Lombardi et al. as discussed by the authors elucidates the concept of causation in competition law damages actions and outlines its practical implications in competition litigation through the comparative analysis of the relevant statutory and case law, primarily in the European Union.
Abstract: Competition law damages actions are often characterized by the uncertainty of the causal connection between the infringement and the harm. The damage consists in a pure economic loss flowing from an anticompetitive conduct. In such cases, the complexity of the markets structures, combined with the interdependence of individuals' assets, fuel this causal uncertainty. In this work, Claudio Lombardi elucidates the concept of causation in competition law damages actions and outlines its practical implications in competition litigation through the comparative analysis of the relevant statutory and case law, primarily in the European Union. This book should be read by practitioners, scholars, and graduate students with experience in competition law, as well as those interested in analyzing economic torts and causation in general.
45 citations
TL;DR: The study explores the extent to which certain underlying formal and informal institutional determinants play a determining role in corporate governance, and advocates how each of these precursors must be implied, enunciated and hitched, on the basis of pertinent institutional peculiarities, in order to address contextual corporate governance challenges.
39 citations
TL;DR: Public-private partnerships (PPP) research is very diverse as discussed by the authors and covers different topics across multiple disciplines and is disseminated in many journals, which has led to numerous studies.
Abstract: Public-private partnerships (PPP) research is very diverse. This field of research covers different topics across multiple disciplines and is disseminated in many journals. This has led to numerous...
31 citations
TL;DR: Entrepreneurial orientation and strategic entrepreneurship play a key role to transfer the positive effect of artificial intelligence learning on entrepreneurial performance.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence learning at higher educational institutions is one of the emerging concepts having vital importance to promote entrepreneurship activities among the university students. However, Malaysian Universities are lacking with the artificial intelligence learning activities. The objective of the study is to examine the role of artificial intelligence learning to promote entrepreneurship performance with the help of entrepreneurial orientation and strategic entrepreneurship. Moreover, the moderating role of government funding and attitude towards entrepreneurship is also examined. To achieve the objective of this study, a survey was carried out among the Malaysian universities. 500 questionnaires were distributed among the universities and data were collected from the teaching staff. After collection of data, it was analysed with the help of Partial Least Square (PLS)-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). It is concluded that artificial intelligence learning is most significant to promote entrepreneurial performance among university students. Entrepreneurial orientation and strategic entrepreneurship play a key role to transfer the positive effect of artificial intelligence learning on entrepreneurial performance. Additionally, government funding and attitude towards entrepreneurship also has significant role.
28 citations
TL;DR: The purpose of this study is to test an acceleration and improvement of the teacher’s response to students studying with more productive visualized learning material and the created visualization system was based on minimizing the efforts and costs of its preparation and constant support.
Abstract: The rapid development of computer visualization techniques as well as virtual and augmented reality has led to the possibility of perfect data visualization and the creation of a special virtual space for educating new generation. Simultaneously, the increase in the amount of data to be processed requires a proper selection and presentation of data for solving specific problems. Education sets such tasks as 1) improving the efficiency of presenting information and its assimilation by stu-dents, and 2) increasing the convenience and quality of the teachers’ work. The purpose of this study is to test an acceleration and improvement of the teacher’s response to students studying with more productive visualized learning material. Meanwhile, the created visualization system was based on minimizing the efforts and costs of its preparation and constant support. Only free cloud-based services and visualization tools were used. Students were given the opportunity to con-stantly, in real time control their learning process and create education markers with the help of perspicuous visual environment. To create a visualization system, already existing works on the implementation and verification of the system was used. The study was based on the results of applying this technology. A survey of 300 students from three universities in China, Russia and Kazakhstan was conducted. The control group consisted of 150 students from the same universi-ties who did not use visualization to master the same educational material. Ac-cording to the results of the study, students who used information visualization showed a sharp increase in the subjective assessment of the speed and quality of their learning (58.58% and 37.73%, respectively, of the total number of partici-pants gave a high rating, while in the control group – only12.25%). Further, the level of anxiety associated with an assimilation of new language material was significantly decreased (13.54% in the study group did not feel anxiety, while on-ly 7% – in the control group).
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine why Cambodia welcomes the rise of China when other states appear to be less enthusiastic, drawing from both interviews and secondary sources, and conclude that despite the alarm in the media, "despite the alarm, despite the re...
Abstract: In this article, drawing from both interviews and secondary sources, we examine why Cambodia welcomes the rise of China when other states appear to be less enthusiastic. Despite the alarm in the re...
15 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine different stages of the development of China-Kazakhstan cooperation and identify major factors that have facilitated the advancement of close links between the two countries.
Abstract: This article examines different stages of the development of China–Kazakhstan cooperation and identifies major factors that have facilitated the advancement of close links between them. It explains...
11 citations
TL;DR: Cheon et al. as mentioned in this paper found evidence from China consistent with the MAX premium being driven by investor optimism during high sentiment periods, and Cheon and Lee (2017) find that MAX premium is stronger following low sentiment periods suggesting that it is driven by the attention-grabbing characteristic of high MAX stocks in low sentiment period.
Abstract: Bali et al. (2011) document a maximum daily returns (MAX) premium in the US where stocks with the highest MAX underperform stocks with the lowest MAX in the subsequent month. However, the source of this MAX premium is contentious. Fong and Toh (2014) find that the MAX premium exclusively follows high sentiment periods suggesting that it is driven by investor optimism during high sentiment periods. In contrast Cheon and Lee (2017) find that the MAX premium is stronger following low sentiment periods suggesting that it is driven by the attention‐grabbing characteristic of high MAX stocks in low sentiment periods. We present evidence from China consistent with the MAX premium being driven by investor optimism during high sentiment periods.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the relationship between funding stability, systemic importance, and the profitability of banks in the three founding states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
TL;DR: In this article, a study partially adopts the Yasso approach to measure destination brand equity (DBE), which consists of five tourism dimensions and differs from generic customer-based brand equity, which theoretically comprises four dimensions.
Abstract: Destination brand equity (DBE) consists of five tourism dimensions and differs from generic customer-based brand equity, which theoretically comprises four dimensions. This study partially adopts Y...
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: The Aral Sea was a huge brackish-water lake lying in a tectonic depression amidst the deserts of Central Asia as discussed by the authors, and its modern incarnation is thought to be somewhat more than 20,000 years in age.
Abstract: The Aral Sea was a huge brackish-water lake lying in a tectonic depression amidst the deserts of Central Asia. Water bodies of various dimensions have repeatedly filled this depression over the past several million years. Its modern incarnation is thought to be somewhat more than 20,000 years in age. In modern times, the sea supported a major fishery and functioned as a key regional transportation route. But since the 1960s, the Aral has undergone rapid desiccation and salinization, overwhelmingly the result of unsustainable expansion of irrigation that largely dried up its two tributary rivers, the Amu Dar’ya and Syr Dar’ya (dar’ya in the Turkic languages of Central Asia means river) before they reached the Aral Sea. The desiccation of the Aral Sea has had severe negative impacts, including, among others, the demise of commercial fishing, devastation of the floral and faunal biodiversity of the native ecosystems of the Syr and Amu Deltas, and increased frequency and strength of salt/dust storms. However, efforts have been and are being made to partially restore the sea’s hydrology along with its biodiversity, and economic value. The northern part of the Aral has been separated from the southern part by a dike and dam, leading to a level rise and lower salinity. This has allowed native fishes to return from the rivers and revitalized the fishing industry. Partial preservation of the Western Basin of the southern Aral Sea may be possible, but these plans need much further environmental and economic analysis.
TL;DR: Results of the study revealed that artificial intelligence has key role to influence information system risk management, which has vital importance to promote corporate entrepreneurship which increases the business performance of banks.
Abstract: Korean banking industry has achieved significant growth in financial market, however, these banks are lacking with entrepreneurship activities due to low information system risk management. Objective of this study is to examine the effect of artificial intelligence, information system risk management and corporate entrepreneurship on business performance of Korean banks. The current study introduced artificial intelligence as one of the elements to boost risk management activities, corporate entrepreneurship and business performance. This objective was achieved through a research survey among Korean banks. Questionnaires were distributed among the employees of banks by using simple random sampling. Partial Least Square (PLS)-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. Results of the study revealed that artificial intelligence has key role to influence information system risk management. It has positive role to enhance information system risk management practices. Information system risk management practices has vital importance to promote corporate entrepreneurship which increases the business performance of banks. This study is important for Korean banks to make various strategies for risk management, corporate entrepreneurship and business performance.
02 Jan 2020
TL;DR: A series of ethics crises, particularly in Central Asia because journalism is marked by wide ethical misbehavior including lack of balance and impartiality, using multiple fake nam....
Abstract: Journalism faces a series of ethics crises, particularly in Central Asia because journalism is marked by wide ethical misbehavior including lack of balance and impartiality, using multiple fake nam...
TL;DR: In 2018, the President of Uzbekistan called for adoption of a revised edition of the Criminal Code whose provisions should correspond more closely to international law, and would be more appropriately suited to modern realities as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, which was adopted in 1994 and entered into force in 1995, was the country’s first post-Soviet Criminal Code. In 2018, the President of Uzbekistan called for adoption of a revised edition of the Criminal Code whose provisions should correspond more closely to international law, and would be more appropriately suited to modern realities. The article offers an overview of the draft Chapter on crimes against the peace and security of mankind, as proposed by the author in his capacity as a member of the Working Group for revision of the Criminal Code. It draws upon the best practices of a number of States, and offers a concise article-by-article commentary on the draft Chapter.
TL;DR: It is found that Asians who lend their support for China are more keen to the economic opportunities that China’s growing economy offers their country than they are of China“s political system,” and China”s authoritarian regime type does not factor into Asians’ perception of China.
Abstract: Taking pride in the vibrancy and transparency of democracy, countries such as the USA have prioritized the spread of democracy in its foreign policy. The admirable impact that this political agenda has garnered across the globe pushes us to ponder what China would offer as it aspires for a more prominent position on the international stage. Particularly, how would China foster its image in Asia and, as a result, earn a favorable voice and even all-out support from Asian countries, countries economically underdeveloped and politically volatile? This paper sets out to answer this question by critiquing whether or not popular perceptions of China's political system impact how Asians perceive China's influence in general. Conducting statistical analysis using the fourth wave of Asian Barometer Survey (2016) to assess the above argument, we find that Asians who lend their support for China are more keen to the economic opportunities that China's growing economy offers their country than they are of China's political system. In short, China's authoritarian regime type does not factor into Asians' perception of China, except when individuals are highly educated with and committed to democratic principles.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined whether corporate hedging is associated with dividend payouts, and found that firms with a higher use of property-liability insurance pay more dividends.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the banking systems of the founding states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to indentify discrepancies that may hinder the establishment of a single market for financial services.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the banking systems of the founding states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to indentify discrepancies that may hinder the establishment of a single market for financial services. Practical contributions are derived from two dimensions. First, a comparison of the EAEU banking sectors’ structures prior to integration reveals common features such as high concentration, low level of foreign ownership and dominance of state-controlled banks. Significant heterogeneity in the development of the EAEU banking sectors, however, is observed. We expect changes towards reinforced Russian banks’ power in smaller EAEU member states. Intense cross-border competition will drive a further consolidation of domestic credit institutions and decrease the market share of state banks. Second, harmonization of banking regulations and supervisory practices is a critical starting point for moving to a single market for financial services. We report some divergences in the implementation of Basel III standards at the national levels. Russian banks’ regulatory framework is more advanced and compliant with international requirements for capitalization and liquidity. Governance and information disclosure in the EAEU banking sectors, however, remain weak. Unless regulation is strengthened and appropriate prudential tools to control bank risks are properly set, financial integration may facilitate spillover of risks across national borders and threaten the financial stability in the EAEU.
TL;DR: Central Asia has been generally omitted from most academic debates, including those on the causes and consequences of widespread plagiarism and copy-and-paste behavior among journalists as discussed by the authors, and the authors in this paper consider the case of Central Asia.
Abstract: Central Asia has been generally omitted from most academic debates, including those on the causes and consequences of widespread plagiarism and copy-and-paste behaviour among journalists. In this a...
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: In 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the oldest post-Soviet authoritarian leader, stepped down from his position as the first and the only president of Kazakhstan, the largest and most richly resource-endowed state in Central Asia as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the oldest post-Soviet authoritarian leader, stepped down from his position as the first and the only president of Kazakhstan, the largest and most richly resource-endowed state in Central Asia. This unexpected move prompts a closer look at Kazakhstan’s political transformations, from the fall of the Soviet Union to Nazarbayev’s resignation and the early post-Nazarbayev transition under new President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The social contract theory allows for analyzing interactions between the Kazakh elites and the people as part of a long-lasting informal agreement that started when the public had yielded their political freedoms in exchange for the state’s generous redistributive policies. The paper argues that in the late 2010s, the volatility of the global oil price and economic underperformance had significantly undermined the Kazakh social contract, weakening Nazarbayev’s legitimacy, one of the key motivations behind his “benevolent” resignation.
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: In this article, an analysis of recent events in Xinjiang and interviews with people living in and from the region is presented, which explores how this extremely repressive approach to the region impacts the lives of Xinjiang's people and what impact this may have on the future of BRI, a key aim of which is to help develop the region and increase stability and security.
Abstract: The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a key conduit of the BRI but also China’s most rigidly controlled region. This chapter will examine this apparent contradiction through an analysis of recent events there and interviews with people living in and from the region. The Chinese government is undertaking a widely condemned campaign which has seen over one million Uyghur and other ethnic minorities forced to attend “vocational schools”, a campaign which has been described as a programme of mass internment. This chapter aims to explore how this extremely repressive approach to the region impacts the lives of Xinjiang’s people and what impact this may have on the future of BRI, a key aim of which is to help develop the region and increase stability and security.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between real gross domestic product (GDP), fiscal revenues, real exchange rate, price level, and oil prices and found evidence of significant effect of oil prices on Kazakhstani economy.
Abstract: Kazakhstan possesses substantial amount of petroleum and natural gas and relies extensively on revenues from the export of these commodities. We use Kazakhstan's dependence on revenues from the oil sector to demonstrate commodity producer vulnerability to external commodity price fluctuations. The goal of this paper is to examine the nature of the relationship between real gross domestic product (GDP), fiscal revenues, real exchange rate, price level, and oil prices. We employ Bayesian approach to time series data for the period 2000-2017. We find evidence of significant effect of oil prices on Kazakhstani economy where one of the key channels playing a role in the effect of oil prices on real activity is related to the real effective exchange rate. Additionally, results of this research indicate that one possible channel for oil price shocks to affect the real exchange rate is through the upward pressure on domestic price level.
29 Jun 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a revision of theoretical models used in social marketing and health promotion, specifically, Theory of Reasoned Action, and test this theory on health risk behavior change.
Abstract: There is a range of behavior change models used in social marketing. The past studies suggest thattheories can serve as valuable frameworks for the design and evaluation of health interventions. Thisarticle aims to provide a revision of theoretical models used in social marketing and health promotion,specifically Theory of Reasoned Action, and test this theory on health risk behavior change. Smokingbehavior among youth was selected as a specific context for this study due to importance of the healthof youth for the economic and social development of Kazakhstan and opportunity to prevent or reducesmoking behaviors and subsequently mitigate negative consequences of smoking among youth. A deductiveapproach was undertaken and quantitative survey method was applied. The total sample aftercleaning for incomplete data consisted of 2307 respondents. The study found that the Theory of ReasonedAction successfully predicted cigarette smoking behavior among youth. The TRA could providesolid explanations of intention to uptake cigarette use. The results indicated that attitude toward cigarettesmoking and subjective norm directly influenced intention to use cigarettes. These findings mightusefully be integrated in an intervention program aimed at reducing or preventing smoking initiation,especially among youth. Social marketing health intervention programs are recommended to be directedat the attitude and subjective norms by targeting underlying beliefs.
28 Sep 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between financial stability and the overall profitability, as a risk and return relationship with the effects of external factors like crisis and internal macroeconomic shocks as devaluation is the core point of the interest of this particular study.
Abstract: Studying the systematic risk of the banking industry, as a measure of the financial stability, is oneof the options to evaluate how strong is the overall industry’s standings against the systematic risk itself.There are number of studies in related areas for both developed and developing markets. This study isthe part of the overall examination of the banking industry performance for the developing transitionaleconomies. With the help of the risk evaluation through the measure of Z-score, we are trying to evaluatethe financial health of the institutions and as a whole the industry. This will let us explore the financialstandings and the performance of the particular market. The other point is that the examination coversthe post-financial crisis period with the certain macroeconomic fluctuations of the endogenous to theindustry problems such as devaluation in-between the study coverage timeframe. These impacting factorshelp us understand the effect of both external and internal shocks affecting the banking industry.The relationship between the financial stability and the overall profitability, as a risk and return relationshipwith the effects of external factors like crisis and internal macroeconomic shocks as devaluation isthe core point of the interest of this particular study. The findings suggest that the size of the bank playsimportant but negative role in the way bank behaves. It negatively affects the financial health of the bankindustry. Overall, the financial stability is very unstable; as the fluctuations of the Z-score over the periodof examination is significant, stating only that the transitional economy is very much vulnerable towardsboth internal and external risks.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors considered the nth order linear differential equation, the coefficient of the highest derivative of which is equivalent to the power function when $t\rightarrow 0$ and pose generalized Cauchy conditions for the given equation at the point of singularity.
Abstract: On the interval $[0,1]$ we consider the nth order linear differential equation, the coefficient of the highest derivative of which is equivalent to the power function $t^{\mu }$ when $t\rightarrow 0$ The main aim of the paper is to pose “generalized” Cauchy conditions for the given equation at the point of singularity $t=0$, which would be correct for any $\mu >0$
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine aspiring journalists' experiences with their mandatory internship and how the findings relate to wider journalism education and t..., based on interviews with 15 newsroom interns.
Abstract: Based on interviews with 15 newsroom interns, this article examines aspiring journalists’ experiences with their mandatory internship and how the findings relate to wider journalism education and t...