Convergence of Health Expenditure in OECD Countries: Evidence from a Nonlinear Asymmetric Heterogeneous Panel Unit Root Test 
Pages 76-86
Didem Pekkurnaz

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1929-7092.2015.04.07

Published: 16 April 2015

Abstract: This paper examines the convergence in health expenditure across 22 OECD countries between 1980 and 2012 by implementing panel unit root tests. Contribution of application of the nonlinear asymmetric heterogeneous panel unit root test is twofold. Firstly, it relaxes the assumption of cross-sectional dependency in panel data. Secondly, it incorporates the asymmetric nonlinear mean reversion in a panel setting. Results show that while the conventional panel unit root test cannot reject the null hypothesis of a unit root in relative per capita health expenditures for the whole set of countries, both the symmetric and the asymmetric nonlinear panel unit root tests indicate the stationarity of the panel. Specifically, almost 23 percent of the countries are found to be converging by employing the nonlinear asymmetric panel unit root test. In addition, introducing asymmetric structure helps to uncover additional converging countries which cannot be detected using linear and nonlinear symmetric panel unit root tests.

Idris Adamu Adamu, Rokiah Ishak and Nor Laili Hassan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-7092.2019.08.60

Published: 24 September 2019

Abstract: Extant literature has shown that corporate governance influences dividends policy. However, the effect of diversity on the likelihood to distribute cash dividends is scarce in the literature. Therefore, this study is aimed at exploring the influence of gender diversity and financial expertise on the likelihood of dividends payout. Pooled logistic regression was used on a sample of data from non-financial listed firms in Nigeria spanning from 2009 to 2015. The study documents gender diversity and financial experts have significant effect on a firm’s likelihood to distribute cash dividends. The results remain unchanged after adjusting the standard errors for clustering at a firm. The overall finding suggests that diversity in terms of gender and expertise play a critical role all things being equal in determining the decision to pay cash dividends shareholders of listed firms in Nigeria.

Keywords: Likely to pay dividends, gender diversity, financial expertise, corporate attributes.

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Chukuakadibia Eresia-Eke and Chijioke Okerue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-7092.2018.07.87

Published: 10 December 2018  

Abstract: Despite the plethora of challenges faced by immigrant-owned businesses, there are still some that are performing well and contributing to employment growth in their respective host nations. Unfortunately, research tends to be skewed towards the examination of these challenges, while scant attention is paid to critical antecedents of the coping ability of immigrant entrepreneurs and employment growth in their businesses.

This empirical quantitative study, is a cross-country survey spanning South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. It aims to establish the extent to which the independent variables of financial bootstrapping, access to business services and business location play contributory roles in the coping ability of African immigrant entrepreneurs. It also explores the possibility of a relationship between these independent variables and employment growth.

The findings reveal that all of the independent variables were considered as important contributors to the coping ability of African immigrant entrepreneurs though financial bootstrapping was ranked highest. However, regression analysis results indicate that a statistically significant relationship was only evident for the hypothesized relationship between access to business services and employment growth. This finding has important practical implications for stakeholders who are committed to supporting African immigrant entrepreneurship endeavours in the Southern Africa region.

Keywords: Employment, African-Immigrant business, Coping ability, bootstrapping.

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Zaitul, Zerni Melmusi and Desi Ilona

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-7092.2019.08.54

Published: 24 September 2019

Abstract: This research examine the role of Corporate Governance on bank performance; pre and during global financial crisis 2008. Using 2006 to 2009 data of 27 banks listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange is as research sample. Board, Family and Foreign Ownership as an internal Corporate Governance mechanism and Audit Quality is a proxy for external mechanism. Moderated Regression Analysis is applied. The result shows that there is no role of Corporate Governance in pre-global financial crisis. In addition, this study documented that the role of Corporate Governance practices is poor during global financial crisis 2008, especially 2009.

Research limitations: Internal Corporate Governance mechanism does not use board or audit committee characteristics, such as board independent and audit committee financial expertise. Bank should strengthen Corporate Governance system while financial crisis come and uniqueness of Indonesia Corporate Governance system enrich Corporate Governance literature. This research is a significant addition to Corporate Governance literature because of using data from unique business environment and Corporate Governance system as well as in global financial crisis.

Keywords: Corporate Governance, bank performance and Global Financial Crisis.

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