Gregory N. Price and Doreen P. Adu
This paper aims to consider if an initial driver of the cross-country global coronavirus pandemic was trade openness with China.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to consider if an initial driver of the cross-country global coronavirus pandemic was trade openness with China.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors estimate simple, seemingly unrelated and zero-inflated count data specifications of a gravity model of trade between China and its trading partners, where the number of human coronavirus infections in a country is a function of the number of distinct good/services exported and imported from China.
Findings
Parameter estimates reveal that the number of early cross-country human coronavirus infections increased with respect to trade openness with China, as measured by the number of distinct Chinese exported and imported goods/services, and can account for approximately 24% of early infections among China's trading partners. The findings suggest that one of the costs of trade openness and globalization is that they can be a driver of cross-country human disease pandemics.
Originality/value
This inquiry constitutes a first approach at embedding the possible disease pandemic costs of free trade, trade openness and globalization within a trade gravity model.
Details
Keywords
So far as the London activities of librarianship are concerned, the Winter opened propitiously when Mr. J. D. Stewart and Mr. J. Wilks addressed a goodly audience at Chaucer…
Abstract
So far as the London activities of librarianship are concerned, the Winter opened propitiously when Mr. J. D. Stewart and Mr. J. Wilks addressed a goodly audience at Chaucer House, Mr. Stewart on American, and Mr. Wilks on German libraries. There was a live air about the meeting which augured well for the session. The chief librarians of London were well represented, and we hope that they will continue the good work. It was the last meeting over which Mr. George R. Bolton presided as Chairman of the London and Home Counties Branch, and he is succeeded by Mr. Wilks. Mr. Bolton has carried his office with thorough and forceful competence, and London library workers have every reason to be grateful. The election to chairmanship of the librarian of University College, London, gives the Branch for the first time a non‐municipal librarian to preside. The change has not been premature, and, apart from that question, Mr. Wilks is cultured, modest and eloquent and will do honour to his position.
Twaha Kigongo Kaawaase, Twaha Kigongo Kaawaase, Juma Bananuka, Zainabu Tumwebaze and Doreen Musimenta
This study aims to examine whether energy governance mechanisms, energy consumption, energy poverty and firm characteristics do matter for sustainable development practices.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine whether energy governance mechanisms, energy consumption, energy poverty and firm characteristics do matter for sustainable development practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a cross-sectional survey of production managers, engineers and chief finance officers of firms under the Uganda Manufacturers Association. The data analysis was mainly done using the partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The regression analysis results indicate that ownership structure, capital structure, energy governance mechanisms, energy poverty and energy consumption do matter for improved sustainable development practices. Firm age does not significantly matter for sustainable development practices.
Originality/value
This study provides initial evidence on what matters for improvement in sustainable development practices using evidence from developing African countries such as Uganda whose major focus is the attraction of foreign investors. Such countries focus on improvement in economic growth at the expense of social and environmental concerns.
Details
Keywords
Charles Amoatey and Doreen Danquah
The purpose of this paper is to analyse project risks in Ghana’s real estate construction industry in terms of likelihood of occurrence, severity of impact and controllability.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse project risks in Ghana’s real estate construction industry in terms of likelihood of occurrence, severity of impact and controllability.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research approach was used in this study to address the research objective. The study population consisted project managers, architects, surveyors and contractors from 17 members of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) in Ghana. Random stratified sampling technique was used to select 97 participants from these firms. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data, whereas descriptive statistics were used to present findings.
Findings
All risks identified have some level of likelihood of occurrence, extent of severity of impact and controllability. Market risks, technical risks and environmental risks are more likely to occur. Market risks, technical risks and environmental risks had the highest severity of impact. Financial risks, market risks, managerial risks and technical risks are the most controllable. Among all risks, environmental risks are the direst because they have high likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact but very low controllability. Real estate construction firms (developers) are therefore expected to prioritize remedy of environmental risks.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on self-reported perception of project parties on the likelihood, severity of impact and controllability of real estate project risk factors. Firms outside of GREDA were not included in the survey. Therefore, generalisation of these risk factors for the entire construction industry should be done with caution.
Practical implications
The research results show that Ghanaian real estate developers are aware of the existence of the risks which impact on the performance of the industry. To effectively and efficiently manage these risk factors, project parties must understand the likelihood of occurrence, severity of impact and controllability of the risk factors, as well as individual firm’s responsibilities and capabilities to manage them. Such knowledge helps project managers to prioritise risks in managing them in the face of scarce resources. From an academic research perspective, the paper contributes to a conceptual risk assessment framework for the real estate industry.
Originality/value
The paper’s main contributions relate to the introduction of real estate construction sector-specific factors to project risk management modelling.