Mohammad Ismail Hossain and Wim Verbeke
Rice is staple food for Bangladeshi people. Although rice markets were liberalized in 1992, the government continued to intervene in this sector. This study examines the farmers’…
Abstract
Rice is staple food for Bangladeshi people. Although rice markets were liberalized in 1992, the government continued to intervene in this sector. This study examines the farmers’ and private traders’ response in liberalized rice marketing system in two regions. 40 farmers and 20 traders were interviewed by using a structural questionnaire for collecting the necessary information. The liberalization of the rice market, in particular, has been embraced more by the private traders then by the farmers. Although there has been a rapid emergence of private traders, the emergence of a vibrant trading sector that would fill the gap left by the state has been slow. The rice market is segmented with the private traders supplying different market circuits. Farmers on the other have not responded positively due to the lack of capital, lack of storage facilities, lack of market information, dominance of intermediaries and low price during the harvest period. Most of the farmers are unwilling to expand their acreage due to the family requirements of other crops. In rural remote areas where the road infrastructure is poor, private sector marketing activities have not yet emerged. Thus government can foster private participation and market integration by improving the road and storage infrastructure. Furthermore, government needs to take measures that strengthen the agricultural price and marketing information system targeted at both farmers and traders.
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Mohammad Ismail Hossain, Eleni Papadopoulou and Mst. Esmat Ara Begum
This paper examines the cointegration of wheat market prices in Northern Bangladesh. Results are based on weekly wholesale price data on wheat collected from the Department of…
Abstract
This paper examines the cointegration of wheat market prices in Northern Bangladesh. Results are based on weekly wholesale price data on wheat collected from the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) in eight markets in the Rangpur division of Northern Bangladesh. The data has 208 observations for wheat in each of the eight markets ranging over a period of January 2006 to December 2009. Johansen’s cointegration test reveals that most of the wholesale markets of wheat in the Rangpur division are co-integrated which indicates that price signals and information are transmitted smoothly across the markets. The discovery of the market integration appears to be quite significant for the success of price policy and market liberalization programs which are being undertaken in Bangladesh.
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Mohammad Ismail Hossain, Mst. Esmat Ara Begum, Eleni Papadopoulou and Anastasios Semos
This study estimates a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) that incorporates the linkages among the agriculture, industry, construction, transport, storage and communication and…
Abstract
This study estimates a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) that incorporates the linkages among the agriculture, industry, construction, transport, storage and communication and service sectors for Bangladesh by using historical data from 1979 to 2009. Two cointegrating vectors confirm that all the different sectors moved together over the sample period, and therefore that their growth rates are interdependent. The long-run relationships of the industrial, construction, transport, storage and communication and service sectors to the agricultural sector were established, and the results show that the industrial and construction sectors contribute positively to the agricultural sector, the growing service sector contributes negatively and the transport, storage and communication sector shows mixed results. In addition, weak exogeneity for the agricultural sector is rejected and this underlines the fact that the agricultural sector should be considered by policymakers in any analysis of inter sector growth.
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Abdullah Al Mamun, Mohd Asrul Hery Bin Ibrahim, Rajennd Muniady, Mohammad Bin Ismail, Noorshella Binti Che Nawi and Noorul Azwin Binti Md Nasir
The purpose of this paper is to improve the socio-economic condition of low-income households in Malaysia, many products and services are available, including access to working…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the socio-economic condition of low-income households in Malaysia, many products and services are available, including access to working capital and enterprise development training programs. This study examined the impact of access to working capital and micro-enterprise development training programs on household income and economic vulnerability among participants of development initiatives in the eKasih (national poverty data bank) in Peninsular Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a cross-sectional design, the authors collected data randomly from the selected 300 micro-entrepreneurs from the list of development organizations available in the eKasih (national poverty data bank) located in four states of Peninsular Malaysia. Quantitative data were collected through structured interviews with the respondents from October to November 2017.
Findings
Both the length of participation and total amount of economic loan were found to increase the household income. However, there was no positive and significant impact of total number of training hours on household income. Interestingly, length of participation was found to reduce the level of economic vulnerability, except total amount of economic loan, and total number of training hours.
Originality/value
Despite the overwhelming empirical evidence, the findings indicated that the impact of enterprise development training programs was inconclusive. The effect of total amount of loan on economic vulnerability was also inconclusive. Hence, both policy makers and development organizations should understand how their programs benefit the poor households that can be improved through new implementation strategies.
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Umi Afiqah Omar, Pavan Kumar, Muhamad Faris Ab Aziz, Awis Qurni Sazili and Mohammad Rashedi Ismail-Fitry
This paper aims to evaluate the effects of salting duration and salt concentration on the physicochemical, colour, texture and sensory attributes of buffalo meatballs.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the effects of salting duration and salt concentration on the physicochemical, colour, texture and sensory attributes of buffalo meatballs.
Design/methodology/approach
Minced buffalo meat was mixed with salt at 1 or 2% concentration and stored for 0 h, 24 h or 48 h during the preparation of meatballs. The developed meatballs were analysed for moisture content, water holding capacity (WHC), pH, cooking yield, shrinkage, colour, texture profile analysis, gelling properties and sensory attributes.
Findings
The salting durations of 24 and 48 h had significant (p < 0.05) effects on the WHC and colour attributes of the buffalo meatballs. A 2% salt addition in meatballs significantly (p < 0.05) affected pH and cooking yield. Salting for 24 h with 2% salt concentration significantly (p < 0.05) increased the hardness, chewiness and gel strength of the meatballs. Thus, salting for 24 h with a 2% salt concentration improved the physicochemical, textural and sensory attributes of buffalo meatballs.
Practical implications
The study highlighted the importance of salting treatment during the preparation of meat products. For example, salting buffalo meatballs with a 2% salt concentration for 24 h could improve their functional and sensory attributes.
Originality/value
Studies on salting durations at different salt concentrations in buffalo meat are very limited. An optimized combination of salting duration and salt concentration during the preparation of buffalo meatballs could improve the quality attributes and acceptability of these products.
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Siti Nurazira Mohd Daud, Nur Syazwina Ghazali and Nur Hafizah Mohammad Ismail
This paper aims to examine the relationships among environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, innovation and economic growth in five Asian countries from 1990 to 2020.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationships among environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, innovation and economic growth in five Asian countries from 1990 to 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
The study innovatively constructed the ESG index at the country level by using frequency statistics on text mining and factor analysis for each country over time. In addition, this study used the autoregressive distributed lag method to establish a long-term relationship.
Findings
The authors discovered that ESG practices among corporate entities significantly impact economic growth in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Specifically, the environmental component positively affects the growth of Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, while the governance components of ESG contribute to Thailand’s economic growth. The authors also discovered that innovation improves countries’ economic growth, thus offering policy insights into promoting ESG practices and stimulating the ecosystem for innovation.
Originality/value
The paper fills the gap left in previous inconclusive findings on the association between ESG practices and country growth.
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Mats Wilhelmsson, Mohammad Ismail and Abukar Warsame
This study aims to measure the occurrence of gentrification and to relate gentrification with housing values.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to measure the occurrence of gentrification and to relate gentrification with housing values.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have used Getis-Ord statistics to identify and quantify gentrification in different residential areas in a case study of Stockholm, Sweden. Gentrification will be measured in two dimensions, namely, income and population. In step two, this measure is included in a traditional hedonic pricing model where the intention is to explain future housing prices.
Findings
The results indicate that the parameter estimate is statistically significant, suggesting that gentrification contributes to higher housing values in gentrified areas and near gentrified neighbourhoods. This latter possible spillover effect of house prices due to gentrification by income and population was similar in both the hedonic price and treatment effect models. According to the hedonic price model, proximity to the gentrified area increases housing value by around 6%–8%. The spillover effect on price distribution seems to be consistent and stable in gentrified areas.
Originality/value
A few studies estimate the effect of gentrification on property values. Those studies focussed on analysing the impacts of gentrification in higher rents and increasing house prices within the gentrifying areas, not gentrification on property prices in neighbouring areas. Hence, one of the paper’s contributions is to bridge the gap in previous studies by measuring gentrification’s impact on neighbouring housing prices.
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Fayiz Dahash Shrafat and Mohammad Ismail
The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine lean manufacturing (LM) practices and to quantify their impact on business performance (BP), with particular emphasis on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine lean manufacturing (LM) practices and to quantify their impact on business performance (BP), with particular emphasis on the mediating role of operational performance (OP) in deriving the BP benefits commonly linked with LM. It also seeks to identify those lean practices most appropriate for application.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data on LM practices were collected using a structured survey questionnaire. The sampling frame was Jordanian companies registered and listed by the Amman Chamber of Commerce. In total, 500 questionnaires were distributed among 300 companies and a total of 249 completed questionnaires were eligible for statistical processing, a response rate of 49.8 percent. Invalid questionnaires were eliminated, leaving 228 usable. The theoretical relations were tested by structural equation modeling.
Findings
Although the results of the statistical analysis indicate a positive and significant impact of implementing LM practices on both OP and BP, they also show that the various LM practices did not receive equal recognition among the organizations surveyed. The most commonly adopted lean principles were found to be total preventive maintenance, statistical process control and housekeeping 5S.
Research limitations/implications
Other lean practices have not been considered as a dimension in this study. However, it opens new avenues of investigation relevant to lean practices.
Practical implications
The most significant implication of the study is that managers in manufacturing firms should place more emphasis on LM practices when developing strategies for leveraging performance. The study shows that the LM approach contributes to BP when LM practices are simultaneously implemented.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the new context in which it was conducted. The study adds value by investigating the implementation of LM practices which have been transferred from developed to developing countries and by empirically examining their impact on key performance indicators within the Jordanian manufacturing sector.
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Mohammad Ismail, Abukar Warsame and Mats Wilhelmsson
The purpose of this study is to analyse the trends regarding housing segregation over the past 10–20 years and determine whether housing segregation has a spillover effect on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse the trends regarding housing segregation over the past 10–20 years and determine whether housing segregation has a spillover effect on neighbouring housing areas. Namely, the authors set out to determine whether proximity to a specific type of segregated housing market has a negative impact on nearby housing markets while proximity to another type of segregated market has a positive impact.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purposes of this paper, the authors must combine information on segregation within a city with information on property values in the city. The authors have, therefore, used data on the income of the population and data on housing values taken from housing transactions. The case study used is the city of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The empirical analysis will be the estimation of the traditional hedonic pricing model. It will be estimated for the condominium market.
Findings
The results indicate that segregation, when measured as income sorting, has increased over time in some of the housing markets. Its effects on housing values in neighbouring housing areas are significant and statistically significant.
Research limitations/implications
A better understanding of the different potential spillover effects on housing prices in relation to the spatial distribution of various income groups would be beneficial in determining appropriate property assessment levels. In other words, awareness of this spillover effect could improve existing property assessment methods and provide local governments with extra information to make an informed decision on policies and services needed in different neighbourhoods.
Practical implications
On housing prices emanating from proximity to segregated areas with high income differs from segregated areas with low income, policies that address socio-economic costs and benefits, as well as property assessment levels, should reflect this pronounced difference. On the property level, positive spillover on housing prices near high-income segregated areas will cause an increase in the number of higher income groups and exacerbate segregation based on income. Contrarily, negative spillover on housing prices near low-income areas might discourage high-income households from moving to a location near low-income segregated areas. Local government should be aware of these spillover effects on housing prices to ensure that policies intended to reduce socioeconomic segregation, such as residential and income segregation, produce desirable results.
Social implications
Furthermore, a good estimation of these spillover effects on housing prices would allow local governments to carry out a cost–benefit analysis for policies intended to combat segregation and invest in deprived communities.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper is to go beyond the traditional studies of segregation that mainly emphasise residential segregation based on income levels, i.e. low-income or high-income households. The authors have analysed the spillover effect of proximity to hot spots (high income) and cold spots (low income) on the housing values of nearby condominiums or single-family homes within segregated areas in Stockholm Municipality in 2013.
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Afghanistan's politics of brinkmanship and subterfuge.