The effect of incentive reforms upon productivity: Evidence from the Vietnamese rice industry

In this study we use region-level panel data on rice production in Vietnam to investigate total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the period since reunification in 1975. Two significant reforms were introduced during this period, one in 1981 allowing farmers to keep part of their produce, and another in 1987 providing improved land tenure. We measure TFP growth using two modified forms of the standard Malmquist data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, which we have named the Three-year-window (TYW) and the Full Cumulative (FC) methods. We have developed these methods to deal with degrees of freedom limitations. Our empirical results indicate strong average TFP growth of between 3.3 and 3.5 per cent per annum, with the fastest growth observed in the period following the first reform. Our results support the assertion that incentive related issues have played a large role in the decline and subsequent resurgence of Vietnamese agriculture.

How far have reforms gone in Islam?

The encounter of East and West has initiated a period of reforms in Muslim societies. Some of the legal reforms enacted by premodern and modem Muslim states have been hailed as victories for women's rights in Islam. A historical and comparative perspective on the issue reveals that this is far from being true. Reforms constitute a far more complex issue. In many Muslim countries, Islamic law remained the main reference in matters pertaining to family and personal laws. To this day, women's rights remain a sensitive issue. A look at some modem Muslim legislations regarding divorce and polygamy illustrates both the tension that exists between the duties of modem states to uphold women's rights and their alleged Islamic principles and the tension that exists between state and religion. Paradoxically, recent developments in Iran illustrate aptly that some sort of reforms of family laws may be envisioned within the strictures of an Islamic society where Islamic law rules. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introdu????o ?? cr??tica da raz??o desestatizante

O artigo compreende uma vis??o cr??tica sobre os processos de reestrutura????o do Estado baseados na l??gica neoliberal, que caracterizam as reformas minimalistas da d??cada de 80. O tema da reforma do Estado ?? visto como um dos grandes desafios intelectuais e pol??ticos deste fim de s??culo, devendo necessariamente ser contextualizado historicamente, uma vez que n??o existe uma ??nica crise do Estado, mas v??rias crises dos Estados espec??ficas e particulares, cujas solu????es n??o s??o ??nicas nem universais, mas dependentes do diagn??stico de cada caso. Entende-se que a raz??o desestatizante apresenta limita????es, reconhecidas at?? mesmo pelas institui????es financeiras internacionais que antes a defendiam. O cen??rio de um novo modo de atua????o estatal ?? apresentado como mais prov??vel, sendo o conceito de reestatiza????o mais adequado para as mudan??as que se fazem necess??rias.

Articula????o federativa na presta????o de servi??os sociais no Brasil

O artigo analisa as mudan??as na presta????o de servi??os p??blicos a partir da Constitui????o de 1988, quando um novo pacto federativo acompanhou a redemocratiza????o pol??tica, resultando em ampla descentraliza????o para estados e munic??pios, acompanhada de nova estrutura de reparti????o dos recursos tribut??rios. Com esse objetivo, resgata-se o processo de forma????o de sistemas de presta????o de servi??os baseados na coopera????o entre as tr??s esferas de governo, focalizando as ??reas de educa????o, sa??de e assist??ncia social. Discutem-se as inova????es adotadas com a cria????o de formas organizacionais de negocia????o entre os entes federativos; a incorpora????o da participa????o social na formula????o e controle das pol??ticas p??blicas; a desburocratiza????o dos fluxos de recursos financeiros e de informa????es; e a ado????o de novos instrumentos jur??dicos de descentraliza????o de programas e a????es. O texto aponta ainda os impactos dessa descentraliza????o e das formas de articula????o federativa, indicando a necessidade de novas reformas nos sistemas administrativos e na pol??tica de recursos humanos.

Disclosure of Intangible Assets: an Empirical Study of Financial Corporations in the Iberian Peninsula

The purpose of this paper is to analyse, firstly, to what extent intangible assets in the consolidated accounts of seven Portuguese banks and seven Spanish banks between 2006 and 2009 are disclosed and, secondly, to analyse what the most influential factors are in the above mentioned disclosure. In order to do this, before reviewing the existing literature and on the basis of other studies on this topic, a disclosure index has been created based on the requirements related to the intangible assets as stated in IAS 38. Then, two statistical analyses have been made: a univariate one for each of the explanatory variables and a multivariate one, in which all variables have been analysed. Both analyses led to the conclusion that the disclosure index of intangible assets is 0.96, where the bank dimension and the internationalization degree are the variables that are considered explanatory of the variation of the disclosure index in the regression analysis.

The impact of size and age of the company on assessing financial risk

Textiles and tourism sectors are two important sectors in Portuguese economy. Its high exposure to both internal and international economy volatility transform the companies operating in these economic sectors especially vulnerable to recent economic crises in Portugal and European Union. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and understand the impact of size and age on the financial health of textile and tourism companies, measured by economic indices. An empirical based model is proposed. Its implications are derived and tested on a sample of 4061 Portuguese companies from textile and tourism sector, during the period 2005-2009. The results conclude that age has a stronger impact on the risk of failure than size. Whereas the effect of age is generally positive regarding the financial health of the company, the effect of size is less clear and depends on the age of the company.

Financial and economic analysis of prevention of needlesticks in the hospital sector

This paper discusses the financial and economic analysis of prevention of needlestick accidents related to Occupational Health and Safety projects and presents the application to a case study involving a Hospital.

Financial Risk Analysis of Portuguese Textile and Tourism Companies

Textile and tourism sectors are two important industries in the Portuguese economy. However, its high exposure to both internal and international economic volatility make the companies operating in these economic sectors particularly vulnerable to economic crises, such as the ones which have been impacting Portugal and the European Union. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and understand the impact of size and age on the financial health of textile and tourism companies, measured by economic indices. An empirical based model is proposed. Its implications are derived and tested on a sample of 4061 Portuguese companies from textile and tourism sectors, during the period 2005-2009. The findings suggest that age has a major impact on the risk of failure, rather than size. Whereas the effect of age is generally positive regarding the financial health of the company, the effect of size is less clear and ultimately depends on the age of the company.

Financial Risk Analysis of Portuguese Textile and Tourism Companies

Textile and tourism sectors are two important industries in the Portuguese economy. However, its high exposure to both internal and international economic volatility make the companies operating in these economic sectors particularly vulnerable to economic crises, such as the ones which have been impacting Portugal and the European Union. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and understand the impact of size and age on the financial health of textile and tourism companies, measured by economic indices. An empirical based model is proposed. Its implications are derived and tested on a sample of 4061 Portuguese companies from textile and tourism sectors, during the period 2005-2009. The findings suggest that age has a major impact on the risk of failure, rather than size. Whereas the effect of age is generally positive regarding the financial health of the company, the effect of size is less clear and ultimately depends on the age of the company.

The impact of size and age of the company on assessing financial risk.

Textiles and tourism sectors are two important sectors in Portuguese economy. Its high exposure to both internal and international economy volatility transform the companies operating in these economic sectors especially vulnerable to recent economic crises in Portugal and European Union. The objective of this paper is to evaluate and understand the impact of size and age on the financial health of textile and tourism companies, measured by economic indices. An empirical based model is proposed. Its implications are derived and tested on a sample of 4061 Portuguese companies from textile and tourism sector, during the period 2005-2009. The results conclude that age has a stronger impact on the risk of failure than size. Whereas the effect of age is generally positive regarding the financial health of the company, the effect of size is less clear and depends on the age of the company.