Since 2011, the conflict in Syria left the country with a devastating energy sector and fragile economy. The residents struggle daily to live with only two hours a day of electricity. The crisis encouraged some Syrians to assemble photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate energy. Unfortunately, the geopolitical risks, the inflation, and displacement are making the situation worse. The geopolitical risks are complex and multifaceted due to the ongoing war and the involvement of various regional and international actors. In this letter, we focus on the situation in war-torn Syria, its economy, and the opportunities for renewable energy development in the country. We also give some recommendations for academics and policy makers.

You have a product or service for which the world has been waiting. You've scraped together enough cash to get your idea off the ground. You are confident that your business will succeed. And yet, it is often the case that a short time later you are out of business. Numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that about half of new businesses fail within the first five years. And with those business failures go the life savings and the dreams of the person who started the business. This article describes five finance and accounting pitfalls that should be avoided in order to increase the likelihood that a small business will succeed. Of course, the most common reason for a small business to fail is that customers don't want the product or service. But small businesses are also often killed because of predictable and preventable finance and accounting mistakes: insufficient capital, poor cash management, poor record keeping and controls, improper product pricing, and uncontrolled growth.

In this paper, we develop a model in which a monopolistic firm manufactures and sells a digital product, by incorporating digital rights management (DRM), quality degradation of pirated products, and government copyright enforcement into the consumer’s utility function. We determine the monopolist’s optimal pricing strategies and the appropriate DRM protection level through mathematical deduction. Our results show that when the government copyright enforcement is moderate and the quality of pirated products is relatively high, implementing a DRM system is optimal for the monopolist. However, in most other cases, DRM-free is better for the monopolist. This result may explain why DRM is not very popular in some industries. Our results suggest that choosing the right price, focusing on content innovation, and weakening DRM protection may be a better strategy for firms now. The results also indicate that DRM-free may be more prominent in the digital music industry than in the software and video games industries.

Even though policy coordination is one of the oldest challenges that governments have to confront, as problems evolve and "New Public Management" concepts emerge, it has become even more essential. The current literature on policy coordination among government agencies, however, shows little regarding the way coordination is managed under centralized political systems. This study, based on the science and technology (S&T) policy documents issued by China's central government agencies between 1978 and 2020, provides a quantitative and dynamic analysis of the coordination of policies in China and presents a comprehensive overview of policy coordination paths and processes in centralized political systems. As a result, it provides a way that contributes to the analytical methods available for quantitatively analyzing policy documents. On the other hand, the key findings of the study show that, first, state council-administered ministries have taken the lead in coordinating policy while other types of organizations have collaborated in more subordinate capacities. Second, national themes that are democratic and driven by demand have been the core concern of coordination activities, such as social development, high-tech industrialization, and rural S&T. Third, policy coordination has evolved continuously and has mostly contributed to interpreting macrostrategies and implementing more specific implementation measures.

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) deposits across 13 African nations from 2016 to 2022, using a seven-year dataset and Ordinary Least Squares estimator. Notably, it uncovers a significant positive link between the pandemic and SMEs deposits, indicating heightened reserves amidst economic uncertainty, potentially driven by risk mitigation or government support. Associations between gross domestic product (GDP), inflation, unemployment, foreign direct investment (FDI), exchange rates, and SMEs deposits were evident, showcasing higher GDP aligning with increased deposits, while inflation and unemployment linked to reduced ones. FDI showed a positive influence, and exchange rate fluctuations notably affected SMEs deposits, especially for those in international trade. These findings emphasize policy reconsideration for crisis strategies supporting SMEs reserves during uncertainty and interventions addressing inflation, unemployment, and exchange rate risks. Future research exploring regional nuances and global comparisons could further enrich policymaking for resilient SMEs amid evolving economic landscapes.

This paper analyses a model of private value auctions with symmetric risk-neutral bidders, where bidders' private values of an indivisible good are fuzzy. The auction is studied as a game with incomplete information. Fuzzy random variables, their quantile functions, and expressions for expectations through quantile functions are used. An explicit expression for the solution is found. Also, expected bidders' payments are studied.

In this paper, a portfolio analysis is carried out using the Sharpe ratio to identify the optimal market portfolio. The measure of investment performance with a Sharpe ratio is compared to results obtained with bootstrapped resamples of the Sharpe ratio. The results indicate that the choice of the market portfolio is highly affected by the uncertainty regarding the estimation of the expected returns and the variance-covariance matrix between the returns, that is, the estimation risk associated with these parameters.

The vigorous development of the digital economy provides a new research perspective for alleviating local financial pressure. Based on the provincial panel data from 2013 to 2020, the mediating effect model and threshold regression model were used to explore the effect and mechanism of the digital economy on local fiscal pressure. The research shows that the digital economy has a significant alleviating effect on local financial pressure by increasing fiscal revenue, and this alleviating effect has a threshold effect on entrepreneurial activity. From the perspective of dimension, the alleviating effect of the digital economy development environment on local financial pressure is better than that of digital industrialization and industrial digitization. From a regional perspective, the digital economy has the most apparent impact on the western region. In addition, the quantile regression results show that with the increase in financial pressure, the easing effect of the digital economy shows an inverted U-shaped change. Therefore, in order to effectively alleviate the financial pressure on local governments, China should continue to promote the development of the digital economy, take multiple measures to increase entrepreneurial activity, and encourage various regions to implement differentiated digital economy development strategies according to local conditions.

This research delves into the temporal dynamics of a nation's pursuit of a targeted GDP per capita level, employing five different survival machine learning models, remarkably Deep Learning algorithm (DeepSurv) and Survival Random Forest. This nuanced perspective moves beyond static evaluations, providing a comprehensive understanding of the developmental processes shaping economic trajectories over time. The economic implications underscore the intricate balance required between calculated risk-taking and strategic vulnerability mitigation. These findings guide policymakers in formulating resilient economic strategies for sustained development and growth amid the complexities inherent in contemporary economic landscapes.

Economic globalization has intensified economic volatility around the world, and the importance of economic resilience has become increasingly prominent in the face of rising uncertainty due to frequent domestic and foreign shocks. Based on provincial panel data in China from 2008-2019, a comprehensive indicator system is constructed to measure regional economic resilience (RER), and the impact of financial driver (FD) on RER is explored from staged, pathway and non-linear perspectives. The main findings are as follows. (1) Both national and regional levels of FD and RER show an upward trend, and the impact of FD on RER has an “inverted-U” shape: as the capacity of FD increases, its impact on regional economic resilience shifts from promoting to inhibiting. The RER has significant spatial agglomeration characteristic. (2) Interestingly, staged analysis shows FD can significantly promote RER only when it is in the “recovery stage”. (3) The pathway analysis of its effect on regional economic resilience shows the following characteristics: financial scale > financial efficiency > financial deepening. (4) From different regions, there are significant differences in the effect of FD on the promotion of regional economic resilience: central region > western region > eastern region. Finally, the corresponding suggestions were provided.

Regulation of financial institutions has two key purposes: Solvency (prudential regulation) and consumer protection. Prudential regulation is implemented mainly by capital requirements, but governments also provide insurance for customer deposits, as a backup tool. In this article, we discuss the critical conditions for deposit insurance and capitalization to act as substitutes for each other, under cyclical economic environment. We make two assumptions. The first one is that deposit insurance is fairly priced and there is no moral hazard. The second one is that insurance creates incentives for moral hazard among insured banks, resulting in increased risk taking. We also discuss the critical conditions for deposit insurance and capitalization to be complementary under different proportions of deposit insurance.

The purpose of this paper is to examine and elucidate the effect of the announcement of winning a US federal contract by pharmaceutical companies, traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange on the share prices. The analysis is based on a sample of 327 event days from 12 pharmaceutical companies listed on the NASDAQ market for a given period (2010 – 2021). The sample is analysed by using the event study methodology and Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) in order to examine the abnormal returns and cumulative abnormal returns during an event window of 10 days before the event and 10 days after the event. While prior researchers have identified significant positive abnormal returns following different types of contract announcements, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature by exploring the specific impact of the public contract in the pharmaceutical market on market shares. By investigating this unique aspect, the research fills a gap in previous studies and enhances our understanding of the relationship between public contract announcements and market performance. The data collection utilises secondary data from the official open data source of US federal spending information and daily stock prices. The collected data is analysed quantitatively using event study methodology, allowing for statistical examination of abnormal returns, such as ANOVA analysis, t-statistic, beta index, time series analysis and linear regression. The research findings indicate a significant impact of public contract-winning announcements on cumulative abnormal returns, suggesting a positive reaction from the market. However, average abnormal returns within the event window were positive but not statistically significant. These results imply that winning a government contract has a limited impact on the stock market. The implications of this research highlight the importance of public contract announcements in the pharmaceutical industry and their influence on share prices. The findings provide valuable insights for investors and stakeholders, aiding decision-making processes related to investment opportunities and market performance.

This research letter investigates hedonic and utilitarian orientations to Online shopping. The data highlight a positive correlation of hedonism with both the length and the frequency of connection to the Internet. It considers two products, jeans and personal computers, that previous literature had identified as being characterized by utilitarian and hedonic features. The results show that consumers prefer to buy products and brands on the Web if they have already seen and experienced them Offline.

All things being equal, and in a truly democratic world, one will expect that the fact that women are the majority in almost every single community of the world should guarantee them at least equal control or ownership over resources and enjoy most of the rights and privileges in that particular community. But things seem not to be working that way as evidence from the literature shows that women are always relegated to the background when it comes to the issue of control or ownership over, and sometimes even access to property in most societies which include the right to own and use land. This undoubtedly has a consequence on the productive and overall development of such a community. In recent times, the issue of gender discrimination, disparities, and inequalities has attracted the attention of researchers over the past decade with enormous literature in this area. There are, however, few studies that provide a comparative analysis of the situation between two or more countries. This paper seeks to fill this void of knowledge based on a review of relevant literature on land rights with an emphasis on the situations in Kenya and Tanzania. The results have shown the prevalence of four types of land rights such as communal property rights, non or open-access property rights, state or crown property rights, and private property rights. The results have further indicated that the controversial land rights of Kenya have led to the reduction in the lands of certain groups of people, increasing land disputes, and also discriminating against women in their land rights. In the case of Tanzania, there were several cases of bias against women concerning the ownership of land, especially under the customary system of Tanzania. Issues of discrimination against women were also identified in the inheritance laws of the land which is a paramount feature within the norms and cultures of the people of Tanzania. The lack of equal access to land by women in both countries is found to harm productivity in several sectors of their economies, especially in agriculture. Policymakers are therefore admonished to ensure equal access by both genders to land as this will lead to efficiency in the management and usage of land which is certainly good for sustainability in the development of any economy.

Human factor inputs are key to promoting agricultural modernisation. Traditional economic theory suggests that improving human capital is the key to boosting agricultural productivity, but can this conclusion hold in China's dualistic economic structure? We use Chinese provincial panel data from 2000-2017 to examine the impact of rural human capital inputs on agricultural total factor productivity. We find that, on the whole, rural human capital inputs have a negative effect on agricultural total factor productivity, and that there is a "rural human capital trap". Mechanism analysis reveals that rural human capital inputs, on the one hand, cause labour loss and reduce the quality of agricultural workers, while on the other hand, they may promote the application of mechanization, which has both positive and negative effects on agricultural total factor productivity. Heterogeneity analysis finds that this negative effect is more pronounced in the central region of China because of the serious loss of rural labour. This study provides new policy insights for further improving the structure of rural education inputs and promoting human capital accumulation in agriculture.

We offer an extensive analysis of the significance of information within the realm of Gaussian quadratic economies. We build upon the seminal papers of Morris and Shin (2002, 2007) and consider a signal game of incomplete information. Particularly, we question the suitability of partial transparency portrayed by fragmented information in addition to the private signal in terms of welfare effects. We can summarize our findings in two main points. First, fragmented information, in conjunction with a private signal, can reduce the reliance on public signals. Second, a conflicting effect arises between increasing full disclosure and increasing the precision of fragmented (semi-public) information when examining different complex scenarios, involving for example endogenous private information or imperfect correlated signals. For a critical threshold, an optimal communication strategy designed by fragmented information should be implemented whenever that kind of information is acquired at a high precision.

Green innovation, driven by China's new development concept, plays a crucial role in high-quality economic development. In line with the green development trend, businesses increasingly prioritize whether their corporate environmental responsibilities (CER) can effectively enhance corporate green innovation (CGI) levels. This paper examines the influence and mechanism of CER on CGI using a dynamic perspective, drawing from 1,640 manually-collected panel data of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies between 2010 and 2017. The primary findings indicate that the impact of CER on CGI possesses phase-specific characteristics and a dual effect of "crowding in" and "crowding out." The current phase of CER negatively affects green innovation, while the lag phase has a positive effect. CER's impact on various CGI types is heterogeneous: specifically, it follows an "inverted-N" trajectory (inhibition-promotion-inhibition) for "strategic green innovation" and has a promotional effect on "substantive green innovation," which is stronger and has a longer time lag. The mechanism analysis reveals that financing constraints play a critical mediating role. A heterogeneity analysis based on multiple dimensions (ownership, industry, and location) suggests that CER has a more significant driving force for CGI among state-owned firms, high-polluting industries, and enterprises in inland areas. Finally, the paper presents corresponding suggestions for government and corporate entities.

Environmental concerns are increasing and business firms are inclined towards adoption of eco-friendly products and services. They are hiring employees via set of green HRM practices and struggling to become an environmentally sustainable firm. Pakistani food industry is booming day by day. However, less is known about the green HRM practices executed in the fast food industry of Pakistan. Therefore, this research is interested in examining the impact of Green recruitment and selection, green training and development and green performance and compensation management on the P-O fit, affective commitment and green recovery performance in Pakistan’s fast food industry. The moderating effects of transformational leadership will be examined between Green HRM practices and green recovery performance. A sample of 408 employees who are working at different designations were selected to accomplish the purpose of the research. These managers will be selected through convenient sampling technique. There were 21 fast food restaurants (Burger Joints) selected from all over Karachi, few of them includes; KFC, Burger Lab, Burger O Clock, Vintage, Plan B and more. The collected primary data will be tested through the application of structural equation modeling technique. Smart PLS software is used to assess the objectives. The results of the study revealed significant association between Green R&S, Green T&D and P-O fit. A non-significant association is found between Green P& C and P-O Fit. The study affirmed that Affective commitment posit a direct influence on GRP. The Green R&S and Green P&C revealed insignificant impacts on the green recovery performance within the fast food industry. The indirect association was analyzed between P&C, P-O fit, AF and GRP and revealed an insignificant result. Likewise, an indirect association is found between R/S, P-O Fit, AF and GRP. The future researchers are recommended to analysis the remaining elements of GHRM and investigate their impacts on the fast food industry of Pakistan. There is a need to create awareness regarding green HRM practices and their influence on the Green recovery performance in Pakistan. Policy makers are recommended to develop such policies that promotes GHRM in Pakistan.

With the advancement of science and technology and the advent of the digital economy, the digital economy has become a new driving force for economic development, and the digital economy industry at home and abroad is facing new opportunities for survival and development. However, due to the special development model and profit mode of the digital economy industry, the traditional performance evaluation method is no longer applicable, so it is particularly important to improve the previous performance evaluation method. This paper first adjusts the customer value assessment (CLV) model according to the characteristics of the digital economy industry, and then analyzes the traditional EVA based on the adjusted user value assessment (ULV) model of the digital economy industry. The performance evaluation system is improved, and the representative enterprises of Alibaba, JD and Pinduoduo in the digital economy industry are selected for performance evaluation and analysis, and the user value performance evaluation model of the digital economy industry is integrated, innovated and standardized, in order to provide reference and reference for the follow-up research and practice of performance evaluation in the digital economy industry.

On the basis of the background of the global green development wave, this paper studies the mechanism between ecological value transformation and urban-rural common prosperity as well as selects 24 data indicators in relation to ecological value transformation, i.e., green development level from 2008 to 2017, calculate the comprehensive score of China's green development level by entropy method, measures the gap between the rich and the poor between urban and rural areas by urban-rural income ratio, and using correlation analysis, she examines the relationship between green development level and the urban-rural income ratio. Moreover, through empirical analysis, there is a significant negative correlation between the level of green development and the ratio of urban to rural income, according to the findings. The improvement of the level of green development will assist narrow the income gap between urban and rural residents as well as achieve common prosperity.