Article
Business, Finance
Feng He, Xinyao Guo, Pengpeng Yue
Summary: This study examines the impact of media coverage on corporate ESG performance in China and finds that media coverage plays an effective supervisory role in improving corporate ESG performance. The study suggests that increasing analysts' attention and deterring agency costs contribute to the improvement in ESG performance.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
(2024)
Article
Communication
Shagun Jhaver, Amy X. Zhang
Summary: This study examines social media users' preferences for platform-wide moderation and user-controlled, personalized moderation tools to regulate norm-violating content. The study finds that preference for personal moderation settings is influenced by perceived negative effects on others and support for freedom of expression.
NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
International Relations
Jean-Thomas Martelli, Vihang Jumle
Summary: By examining political rhetoric on Twitter, we find that populist communication is tailored to a particular audience profile rather than a particular social media platform. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses different media to spread populism, using wide-reaching media to present an intimate conversation with the masses, while using elitist and cosmopolitan social media platforms, such as Twitter, to showcase himself as a democratic leader favoring multilateral collaborations, banal nationalism, and Gandhian peace-building.
Article
Communication
Ethan Zuckerman, Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci
Summary: As online platforms strive to balance individual rights and public health, their trust and safety operations have become professionalized, creating a crisis of legitimacy. This has led to scrutiny and criticism for decisions made in the name of individual rights or public health. By revisiting earlier models of community governance, we argue that it can address persistent challenges of online governance and provide valuable democratic participation training for users.
SOCIAL MEDIA + SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Phia van der Watt, Lochner Marais
Summary: The paper examines the collaboration between local government and mining companies in Rustenburg, South Africa, emphasizing the need for alignment between the Social and Labour Plans of mining companies and the Integrated Development Plans of municipalities. However, simplistic assumptions and narrow vision associated with collaborative planning, alignment, and integration are called into question. The regulatory framework does not facilitate positive relationships and fails to suggest procedures to ensure joint planning, mutual accountability, and transparency, resulting in continued disruptions and damage to the local community.
Article
Communication
Nathan Schneider
Summary: The article argues that there is an implicit feudalism on dominant online platforms for community management, where user-administrators compete with each other under rules set by platform companies. This feudalistic pattern emerged from technical conditions dating to early online networks, but it is not a necessary condition as there are alternative management mechanisms with more democratic features.
NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Communication
Yik Chan Chin, Ahran Park, Ke Li
Summary: False information is a significant issue in Internet governance due to its impact on elections and information flows. This study compares the governance models of social media platforms in the United States and China, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability.
POLICY AND INTERNET
(2022)
Article
Communication
Paddy Leerssen, Tom Dobber, Natali Helberger, Claes de Vreese
Summary: The Facebook Ad Library aims to improve transparency and accountability in online advertising, and this article investigates how journalists have utilized this tool in their reporting. The analysis of print journalism reveals different use cases, from reporting on political campaigns to uncovering specific wrongdoings. However, interviews with journalists show that they are critical of the tool and its limitations. These findings provide empirical support for public regulation of ad archives, highlighting the public interest in advertising transparency and the reliance of journalists on incomplete access frameworks.
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION & SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
E. M. Francolini, J. B. Mann-Lang, E. McKinley, B. Q. Mann
Summary: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are essential for the long-term conservation of marine ecosystems and associated human benefits. A case study conducted in South Africa identified challenges such as non-compliance with laws, inadequate law enforcement, corruption, poor infrastructure, and perceived bias in regulations. The study suggested potential solutions including raising awareness, improving visibility of conservation efforts, investing finances into MPA management, enhancing local skills and knowledge, and utilizing innovative solutions for community compliance.
Article
Business, Finance
Wei Zhang, Pengfei Wang, Yi Li
Summary: Stock forum posts have a positive impact on firm productivity, potentially enhancing it by improving stock price informativeness and corporate governance.
PACIFIC-BASIN FINANCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Communication
Robert W. Gehl, Diana Zulli
Summary: This study focuses on the non-centralized platform governance in the Mastodon social network, demonstrating how it differs from the contractual form used by corporate social media. It explores how users, administrators, and developers make decisions in governance through covenantal federalist theory.
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION & SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Sacha Amaruzaman, Do Trong Hoan, Delia Catacutan, Beria Leimona, Maimbo Malesu
Summary: This study illustrates the potential of a polycentric approach to environmental governance in achieving SDG 16, using case studies from Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The study emphasizes four key elements of polycentric governance and suggests the inclusion of indicators specifically directed on polycentric environment and natural resources governance in SDG 16.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Khodani Matshusa, Llewellyn Leonard
Summary: Inclusive governance is essential for the development and management of geotourism and geoheritage sites in South Africa, with a focus on social sustainability. Currently, there is no specific governance model for geotourism development and geoheritage management in South Africa, relying mainly on geoparks or protected areas. This paper examines various governance models used for tourism management, including those employed by UNESCO Global Geoparks, to propose mechanisms that can be applied in South Africa. It emphasizes the opportunities for inclusive engagement with South African stakeholders, including local communities, and proposes a suitable model for adoption in the country. This is the first comprehensive governance model proposed for the development and management of geotourism and geoheritage sites in South Africa and Africa as a whole.
Article
Business
Chaoyuan She, Giovanna Michelon
Summary: Sustainable enterprises face a risk of financial pressures overshadowing their impact mission. Corporate governance mechanisms can help manage this tension by facilitating stakeholder engagement. This study examines how governance mechanisms affect stakeholder engagement on social media in sustainable enterprises. The study finds that legal and ethical mechanisms positively influence engagement quality, while accountability mechanisms influence both the extent and quality of engagement. This research sheds light on the importance of governance mechanisms in steering social media stakeholder engagement.
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Mingxia Long
Summary: This study investigates the economic aspect of copyright governance in relation to short video infringement by analyzing the case of China's short video industry. The findings suggest that high transaction costs contribute to the problem of short video infringement, which is essentially a market failure. To effectively control this issue, cross-platform information-sharing mechanisms, a unified copyright management platform, and emphasis on technical support are necessary to reduce search, coordination, and regulatory costs.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Political Science
Tii Nchofoung, Simplice Asongu, Vanessa Tchamyou, Ofeh Edoh
Summary: This study finds that gender political inclusion enhances democracy in Africa, and the result is robust across alternative specifications. Therefore, policymakers in Africa should strengthen their efforts for political inclusion by implementing gender quotas in political positions through national laws, and the support of the African Union could be sought to promote democratic development.
Article
Economics
Retselisitsoe Thamae, Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Summary: This study examines the effects of bank regulation and supervision on bank credit in Sub-Saharan African countries, with a focus on low- and middle-income groups. The findings reveal that strict entry barriers and supervisory power tend to decrease lending, although supervisory power can alleviate the negative impact of entry barriers. Additionally, positive shocks to entry barriers have a negative impact on bank credit, while negative shocks to capital requirements have adverse effects on lending. In the short term, positive shocks to entry barriers, activity restrictions, and capital regulations result in increased bank credit, particularly in low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
MACROECONOMICS AND FINANCE IN EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES
(2023)
Article
Business
Isaac Koomson, Simplice A. Asongu, Alex O. Acheampong
Summary: Considering the importance of the link between financial inclusion and food insecurity, this study examines the impact of financial inclusion on food insecurity using a multidimensional index and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. The results show that improving financial inclusion is associated with a reduction in food insecurity, which is consistent across different measures and methods. Financial inclusion is particularly effective in reducing food insecurity in male-headed and rural households, with entrepreneurship identified as an important pathway.
JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
(2023)
Article
Economics
Vanessa S. S. Tchamyou, Samba Diop, Simplice A. A. Asongu, Joseph Nnanna
Summary: In this paper, a new index called the African Women Vulnerability Index (AWVI) is developed to assess the vulnerability of rural women in Africa. The AWVI consists of 59 indicators in six dimensions, including safety, empowerment, health, education, economic prosperity, and digitalisation. The study finds that Botswana performs the best, while women in Guinea and Sudan experience the highest level of vulnerability. Moreover, the vulnerability of rural women in most dimensions is similar to that of women at the national level, except for digitalisation. National vulnerability trends significantly impact the vulnerability of rural women, particularly in the economic, empowerment, and health dimensions.
FORUM FOR SOCIAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji, Elda Nduka Okolo-Obasi, Simplice A. Asongu
Summary: Reports of cult violence have increased sharply in Nigeria's oil-producing communities since 2014. This study examines the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from multinational oil companies (MOCs) in reducing cult violence. The findings show that MOCs can effectively prevent the spread of violence by prioritizing interventions for youth through the use of Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU). This highlights the need for capacity building programs for youth and collaboration with government efforts to create a peaceful environment for doing business in the Niger Delta region.
Article
Economics
Joseph Mawejje, Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Summary: We examine the cyclicality of government expenditure and the impact of fiscal rules on five East African Community (EAC) countries using data from 1980 to 2019. Our analysis shows that government consumption is not affected by economic cycles, while investment is influenced by economic cycles. We also find evidence suggesting that following fiscal rules aligned with EAC macroeconomic convergence criteria leads to less procyclical fiscal policy. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening fiscal rules to enable a complete transition to a countercyclical fiscal policy stance.
APPLIED ECONOMICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Economics
Simplice Asongu, Nicholas M. M. Odhiambo
Summary: The present study examines the relationship between health performance dynamics and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2018. The study finds that total life expectancy and male life expectancy have a positive impact on economic growth only at the 10th and 90th quantiles, while female life expectancy has a positive impact on economic growth at the 90th quantile. On the other hand, the risk of maternal death negatively affects economic growth at the 75th and 90th quantiles. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Olatunji Shobande, Simplice Asongu
Summary: This study examines the role of natural resources and energy consumption in managing the climate crisis in Africa using data from the World Bank. The empirical analysis confirms the existence of a U-shaped relation, known as the Carbon Kuznets Curve, between carbon emissions and economic development in Africa. The study suggests considering environmental factors in the utilization of natural resources and emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency in decoupling carbon emissions from energy usage.
MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Simplice A. Asongu, Nicholas M. Odhiambo, Mushfiqur Rahman
Summary: This study examines the relationship between information technology, inequality, and adult literacy in 57 developing countries from 2012 to 2016. Using the Gini coefficient to measure income inequality, six aspects of information technology are considered: virtual social network usage, internet access in schools, internet penetration, mobile phone penetration, fixed broadband subscription, and the number of personal computer users. The empirical evidence is based on interactive Tobit regressions. The results indicate that only internet access in schools unconditionally promotes adult literacy. The threshold for internet access in schools to continue promoting adult literacy is 0.739 of the Gini coefficient. The policy implications are discussed.
JOURNAL OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Jean C. Kouam, Simplice A. Asongu, Bin J. Meh, Robert Nantchouang, Fri L. Asanga, Denis A. Foretia
Summary: This paper proposes a synthetic indicator to measure the quality of support for companies and identifies factors that can contribute to improving such support. The study uses static mechanics and factor analysis techniques, conducting a principal component analysis on data collected from 80 business support structures in Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, and Ghana. After constructing the indicators, the study correlates them with sustainable development objectives. The results indicate that considering sustainable development goals in business support practices significantly improves business performance in the sampled countries, and the originality of the study lies in its assessment of specific sustainable development goals' contribution to support quality.
JOURNAL OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
(2023)
Article
Information Science & Library Science
Toyo Amegnonna Marcel Dossou, Emmanuelle Ndomandji Kambaye, Mesfin Welderufael Berhe, Simplice A. Asongu
Summary: The relationship between ICT and income inequality, as well as the relationship between governance quality and income inequality, has been studied in recent years. However, the moderating effect of ICT on the governance quality-income inequality nexus has been overlooked. This study examines this moderating effect by using panel data of 42 sub-Saharan African economies from 1996 to 2020, and finds that while ICT contributes to the improvement of income distribution, governance quality exacerbates income inequality. Interestingly, promoting E-governance could enhance social welfare and reduce income inequality. Policy implications are provided based on the findings of this study, suggesting that institutional reforms should consider ICT as an important factor for improving income distribution.
INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Political Science
Peter Asare-Nuamah, Anthony Amoah, Simplice A. Asongu
Summary: This study examines the impact of governance dynamics on food security in Ghana from 1980 to 2019, adding to the existing literature. The analysis is conducted using the fully modified ordinary least squares technique, and governance is categorized into political, economic, and institutional dimensions. The findings show that the engaged governance dynamics contribute to improving food security in Ghana. The paper discusses policy implications, with a specific focus on sustainable development goals.
Article
Development Studies
Stephen Taiwo Onifade, Bright Akwasi Gyamfi, Ilham Haouas, Simplice A. Asongu
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of natural resources abundance and institutional quality indicators on the financial development in the MENA region. The results show that natural resources, growth trends, and inflationary levels significantly contribute to long-term financial development in the region. However, institutional quality levels and globalization have detrimental impacts on financial development. The interaction between institutional quality levels and natural resources shows a desirable effect on financial development, particularly when financial stability is taken into account.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Development Studies
Aurelien K. Yeyouomo, Simplice A. Asongu
Summary: This study empirically examines the effect of sustainable urbanization on vulnerability to climate change in 52 African countries from 1996 to 2019. Using the two-stage system generalized method of moments (GMM) and mediation analysis, the study assesses direct and indirect impacts. The results show that sustainable urbanization reduces vulnerability to climate change directly and indirectly through digitalization and institutional quality. These robust results have important policy implications for improving sustainable urbanization and reducing vulnerability to climate change in Africa.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
