bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intellectual Property Rights and Economic Growth: The Case of Middle Income Developing Countries
Authors: Pervez Zamurrad Janjua
Published: August 2018

Intellectual property (IP) refers to the creation of mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, name, and images used in commerce. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been widely recognised as a growth enhancing factor for the global economies as a whole. IPRs regime can influence the growth process through domestic and external sector of an economy. This study is primarily concerned with the effects of IPRs regime through external sector. Through different channels IPRs can promote economic growth in the recipient countries. The most important is technology transfer and its positive spillovers. Therefore, IPRs exert economic growth, which requires increase in productivity, increase in productivity requires increase in technological innovation and it requires the efficient protection of IPRs Rapp and Rozek (1990). The IPRs can influence the average growth more effectively in the open economies as compare to the close one Gould and Gruben (1996). Latter on Thompson and Rushing (1999) extended the model and included total factor productivity (TFP) in their growth model, which shows that IPRs have an insignificant impact on TFP for developed and developing countries but a positive and significant impact for the developed countries. To sustain economic growth it requires secured property rights system.
The Impact of Globalisation on Economic Growth of Pakistan
Authors: Mohammad Afzal
Published: August 2018

Globalisation has diverse definitions and concepts.1 Globalisation has many facets and has a variety of social, political and economic implications. This term introduced in early 1980, which never precisely defined, is a frequently used word in the political economy. It simply means growing integration of the national economies, openness to trade, financial flows, foreign direct investment and the increasing interaction of people in all facets of their lives. Globalisation also implies internationalisation of production, distribution and marketing of goods and services. International integration implies the adoption of common policies by the individual countries. Between 1870 and 1914, the world was integrated into a single word economy dominated by one power: Great Britain. The government functions were limited and faced many constraints like gold standard and lack of freedom to pursue easy monetary policy. Later governments were burdened by performing many functions like achievement of macroeconomic goals—full employment, economic growth and price stability. Freedom of using macroeconomic policies resulted in greater integration of national economies but at the same time they led to international disintegration and interdependence. Streeten (1998) argues that today global market forces can lead to conflict between states, contributing to international disintegration and weakened governance. Before 1914, the world was more integrated than it is today but it did not prevent the First World War.
The Impact of Open Sewerage Smell on House Rent in Rawalpindi
Authors: Muhammad Irfan
Published: August 2018

One of the basic problems of any developing country is to provide shelter to the low income groups. The housing does not mean shelter only but it includes the services related to it i.e. sanitation, sewerage, street conditions and water etc. The government policies related to the provision of such facilities have greater impact on the quality of life and standard of living. The demand for housing reflects the willingness to pay for a set of housing services. The house is a set of many goods; the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, quality of local services and utilities, tidiness of the neighbourhood and quality of the local environment [Katherine (2006)]. The difference in value may be due to housing and neighbourhood characteristics with amenity or dis-amenity values.
Returns to Education in Pakistan
Authors: Shabbar Jaffry  , Vyoma Shah
Published: August 2018

There is an extensive empirical literature on returns to education that focuses both on developed and developing countries. Available literatures in developing countries compare the returns to academic education and vocational education [Nasir and Nazil (2000)], or seek to identify the impact of completing a given schooling cycle on earnings [Appleton (2001)]. The aim of this study is to contribute the literature by conducting a systematic analysis on returns to education and education inequality in Pakistan. In particular it asks to what extent inequality for different level of education vary across the wage distribution. In order to address simultaneously the two issue of return to education and education inequality, study adopt a quantile regression framework. A characteristic of the wage and salary structure of most countries is that people with more education tend to receive higher remuneration than those with less [Colclough (1982)]. To do so, the paper has used data drawn from Labour Force Surveys, conducted by Government of Pakistan for the time period between 1990 and 2003, which contains eight different surveys, using methodology developed by Agrist, et al. (2006), where weighted least squares interpretation of Quantile Regression is used to derive an omitted variables bias formula and a partial quantile regression concept, similar to the relationship between partial regression and OLS. Estimation uses personal and household characteristics, occupational and employment characteristics in order to assess the education inequality. Empirical estimates indicate that education inequality is much higher for the middle level educates compare to educate that has less education or high level education and qualifications. The education level coefficients decrease when different sets of exogenous variables are introduced in the estimation equation. Analysis also suggests the existence of the education inequality across different areas and regions and over the time it has increased.
Dynamism in the Gender Wage Gap: Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Sabir  , Zehra Aftab
Published: August 2018

One of the main caveats of Pakistan’s economic development history is the persistence of gender inequality with respect to almost all socioeconomic indicators. For instance, Pakistan ranks 66, out of 75 countries, with respect to the Gender Empowerment Measure (Human Development Report, 2006) with a GEM value of 0.377, largely a manifestation of very low estimated female to male earned income ratio, which is a depressing 0.29. GEM and other labour force statistics confirm the gender gap in labour force participation. One of the possible explanations of this gender gap is gender discrimination in the labour market, particularly in wages. Evidence with respect to gender discrimination in Pakistan’s labour market is welldocumented. Siddique, et al. (2006), Nasir and Nazli (2000), Siddique, et al. (1998) and Ashraf and Ashraf (1993) all confirm that men earn higher wages than women even after controlling for measurable characteristics affecting their productivity. These studies, however, analyse the gender wage gap by comparing the mean male/female wage. Studies which compare the gender wage gap at different points along the wage distribution are not available for Pakistan.
Underemployment, Education, and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Shujaat Farooq
Published: August 2018

The economic role of human capital, particularly education has long been documented by economists and policy makers [Becker (1964)]. According to some observers view, educational system is an effective vehicle for producing the skills required to maintain growth in the economy.1 The versatile impact of education on every aspect of human existence makes it a vital area for policy framework especially for developing countries. Developing countries where majority of world’s population resides need to maximise productivity and capabilities of the advanced human capital. The benefits of education range from human to economic, social and cultural. At human level, education contributes in attractive self esteem and confidence leading towards empowerment. In Pakistan, there is significant rise in the average level of education, but over time, more and more workers incapable to use their educational background on the job. Two decades ago, it was judgment that supply of labour meeting the demand of labour. However in recent years, it is argued that supply of some skilled labour may have outstripped the demand of labour in some professions and high qualified peoples taking positions of low qualified peoples. Such underemployment/over-education has not been fully explored in Pakistan.
Inaugural Address
Authors: M. Akram Sheikh
Published: August 2018

Distinguished Guests, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: It gives me great pleasure to inaugurate the 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists. I am particularly happy at the choice of theme for this year’s conference i.e. “Environment and Natural Resource Management: Issues and Challenges”, as it shows the deep concern of Pakistani economists that economic development and growth cannot go on indefinitely without limit and without regard to our habitat and environment. I will invite your attention to a few areas which are impacting Pakistani development strategies. Our planet just cannot sustain its present and future population numbers, if the current global trends of consumption continue in the attitude of business as usual. We have witnessed the effect of this most acutely in the last couple of years, with major increases in prices of most food commodities, minerals and metals, and of course fossil fuels. Globally, the amount of land on which we grow our food has been shrinking every year, and has actually fallen to less than half of the hectares per capita used for grain production fifty years ago.
Demographic Dividend or Demographic Threat in Pakistan?
Authors: Nayab Durr-e-
Published: August 2018

Population growth and size have remained the focus of debate
for centuries but the recent demographic transition in developing
countries has made social scientists take note of the changing age
structure of the population as well. As a result of declining population
growth and consequent changes in age structure, the proportion of
working-age population is increasing in most developing countries. An
associated decline in the dependent age population offers a window of
opportunity, referred to as the ‘demographic dividend’. Pakistan is also
going through the demographic transition, and is experiencing a
once-in-a-lifetime demographic dividend as the working-age population
bulges and the dependency ratio declines. This paper looks into the
demographic dividend being offered to Pakistan and its implications for
the country, mainly through three mechanisms: labour supply, savings,
and human capital. For economic benefits to materialise, there is a need
for policies dealing with education, public health, and those that
promote labour market flexibility and provide incentives for investment
and savings. On the contrary, if appropriate policies are not
formulated, the demographic dividend might, in fact, be a cost, leading
to unemployment and an unbearable strain on education, health, and old
age security.
M. C. Behera. Globalising and Rural Development: Competing
Paradigms and Emerging Realities, New Delhi/Thousand Oaks/London: Sage
Publications. 2006. Paperback. Indian Rs 550.00.
Authors: Akhter Naseem
Published: August 2018

Rural development provides an understanding which is both
broader and more specific than development in terms of economic growth.
It is broader because it entails much more than economic growth as
factors affecting it are not contained within the discipline of formal
economics. Rural development includes not only attention to production,
but also to the analysis of distributional issues and, therefore,
demands an inter-disciplinary approach in which the broader social and
political factors interacting with economic processes are subject to
examination. Even in this age of globalisation, rural development has
acquired a central role in the international development discourse. This
is because there is a shift in the development paradigm along with the
process of globalisation and nations need to formulate their rural
development strategies fitting into this international
discourse.
Gender Analysis of Children’s Activities in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Rana Ejaz Ali
Published: August 2018

This paper estimates gender differences in children’s time
allocation among four ordered options. It analyses the sample of boys
and girls separately through a series of probit models using primary
data. We compare the socio-economic determinants of boys’ and girls’
activities. The results suggest that boys are more likely to go to
school as compared to girls with the increase in their age. The
provision of schooling as an instrument to decrease child labour and
home-care would affect boys more than girls. To make the adults literate
(five years of education) only is not enough to eliminate the gender gap
in schooling; a greater number of years of adult education is necessary.
The female adult education may be devised to eliminate gender
discrimination in child schooling. In the larger households, girls drop
out of school and are absorbed in the labour market earlier than boys.
The results further suggested that the use of resources is significantly
different for boys’ and girls’ welfare. Thus, we conclude that girls can
be a better target for increase in the welfare of all children in
Pakistan.
David N. Weil. Economic Growth. (Second Edition). New York:
Addison Wesley Press, 2009. 565 pages. Paperback. Price not
given.
Authors: Fatima Nishat
Published: August 2018

Despite the great concern towards the issue of the convergence
of economies, the world is still witnessing the gap between rich and
poor being widened progressively. The book examines the interesting
question of why some countries are rich and some are poor-why they
differ in their levels of income and their rates of economic growth.
Featuring the latest data, new case studies, and a number of significant
additions in the content, the new Second Edition takes the Weil legacy
further. The text develops a very balanced relevance of both
macroeconomics’ classical roots and its current practice in the field of
growth. Engagingly written, it brings into use simple models, close to
reality examples, and instructive tables and figures to address the key
issues. Chapter summaries, list of key concepts at the beginning of each
chapter, questions for review, as well as problems and applications to
help the diligent reader master the material he provides. The clarity of
the writing, the richness of the empirical and quantitative
descriptions, and the best available evidence of some of the modern
economies confronting growth issues, however, would further deepen his
interest.
Energy Demand in Pakistan: A Disaggregate Analysis
Authors: Muhammad Arshad Khan  , Usman Ahmad
Published: August 2018

Energy is considered to be the life line of an economy, the most vital instrument of socioeconomic development and has been recognised as one of the most important strategic commodities [Sahir and Qureshi (2007)]. Energy is not only essential for the economy but its supply is uncertain [Zaleski (2001)]. Energy is a strategic source that influenced the outcomes of wars, fueled and strangled economic development and polluted as well as clean up the environment. In the era of globalisation, a rapidly increasing demand for energy and dependency of countries on energy indicate that energy will be one of the biggest problems in the world in the next century. This requires for alternative and renewable sources of energy. Traditional growth theories focus much on the labour and capital as major factor of production and ignore the importance of energy in the growth process [Stern and Cleveland (2004)]. The neo-classical production theories stresses that economic growth increases with the increases in labour, capital and technology. Today energy is indispensable factor and plays an important role in the consumption as well as production process.1 Research suggests that energy plays an important role as compared to other variables included in the production and consumption function for countries which are at intermediate stages of economic development [IEA (2005)]. When we examine disaggregating components of energy demand, it is seen that electricity is the highest quality energy component and its share in energy consumption increases rapidly. Natural gas, petroleum and coal follow electricity respectively.
Residential Demand for Electricity in Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Nasir  , Muhammad Salman Tariq
Published: August 2018

Undoubtedly, in the new millennium, the importance of energy sector for the development of a country is undeniable. Rapidly increasing knowledge along with speedy technological innovation has resulted in the provision of abundance of facilities. This has made the human beings, consumers or producers, much demanding for energy sources that are used to run mechanical processes. There are various sources of energy which include oil, electricity, gas, coal and nuclear. Countries differ in the usage of alternative energy sources. In Pakistan the major energy source is gas which is 41 percent of the total energy supplied. The other energy supply sources along with their percentage shares are as follow: oil (29 percent), hydro (12.70 percent), coal (12 percent) and nuclear (1 percent).1 Electricity is one of the most important source of energy in Pakistan. It has become a necessity in the present life, having a wide range of uses in residential as well as in commercial sector. Table 1 describes the major domestic users of electricity in Pakistan along with their respective shares of consumption. It is obvious from the table that residential consumption of electricity has the highest share.
Ownership Concentration, Corporate Governance and Firm Performance: Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Attiya Y. Javid
Published: August 2018

The nature of relation between the ownership structure and corporate governance structure has been the core issue in the corporate governance literature. From a firms’ perspective, ownership structure determines the firms’ profitability, enjoyed by different stake-holders. In particular, ownership structure is an incentive device for reducing the agency costs associated with the separation of ownership and management, which can be used to protect property rights of the firm [Barbosa and Louri (2002)]. With the development of corporate governance, many corporations owned by disperse shareholders and are controlled by hire manager. As a results incorporated firms whose owners are dispersed and each of them owns a small fraction of total outstanding shares, tend to under-perform as indicated by Berle and Means (1932). Latter this theoretical relationship between a firm’s ownership structure and its performance is empirically examined by Jensen and Meckling (1976) and Shlefier and Vishny (1986). In most of developing markets including Pakistan, the closely held firms (family or state-controlled firms or firms held by corporations and by financial institutions) dominate the economic landscape. The main agency problem is not the managershareholder conflict but rather the risk of expropriation by the dominant or controlling shareholder at the expense of minority shareholders. The agency problem in these markets is that control is often obtained through complex pyramid structures,1 interlock directorship,2 cross shareholdings,3 voting pacts and/or dual class voting shares that allow the ultimate owner to maintain (voting) control while owning a small fraction of ownership (cash flow rights).
Estimating Total Factor Productivity and Its Components: Evidence from Major Manufacturing Industries of Pakistan
Authors: Abdul Raheman  , Talat Afza
Published: August 2018

Manufacturing sector of Pakistan accounts for 19.1 percent of GDP and is the second largest sector of the economy. It grew by 8.4 percent during 2007 as against 10 percent last year. In the manufacturing sector, large scale manufacturing (LSM), plays a vital role and accounts for approximately 70 percent of overall manufacturing [Economic Survey of Pakistan (2006-07)]. During 2006-07 relatively slower pace of expansion exhibits signs of moderation on accounts of higher capacity utilisation, difficulties in the textile sector and lower than expected scale of operations of oil refineries. A number of other factors have also contributed to the low pace of expansion in manufacturing including zero percent growth in raw cotton production which is a critical input for the textile industry, vegetable ghee and cooking oil which comprise about 5.5 percent of the LSM sector, showed uninspiring performance due to unparalleled rise in international palm and soybean oil prices. The performance of the automobile sector has been far less impressive this year as compared to previous five years due to a fall in domestic demand for cars on account of increasing auto financing rates. The higher imports of used cars in the beginning of fiscal year 2006-07 also affected the performance of domestic auto mobile sector.
Changing Revealed Comparative Advantage: A Case Study of Footwear Industry of Pakistan
Authors: Naseem Akhtar  , Nadia Zakir  , Ejaz Ghani
Published: August 2018

The global export patterns are changing fast as a result of reduction in trade barriers and technological advancements that have led to gains in productivity and change in comparative advantage patterns in world economies. Asian economies such as China and India are enjoying a notable growth in changing circumstances across the world. Pakistan also has great potential for higher growth however the political threats, socioeconomic environment and lack of updated technologies are obstruction in the way of progress. Some sectors of Pakistan economy have shown a good performance in terms of production and exports. Footwear is one such industry which has increased its exports at large extent since 2003. This sector has pivotal importance in terms of providing and creating jobs, earning of foreign exchange with the help of exports and fulfilling the local consumption requirements. Both in Pakistan and around the globe, the demand for footwear is increasing. Pakistan is one of the most populous countries in the World and according to an estimate with an average population growth of 2.25 percent, about 3 million children have been born during the year 2005-06, signaling the growing demand for footwear in Pakistan. It is also estimated that about 60 percent of the World’s total consumption consists of simple footwear made entirely of non-leather materials and that for the remaining 40 percent only the upper part of the shoe is made of leather. In the manufacturing of footwear, most frequently used material consists upon leather, man-made materials, rubber / canvas / synthetic and textile along accessories. Different type of shoes are being produced by the local industry e.g. sportsmen, army, disabled persons and safety shoes for the industrial workers etc. The population of Pakistan is expected to be about 172 million in the year 2010. Keeping in view the growth in population, the growth in the demand of footwear industry is also anticipated.
Telecommunication Infrastructure Development and Economic Growth: A Panel Data Approach
Authors: Kanwal Zahra  , Parvez Azim  , Afzal Mahmood
Published: August 2018

World is going to be global village due to the introduction of new and advanced technology and new innovations in technology make it more possible day by day. The widely spread economic activities both in real as well as in credit market is possible when they use advance technology to communicate. This is a fact that the world is rapidly moving towards an economic system based on the continuous and ubiquitous availability of information. Developing countries try to maintain and develop their technology in such a way that they can become a part of this global village. Recent developments in telecommunication technology have been an important tool to exchange the information to develop a sharp and valuable commodity market. During 21st century to move into post-industrial, information based economic growth, countries and sector try to equip themselves with the necessary telecommunication system. A modern telecommunication infrastructure is not only important for economic growth but also to connect domestic market of commodities as well as credit with international commodity and financial markets. This would develop the smooth flow of foreign investment, positive value of net exports, increase the value addition in GDP of an economy etc. Once the industrial and agriculture development was considered to be a best tool to enhance economic growth of a country, every country gave more importance to these sectors in its plans and policies, but now the trend has changed because the advancement and development of these two major sector of an economy sustain on the development of other factors, the role of service sector, advancement in technology, and the contribution of foreign sector in economic growth by different ways increases, and the major area of interest for foreign sector or investment was service sector and still it is, countries with the existence of GATS, started to privatise their set up, and after realising the importance of communications, the telecommunication sector is now on their main priorities. With the advancement of telecommunication services, a new market mechanism, low cost structure and expanded value chain of firms is possible [Kambil and Short (1994)], on other hand in developing countries, the average price of agricultural commodities is high in the area where there is telephone facilities available than the area where there is no facilities to communicate [Bayes, et al. (1999)].
Economic Sustainability in a Globalised World (The Presidential Address)
Authors: Rashid Amjad
Published: August 2018

Mr Prime Minister, Patron of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists and Chancellor PIDE, Minister for Planning and Development, Ministers, Past Presidents and Distinguished Members of the Society, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 24th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists. We are extremely grateful and honoured by the presence of the Prime Minister. On behalf of the members of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), I would like to thank you, Sir, for having spared your precious time to grace this occasion. I would like also to especially thank our guests who have come from different parts of the country and from abroad to participate in the Conference. We are heartily pleased to see here today many students of Economics and other social sciences from different colleges and universities of Pakistan who are just as eager as regular members to understand our subject better. Let me join Dr Arif in especially welcoming Professor Yu Yongding, Professor John Mellor, Professor Siddiqur Rahman Osmani, and Dr Parvez Hasan, who will be delivering the Invited Lectures this year. At the outset, on behalf of all members of the PSDE, I would like to recognise the support and encouragement of the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Planning Commission to the initiative taken by the Deputy Chairman and his predecessor Mr Salman Faruqui to actively involve professional economists in Pakistan in the process of economic policy-making. The new Task Forces on critical economic concerns and the Advisory Panel of Economists to frame the short-run and medium-term policies by the Planning Commission are democracy’s gifts to the economists of Pakistan. Democracy encourages independent thinking, accommodates diverse viewpoints, and thus makes it possible to evolve a comprehensive policy for all.
Agricultural Development and Food Security(The Allama Iqbal Memorial Lecture)
Authors: John W.Mellor
Published: August 2018

It is always a pleasure for me to participate in these annual meetings. The knowledge and the talent displayed are immense. The quality of discussion is high. I had never thought however that I would have the honor of delivering the Aalama Iqbal lecture. To prepare for this lecture I read extensively from Iqbal’s poetry. Of course I read in translation, but even so I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the ideas and the expression. My search for an apt couplet or set of lines for this paper was in vain. Iqbal was speaking to his people and although he was expansive in his view of society, it is still not meant for me to carry the word of Iqbal to you. Nevertheless I do display at the beginning of this paper three lines from Iqbal. He is clear on the importance of doing for oneself and for ones country. At least in the modern world ones efforts are so much more productive if government provides a favourable environment for individual effort. And he would embrace the brotherhood of mankind, leaving some potential for us to help each other. He was very clear that learning from the West was desirable, and he was very selective about that—science and technology in particular. My paper is about what government must do, and specifically the government of Pakistan must do, to create an environment in which not just a few gather dew but in which all people gather dew. As soon as ones concern encompasses the bulk of the population food security comes to the fore. My paper can be seen as addressing how all rural people can gather the dew. It has a prominent place for science and technology.
The Ultimatum Game and Gender Effect: Experimental Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Shahid Razzaque
Published: August 2018

Laboratory experimentation was once considered impossible or irrelevant in economics. Recently, however, economic science has gone through a real ‘laboratory revolution’, and experimental economics is now a most lively subfield of the discipline. This study attempts to examine answers to questions of the changing behaviour of opposite sexes under conditions of both anonymity and knowledge of gender by playing the ultimatum game in Pakistan. It is observed that the behaviour of males and females in Pakistani society is quite different from that found in earlier studies. Insights from the previous experiments have already shown that normative economic theory had failed in its predictions of human behaviour. Currently, the ultimatum game is widely discussed in behavioural economic literature, and this paper will adjust the traditional ultimatum game into a new form wherein it will be tested in the country (Pakistan) with multidimensional behaviour of subjects. With regard to gender effect specifically, all previous studies came up with somewhat mixed results, since results do not always point in the same direction and it is rather early to draw far-reaching conclusions regarding the behavioural differences of men and women. More facts are required in order to move towards the development of a systematic theory. This work is a small attempt to investigate the changing behaviour of opposite sexes under different controlled conditions.
Wastewater Use in Cauliflower Production and Farmer’s Health: An Economic Analysis
Authors: Shahzad Kouser  , Abdus Samie
Published: August 2018

The present study aims to estimate the economic values of negative externalities of wastewater use in cauliflower production. Cost-benefit analysis is employed to estimate the farmer’s health externalities in the production sector. The data are collected from 200 farmers (100 from each group, wastewater and freshwater) in the year 2006 from two peri-urban villages of Faisalabad city. Ignoring the value of negative externalities, wastewater use is profitable in vegetable production but when the economic value of negative externalities are factored in the analysis, the results strongly discourage its use. The cost of health externalities due to wastewater use in cauliflower production (only for a three-month crop) is Rs 3.2 million from the 741 acres planted. In Faisalabad, 5,283 acres of vegetables are cultivated using wastewater, and the value of total negative health externalities amounts to Rs 90.7 million in a year. A huge economic loss due to wastewater use may attract the attention of policy agents to intervene. Among different available options, installation of a water treatment plant appears to be most viable to minimise the external effect of wastewater use in peri-urban agriculture.
Urban Informal Sector: How Much Women Are Struggling for Family Survival
Authors: Tasnim Khan
Published: August 2018

The paper analyses the contribution of informally employed women (for the age group of 16-60 years) to their household budget. The urban informal sector largely absorbs women workers. We examine the determinants of their contribution to their household budgets for the survival of the families. Applying the OLS model to 937 observations, it is found that women as heads of household, women’s education, and ownership of assets by woman have a positive effect on their contribution. The burden of the large family size, household poverty, and loans availed by the household are shared by the informally employed women, as these variables positively affect their contribution. Age of the woman has a non-linear effect on woman’s contribution. The contribution first increases and then decreases by an increase in the age of the woman. Married women and women living in nuclear families contribute more to the household budget. The household per capita income and number of children (5-15 years) in the household have shown a negative effect on the contribution of women to the household budget. The household’s economic vulnerability due to unemployment of husband and lower productivity caused by lower education of husband are also largely shared by the urban informally employed women, i.e., they struggle more for family survival. However, the number of adult males in the household decreases the volume of contribution by women and the burden on women is relaxed.
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. London: Penguin Books Ltd. 2009. 270 pages. Paperback. £ 14.99.
Authors: Umaima Arif
Published: August 2018

Behavioural economics is an emerging field and superfreakonomics provides useful insights into human behaviour observed with respect to issues that have economic implications. The underlying theme of the book is that human beings respond to incentives. The authors have set up a number of interesting examples to convey how different incentives work. The case studies discussed in the book are based on the authors’ recent academic research; motivated by fellow economists as well as engineers and astrophysicists, psychotic killers and emergency room doctors, amateur historians and transgender neuroscientists. Most of the stories fall into one of the two categories: things you always thought you knew but in fact did not; and things you never knew you wanted to know, but do know. The authors, with the help of data, show that drunk walking is eight times more dangerous than drunk driving. The message is that the misaligned incentives (penalties) are responsible for this—only drunk driving is penalised. To show the influence of positive incentives the authors demonstrate how cable TV might have improved the status of women in India. A baby Indian girl, who does grow into adulthood, faces discrimination in provision of education, health care and remuneration in job market. In a national health survey, 51 per cent of Indian men said that wife-beating is defensible under certain situations and more surprisingly, 54 per cent of the women agreed. But things are changing, albeit at a slow pace. The authors find that cable TV has empowered Indian rural women—families with cable TV are more likely to have a lower birth rate and more schooling.
Amartya Sen. The Idea of Justice. London: Penguin Books Ltd. 2009. 468 pages. Hardback. £ 25.00.
Authors: Mr. Mutee-ul-Rehman
Published: August 2018

Justice is comparative in nature and may have plural impartial dimensions. Provision of justice, in an ‘ideal sense’, is non-pragmatic and is therefore impossible to deliver, argues the Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen. He divides the existing theories of justice into two categories: the transcendental institutionalism and the Comparative School. The transcendental institutionalism, led by eminent enlightenment philosophers like Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and Kant holds that a just society can be maintained by ensuring justice in the ‘ideal sense’. The provision of ‘ideal justice’ is based on the notion of either right or wrong. To provide justice in the ‘ideal sense’ the society must enjoy access to ‘just institutions’. John Rawl, the more recent contributor to transcendental tradition, came up with his theory of ‘justice as fairness’ in the mid twentieth century. The comparative school of justice propagated by Adam Smith, Marquis de Condorcet, Carl Marx and Stuart Mill lays emphasis upon looking at ‘justice’ in a comparative sense and on the basis of what the society is actually able to realise.Sen, disagreeing with both the schools of thought, however, is seen leaning towards the comparative school. The author gives the example of three children and a single flute to demonstrate how the ‘ideal justice’ and the ‘comparative’ school fail to hold water in certain situations. Three children—Carla, Anne and Bob, claim their right to a specific flute on different but competing principles. Carla manufactured the flute, Anne is the only one among the three who can play the flute, while Bob is the poorest of the three and does not have any toy to play with. Sen questions how ‘ideal justice’ may be provided with the transcendental approach, or how the ‘comparative assessment’ would lead to an impartial and non-arbitrary solution, in the case of the ‘three children and a flute’. Despite his disagreement with both the schools of thought, Sen aligns himself with the comparative school. However he believes that for provision of ‘impartial justice’ competing principles need not essentially be unique; these could be plural as well. The plurality of competing principles is the essence of Sen’s ‘idea of Justice’.
Shorter Notices
Authors: Anwar Hussain  , Hafsa Hina  , Saba Anwar  , Hafiz Hanzla Jalil
Published: August 2018

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Reforming Institutions: Where to Begin?
Authors: M. Idrees Khawaja  , Sajawal Khan
Published: August 2018

Institutions promote growth—this view now holds firm ground. The task then is to ‘engineer’ growth promoting institutions. Endogeneity characterises institutions, for example, groups enjoying political power influence economic institutions but political power itself is a function of wealth. The question then is: what to reform first? History stands witness that generally the societies with extreme inequality and a heterogeneous population tend to evolve institutions that restrict access to economic opportunities for the poor which in turn constrains economic development. On the other hand societies with greater equality and homogeneous population typically enjoy growth-promoting institutions. Institutional reforms should therefore begin with institutions that serve to create or perpetuate inequality and heterogeneity in the society. We argue that the four different kinds of educational systems in operation in Pakistan are a major source of creating and perpetuating inequality and heterogeneity in the population. Access to a single and common educational system will open-up similar opportunities of higher education and job attainment for all the citizens, thereby reducing inequality. Diverse educational systems promote different sets of beliefs while a uniform system forges beliefconvergence in the society that in turn facilitates agreement on a common set of institutional reforms. Therefore it is the educational system that should be the first to reform. We also argue that in Pakistan, unlike some European countries in the 17th century, neither commercial interest nor fiscal constraints can force the de jure power to reform institutions. Typically, large commercial interests in Pakistan have thrived on favours from the de jure power and therefore have no interest in changing the system. Foreign aid eases the fiscal constraints from time to time relieving government of the need to reform institutions. The thought of a revolution of some kind is still a far cry, the society having no such inclination. The alternative then is the gradual approach preferred by North, Acemoglu and Rodrik. This gradual approach suggests the area of educational reforms. JEL classification: D02, D03, P16 Keywords: Institutional Evolution, Institutional Change, Human Behaviour
The Impact of Occupational Stress on Employees’ Somatic Symptoms, Job Anxiety and Employee’s Turnover Intention—An Empirical Study
Authors: Saif-ur-Rehman .  , Kashif-ur-Rehman .
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study is to analyse the reliability and validity of job factors in relation to the impact of occupational stress on employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention through a two time cross-sectional study of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). The method employed consisted of two times self-reported cross-sectional surveys that covered 420 respondents at T1 and 388 respondents at T2. Results: Appropriate internal consistencies of the seven scales i.e. demands, control, job stress, social supports, employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention were obtained. Zero-order correlation and linear and multiple regressions analysis replicated the theoretically assumed structure of the job factors and employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention construct in men and women collectively. Evidence of criterion validity was obtained from cross-correlations of the scales and from their linear and multiple regression analysis. Finally, all seven measures were associated with a highly significant ratio of job stress, and the effect was strongest for the job stress ratio as predicted by the fundamental theory of Karasek. Conclusion: We examine how users, who are assimilating job factors into their work, experience the level of work related demands in their jobs, the level of autonomy/control they have over their work, and how these relate to outcomes, such as employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention. Based on the results of this study the seven-version scale is considered reliable and serves as a valid instrument for measuring psychosocial pressure in work environment. These outcomes and measures are applicable to all services and manufacturing industries. Keywords: Work Overload, Work Control, Organisational Support, Job Stress, Somatic Symptoms, Job Anxiety, and Employees Turnover Intention (ETI)
Sustainable Incubator Management—A Case Study for Pakistan.
Authors: Aneel Salman  , Atif Abdul Majeed.
Published: August 2018

Information technology (IT) is impacting all spheres of human activity at an unprecedented rate. Parallel to this development, there is also an intense debate on the contribution of this technology towards productivity and growth on the one hand, and human welfare on the other, in developed and developing countries. The “Technology Based Industrial Vision and Strategy for Pakistan’s Socio Economic Development” commissioned by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) lays out guidelines on how to make Pakistan an economically stable and technologically advanced ‘knowledge economy’. Based on recommendations from this document, the Government of Pakistan (GoP) has made investments in infrastructure and human resource development. Sites have been allocated for IT campuses and human resources sent abroad for training. With these trained IT and engineering personnel now returning to the country, plans are underway to develop what USAID1 calls “centres of excellence, commercial research centres…or to be more concise, incubator centres.” In order to fully utilise the potential of these centres and to establish stronger networking with the universities from where these trained personnel are returning, the concept of “incubator programmes” has been floated to facilitate technology commercialisation. Although the incubator phenomenon was conceived in the 1950s, it only mushroomed rapidly in North America in the 1980s. Today, even though America has the largest number of incubator facilities in the world, most have failed to produce desired results, primarily due to poor management and lack of clear vision. This paper focuses on the development of a sustainable blue print for incubator programmes in Pakistan through proactive management and enterprise development. This model would integrate faculty, students, laboratory resources, research facilities and strategically align the objectives of these entities with the industry. Such programmes have the potential to make Pakistani students globally competitive and also diversify the income resources of incubators, hence making them less dependent upon subsidies and acting as true platforms of technological entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprises, which are considered the drivers of knowledge based economies. JEL classification: O32, H42, L15, I23 Keywords: Innovation, Technology, Public Economics
Public Sector Innovation: Case Study of e-government Projects in Pakistan
Authors: M. Irfanullah Arfeen  , M. Irfanullah Arfeen
Published: August 2018

This study analyses and examines in detail the impact of public sector innovation to improve public satisfaction level, it is about changing the traditional government into a more integrated and efficient one. Innovation is actually the engine of economic growth. Innovation in the public sector is an under-researched area. It deals with governance, political and human issues which are very difficult to solve. Since much of the topic and studies on innovation are focusing on the private sector, it is the aim of this study to analyse the process of innovation, mainly in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the public sector. This study will eventually be able to give e-government model/ guidelines that encapsulates the reality of innovation by the government. Innovation in government is not only about bringing a new breakthrough product to the people, but also to bring in changes to the culture in the organisation, the way a decision is made, and perhaps more importantly, how it can use technology to strengthen its role as the provider of social and economic welfare to the people. This study has also compared the findings of the e-government case study to the literature of innovation mainly in the area of process innovation. There is SWOT analysis with weight rating to judge the e-governance challenges, which Pakistan is facing as a developing nation. The study concludes that the public sector needs to overcome its traditional characteristics of poor agenda setting, unclear objectives, lack of transparency, and bureaucratic layers of decision-making processes. Keywords: Citizens, e-government Projects, ICT, Public Satisfaction, Public Sector Innovation