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Carrying out digital innovation is the main channel for enterprises to stimulate internal vitality and enhance core competitiveness in the digital economy era. Based on the Panel data of A‐share listed high‐tech enterprises from 2011 to 2020, this paper integrates digital strategy, executive incentive, and financial flexibility into the same analytical framework from an inter‐organizational perspective and uses the random effect Tobit model to study their direct or indirect effects on digital innovation. The research results indicate that digital strategy has a significant positive impact on digital innovation, while the indirect effect of diversified management weakens the positive impact of digital strategy, specifically manifested as the masking effect; executive incentives have a significant positive impact on digital innovation, while equity concentration negatively moderates the impact of executive incentives on digital innovation; financial flexibility has an inverted U‐shaped impact on digital innovation. The research results provide a theoretical basis and practical inspiration for the implementation of digital innovation within enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore whether and how urban road transport (URT) development affects haze pollution. One of the innovations of this paper is that URT development is measured by road accessibility with novel digital elevation model datasets, which have been used by few scholars. The endogenous problem caused by revere causality issue in the relationship between URT development and haze pollution is also considered. Based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities of Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in China from 2011 to 2018, this paper uses long-lagged values of URT development as the instrumental variable, employing the two-stage least squares (2SLS) method. The study shows that URT development leads to an increase of haze pollution. Moreover, mechanism tests based on moderating and mediating models support the finding that decreasing haze pollution resulted from better connection effects, while rising agglomeration effects tend to bring about increasing haze pollution, and the latter effect is larger in magnitude than the former. Current URT development may have long-term negative consequences for livability of YRD cities, and urban decision makers should reconsider the effectiveness of the current road transport investment and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of transportation infrastructure upgrading, this paper discussed the motivation behind industrial firms' pollution transfer to provincial borders. Using a panel data set of 41 cities in China's Yangtze River Delta from 2005 to 2020, this paper empirically tested the impact of intracity and intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading on pollution transfer through a two-way fixed-effects model. The results revealed the following: First, intracity transportation infrastructure upgrading forces local industrial firms to transfer pollution outward. Second, intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading accelerates pollution transfer to provincial borders. Third, in the central region, intracity transportation infrastructure upgrading does not significantly impact local pollution transfer. Intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading can aggravate border pollution, whether in the eastern or central regions. Furthermore, border pollution is more serious in the central region. The results have important practical significance for improving China's regional development planning and environmental governance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online crowdfunding has become an important fundraising channel for medical care. Yet, individuals in need face numerous challenges in meeting their fundraising goals. To improve fundraising, individuals may use project updates to evoke donors' sympathy and secure donations. Informed by the sympathy bias literature, this paper conceptualizes two important but distinct aspects of project updates—positive sentiment and negative sentiment—and hypothesizes their individual and relative impacts on the donation amount of a crowdfunding project. In addition, this paper explores moderating effects of social endorsements on the influence of update sentiment. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two studies. Study 1 examined unique project-day panel data from 1,467 projects on a leading medical crowdfunding platform. Results reveal that both positive and negative update sentiment positively affect the donation amount of a crowdfunding project, but negative updates have a greater effect. Further, endorsements by strong ties and weak ties attenuate the positive effects of update sentiment. Study 2 was a controlled, randomized experiment that corroborated findings from Study 1, established the causality of observed effects, and confirmed the mediating effects of sympathy. The findings of this paper underscore the role of sympathy in enhancing online charitable crowdfunding to individual donors and show project updates with positive or negative sentiment to be potent mechanisms to boost donations. Furthermore, the substitution effect of social endorsement on donation amount also adds nuance to our knowledge suggesting that a proper combination of various information can better help improve crowdfunding performance. Platform operators and fundraisers should prioritize project update sentiment to enhance online charitable crowdfunding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout, the effects of related-party transactions (RPTs) have been a hot topic in financial markets and corporate governance research. This paper analyzes the theoretical foundation of the effects of RPTs and constructs a new indicator, the quasi-profit margin, to assess the effects of RPTs by studying their impact on the quasi-profit margin. Based on the information asymmetry between transaction parties and the information screening theory, the paper proposes the buying inferior to selling theory, systematically explaining the impact of transaction direction on the effects of RPTs. Subsequently, using panel data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2016 to 2021, the paper constructs fixed-effects models and conducts empirical studies from both exogenous and endogenous perspectives, employing estimation methods such as high dimensional fixed effects method, two-stage least squares method, and three-stage least squares method. The research indicates that RPTs of Chinese A-share listed companies generally exhibit a tunneling effect, and the transaction direction significantly affects the effects of RPTs. The higher the proportion of RPTs conducted as sellers to the total RPTs, the smaller the overall tunneling effect of the RPTs. This study has implications for reducing the tunneling risk of RPTs and improving corporate governance for listed companies, as well as providing some references for financial regulatory authorities to identify and rectify illegal RPTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental pollution and energy poverty have always been serious challenges for the global energy system. Results: Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2020, this paper uses FE and sys-GMM models to explore the impact of environmental regulations and climate change on energy poverty. The results show that climate change increases energy poverty, with rising energy for cooling in hot summers, and unchanged income in the short term. Moreover, environmental regulation plays a moderating role between climate change and energy poverty. Specifically, economical environmental regulation has a negative moderating effect, while legal and supervised environmental regulations have positive moderating effects. Finally, the national basic energy poverty line used is lower than that in the eastern region, higher than that in the western region, and close to that in the central region, which reflects the heterogeneity of energy poverty in different regions of China. Conclusions: The findings in this paper clarify the nexus between climate change, environmental regulation, and energy poverty, addressing in this way a gap in existing research, which has great significance for environmental and energy policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption has risen much more while the economy has expanded so quickly. As a result, significant environmental contamination is created, which causes public worry. Under this background, enhancing energy efficiency and lowering pollution is particularly crucial for the fulfillment of sustainable economic development. Efficiency evaluation for energy and environment is an effective measure to achieve both energy saving and emission reduction as well as sustainable social development. In this paper, energy and environmental efficiency consists of energy utilization efficiency and pollution treatment efficiency. An improved two‐stage DEA model is proposed, which takes into account how stochastic and environmental factors affect decision‐making units (DMUs). Finally, the author analyses the panel data of 15 cities in Southwest China from 2010 to 2018, which proves the feasibility and effectiveness of this study. The results show Southwest China's poor energy and environmental efficiency as well as the stark differences among its cities. The scientific value revealed by this paper is as follows: (1) for the study of energy and environmental efficiency, this paper is more targeted at the differences between cities and (2) using an improved two‐stage DEA model to consider the effects of stochastic factors on DMUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this research is to explore the impact of digital resilience on firms' international performance. Using internal operation efficiency and innovation as channel variables, this paper explores the relationship between digital resilience and international firm performance of Chinese listed firms. Design/methodology/approach: The research design follows a quantitative approach. Using firm-level panel data from 2007 to 2020, this paper tests the hypotheses between digital resilience and international firm performance through internal efficiency and innovation. Findings: The results note that digital resilience has a positive effect on internationalization while operation efficiency is a channel through which digital resilience promotes internationalization. Digital resilience also facilitates innovation by improving research and development (R&D) efficiency and matching innovation collaborators. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first to explore digital resilience in the context of internalization and international firm performance. This paper extends the notion of resource-based view (RBV) to examine the relationship between digital resilience, internal efficiency and innovation on international firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic literature suggests that banks change their dividend payouts for three main reasons. They may be willing to signal good future profitability to shareholders to address information asymmetry, or use dividends to mitigate the agency costs, or could come under pressure from prudential supervisors and regulators to retain earnings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to introduction of sector-wide recommendation by regulators to suspend dividend payouts in view of prevailing large uncertainty. Using a panel data approach for two samples of listed and unlisted European banks, this paper provides evidence that, over a decade and a half preceding the pandemic, bank dividend payouts were adjusted in line with the three motivations found in the literature. The results are robust to selection of alternative variables representing these motivations. Banks are however found not to discount expectations about future economic conditions or their own profitability when making payouts. Simulations shown in the paper suggest that, in the absence of supervisory recommendations, banks would likely have reduced the payouts only slightly in the first year of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional innovation ecosystems (RIEs) are a new paradigm in innovation research, and the development of RIEs under digitization is constrained by the development of innovation environments. The study of ecological niche suitability of regional innovation environment provides the basis for the government to create an innovation environment suitable for the development of a regional innovation ecosystem. This paper conducts an empirical analysis based on panel data from 29 provinces (autonomous regions) in China from 2012 to 2021. The paper analyzes the suitability of the ecological niche of the innovation environment as well as the spatio-temporal evolution pattern of the regional innovation ecosystem under digitalization in China. The results of the study show that: (1) The innovation environment of regional innovation ecosystems under digitization in China has become increasingly suitable during the sample period. (2) From the perspective of evolution in time, the suitability of the ecological niche of the regional innovation environment has always maintained an evolutionary trend of rolling forward in the echelon. (3) From the perspective of spatial evolution, the center line of the curve of the development level of the suitability of the regional innovation environment shows a rightward shifting evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to integrate insights from the behavioral theory of the firm and the dynamic capabilities perspective to explain how the historical and social attainment discrepancies motivate firms to change. Specifically, this paper proposes that a negative historical attainment discrepancy encourages the firm to engage in strategic change to solve its performance problems. In contrast, this paper advanced that a positive social attainment discrepancy motivates strategic change as a mechanism to bolster the firm's position within the industry. Further, this paper integrated the moderating effects of industry dynamism and industry munificence. Design/methodology/approach: This paper tests hypotheses using panel data on 2,435 US public firms over the years from 1996 to 2018. This paper uses a fixed-effects regression model to empirically test these hypotheses. Findings: This paper finds empirical support for the effects of both the negative historical attainment discrepancy and the positive social attainment discrepancy on the firm's tendency to engage in strategic change. As for the hypothesized moderating effects, this paper finds that industry munificence accentuated the effects of both attainment discrepancies on the firm's tendency to engage in strategic change. However, the results do not support the hypothesized moderating effect of industry dynamism on either of these attainment discrepancies. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the research on the separate effects of historical and social comparisons within the context of strategic change. Further, the paper bolsters our understanding of how performance feedback increases the firm's tendency to change. Finally, the paper integrates theoretical views from the behavioral theory of the firm and the dynamic capabilities perspective on how socially high-performing firms may build and sustain their competitive advantage through organizational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of the province and municipality in 2010-2021, this paper measures the fishery eco-efficiency by using the SBM-DEA model and empirically analyses how China's marine ranch construction improves the fishery eco-efficiency by using the double-difference fixed-effect model. The results show that, firstly, China's marine ranch construction can improve the fishery eco-efficiency. Secondly, China's marine ranch construction promotes fisheries eco-efficiency by improving the input efficiency of labor, fish species, fishing vessel, fishery technology extension, aquaculture area and by reducing pollutant outputs. Thirdly, the fishery eco-efficiency of the marine ranch construction region has increased annually since 2015, and technological changes, scale efficiency changes and technical efficiency changes can all contribute to the fishery eco-efficiency improvement, and increase in order. Based on the results of the empirical analyses, this paper proposes policy recommendations to improve the fishery eco-efficiency in the conjunction with the construction of marine ranch in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of economic, environmental and social (EES) indicators of sustainability performance on accounting conservatism and the moderating effect of good corporate governance (GCG) on this relationship in European environmental, social and governance (ESG) firms. Design/methodology/approach: To test the study's hypotheses, this paper applied linear regressions with panel data from 136 European companies selected from the ESG index between 2015 and 2022. Findings: The results show a positive effect of economic and environmental sustainability scores on the accounting conservatism level. However, social score has a negative and significant effect on the level of accounting conservatism. The findings also show that GCG accentuates these effects. Research limitations/implications: The findings have several implications for companies, investors and academic researchers. For companies, EES reporting should be enhanced. For investors, sustainability performance is crucial in decision-making. The results show that exploring the interaction between sustainability performance scores and accounting conservatism is essential for academic researchers. Originality/value: This paper is motivated by the limited research on EES sustainability scores and accounting conservatism around GCG, hence its pertinence for companies seeking to improve information quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mariculture has not fundamentally reduced its dependence on resources and the environment; ecological and economic efficiency has become an important target of concern for the sustainable and healthy development of China's mariculture industry. Environmental regulation (ER) is a core tool to realize the synergistic development of economic development and environmental resource protection in mariculture. In this paper, the provincial panel data of China's coastal areas from 2007 to 2020 was selected, and the level of ecological and economic efficiency of mariculture in different provinces of China was measured by using the super slacks‐based measurement–data envelopment analysis model considering the undesirable output of mariculture, and the impact of different ERs on ecological and economic efficiency was explored. It was found that the impacts of different ER methods on the eco‐economic efficiency (EEF) of mariculture may be non‐linearized, and there is also regional heterogeneity in the optimal choice and combination of ER methods to improve the EEF of mariculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global attention on industrial policy's effectiveness spans across various sectors, particularly in international trade where the focus is on enhancing the quality of foreign trade, which is crucial to understand how research hotspots and key issues can synergize. We consider the 2018 "new round" of Sino-US trade friction as an external event and analyze panel data from 2009 to 2022 comprising 1141 Chinese A-share listed enterprises. Our empirical research unequivocally demonstrates that industrial policy has significantly propelled China's foreign trade towards high-quality development by 1.8240%. We conducted rigorous tests for robustness, heterogeneity, and endogeneity. Additionally, our results reveal that inhibitory influences arising from industrial policy on total assets or R&D investment attenuate this promotion effect; There exists a diminishing promotion effect between total assets and R&D investment. Our paper provides valuable insights into understanding their logical relationship while offering guidance for enterprises, markets, and governments in overcoming challenges collectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: The study aims to find out the impact of financial inclusion and financial development on financial stability using panel data from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher prepared two indicators of financial inclusion and governance to find out the impact of financial development on the relationship between financial inclusion and financial stability. Data on financial inclusion was obtained from the International Monetary Fund, data on financial development and financial stability were obtained from the World Bank. Findings: The results of the fixed and random effect methods show that financial inclusion has a significant positive effect on financial stability. Additionally, financial development represents a moderating variable in the significant positive effect on the relationship between financial inclusion and stability in the MENA countries. Research limitations/implications: The current study suffers from some limitations that researchers must be aware of in future research. First, there is an inability to determine qualitative aspects such as time and cost when designing a composite indicator of financial inclusion. Second, due to limited data, we used only eight countries from the MENA. It is suggested to expand the sample to include other countries. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the related literature between financial inclusion and financial stability by confirming or denying the results of previous studies. Also, to the best of the author's knowledge, this paper is the only one that explains the role of financial development in the relationship between financial inclusion and stability in MENA countries, using a composite index to calculate financial inclusion. Finally, the study seeks to focus the attention of the government and policymakers to build a system of financial inclusion that leads to improving financial stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial introduces a special issue of Large-Scale Assessments in Education (LSAE) that addresses key challenges in analyzing longitudinal data from large-scale studies. These challenges include ensuring fair measurement across time, developing common metrics, and correcting for measurement errors. The special issue highlights recent methodological innovations, particularly for studies like the National Education Panel Study (NEPS), providing approaches for improving the accuracy and robustness of longitudinal educational research. The papers in this issue present advances in methods for estimating trends, incorporating background information, and analyzing longitudinal relationships between constructs. Innovative approaches such as Bayesian modeling for borrowing historical information, continuous-time models for capturing developmental trends, and plausible value estimation provide practical solutions for researchers working with complex longitudinal data. In addition, the issue presents new software tools that facilitate the implementation of these advanced methodologies. Together, these papers contribute to both the theory and practice of educational assessment and provide valuable insights for those working with longitudinal data in national and international panel studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on panel data collected from 2003 to 2020 across 30 provinces in China, the paper employs the spatial vector angle method and spatial Durbin model to investigate industrial agglomeration's nonlinear and spatial spillover effects on the energy consumption structure's low-carbon transition process (Lct). The results indicate the following: First, the influence of industrial agglomeration on Lct exhibits an inverted U-shaped pattern. As the degree of industrial agglomeration expands, its effect on Lct shifts from positive to negative. Second, industrial agglomeration demonstrates spatial spillover effects. It promotes the improvement of Lct in neighboring provinces through agglomeration effects. However, the continuous expansion of industrial agglomeration inhibits the improvement of Lct in neighboring provinces through congestion effects. Third, the heterogeneity test finds that industrial agglomeration has a significant role in promoting Lct in the samples of eastern region, but this effect is not significant in the samples of western and middle regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural modernization can only be attained through the high-quality development of agriculture, which is made possible by the deep integration of the digital economy with traditional agriculture. From the perspective of the entire agricultural industry chain, this paper offers a theoretical and empirical examination of the digital economy's role in enabling high-quality agricultural development. The fixed effects model, convergence test, threshold model, and spatial error model were implemented based on the panel data of 13 cities in Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2021 to validate the role of the digital economy in enabling high-quality agricultural development. The findings indicated that first, for every 1% increased in the level of digital economy development, the level of high-quality agricultural development increased by approximately 0.183%. Second, the high-quality development of agriculture had the characteristics of absolute convergence and conditional convergence, and there was a non-linear character in the role of the digital economy in the high-quality agricultural development. Third, for every 1% increase in the development level of digital inclusive finance, the level of high-quality agricultural development in surrounding areas with similar economic levels will be improved by about 0.188%.In this regard, Jiangsu Province should grasp the opportunity of the era of digital economic development, continue to strengthen the construction of digital economic development in backward areas, and attach great importance to inter-regional exchanges and cooperation in the construction of digital agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to identify the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI), focusing especially on terrorism and keeping in mind that FDI is one of the key economic growth engines. The main goal of this paper was to determine the correlation between terrorism and investment activities. The method used is a dynamic panel data model (System 2 step-GMM estimator), based on a sample covering a total of 36 OECD economies in the period from 2005 to 2018. The findings indicate that terrorist incidents and economic, institutional, and natural variables have different impacts on FDI in the OECD Member countries. The research found a statistically significant impact of terrorist incidents and natural disasters and a strong impact of economic and institutional variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I study how interprovincial migration impacts interprovincial trade in the wake of several provincial agreements and re-examine the extent and pattern of interprovincial trade barriers in Canada. For estimation, I use a migration augmented gravity model of trade and panel data on interprovincial trade and migration flows during 2000-2016. I find that while most agreements increased trade in goods and services respectively, albeit to different extents, between member provinces, others did not. I also find that the interprovincial barriers to trade are remarkably smaller than have been previously estimated and that the barriers are larger for trade in services than goods. However, over the last two decades in Canada trade barriers have decreased by 17 percent for services but increased by 52 percent for goods flows across provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the health status of developing nations in the context of liberalization. In the existing literature, trade openness and foreign direct investment (FDI) are often considered substitutes, with one being prioritized over the other to address health issues in developing countries (Chatterjee et al., 2022). Our study presents new evidence by viewing trade openness and FDI as complementary. Theoretically, we use a general equilibrium trade model based on the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson-Venak framework, while static and dynamic panel data approaches are applied empirically. Our sample includes 51 developing countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America from 1980 to 2019. The findings provide policy recommendations that emphasize trade liberalization to improve health outcomes, particularly life expectancy and infant mortality. Additionally, health-specific trade liberalization is suggested for African and Latin American nations, as economic growth through liberalization can strengthen domestic health infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to investigate how earnings quality is affected by related party transactions (RPTs). The research also examines the impact of ownership structure as a moderating variable on this relationship. Panel data with the firm fixed effects model are utilized in the paper. A sample of 91 non-financial companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange between 2018 and 2022 were included, resulting in 429 observations of company performance over that time period. This paper finds that there is a negative association between RPTs and earnings quality. Furthermore, the study found that the adverse effect of RPTs on earnings quality is intensified when there is managerial ownership and institutional ownership as moderating variables. The study's conclusions are robust and reliable, as the sensitivity analysis results reinforce those of the basic analysis. To the authors' knowledge, there is relatively little available evidence on the connection between RPTs and their correlation with earnings quality, particularly in the context of ownership structure acting as a moderating variable. Moreover, the study's findings hold important implications for enhancing earnings quality in developing economies. To the authors' knowledge, no studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia thus far to investigate the impact of ownership concentration, institutional ownership, managerial ownership, foreign ownership, and state ownership on the association between RPTs and earnings quality. Therefore, this paper expands the literature by modeling how the interaction between ownership structure and related party transactions may influence earnings quality. In this way, the authors contribute to the body of knowledge by unveiling a more robust control mechanism, particularly in developing economies with ineffective markets for corporate control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to explain the city scale effect from the perspective of innovation, which directly affects the formulation of city governance policies and, ultimately, city well-being. This paper employs urban panel data from China spanning the years 2008–2018 to empirically investigate the causal link between city size, measured by population, and the number of innovation outputs. The empirical results show that city size has a significant positive impact on the quantity of innovation output. Mechanism testing shows that knowledge spillover effects and high-skilled labor selection effects have credible explanatory power for city size effects. The research conclusions of this article have certain practical significance for urban governance and related policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is in the stage of rapid development of new urbanization, cities are more vulnerable when facing various risks, and the construction of urban resilience (UR) makes cities more secure. At the same time, the allocation of digital factors has a vital impact on the construction of UR under energy constraints. Based on the panel data of cities in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper studies the influence and mechanism of digital factor allocation (DFA) on UR under energy constraints through panel fixed effect model (FE), mediation effect model, and panel threshold model. The main empirical results include: (1) The misallocation of digital factors has a negative impact on UR. In the case of differences in the division of urban agglomeration, the impact of digital factor misallocation (DFM) on UR will also be different. (2) The misallocation of digital factors has an impact on UR through the intermediary effects of capital allocation efficiency, green innovation and industrial structure upgrading. (3) There is a nonlinear relationship between the DFM and UR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of foreign aid in the Western Balkans countries' economic growth between 2009 and 2021. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a panel data approach to examine the effects of foreign aid on economic growth in the region and incorporates a random-effects model to accommodate the unique cross-country variations and time-specific factors, as well as a pooled OLS and fixed-effects model for a comprehensive, comparative analysis. Findings: The in-depth regression analysis shows that foreign aid has not had a significant impact on the economic growth of the region. Further evidence suggests that trade openness exhibited a significant positive correlation with economic growth, while gross capital formation, although positively associated, did not significantly impact it, indicating the complexity of its role in the region's economies. Practical implications: The analysis presented in this study has significant practical implications, particularly for policymakers in the Western Balkans. Given the region's ambitions for European Union membership and the challenges of high unemployment and inflation, understanding the role of foreign aid is crucial. Originality/value: This research provides a unique contribution to the field of development economics by examining foreign aid effectiveness within the context of a region often overlooked in the literature. The analysis also offers fresh insights into the complex dynamics of foreign aid and its implications for policy and development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial activities are crucial for activating the endogenous power of the countryside, promoting integrated urban and rural development, and achieving comprehensive rural revitalization. This paper empirically examines the mechanisms through which entrepreneurial activities influence rural revitalization by incorporating the theory of dissipative structures into the research paradigm of rural revitalization. Using interdisciplinary analysis methods, it deeply analyzes the underlying logic of entrepreneurial activities affecting rural revitalization, relying on panel data from 2045 counties from 2011 to 2020. The study finds that entrepreneurial activities attract negative entropy flows, such as information and materials, into the rural revitalization system by increasing employment opportunities and promoting capital agglomeration. This fosters a stable and orderly dissipative structure within the system, thereby empowering comprehensive rural revitalization. The heterogeneity test indicates that the promotion effect of entrepreneurial activities on rural revitalization is more pronounced in the eastern region and non-e-commerce demonstration counties. Further research reveals that the facilitating effect of entrepreneurial activities on the rural revitalization system is particularly evident in four dimensions: ecological viability, a civilized rural culture, effective governance, and an affluent life. This study provides theoretical and empirical support for implementing the rural revitalization strategy in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deng's grey relational analysis (GRA) model is widely used in clustering because of its simple mathematical mechanisms. For sample data of different dimensions, people have put forward different Deng's GRA models, including time series data, panel data, and panel time series data. The purpose of this paper is to improve the clustering accuracy of the existing Deng's GRA model for panel data in order to overcome some of its shortcomings. Firstly, the existing Deng's GRA model for panel data was tested based on the dataset LP1 of Robot Execution Failures. Then, according to the test results, the existing Deng's GRA model for panel data is modified by means of Taylor's formula, and the modified model is successfully validated by the dataset LP1 of Robot Execution Failures. Finally, as a practical application, the modified Deng's GRA model for panel data is applied to assess the water environment of Poyang Lake over the past five years. Compared with other cluster methods, the results of the case study show that the modified Deng's GRA model for panel data is applicable and also confirm the remarkable effectiveness of the Chinese government's water quality regulation in Poyang Lake. Therefore, the modified Deng's GRA model presented in this paper improves the clustering accuracy compared to the original model and can be applied well to the classification of data with a large dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving carbon emission efficiency is crucial for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. This paper analyzes the carbon emission efficiency of Chinese cities using panel data from 275 prefecture-level cities between 2006 and 2020. The super-efficiency SBM (undesirable slacks-based measurement) model of undesired output, combined with kernel density estimation and exploratory data analysis, is employed. This study finds, firstly, from 2006 to 2020, the average efficiency of carbon emissions in Chinese cities declined from 0.53 to 0.48, indicating a downward trend. Secondly, from a temporal perspective, the level of dispersion in urban carbon emission efficiency has become increasingly distinct over time, coupled with a decrease in polarization. Thirdly, in terms of spatial analysis, urban carbon emission efficiency in China shows a positive correlation in a global context. In terms of local spatial correlation, it primarily exhibits high-high and low-low clusters, with a few instances of low–high and high-low clusters. Finally, based on the research findings, this paper proposes suggestions to improve urban carbon emission efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the digital economy's impact on rural household consumption upgrading. Existing studies remain mainly at the level of rural consumption scale and rarely address the consumption structure. The specific impact of the development of the digital economy on rural consumption upgrading and its mechanisms of action deserves in-depth study and consideration. We analyzed the related content using the fixed-effect model, the instrumental variable method (IV), the mediation effect model, and three-year panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). This study found that, at the scale level, the digital economy contributes to expanding rural household consumption. At the structural level, the digital economy significantly increases the share of enjoyment-oriented household consumption but has no significant effect on development-oriented consumption. Income is an important transmission mechanism for the digital economy to improve rural household consumption. Besides, the impact of the digital economy on the upgrading of rural consumption varies according to income level and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although rural industrial integration is a crucial pathway for advancing the revitalization of rural economies, it continues to grapple with financial challenges. This paper delves into the theoretical underpinnings of how capital marketization influences rural industrial integration. Methods: Using panel data from China's provinces spanning the years 2010 to 2020, a comprehensive index of rural industrial integration is constructed from the vantage point of a new development paradigm. The paper employs the system GMM method to empirically investigate the impact of capital marketization on rural industrial integration and to dissect its transmission mechanisms. Additionally, a threshold regression model is applied to explore the specific patterns of the nonlinear relationship between the two variables. Results and discussion: The study's findings reveal that the degree of rural industrial integration is significantly and positively influenced by its previous level, demonstrating an accumulative effect wherein the prior level of integration lays the groundwork for future advancements. The influence of capital marketization on the degree of rural industrial integration is characterized by a non-linear relationship, adhering to a "U-shaped" curve. Below the inflection point, the development of capital marketization is detrimental to rural industrial integration, whereas above this point, it exerts a positive influence. Currently, China's overall level of capital marketization is positioned beyond the inflection point, indicating substantial potential for enhancing industry integration in rural China. In addition, the study indicates that at very low levels of economic development, capital marketization does not affect the development of rural industries. As the economic development level rises, so does the impact of capital marketization on rural industrial integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine an emerging product–place co-branding marketing practice in China's rural areas. The role of this practice in inclusive development is analyzed from the perspectives of value proposition innovation, market legitimacy, media coverage and brand value. Both research and practice indicate value proposition innovation to exert an important influence on brand value enhancement, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Design/methodology/approach: A moderated mediation model is constructed to examine whether market legitimacy mediates the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. vWhether this mediating process is moderated by media coverage is also examined. The primary data are collected from semi-structured interviews and observations conducted with two common cases to develop proper scales for value proposition innovation and market legitimacy. The research includes 100 product–place co-brandings published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2019. Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regression and a Bootstrap model. Findings: Value proposition innovation has a positive effect on brand value, and market legitimacy partially mediates this relationship. Media coverage positively moderates the relationship between value proposition innovation and market legitimacy, and positively moderates the mediating effect of market legitimacy; the higher the media coverage, the stronger the mediating effect of market legitimacy. Research limitations/implications: Based on data availability and accessibility, the study sample focused on indicators from 100 brands in 2019. If the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs discloses consecutive annual information for other years, future studies could explore panel data to further test the study's conclusions from a longitudinal perspective. Originality/value: First, this paper adds to the emerging literature on product–place co-branding business models by examining the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. Second, this paper enriches institutional theory by including market legitimacy as a mediator between value proposition innovation and brand value. Third, this paper identifies the moderating role of media coverage, thus broadening the theoretical implications of institutional theory with respect to improving market legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the South African Revenue Service and National Treasury firm-level panel data for 2009–2017, this paper investigates how trade related to the global value chain (GVC) affects the performance of manufacturing firms in South Africa. The paper uses extant classifications of internationally traded products to identify different categories of GVC-related products and compares the productivity premium of international traders for these different categories. Also, the paper investigates possible differences in learning-by-exporting effects across the identified categories of GVC-related products by estimating the effect of exporting before and after entry into foreign markets. The results confirm that GVC-related trade is associated with a higher productivity premium compared with traditional trade. However, within the categories of exporters, only the firms that trade in GVC-related products and simultaneously engage in research and development in the post-entry periods appear to learn from exporting. Our results underscore the gains of GVC integration in terms of the associated productivity premia and highlight the need for GVC-integrated firms to invest in building technological capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are the core carriers and key positions to achieve the dual carbon goals. It is of great significance to explore whether promoting urbanization can improve carbon emission performance, which is of great significance to comprehensively promote the goal of carbon neutrality. Based on the panel data from 2006 to 2021, this paper analyzes the spatial autocorrelation of carbon emission performance per unit space and the impact mechanism of urbanization process on it. The fixed-effect model was further used to identify the influencing factors of spatial carbon emission performance. The results show that: 1) China's carbon emission performance per unit space is declining year by year. 2) There is a strong positive spatial correlation and stable path dependence on the performance of carbon emissions per unit space in each region. 3) To a certain extent, increasing the level of urbanization will reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space. 4) The urbanization process has a spatial spillover effect on the carbon emission performance per unit space of surrounding provinces, and the spatial spillover effect of industrial structure and energy consumption structure is more obvious than that of economic level, population density and urbanization rate. Based on the conclusions, this paper puts forward specific policy suggestions to reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space to help the low-carbon development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the proportion of household carbon emissions to global carbon emissions continues to increase, reducing carbon emissions from household consumption has become an important way to achieve the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. How the trend of miniaturization of household size will affect household carbon emissions is a matter of concern. This paper uses a sample of 9,090 households from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database in 2018 to empirically study the impact of changes in household size on household carbon emissions, from the perspective of household consumption structure and urban-rural areas. The research results indicate that the miniaturization of household size will increase household carbon emissions, the impact of household size on indirect HCEs is greater than on direct HCEs. The impact of household size on indirect HCEs is heterogeneous in consumption structure and the impact of household size on indirect HCEs from housing, transportation is greater than that of other consumption items. The impact of household size on urban household carbon emissions is greater than that in rural areas. The upgrading of household consumption structure and the miniaturization of household size promote the increase of HCEs jointly. Therefore, this paper proposes that under the trend of household miniaturization, energy-saving and emission reduction policies should focus on reducing indirect households carbon emissions, optimizing household structure and household consumption structure, enhancing environmental awareness among family members, establishing and improving the green consumption system, and building environment-friendly households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing concerns for ensuring a sustainable future generated an imperative need to shift toward a circular economy and sustainable innovations. In this framework, eco-innovation becomes essential for achieving sustainable development. The main purpose of this paper is to focus on a more in-depth, original revealing of the influence of eco-innovation on countries' sustainable development. Thus, five eco-innovation dimensions, components of the Eco-Innovation Index, are considered for a complete approach. This paper first explores the interaction of the five dimensions within the Eco-Innovation Index. Further, the paper analyses the cumulative effects of the five Eco-Innovation Index dimensions on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals components defined by the United Nations. Considering a panel data set of 189 values for the EU-27 Member States for seven years and applying the Structural Equation Model (SEM), this paper emphasizes that only three out of five dimensions perform significantly in the Eco-Innovation Index. Moreover, it proved that the Eco-Innovation Index dimensions contribute to achieving 11 of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Also, the results highlight that significant relationships were revealed only between certain Eco-Innovation Index dimensions and some SDG components. This paper's conclusions contribute to a deeper understanding of gaining sustainable development through eco-innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization and urbanization are significant facets of modernization. The asynchronous development of the two is closely related to the agglomeration of producer services. This paper constructed an asynchrony index to describe the development gap between industrialization and urbanization. Various spatial weight matrices were introduced to test the spatial autocorrelation of the asynchrony index. Applying spatial econometric models, we explored the impact of agglomeration of producer services on the asynchrony index from two aspects: diversified agglomeration (DA) and specialized agglomeration (SA). The following conclusions are drawn from the empirical findings, which are based on data from 31 Chinese provinces between 2008 and 2019: (1) the asynchrony of industrialization and urbanization exhibits the spatial autocorrelation increasing over time; (2) SA exacerbates the asynchrony, while DA alleviates the asynchrony; (3) SA exerts greater impacts in highly industrialized and urbanized regions, while DA exerts greater effects in lowly industrialized and urbanized regions; and (4) agricultural dependence and infrastructure level weaken the impacts of SA and strengthen the impacts of DA. Income level weakens the impacts of both SA and DA. The results of this study provide a reference for policymakers to adjust the industrial layout in a targeted manner to regulate the asynchronous nature of modernization development. Peace and development are the themes of the world today. Most developing countries are experiencing or about to experience industrialization and urbanization. The world reality indicates that the two are not always synchronized in countries due to resource and cultural differences. Producer services not only improve agricultural and industrial production efficiency but also bring population agglomeration effects like other industries. In the era of informatization, the producer services exert a profound impact on industrialization and urbanization through two agglomeration modes. This technical paper quantifies the asynchrony between industrialization and urbanization using data from 31 provinces in China and verifies the opposite effects of two agglomeration modes on asynchrony. In cities with different levels of industrialization and urbanization, cities with higher or lower agricultural dependence, and cities with higher or lower infrastructure levels, the impact direction of the two agglomeration modes shows stability, while the magnitude varies. Cities with higher per capita income tend to develop into consumer cities, where industrialization should lag behind urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous enhancement of sustainable development capacity is one of the goals of building a well-off society. In order to understand the development of each region, it is necessary to make a comprehensive evaluation of their sustainable development capacity. This paper presents a study of the 11 regions of Hebei Province, China. Considering the influence of time on urban development, this paper comprehensively evaluates the sustainable development ability of each region in Hebei Province from three dimensions of society, economy and environment based on panel data. The evaluation results show that Shijiazhuang has the strongest sustainable development capacity. On this basis, the promoting factors and restricting factors of sustainable development in each region are found by using grey correlation analysis method. This study provides a reference for the future sustainable development of each district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Three Rural Issues", encompass challenges related to agriculture, farmer, and rural area, which hold significant importance in driving comprehensive rural revitalization efforts in China. Farmer entrepreneurship, as a crucial means to enhance productivity, create job opportunities, and increase residents' income, has gradually become a key driving force in promoting rural revitalization in the new stage of development in China. With the rapid development of rural e-commerce, farmer entrepreneurship has encountered new opportunities. This study utilizes the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data and employs a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the direct impact of rural e-commerce participation on farmer entrepreneurial behavior, considering factors such as human capital, social capital, and network infrastructure. This study further explores the indirect effects and mechanisms of e-commerce participation as a mediating variable and analyzes the impact and mechanisms on agricultural entrepreneurship behavior. The findings are as follows: (1) E-commerce participation significantly promotes farmer entrepreneurial behavior; (2) E-commerce participation as a mediating variable has a positive indirect effect on the relationship between social trust, network infrastructure, human capital, and farmer entrepreneurial behavior; (3) E-commerce participation has a significant positive influence on farmer entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector, and farmers with higher levels of network infrastructure and human capital have a higher probability of choosing agricultural entrepreneurship under the influence of e-commerce participation. Finally, this study provides policy recommendations in terms of infrastructure construction, entrepreneurial policy environment, and education level, aiming to optimize the situation of farmer entrepreneurship and contribute to the comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization.Overall, the research in this paper effectively combines theory and empirical evidence to outline the direct and indirect impact mechanisms of rural e-commerce participation on farmers' entrepreneurial behavior and agriculture-related entrepreneurial behavior and to test the effects of their impacts. First, most of the existing literature deals with farmers in individual sample areas, while the sample selected in this paper is farmers in the whole country, which is relatively more generalizable; second, most of the previous studies explore the level of e-commerce in the inter-provincial or county areas, while this paper expands the empirical study of rural e-commerce on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers and the micro-period of agricultural entrepreneurial behavior, and focuses on the impacts of the e-commerce activities of farmers on their entrepreneurial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses inter-provincial panel data from 2011 to 2017, a linear regression model, and a threshold model to conduct empirical analyses of the impact of the digital economy on China’s overall economic growth and the three main sectors of industry. The paper then investigates the impact and effects the digital economy has had on the economic growth of the three main sectors of industry in China’s eastern, central, and western regions. Finally, the paper investigates the most significant differences among the various regions and the threshold effects of urbanization levels on the relationship between the digital economy and economic growth. The findings indicate a significantly positive correlation between the digital economy and regional economic growth. Moreover, geographical factors notably influence this correlation. The digital economy exerts a positive effect on all sectors of industry. It may not substantially impact industrial development in regions with highly developed infrastructure. Regarding the other regions, the digital economy exhibits varying degrees of impact due to the differences in the specific indicators. The conclusion drawn by the threshold model is that the magnitude of the threshold effect correlates with geographic factors. No threshold effect was observed in the eastern region, while the threshold effect occurred in the central region when the urbanization levels for the provinces were below 0.6645. Similarly, the threshold effect was noted in the western region when the urbanization level was below 0.3931. Considering all of this, the study also offers policy recommendations that will help balance the regional development of digital economies, accelerate the digital transformation of traditional industries, enhance digital infrastructure construction, refine the formulation and implementation of data policy, and establish relevant incentive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we researched the implication of international migration and pollution on environmental development of the selected countries which we classified as middle- and upper-income countries. Maintaining good environmental performance while keeping pollution at minimum level amidst international migration has being the global focus towards climate goal. On this premises, this study examines the relationship between international migration and carbon dioxide emission (CO2). Scientific approaches (random-effects model and Driscoll-Kraay standard error estimator) with panel data for the period from 2010 to 2019 are adopted for indepth analysis of the selected countries. The findings according to random-effects model/Driscoll-Kraay standard error estimator suggest the incresae of CO2 due to increase in international migration for the case of middle-income countries. Also, a decrease in CO2 due to increase in international migration is found for high-income countries. Following our main findings, as a function of CO2 emission, we recommend to take identity of people who migrate into consideration for both economics and environment policy. On the other hand, policies should be based on mitigating the negative impact of international migration and economic growth for the middle-income countries. Moreover, environmentally friendly growth technologies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Input–output multipliers are typically calculated as point estimates of the Leontief quantity model. From the previous literature, they can also be estimated (and their confidence intervals) directly from establishments'/industries' inputs and outputs data by running an appropriate econometric regression. However, previous contributions relied on analyses carried out for 1 single year, one country/region and a reduced number of degrees of freedom. This paper tests the robustness of the previous literature by using instead a time series of large-scale inter-country supply, use and input–output database with more than one country and more than 1 year, as well as panel data econometrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological happiness represents the ultimate pursuit of human beings, and the impact of digital technology on psychological happiness is becoming increasingly significant in the era of the digital economy. Based on data from 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study constructs an empirical model that examines the effect and mechanism of digital technology on happiness. Additionally, this study investigates the heterogeneity and robustness of the impact of digital technology on happiness. The research conclusions are as follows: Firstly, digital technology can promote psychological happiness. When controlling for other factors, the marginal effect coefficient of digital technology is 0.031. Secondly, the effect of digital technology on personal happiness varies among different groups, particularly among women, young individuals, primary and college graduates, and rural residents. Furthermore, as absolute income increases, the happiness effect of digital technology diminishes. Thirdly, in terms of the influencing mechanism, digital technology indirectly affects individual happiness by influencing health status, interpersonal relationships, employment situations and income levels. Specifically, digital technology negatively impacts personal health, interpersonal relationships, and agricultural work, while positively impacting family relationships, non-agricultural employment, absolute income and relative income. Digital technology affects happiness through these channels indirectly. Based on the study results, it is proposed that efforts should be made to enhance the development of digital technology infrastructure in remote rural areas, reduce the financial burden associated with digital technology, and promote the digital technology ecosystem. Moreover, providing online services, such as e-commerce, travel reservations, and digital financial management, can improve access to digital technology in rural areas and contribute to increased happiness levels. Simultaneously, there is a need to strengthen digital skills training, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly and rural residents, to improve their proficiency in digital technologies. This can be achieved through the integration of additional educational resources, thereby facilitating cost-free digital technology training and guidance. Meanwhile, it is essential to vigorously develop the new economy and innovative employment models, create job opportunities, foster entrepreneurial prospects, and improve income levels to enhance individual well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology is gradually emerging as a new driving force in the field of water resources management. In this paper, we conduct a thorough analysis of panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning from 2013 to 2022. Utilizing the fixed-effects model, the mediation effect model, a panel threshold model, and a coupling coordination degree model, this study empirically examines the impact of digital technology on water resources management. The findings are as follows: (1) The direct impact of digital technology on water resources management is significantly positive at the 1% level, with notable regional variations. (2) Digital technology improves water management through green innovation. (3) In the process of digital technology promoting water resources management, green innovation exhibits a threshold effect, with an estimated threshold value of 1.840. (4) During the sample period, the national coupling coordination degree of digital technology and water resources management was barely coordinated, showing the following characteristics: Eastern China > Western China > Central China. These research conclusions will offer valuable insights and directions for advancing sustainable water resources management strategies and fostering the deep integration of digital technology and water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the relationship between terrorism and exports at the firm-level. We use a panel data of 301 firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and records of terrorist attacks in Pakistani cities from 1999 to 2014. By calculating city-level terrorism indices, the study reveals significant variations in the frequency of terrorist incidents both between cities and within cities over different time periods. Our panel regressions show that firm exports are correlated with terrorist attacks in the cities where the firms are located, and these correlations are statistically significant even when terrorism is lagged up to six years. Interregional spillover effects of terrorism are less pronounced. While a negative correlation can be found between firm exports and our terrorism indices, the correlation with domestic sales tends to be statistically insignificant. The findings shed light on the persistent link between local terrorism and firms' international and domestic operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether university–industry collaboration can facilitate university technology license with the moderating effects of external and internal environments. Here, the university technology license is measured by the license of university non-collaborative-patent. We set up panel data during 2010–2016 of 118 top universities in China and adopted negative binomial regression for empirical analysis. Results show that university–industry collaboration is positively related to non-collaborative-patent license and market for technology has no moderating effect while the R&D strength can moderate the relationship. Specifically, funding has a positive effect on non-collaborative-patent license while research full-time equivalent of R&D personnel negatively moderates the relationship between collaboration and non-collaborative-patent license. This paper creates a new direction to study influencing factors of university technology license from the perspective of collaborators and environment and verified the driving effect of university–industry collaboration on university technology license. Moreover, it sheds light on theoretical streams of university technology license in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of financial flexibility in sovereign-corporate rating nexus. Using a panel data of non-financial European firms rated by S&P during 2005–2022, we show that financially flexible firms are more protected from the consequences of sovereign rating downgrades than their financially inflexible counterparts. Financial flexibility becomes particularly valuable for corporates in GIIPS countries, during the European sovereign debt crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, private firms benefit more from financial flexibility than public firms due to their financing constraints. Our findings have implications for corporate managers, governments, and regulators alike, as financial flexibility can act as a shield against sovereign risks' shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New urbanization (NU) construction is the basic direction of urbanization development in contemporary China. This paper selects the panel data of 36 representative cities in the Yangtze River economic belt (YREB) from 2006 to 2020, calculates the comprehensive index of NU and ecological environment (EE) by employing the entropy method, analyzes the spatial agglomeration characteristics of EE through spatial autocorrelation analysis, and tests the spatial effect of NU on EE on the basis of the dynamic spatial Durbin model. Results show that first, "time inertia" and spatial dependence exist in the urban EE of the YREB. Second, the NU has a positive role in promoting the EE. The development of NU in this area not only promotes the EE in this area, but also promotes the improvement of the EE in neighboring areas. Third, the increase in per capita wealth and the adjustment in industrial structure are beneficial to the improvement of EE. This paper discusses the impact of China's NU development on the urban EE. Results reveal the relationship between affluence, technological progress, industrial structure, opening to the outside world, environmental regulation, and EE. This study provides decision-making reference for the government in formulating sustainable strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]