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Early school dropout rates in Morocco exhibit widespread spatial imbalances leading to adverse consequences. Indeed, there is thus a pressing need to investigate the factors contributing to the phenomenon. To this end, this study conducts a multivariate spatial analysis of 75 provinces in Morocco. It uses 100 variables to explain dropout rates across ten territorial components (TC): demography and household structure (TC1), cultural and linguistic variety (TC2), poverty and living conditions (TC3), labor market (TC4), type of housing (TC5), living environment (TC6), school graduate (TC7), social programs (TC8), preschool education (TC9), and primary and middle school supply (TC10). By exploring a multivariate spatial approach, this study bridges the gap in the mainstream literature on some individual factors on school dropout using a spatial measurement approach to identify particular spatial variables. The findings highlight significant variables related to household size over populated households with a polygamous structure (TC1), a widowed marital status, especially for women less autonomous (TC1), ethnocultural and linguistic issues via a local population less fluent in foreign languages (TC2) and illiterate (TC7). The poverty, isolation, and remoteness of certain predominantly rural provinces (TC5) remain less connected to elementary services such as drinking water and the internet (TC6). In particular, in the labor market component, there is a pull effect to school dropout decisions from low-skilled job prospects (TC3) and (TC4). Finally, preschooling has an impact on the foundation of human capital at an early age (TC9) as well as on the supply and type of schools (Satelite), which remains a proximity model for the retention of young children, especially girls (TC10). After identifying at-risk provinces, we observed that the school dropout process has a multifactorial, correlative, and cumulative nature. The territorial targeting must move towards multidimensional corrections by multi-actors from the territorial ecosystem. Positive discrimination should target at-risk provinces based on the gaps identified in each territorial component studied.

The gender gap in education has been a significant concern for Moroccan policymakers and researchers, but the quantitative measurement of this gap has often been overlooked. This study specifically examines the gender gap in academic achievement in reading and mathematics at both the national and residential levels. The objective is to identify the factors that influence gender performance differences and their magnitude. To achieve this, micro-level data from 5427 students extracted from the PIRLS 2016 and TIMSS 2015 surveys were analyzed. The Blinder-Oaxaca (1973) decomposition technique was employed to assess the significance of the differences and to break down the performance gaps by incorporating explanatory variables related to schools, teachers, and students' characteristics. The results reveal a significant gender difference in favor of girls in reading, both nationally and in urban areas. In mathematics, the gender gap is not statistically significant and is approximately 3 points at the national level. Only 29% of the reading gap can be explained by the selected variables, while this percentage is around 20% for the math gap. Pre-school attendance, maternal education, schools, and schools' characteristics are identified as significant factors influencing the reading gap at the national and urban levels. In contrast, at the rural level, home conditions and the characteristics of the school and teacher play a more decisive role.

The high unemployment rates among Moroccan university graduates and their strong demand for public sector jobs have prompted educational authorities to promote entrepreneurship training in higher education. This study aims to investigate the relationship between four variables related to entrepreneurship (perceived effectiveness of entrepreneurship training, entrepreneurial spirit, self-efficacy, and intention) among Moroccan university students, based on their level and field of study. The study surveyed 1113 Moroccan university students from various academic cycles and fields using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25 for univariate and bivariate analysis and SPSS AMOS for multivariate analysis through a structural equation model. The results indicate that the quality and perceived satisfaction of entrepreneurship training significantly influence the development of entrepreneurial spirit and intention among students. Furthermore, the paper makes various recommendations to Moroccan educational authorities and individuals in charge of higher education. These guidelines are intended to boost entrepreneurial spirit and, most crucially, entrepreneurial intent among university students.

Abstract Concretizing the input of Morocco’s advanced regionalization project, which aims to reduce territorial disparities for sustainable human development, is a cornerstone for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alongside the implementation of this project, we carried out a multiscale study of the scope of human development disparities in Morocco based on the new engineering of the territorial division across twelve regions, seventy-five provinces, and fifteen hundred communes. The study aimed to test the effect of scale modification to identify spatial concentrations through the communal human development index. The level of human development of a country is assessed through the convergence of its local HDI. We tested the scaling effect in 2004 and 2017 to determine the state of convergence of human development indicators. The spatial autocorrelation results showed that the distribution of capabilities at the communal scale remained concentrated in Morocco. Areas near developed communes follow the same pattern, at the expense of more distant areas. After the spatial configuration of advanced regionalization was undertaken, there was a decrease in regional and provincial disparities. This outcome is less notable at the communal level. Focusing on the microscale consequently becomes a preferable way to reduce inequalities in sustainable human development. Therefore, for the success and effectiveness of the advanced regionalization project in particular and for the achievement of the SDGs in general, spatial equity remains a necessary condition for the convergence of sustainable human development actions at the microscale.

The labor market can be a daunting place for young graduates; this paper aims to shed light on how they navigate it. By examining the ways in which they enter the workforce and the impact of individual and socioeconomic factors on their career paths, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. We use a two-stage approach to study this issue: first, we create a typology of graduates’ integration paths and then estimate the likelihood of following a specific trajectory through multinomial logit analysis. Our findings reveal a diverse range of professional journeys, with graduates from open-access institutions facing higher rates of unemployment and continuing their studies, and women experiencing more precarious situations. This study stands out in the literature in several ways. Unlike previous research on the topic, we develop an index of soft skills that incorporates multiple dimensions. Additionally, we use individual data from a regional survey conducted by ANAPEC, making this the first study of its kind for Morocco. The results of our study can inform our understanding of the importance of soft skills for youth employability and the need for training policies in a rapidly changing job market. In terms of employment policy, our findings on the intertwining of first-time and long-term unemployment among higher education graduates suggest the need for a comprehensive strategy that focuses on the organization of the initial integration phase. To achieve this, the efforts of Career Centers must be broadened, consolidated, and evaluated.

As a semi-arid/arid country located in the northwest of Africa, Morocco is facing serious water scarcity driven by the dual stresses of decreasing availability of water resources and increasing water demands. Virtual water trade could be an effective tool to alleviate water scarcity. The paper presents an analysis of the relationships between agrarian productions, foreign trade, and the water sector in Morocco by deriving a comprehensive estimate of virtual water export and import in Morocco’s foreign trade of 40 crop products during the period from 2000 to 2017. Our objectives include determining the intensity of water consumption of exported and imported crop products and quantifying the water consumed and saved, respectively, by locally producing and importing these products. To this end, FAO’s Penman-Monteith climate model was used to estimate crop water requirements based on data on meteorological factors. The results show that Morocco was a net virtual water importer during the study period. The deficit was 595.74 Gm3. The tendency of total virtual water export was on a rising trend, while the total virtual water import was on a downward trend. The main exported virtual water was from vegetables (68.87 Gm3, 72.47%) and the main imported virtual water was from cereals (679.68 Gm3, 98.4%). Regarding crop product’s water intensity, we found that the exported crop products were excessively concentrated on water-intensive products such as mandarins and clementines, figs, oranges, apricots, plums, citrus fruits, olives, tomatoes, asparagus, peas, and artichokes. On the other hand, the agricultural policy of 2009–2020 increased the production of water-intensive products. This finding seems to be going against the virtual water trade theory, which states that water-poor countries should import water-intensive products and produce local products with lower water requirements.

This study aims at testing the structures of three scales designed for measurement of self-efficacy, burnout and job satisfaction among Moroccan primary school teachers. The study also seeks to explore the possible correlations between these three latent variables. 404 teachers from a small city (El Kalaa Des Sraghna) participated in this study. Data were analyzed by a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using the AMOS 25 software. Findings of the study confirmed the two-dimensionality of the Burnout measurement scale, depersonalization and emotional exhaustion, the multidimensionality of the scale of teacher self-efficacy (six dimensions) and the uni-dimensionality of the scale of job satisfaction. A negative correlation has been revealed between the teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction on the one hand and the two dimensions of burnout, on the other hand.

Abstract Over the last few decades, Morocco has been undergoing a strong and fast water demand increase due to demographic upsurge, irrigated agriculture expansion, flourishing foreign trade and changing standard of living and lifestyles. The continued increase of water demand has imposed a height pressure over national scare water resources. Despite this worrying situation, the imperative of sustainable water use and management has created a need for compulsory information to define and implement economic and water-saving policies in an integrated and informed manner. This paper uses an input–output model of water use to analyse the relationships between economic sectors and water resources use in Morocco (i.e. direct water use) as well as the intersectoral water relationships (i.e. indirect water use). The results show that, on the one hand, Agriculture, hunting and forestry sector exhibits high direct water use. On the other hand, secondary and tertiary sectors display low direct use and high indirect water use. Typical examples of sectors with high indirect water use are manufacture of food and tobacco products and hotels and restaurants sectors. Further by means of the impact analysis, we have demonstrated that the economic sectors whose indirect water use coefficients are high have a significant influence on water resources by means of their “drag effect” on water use of other sectors. The results highlight the added value of conducting an analysis of the intersectoral water relationships and suggest that it is important to take into account in the processes of policy definition not only the direct water use but also the indirect water use, because neglecting them could threaten our water resources.

Le concept de la défaillance des entreprises est polysémique et polymorphe. Ainsi, en examinant les travaux et les recherches, il s’agit de constater que la littérature sur la problématique en question est fragmentée et qu’il n’existe donc pas de théorie unificatrice sur le pourquoi et le comment de la défaillance des entreprises (Crutzen et Van Caillie, 2007a).En effet, l’analyse de la défaillance des entreprises peut être opérée sur plusieurs niveaux, en examinant les aspects économiques,financiers, stratégiques ainsi que les aspects organisationnels et managériaux de l’entreprise (Guilhotd B., 2000).L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser la défaillance des entreprises au Maroc selon la vision des gestionnaires en se basant sur les facteurs,à caractère qualitatif, relevant de l’environnement managérial de l’entreprise. L’objectif est de vérifier l’hypothèse selon laquelle le risque de défaillance est proportionnel au degré de «myopie» de l’entreprise au niveau organisationnel et de gestion. De ce fait, notre démarche d’investigation consiste à évaluer le risque de défaillance auprès d’un échantillon de quatre-vingt entreprises défaillantes identifiées auprès du tribunal de commerce de Marrakech.

As a specific driver for the transformation of education systems in Morocco, inclusive education is a process that aims to reduce the exclusion of children with disabilities. Indeed, few studies have analysed the exclusion factors that cause children with disabilities not to pursue their education. Based on this, the present paper explores the spatial effect of factors related to accessibility and school supply. The database is from the latest national survey of the 2014 General Census of Population and Housing for the 75 provinces of Morocco. The designated age group is children aged 10-14 years. Exploratory spatial analysis has allowed us to map the hotspots of school dropout risk. The results of the spatial heterogeneity show a deficit in the distribution of accessibilities and the supply of paramedical services. From economic policy, we emphasise the need for spatial equity in the geographic distribution of inclusive education provision. The equitable distribution of psychological conditions for school retention is a straightforward factor in the success of the inclusive education model in Morocco.

The present research has the ambition to contribute to the literature by providing a better visibility on the impact that remittances can generate in the level of women remained in the country, both in terms of economic activity and the status of women in households. To this end, this work mobilizes macroeconomic aggregate data to verify the impact of remittances on women activity at the international level. This work involves the macroeconomic data of a sample of 58 countries observed from 1999 to 2010. The results of the macroeconomic approach are substantially different when going from one region to another. In particular, the presented estimates show that the effect of transfers on female labor supply depends on the studied area. The complexity of the studied phenomenon shows the existence of contradictory effects, in which case the local and regional characteristics may play an important role.

Purpose: Young graduates in Morocco are encountering an increasingly challenging labor market environment. Confronted with intense competition, job insecurity, and unclear career trajectories, many find themselves in low-skilled positions despite possessing relevant qualifications. This issue is particularly pronounced among vocational training graduates, who experience professional downgrading at a rate three times higher (33.6%) compared to their peers from general education (11.6%) (HCP, 2018). Our study aims to investigate professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco, focusing on the factors contributing to this phenomenon and identifying potential solutions to address it. Design/methodology/approach: Our study is based on the insertion and career path survey conducted by the Department of Professional Training with graduates of professional training programs in Morocco. For this edition, the survey was conducted in 2020, encompassing all 31,498 graduates of the 2016 professional training programs. The Heckman self-selection model is employed to analyze and explore various dimensions of downgrading. Factors such as gender, age, marital status, parental education, and the choice of vocational training field are scrutinized to understand their influence on downgrading. Findings: The study reveals several key findings: Women exhibit a lower probability of professional downgrading compared to men. Young graduates are more vulnerable to downgrading, emphasizing the necessity for career guidance and mentorship programs to facilitate their entry into the job market. Marital status plays a role, with married individuals having a higher likelihood of downgrading. Parental education, particularly that of mothers, proves critical in preventing subjective downgrading of vocational training graduates, highlighting the need for adult literacy and education programs. The effectiveness of the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Competencies (ANAPEC) programs in preventing downgrading among vocational training graduates is questioned, suggesting the need for program revisions tailored to this population. The choice of vocational training field significantly impacts downgrading, with graduates of technical training programs experiencing advantages. This emphasizes the importance of diversifying training fields and aligning them with market demands. Originality/value: This study provides valuable insights into the phenomenon of professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions. Recommendations include supporting young graduates, reassessing programs offered by the ANAPEC, and enhancing technical training to better align with the evolving demands of the labor market.

The adepts of international migration have attempted to develop models that can be used to examine the underlying factors that push the migrants to take the decision of leaving the country of origin. The have tried to analyse the way in which the difference in the socioeconomic determinants between spatial entities (countries, regions and provinces) may affect the decision of people to immigrate. This work has recommended first to verify empirically the validation of the theory of migratory basins within one country and to identify variables that clarify the intent of emigration. With respect to the Moroccan context, this work presents a two-fold interest. On the methodological level, this contribution is, to our knowledge, the first application of the micro econometric spatial approach on the data collected during our investigation. At the analytical level, the findings of this work complement those of the few descriptive studies. Subsequently, the results of this research should be used to reflect deeply upon the public policies related to emigration.

Cette recherche s’intéresse à un sujet très particulier: l’expérience d’achat impulsif en hypermarché. Le fait de considérer l’achat impulsif comme une expérience se justifie par sa richesse en termes de gratifications hédoniques. L’objectif sera de mettre au jour les principaux facteurs qui favorisent ou freinent la réalisation des achats impulsifsen les traitant selon une approche expérientielle. Pour cela, le paradigme SOR sera invité. Ce dernier stipule que lesstimuli de l’environnement influence le comportement par le biais des états affectifs. Toutefois, nous nous attachons de montrer que l’influence sur les achats impulsifs n’est pas nécessairement médiatisée par les émotions