Bala Ramasamy

The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Services

This paper has two main objectives: first, to consider country specific determinants that attract services FDI, and second, to compare the importance of these determinants vis-a-vis traditional determinants that attract manufacturing FDI. Using OECD countries as our sample, and 1980 to 2003 as our time period, we consider the determinants of inward FDI in a panel setting. Our results provide empirical evidence to support the view that no new theories may be necessary to explain the determinants of services FDI.

Malaysia’s leap into the future: an evaluation of the multimedia super corridor

The multimedia super corridor (MSC) is an initiative by the Malaysian government to transform the nation into a knowledge-based economy. Modeled after the Silicon Valley, the multibillion dollar project started in 1995, spanning an area of more than 750 km2. This paper evaluates the MSC from an institutional and entrepreneurial perspective. We identify key ingredients that contributed to the success of the SV as well as other science parks. These ingredients, which include the role of universities, incubators, research centers, government, infrastructure and human talent pool are considered vis-a-vis the MSC. We find that the Malaysian technopole has made progress in these factors albeit at various degrees. However, the MSC falters on the entrepreneurial aspect. The impediments to continued success include the attitude towards risk-taking and the general lack in innovative spirit which makes up the essence of a technopole.

Public policy and olympic success

The paper reports the results of regressions testing hypotheses concerning the medalwinning success of Olympic teams. It is found that while traditional economic and political factors are important, many inherent national characteristics such as geographical, demographic and cultural factors have a significant and pronounced impact. It is concluded that scope for public sports policy exists and the degree to which the inherent characteristics limit it are discussed.

Evaluating mutual funds in an emerging market: factors that matter to financial advisors

Growth, both in terms of size and choice, in the mutual fund industry among emerging markets has been impressive. However, mutual fund research in emerging markets hardly exists. This paper intends to fill this gap. In particular, the paper surveys the relative importance of factors considered important in the selection of mutual funds by financial advisors in emerging markets. Our survey focuses on Malaysia where the mutual industry started in the 1950s but only gained importance in the 1980s with the establishment of a government initiated programme. The results of our survey point to three important factors which dominate the choice of mutual funds. These are consistent past performance, size of funds and costs of transaction. Factors which relate to fund managers and investment style are not considered to be relatively important. With the impending liberalization of the financial markets in the developing world, our findings would assist those international funds that are considering expanding their operations into these emerging markets.

Olympic Success and ASEAN Countries Economic Analysis and Policy Implications

This study considers the factors behind the poor performance of ASEAN countries at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. We find that, inter alia, relative GNP, hosting activity, the political system, climate, and relative population size of a country are jointly able to predict its likely performance. In the ASEAN context, we show that although economic and demographic factors are significant, improvements in these variables through governmental policy are likely to have only a limited effect on the actual number of medals won. In contrast, an increasing cultural focus on sport offers some potential for increased Olympic performance but is likely to be outside direct policy influence. We also derive projections for future ASEAN Olympic medal performance based on economic forecasts.

Corporate Social Performance and Ethnicity A Comparison between Malay and Chinese Chief Executives in Malaysia

The call for corporate social responsibility is steadily escalating in the corporate agenda. Previous studies on the determinants of Corporate Social Performance (CSP) point to factors including the size of firms and the nature of industries, as well as the commitment of the leadership. This study explores how attributes of chief executives in Malaysia may affect the formulation and implementation of socially responsible policies and programmes of organizations. The suggestion is that companies with Malay chief executives demonstrate higher corporate social performance levels than companies with Chinese chief executives; and that the age of chief executives is a significant predictor of the CSP level. However, the education background of the chief executives has no noticeable effect on the level of CSP.

International women's football and gender inequality

A number of authors have identified the determinants of international sporting performance differentials in mens sporting events. This study compares the determinants of mens international soccer team performance with that of their female counterparts and find that a partially different set of variables are important in the two contexts. While economic and demographic influences hold for both, their particular political and cultural factors diverge. These findings highlight different degrees of gender inequality among the countries in the sample in terms of the greatly different economic, political and social significance of the sport depending whether it is played by men or women.

Provincial Disparities in Post-reform China

Using conventional and novel techniques, the present paper analyzes the main characteristics of Chinese provincial disparities during the reform period, specifically between 1978 and 2007. After dismissing the presence of spatial dependence, three main results are obtained: first, provincial inequalities have basically followed a “V” trend; second, grouping China into three large regions shows that inequality mainly lies within each region, particularly in coastal areas; and third, the analysis of intra-distribution dynamics reveals that, although there was some significant mobility in provincial relative income, particularly until 1990, the whole period persistence in the ranking of income levels is a major feature. This might provoke some changes in the policy approach to dealing with spatial disparities.

Management systems and the CSR engagement

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the most potent internal resources of a firm that contribute to the CSR agenda. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopts a quantitative approach to analyze Malaysian companies. A scorecard is devised according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. A logit/probit model is employed to differentiate firms that are CSR-active from their non-active counterparts. Findings - The results indicate that having universal accredited management systems in place differentiates CSR-active companies from inactive companies. Also, firm size does not matter for CSR performance. Research limitations/implications - The study uses proxies to examine a firms resources, and thus it might not have captured the implication of the resources fully. Also it identifies resources that have a bearing on the CSR level but does not investigate the conditions in which such resources can be relevant. Practical implications - The results imply that firms that are intent on being CSR-active should consider implementing the various management systems relevant for their businesses. Managers responsible for the CSR agenda might wish to highlight the fact that adherence to such systems actually contributes to the bottom line, thus minimizing resistance from decision-makers, who might view CSR as a costly initiative. Originality/value - The study provides an insight into the influence of management systems on CSR performance among firms in a developing country in Asia. This, to the best knowledge of the authors, has not been studied before.

Malaysia - Trade Policy Review 2006

The Trade Policy Review (TPR) is an important document for small open economies like Malaysia. It provides an outsider perspective of its trade policies and implementation. In this paper we provide an update of the Malaysian economy emphasising the degree of competitiveness vis-a-vis other Asian counterparts. We also discuss the issue of regional and bilateral trading agreements involving Malaysia with a focus on the services sector. Finally, we briefly consider the issue of tariff protection - an issue raised by many commentators of the TPR. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd .