Maria Varua

Climate variability in the origin countries as a "push" factor on tourist arrivals in the Philippines

The objective of this paper is to test the impact of climate variability in origin countries as a “push factor” on tourist arrivals, specifically in the Philippines, and to select a suitable proxy to measure climate variability. This paper uses the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) constructed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Climate variability is strongly linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and this link is used by meteorologists to forecast changes in weather globally. SOI is a widely used indicator of the ENSO and its best known extremes are the El Niño (warm phase) and La Niña (cold phase) effects. The study proves to some extent that there is a significant increase in US tourist arrivals in the Philippines when La Niña-like weather conditions prevail in the USA. More importantly, the SOI proved to be a good measure of climate variability.

Groundwater scarcity impact on inclusiveness and women empowerment: Insights from school absenteeism of female students in two watersheds in India.

ABSTRACT A survey was conducted in eight secondary schools located in two watersheds in Gujarat and Rajasthan (semi-arid region of India) to assess students’ perceptions about groundwater scarcity issues and the impact of the scarcity on their educational opportunities. Survey responses to a detailed questionnaire by a cohort of students in both watersheds; school attendance records of year 8 class students (13–14 years old) and responses gathered via a socio-economic survey involving 500 families in the study area were used in the study. In both watersheds, >90% students identified groundwater scarcity as a major issue. Required to work at home or farm, about 65% students in Gujarat and 60% in Rajasthan missed school for up to 2 days/month; and a smaller proportion (∼ 30%) missed schools for 4 or more days/month. School absenteeism was found to be linked with gender; female students missed schools more frequently than their male counterpart. The school attendance records in Rajasthan showed that the frequency of female students missing schools for 5 or more days/month was on an average 2–10 times greater than that for males. The gender difference in absenteeism in all schools was statistically significant (P < .018**). The study highlighted that groundwater scarcity in the study area, and consequent demand on their time for household work including fetching drinking water are contributing factors towards limiting their educational and economic opportunities. Groundwater scarcity can be one of the key factors that can limit inclusiveness and empowerment of women and need to be considered in policy-making.

Managing aquifer recharge and sustaining groundwater use: developing a capacity building program for creating local groundwater champions

Participatory groundwater management is increasingly being recognised for its ability to address the challenges of equity, efficiency and sustainability. It can particularly help with effective engagement at the grassroots level for monitoring, recharging and managing the groundwater as a common pool resource. The main aim of this article is to discuss the training and management process used and the lessons learnt from a participatory groundwater management project, titled Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustainable Groundwater Use through Village-level Intervention (MARVI). In this project, researchers, rural development facilitators and local villagers worked together to initiate participatory groundwater monitoring in 11 villages from the Dharta and Meghraj watersheds in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India. The study involved educating villagers through an intensive program of capacity building, wherein the villagers who participated in the program were called Bhujal Jaankars (BJs), a Hindi word meaning ‘groundwater informed’. The BJs were trained in their local settings through relevant theory and practical exercises, so that they could perform a geo-hydrological evaluation of their area, monitor groundwater and share their findings and experiences with their village community. The study has highlighted that with a well-designed program of capacity building and on-going support through training and nurturing, BJs can play an important role in monitoring watertable depth and other data for estimating groundwater recharge, leading to a sharing of the groundwater information with the local village community to influence the sustainable use of groundwater. Overall they can act as local champions for groundwater futures. Further, this study has demonstrated that BJ capacity building can help to provide a scientific basis for village level groundwater dialogue and assist village communities and other stakeholders to improve their decision making regarding groundwater use, crop selection, agronomy, recharge strategies and other aspects of sustainable groundwater management. Although the BJ program has been successful and BJs can act as a valuable interface between local communities and other stakeholders managed aquifer recharge activities, there still exists some challenges to the BJ programme, such as the need for mechanisms and funding sources that will sustain the BJs over the longer term; wider acceptance of BJs among scientific communities and policy makers; and the acceptance of the role and involvements of BJs in natural resources management programs of the State and Central governments in India.

Investigating knowledge workers’ productivity using work design theory

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the suitability of job and work design theory for investigating knowledge workers’ productivity. The review is a response to recommendation and adoption of the motivational human resource management approach by a number of knowledge management researchers. The authors show that the existing literature on this topic overlooks key criticisms of HRM job and work design theory itself. The authors suggest modifications. Design/methodology/approach - The paper proceeds by outlining knowledge management researchers’ arguments rejecting the application of traditional measurement approaches to investigating knowledge workers’ productivity. The review develops to examine the various arguments for adopting work design theory and considers the key contributions and critiques in this field. Drawing on the insights of key HRM work design critics, the paper concludes by offering suggestions for a model suitable for examining the drivers of knowledge work productivity in process. Findings - The principle finding is that Morgeson and Humphrey’s (2006) Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) stand as the most conceptually consistent and methodologically considered human resource management work design theory. However, this model must itself be modified to include a category of organizational contextual work characteristics. For application to the filed of knowledge management, WDQ must also be expanded to include knowledge sharing, role breadth self-efficacy and employee well-being as key work design mediators and outcomes. Research limitations/implications - Greater consideration needs to be given to the distinction between knowledge sharing as a work design mediator and as a work design outcome. Morgeson and Humphrey themselves note that the “common method variance” problems arising in psychometric research have been reduced but not completely eliminated from their model. Practical implications - Survey instruments based on the recommended model potentially provide a valuable means for understanding and enhancing productivity in a variety of knowledge intensive service industries. The pronounced benefit of this model is that it is applicable in cross-industry and cross-occupational contexts, unlike many existing knowledge worker productivity models. This is an advantage, given the centrality of the inter-connectivity of different types of activities and industries in knowledge work. Social implications - Work design prioritizes employee motivation and support and links this to the quality of work and the well-being of clients. The benefits of well-designed knowledge work extend well beyond the generation of specific innovations and macroeconomic productivity improvements. Originality/value - Job design and work design theory have been applied in the field of knowledge management. However, the applications have largely overlooked key critiques of the established models in the human resource management literature. The paper fills this gap. Its original suggestions for modifying Moregeson and Humphry’s (2006) WDQ reflect the authors’ in-depth analysis of the literature.

The impact of political unrest or internal conflict on inbound tourism in the Republic of the Philippines

This study examines the impact of growing political unrest or internal conflict on inbound tourism in the Republic of the Philippines during the period 1994 to 2011. From 2003 onwards, despite formal renunciation of terrorism by one group, the separatist MILF group, acts of violence have continued with increasing political unrest and internal conflict. At the same time an interesting trend of increasing numbers in tourist arrivals was observed from 2003 onwards. The study employs a state space model to test the factors driving tourism during the period 1994 to 2011. The results imply that despite the negative impact of internal conflict and rising inflation, the impact of past income and the inertial effect representing past experience and connectivity to the tourist destination have been sufficient to drive inbound tourism to the Philippines.

The Impact of the GFC on Sectoral Market Efficiency: Non‐Linear Testing for the Case of Australia

This paper investigates the efficiency of the Australian stock market during the period of volatility and disruption associated with the Global Financial Crises (GFC). Furthermore, the investigation seeks to observe any divergence in market efficiency between industry sectors that demonstrate differing economic performance across the period. Spanning a time period of 2000-2015, the data are split into three periods of distinct economic conditions: a pre-crisis period of relatively high growth, the GFC period of disruption and contraction, and a post- GFC period of relatively low growth. Five sector indices listed on the Australian Securities Exchange are analysed to search for evidence of market efficiency (Real Estate, Consumer Discretionary, Financials, Materials, and Metals and Mining). A range of non-linear tests are applied in order to systematically investigate the structure of the market in each sector. The results highlight the cointegrated nature of non-linearity across related sectors, and also demonstrate that different industries within the same economy can reveal highly diverse patterns of non-linearity and market efficiency in response to financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay of production commercialisation and specialisation : an empirical study on Chinese smallholders

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the endogenous relationship between production specialisation and market commercialisation with an empirical study of farmers in Northwest China. Design/methodology/approach - The three-stage least squares were used to address simultaneity and over-identification problems in comparison with two-stage least squares (2SLS). The Durbin-Wu-Hausman test was employed to identify the endogeneity of the commercialisation and specialisation variables. The validity, relevance, and strength of the instruments were tested using the Stock-Yogo weak instrument diagnostics test. Findings - A two-way interrelationship between specialisation and commercialisation were confirmed, and suggest that farmers’ decisions on farm commercialisation and production specialisation are actually separate and interacting. Social implications - By demonstrating that a virtuous cycle exists between agricultural commercialisation and on-farm specialisation, policies can be formulated to complement these two effects that may help increase small holders’ income. Farmers’ market participation can be indirectly improved by combining market improvement and risk management tools to encourage production specialisation. Originality/value - The insights of this study cast further light onto the farm market participation theory by emphasising that higher asset endowments enable small farmers to specialise in production with comparative advantage.

Do Index Futures Cause Spot Market Volatility? An Investigation of the Australian Resources Index

This paper applies GARCH models to ascertain the impact of index futures trading on the volatility of the spot market. Specifically, the research aims to determine whether the introduction of index futures trading increases or decreases the level of volatility within the underlying spot market. In addition, the research verifies the sensitivity of price to information as well as the impact the leverage effect may have on the degree and structure of volatility. As Australia is a commodity driven economy, resources constitute one of the largest economic sectors. Following from this, the daily closing price of the ASX 200 Resources Index for the period 2010 to 2016 was therefore used in the analysis. Given that 14 October 2013 was when the Australian Securities Exchange launched the ASX 200 Resources Index futures, investigating the volatility prior to and after this date is also a focus of the paper. The results of the study suggest that the introduction of index futures did not substantially increase the level of volatility in the spot market but found that there is an increase in sensitivity to historical information; and that a negative leverage effect exists within the Resources Index. Since the Australian share market operates within a dynamic financial landscape, the study adopts a framework that seeks to provide behavioural and macroeconomic explanations for the findings, where appropriate.

Seasonal tropical cyclone activity and its significance for developmental activities in Vanuatu

Developing island nations in the Pacific are highly dependent on tourism receipts to support and sustain growth in their economies. Vanuatu consists of an archipelago of 83 islands with a population of approximately 260,000 people. Vanuatu is classified as a least developed nation with a predominance of subsistence agriculture as well as a heavy dependence on the tourism sector as mainstays of the economy. In 2015, a category 5 cyclone struck Vanuatu causing severe destruction in four of its six provinces damaging both of its key industries, tourism and agriculture. Australia, as a key development partner and as a provider of the majority of its tourists has a direct interest in the sustainability and stability of the Vanuatu economy. Australia provides financial as well as humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu in the event of a crisis as well as for developmental purposes. Tropical cyclones are a normal phenomenon in the Southern hemisphere generally during the months of November to April. Even if a cyclone does not make landfall, strong gusts of wind and rainfall can cause significant damage through flooding. Although people can be trained in disaster management techniques and thereby achieve a reduction in the death toll, the damage to property and key industries are inevitable. This paper investigates the impact of cyclone activity on the economy of Vanuatu from the beginning of this century and its significance for the developmental challenges that face this nation. The paper also explores the dependence of Vanuatu on aid programmes and its implications for the management of extreme weather events in order to promote the sustainability of its key industries.

Understanding Farmers’ Groundwater Attitudes For Better Groundwater Management

In India, many farmers rely on groundwater for agricultural production. The individually constructed and managed tube well access to groundwater in hard rock aquifers has enabled the majority of these farmers to improve farm incomes and diversify livelihoods. Extensive groundwater exploitation coupled with the lack of institutional rule to establish new wells and regulate pumping levels by individual well owners had led to over extraction of the resource. This paper presents results of the study conducted in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to examine farmers’ attitudes to groundwater use and management; and to test whether their attitudes across catchments are the same. A hierarchical cluster analysis of groundwater attitude held by survey respondents in Megraj (Gujarat) and Dharta (Rajasthan) watersheds was utilised to ascertain this. The results show that there are four distinct clusters present in each watershed. In addition, preferred water management by cluster membership is reported. The paper concludes that there is a need to account for attitudinal diversity when designing groundwater policies and processes to assist communities shape coordinating instruments to sustainably manage local aquifers.