nep-ara New Economics Papers
on MENA - Middle East and North Africa
Issue of 2020‒03‒23
ten papers chosen by
Paul Makdissi
Université d’Ottawa

  1. The Effect of Open-Air Waste Burning on Infant Health: Evidence from Government Failure in Lebanon By Pierre Mouganie; Ruba Ajeeb; Mark Hoekstra
  2. PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS (PSR) IN THE WORKPLACE IN MOROCCO: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE By Hamid Esserdi; Pierre Chaudat; Laurent Mériade
  3. ‘We Are the Middle Class’ The New Turkish Middle Class: Identification, Behaviors and Expectations By François Combarnous; Jean-Philippe Berrou; Matthieu Clément; Dominique Darbon; Eric Rougier
  4. An estimated DSGE model with financial accelerator: the case of Tunisia By Hager Ben Romdhane
  5. Morocco's Growth and Employment Prospects : Public Policies to Avoid the Middle-Income Trap By Pinto Moreira,Emmanuel
  6. An investigation of key success factors for restaurant operations in Saudi Arabia By Reda Gadelrab; Erdogan Ekiz
  7. The Determinants of Moroccan Households’ Default in Bank Credits By Boufous, Sawssan; Hudson, Darren; Carpio, Carlos; Malaga, Jaime
  8. The effect of customer relationship management practices on airline customer loyalty By Marwa Salah; Mohamed Abou-Shouk
  9. Pré-évaluation de la participation du Maroc à l’union monétaire de la CEDEAO By Rabhi, Ayoub; Haoudi, Amina
  10. Éditorial: Pour une éthique appliquée à l'administration publique marocaine By Karim Zaouaq

  1. By: Pierre Mouganie; Ruba Ajeeb; Mark Hoekstra
    Abstract: An estimated 40 percent of the world's garbage is burned in open-air fires, which are responsible for as much as half of the global emissions of some pollutants. However, there is little evidence on the health consequences of open-air waste burning. In this paper, we estimate the effect of in utero exposure to open-air waste burning on birth outcomes. We do so by examining the consequences of the Lebanese garbage crisis of 2015, which led to an abrupt, unanticipated increase in waste burning in residential neighborhoods in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. To identify effects, we exploit variation in exposure across neighborhoods before and after the crisis. Results indicate exposure had large impacts on birth outcomes; in utero exposure to at least one open-air waste burn increased premature births by 4 percentage points (50%) and low birth weight by 5 to 8 percentage points (80 - 120%). Given previous research documenting the long-run effects of prenatal shocks on adult health, human capital, and labor market outcomes, this suggests open-air waste burning imposes significant costs on populations worldwide.
    JEL: H41 I18
    Date: 2020–03
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26835&r=all
  2. By: Hamid Esserdi (CleRMa - Clermont Recherche Management - Clermont Auvergne - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne); Pierre Chaudat (CleRMa - Clermont Recherche Management - Clermont Auvergne - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne); Laurent Mériade (CleRMa - Clermont Recherche Management - Clermont Auvergne - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)
    Abstract: Les risques psychosociaux (RPS), à cause de leur nature humaine, n'épargnent aucune communauté. Ils sont particulièrement prépondérants sur le lieu de travail quel que soit le contexte socio-culturel. Le Maroc, pays arabo-musulman, en voie de développement, n'échappe pas à ce phénomène. Les travailleurs marocains souffrent des RPS sous la pression sociale et économique et sous le silence du législateur. Les études sur les RPS se sont nettement développées au cours des dix dernières années au Maroc, mais de manière relativement peu coordonnée. Une analyse fine de la littérature existante nous permet de réaliser un premier point sur les principaux déterminants et manifestions de ces risques dans le contexte marocain. Pour synthétiser ces travaux, nos premiers résultats mettent en évidence des caractéristiques des RPS particulièrement marquées que nous proposons comme premiers éléments de structuration de la littérature relative au RPS dans le contexte professionnel marocain. Abstract Psychosocial risks (PSR), because of their human nature, do not spare any community. They are particularly prevalent in the workplace regardless of the socio-cultural context. Morocco, an Arab-Muslim country in the developing world, is no exception to this phenomenon. Moroccan workers suffer from RPS under social and economic pressure and under the silence of the legislator. Studies on RPS have developed significantly over the last ten years in Morocco, but in a relatively uncoordinated way. A detailed analysis of the existing literature allows us to make a first point on the main determinants and manifestations of these risks in the Moroccan context. To summarize this work, our first results highlight the characteristics of the particularly marked RPS that we propose as the first elements of structuring the literature on RPS in the Moroccan professional context.
    Keywords: Morocco,demonstrations,Risques psychosociaux,manifestations,Maroc Keywords: Psychosocial risks,determinants
    Date: 2019–12–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02457732&r=all
  3. By: François Combarnous; Jean-Philippe Berrou (LAM - Les Afriques dans le monde - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Matthieu Clément; Dominique Darbon (LAM - Les Afriques dans le monde - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Eric Rougier
    Abstract: This article aims to identify and characterise the Turkish middle class. Our objective is to improve its description by implementing a clustering method combining an economic and a sociological approach. Using the Income and Living Conditions Survey (2014), we first identify the middle-class on the basis of an income interval. We then use information about employment and education to characterise the heterogeneity of this middle-income class. The distinctive behaviors and aspirations of four middle class groups are explored in depth by using the results of original qualitative field research carried out among middle class households from two contrasting regions.
    Keywords: Social stratification,Income distribution,Middle class,Turkey,Clustering methods
    Date: 2019–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-02421481&r=all
  4. By: Hager Ben Romdhane (Central Bank of Tunisia)
    Abstract: This paper estimates an open economy DSGE model with financial accelerator à la Bernanke et al. (1999)2, enriched with wage rigidities and imperfect exchange rate pass through. The objective of this paper is to assess the importance of financial frictions and their role in the transmission of transitory shocks in the Tunisian Economy. The model is estimated by Bayesian technics via Metropolis Hasting algorithm. Using Tunisian data, we obtain an estimate for the external risk premium, indicating the importance of the financial accelerator and the potential balance sheet vulnerabilities for macroeconomic fluctuations. Furthermore, results of the impulse responses functions model support that the inclusion of the financial accelerator magnifies the impact of shocks thereby increasing real fluctuations.
    Keywords: DSGE, Financial frictions, Bayesian estimation
    Date: 2020–03–03
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gii:giihei:heidwp06-2020&r=all
  5. By: Pinto Moreira,Emmanuel
    Abstract: This paper studies Morocco's growth and employment prospects in the context of a new growth model aimed at allowing the country, in a rapidly changing international environment marked by increased competition from low-wage economies and growing automation of low-skilled jobs, to avoid falling into a middle-income trap. The first part reviews the growth model that Morocco has pursued in the past few decades and discusses its limitations going forward. The second part characterizes the proposed growth model, which involves, in particular, promoting the transition from labor-intensive imitation activities to technology-intensive innovation activities, increasing public investment in advanced infrastructure, improving the quality of education, improving productivity and increasing value added in key sectors (including agriculture, high-end tourism, and renewable energy), and implementing measures designed to promote women's participation in the labor force and reduce gender inequality. The third part attempts to quantify the medium-run effects of these policies on growth, employment, and unemployment in Morocco. The paper concludes that to achieve high-income status and reduce unemployment significantly, Morocco will need to implement far-reaching reforms, to increase growth to a range of 6-7 percent and improve employment creation to about 35,000 jobs per percentage point of growth.
    Keywords: Employment and Unemployment,Rural Labor Markets,Educational Sciences,Labor Markets
    Date: 2019–03–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:8769&r=all
  6. By: Reda Gadelrab (King Abdulaziz University); Erdogan Ekiz (UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University [Marocco])
    Abstract: This exploratory, qualitative and descriptive study aims to find out critical success factors in restaurant operations and identify measures of success. Ten restaurants in Jeddah were approached to collect data through face to face semi-structured interviews. The purpose of interviews was to explore their experiences and insights into core factors contributing to the practice of their success. Responses from the restaurants' operators were used to analyze critical factors responsible for their success. Strategy, marketing, menu, and staffing issues were considered in assessing the critical factors contributing to success in restaurant operations.
    Keywords: Restaurant Industry,Success factors,Service Management,Qualitative Research,Semi-Structured interviews
    Date: 2019–11–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02454937&r=all
  7. By: Boufous, Sawssan; Hudson, Darren; Carpio, Carlos; Malaga, Jaime
    Keywords: Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Consumer/Household Economics
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea20:302308&r=all
  8. By: Marwa Salah (Fayoum University); Mohamed Abou-Shouk (UoS - University of Sharjah)
    Abstract: Customer satisfaction and loyalty are important concerns for travel providers and have a significant role in maximizing their sales. Therefore, adopting the activities of customer relationship management could help them building strong relationships with customers. This study explores the opinions of EgyptAir passengers on customer relationship management activities adopted by the company and how this affects their satisfaction and loyalty. A questionnaire was used for data collection and structural equation modelling was employed for rigorous findings. Findings revealed a positive significant effect of shared values, bonding, commitment, trust, tangibility, and handling customer conflicts on passenger satisfaction and loyalty.
    Keywords: CRM,Airlines,Satisfaction,loyalty,EgyptAir,Egypt
    Date: 2019–11–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02454932&r=all
  9. By: Rabhi, Ayoub; Haoudi, Amina
    Abstract: According to the theory of the optimal currency area (OCA), the choice of a country to join a monetary union is a relevant decision if the different members fulfill a set of criteria. In this context, the possible decision of Morocco to join the planned monetary union of ECOWAS requires a subtle analysis in order to assess the economic pre positioning of Morocco in relation to the other major members of ECOWAS. Our article brings some reflections on the advantages and limits of this possible participation in the monetary union of ECOWAS based on different relations that exist between Morocco and four major ECOWAS economies, namely: Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
    Keywords: Optimal Currency Area, Monetary union, ECOWAS, Exchange rate regime.
    JEL: E50 E6
    Date: 2020
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:98978&r=all
  10. By: Karim Zaouaq (Docteur en droit public et sciences politiques de l'Université Hassan II de Casablanca)
    Date: 2019–12–18
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02453581&r=all

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