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This research aims to study the relationship between economic performance, economic reforms, corruption, ethnic diversity and business environment. In chapter two, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis methods are applied to study the relationship between economic growth and corruption. This shows that despite severe publication bias, there seems to be a genuine negative effect of corruption on growth. This impact is systematically affected by whether the authors are academics and whether the study controls for endogeneity and heterogeneity. As for mechanisms, the findings show that corruption significantly undermines the positive influence of institutions and trade openness on economic growth. Chapter three investigates the effect of dynamic ethnic diversity as endogenous variable on economic growth in the transition context. For this purpose, a unique data set is constructed based mostly on primary data (national censuses). Once diversity is instrumented; it shows a significant negative impact on economic growth which is robust to different specifications, polarization measures, econometric estimators, as well as to the use of an index of ethnic-religious-linguistic fractionalization. Chapter four provides evidence of the role of economic reforms on economic performance in developing countries measured by economic growth and industrial growth. This research focuses on, and constructs individual indicators for the following reforms: external stability, macroeconomic stability, financial development, trade liberalization and institutional quality. The main finding is that economic reforms strongly support growth in the long-run. They mostly have mixed effects in the short-run. Moreover, institutions are imperative to boost economic performance over the long run. Finally, chapter five demonstrates the relationship between firm performance and business environment, ownership, competition and exports in Syrian industrial private sector. Performance is measured in level and growth variables. The main findings show that firm performance is positively boosted by finance and technology and hindered by poor investment climate, in particular, corruption. However, competition and foreign ownership seem to not have first-order effects.

Since 1980 foreign direct investment (FDI) has become the vital determinant of economic growth of the host country. FDI plays important role on improving the host country market, productivity, human capital, and brings new technological progresses, it also creates various job opportunities. Turkey is the unique country among the Islamic and Middle Eastern countries because of her close relationships with European countries, Russia, USA, Asia and Middle East. Her geographical location advantages, cheap labor cost and emerging market potential attract foreign investors. This paper aspires to analyze the impacts of economic growth on FDI in the case of Turkey. Many studies find a positive effect between these variables but it is hard to determine if FDI affects growth or if growth affects FDI. The direction of the causality between FDI and economic growth is examined by using Johansen Cointegration and Granger causality tests. The results show that whilst FDI and growth have long-run relationships, in the short-run the direction of relationship runs from economic growth to FDI. After determining the direction of the causality, time series data of Turkey is used to test if economic growth has significant impact on FDI by applying Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimation model. The findings turn out that the amount of FDI is affected positively by economic growth in Turkey.

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This study empirically investigates the hypothesis of causality between financial development and economic growth in seven Middle East and North African countries from a time series perspective. I use ordinary least squares and vector auto regression estimations to infer Granger Causality, after controlling for a set of nonfinancial variables. Results show evidence of unidirectional and bidirectional causality between financial development and economic growth in four cases, no causality in two cases, and no significant relation between financial development and economic growth in one case. The significance of the relations varies on case-specific basis. I also control for three indices of civil liberties, economic and political freedom, and find significant evidence of an impact on GDP in three out of seven countries.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 129 p.; also includes graphics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Eric O'N. Fisher, Dept. of Economics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-129).

It is believed that the more backward a country, the great potential for her to catch up. The history of the modern economic growth, which started in the United Kingdom in 1780, seems to have indicated this. But why has only a tiny group of countries managed to achieve modern economic growth? The neo-classical growth theory, based on the assumptions of constant return to scale, law of diminishing return and perfect competition, failed to explain the key causes of economic growth. The post-war experience of some countries, particularly Japan and South Korea, indicates that some things other than the increase in weighted labour and capital inputs, as claimed by the neo-classical growth theory, may have played a more important role in their rapid economic growth. Technological progress is now regarded by many economists as the most important contributing factors to economic growth. Technological advance generates economic growth through its effect on total factor productivity. However, where the new technologies come from, raining down from heaven as many neo-classical economists suggest, or resulting from the intentional investment as the new growth theory shows, has been an important controversial issue over the past three decades. It is hoped by many that the new growth theory could help to open the 'balck [sic] box' in the near future. This thesis is to examine what role technological advance has played in the economic growth of Japan and South Korea over the past three decades or so. A comparative analysis of China, Japan and South Korea in technology transfer, adaptation and diffusion will also be one of the main tasks of the study. Through this, the study tries to identify the key factors responsible for the successful assimilation and diffusion of new technologies in the Japanese and Korean economies. The main aim of the thesis is not to test the new growth or new trade theories. However, the key elements of the key elements of the new theories have been analysed throughout the study. The present study goes further beyond the areas that have been raised in the new theories. The cultural factor, country's socio-economic background, role of government, role of industrial policies and the character of different institutions will also be examined. The findings of the present study are: economies of scale and external economies have been the important factors for Japan and South Korea to have gained some comparative advantages in petrochemical and electronics industries. Rapid and efficient transfer and diffusion of new technologies have been the driving forces behind the fast economic growth both in Japan and South Korea during the post war period. A highly competent and efficient government, appropriate economic and industrial policies, a disciplined and well educated labour force and close co-operation between the government and the business community and between the management and employees have also played important role in the Japanese and Korean economic success.

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This study aims to establish the relationship between religious adherence and economic growth in South Africa. As an area of growing interest in academic circles, much of the literature on the subject reports a negative relationship between religion and economic growth, with some research aiming to prove a causational link between the two. In light of this research, the aim of this study is to promote a public policy debate around state support for organised religion, primarily in the form of tax exemption, considering the growing body of evidence that suggests the sector may impact negatively on the South African economy. This study separates respondents into three distinct groups: religious participators, believers but not formal participators, and those who are neither strong believers nor participators in religious activities. Data gathered from the 2005 World Values Survey was analysed, comparing findings from respondents in South Africa to those of the other countries sampled, and looking at individual proxies for economic growth (such as income) relative to religious adherence. The outcome showed that there are significant differences in the economic behaviour of each distinct group, with global findings differing significantly from South Africa. This raises the possibility of several future studies. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted