Yes / We examine the relationships among religious governance, especially Islamic governance quality (IGQ), national governance quality (NGQ), and risk management and disclosure practices (RDPs), and consequently ascertain whether NGQ has a moderating influence on the IGQ–RDPs nexus. Using one of the largest data sets relating to Islamic banks from 10 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries from 2006 to 2013, our findings are threefold. First, we find that RDPs are higher in banks with higher IGQ. Second, we find that RDPs are higher in banks from countries with higher NGQ. Finally, we find that NGQ has a moderating effect on the IGQ–RDPs nexus. Our findings are robust to alternative RDP measures and estimation techniques. These results imply that the quality of disclosure depends on the nature of the macro-social-level factors, such as religion that have remained largely unexplored in business and society research, and, therefore, have important implications for policy makers.

Yes / This study examines the impact of multi-layer governance mechanisms on the level of bank risk disclosure. Using a large dataset from 14 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries over a period of 8 years, our findings are three-fold. First, our results suggest that the presence of a Sharia supervisory board is positively associated with the level of risk disclosure. Second and at the bank-level, we find that ownership structures have a positive effect on the level of risk disclosure. At the country-level, our evidence suggests that control of corruption has a positive effect on the level of bank risk disclosure. Our study is, therefore, a major departure from much of the existing accounting literature that offers new crucial insights that show that firms’ disclosure choices are not mainly shaped by firm-level (internal) governance arrangements, but also country-level (external) governance and religious factors. Our findings have important implications for corporate boards, investors, regulatory authorities, standards-setters and governments relating to the development, implementation and enforcement of corporate and national governance standards.

The successful integration of refugees originating from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a crucial and important task for Sweden. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights regarding the importance of education attained prior to migration for refugee’s labour market outcomes. This thesis investigates the return on pre-migration education for refugees, focusing on employment probability on the Swedish labour market. Utilising quantitative analysis of cross-sectional survey data provided by the European Social Survey spanning between the years 2010-2022, this study finds that for an additional year of schooling, MENA refugees have on average a 1.1 percentage points higher probability of being employed compared to natives. This is most likely caused by a larger signalling value of education for refugees. Still, refugees have a lower probability of being employed upon arrival in Sweden compared to natives with the same years of schooling. Furthermore, the study highlights the vital role of host-specific human capital in improving employment probabilities for refugees. These findings underscore the importance for policy makers of validating pre-migration education and that domestic human capital programs, including language training and workplace practice, play an important role in the integration of MENA refugees into the Swedish labour market. This report contributes to the existing literature by increasing the knowledge.

La région MENA est aujourd’hui, au centre d’ambitieux enjeux économiques essentiellement en matière d’intégration régionale et de transformation structurelle. Toutefois, les Etats Arabes de cette région ont présenté des défaillances et une vulnérabilité importante dans le système économique et productif au lendemain des mouvements et des bouleversements politiques, économiques, sociales et populaires de très grande ampleur. Ces chocs apportent un lot de nouveaux défis à relever. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’étudier les nouvelles dynamiques du processus de transformation structurelle afin de proposer de nouvelles trajectoires de développement pour ces pays. Dans cette optique, nous abordons les questions liées aux déterminants et aux effets spatiaux de ce processus, à la relation entre d’une part la complexité économique et la pollution de l’air, et d’autre part, la complexité économique et les inégalités de genre en éducation. Pour cela, nous considérons un panel dynamique de 133 pays qui couvre une période longue et récente (1984 à 2014). En utilisant des données récentes et en intégrant des paramètres jusque-là peu utilisés, nous mettons en évidence des caractéristiques particulières du processus de complexification des systèmes productifs. D’un point de vue général, les résultats révèlent que les performances en matière de complexification des systèmes productifs sont très hétérogènes au sein des pays MENA et que leurs déterminants dépendent des caractéristiques des économies. Les fortes disparités observées s’expliquent, au-delà de l’effet significatif du revenu par habitant, par une carence dans le système institutionnel, éducatif en particulier dans l’accès à l’innovation, mais aussi à l’abondance des ressources naturelles ou encore à l’attractivité des investissements directs étrangers. Au-delà des caractéristiques individuelles des économies, l’analyse spatiale montre que des facteurs géographiques tels que le taux d’urbanisation, les accords commerciaux, et la localisation spatiale jouent un rôle très important dans le processus de transformation structurelle. Nous apportons également, grâce aux outils tirés de la mécanique classique, des réponses aux limites des modèles économiques traditionnels qui peinent à démontrer l’existence d’un processus d’accélération du développement économique. / MENA countries is today, at the center of ambitious economic stakes mainly in regional integration and structural transformation. However, the Arab States of this region have suffered great shortcomings and vulnerability in the economic and productive system in the aftermath of massive political, economic, social and popular upheavals and upheavals. These shocks present a number of new challenges. The main objective of this thesis is to study the new dynamics of the structural transformation process in order to propose new development trajectories for these countries. In this context, we address issues related to the spatial determinants and effects of this process, the relationship between economic complexity and air pollution on the one hand, and economic complexity and inequalities on the other education. For this, we consider a dynamic panel of 133 countries covering an important and recent period (1984 to 2014). Using recent data and integrating previously little used parameters, we highlight particular characteristics of the process of complexification of productive systems. From a general point of view, the results reveal that the productivity performance of productive systems is very heterogeneous within MENA countries and that their determinants depend on the characteristics of the economies. The large disparities observed are explained, beyond the significant effect of per capita income, by a deficiency in the institutional system, particularly in terms of access to innovation, but also to the abundance of natural resources or the attractiveness of foreign direct investment. Beyond the individual characteristics of economies, spatial analysis shows that geographical factors such as urbanization rate, trade agreements, but especially spatial location play a very important role in the process of structural transformation.We also bring, thanks to the tools derived from classical mechanics, answers to the limits of traditional economic models which are difficult to demonstrate the existence of a process of accelerating economic development.

This thesis seeks to explore the social, cultural, economic and political factors that influence female labor force participation rates. Specifically, this research will focus on female economic activity in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. MENA is often understood as being monolithic in its treatment of women. This study aims to challenge this rhetoric by evaluating the factors that impact female labor in MENA. Upon considering multiple social, cultural, economic and political factors, this thesis will focus on the role of oil and religion in influencing female labor rates. Finally, this study will explore these influences on a micro-level and the role of oil and religion will be examined as to how they apply to female economic activity in both Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

This dissertation consists of two empirical papers that explore recent phenomena in Banking and Microfinance Performance. Chapter 1, “Market Power and Bank Performance in MENA Countries,” examines the determinants of market power in 12 Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), specifically within six Gulf Cooperation Countries and six non-Gulf countries. We examine the dynamics of bank competition in MENA countries, provide an up-to-date assessment of market power, investigate the factors impacting bank competition, and explore the evolution of market power during the financial crisis. Our results show an overall increase in market power following the GFC for both regions. We find that bank size, capitalization, and diversification affect market power differently in the pre-crisis and post-crisis years. Larger banks enjoy cost advantages and the diversification impact on market power has decreased in the post-crisis years and the impact of capitalization on market power increased during the GFC. Overall, banks with higher capitalization can better weather the crisis. Chapter 2, “The impact of firm-level characteristic and county-specific attributes on the performance and efficiency of the Microfinance institutions,” estimates the impact of country-specific macro-variables and firm-specific attributes on the financial performance and the efficiency of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We use a large international up-to-date database consisting of over 10,000 firm-years for MFIs over 89 countries during the period 2008-2015. Several interesting findings emerge: a) regulation and outreach are negatively correlated. b) There is a negative and highly statistically significant correlation between the percentage of female borrowers and loan size, which is evidence of “mission drift”. c) An increase in the percentage of female board member has positive and statistically significant effect on MFIs profitability and ROA; which emphasizes the importance of female participation in leading position in MFIs.

Les pays de la région Mena ont un point commun, la recrudescence du chômage de masse des jeunes diplômés. Ce problème lié à la dynamique et à la qualité de la croissance, à une carence chronique en démocratie, cause des déséquilibres socio-économiques qui menacent la stabilité et le développement dans la région. Les PM doivent transformer leur modèle de croissance actuel peu différencié, en un modèle à productivité globale des facteurs, où l’innovation améliore de façon continue la qualité et la combinaison des facteurs et permet d’emprunter un régime de croissance endogène fondé sur le progrès technologique. Après une introduction générale, le chapitre II présente les systèmes d’innovation des PM et leurs effets sur l’emploi dans une analyse en composantes principales, et une étude en panel des déterminants de la croissance. Dans les chapitres III et IV, les effets de l'économie de la connaissance sur l'emploi des jeunes sont soigneusement étudiés par une analyse en séries chronologiques en panel pour la région MENA, d'une part, et pour l’étude du cas tunisien, de l'autre. Le chapitre V donne les principales conclusions de l’étude. / Countries in the MENA region have been recently characterized by a common feature mainly the upsurge in the unemployment of young graduates. This is due to the dynamics and quality of economic growth, a chronic democracy deficiency, and socio-economic imbalances that threaten the stability and development wihtin the region. The PM must alter their current growth framework into a total factor productivity model, whereby innovation continuously improves, allowing for an endogenous growth regime based on technology progress to take over. After a general introduction, Chapter (II) highlightst the PM’s innovation systems and their effects on employment generation in a principal component analysis, and a panel study of the determinants of economic growth. In chapter (III) and (IV), the effects of the knowledge economy on youth employment are carefully studied though a time series analysis for the MENA region as a panel on one hand and for Tunisia a single case study on the other. Chapter (V) gives the mains conclusions of the study

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 407-429).

In the first part thesis describes theoretical basis about international business and exchange rate risk. The practical part focuses on analysis of the company through analysis of competition, financial analysis and SWOT analysis. Integrated overview is supplemented by exchange rate risk analysis. In the last part of thesis there are specific options of elimination exchange rate risk.

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Tunisia is often described as the solitary success among the political transitions which followed. Much has been ascribed to the trade agreement (Euro-Mediterranean Partnership or EMP) between EU and Tunisia in promoting said democracy. Recently, Tunisia has also become dependent on IMF loans. This has raised concerns of the effect of neoliberal policies that are advocated for by the IMF, EU and the World Bank. The correlation between neoliberal policies and political stability is still being debated among scholars and the linear causalities remain unclear. Several scholars have criticised the EU-Tunisian trade agreement and EU policies, claiming that this has led to increased poverty and social instability in the country. This study seeks to determine, in accordance with such critique, if a neoliberal agenda is advocated for by the EU. Previous studies have focused on policy effects of the trade and foreign relations between EU and Tunisia. Instead this study analyses the mutual trade agreement and EU political policy agenda for Tunisia to understand the intent of the EU. A content analysis is used on the Association Agreement as well as the EU Policy Paper `Cadre Unique d’appui 2017-2020´ towards Tunisia.This study uses a definition of neoliberalism based on Joseph Stiglitz well-renowned critique on IMF-policies in developing countries in the 1980s-1990s. The result of the analysis shows that even though policy or trade provisions may correspond to a neoliberal agenda, the overall language in both the trade agreement and the policy documents suggest that EU is well-aware of possible negative effects of neoliberal policies. Throughout the documents EU advocates for a balanced approach including both economic and social interests.The study does not find evidence for EU knowingly pursuing a neoliberal agenda in Tunisia. Instead it suggests that future studies on the topic should focus on the EU Commission’s own projections of its policies, a more thorough study on policy effects of specific treaty- and policy provisions, and/ or how neoliberal approaches have recently evolved in development policies.