South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Institutional Capacity and Local Economic Development in Decentralized Local Authorities: An Empirical Analysis of Cameroon

2026-10-24T13:06:20+00:00

This study examines the association between institutional capacity building (ICB) and local economic development (LED) among decentralised local authorities in Cameroon. It draws on the 2021 Capitalisation Survey of Achievements of the National Participatory Development Programme (ECA-PNDP), which covers 144 municipalities. Multidimensional indices of institutional capacity and local economic development are constructed from survey indicators using principal component analysis and equal-weight aggregation. Institutional capacity encompasses participatory governance, local planning, rationalisation of public investment, financial capacity and human capital. Local economic development is represented by economic infrastructure, employment, income and territorial attractiveness. The empirical analysis uses ordinary least squares regression, alternative index measures and quantile regression. The reported main regression includes 139 observations. Its fully adjusted specification indicates a positive association between institutional capacity and the survey-based LED index, with an estimated ICB coefficient of 0.0611 that is statistically significant at the 5% level. Alternative measures also yield positive associations, while quantile regression results vary across specifications. These findings suggest that administrative and financial management capacities warrant attention in efforts to strengthen local governance and development planning. However, the cross-sectional design and survey-derived measures preclude causal inference and do not capture every dimension of local economic development. The study contributes municipality-level evidence concerning decentralisation and institutional capacity in Cameroon.

Household Consumption in a Changing India: Expenditure Patterns, Disparities, and Inequalities

2026-10-26T12:27:07+00:00

This study examines the composition and distribution of monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) across Indian states and union territories using the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23. Expenditure is reported for three questionnaire-defined groups: food (FDQ), consumables and services (CSQ), and durable items (DGQ). The DGQ classification includes clothing, bedding and footwear as well as durable goods, rather than durable goods alone. Rural and urban MPCE, expenditure shares and separately reported category-specific Gini point estimates are compared. All-India MPCE is Rs. 3,773 in rural areas and Rs. 6,459 in urban areas, excluding additional imputation for selected free social transfers. Food accounts for 46.38% of rural and 39.17% of urban MPCE; CSQ accounts for 40.62% and 48.25%, respectively; and DGQ expenditure accounts for 13.00% and 12.58%. At the national level, urban per capita expenditure exceeds rural expenditure in each group, although the rural food budget share is larger. In the available category-specific Gini tabulations, food expenditure has the lowest concentration, followed by CSQ and DGQ spending in both sectors; methodological records necessary to reproduce these Gini estimates are not available. The descriptive results distinguish within-population expenditure inequality from differences between geographical averages and do not establish causal determinants. Intertemporal interpretation is limited by differences in survey design and recall conventions.

The Influence of the Igba-Boi Apprenticeship System on SME Development and Employment Generation in South-East, Nigeria

2026-10-27T11:39:59+00:00

Operators of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South-East Nigeria have been experiencing setbacks in raising adequate start-up capital, alongside a lack of the requisite managerial skills to ensure the growth and survival of their enterprises. One prominent and sustained source of venture capital, particularly in South-East Nigeria, is the Igbo apprenticeship system, traditionally known as Igba-Boi. The current study assessed the influence of the Igba-Boi apprenticeship system on SME development and employment generation in South-East Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted, and two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Using the Taro Yamane formula, a sample of 394 respondents was drawn from a population of 25,671 masters, settled apprentices and currently serving apprentices from the five South-Eastern states using a cluster random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire titled Influence of Igba-Boi Apprenticeship System on SME Development and Employment Generation Scale (IIASSDEGS) was used for data collection and had a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88. The research questions of the study were answered using the mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using t-tests at the 0.05 significance level. The findings showed that Igba-Boi apprenticeship system positively influenced SME start-ups. There was a statistically significant relationship between the Igba-Boi system and venture capital, primarily through the settlement mechanism, transfer of tacit skills and integration into supplier networks. The study also revealed that the Igba-Boi system replicates itself and generates employment through the incubation process, whereby new masters take on new cohorts of apprentices. The study recommends the formal integration of the settlement, mentorship and networking mechanisms of the Igba-Boi model in the South-East to support entrepreneurial development in the region.

Cryptocurrency-Related Financial Reporting Considerations in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks: A Survey-Based Empirical Study

2026-10-30T05:20:41+00:00

This study examines cryptocurrency-related financial reporting considerations among professionals working in selected Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The study used a cross-sectional survey targeting 250 accountants, auditors, compliance officers, financial analysts, and finance managers. A structured questionnaire with five response categories was used to obtain respondents' assessments of asset valuation, financial disclosure, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) compliance, financial transparency, and overall financial statement reporting. Ordinary least squares regression was used to evaluate the associations between the four cryptocurrency-related reporting dimensions and the overall financial statement reporting construct. The reported coefficients were positive for asset valuation (b = 0.412, t = 4.216, p < .001), financial disclosure (b = 0.386, t = 3.987, p = .001), IFRS compliance (b = 0.331, t = 3.402, p = .002), and financial transparency (b = 0.447, t = 4.872, p < .001), with R² = .71. Pairwise correlations among the explanatory variables were weak, ranging from -0.1505 to 0.1962. The findings indicate that respondents perceive cryptocurrency-related valuation, disclosure, compliance, and transparency considerations as being closely associated with financial statement reporting. Because the evidence is based on a cross-sectional questionnaire rather than audited bank-level cryptocurrency holdings or financial statements, the results should be interpreted as perceptual associations rather than causal effects. The study highlights the importance of clear accounting policies, entity-specific disclosures, professional training, and regulatory awareness in an evolving digital-asset environment.

Dual-wheel Drive and Collaborative Education: AI-empowered Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education for Emerging Engineering

2026-10-30T05:26:48+00:00

In response to practical problems in innovation and entrepreneurship education for emerging engineering in local application-oriented universities — including weak industrial alignment, limited practice scenarios, and insufficient integration of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy — this paper focuses on mechanical and electrical majors and develops a dual-wheel education framework: the endogenous drive of theoretical and practical teaching, the exogenous drive of industrial demand and skills competitions. It integrates AI technology throughout teaching, practice and evaluation, and establishes a school-enterprise-government collaborative education mechanism. In line with the development needs of Quanzhou’s intelligent manufacturing industry, teaching reforms are implemented across four dimensions: curriculum system optimisation, practice platform construction, teaching staff development and evaluation mechanism improvement. Taking mechanical and electrical majors at Quanzhou University of Information Engineering as the pilot, this study adopts an action research approach and evaluates implementation effects through questionnaire surveys, practical performance assessment and competition outcome analysis. The pilot findings suggest that this model may improve students’ engineering practical skills and innovation and entrepreneurship literacy, and offers a potential practical approach for emerging engineering education reform in local application-oriented universities.

Research on the Smart Economy and High-Quality Economic Development in China

2026-10-30T09:16:55+00:00

As a new form of economy that has emerged with the development of new-generation digital technologies, the smart economy creates important opportunities for high-quality economic development. Using urban-level data from 2006 to 2023, this paper identifies the development of the smart economy using big data comprehensive pilot zones and adopts a difference-in-differences approach to examine the effect of the smart economy on high-quality economic development and its underlying mechanisms. The study shows that the smart economy promotes high-quality economic development, with particularly notable effects on the stability and structure of economic growth, while its effects on the distribution structure of economic growth and on the mitigation of resource and environmental depletion are not statistically significant. The mechanism analysis indicates that the smart economy promotes high-quality economic development mainly through cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and quality optimization. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effect of the smart economy is more pronounced in non-border cities and in cities of lower administrative rank, which may help narrow developmental disparities among cities. These findings are subject to limitations concerning the proxy measure of smart-economy development and the generalisability of the results beyond China’s institutional context, which future research should address. This study provides a theoretical basis and empirical reference for the smart economy to foster reasonable quantitative growth and effective qualitative improvement in China’s economy.

Professional Barriers and Perceived Threats to Cultural Continuity among the Nomadic Bedey Community in Munshiganj District, Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Sociological Study

2026-10-31T13:19:40+00:00

This cross-sectional sociological study examined professional barriers and perceived threats to cultural continuity among 122 members of the Bedey community purposively recruited from Tongibari and Gazaria upazilas of Munshiganj District, Bangladesh, during fieldwork in 2020. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, income and expenditure, occupational activities, housing, savings, public acceptance, and perceptions of occupational continuity. Most respondents reported no formal education (81.1%), and 84.4% had a monthly income of Tk. 5,000-9,000. Only 2.5% considered total household income sufficient, 77.9% reported needing capital for their occupation, 32.8% worked during the off-season, and 22.1% reported savings. Women were identified as the main household earner in 63.1% of households. Because several contingency tables contained sparse cells, associations with income were evaluated using Pearson chi-square statistics with Monte Carlo p-values and Cramer’s V. Monthly income was associated with age group, need for occupational capital, and perceived occupational-income sufficiency (all Monte Carlo p < .001), but not with gender or children’s education. Respondents also identified changes in education, public awareness, technology, treatment options, and modernisation as pressures on traditional occupations. The findings describe the selected study sites rather than the national Bedey population and indicate the combined importance of livelihood insecurity, occupational transition, education, and housing instability for cultural continuity.

Morbidity Profile and Burden of Disease of Rural Households in Barpeta District of Assam: A Cross-sectional Study from an Economic Perspective

2026-11-03T12:29:21+00:00

Background: Understanding morbidity patterns among rural households is important for interpreting potential implications for household welfare and health-resource needs. This study examined self-reported morbidity among residents of selected rural areas of Barpeta district, Assam, from a health-economics perspective.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey covered 400 households and 1,813 individuals. Descriptive statistics summarised morbidity status, duration, disease groups, severity, disability and hospitalisation. Bivariate tests assessed associations between morbidity and demographic, socio-economic and geographical characteristics.

Results: Of the sampled individuals, 1,542 (85.05%) reported morbidity. Acute conditions accounted for 1,222 individuals (79.25% of those reporting morbidity), while 320 (20.75%) reported chronic conditions. Communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions comprised 63.75% of reported morbidity; non-communicable conditions comprised 33.66%, and injuries and accidents 2.59%. Fever was the leading reported illness (25.29%). Median illness duration was 10 days, whereas mean duration was 66.6 days. Medium severity was reported by 52.66% of affected individuals, disability by 0.71% and hospitalisation by 7.13%. Overall morbidity was significantly associated with age, Development Block, education, occupation and household size, but not with gender, income, religion or social group.

Conclusion: The findings describe a substantial self-reported illness burden in the sampled households. Potential effects on household productivity and welfare warrant further assessment, as expenditure and productivity losses were not directly measured. Further research should examine local differences in morbidity alongside treatment costs, healthcare access and time lost to illness.

Income and Multidimensional Poverty across Indian States: A Comparative Cluster Analysis

2026-11-04T13:36:38+00:00

Income-based poverty measures remain widely used in India but often overlook deprivation in health, education, and living standards. This paper compares income poverty with multidimensional poverty (NITI Aayog MPI) across 33 Indian states and union territories, and traces how structural variables—per capita SDP, urbanisation, social sector expenditure, non-agricultural GVA, population density, and governance (Public Affairs Index)—are systematically related to both measures. Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) data from 2022–23 and the NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) were used in this cross-sectional study. Using Pearson correlation and cluster analyses, the study finds: (1) a moderate correlation between income and multidimensional poverty; (2) strong, statistically significant negative correlations between multidimensional poverty and per capita SDP, urbanisation, and social expenditure, and non-agricultural GVA; (3) income poverty was significantly associated with per capita income, per capita social expenditure and urbanisation, but not significantly associated with non-agricultural GVA; (4) population density was not significantly associated with either form of poverty; (5) eight observed poverty-profile groups showing geographic differences in poverty profiles; and (6) Bihar and Jharkhand had particularly high levels of multidimensional and dual poverty, respectively. Structural indicators, particularly per capita income, urbanisation, social expenditure and economic composition, were more strongly associated with multidimensional poverty than with income poverty. The findings suggest that region-specific poverty-reduction strategies should consider structural conditions and access to public services alongside monetary measures.

Corporate Governance Characteristics and Organisational Performance in Kenya’s Export Floriculture Companies: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

2026-11-09T09:52:25+00:00

Corporate governance is expected to support accountability and organisational coordination, but the strength of its association with performance may vary across settings and measurement approaches. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined the relationships between leadership structure, internal control strategy, governance norms and perceived organisational performance among export floricultural companies in Kenya. Twenty companies were purposively selected for this study; 16 returned usable questionnaires, an 80% response rate. Because of item-level missingness, analytic sample sizes varied; the principal correlation and multiple-regression analyses used 14 observations. Pearson correlations between perceived performance and leadership structure (r = −.058, p = .844), internal control strategy (r = .102, p = .728) and governance norms (r = .198, p = .498) were not statistically significant. The joint regression model was also not significant, F(3, 10) = 0.350, p = .790, R² = .095, adjusted R² = −.177. Internal control strategy and governance norms were strongly correlated (r = .880, p < .001), raising a concern about construct overlap and coefficient stability. These findings do not establish that governance is unimportant; rather, the small purposive sample provides limited precision and generalisability. The study offers preliminary sector-specific evidence and identifies priorities for larger studies using multiple informants, validated measures and independently verified performance indicators.

Industrialisation, Rural Livelihoods and Social Relations in Tamil Nadu: A Critical Narrative Review with Implications for Sivakasi

2026-10-24T09:42:06+00:00

Aim: To assess how industrial expansion and non-farm employment have affected livelihood security, economic mobility and land, caste and gender relations in Tamil Nadu, and to identify questions requiring field research in Sivakasi.

Approach: A critical narrative synthesis of 67 published and documentary sources, comprising scholarly studies, books, planning and policy documents, official statistics, legal records and selected contemporaneous reports. Evidence is compared across national, state, village and industrial-cluster scales; no primary field data are presented.

Main Argument: Industrial output growth, occupational diversification, economic mobility and changes in social relations are distinct processes. Studies of selected Tamil Nadu villages and clusters document expanded non-farm work and some weakening of agrarian dependence, but also reveal persistent debt, unequal access to skills, gendered labour responsibilities and insecure employment. The extent and direction of these changes are not uniform across places or periods.

Conclusion: Industrial scale alone cannot indicate the quality or distribution of livelihood gains. Historical documentation of the match and fireworks industries in Sivakasi and recent evidence on occupational hazards make the cluster a useful setting for examining whether shifts from agriculture to industry are accompanied by durable household security and changes in social relations. The review identifies empirical questions rather than reporting new field findings.