STRUKTUR PASAR DAN DAYA SAING KARET ALAM INDONESIA DI AMERIKA SERIKAT

Abstrak Karet alam Indonesia berperan penting dalam meningkatkan perekonomian nasional melalui ekspor karet alam ke berbagai negara, termasuk ke Amerika Serikat. Dalam upaya mengembangkan ekspor karet alamnya, Indonesia perlu melakukan kalkulasi posisi dan daya saing karet alam di antara negara-negara pesaing serta peluang pasarnya ke Amerika Serikat yang memiliki permintaan impor relatif tinggi. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis struktur pasar, serta keunggulan komparatif dan kompetitif karet alam Indonesia di pasar Amerika Serikat. Analisis dilakukan selama periode tahun 2008-2019 menggunakan metode Herfindahl Index (HI), Concentration Ratio (CR4), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Export Product Dynamic (EPD), dan Diamond’s Porter. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa struktur pasar karet alam Indonesia cenderung oligopoli. Dibandingkan dengan negara-negara eksportir lainnya, karet alam Indonesia memiliki keunggulan komparatif di pasar Amerika Serikat. Keunggulan kompetitif karet alam Indonesia di Amerika Serikat mengalami penurunan dari posisi lost opportunity pada periode pertama (2008-2011) menjadi retreat pada periode ketiga (2016-2019). Hasil dari Diamond’s Porter menunjukkan bahwa terdapat tujuh faktor keunggulan kompetitif dan tiga faktor kelemahan dalam industri karet alam di Indonesia. Kata Kunci: Concentration Ratio, Diamond’s Porter, EPD, Herfindahl Index, RCA Abstract Indonesian natural rubber plays a significant role in improving the national economy through exports of natural rubber to various countries, including the United States. In an effort to develop its natural rubber exports, Indonesia needs to calculate the position and competitiveness of natural rubber among competing countries and its market opportunities to the United States, which has a relatively high import demand. The purpose of this study is to analyze the market structure, as well as the comparative and competitive advantages of Indonesian natural rubber in the United States market. The analysis was carried out during the period 2008-2019 using the methods Herfindahl Index (HI), Concentration Ratio (CR4), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Export Product Dynamic (EPD), and Diamond's Porter. The results of the analysis show that the structure of the Indonesian natural rubber market tends to be an oligopoly. Compared to other exporting countries, Indonesian natural rubber has a comparative advantage in the United States market. The competitiveness of Indonesian natural rubber in the US decline over time from the lost opportunity position in the first period (2008-2011) to retreat in the third period (2016-2019). The Diamond's Porter results show that there are seven competitive advantage factors and three weakness factors in Indonesia's natural rubber industry. Keywords: Concentration Ratio, Diamond’s Porter, EPD, Herfindahl Index, RCA JEL Classification: F13, F15, F18

Contribution of Bioenergy to the Modern Energy Services in Ethiopia

Biomass based traditional energy has been the main energy supply in Ethiopia. Efforts are being made to shift to modern bioenergy utilization but the level of contribution of modern bioenergy to the total energy supply of the country’s supply is not computed. In this synthesis we described the contribution of bioenergy to modern energy utilization in the country. Data used here was retrieved from the country’s official reports and published literatures. Access to modern cooking services in the country was particularly focused on and both biogas feedstock productivities and biogas processing efficiencies were calculated. Herfindahl Index (HI) was calculated to observe the change in the diversity of the total primary energy supply due to bioenergy in the country. Results indicated that only a few households, 10%, had access to modern bioenergy services. Less than 0.10% of households have a biogas digester. The HI values showed the low diversity of the energy supply and the very limited contribution of modern bioenergy. This synthesis indicated that the contribution of modern bioenergy to the energy supply of the country is very low. Very low difference was observed between Herfindahl Indexes with and without considering modern bioenergy in the total primary energy supply (TPES) of the country is also found to be insignificant. Results found indicated lower diversity of the energy supply of Ethiopia and very limited contribution of modern bioenergy to the diversity and security of the energy supply.

Adopting the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index to estimate the financial sustainability of Vietnamese public universities

Over several decades, the Vietnamese government has increasingly cut its investment in the public higher education system and has also introduced a cost-sharing mechanism. Under this scheme, Vietnamese public universities have been seeking other sources of revenue. Despite the bold emphasis on the need for revenue diversification in higher education in Vietnam, there is little empirical evidence of the status quo of Vietnamese public higher education finance. The purpose of this paper was to fill this research gap by using the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index to estimate the degree of financial diversity in 51 public universities in Vietnam between 2015 and 2017. Our findings revealed that all institutions in this study were unsustainable due to their weak financial diversity. Suggestions for policy makers and university leaders that may enhance financial sustainability include the adoption of performance-based financial allocations and the implementation of capacity-building programs for universities with regard to fund-raising and entrepreneurship skills.

Analisis Structure-Conduct-Performance Pasar Ternak Sapi Dan Kerbau untuk Meningkatkan Efisiensi Pemasaran

This study aims to analyze the market structure of cattle and buffalo in the livestock market based on the concentration of traders and buyers, barriers to market entry, market behavior and market performance of livestock, and their relationship to marketing efficiency. The sampling technique used is Stratified Random Sampling. Data analysis used Market Share analysis, Hirschman Herfindahl Index (IHH), CR4 (Concentration ratio for the biggest four), concentration ratio (Kr), market entry barriers with Minimum Efficient Scale (MES) analysis, and Price – Cost – Margin (PCM). The market structure of cattle and buffalo in the livestock market based on the concentration of traders is oligopsony with low concentration, based on the concentration of buyers it is an oligopsonistic market, and based on barriers to market entry it is categorized as high barriers to market entry. There is a relationship between market structure, market behavior and market performance on marketing efficiency in the livestock market.

CONNECTING INTERNATIONAL RiD COOPERATION AND TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIZATION IN OECD COUNTRIES

Technology specialization is supported by processes combining inhouse and external innovation. Applying a macroeconomic and international trade theory approach (Linder, 1961), country specialization depends on international RiD cooperation partnerships. External, international RiD cooperation is essential for technology specialization, as it raises awareness of countries’ position on a global technology map. This paper studies international RiD cooperation as a determinant of countries’ technology specialization. Cross-country panel regression was done on a sample of 37 OECD countries for the period 1980-2018. The analysis examined the effect of international RiD cooperation on technology specialization. Data were obtained from the OECD database. Co-patenting with foreign inventors was used to indicate the level of international RiD cooperation. Patent per technology was used to calculate technology specialization based on the Herfindahl index. Results indicate a positive effect of international RiD cooperation on technology specialization. The effect of RiD cooperation on technology specialization is more pronounced when GDP and RiD expenditure were used as control variables. Additionally, the size of the GDP negatively affects technology specialization. This paper identifies international cooperation as a bridge for global information exchange, which results with countries’ technology specialization.

Is the impact of the Economic Diversification on Economic Growth Symmetric or Asymmetric? Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This paper presents our investigation of the impact of economic diversification on economic growth in Saudi Arabia for the 1990-2018 period. To this end, we used linear and nonlinear error-correction models (i.e., the ARDL, Pesaran et al. (2001), and NARDL, Shin et al. (2014), models) that are suited to capture the symmetric and asymmetric effects of economic diversification on economic growth based on the Solow model. As a measure of economic diversification, we used the Herfindahl index. In the linear and the nonlinear specifications, our results show that, economic diversification has a positive effect on the economic growth only in the long term. Furthermore, using the Wald test, the symmetric hypothesis in this relationship is not rejected, indicating that economic growth responds symmetrically to positive and negative changes in economic diversification. Our results also reveal that Saudi Arabia had relative success in achieving its goal of attaining a degree of economic diversification and enhancing its economic growth.

AN Assessment of public relations among certified and non-certified cocoa marketers in Ondo State, Nigeria

Public relations (PR) are often ignored in agricultural marketing, and organizations with imperfect utilization of PR are usually badly managed, ineffective and generate high labor turnover. Therefore, this study identified the different types of adopted PR strategies, described the structure of the cocoa market, estimated the marketing margin, identified factors affecting PR strategies and outlined the major challenges hindering the use of PR among certified and non-certified cocoa marketers. A combination of purposive and random sampling techniques was used to select 120 respondents for the study. The analytical tools used to achieve the research objectives are descriptive statistics, Likert-scale, Herfindahl Index, marketing efficiency model, marketing margin and multiple regression analysis. The result revealed that the most frequently used PR strategy was phone calls. The Herfindahl Index values of 0.19 and 0.12 suggested that the structure of cocoa markets among certified and non-certified marketers was moderately concentrated and non-concentrated respectively. Moreover, the higher efficiency (122.6%) and marketing margin (18.44%) values for certified cocoa marketers revealed that they are more productive than non-certified marketers. Age, marketing margin, cost of spoilt cocoa beans and household size are important variables explaining the adoption of PR strategies among certified cocoa marketers. On the other hand, marketing margin, cost of spoilt cocoa beans and household size are important variables influencing the adoption of PR strategies among non-certified marketers. The most important factors hindering cocoa marketing are high costs of transportation among certified cocoa marketers, and commission among non-certified cocoa marketers. We recommend the use of mobile phone and training of marketers on the use of PR strategies and modern cocoa processing techniques. The challenges of erratic network performance, high airtime tariff and input subsidies should be addressed by the government to reduce wastage in the industry.

The Level of Diversification on the Firms of the Iberian Market

It is a fact that a company’s durability may depend on its capacity to readjust to a world in continuous change. Diversification strategies should be a security device, reduce the risk, and at the same time, search for possible profitable opportunities. Therefore, when a diversified firm follows one of its business sections and realizes that the performance is worse than foreseen, this negative impact may be diminished by other segments with better performance. Contextually, the current study aims to determine a correlation between value and corporate diversification in the Iberian market. We use Tobin’s Q as the measure for value and the Herfindahl Index to measure diversification. In addition to the study of correlation, this paper also analyses the level of diversification for the firms that integrate the Iberian market and if their market value is above or below their book value. Using these metrics, we found a negative correlation between value and diversification in the Iberian Market. In our sample, we also found that highly diversified firms performed worse than focused firms on average. In the Portuguese sample, we were able to determine the level of diversification that maximizes the Tobin’s Q of a firm. According to Tobin's Q, our sample was characterized by a low level of diversification in general and that the companies were slightly overvalued.

Journal ratings in the RSCI as tools for analysis and influence

The article considers the ratings of journals in the analytical system Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) based on eLibrary in the direction of "Mathematics" according to various bibliometric indicators. The analysis of ratings and statistical data of journals show that the introduction of the Herfindahl index into the formula of the integral rating of the RSCI (Science Index) in order to "demonopolize" the field of citing journals does not increase the adequacy of the rating and does not exclude ethical violations. In fact, in the ratings in the field of "Mathematics", the Herfindahl index introduces preferences for multidisciplinary journals and worsens the performance of classical mathematical journals. However, now, even without taking into account the Herfindahl index, the multidisciplinary focus of the journal provides an undeservedly high position in the rating due to citations from articles that do not belong to the category "Mathematics".

Assessment of the competition level in the sector of bicycle manufacturers in the Slovak Republic

Bicycle industry has recorded significant boom recently, mainly as a consequence of global pandemic situation, but also as a result of green policies of countries. The popularity of cycling is on its all-time high, which also transferred to rising sales of bicycles worldwide. This paper evaluates current situation of bicycle industry in Slovak republic, mainly with the objection on performance of Slovak bicycle producers. With use of appropriate indicators, the paper aims to assess the rate of competitiveness among Slovak bicycle producers. For this purpose, relevant indicators as market share, concentration ratio CR3, CR5, and Herfindahl index are calculated and evaluated. The aim of this paper is to analyze financial results of Slovak bicycle industry producers, then measure the degree of concentration of whole industry in order to explain industry competitiveness in context of Slovak economy.