The ultimate objective of the study was to investigate the effects of being landlocked on the living standards in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1991 to 2019. Adopting the two-step estimation technique of System GMM (generalized method of moments), the study found that being landlocked has a negative and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries when using GDP per capita as the living standard measure. Moreover, the historical living standard experiences of SSA countries have a positive and significant influence on the current living standard level. In addition, the population growth rate has a positive and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries. On the other hand, the official exchange rate, broad money as a percentage of GDP, and inflation have a negative and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries. Generally, the estimated result reveals the existence of a significant variation in the living standards in landlocked and coastal SSA countries. This study suggests that regional integration between landlocked and transit countries should be improved to minimize entry costs and increase access to global markets for landlocked countries. We argue that this study is of interest to landlocked and coastal countries to increase trade integration and promote the development of both groups, and it will contribute to the scarce empirical evidence.

As an important type of knowledge, standards are key factors in economic development and technological innovation. To analyze the impact of participation in standards development on enterprise performance, this study takes China’s high-tech industry as an example. We use the operating data of listed enterprises in the industry in 2019 and conduct the propensity score matching method matching analysis on the entire sample and the classification. The conclusion shows: From an overall point of view, the participation of enterprises in the development of standards has a positive impact on the enterprise’s return on total assets. Specifically, participating in the development of over three standards can also improve the return on total assets. Large enterprises can increase the return on total assets of the enterprise and the return on invested capital. The state-owned enterprises have a positive effect on the return on total assets of the enterprise. Enterprises in the western, central, and eastern region enterprises can increase their net profit, enterprise value and net profit, return on total assets and enterprise value respectively. The enterprises in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area can improve their return on invested capital and enterprise value, average rate of return respectively. The participation in the development of national standards, industry standards and local standards can help increase their return on total assets, the return on total assets and enterprise value, enterprise value respectively. Finally, we suggestions are put forward to enhance enterprises’ enthusiasm to take part in standards development.

In the agricultural sector of Huila, particularly among SMEs in coffee, cocoa, fish, and rice subsectors, the transition to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is paramount yet challenging. This research aims to offer management guidelines to support Huila’s agricultural SMEs in their IFRS transition, underpinning the region’s aspirations for financial standardization and economic advancement. Utilizing a mixed-methods managerial approach, data was gathered from 13 representative companies using validated questionnaires, interviews, and analyzed with SPSS and ATLAS.ti. Results indicate that while there is evident progress in IFRS adoption, 12 out of 13 firms adopted IFRS, with rice leading in terms of adoption duration. While 77% found IFRS useful for financial statements, half reported insufficient staff training. The transition highlighted challenges, including asset recognition and valuation, and emphasized enhancing institutional support and IFRS training. Interviews revealed managerial commitment and expertise as significant factors. Recommendations for successful implementation include leadership involvement, continuous professional development, anticipating costs, clear accounting policies, and meticulous record-keeping. The study concludes that adopting IFRS enhances financial reporting quality, urging entities to converge their reporting practices without hesitation for improved comparability, relevance, and reliability in their financial disclosures.

This study introduces a cross-country comparative analysis of the role of News Ombudsperson in the public media corporations in Spain and France. It investigates the specific media self-regulatory processes established to reduce reputational risks and increase the trust and credibility of the media organisations. It aims to fill in the gaps in prior research by applying a qualitative framework developed using indicators derived from scholarly work on regulation and governance and media management. The variables selected for the analysis are extracted from prior interdisciplinary research and focus on media self-regulatory processes, complaints management mechanisms, election, reporting procedures, checks and balances, roles, visibility and transparency of News Ombudspersons in two countries which represent the Polarised Pluralist media system category. Research questions are raised in relation to the main variables identified for the comparative analysis. Data were collected from multiple publicly available international sources, including public media organizations databases, national media regulatory authorities, and academic studies. Results reveal cross-country variations. The systematic investigation of different forms of self-regulatory procedures might lead to concrete recommendations and best practice models for media organizations beyond the European Union. Further research could address the role of media audiences as relevant stakeholders in media governance processes.