نشریه اقتصاد و تجارت نوین
سال دوم شماره 3 (پیاپی 7، زمستان 1385)

The improvement of competitiveness at national and international levels creates a proper environment to use opportunity in the process of globalization. Competitiveness is achievable through the allocation of resources based on the comparative and competitive advantages. Thus, the higher capability of competitiveness generates the higher profitability of activities during the globalization process. This study investigates the impacts of trade liberalization on international competitiveness and outward-orientation intensity. We use a dynamic analysis of difference-in-differences (DID) approach to fit panel data model using the data over the period 1974-2004. The model is identified and estimated for Iran's economic sectors. The sectors comprise manufacturing, agriculture, and services. The empirical results show that trade liberalization raises international competitiveness in the Iran’s economic sectors, while it reduces the intensity of outward-orientation in all those sectors.

Following the development of global Internet and internationalization of markets, e-Commerce has a significant potential to develop businesses to access global markets more easily and operate efficiently and compete fairly. Competitiveness at international level can take place if, and only if, emergent initiatives are built on robust foundations of e-Readiness. In this regard, the paper aims to examine those factors that affect e-Commerce adoption in developing countries. More specifically, this study explores e-Readiness factors that affect e-Commerce adoption in the Petrochemical Industry of Iran which is a leading industry in B2B. This study proposes a research model which is based on organizational e-Readiness (OER) and environmental e-Readiness (EER) as the main determinants of e-Commerce adoption and institutionalization. The results based on a multiple discriminate function analysis (MDFA) indicate that OER human resources, technological resources, business resources, commitment variables, and EER supporting industries variables e-Readiness variable are statistically effective to initiate e-Commerce adoption. Also, OER awareness, business resources, technological resources, commitment and government variables, and EER supporting industries e-Readiness variable are also statistically effective to institutionalize e-Commerce.

The experience of various countries shows that movement towards globalization in many cases has resulted in human capital development. Moreover, human capital development affects positively economic growth and economic development of the countries. In this regard, the ICT globalization and its close relationship with human capital development become an important issue in designing macroeconomic policy. This article aims to examine the relationship between ICT and human capital development in developing countries using the data over the period 1990-2005. The Index of Technological Progress (ITP) is used in the panel data model to estimate quantitatively the effects of the index. The results of the study indicate a significant relationship between human capital development and ICT in the sample of developing countries considered in this study.

This paper investigates the effects of globalization on economic growth in developing countries. In this regard, developing countries are categorized in two groups: more globalize and less globalize. Using the data over the period 1980-2003, a panel data model is employed to estimate the effects of globalization indicators. An endogenous growth model is specified to include globalization indicators such as foreign direct investment, openness, and economic Security. The results confirm the significant role of variables such as economic security, openness, and macroeconomics policy on economic growth during the globalization process.

This paper aims to propose an approach for transition from traditional banking to electronic banking in Iran. This study uses two methods of questionnaire and interview to collect the required information and data in order to illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of electronic banking in Iran. The questionnaire is designed in two different sections. The first section focuses on the questions which collect the information of e-Banking barriers and the second section considers the questions related to the comparative success factors of e-Banking in the selected Iranian banks. The findings of SWOT analysis show that the lack of infrastructures is the main barrier of transition from traditional banking to electronic banking in Iran.

Nowadays, computers, telecommunications, and internet are simultaneously used to provide e-Services such as banking and financial e-Services. In spite of the development of technological innovation and e-Services, the lack of acceptances of e-Service by consumers is one of the main challenges in developing e-Banking system. Development and implementation of a comprehensive e-Banking service requires suitable training of consumers to overcome consumer's resistance against the changes. The acceptance of innovations depends on the consumer's tendency to use them and also the compatibility of the innovations with their behavior. This paper considers the factors affecting the behavior of consumers in using e-Banking services (willingness, personnel contact/backup, personal capacity, relative advantage, and perceived risk) to promote the success of Iranian banks in the area of electronic banking.

Efficiency in economic literature is defined as maximum output from definite amount of input or minimum input from definite amount of output. To measure the efficiency, two methods are generally used. They comprise parametric and non parametric methods. In this paper, non parametric method based on mathematical programming methods is used to evaluate the efficiency of entrepreneurs in the provinces of Iran in 2006. The non parametric method is employed based on two assumptions of constant and variable return to scale. The findings show that based on the first assumption, the provinces of Ilam, Khoozestan, Sistan & Baloochestan, and Kordestan is respectively ranked to be the first and the last efficient provinces. In addition, considering the second assumption, west Azarbayejan, south Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, nourth Khorasan, Fars and Ghom provinces joins to the efficient provinces.