Publications

The KCG has various series of publications to provide research findings and policy implications to different interested groups, e.g., students, academics, policy makers and the public.

KCG Research: Active Engagement of MNEs Matters for Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa

5th November 2019
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
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Economic research has provided evidence showing that developing countries’ integration into global value chains is highly advantageous for encouraging their economic and social development over time. Events in practice such as Rana Plaza Collapse in 2013 showed, however, that the benefits of globalization may be realized (partially) at the cost of labour welfare and environmental sustainability on site. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) from economically more advanced countries have been often criticized for focusing on maximizing their profits only and thus ignoring their social responsibility while investing in and/or doing business with firms in the developing countries[...]

Trade Liberalization and Labor Market Adjustments: Does Rent Sharing Matter?

16th July 2019
KCG Secretary
Authors: Pham Dinh Long, Pham Thi Bich Ngoc and Holger Görg (Forthcoming, Emerging Markets Finance and Trade)

Using a firm level data set, this paper investigates the impact of trade liberalization on employment and wages in Vietnamese manufacturing during 2003 - 2008. Different from the previous researches, we consider indirect effects of trade liberalization via real output for the employment[…]

Counter-arguing as Barriers to Environmentally Motivated Consumption Reduction: A Multi-country Study

12th July 2019
KCG Secretary
Authors: Wassili Lasarov, Robert Mai, Nieves Garcia de Frutos, José Manuel Ortega Egea and Stefan Hoffmann (International Journal of Research and Marketing, 2019, Vol. 36 (2), 281-305)

This research extends previous literature on environmentally motivated consumption reduction (EMCR) with a cross-cultural investigation across 28 European countries. The paper elucidates how European consumers' knowledge and perceived seriousness of climate change inhibit the activation of counter-arguments, with implications for EMCR. More[…]

Hungry Bellies Have No Ears. How and Why Hunger Inhibits Sustainable Consumption

12th July 2019
KCG Secretary
Authors: Stefan Hoffmann, Robert Mai, Wassili Lasarov, Jan Krause and Ulrich Schmidt (Ecological Economics, Vol. 160, 96-104)

While reports state that consumers are increasingly willing to consume more sustainably, no study has considered how the activation of very basic human needs, such as the state of hunger, affects sustainable food consumption. The authors expect that hungry consumers display a lower preference for sustainable food items and that this hunger-induced[…]