https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/109782 2026-04-11T11:49:34Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/110311 Title: Relationship between financial development and income inequality for Turkey and selected countries with similar economy Authors: Arat, Zuleyha; Babuscu, Senol; Hazar, Adalet Abstract: PURPOSE: The study's primary purpose is to investigate the validity of the Financial Kuznets Curve hypothesis for 15 selected upper and middle-income countries in terms of middle and upper-income group countries. In this context: Income inequality using annual data for the period 2002-2018 of 15 countries, including Turkey, Brazil, Belarus, Armenia, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, Peru, Russian Federation and Thailand.; METHODOLOGY: The relationship between income inequality and financial development was examined by panel data analysis. At the same time, as in similar studies in the literature, growth, inflation and foreign trade variables, which are among the main variables related to the subject, were also included in the research.; FINDINGS: As a result of the findings, results were obtained that support the inverted-U hypothesis between income inequality and financial development. 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/110310 Title: The agricultural sector and microfinance in Togo Authors: Agboklou, Komlan Edem; Özkan, Burhan Abstract: PURPOSE: The agricultural sector in Togo has a huge financing problem and numerous other problems mainly related to climate change.; METHODOLOGY: This study proposes a critical look at the microfinance sector and its relationship with the agricultural industry, which banking institutions have long abandoned.; RESULTS/FINDINGS: Based on data from major international institutions and the two most significant microfinance structures in the country, after some analysis, the results show that the microfinance sector in Togo is a very dynamic sector with strong growth, given its aggregates that continue to grow year after year. On the other hand, the share of agricultural credit in the portfolio of microfinance structures is constantly decreasing from year to year, demonstrating that microfinance is also starting to move away from the farming sector. Finally, the credits granted are not, for the most part, adapted to the financial needs of agricultural producers. Most of the time, these rural loans are insufficient or do not respect the cultivation calendars of producers. Also, access to these loans is prohibitive for many producers, primarily small-scale producers. 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/110308 Title: Digitalization : a danger to accounting professionals? Authors: Brabete, Valeriu; Goagără, Daniel Abstract: PURPOSE: Nowadays, we talk about an increasing number of tools in the IT area that are being used in the accounting field. We can already discuss automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and digitalization in accounting practices. This reality is giving rise to more and more discussions about how the era of digitalization of processes influences or will influence the activity carried out by accountants. In this context, our study aims to establish to what extent this new reality in the practice of economic entities is advantageous for professionals in the field or, on the contrary, is a threat from the perspective of taking over tasks, operations or activities that accountants currently still have in their portfolio.; METHODOLOGY: Therefore, using scientific research tools, we will try to clarify whether the accounting profession and professionals are threatened by the developments observed due to the increasing advances that are taking place in digitalization. The research undertaken is based on the analysis of speciality literature, the regulatory framework applicable to accounting in Romania, and the accounting officer based on International Financial Reporting Standards.; RESULTS AND FINDINGS: The study aims to identify the advantages and threats that digitalization induces in the field of accounting practice and the major paradigm shifts that digitalization will bring to the exercise of the profession by accountants. The study will also look at the limitations that digitalization has in the field of accounting and the significant changes that digitalization will impose on the education and training of professionals in the field of accounting. 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/110306 Title: Volatility spillover between Bitcoin and financial stress index Authors: Nur, Tuğba; Korkmaz, Turhan Abstract: PURPOSE: This paper aims to test the volatility models for Bitcoin (BTC) and the financial stress index (FSI) and examine the volatility spillover among them. This aim was reached by obtaining weekly data from the 7th of January 2011 and the 24th of December 2021.; METHODOLOGY: First, volatility modelling for the series is provided, and GARCH (1,1) for the BTC series and IGARC (1,2) for the FSI series are determined as the most appropriate volatility models. Then, residual volatility series are created for each variable over the IGARCH (1,2) and GARCH (1,1) models for the volatility spread between the series. The volatility spread between the series is examined with the diagonal VECH GARCH method. It is concluded that there is a positive volatility spillover effect from the FSI variable to the BTC variable. Then, impulse-response analysis is performed on the volatility residual series created for each variable. The empirical findings from impulse response analysis support a risk transfer between BTC and FSI series.; RESULTS AND FINDINGS: Changes in the BTC return series and FSI series are caused mainly by themselves, and the series are most affected by their shocks. By comparing the variance decomposition of the volatility series with the analysis results, it can be said that the changes in the volatility series are caused mainly by each other. 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z