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In the Forthcoming Issues (Online First)
The articles listed below have completed the peer-review, editorial and production process and are published online as the final Version of Record. They will subsequently be assigned to a regular issue of the MEST Journal without changes to their scholarly content.
Daniela Mogollon Del Castillo and Walter E. Block
DOES THE CURRENT CATHOLIC CHURCH HELP OR HARM THE POOR? A Libertarian Perspective
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Abstract:
The burden of the present paper is to examine whether the modern Catholic Church is a force for alleviating poverty or whether, from a libertarian perspective, some of its contemporary economic recommendations may unintentionally contribute to its persistence. Rather than presenting an empirical demonstration, this paper offers a normative and theoretical argument grounded in libertarian economics. We argue that certain aspects of contemporary Catholic social teaching may discourage the incentives, entrepreneurship, and institutional conditions necessary for long-term economic development and poverty reduction. ...
The burden of the present paper is to examine whether the modern Catholic Church is a force for alleviating poverty or whether, from a libertarian perspective, some of its contemporary economic recommendations may unintentionally contribute to its persistence. Rather than presenting an empirical demonstration, this paper offers a normative and theoretical argument grounded in libertarian economics. We argue that certain aspects of contemporary Catholic social teaching may discourage the incentives, entrepreneurship, and institutional conditions necessary for long-term economic development and poverty reduction. This paper does not question the Church's important humanitarian, educational, and charitable contributions. Instead, it focuses specifically on the economic principles reflected in its contemporary social teaching and their implications for development. We attempt to document this assessment in the hope that, in some small way, this religious organization may reconsider aspects of its present course and move the economy in the direction of curing poverty rather than contributing to its persistence. We hope this perspective contributes to the broader academic discussion on religion, economic development, and poverty reduction.
TOURIST ATTRACTIVENESS IN ALGERIA AND TUNISIA To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: This article uses a comparative approach to analyzing two Maghreb destinations with tourism potential that are positioned differently on a tourism competitiveness scale, based on several tourism indicators. The data explored reveals that Tunisia manages to maintain, and even improve, its position by attracting more foreign tourists, unlike Algeria, which moves forward timidly. The research examines the key factors determining a tourism offering in response to more demanding tourist demand resulting from increased competition among ...
This article uses a comparative approach to analyzing two Maghreb destinations with tourism potential that are positioned differently on a tourism competitiveness scale, based on several tourism indicators. The data explored reveals that Tunisia manages to maintain, and even improve, its position by attracting more foreign tourists, unlike Algeria, which moves forward timidly. The research examines the key factors determining a tourism offering in response to more demanding tourist demand resulting from increased competition among destinations. The Tunisian experience demonstrates the crucial importance of infrastructure investments in shaping its tourist appeal, in contrast to Algeria's trajectory. It emphasizes Algeria's ability to capitalize on its resources and create a tourism product that enhances its attractiveness by improving its overall environment. In its comparative analysis, the article draws on performance indicators that combine volume and value, investment opportunities, governance, and the business environment. This analysis recommends that Algeria strengthen its tourism investment and its governance.
Serghei Ohrimenco, Dinara Orlova and Valeriu Cernei
THE POLITICAL-ECONOMIC NATURE OF THE SHADOW DIGITAL ECONOMY WITHIN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract:
The paper examines the political-economic nature of the Shadow Digital Economy as an emerging structural phenomenon within the framework of sustainable development. The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual understanding of the Shadow Digital Economy as an adaptive subsystem of modern global capitalism and to identify its socio-economic and institutional consequences. The research applies critical political economy approaches, convergence theory, and structural and categorical analysis. It examines the impact of advanced digital technologies on the evolution of shadow activities. The findings demonstrate ...
The paper examines the political-economic nature of the Shadow Digital Economy as an emerging structural phenomenon within the framework of sustainable development. The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual understanding of the Shadow Digital Economy as an adaptive subsystem of modern global capitalism and to identify its socio-economic and institutional consequences. The research applies critical political economy approaches, convergence theory, and structural and categorical analysis. It examines the impact of advanced digital technologies on the evolution of shadow activities. The findings demonstrate that the Shadow Digital Economy represents more than isolated cybercrime incidents; it forms hybrid value chains combining legal and illegal practices, contributes to institutional erosion, strengthens asymmetric power relations, and generates parasitic mechanisms of value extraction. The study concludes that the Shadow Digital Economy should be considered a latent form of digital conflict affecting economic resilience and sustainable development. The results are relevant for researchers, policymakers, cybersecurity professionals, and specialists in digital economy governance.
Keywords: shadow digital economy, sustainable development, political economy, cybersecuriity, information and communication technologies.
CONDITIONALITY OF MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD POSITION To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract:
This article examines the April 2024 editorial by the New York Times Editorial Board advocating conditional constraints on U.S. military aid to Israel. Through the lens of international law, just war theory, and foreign aid jurisprudence, we analyze whether the proposed conditionality framework represents a legitimate application of donor state prerogatives or constitutes an inappropriate restriction on Israel's sovereign right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The article demonstrates that while all foreign military assistance inherently involves conditions, the specific constraints advocated by the Times Editorial Board ...
This article examines the April 2024 editorial by the New York Times Editorial Board advocating conditional constraints on U.S. military aid to Israel. Through the lens of international law, just war theory, and foreign aid jurisprudence, we analyze whether the proposed conditionality framework represents a legitimate application of donor state prerogatives or constitutes an inappropriate restriction on Israel's sovereign right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The article demonstrates that while all foreign military assistance inherently involves conditions, the specific constraints advocated by the Times Editorial Board would effectively impair Israel's capacity to prosecute a defensive war against state and non-state actors engaged in systematic violations of international humanitarian law. Drawing on comparative analysis of U.S. wartime conduct in World War II and legal scholarship on the jus ad bellum and jus in bello distinction, we argue that Hamas bears sole responsibility for civilian casualties resulting from its war crime of using human shields. The article concludes by examining implications for the Arms Export Control Act, the Leahy Law, and broader questions of ally sovereignty in asymmetric conflicts against non-state actors.
Keywords: military aid, United States, Israel, Iran proxies, New York Times, international humanitarian law, Just war theory, human shields.
UNEMPLOYMENT, INFORMAL ECONOMY, AND POVERTY PRESSURE IN ALGERIA
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Abstract: This study examines the dynamic relationship between unemployment, informality, and a poverty-pressure proxy in Algeria over 1990-2018. Because direct annual poverty observations are discontinuous, the dependent variable is not a poverty headcount; it is a consumption-based welfare proxy inversely transformed into poverty pressure using the World Bank WDI series Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure per capita (constant 2015 US$). The estimation relies on World Bank WDI data on unemployment, growth, and inflation, together with the World Bank Informal Economy Database for informality. With only 29 annual observations, the full five-variable VECM is parameter-sensitive because retaining UNR and INEPG together consumes degrees of freedom and the variables overlap empirically. ADF/PP tests ...
This study examines the dynamic relationship between unemployment, informality, and a poverty-pressure proxy in Algeria over 1990-2018. Because direct annual poverty observations are discontinuous, the dependent variable is not a poverty headcount; it is a consumption-based welfare proxy inversely transformed into poverty pressure using the World Bank WDI series Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure per capita (constant 2015 US$). The estimation relies on World Bank WDI data on unemployment, growth, and inflation, together with the World Bank Informal Economy Database for informality. With only 29 annual observations, the full five-variable VECM is parameter-sensitive because retaining UNR and INEPG together consumes degrees of freedom and the variables overlap empirically. ADF/PP tests and Johansen trace tests support a cointegration framework, although Johansen critical values are asymptotic and the short sample requires cautious interpretation. The full model remains the theoretical baseline but has weak adjusted fit and an insignificant error-correction term; the restricted model is preferred for parsimony and valid adjustment because it provides a negative and statistically significant ECT. Informality is significant mainly in short-run VECM dynamics, while the frequency-domain results show predictive content from past informality for poverty-pressure movements across short, medium, and long horizons. The findings concern a poverty-pressure proxy, not direct poverty measurement or structural causal identification.
FOOD SECURITY IN ALGERIA IN LIGHT OF AGRICULTURAL SECTOR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: Based on the premise that food security in Algeria – or in any other country – primarily depends on the local agriculture's ability to produce food, this study aims to identify the state of food security in Algeria, by assessing Algeria's agricultural potential and resources, providing a clear picture and an accurate diagnosis of the performance of local agriculture, and determining the extent to which the agricultural sector can achieve food security achieve food security with the available potentials and resources. This will be done ...
Based on the premise that food security in Algeria – or in any other country – primarily depends on the local agriculture's ability to produce food, this study aims to identify the state of food security in Algeria, by assessing Algeria's agricultural potential and resources, providing a clear picture and an accurate diagnosis of the performance of local agriculture, and determining the extent to which the agricultural sector can achieve food security achieve food security with the available potentials and resources. This will be done through the presentation of some indicative indicators. One of the most important results of the study is that, despite Algeria having the agricultural potential and resources capable of achieving food security, the reality indicates that Algeria suffers from low self-sufficiency rates, high food gap ratios, and difficulty in achieving food security. This is due to the underperformance of its agricultural sector, which has failed to achieve the targeted increases to meet local demand for agricultural products in general and food products in particular.
Kouider Saad, Mohamed Saleh Oucif, and Benziane Roucham
BEYOND THE POLLUTION HAVEN: TRADE OPENNESS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND ARAB ECONOMIES To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: This study investigates the dynamic relationship between trade openness, renewable energy share, and carbon dioxide CO2 emissions as a proxy for environmental degradation, focusing on a sample of seven Arab economies (Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) over the period 2013–2023. To address econometric challenges concerning cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity, the study employs second-generation panel unit root and cointegration tests, alongside the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (Panel - ARDL) model using the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator. The empirical results reveal ...
This study investigates the dynamic relationship between trade openness, renewable energy share, and carbon dioxide CO2 emissions as a proxy for environmental degradation, focusing on a sample of seven Arab economies (Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) over the period 2013–2023. To address econometric challenges concerning cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity, the study employs second-generation panel unit root and cointegration tests, alongside the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (Panel - ARDL) model using the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator. The empirical results reveal a robust self-correcting mechanism, with approximately 73.79% of short-run disequilibrium shocks corrected annually. In the long run, the estimates identify a positive and statistically significant impact of trade openness on CO2 emissions, providing strong empirical support for the "Pollution Haven Hypothesis" within the sampled countries, largely driven by the localization of energy-intensive industries. Conversely, the impact of renewable energy consumption remains marginal and statistically insignificant, suggesting that current green infrastructure investments have yet to reach the critical threshold required to mitigate environmental degradation. The study concludes that achieving sustainability in these rentier-based Arab economies necessitates not only intensified clean energy deployment but also rigorous institutional governance to internalize the negative externalities of trade, coupled with enhanced cross-border regional coordination to overcome structural barriers to green development.
Keywords: pollution, emerging economies, energy policies, panel data models, trade flows.
Achwak Benteboula, Ali Djellaba, and Bilal Kimouche
SECTORAL AND OWNERSHIP INFLUENCES ON INCOME SMOOTHING WITHIN ALGERIAN ENTERPRISES To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: This study investigates the prevalence and institutional drivers of income smoothing within Algerian economic enterprises from 2012 to 2022. Utilizing a cross-sectional comparative framework, the research applies an established coefficient of variation model to 72 firms to assess how ownership structure and sectoral activity influence earnings stabilization. Results indicate that while smoothing is not universally pervasive (practiced by 38.88% of the sampled entities), it is significantly shaped by specific institutional factors. Non-parametric testing reveals ...
This study investigates the prevalence and institutional drivers of income smoothing within Algerian economic enterprises from 2012 to 2022. Utilizing a cross-sectional comparative framework, the research applies an established coefficient of variation model to 72 firms to assess how ownership structure and sectoral activity influence earnings stabilization. Results indicate that while smoothing is not universally pervasive (practiced by 38.88% of the sampled entities), it is significantly shaped by specific institutional factors. Non-parametric testing reveals that private enterprises exhibit a markedly higher propensity for smoothing compared to strictly monitored public entities. Furthermore, significant sectoral variances exist; the complex agri-food industry demonstrates the highest smoothing levels, contrasting with the highly scrutinized energy sector. We conclude that managerial discretion is strategically deployed to mitigate perceived volatility, heavily contingent on governance environments. Consequently, market regulators, auditors, and prospective investors should apply enhanced analytical scrutiny to financial disclosures from the private and agri-food sectors to guarantee transparency.
Keywords: income smoothing, Eckel index, ownership structure, sector of activity, Algerian context
Ana-Marija Vukić, Dragana Glušac, and Dragana Sajfert
PERCEPTIONS OF DIGITAL COMPETENCIES AND EMPLOYABILITY AMONG EMPLOYEES IN BELGRADE To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: The results obtained in this study provide key insights into the impact of digital skills on various dimensions of a society’s economic development and faster employment in Human Resource Management (HRM). The paper analyzes the relationship between the possession of digital competencies and their impact on society's economic development. This issue has emerged alongside the development of digital technologies, the rapid training of human resources, and the application of such knowledge to economic development. The main research hypothesis is to determine the level of correlation between digital competencies and employees, as well as their application to economic development, including ...
The results obtained in this study provide key insights into the impact of digital skills on various dimensions of a society’s economic development and faster employment in Human Resource Management (HRM). The paper analyzes the relationship between the possession of digital competencies and their impact on society's economic development. This issue has emerged alongside the development of digital technologies, the rapid training of human resources, and the application of such knowledge to economic development. The main research hypothesis is to determine the level of correlation between digital competencies and employees, as well as their application to economic development, including the extent to which qualitative and quantitative factors influence this relationship. The results are as follows: 27% of respondents reported the ability to adapt to external changes; 22% indicated the ability to reorient production processes; 28% reported taking greater responsibility for profitability; 25.5% stated that principles and values positively affect employability; 34.21% indicated that employability depends on individual skills and competencies; 21% stated that employability depends on individuals’ professional goals; 34.25% reported the ability to communicate in a foreign language; 32.45% indicated the ability to apply digital skills; and 20.17% reported the ability to communicate using digital media.
Keywords: digital competencies, economic development of society, company goals, efficient employment.
ASYMMETRIC EXCHANGE RATE AND OIL PRICE PASS-THROUGH TO ALGERIAN CONSUMER PRICES To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: Algerian consumer prices are exposed to exchange-rate movements and oil-price shocks through import costs, domestic liquidity, and the fiscal consequences of hydrocarbon revenues. This study tests whether these pass-through channels were asymmetric over 1987–2025. The analysis applies a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model to a raw annual database of 39 observations covering the consumer price index, official exchange rate, Brent crude oil price, broad money, and real gross domestic product. The estimates identify ...
Algerian consumer prices are exposed to exchange-rate movements and oil-price shocks through import costs, domestic liquidity, and the fiscal consequences of hydrocarbon revenues. This study tests whether these pass-through channels were asymmetric over 1987–2025. The analysis applies a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model to a raw annual database of 39 observations covering the consumer price index, official exchange rate, Brent crude oil price, broad money, and real gross domestic product. The estimates identify statistically significant long-run asymmetry in exchange-rate pass-through, with depreciations and appreciations producing different price responses. Oil-price increases and decreases are likewise asymmetric in the long run, whereas the short-run evidence is weaker and significant only at the 10% level. The error-correction coefficient implies that about 39.3% of the previous year’s disequilibrium is removed within one year. Inflation management in Algeria should therefore distinguish between the direction of currency and oil-price movements rather than assume symmetric transmission. Coordinated exchange-rate, monetary, and fiscal responses may help contain persistent pressure on consumer prices.
INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONALITY AND GREEN INNOVATION-LED DECOUPLING IN EASTERN EUROPE: A CS-ARDL APPROACH To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: This study investigates whether the environmental benefits of green innovation depend on institutional quality in fifteen Central and Eastern European countries during 2014–2025. Although green innovation is often viewed as a key driver of low-carbon development, its effectiveness may differ across institutional settings, especially in economies undergoing transition. Using the CS-ARDL estimator alongside second-generation panel techniques, the study examines the long-run relationship between R&D expenditure and carbon intensity and explores the moderating role of institutions. The findings suggest ...
This study investigates whether the environmental benefits of green innovation depend on institutional quality in fifteen Central and Eastern European countries during 2014–2025. Although green innovation is often viewed as a key driver of low-carbon development, its effectiveness may differ across institutional settings, especially in economies undergoing transition. Using the CS-ARDL estimator alongside second-generation panel techniques, the study examines the long-run relationship between R&D expenditure and carbon intensity and explores the moderating role of institutions. The findings suggest that green innovation alone is unlikely to achieve environmental decoupling. In countries with weaker institutional and regulatory frameworks, higher R&D spending shows no significant link to reduced carbon intensity. EU member states show a lower long-run estimate than non-EU economies, though this divergence remains suggestive rather than individually significant. The results are consistent with institutional quality as a condition for converting innovation into environmental gains. EU membership is linked to significantly lower carbon intensity, while human capital and foreign direct investment show robust causal links supporting the low-carbon transition.
Keywords: environmental decoupling, Green Innovation, institutional quality, human capital, CS-ARDL, cross-sectional dependence, Eastern Europe, sustainable development goals.
THE QUICKBOOKS ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE: FROM TRADITIONAL LEDGERS TO CLOUD COMPUTING To read the article before publishing click here
Abstract: This study aimed to identify the most prominent global digital accounting software that has enabled the automation of accounting processes and facilitated the transition from traditional ledgers to modern cloud-based and AI-driven accounting systems, with a particular focus on QuickBooks as a case study. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study provides a concise overview of the software's key features and tools, along with an evaluation of its advantages and disadvantages based on user feedback, as well as a comparative analysis with other similar accounting software. The study concluded that QuickBooks enjoys widespread global adoption, ...
This study aimed to identify the most prominent global digital accounting software that has enabled the automation of accounting processes and facilitated the transition from traditional ledgers to modern cloud-based and AI-driven accounting systems, with a particular focus on QuickBooks as a case study. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study provides a concise overview of the software's key features and tools, along with an evaluation of its advantages and disadvantages based on user feedback, as well as a comparative analysis with other similar accounting software. The study concluded that QuickBooks enjoys widespread global adoption, being used by over 7 million businesses worldwide. It offers an inspiring model for conducting all accounting operations from anywhere in the world through cloud storage, effectively meeting the demands of the contemporary global accounting market. It demonstrates that the language of numbers, when facilitated by appropriate technology, can genuinely become a universal language that transcends all borders. Despite its numerous advantages and services, and its superiority over many comparable digital accounting solutions, QuickBooks has faced considerable criticism from users, particularly in light of the developments shaping the accounting profession worldwide, as well as the major and ever-evolving challenges that necessitate swift and continuous updates.
Keywords: accounting, artificial intelligence, comparative accounting systems and practice, expert systems, global and local knowledge
THE INNOVATIVE ALGERIAN UNIVERSITY AS A WEALTH CREATOR:
RETHINKING THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ALGERIA'S KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
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Abstract: Universities across the developing world are under mounting pressure to move beyond their traditional roles as educators and researchers and to become active drivers of economic transformation. This paper examines Algeria's accelerating strategy to build an innovation-driven, wealth-creating university system. Drawing on entrepreneurial university models and the Triple Helix and Quadruple Helix frameworks, the study maps Algeria's evolving legislative architecture — from Executive Decree 20-254 (2020) to Decision 008 (2025) — and analyses the five institutional interfaces underpinning ...
Universities across the developing world are under mounting pressure to move beyond their traditional roles as educators and researchers and to become active drivers of economic transformation. This paper examines Algeria's accelerating strategy to build an innovation-driven, wealth-creating university system. Drawing on entrepreneurial university models and the Triple Helix and Quadruple Helix frameworks, the study maps Algeria's evolving legislative architecture — from Executive Decree 20-254 (2020) to Decision 008 (2025) — and analyses the five institutional interfaces underpinning its national startup ecosystem. By mid-2025, the architecture encompassed 124 university business incubators, 91 Technology and Innovation Support Centres (CATI), 51 Artificial Intelligence Houses, over 11,800 registered innovative projects, approximately 7,800 startups on the Startup.dz platform, and 1,700 patent applications. Drawing on the AUNEI university network and the national subsidiary enterprise platform (RNF), the paper provides an empirically grounded assessment of the ecosystem's strengths and structural gaps. Seven evidence-based reforms are proposed and benchmarked against international models from Finland, South Korea, and the United States.
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