Elena Ketteni | Frederick University (original) (raw)

Papers by Elena Ketteni

Empirical economics, Feb 20, 2024

Intellect Books, Apr 16, 2020

Journalism Studies, Mar 7, 2023

The existing literature presents several studies which show that the levels of press freedom can ... more The existing literature presents several studies which show that the levels of press freedom can affect the state of the economy. What has not thus far been investigated is whether the economy can affect the levels of press freedom, the specific economic conditions that mainly affect it and the differences among various countries. This study attempts to analyze the impact of economic conditions on the degree of press freedom, in 18 countries of the western world based on a quantitative analysis for the period 2002–2019, and advance our understanding of this relationship. We find that the state of the economy within a country can affect the level of press freedom while the effects of economic conditions on the degree of press freedom seem to vary among different media systems of the western world.

This report summarises work that was carried out in the frame of the research project entitled “E... more This report summarises work that was carried out in the frame of the research project entitled “Economic Impacts from the Implementation of the European Union’s Energy and Climate Change Legislation Package in Cyprus”, which is funded by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus in the framework of ‘DESMI 2009-2010’, a programme co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (project number ΑΕΙΦΟΡΙΑ/ΚΟΙΑΦ/0609(ΒΙΕ)/02). The European Union’s energy and climate policy package, legally adopted in early 2009, will affect the European economy because it will induce an increase in energy prices. In this project we model the effect of this policy package on the economy of Cyprus, a small EU island state. We formulate and estimate econometrically a production model that embodies rational expectations and dynamic optimization, accounting not only for efficiency gains due to investments in energy-saving technology but also for adjustment costs associated with...

"In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the su... more "In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the subject of Economics"- t.p.Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-165).Number of sources in the bibliography: 112Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Cyprus, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, June 2007.The University of Cyprus Library holds the printed form of the thesis.Οι στόχοι της Διατριβής είναι: (1) να εξετάσει κατά πόσο συγκεκριμένοι δείκτες χρηματοοικονομικής ανάπτυξης επηρεάζουν την οικονομική μεγέθυνση με στόχο την εξακρίβωση μη γραμμικότητας στην σχέση αυτή; (2) να εξετάσει τη σχέση μεταξύ τεχνολογίας της πληροφορικής και παραγωγικότητας στην παρουσία κόστους προσαρμογής; Και (3) να καθορίσει κατά πόσο η τεχνολογία της πληροφορικής δημιουργεί διάκριση με βάση την ικανότητα των εργατών. Για την εξέταση των πιο πάνω στόχων χρησιμοποιούνται τρεις διαφορετικές μέθοδοι εκτίμησης. Για την εξέταση των δύο πρώτων στόχων, εφαρμόζονται μη παραμετρικές μέθοδοι ενώ ένα σύστημα εξισώσεων ζήτησης εκτιμάται μαζί με κάποιες εξισώσεις για τις αναμενόμενες τιμές για την απάντηση του τρίτου θέματος. Τα αποτελέσματα της εκτίμησης υποδεικνύουν ότι, σε αντίθεση με πρόσφατες έρευνες, η σχέση μεταξύ χρηματοοικονομικής ανάπτυξης και οικονομικής μεγέθυνσης είναι γραμμική όταν λάβουμε υπόψη μας το γεγονός ότι η σχέση μεταξύ οικονομικής μεγέθυνσης και αρχικού εισοδήματος αλλά και ανθρωπίνου κεφαλαίου είναι μη γραμμική. Όταν αγνοήσουμε τη σχέση αυτή τότε παίρνουμε μη γραμμικότητα στη σχέση που μας ενδιαφέρει. Επίσης, τα αποτελέσματα υποδεικνύουν ότι η τεχνολογία της πληροφορικής έχει μια θετική επίδραση στην παραγωγικότητα, η οποία όμως μεταβάλλεται ανάλογα με τη βιομηχανία και την χρονική περίοδο που εξετάζουμε. Επιπλέον, τα κόστη προσαρμογής παρουσιάζονται πολύ σημαντικά αφού επηρεάζουν την επίδραση αυτή στην παραγωγικότητα. Όταν τα κόστη προσαρμογής συμπεριληφθούν στο μοντέλο τότε παίρνουμε μια μη γραμμική σχέση ανάμεσα στην τεχνολογία της πληροφορικής και στην παραγωγικότητα. Όσον αφορά το τρίτο θέμα, τα αποτελέσματα υποστηρίζουν ότι η τεχνολογία της πληροφορικής οδηγεί σε διάκριση, δηλαδή αυξάνει τη ζήτηση για ειδικευμένο (πιο ικανό/μορφωμένο) εργατικό δυναμικό και μειώνει τη ζήτηση για ανειδίκευτο.The objectives of this thesis are: (1) to examine whether and how indicators of financial intermediary development influences economic growth in order to explore possible nonlinearities; (2) to investigate the relationship between information technology (IT) and economic performance in the presence of adjustment costs; and (3) to determine whether IT causes skill-biased technical change (SBTC). Three different dynamic approaches are used for the examination of the three topics under investigation, as well as the appropriate data sets. Nonparametric estimation techniques will be used for answering the questions concerning the two sources of growth mentioned above, while a system of factor demand equations derived from a general cost function will be estimated along with some price expectation processes in order to evaluate the relationship between IT and SBTC. The estimation results show that in contrast to recent research, the finance-growth relationship is linear when the previously documented nonlinearity between initial per capital income and human capital, on the one hand, and economic growth, on the other, is taken into account. When these nonlinearities are ignored, the finance-growth relationship appears nonlinear. Additionally, the results indicate that IT has a positive effect on productivity growth that varies among industries and time. Moreover, adjustment costs are important when identifying this effect since their omission tends to understate the effect of IT-capital on economic performance. Furthermore, the relationship between IT-capital and productivity appears to be nonlinear especially when adjustment costs are included in the model. Finally, the results suggest that IT does cause SBTC. The dramatic decline in the price of IT equipment that has appeared in the US economy the last decade causes the demand for skilled workers to rise and the demand for unskilled one to decline

International Communication Gazette, 2020

Although extensive research has been conducted into the role of the media in fighting corruption,... more Although extensive research has been conducted into the role of the media in fighting corruption, media organisations and journalists themselves are not immune to it. The issue of corruption in the media remains understudied and has thus far mainly focused on case-studies of specific countries characterised by corruption as a core societal characteristic, as well as of under-developed and developing countries. This study focuses on the issue of media corruption in Europe, based on a comparative analysis between countries of the South and North, investigating the impact of the global economic crisis on media corruption. The research presents clear evidence of increased indications of media corruption in the North of Europe in comparison to the media systems of the European South, the area most affected by the global economic crisis.

We study the relationship between financial development and eco-nomic growth to explore possible ... more We study the relationship between financial development and eco-nomic growth to explore possible nonlinearities. We use the same data set as previous researchers but employ nonparametric estimation techniques. We find that, in contrast to recent research, the finance-growth relationship is linear when account is taken of the nonlinearity (documented in the literature) between initial per capita income and human capital, on the one hand, and economic growth, on the other. When these nonlinearities are ignored, the finance-growth relationship appears nonlinear.

The objective of this multilateral comparison study is to analyse differences between levels of t... more The objective of this multilateral comparison study is to analyse differences between levels of total factor productivity among European countries for the 2000-2012 period. Our results indicate that countries in Western and Central Europe are doing better with respect to the level of productivity compared with Mediterranean and Eastern European countries. Furthermore, we observe that most of the countries experienced increases in their productivity throughout the years. The productivity increases in Western and Central European countries are mainly due to increases in output, while the increases in Mediterranean and Eastern European countries are mainly due to the more efficient use of their inputs. It is important to note that our results suggest that the less productive countries are those with the highest productivity growth. That is, the Mediterranean and Eastern European countries show a faster productivity growth compared with the Western/Central European countries.

Cyprus Economic Policy Review, 2012

Our method decomposes output growth to its components for Cyprus, Greece and the Euro area. The p... more Our method decomposes output growth to its components for Cyprus, Greece and the Euro area. The period covered is 1996 to 2011. Our results, especially after 2008 suggest that Greece has a negative TFP growth rate, while Cyprus and the Euro area averages appear to be close to zero. With respect to output decomposition, we observe that in the period 2008-2011, there is a dramatic decline in the contribution of TFP and labor growth in both the Euro area and Greece. Both contributed negatively in output growth and this is the reason for the reduction of output growth. In Cyprus a decline in the labor and TFP contribution is also observed. But only labor growth has a negative contribution. TFP growth still has a positive contribution (close to 7%) but it decelerates. The contribution of capital growth is positive and capital appears to have a small acceleration. Output growth would have been worse if capital didn’t accelerate.

The aim of this paper is to empirically estimate the optimal tax price of pesticides which takes ... more The aim of this paper is to empirically estimate the optimal tax price of pesticides which takes into account both their contribution into agricultural production as well as their negative side effects on the health of consumers, farmers and the quality of the environment. The optimal tax rate was derived from a dynamic macroeconomic model of pesticide use and was applied in two countries namely Cyprus and United Kingdom for comparison purposes. The results show that the tax rates range from 3.19% to 31.88% for the case of Cyprus and from 2.47% to 24.73% for the case of UK. Many factors have to be taken into consideration in order to design an effective tax and levy scheme for plant protection products mainly due to the complexities of pesticides and the multi-dimensionality of their effects. In addition, policy makers should be prepared that in order to achieve major reductions in pesticide use, high taxes may need to be applied.

We study the relationship between financial development and economic growth to explore possible n... more We study the relationship between financial development and economic growth to explore possible nonlinearities. We use the same data set as previous researchers but employ nonparametric estimation techniques. We find that, in contrast to recent research, the financegrowth relationship is linear when account is taken of the nonlinearity (documented in the literature) between initial per capita income and human capital, on the one hand, and economic growth, on the other. When these nonlinearities are ignored, the finance-growth relationship appears nonlinear.

Economics Bulletin, 2007

Using nonparametric estimation techniques we find that, in contrast to recent research, the finan... more Using nonparametric estimation techniques we find that, in contrast to recent research, the finance-growth relationship is linear when the previously documented nonlinearity between initial per capita income, human capital and economic growth is taken into account.

Cyprus Economic Policy Review, 2014

This paper investigates how the ownership - public and/or private - regime of the telecommunicati... more This paper investigates how the ownership - public and/or private - regime of the telecommunications and electricity industries relates to various indicators of economic performance in European countries. We measure economic performance by calculating total factor productivity, labour productivity and real unit labour cost. The empirical analysis, based on data drawn from Eurostat over the period 1996-2011, suggests that state ownership is associated with inefficiency. Government intervention should, therefore, be confined to promoting competition and discouraging practices that enable private firms to maximise profits at the expense of consumers.

Cyprus Economic Policy Review, 2013

The current crisis has highlighted the importance of increasing productivity for the economy to b... more The current crisis has highlighted the importance of increasing productivity for the economy to become more competitive and thereby increase its growth prospects. In this paper, we analyse the productivity path of Cyprus using various indices and compare these with the average performance in the Eurozone. We assess the performance of the Cypriot economy as a whole and also for each sector of economic activity separately. In particular, we distinguish between eight sectors, extracted using the NACE2 classification scheme. The period under study is from 1995 to 2011 for the aggregate indices and from 2002 to 2010 for the sectoral disaggregation.

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of public infrastructure on the cost structur... more The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of public infrastructure on the cost structure of European Union (EU) countries and provide an empirical estimate of the rates to return to public infrastructure investment. Using data on transportation, communication, fuels and energy, waste management and water supply expenditures for 27 European countries and for the period 1996 to 2014, we find a significant inducing cost saving from public infrastructure capital stock in all the countries of our analysis. In addition, we calculate the rate of return to public infrastructure and provide evidence of under or over investment of public infrastructure of the EU Member States. The calculated rates of return indicate that all countries benefit from investment in public capital, however the results suggest that Member States, Cyprus for instance, in which the stock of infrastructure is low could benefit more from a well-targeted higher infrastructure investment.

The importance of the tourism industry for economic, social and cultural development in Europe an... more The importance of the tourism industry for economic, social and cultural development in Europe and the role of tourism as a driver of development are well known. The major objective of this study is to compare the output and productivity differences of the tourism industry among Cyprus and 20 European countries, for the period 2000-2012. We observe that in most of the countries the major contributor to output differences is traditional inputs (labor force and investment). After controlling for the size of the labor force and investment we observe that quality of services and the government expenditures on safety, culture and infrastructure have a positive contribution to the output difference. As expected, quality of the environment captured by waste generated has a negative contribution to output. Finally, with respect to productivity differences we see that its contribution varies and it’s a significant one. Cyprus is below the average with respect to output. As in the other count...

This report is a shortened version of deliverable D9 of the research project entitled "Economic I... more This report is a shortened version of deliverable D9 of the research project entitled "Economic Impacts from the Implementation of the European Union"s Energy and Climate Change Legislation Package in Cyprus", which is funded by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus in the framework of "DESMI 2009-2010", a programme co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (project number ΑΔΙΦΟΡΙΑ/ΚΟΙΑΦ/0609(ΒΙΔ)/02).

In this project we investigate the relationship between ICT capital, energy use and economic grow... more In this project we investigate the relationship between ICT capital, energy use and economic growth. We first formulate and estimate e production model which embodies rational expectations and dynamic optimization in the presence of efficiency gains and adjustment costs. We investigate the role of price increases, though price elasticities, and how technical efficiency levels affect inputs and especially energy. The results suggest that efficiency gains from energy improvements or new energy inputs are not offset by their adjustment costs. They have though lower efficiency when compared to the other inputs. The elasticities suggest that energy is complement with ICT and non-ICT capital, skilled and unskilled labor; and a substitute to material inputs.

Cyprus Economic Policy Review, 2017

The 2008 financial crisis in Europe highlighted the importance of productivity growth as a vehicl... more The 2008 financial crisis in Europe highlighted the importance of productivity growth as a vehicle to economic growth and stability. This paper estimates and compares productivity growth in European countries. It also investigates factors that directly or indirectly affect productivity growth with a view to reaching policy conclusions. The data used in the analysis are drawn from Eurostat, European Commission, OECD, and World Bank sources, and cover the period 1995-2014. We find that productivity growth exhibits substantial variation over time. Cross-country differences in productivity growth are also observed, indicating changes in the countries’ competitiveness. To explain the observed productivity differences, we apply simple regression analysis to link productivity growth with factors found in the literature to be among the main drivers of productivity growth: Research and Development (RD Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); Information and Telecommunications Technology (ICT); and h...