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Many countries with emerging economies suffer from a high level of corruption that hampers their overall development. Despite the abundance of literature scrutinizing the intricate relationship between corruption and economic growth, the precise nature of this connection remains elusive. To address this, this study rigorously examines the link between corruption and economic growth across 129 developing countries, spanning the years 2003 to 2021. The methodology relies on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to gauge the extent of corruption within these nations. Employing the Plate-Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) estimator, we seek to derive a more robust and reliable measure of the correlation between corruption and growth. The noteworthy revelation of this investigation is that higher levels of corruption surprisingly correlate with increased economic growth in developing countries, thereby supporting the intriguing \"grease the wheels\" hypothesis. These findings challenge conventional assumptions and prompt a re-evaluation of the perceived negative impact of corruption on economic development. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers additional factors influencing economic growth in developing nations. Notably, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and revenues from oil contribute positively to economic growth, while augmented military expenditures emerge as a suppressant. These nuanced insights shed light on the multifaceted dynamics shaping economic trajectories in developing countries and underscore the complexity of the interplay between corruption and key economic indicators.

The study aims to examine the impact of tax avoidance on the value of listed firms in Vietnam. Using a sample of 209 non-financial businesses listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) in Vietnam for the period 2010-2018 and the Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) to overcome the model's errors, we show that tax avoidance has a negative impact on the value of businesses at a 10% significance level. In addition, other variables, such as foreign ownership, investment, return on assets, leverage, the growth rate, firm size, sales index, and age of the firm, have a positive impact on firm value. In addition, variables such as state ownership and total accruals have a negative impact on firm value, and most of them are highly robust. However, firm size and the firm growth rate are not statistically significant in the study.

G20 countries are responsible for more than 80% of global energy consumption and the largest CO 2 emissions in the world. Literature related to the energy consumption-environmental quality-subjective wellbeing nexus is limited and lacks consensus. This paper analyses the impact of energy consumption and environmental quality on subjective wellbeing in G20 countries from 2006 to 2019 using a panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) model. Cantril life ladder data is used as a proxy of subjective wellbeing. For robustness, the Newey-West standard error model is used. The findings reveal that renewable energy consumption and environmental quality, i.e. lesser carbon emissions, enhance subjective wellbeing in G20 countries. In contrast, non-renewable energy consumption degrades subjective wellbeing. Moreover, the study also finds bidirectional causality between renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy consumption, and economic growth. The policymakers of these countries should encourage renewable energy production and its consumption to reduce carbon emissions for conserving the environment and enhancing their people’s subjective wellbeing.

This study aims to empirically examine the influence of bank-specific determinants, macroeconomic factors, and governance factors on profitability in Iraq’s banking industry. In addition, bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants were included in the analysis. In terms of governance, the average of corruption control and rule of law was used. Different pre-estimation tests were used to check the properties of the data. The method of moment quantile regression was used as the baseline model. The PCSE and FGLS techniques were used for robustness checks. A sample of balanced panel data consisting of nine commercial banks listed on the Iraq stock exchange from 2012 to 2021 was selected. The results suggested that liquidity and total debt to total shareholders’ equity ratios have a significant positive relationship with ROA. Inflation and openness negatively impact bank profitability only at the 50th and 90th quantiles. Institutional governance appeared to be a positive and significant contributor to bank profitability. The findings suggest that a certain level of liquidity is required for a continuous increase in ROA. Moreover, institutional governance emerged as a noteworthy and positive factor influencing bank profitability.

This study uses Monte Carlo experiments to produce new evidence on the performance of a wide range of panel data estimators. It focuses on estimators that are readily available in statistical software packages such as Stata and Eviews, and for which the number of cross-sectional units (N) and time periods (T) are small to moderate in size. The goal is to develop practical guidelines that will enable researchers to select the best estimator for a given type of data. It extends a previous study on the subject (Reed and Ye, Which panel data estimator should I use? 2011), and modifies their recommendations. The new recommendations provide a (virtually) complete decision tree: When it comes to choosing an estimator for efficiency, it uses the size of the panel dataset (N and T) to guide the researcher to the best estimator. When it comes to choosing an estimator for hypothesis testing, it identifies one estimator as superior across all the data scenarios included in the study. An unusual finding is that researchers should use different estimators for estimating coefficients and testing hypotheses. The authors present evidence that bootstrapping allows one to use the same estimator for both.

An energy transition is currently underway around the world, in response to the objectives laid out by international agreements. Since the Kyoto protocol and the Paris agreement, countries have been making considerable efforts to replace fossil fuels with alternative sources in the electricity generation mix. The energy transition of each country depends on their starting point, so international agreements on their own, may not be effective in speeding up the transition. In this paper, two energy transition metrics are calculated: clean-energy transition and low-carbon-energy transition. The clean-energy transition describes the transition from fossil to renewable sources, while the low-carbon-energy transition represents the transition from fossil to renewable and nuclear power sources. This paper aims to examine the determinants of energy transition in countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development over a long-time span, from 1971 to 2016. Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) and Panel-corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) estimators were applied to deal with heteroskedasticity and cross-sectional dependence phenomena. Generally, the results show that energy security and the carbon-intensity of energy consumption are obstructing a low-carbon transition. Energy-efficiency and trade-openness are driving the energy transition, while the carbon-intensity of energy consumption is constraining it. Energy efficiency measures are needed to accelerate the energy transition, by reducing the use of fossil fuels.

This study examines the importance of natural resources, economic freedom, and sea-access in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), using panel data from 1998 to 2017. The Prais-Winsten regression with panel-corrected standard errors (PCSEs) is employed for all estimations. Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), Random Effects with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors (RE (D-K)), and Random Effects of Generalized Least Squares (RE (GLS)) estimators are used to test the sensitivity of PCSEs’ estimates to changes in the underlying empirical model, whereas Instrumental Variables with Two Stage Least Squares (IV (2SLS)), Limited Information Maximum Likelihood (LIML), and Baltagi’s Two-Stage Least-Squares Random-Effects (IV (EC2SLS)) estimators are used to address potential endogeneity concerns. The estimates confirm that natural resources, economic freedom, and sea-access are robust and decisive factors affecting FDI location decisions of foreign investors in CIS. More precisely, the results suggest that increased revealed comparative advantage in petroleum, higher economic freedom characterized by the increased government size and open markets, and territorial coastlines have a statistically significant and positive effect on FDI inflows to CIS transition economies. We also find that direct access to the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea provides a significant geographic competitive advantage to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine in attracting FDI inflows over the other CIS member-states.

The environment for enterprise external financing has deteriorated recently, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has severely restricted enterprise external financing options. Therefore, it is essential to implement efficient financial methods to encourage business growth. This paper intends to investigate the moderating effect of board financial expertise on the relationship between flexibility and investment efficiency of listed companies in Egypt. This study includes moderator and control variables to produce an empirical model and findings that are more reliable based on 592 sample observations collected as annual secondary data from 2014 to 2021. Generalized least squares, logistic regression, and panel-corrected standard error were employed in the analysis. Results indicate that a higher board financial expert’s ratio decreases investment efficiency and has a moderating effect on financial flexibility and investment efficiency. High proportions of flexibility affect investment efficiency. Robustness checks confirm the negative effect of board financial expertise on the relationship between flexibility and investment efficiency. In unpredictable times, financial flexibility can help firms meet capital needs and boost the effectiveness of their investment decisions. Therefore, to increase investment efficiency and support firm growth, firms should maintain their financial flexibility while tightening internal controls.

The banking sector plays a critical role in shaping sustainable economic development and upholding ethical responsibility toward future generations, particularly in emerging economies. This study investigates the nexus between green banking initiatives, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and financial performance metrics in influencing sustainable share performance of banks in Bangladesh from 2014 to 2023. Using balanced panel data from 19 commercial banks and employing Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE), the analysis highlights how sustainability-oriented banking practices translate into both ethical and financial outcomes. The results reveal that green banking positively and significantly enhances sustainable share performance, reflecting growing investor trust in environmentally responsible practices. Financial indicators such as earnings per share (EPS) and price-to-earnings (PE) ratios also positively impact sustainability performance, while sponsor shareholding reinforces institutional stability. In contrast, CSR expenditures show a negative effect, indicating that some philanthropic practices may not yet be strategically aligned with long-term sustainability or intergenerational equity goals. Control variables such as bank size and liquidity were found to be non-significant. This study advances the discourse on sustainable finance by demonstrating how the integration of green banking and CSR practices can embody moral responsibility and intergenerational justice. It offers actionable insights for bank managers, policymakers, and regulators to align financial strategies with ethical sustainability frameworks, fostering resilient banking systems that serve both present and future generations. Graphical abstract