Dissemination of information can enhance smallholder farmers’ agricultural outcomes and incomes in developing countries. However, the impact evaluation for new information can be inaccurate without considering pre-existing information that the indigenous people have used. This study explores qualitative causal links between existing agricultural information used by Lao smallholder farmers on rice yield and selling price with 180 household data. We categorized the pre-existing information into weather, farming technique, input, intermediate trader, and sales price. The source of each piece of information is used as an instrumental variable to overcome the endogeneity issue between information use and agricultural outcomes. Using farming technique information positively affects rice yields by 57.1% compared to those without that information. Moreover, intermediate trader and crop sales information result in 64.5% and 60.0% higher selling prices than non-user groups. A statistically significant causal relationship exists with agricultural outcomes. The more genuine impact should be measured with a newly updated impact evaluation approach that considers this pre-existing agricultural information.

JEL Classification: Q12, O13, O53

This paper analyzes the entire distribution of stock market returns/volatility in five emerging markets (ASEAN5) and figures out the conditional distribution of the CHI_EPU index. The aim is to examine the impact of CHI_EPU on the stock returns/volatility density of ASEAN5 markets. It also examined whether changes in CHI_EPU explain returns at higher or lower points (abnormal returns). This paper models the behaviour of stock returns from March 2011 to June 2018 using a non-parametric conditional density estimation approach. The results indicate that CHI_EPU diminishes stock returns and augments volatility in ASEAN5 markets, except for Malaysia, where it affects stock returns positively. The possible reason for this positive impact is that EPU is not the leading factor reducing Malaysian stock returns; but, other forces, such as dependency on other countries’ stock markets and global factors, may have a positive impact on stock returns (Bachmann and Bayer, 2013). Thus, the risk of simultaneous investment in Chinese and ASEAN5 stock markets, except Malaysia, is high. Further, the degree of this influence intensifies at extreme high/low intervals (positive/negative tails). The findings of this study have significant implications for investors, policymakers, market agents, and analysts of ASEAN5.

JEL Classification: C14, E44, G18, G15

The study aims to investigate the factors pursuing the women entrepreneurs to accept Islamic microfinance (IMF) in urban and rural areas of Malaysia. For this purpose, the study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Innovation and Diffusion Theory to explain Islamic microfinance adoption. Using the structural equation model (SEM) with primary data collected from 384-woman entrepreneurs in Malaysia, the current study uses a 5-point Likert scale. On the basis of theory and collected data, the seven hypotheses are developed. All hypotheses are validated by both directly and indirectly, as well as through a mediating factor. Among the factors, knowledge about IMF and subjective norms significantly influence the acceptance of IMF. On the other hand, the perceived complexity does not show any substantial relationship to the acceptance of IMF. This outcome will be helpful in supporting policymakers, academics, and future studies and must take into account the supported factors. Therefore, the study contributes to develop an innovative framework, to create self-employment for women entrepreneurs.

JEL classification: B26, G10, G21, L26