Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences

Government R&D subsidies are a key policy instrument for promoting innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), yet their effectiveness in revitalizing marginal or zombie firms remains conceptually contested and empirically insufficiently understood. This study addresses this gap by examining the differential effects of government R&D support on the financial and technological performance of 882 marginal firms in South Korea over the period 2012–2018. Using probit and Poisson regression models, we find that government R&D subsidies exert no statistically significant influence on financial performance indicators such as sales growth, but have a positive and statistically significant effect on technological performance, measured by the generation of domestic and foreign patents. This study makes four main contributions. First, by jointly analyzing financial and technological outcomes, we identify heterogeneous effects of R&D subsidies on marginal firms and show that technological capabilities may persist even under conditions of prolonged financial distress. Second, we challenge “all-or-nothing” policy narratives that depict marginal firms as uniformly unproductive, demonstrating instead that a subset of these firms possesses latent innovative capacity that responds positively to targeted public support. Third, we advance a refined theoretical framework that helps reconcile mixed findings in prior research, arguing that limited absorptive capacity and structural market barriers constrain the commercial translation of innovation while leaving technological innovation pathways relatively intact. Fourth, we derive concrete policy implications by advocating for the development of integrated inter-ministerial information systems to identify and monitor marginal firms with genuine R&D potential, thereby enhancing the efficiency of resource allocation and reducing the risk of indiscriminate subsidization of persistently unproductive enterprises. Overall, our findings support a shift from uniform to differentiated innovation policy, prioritizing firms with credible recovery prospects and demonstrable innovative capacity. In doing so, the study offers a more nuanced understanding of how public R&D investment can catalyze sustainable innovation among SMEs operating at the margins of economic viability, with broader implications for innovation policy design in both emerging and advanced economies.

Keywords: R&D subsidies; Government R&D support; Marginal firms; Zombie firms; Financial performance; Technological performance; Patent output; Innovation performance; Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs); Absorptive capacity; Innovation policy; Public support programs; Firm-level innovation; Distressed enterprises; South Korea.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.66.6

This study investigates the potential existence of the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH) in Bangladesh, examining how lax environmental policies influence FDI inflows and subsequent pollution levels. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines quantitative analyses—Johansen cointegration, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), and Granger causality tests—with qualitative insights from 12 Key Informant Interviews (KII). The Johansen test indicates a long-run relationship between CO₂ emissions and FDI, though not statistically robust. VECM results show FDI is shaped by economic and environmental factors, with inflation as a key deterrent. Granger causality reveals FDI significantly impacts GDP per capita and electricity consumption but not CO₂ emissions. Qualitative findings highlight low labour costs, market size, and geopolitical factors as FDI drivers while noting environmental risks in polluting industries. The study’s novelty lies in integrating quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze FDI’s long-run economic and environmental effects in Bangladesh. Limited evidence supports PHH, suggesting weak environmental regulations are not the main FDI attractor. Policy recommendations include strengthening environmental enforcement and promoting cleaner technologies to achieve sustainable industrial growth.

Keywords: pollution haven hypothesis, foreign direct investment, environmental policy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.66.5

The study evaluates the current status of direct labour resources in Vietnam’s coastal fisheries sector, with a focus on both workforce quantity and quality, and identifies key challenges constraining labour supply. Empirically, it examines workers engaged in aquaculture and marine capture activities in coastal communities of Quang Ngai province, a major economic hub in the country’s central coastal region. The results reveal substantial labour market pressures in coastal fisheries. Although fisheries workers account for an average of 6.5% of the local labour force, demand for labour remains under-satisfied, hindering stable production and productivity gains. A pronounced labour shortage is particularly evident in Quang Ngai. Among 91 surveyed aquaculture households, 77 (84.62%) reported difficulties in recruiting workers. The situation is even more severe in fishing households, where 108 out of 138 (78.26%) reported labour shortages. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy measures and support mechanisms to mitigate labour constraints in coastal fisheries. The study provides an evidence base for designing and implementing sustainable human-resource strategies in Vietnam’s coastal fisheries and tourism sectors, in line with the national development vision to 2030 and outlook to 2040.

Keywords: labour resources; coastal fisheries; fisheries industry; Quang Ngai; Vietnam.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.66.4

This study examines how gender is negotiated within the informal labour market of street vending and how such participation contributes to the economic and social empowerment of Indigenous women street vendors in Guwahati City, Northeastern India.
Methodology:
The research adopts a qualitative case study design complemented by descriptive survey methods. Empirical data were collected through a structured survey of 60 Indigenous women street vendors and 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in Guwahati over an eight-month period in 2022. Open-ended research questions and an interview schedule were used to elicit detailed life histories, work trajectories, and experiences of negotiation in public space. The analysis focuses on the feminisation of informal work and the intersection of gender, indigeneity, and informality in the urban economy.
Main Findings:
The findings indicate that street vending constitutes a crucial source of income, financial autonomy, and socio-economic mobility for Indigenous women, enabling them to contribute to household decision-making and improve their social standing. At the same time, these women continue to face pervasive structural barriers, including insecure work conditions, limited access to basic amenities and social protection, harassment and discrimination in public spaces, and ambiguous or exclusionary regulatory frameworks. The study shows that women rely on informal social networks, collective strategies, and everyday negotiations with authorities and male actors in the market to sustain their livelihoods.
Applications:
The results provide evidence to inform gender-sensitive urban planning and labour policies that formally recognise street vendors as workers and integrate them into inclusive regulatory and social protection regimes. The study can guide local governments, NGOs, and community-based organisations in designing interventions that improve working conditions, enhance access to infrastructure and services, and strengthen Indigenous women’s bargaining power in informal markets. It also offers insights for scholars and policymakers concerned with gender, informality, and urban development in other developing-country contexts.
Novelty/Originality:
This study offers an empirically grounded analysis of Indigenous women street vendors in Northeastern India an under-researched region in the literature on gender and the informal economy. By foregrounding Indigenous women’s own narratives and negotiation strategies, the article advances understanding of how feminist and intersectional dynamics operate within informal labour markets and urban public spaces. It contributes original evidence on the dual processes of feminisation and marginalisation in informal work, while demonstrating how informal street vending can simultaneously reproduce vulnerability and serve as a pathway to economic and social empowerment.

Keywords: women street vendors; Indigenous women; urban informal economy; women’s economic empowerment; gender and labour; Guwahati City; Northeast India.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.66.3

Preschool education constitutes the foundation of children’s academic and socio-emotional development, and preschool teachers play a critical role in shaping these early learning experiences. This study investigates the relationships between Job Satisfaction (JS), Work Engagement (WE), and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) among preschool teachers, with particular attention to underlying mediating mechanisms. A total of 408 preschool teachers participated in a questionnaire survey. The instrument demonstrated strong content validity and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.962). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the overall model fit and to estimate the direct and indirect effects among the constructs. In the proposed model, OCB is specified as the outcome variable, JS as the primary antecedent, and WE, Psychological Empowerment (PE), and Emotional Intelligence (EI) as key mediators. JS exerted substantial positive effects on WE (β = 0.621), PE (β = 0.538), and EI (β = 0.492). In turn, WE (β = 0.683), PE (β = 0.318), and EI (β = 0.294) significantly predicted OCB. Indirect effect estimates confirmed the mediating roles of WE, PE, and EI in the relationship between JS and OCB. The findings underscore the centrality of JS and the importance of enhancing WE, PE, and EI to foster positive discretionary behaviors among preschool teachers and to strengthen organizational functioning in early childhood education settings.

Keywords: job satisfaction (JS); work engagement (WE); organizational citizenship behavior (OCB); preschool teachers (PSTs); psychological empowerment (PE); emotional intelligence (EI); mediating mechanisms; teacher motivation).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.66.2