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Browse the failure-mode index

209 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures in Economics, Econometrics and Finance. Search the index →

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.

Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Trade-offs and synergies when balancing economic growth and globalization for sustainable development goals achievement

Imre Fertő, Gábor Harangozó · 2025 · Scientific Reports

This study investigates the complex relationships between globalization, economic growth, urbanization, and ecological footprint in the context of advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Employing a club convergence framework, we evaluate global SDG Index from 2000 to 2023 for 149 countries with 3212 observations, identifying five converging clubs and one non-converging group. Our analysis demonstrates that higher GDP per capita and various dimensions of globalization positively impact SDG outcomes, whereas rapid urbanization and expansive ecological footprints exert

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Green growth dynamics: unraveling the complex role of financial development and natural resources in shaping renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Alhasan Osman, Mohd Afjal, Majed Alharthi et al. · 2025 · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Abstract This study examines the complex interplay between financial development, natural resources, and renewable energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2000 to 2020, highlighting the pivotal role of financial strategies in enhancing sustainable energy practices. Employing an array of analytical techniques, including panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE), fixed effects, random effects models, and panel-fixed quantile regression, we delve into the nuanced relationships among these critical variables. The findings reveal that while natural resources and financial development generally e

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Measuring inflation expectations: How the response scale shapes density forecasts

Christoph K. Becker, Peter Duersch, Thomas Eife · 2026 · Quantitative Economics

In density forecasts, respondents are asked to assign probabilities to a response scale with pre‐specified ranges of inflation. In two large‐scale experiments, one conducted in the US and one in Germany, we show how the specifics of the…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

True versus Spurious Long Memory in Cryptocurrencies

Dooruj Rambaccussing, Murat Mazibaş · 2020 · Journal of risk and financial management

We test whether the selected cryptocurrencies exhibit long memory behavior in returns and volatility. We use data on five most traded cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and XRP. Using recent tests of long memory developed against persistent and nonlinear alternatives, this paper finds that long memory is mostly rejected in returns. The tests fail to reject the null hypothesis of long memory in most cases across different volatility proxies and cryptocurrencies. The estimated memory parameters show that volatility is persistent, and when volatility is measured by log r

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Role of Energy Structure, Infrastructure, Financial Inclusions, and Carbon Emissions: Quantile Analysis of E-7 Nations

Shanwen Gu, Adil Javed · 2025 · Sustainability

The E-7 nations face significant challenges in harmonizing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption with sustainable economic and environmental goals. While AI holds transformative potential to revolutionize energy structures, modernize infrastructure, broaden financial inclusion, and reduce carbon emissions, its effective integration is frequently hindered by policy inertia, economic limitations, and long-standing institutional barriers. Using the multi-level perspective (MLP), this study employs the method of moments quantile regression (MMQREG) on panel data from 2004 to 2024 to investigate th

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Navigating Chinese green deals through green investment, green technology, and green energy development: a race for sustainability or greenwashing?

Buhari Doğan, Mohammad Razib Hossain, Rabeh Khalfaoui et al. · 2026 · Financial Innovation

Abstract Drawing from the recent COP28, which espouses a boom in clean energy transition through technological forwardness, and the framework of the SDG, we address critical questions related to green investment, energy investment, and environmental sustainability. We scrutinize whether green technology genuinely leads to green investment and energy investment in China and whether the causal nexus between these variables holds amid an EKC postulation. We use Chinese provincial data from 1998 to 2020 and deploy the quantile moment-based non-parametric regression technique and the newly develope

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Green growth and sustainable energy transitions: evaluating the critical role of technology, resource efficiency, and innovation in Europe’s low-carbon future

Yangfan Lu, Sareer Ahmad, Shaista Noureen et al. · 2025 · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Renewable energy, technology, and innovation are central to sustainable development, but their effects vary by country because of institutional and economic differences. Previous studies often ignore these differences. By incorporating…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Government spending and economic growth dynamics in Somalia: time series evidence from ARDL bounds testing

Bile Abdisalan Nor, Yusniliyana Yusof · 2025 · Discover Sustainability

Abstract Somalia’s economy has faced persistent instability due to shocks from COVID-19, climate-related disasters, and conflict, resulting in stagnant GDP growth (averaging 2% from 2019 to 2023) and declining real GDP per capita (− 0.8% annually). Despite government expenditure rising to 9% of GDP in 2021, its efficiency in driving growth remains uncertain, raising critical questions about fiscal policy effectiveness in fragile states. We aim to investigate the relationship between government expenditure and GDP growth in Somalia from 1991 to 2021 using the ARDL estimation technique. The resu

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

What Is the Cost of Privatization for Workers?

Martin Olsson, Joacim Tå̊g · 2025 · The Journal of Finance

ABSTRACT Privatization of state‐owned enterprises is on the agenda across the globe. Using Swedish data covering two decades, we show that productivity gains and headcount reductions are associated with economic costs for incumbent…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Adaptive food price forecasting improves public information in times of rapid economic change

Matthew MacLachlan, Michael K. Adjemian, Xiaoli Etienne et al. · 2025 · Nature Communications

The advent of COVID-19 ended an era of stable US retail food prices that followed the world food price crisis of 2010–2012. Pandemic-related disruptions, avian influenza outbreaks, and the Russia-Ukraine war drove 2022 food-at-home…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Towards carbon neutrality: asymmetric impact of financial development and digitalization on carbon dioxide emissions in Mediterranean countries

Dhyani Mehta · 2024 · Carbon Research

Abstract The current research investigates the impact of financial development, digitalization, green trade, manufacturing, and national income on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions of six Mediterranean countries (MEDIT-6). The study uses a nonlinear panel quantile regression model with panel data of MEDIT-6 countries from 1994 to 2022. The study asserts that higher financial development will reduce CO 2 emissions for MEDIT-6 countries, as it provides more financing options to invest in green energy and potentially curb excessive energy consumption which in turn reduces CO 2 emissions. The study

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

ETF Resilience to Uncertainty Shocks: A Cross-Asset Nonlinear Analysis of AI and ESG Strategies

Cătălin Gheorghe, Oana Panazan, Hind Alnafisah et al. · 2025 · Risks

This study investigates the asymmetric responses of AI and ESG Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to geopolitical and financial uncertainty, with a focus on resilience across market regimes. The NASDAQ-100 and MSCI ESG Leaders indices are used as proxies for thematic ETFs, and their dynamic interlinkages are examined in relation to volatility indicators (VIX, GPR), alternative assets (Bitcoin, Ethereum, gold, oil, natural gas), and safe-haven currencies (CHF, JPY). A daily dataset spanning the 2016–2025 period is analyzed using Quantile-on-Quantile Regression (QQR) and Wavelet Coherence (WCO), enabl

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Exchange Rate Volatility and Its Impact on International Trade: Evidence from Zimbabwe

Iveny Makore, Chisinga Ngonidzashe Chikutuma · 2025 · Journal of risk and financial management

Zimbabwe’s economy has experienced extreme exchange rate fluctuations over the past decades, driven by persistent macroeconomic instability and episodes of hyperinflation. The instability in exchange rates can significantly impact trade balances, inflation rates, and overall economic resilience. Understanding the impact of exchange rate volatility (ERV) on international trade is crucial in such a context. This study investigates the impact of exchange rate volatility (ERV) on international trade in Zimbabwe, addressing a literature gap related to its unique economic challenges and hyperinflati

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Monopsony Makes Firms Not Only Small but Also Unproductive: Why East Germany has Not Converged

Rüdiger Bachmann, Christian Bayer, Heiko Stueber et al. · 2026 · The Review of Economic Studies

Abstract When employers face a trade-off between being large and paying low wages—and in this sense have monopsony power—some productive employers decide against building large business networks, forgo sales, and remain small. These…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Risk-Return Analysis of the Biopharmaceutical Industry as Compared to Other Industries

Cedric Popa, Karel Holvoet, Tessa Van Montfort et al. · 2018 · Frontiers in Pharmacology

Background: Profits in the biopharmaceutical industry have been scrutinized in social debate. However, drawing conclusions based on industry profitability only is inappropriate as such an analysis does not account for risks faced by investors. This study aims to measure risks and returns in the biopharmaceutical industry and investigates whether risk-adjusted return on investment in the biopharmaceutical industry is higher than that in other industries. Methods: To enable appropriate comparison, we identified six benchmark industries with characteristics that match those of the biopharmaceutic

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Evaluating the effectiveness of green finance mechanisms, digitalization, globalization, and renewable energy consumption in advancing environmental sustainability in G20 countries

Muhammad Asif, Long Yun-rong, Muhammad Azam Zia et al. · 2025 · Energy & Environment

Climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, has emerged as an acute world problem, especially in the Group of Twenty (G20), where CO 2 emissions and other greenhouse gases are accumulating. This research examines how energy…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Evaluating the Interactive and Transformative Role of Innovation, Education, Human Capital and Natural Resources Policies in Protecting and Sustaining Environmental Sustainability

Jing Zeng, Ali Punjwani · 2025 · Sustainability

Achieving environmental sustainability remains a critical challenge for governments worldwide, particularly within the G20 bloc, due to rapid urbanization, resource-intensive industrial activities, and the environmental pressures associated with globalization. Despite various efforts, ecological degradation continues to escalate, necessitating a deeper understanding of the factors influencing environmental sustainability. This study investigates the role of technological innovation (TLI), education (EDU), human capital (HMC), and natural resources (NTS) in shaping ecological sustainability, wh

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Negative / Null Result ReportEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Does the SARB respond to oil price movements? Historical evidence from the frequency domain

Goodness C. Aye, Olorato Gadinabokao, Rangan Gupta · 2016 · Energy Sources Part B Economics Planning and Policy

Causality testing procedures in the frequency domain and the time domain are employed to analyses the relationship between oil prices and interest rate in South Africa, covering the time period January 1936–November 2013 . Results show…

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Reconciling fiscal decentralization, environmental protection expenditures, and stringent regulations with the ecological priorities of the European Union

Elma Šatrović, Oluwatoyin Abidemi Somoye, Banji Rildwan Olaleye et al. · 2025 · Frontiers in Environmental Science

This study elucidates how fiscal decentralization affects environmental sustainability, moderating the role of environmental policy stringency in the selected European Union (EU) countries between 1995 and 2020. In addition, economic upturn, import diversification, and environmental protection expenditures are utilized as control variables. The empirical findings of the Method of the Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) disclosed that the environmental policy stringency and environmental protection expenditures help the EU achieve ecological priorities. In addition, import diversification also s

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

When Do Low-Frequency Measures Really Measure Effective Spreads? Evidence from Equity and Foreign Exchange Markets

Mohammad R. Jahan‐Parvar, Filip Žikeš · 2023 · Review of Financial Studies

Abstract We present evidence that several popular low-frequency measures of effective spread suffer from a volatility-induced bias and that volatility is the primary driver of the variation of these liquidity proxies. Using data for U.S. equities and major foreign exchange rates, we show that the bias arises when the effective spread is small relative to volatility. We document that the bias has become more acute over time and show that volatility-biased measures fail to replicate some well-known results in empirical finance. We conclude by providing guidance on the choice of low-frequency mea

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Clinical aspects of reimbursement policies for orphan drugs in Central and Eastern European countries

S Jakubowski, Paweł Kawalec, Przemysław Holko et al. · 2024 · Frontiers in Pharmacology

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize the reimbursement policy for orphan drugs (ODs) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in relation to the availability and impact of clinical evidence, health technology assessment (HTA) procedure, selected economic indicators, and the drug type according to indications. Materials and methods: A list of authorized medicines with orphan designation and information about active substance, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification, and therapeutic area was extracted from the web-based register of the European Medicines Agen

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Firm-level climate sentiments, climate politics and implied cost of equity capital

Katsiaryna Salavei Bardos, Dev R. Mishra, Hyacinthe Somé · 2025 · Journal of Corporate Finance

In a sample of U.S. firms, we find strong evidence that firms' implied cost of equity is decreasing in a novel proxy of firm-level climate change sentiments of earnings call participants, supporting prior literature that shows investors demand higher returns from their investments in brown firms and lower returns from that in green firms. This effect, however, is particularly pronounced for the firm-years headquartered in the states experiencing higher than median per-capita energy related CO2 emissions, those headquartered in climate related disaster intensive counties and those headquartered

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Determinants of Green Energy Penetration in N-11 Countries: A Machine Learning Analysis

Najabat Ali, Md Reza Sultanuzzaman · 2026 · Energies

This study investigates the determinants of green energy penetration in the Next Eleven (N-11) economies over the period 2000–2022, with a particular focus on the roles of foreign direct investment (FDI), green transition, governance quality, industrial growth, and urbanization. The primary objective of the study is to assess how investment flows, structural transformation, and institutional capacity jointly shape the adoption of renewable energy in fast-growing emerging economies. To achieve this goal, the study employs a second-generation panel econometric and machine-learning framework that

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Government effectiveness on environmental degradation in developing countries

Rong Yuan, Tajul Ariffin Masron, Yujie Chen et al. · 2025 · International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Abstract The alarming rate of environmental degradation worldwide has prompted a renewed focus on government effectiveness as an essential factor affecting environmental quality. Few studies have demonstrated the role of government effectiveness in environmental degradation under the influence of economic development. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the effect of government effectiveness and how it impacts environmental degradation using panel data from 61 regions from 2007 to 2021 and the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator. The results show that improving government ef

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Bridging digital innovation and energy justice: The role of artificial intelligence in advancing energy equity

Oxana Kirichok, Yuliia Orlovska, G.S. Zhanseitova et al. · 2025 · Environmental Economics

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstract Global progress toward universal access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy has stalled, with over two billion people still lacking access to clean cooking, and affordability pressures are rising. AI is emerging as an energy-intensive technology and a potential enabler of more equitable energy systems. This paper assesses whether AI vibrancy contributes to advancing energy equity across countries while accounting for differences in economic capacity. The study employs a balanced panel of 36 countries from 2017 to 2023 (252 observations), draw

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

From Fossil Dependence on Sustainability: The Effects of Energy Transition, Green Growth, and Financial Inclusion on Environmental Degradation in the MENA Region

Sami S. Omar, Wagdi M. S. Khalifa, Tolga Öz · 2025 · Energies

Amid growing environmental concerns and an increasing push for sustainable development, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have taken proactive steps toward green growth, energy transition, and technological innovation. As a result, this study examines the effects of green growth, energy transition, technological innovation, financial inclusion, and urbanization on environmental sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Moreover, this study breaks new ground by exposing the hidden environmental costs of financial inclusion, urbanization, and tec

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Talents from Abroad. Foreign Managers and Productivity in the United Kingdom

Dimitrios Exadaktylos, Massimo Riccaboni, Armando Rungi · 2020 · arXiv

In this paper, we test the contribution of foreign management on firms' competitiveness. We use a novel dataset on the careers of 165,084 managers employed by 13,106 companies in the United Kingdom in the period 2009-2017. We find that domestic manufacturing firms become, on average, between 7% and 12% more productive after hiring the first foreign managers, whereas foreign-owned firms register no significant improvement. In particular, we test that previous industry-specific experience is the primary driver of productivity gains in domestic firms (15.6%), in a way that allows the latter to ca

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Conditioning on a Volatility Proxy Compresses the Apparent Timescale of Collective Market Correlation

Yuda Bi, Vince D Calhoun · 2026 · arXiv

We address the attribution problem for apparent slow collective dynamics: is the observed persistence intrinsic, or inherited from a persistent driver? For the leading eigenvalue fraction $ψ_1=λ_{\max}/N$ of S\&P 500 60-day rolling correlation matrices ($237$ stocks, 2004--2023), a VIX-coupled Ornstein--Uhlenbeck model reduces the effective relaxation time from $298$ to $61$ trading days and improves the fit over bare mean reversion by $Δ$BIC$=109$. On the decomposition sample, an informational residual of $\log(\mathrm{VIX})$ alone retains most of that gain ($Δ$BIC$=78.6$), whereas a mechanic

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