The relationship between economic and social development with competitiveness: An empirical study

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Published: Feb 13, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/scad.15943
Keywords:
Economic development social development competitiveness institutional environment reforms
Kostas Rontos
University of the Aegean
Maria-Eleni Syrmali
Panteion University
Ioannis Vavouras
Panteion University
Abstract

The prevalence of institutional weaknesses largely unveils the existence of inherent economic and social underdevelopment as well as persistent bottlenecks of political nature, which in principle are more intense in less
developed countries. In this study, by using a global sample of developed and developing countries it is proved that the relationship between corruption, which is a serious institutional deficiency, and income is not a symmetric one. However, the effective control of corruption should not be considered as a “quasi luxury good” the demand of which increases once the level of income rises to a certain level. On the contrary, it may be
achieved through the adoption and effective implementation of the appropriate long-run policies and institutional reforms.

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Author Biographies
Kostas Rontos, University of the Aegean

Kostas Rontos is Professor of Social Demography and Statistics at the Sociology Department of the University of the Aegean. He used to be the President of the forementioned Department for the last four years and now he is the vice President of the same Department. He is also Director of the Laboratory “Social Informatics, Statistics and Research Infrastructures”. He used to be a Director at the National Statistical Service of Greece. He has participated in several research projects on subjects as statistical research, regional & demographic analysis and information systems. He has been the author or co-author of publications on subjects as employment, migration, institutional economics, demographic analysis, statistics and information systems.

Maria-Eleni Syrmali, Panteion University

Maria-Eleni Syrmali is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences and at the University of the Aegean. She has been awarded a Doctorate in Economics. She has delivered lectures in Universities and Higher Technological Education Institutes at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She has also presented her research findings in a number of international scientific conferences. She serves as a referee in a number of prestigious scientific journals. Her scientific research has been published in collective volumes, academic journals and
conference proceedings.

Ioannis Vavouras, Panteion University

Ioannis Vavouras is Professor of Economic Policy at Panteion University, Department of Public
Administration. He has studied at Panteion University and at the University of Leicester. His main fields of research are economic policy, institutional economics, economic governance, macroeconomic analysis, public sector conomics and economics of integration where he has a
large number of scientific publications.

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