Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée pour le Développement

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the surface acting strategy (i.e., dissonance between the emotions felt and those expressed) implemented by physical education teachers during critical incidents in “difficult” contexts. Method: Twenty-two physical education teachers told five critical incidents experienced throughout a school year (N = 110) and participated in an end-of-year interview. Data analysis and representation were conducted to identify and illustrate various enacted forms of surface acting. Results: The analysis revealed 70 emergences of surface acting out of the 110 critical incidents collected (63.6%). These 70 critical incidents included four enacted forms of surface acting, in which the valence of the emotional experience and type of dissonance intersected: (a) masking positive emotions, (b) amplifying positive emotions, (c) masking negative emotions, and (d) amplifying negative emotions. Four portrait vignettes are presented to illustrate each of these forms. Discussion/Conclusion: The results enrich the conceptualization of emotional labor in a situational approach and illuminate the daily challenges experienced by physical education teachers in “difficult” contexts.

Mediterranean agroecosystems are under increasing pressures by extreme weather events, which together with poor livestock grazing management bring the already degraded lands closer to desertification. To address these challenges, we develop a decision support manual for sustainable management of degraded lands based on local plant and animal resources. We present a conceptual approach to quantify the quality attributes of current pasture-based livestock and mixed farming systems to increase their added value. Most approaches focus on lowland areas, we propose building a system to assess and quantify the quality and management of grazing lands as well as the small ruminant farming practices in Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) areas of the Mediterranean. The interventions have been proposed by 17 researchers from different disciplines ranging from animal science and animal husbandry, nutrition and genetics, pasture management, plant breeding and soil science to regional development and environmental science and agricultural economics. They are based on technical and socio-economic information, to foster the development of business models towards sustainable management of regenerative grazing. These models are also expected to be used as evidence for motivating farmers and stakeholders in reinforcing grazing as a practice that, when properly used and implemented using local knowledge, reduces land degradation and contributes to the conservation of the local resources. The economic analysis showing the costs and benefits of the applied systems is important to foster the integration and implementation of the recommended schemes and leads to more efficient planning through better decision making. The proposed interventions are designed to stimulate farmers to learn or rediscover grazing techniques, and to stimulate a re-think of priorities on the multi-faceted contribution of grazing agro-ecosystems, among others, on soil health, land degradation, sustainable grazing management and population conservation in LFAs, acknowledging the importance of pastureland regeneration. In the long term the introduction of the decision support manual and the business model will benefit the quality and management of grazing agroecosystems. Furthermore, it is essential to adjust the agricultural policies to implenent the proposed measures.

Organisational innovation has become a critical factor for the survival and competitiveness of public-sector organisations. This form of innovation entails the introduction of new ways of doing and organising work that aimed at enhancing the organisation’s capacity to achieve its objectives. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the conditions that stimulate the development of organisational innovation in the context of a national public institution experiencing transformation and modernisation in Algeria. More specifically, our aim is to identify the internal and external conditions that facilitate the emergence of innovation, using a descriptive and analytical approach based on qualitative data collection (interviews and observations). The results of this work show that innovation is not isolated in the organisation, but is influenced by the organisation’s internal and external environment. This environment exerts pressure but also provides the conditions and the opportunities for innovation. The existence of a clear development strategy and project-based working structures provides a favourable context for innovation. Innovation is also a collective phenomenon, arising from the contribution of all key people in the organisation and the mobilisation of collective capacities through the role of leadership and the organisational support. Public organisations must therefore pay particular attention to these aspects in order to create value and innovate in their practices and remain competitive in an increasingly turbulent environment.

Special needs education represents an emotion-laden context for teachers. The aim of this study was to analyze the forms and inducers of teachers’ emotional labor in this specific context. Using a situational psychological approach, we analyzed 167 critical incidents experienced by 50 special education teachers. Qualitative analysis revealed three passive forms of emotional labor (52.3 %), particularly “To feel and express the positive emotions generated by a pleasant situation”, and three active forms (47.7 %), especially “To master the negative emotions generated by an unpleasant situation”. These forms of emotional labor emerged from four categories of positive inducers (55.9 %), particularly “Teachers’ successful interventions with students”, and from four categories of negative inducers (44.1 %), especially “Students’ displays of aggressiveness”. Statistical analysis highlighted a strong association between passive forms and positive inducers, and between active forms and negative inducers. These results are discussed in relation to the specificities of teaching in special needs education.

This study assesses the extent to which growers integrate the 13 principles of agroecology within their farm activities. This is a first step that helps to determine the changes required in different farm components to foster the adoption of agroecology. We used the holistic Farm-Level Agroecology Criteria Tool (F-ACT) to assess the alignment with agroecological principles of 31 farms representative of smallholder irrigated family farms in the Merguellil Plain region of central Tunisia. Although various agroecological practices were implemented, the results revealed little integration of agroecological principles at the farm level, estimated at 34% of the full transition. In a difficult production resource access context, recycling and reducing inputs were the principles mostly applied, with the goal of improving resource use efficiency and farm system resilience. More specialized and market-oriented farms tended to rely on conventional practices, while diversified farms, often cultivating their own land, exhibited more sustainable practices. Although producers’ dominant rationale was to improve their market access, thereby often resorting to more conventional practices, we nevertheless noted interesting practices such as mixed crop and livestock production, which could facilitate the transition to more agroecological systems in these lowlands where production factors are scarce.

Au Maghreb, les femmes entrepreneures font face à de nombreuses contraintes économiques, sociales et culturelles. Ces contraintes, identifiées dans de nombreuses études, limitent souvent fortement la capacité des femmes à initier leur projet d’entrepreneuriat et à le développer. L’étude analyse les stratégies menées par des femmes entrepreneures pour surmonter les différentes contraintes à leur activité économique. L’étude a été menée auprès de 40 femmes entrepreneures à Ghardaïa (sud de l’Algérie). Dans cette région oasienne, les normes sociales et culturelles sont marquées par le patriarcat et contraignent fortement l’accès des femmes à l’espace public. Les femmes entrepreneures interrogées ont développé des stratégies pour faire face aux contraintes économiques (comme la saturation du marché local en produits traditionnels) en valorisant mieux leurs produits et en créant des produits et services pour répondre aux nouvelles demandes de consommation. Elles ont aussi mobilisé des stratégies pour surmonter les contraintes socioculturelles, notamment en utilisant les outils numériques, en impliquant les hommes de leurs foyers familiaux dans leur projet d’entrepreneuriat, et en s’investissant dans de nouveaux espaces publics où la présence des femmes est acceptée. Ces différentes stratégies ont permis aux femmes de développer leurs activités économiques en s’adaptant aux normes locales plutôt qu’en entrant en conflit avec elles. Cependant, les activités développées restent en général dans le secteur informel. L’essor de cet entrepreneuriat se produit ainsi loin des dispositifs publics d’appui, qui bénéficient avant tout aux entreprises formellement établies.

Objectives Chronic diseases contribute significantly to healthy years lost (HYLs). It is critical to investigate which are the most contributing diseases to enable enhancing health programs’ effectiveness in improving health expectancy. This paper investigates disease-specific contributions to years lived with chronic diseases in Algeria and examines their recent evolution. Methods We used morbidity data from the last three waves of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys of 2006, 2012–13, and 2018–19. The studied chronic diseases included hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), joint diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes. We calculated disease-specific contributions using the cause-deleted health expectancy approach. Then, we analyzed time changes and gender-based differences in contributions. Results The leading cause of HYLs in women is hypertension, followed by diabetes, joint diseases, CVDs, and respiratory diseases. The same ranking applies to men, with joint diseases coming last. The time evolution of relative disease-specific contributions shows an increase in CVDs for women and diabetes for both genders, against a decrease for the other diseases. Discussion To improve chronic disease-free life expectancy in Algeria, effective prevention programs must be implemented, with an emphasis on hypertension and diabetes. Further investigation into the risk factors affecting the prevalence and incidence of these diseases is also required.

Algeria’s food security is largely dependent on three critical factors: the climate, the public finances, and the global food market. The significance of imports in meeting the country’s food needs underscores its vulnerability to disruptions in the global market, primarily due to its reliance on oil revenues. Several factors contribute to this complex situation, including population growth, climate change, shifts in dietary habits towards calorie-rich diets, sedentary lifestyles, and a lack of nutritional education. These last three factors create a particular dilemma the increase in hunger or undernourishment alongside the rising prevalence of overweight or obesity, especially among young people Algeria and other countries face a complex challenge that requires deep reflection, informed policies, and coordinated actions to ensure both food security and environmental sustainability while addressing hunger and malnutrition issues. Our chapter analyses the food security situation and proposes recommendations based on scenarios aimed at rethinking food and nutrition policies. It places an emphasis on providing access to healthy and nutritious foods through coordinated actions, promoting active lifestyles, raising awareness about nutrition, and sustainably managing natural resources, particularly water and soil.

In the evolving economic and geopolitical landscape, regional integration serves as a strategy for countries to enhance global influence and optimise trade relations. The present study assesses the impact of trade liberalisation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Algeria’s exports, contributing thus to the debate on the potential effects of trade agreements involving developing countries. The study relies on official data gathered from international institutions to compute essential trade indicators, particularly those related to concentration and regional orientation. Our analysis enabled us to categorise products based on the possible effects they are likely to encounter. The results show that only four natural resource-based products will continue to enjoy a trade expansion. More importantly, a large number of non-hydrocarbon products are not likely to increase despite tariff reductions. According to our findings, the effects of the AfCFTA on trade creation are limited. The analysis revealed that Algeria currently lacks the essential prerequisites for a successful integration into the African market. To facilitate its integration process, a series of complementary measures must be implemented.

Building an investment portfolio is a problem that numerous researchers have addressed for many years. The key goal has always been to balance risk and reward by optimally allocating assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash. In general, the portfolio management process is based on three steps: planning, execution, and feedback, each of which has its objectives and methods to be employed. Starting from Markowitz's mean-variance portfolio theory, different frameworks have been widely accepted, which considerably renewed how asset allocation is being solved. Recent advances in artificial intelligence provide methodological and technological capabilities to solve highly complex problems, and investment portfolio is no exception. For this reason, the paper reviews the current state-of-the-art approaches by answering the core question of how artificial intelligence is transforming portfolio management steps. Moreover, as the use of artificial intelligence in finance is challenged by transparency, fairness and explainability requirements, the case study of post-hoc explanations for asset allocation is demonstrated. Finally, we discuss recent regulatory developments in the European investment business and highlight specific aspects of this business where explainable artificial intelligence could advance transparency of the investment process.

In this chapter we develop a theoretical-conceptual model on young farmers’ entrepreneurship in multi-functional, diverse and resilient sustainable rural development. Our aim is supported by policies fostering social and economic opportunities that target both rural youth and rural female entrepreneurship. The European Green Deal and associated targeted initiatives offer new avenues for agriculture, rural development, and social innovation aiming at vulnerable youth groups in rural communities such as rural young people Not in Employment, not in Education or Training (NEETs), or at setting up new, viable, and attractive businesses for overcoming negative representations about farming among rural younger generations. We identify and explain the obstacles and the policy opportunities for stronger rural youth entrepreneurship and their contribution to sustainable rural development. We make this by considering the concepts of sustainability and resilience associated with the multifunctionality and heterogeneity of rural areas in the context of the Industry 4.0 uprising. Altogether, these elements can determine young people’s level of involvement in the farming sector and their willingness to stay in rural areas, including among the most vulnerable ones. We also provide a set of research avenues to overcome traditional farming approaches and policy recommendations fostering entrepreneurship among rural young people.

In a context of higher education reform, non-technical skills have gained a particular status as they are now placed at the core of educational programmes. This article aims to understand the involvement of higher education institutions (HEIs) and students in acquiring and developing non-technical skills. Accordingly, we conducted a quantitative survey among students at a management school. The results of this study suggest that students play an active role in their own skill development by engaging in scientific clubs, associations, and teamwork. However, this may not be sufficient to ensure better learning of cross-cutting skills, and higher education institutions must intervene by creating an environment conducive to this growth.

Irregular migration is a worldwide phenomenon. Each country develops its vision and its actions generally without knowing either the magnitude or the depth of irregular migrations stock and flows. Each actor tries to develop its specific contribution to picture its complexity in the Mediterranean region, the world deadliest zone for migrants. We develop a global method to measure the process of irregular maritime migration in twelve steps from North Africa to Europe. Such a vision is a missing link in the governance of irregular migrations. The first sequence (entry) has three steps. Migration begins with the intention to leave. Then the prospects legitimize the move. Finally, the departure is decided. The final sequence (exit) has three options: installation, return to the country of origin or a new departure. Between these two sequences, we design the “black box” on the sea route, with six steps.This macroscopic view is based on field studies and data produced since this millennium particularly on harga from Maghreb Countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia).Each country can thus find its function in sharing information, hence contributing to the implementation of the first goal of the UN global compact for regular migration.

This paper centres on the phenomenon of entrepreneurship emerging from necessity. Through the adoption of a dual methodological approach, the objective is to identify the motivating factors that determine the establishment of businesses driven by necessity in Algeria. The quantitative approach utilizes principal component analysis on a sample of 194 entrepreneurs, while the qualitative approach involves conducting semi-directive interviews with seven entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. By employing these methods, the study aims to uncover the primary variables that influence the occurrence of necessity entrepreneurship in Algeria. The findings of this research shed light on the crucial internal and external factors that contribute to necessity entrepreneurship. Remarkably, these results challenge the prevailing dichotomous framework often utilized to differentiate between necessity entrepreneurship and opportunity entrepreneurship in research studies.

Accelerated population ageing in Algeria threatens the financial sustainability of its pay-as-you-go retirement system. Reform is a necessity, with options ranging from simple parametric reforms to important systemic changes. Prior to undertaking systemic reforms, it is worthwhile to investigate whether parametric reforms can place the system on a financially sustainable footing. In this article, we used a multi-scenario analysis that crosses the possible reform actions with possible socioeconomic scenarios. The results show that when using the most favourable scenarios, the financial balance of the Algerian system will remain negative in the short and long term. Implementing major parametric reforms can only help reduce the deficit and make it stable over time. Thereafter, systemic reforms will have to be implemented.

Globally, employment rates of women remain substantially below those of men. Since women disproportionately care for children, policies that offer care alternatives or lower the cost of care, should, theoretically, increase women's employment. This paper tests whether public pre-primary education can increase women's employment, using a natural experiment in Algeria. Education reforms in Algeria substantially expanded public pre-primary, targeting children aged five. The paper uses data from 2006 (early in the expansion), 2012, and 2018 (after pre-primary had substantially expanded). The analyses use a discontinuity in whether children are eligible for pre-primary, based on their birthdates, to identify the effect of pre-primary on women's employment. Increased pre-primary education did not increase and may have actually decreased women's employment. One potential explanation for these findings is the half-day schedule of pre-primary may be difficult to reconcile with employment. Negative effects are concentrated among women living in nuclear families, who lack alternative caregivers.

In this paper, we propose a new threshold model to deal with the asymmetry and leverage effect in the volatility of financial time series. Our model generalizes the classical threshold stochastic volatility model. By introducing a new flexible and smooth regime-switching mechanism, we avoid the sudden jump in the log-volatility imposed by the classical model. More precisely, we propose a new threshold model that we call Buffered Threshold Stochastic Volatility (BTSV) model. After the definition of our model, we derive a sufficient condition for the strict stationarity of the model. Then, we develop a Sequential Monte Carlo method to estimate the parameters. Next, we analyse the performance of the proposed method through a simulation study. Finally, we apply our new methodology to model the Honeywell International Inc and Standard and Poor Composite 500 stock market indices. This empirical analysis shows that BTSV model is a competitive alternative for the asymmetry modelling in financial returns analysis.