Application gaps in Economics

Representative open questions

Showing 30 of 84 — one per source paper, highest-quality first.

• Of ticks and tigers: Subjective event spaces in complexity economics (2026) · doi

  The paper identifies that antitrust analysis, financial regulation, and industrial policy all implicitly assume regulators and regulated agents share an event space, but does not provide concrete methodologies for how regulators should model or discover the subjective event spaces of regulated agents when designing policy interventions in these three domains.

• Artificial intelligence, capability transformation, and marine green development: empirical evidence from Coastal China (2026) · doi

  The moderation effect of marine green finance (MGF) is tested at the aggregate level (coefficient 0.461**, Table 10), but the paper does not examine how specific types of green financing mechanisms (green bonds, green credit, green insurance) differentially moderate AI's impact on marine green development across various industrial subsectors.

• Black and green: How electoral outcomes influence provincial circular economy performance in Italy (2026) · doi

  The study identifies that circularity transitions in marginalised areas require enhanced local participation and bottom-up engagement strategies to counteract populist narratives and rebuild institutional trust, but provides no specific operational framework for designing or measuring the effectiveness of participatory governance mechanisms tailored to low-trust institutional environments.

• What Determines the Demand for Online High-Cost Credit? Evidence from Loan Applications from Digital Credit Intermediaries (2026) · doi

  The paper identifies that lead generating platforms exclude non-for-profit providers (credit unions, CDFIs) that could offer lower-cost alternatives, yet there is no empirical analysis of whether applicants would accept such alternatives or how loan terms differ between lead generator-sourced lenders and excluded providers.

• Dynamical analysis of an OLG model with interacting epidemiological and environmental domains (2026) · doi

  The paper does not address firm uncertainty in estimating marginal total factor productivity within the OLG framework. The authors identify this as a policy-relevant gap and call for developing suitable approximation methods to handle productivity estimation uncertainty in the integrated economic-epidemiological model.

• Predicting option prices from their price history via machine learning (2026) · doi

  The delta-hedged trading strategy does not rebalance the delta hedge during the weekly holding period following the conservative approach of Goyal and Saretto (2009). The performance improvement from daily or intra-week delta rebalancing for machine learning-predicted IV forecasts has not been evaluated.

• From Hype to Hesitation: A Longitudinal Analysis of User Sentiments towards AI‑Enabled Fintech Lending Platforms (2026) · doi

  The paper addresses user sentiment toward AI-enabled fintech lending but does not examine whether sentiment divergence correlates with specific AI transparency factors (e.g., explainability of creditworthiness algorithms, disclosure of alternative data usage). Future research should conduct comparative sentiment analysis between platforms with varying levels of AI model explainability and e-KYC disclosure practices.

• Evaluating Innovation Levels based on Standard Deviation of Parameters and MCDM Methods (2026) · doi

  While the study confirms that underperforming provinces require intervention in Institutions (C1), the paper lacks quantitative thresholds or benchmarks specifying how many standard deviations below the mean warrant different policy interventions, limiting operationalization of the findings.

• Using artificial intelligence in marketing (2026) · doi

  The paper documents that SMEs face AI adoption barriers including high licensing costs, lack of pre-trained models tailored to organizational specificity, and IT infrastructure expansion requirements, yet no concrete solutions are proposed for developing cost-effective, modular AI implementations compatible with existing IT ecosystems in small and medium enterprises.

• A Study on the Impact of UPI and Digital Payment system on the Spending Behaviour of college students (2026) · doi

  The paper concludes digital payments will play a vital role in the evolving digital economy but provides no evidence of how regulatory changes, payment gateway policy modifications, or emerging UPI features will specifically impact student spending behavior patterns.

• Impact on Adoption of Artificial Intelligence(AI) in the Banking Industry. (2026) · doi

  The study identifies lack of expertise as an impediment to AI adoption but does not quantify the specific skill gaps (machine learning engineering, data science, AI governance expertise) required for different AI banking applications or measure training outcomes needed to address workforce readiness for AI-powered banking systems.

• TEXNOLOGİYALARIN İQTİSADİ VƏ SOSİAL TƏSİRLƏRİNİN GÖSTƏRİCİLƏR ƏSASINDA QİYMƏTLƏNDİRİLMƏSİ (2026) · doi

  The paper discusses labor market adaptation to technological change but does not specify what reskilling requirements, sectoral employment transitions, or workforce competency frameworks should be measured to evaluate technology-induced labor market disruption in innovation-oriented economic systems.

• Workforce Analytics for Manufacturing: Predicting Employee Job Satisfaction via Explainable Machine Learning and SHAP (2026) · doi

  The Random Forest model achieved superior diagnostic accuracy (R² = 0.8731, ROC-AUC = 0.9754) for early warning systems to identify at-risk employee groups, but the paper does not specify the satisfaction threshold value at which employees transition to turnover risk or provide threshold optimization methodology for implementation in actual manufacturing HR systems.

• VERGİ RİSKLƏRİ VƏ VERGİLƏRİN OPTİMALLAŞDIRILMASININ MÜASİR İQTİSADİ ŞƏRAİTDƏ ROLU (2026) · doi

  The paper discusses how developed versus developing countries apply different tax policies, but does not empirically analyze how tax optimization strategies and tax risk profiles differ across countries with different development levels, nor establish country-specific models for tax risk management adapted to varying institutional capacities and economic structures.

• A Study on Integrating Production and Service Management Strategies for Achieving Competitive Advantage in Modern Organizations (2026) · doi

  Scenario planning and contingency planning improvements through production-service integration are mentioned as a benefit, but no specific framework, simulation approach, or case studies demonstrate how integrated organizations develop resilient systems compared to siloed functional structures.

• An Empirical Study of Price Action, Return, Volatility and Risk in MCX vs International Exchange: A Comparative Analysis of Gold, Silver, Oil, Gas and Copper (2026) · doi

  The implication section suggests that global price shocks transmit quickly to MCX for hedging strategies, but the paper does not quantify the speed of transmission (in hours or days) or estimate optimal hedge ratios specific to each commodity pair (MCX-COMEX for metals, MCX-NYMEX for energy) using dynamic hedging models or rolling-window correlation analysis.

• Recruiter's Perception of Artificial Intelligence Based Tools in Recruitment at Virtusa, Chennai (2026) · doi

  Data privacy concerns are reported by 18% of respondents regarding candidate data processing in AI systems, but the paper does not specify which regulatory frameworks (GDPR, CCPA, India's DPDP Act) apply to Virtusa's recruitment context or how privacy compliance impacts AI tool selection. Compliance-driven AI tool evaluation frameworks for recruitment require development.

• How artificial intelligence improves the resilience of marine firms: insights from China’s A-share market (2026) · doi

  The paper identifies that AI penetration in traditional marine industries (fisheries, oil/gas extraction, logistics, chemical/metal manufacturing) breaks path dependence and optimizes redundant processes, but does not specify which AI technologies (machine learning algorithms, predictive maintenance systems, autonomous optimization, real-time monitoring) are most effective for each subsector or identify which redundant processes are eliminated.

• The Influence of Gen Z Characteristics and Company Strategy on Turnover Intention (2026) · doi

  The paper identifies work flexibility, accelerated career development, work meaning, and adaptive work environment preferences as Gen Z characteristics influencing turnover, but does not measure whether different startup contexts (pre-seed, growth-stage, Series A/B) differentially satisfy these needs. Research should examine how startup lifecycle stage moderates the relationship between Gen Z characteristics and turnover intention.

• Attitude Toward AI Use, Extent of AI Tool Utilization, and Administrative Efficiency among School Heads in SAMARICA District (2026) · doi

  While the study identifies that 'functional breadth' of AI use among school heads remains moderate, it does not specify which specific administrative functions (e.g., budget planning, student record management, staff scheduling) are underutilized or which AI tool types would address these gaps in school leadership operations.

• WHAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN DO TO MITIGATE ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION IN ISLAMIC BANK: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK REVEALED (2026) · doi

  Implementation challenges across different institutional and regulatory contexts (mentioned in the conclusion) are not addressed—specifically, how the AI framework would adapt to varying Shariah governance structures, different regulatory capital requirements, and diverse data privacy regulations across Muslim-majority countries and Islamic banking jurisdictions.

• Global Fast Fashion Industry: Present Opportunities and Future Challenges for Sustainability (2026) · doi

  While the paper discusses Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) financing for collection, sorting, and recycling systems, it lacks specific investigation into how EPR collection revenues should be optimally allocated across these three functions or how effectiveness varies by textile fiber type (synthetic vs. non-polymer fibers).

• Entrepreneurial Skills and Quantitative Decision - Making: The Role of Business Mathematics in Emerging Enterprises of Assam (2026) · doi

  The independent sample t-test reveals statistically significant sector-wise differences in quantitative decision-making (t=2.14, p=0.034) across manufacturing, service, and trade sectors, but the paper does not specify which sectors show higher/lower performance or examine sector-specific business mathematics training needs for emerging enterprises.

• Impact of Talent Management on Emotional Intelligence in Food Industry Companies in Hodeidah Governorate (2026) · doi

  The study documented a non-significant relationship between talent motivation programs and emotional intelligence (β=0.074, p=0.489) in food industry companies, yet did not examine whether this contradiction with prior pharmaceutical and healthcare studies results from differences in motivation program design, industry-specific work environments, or whether emotional intelligence requires different motivational structures in food manufacturing versus service sectors.

• Integrated pollution and carbon mitigation delivers major health and economic co-benefits in China (2026) · doi

  The Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) monetization approach applies a fixed income elasticity coefficient (β = 0.8) derived from OECD recommendations; the applicability of this standardized elasticity to China's heterogeneous provincial income structures and its sensitivity across different economic development zones and rural-urban divides in the carbon mitigation scenarios is not explored.

• AGRI CONNECT: A Digital Platform for Direct Trade Between Farmers and Restaurants (2026) · doi

  The platform does not address phytosanitary certification or compliance with agricultural export/import regulations for the farmer-restaurant transactions. Requirements for pesticide residue documentation, organic certification verification, or compliance with food safety standards are not specified in the workflow.

• A Prognosis of South Africa's Cultural and Creative Industries: A Perspective Analysis from within the Creative Economy (2026) · doi

  The paper identifies integration between creative entrepreneurship and sustainable economic practices (exemplified by waste-reducing hospitality projects) as a need, but provides no specific models, metrics, or implementation frameworks for replicating and scaling these integrated approaches across township-based artists and independent hotels in South Africa's cultural and creative industries.

• O USO DA INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL NO MARKETING SOCIAL PARA O COMBATE À HESITAÇÃO VACINAL INFANTIL: UM ESTUDO DE CASO EM PARAÍSO DO TOCANTINS – TO (2026) · doi

  No structured evidence of AI tool utilization was identified in the municipality's social marketing strategies for health communication, representing both a challenge and strategic opportunity for modernization.

• Elliott Wave Formalization using Time Cycles & Liquidity Pool Dynamics: A Quantitative Approach (2026) · doi

  Real-world implementation of automated wave labelling by combining fractal filters, Hurst thresholds, and FFT cycle confirmations in signal pipelines needs further development and testing.

• Artificial intelligence in human resource management: A review of applications, algorithms, and ethical challenges (2026) · doi

  Future research should focus on creating more sophisticated and accountable AI systems capable of handling complex HR decisions while ensuring fairness and transparency.