Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Vito Bobek Author-X-Name-First: Vito Author-X-Name-Last: Bobek Author-Name: Tobias Boh Author-X-Name-First: Tobias Author-X-Name-Last: Boh Author-Name: Tatjana Horvat Author-X-Name-First: Tatjana Author-X-Name-Last: Horvat Title: International portfolio diversification: a comparison of individual investors in Austria and Mexico Abstract: Investors tend to overweigh domestic stocks in their portfolios. This insufficient diversification negatively impacts their performance and harms investors. The present paper investigates differences in the approach to international diversification between individual investors from Austria and Mexico. Comparing investors from these two countries offers further insights concerning the observable gap in international diversification between developed and emerging economies. A survey among individual investors from Austria and Mexico was conducted. The survey results show that retail investors from both countries express significant levels of home bias, with Austrian investors expressing a higher affinity for international diversification in general and Mexican investors expressing a higher preference for domestic stocks. These findings underline the complex nature of the puzzle, showing once more that investors express a deeply rooted home bias in their investment decisions. The results emphasise the need for adequate financial education to highlight the advantages of international portfolio diversification. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 25-56 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: home bias; portfolio diversification; investments; Austria; Mexico. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150249 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:25-56 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Olukayode A. Faleye Author-X-Name-First: Olukayode A. Author-X-Name-Last: Faleye Author-Name: Ozekhome G. Igechi Author-X-Name-First: Ozekhome G. Author-X-Name-Last: Igechi Title: Chinese economic diplomacy, public-private partnerships and Nigerian Lekki Deep Seaport Abstract: This paper examines the emerging trends in Chinese economic diplomacy characterised by the transition from state loans to Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Africa. It discusses how the Nigerian Lekki Deep Seaport symbolises a new wave of Sino-African PPP. The existing literature on Chinese economic diplomacy is built on the dichotomised views of the debt trap and aids narratives. Studies have criticised the Sino-African PPPs as an illusion designed by China to sustain African underdevelopment. We nevertheless present a counter-narrative in this study and argue that African agencies can strategically improve their negotiating capacities to create favourable conditions for growth. Based on the analyses of diverse official sources and the extant literature, this paper concludes that this peculiar example of Sino-African PPPs ensures the convergence of national interest and global justice. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 57-78 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: AfCFTA; BRI; global justice; Lekki Deep-Seaport; regional economy; Sino-African PPPs; transportation infrastructure. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150250 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:57-78 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Manpreet Kaur Author-X-Name-First: Manpreet Author-X-Name-Last: Kaur Author-Name: Parneet Kaur Author-X-Name-First: Parneet Author-X-Name-Last: Kaur Title: Job polarisation with advent of technology: a changing landscape of employment explored through bibliometric analysis Abstract: Employment trends have been changing over the decades. A phenomenon in employment has been observed recently which is termed job polarisation. Technology has been considered the main reason for this phenomenon. This study aims to trace the advancement of literature concerning job polarisation from the year 1990 to 2023. A total of 175 research studies are extracted from the Scopus database. After applying the inclusion criteria, 144 studies are considered for analysis through bibliometric and network visualisation techniques. The research work of 291 authors is considered to underline the most eminent authors, journals, countries and organisations in this field of research. The bibliometric maps, networks and tables have been made and examined using bibliometric tools, such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. This study also uncovers the major themes that have been focused on in the literature. The future research areas that require the attention of researchers are also highlighted in this study. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 6-24 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: systematic literature review; job polarisation; VOSviewer; Biblioshiny; Scopus; bibliometric coupling. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150251 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:6-24 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mohammad Meysam Rafiee Author-X-Name-First: Mohammad Meysam Author-X-Name-Last: Rafiee Author-Name: Mahboobeh Farahati Author-X-Name-First: Mahboobeh Author-X-Name-Last: Farahati Title: Democracy and the fiscal decentralisation: government size nexus in Iran Abstract: This study investigates the role of democracy in the relationship between fiscal decentralisation and government size in Iran using data from 1981 to 2021. The results of the co-integration analysis based on the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach show that in the long run, fiscal decentralisation has a negative and statistically significant effect on government size. Additionally, the interaction effect between democracy and fiscal decentralisation is negative and statistically significant, suggesting that the impact of fiscal decentralisation on government size depends on the level of democracy in such a way that the negative effect of financial decentralisation on the size of the government increases with the increase of democracy. In other words, the higher the level of democracy, the greater the reduction in government size resulting from a one-unit increase in fiscal decentralisation. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 106-127 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: government size; democracy; fiscal decentralisation; Iran. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150253 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:106-127 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Martin Dekleva Author-X-Name-First: Martin Author-X-Name-Last: Dekleva Title: The strategic role of non-governmental organisations in international economic relations Abstract: The emergence of multi-dimensional non-governmental organisations (NGOs) manifests in various aspects of social life, including international economic relations. The impact of civil society on the economy at the international level cannot be overlooked. Non-governmental organisations are generally socially beneficial and can contribute to the democratisation of international institutions, as well as to policy formulation and decision-making at the international level. However, this influence has also some shortcomings and opens several important dilemmas. The paper discusses the strategic role of non-governmental organisations in economic relations between states from the point of view of two basic elements: policy making and implementation and legal procedures. The author concludes that different interests can be reconciled through legally framed and transparent activities between non-governmental organisations, states and non-state actors. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 93-105 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: non-governmental organisations; international relations; international economic relations; international trade; economic diplomacy; international law; role of non-governmental organisations; policy making. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150254 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:93-105 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Gurpreet Kaur Author-X-Name-First: Gurpreet Author-X-Name-Last: Kaur Author-Name: Cherna Fatma Author-X-Name-First: Cherna Author-X-Name-Last: Fatma Title: Impact and challenges of sustainable entrepreneurship on businesses: a reflection of bibliometric database with the help of Prisma Model and R-Studio Abstract: With the fast-changing global scenario, the sustainable entrepreneurship has come up with mechanism that encourages the innovation, idea generation and new products. The changing business environment in the world has generated several opportunities for the entrepreneurs in promoting the business. This paper is an effort to investigate the impact and challenges of sustainable entrepreneurship on businesses on the basis of bibliographic database. Focusing on the specified research questions, and utilising the important related academic databases, around 76 studies from Scopus and 37 from Web of Sciences are identified in a defined time frame (2015-2023) and out of which 54 studies from Scopus and 19 studies from Web of Sciences are screened for the study by excluding some studies due to duplicity, articles not fulfilling the objectives and similarity between both the sources of database. The use of PRISMA model for ensuring the transparency, replicability and minimises bias during the review process. The research primarily addressed key topics such as sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 79-92 Issue: 1 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: sustainable entrepreneurship; innovation; PRISMA; R-studio. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=150257 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:1:p:79-92 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Azadeh Amoozegar Author-X-Name-First: Azadeh Author-X-Name-Last: Amoozegar Author-Name: Ali Lata Author-X-Name-First: Ali Author-X-Name-Last: Lata Author-Name: Mohammad Falahat Author-X-Name-First: Mohammad Author-X-Name-Last: Falahat Author-Name: Sedigheh Shakib Author-X-Name-First: Sedigheh Author-X-Name-Last: Shakib Author-Name: Mohan Kumar Author-X-Name-First: Mohan Author-X-Name-Last: Kumar Author-Name: Sara Ravan Ramzani Author-X-Name-First: Sara Ravan Author-X-Name-Last: Ramzani Author-Name: Mohit Yadav Author-X-Name-First: Mohit Author-X-Name-Last: Yadav Title: Mediating role of ethical intention between social norms, code of ethics and ethical decision-making Abstract: The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) can facilitate our understanding of ethical intentions and behaviours among business leaders in low-income country contexts. An ethical decision-making framework based on a combination of social norms and ethical codes not only serves as the pillar for ethical work but also imposes positive changes within organisations, providing them with a core principle to practice in difficult settings like Syria. The current study proposes a mediation model through SEM, based on the results from a large-scale survey study conducted in firms among 200 business leaders working in international companies located in Aleppo and Damascus. The results reveal that subjective norms and codes of ethics positively influence ethical intentions, which in turn predict ethical decision-making behaviour. Journal: Int. J. of Diplomacy and Economy Pages: 1-20 Issue: 5 Volume: 12 Year: 2026 Keywords: economic growth; low income country; economic development policy; equal wages; international partnership. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=151858 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Open Access Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdipe:v:12:y:2026:i:5:p:1-20