Mission Statement: Mpumelelo Nxumalo

Below are guiding principles (borrowed from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) focusing on who I want to be and what I would like to do. It is a personal creed upon which doing and being are based.

Succeed at home first
Never compromise with honesty
Remember the people involved
Hear both sides before judging
Obtain counsel of others
Defend those who are absent
Be sincere yet decisive
Develop one new proficiency a year
Plan tomorrow's work today
Hustle while you wait
Maintain a positive attitude
Keep a sense of humor
Be orderly in person and in work
Do not fear mistakes, fear only the absence of creative, constructive and corrective responses to those mistakes
Facilitate the success of others
I will listen twice as much as you speak
Concentrate all abilities and efforts on the task at hand, not worrying about the next job or promotion
Be a concerned and informed global citizen
I will be a self starting individual who exercises initiative in accomplishing my life's goals
I will seek to create a clean and orderly environment that is livable and comfortable
I will exercise wisdom in what I choose to eat, read, see and do
I will act on situations and opportunities rather than be acted upon
I will always try to keep myself free from destructive and addictive behaviors
I will develop habits that free me from old labels and limits, and expand my capabilities and choices
My money will be my servant not my master
I will seek financial independence over time
My wants will be subject to my needs and my means
I will seek to keep myself free from consumer debt except for long term home and car loans
I will spend less than I earn and regularly save or invest part of my income
Moreover I will use what talents and money I have to make life more enjoyable for others through service and charitable giving

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Malaysia at a Cross Roads: Diagnosing the Constraints to High Income Status

Malaysia at a Crossroads: Diagnosing Constraints to High-Income Status In 2008, Malaysia was recognized by the Growth Commission – a distinguished panel comprising 2 Nobel Prize Winning Economists and other leading development practitioners – as one of thirteen countries that sustained high growth in the post-war period. The 30-year stretch that caught the attention of the Growth Commission was between 1967 and 1997 when Malaysia grew at an average of 7.3% per year. This long stretch of growth was interrupted by periods of external shocks including the Volcker shock of 1986, the Asian Financial crisis in 1997/8, later the so-called Dot Com Bubble of 2001, and more recently the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Despite these shocks, Malaysia remained resilient - formally earning the title "Upper Middle Income Country" in 1992. (See summary figure that breaks down the country's per capita growth story). As...

Corporate Network Analysis

The complex interconnections that define modern society are most readily visible from our Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin networks. What is perhaps less talked about is the extent to which corporations are linked. I just started building a network of cross shareholding among Malaysia's corporations using listed company data. The map below is a preliminary visualization of the country's corporate network as of 2015. I use social network analysis (SNA) tools to partition or color the network into key connected components or communities therein. I have deliberately excluded company names but I will tell you that the biggest nodes represent the most connected shareholders including governments, fund managers, and international asset managers. Malaysia's Corporate Network in 2015 Created Using Gephi 0.9.1 As the Malaysia economy has grown so has the complexity of the corporate network from few shareholders to many interlinked players. Below is a visualization using sha...

Assessing labor market transitions in Ghana using panel data

Understanding labor market transitions is important for policymakers and researchers in developing countries. Changes in economic activity status (employed, unemployed, out of labor force) vary significantly from one country to another and also within countries from one socio-economic group to another. Below I summarize analysis from the latest Ghana Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey ( AHIES ) published by the Ghana Statistical Service. The AHIES is a panel survey that has followed over 10,000 individuals since 2022Q1 to assess changes in their livelihoods. I am currently analyzing trends and show here what has happened to economic activity between Q2 and Q3. Transitions in Ghana labor force status, 2022Q2 - 2022Q3 Source : Own analysis using AHIES from Ghana Statistical Service. Note : Left hand side is 2022Q2 and right side is 2022Q3 81 percent of working age individuals (15-64-years) who were employed in 2022Q2 were still employed in 2022Q3; 7 perc...