Search results for ""Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd""

Malaysia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today, and this book reflects current debates about the future directions of the national economy, polity and society in light of the late 1990s watershed period of financial crisis, the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim and the subsequent 1999 general election. Malaysian Economics and Politics in the New Century aims to answer questions about how the economy and society are organized, about how the benefits from economic development are distributed, about government's relations to major national institutions, and about the nature of the political process. With its focus firmly on Malaysia's future, this will be a volume of particular interest to scholars, academics, researchers, business leaders and policymakers involved in the Asian region, and Malaysia in particular.

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Pollution, alternative fuels, congestion, intelligent transportation systems, and the shift from construction to maintenance all call for a reconsideration of the existing highway revenue mechanisms, especially the gas tax. David Levinson explores the fundamental theoretical basis of highway finance, in particular the use of tolls, and supports that theory with empirical evidence. The author examines highway finance from the perspective of individual jurisdictions and travellers, and considers their interactions rather than specifying a single optimal solution. Congestion pricing has long been a goal of transportation economists, who believe it will result in a more efficient use of resources. Levinson argues that if the governance were to become more decentralized, and collection costs continue to drop, tolls could return to prominence as the preferred means of financing roads for both local and intercity travel. An approach that creates the local winners necessary to implement road pricing is required before it can be expected to become widespread.Economists, civil engineers, planners, students and policymakers will find this detailed examination of transportation networks enlightening and useful.

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This stimulating book addresses the relationship between market authority and political authority - a favourite theme of Susan Strange to whom the book is dedicated. From a survey of the bias against capital liberalisation in economic thought to an analysis of the US role in global monetary affairs, it discusses how and why free capital flows contribute to the instability of the global capitalist system. The internationally renowned contributors analyse the history and theory of international capital flows to make sense of contemporary global investments and what they mean for global polity and the economy. They argue over the challenges of integrating large developing countries into a liberal world order and the consequences of the multilateral system for the world's poor. In further discussions they investigate the sustainability of global capitalism in light of financial crises, widespread inequality and the uncertain future for traditional welfare states. They also advance various mechanisms through which they believe greater stability and equity could be introduced into the global financial system and the world economy. Implicit in these arguments is the shared belief that tensions between visions of a rule-based, liberal world and concepts of a more equitable distribution of resources drive most of the major conflicts in the global economy.Investigating the economic, political and social drawbacks of volatile global finance, and the human choices required to introduce stability, equity and a sense of purpose to the world economy, Markets and Authorities will be an invaluable addition to the fields of economics, political science, political economy and international business.

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Europe's performance relative to the US and countries in Asia is a topic that greatly preoccupies policymakers who are concerned that the European Union is losing ground compared to other, more dynamic, parts of the world. This book presents the scale and scope of the challenges that Europe faces in adjusting to globalization and advances in technology.The evidence assembled in this book points to trends in European Union performance that policymakers will find disconcerting. In many areas, Europe has not kept pace with the technological advances of competitors and seems to have lost its dynamism. Employment creation has been lacklustre, new specializations have been slow to emerge and the rate of innovation has been disappointing. The core message in this book is that the problems Europe faces in key areas such as growth, equality and employment are all related to its failure to take sufficient advantage of technological advances, particularly the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution. It is concluded that a coherent European strategy for upgrading technological capability and embedding new technologies, especially ICTs, in society is long overdue.This book will be indispensable to scholars and policymakers in the areas of economic growth, international competitiveness, innovation, regional development and European studies.

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This highly topical book examines the development and future prospects for economic and monetary union in Europe. European Monetary Integration examines the background to economic and monetary union from a historical perspective that distinguishes between national and supranational currency areas, and an optimal currency area theory. The gradualist transition process is also considered. The authors, leading academics from five European countries, consider the principal economic policies to be followed in achieving economic and monetary union. The role of the European central banks and monetary policy is examined, along with fiscal policy in monetary union and the operation and policies of the labour markets. The authors discuss the economic relationships between the euro area and other European economies including the transition and accession economies of Eastern Europe.

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This book provides the first comprehensive and accessible account of the evolution of exchange rate regimes in the twentieth century. It presents a chronological, non-technical history and in doing so manages to link the past with the present to shed new light on the merits of different exchange rate systems.Since the golden age before the First World War, the international monetary system has experienced several changes in exchange rate regimes, alternating between fixed and floating rate systems interspersed with managed or dirty floats. The authors examine and assess the evolution of exchange rate regimes since the First World War to the present day. They discuss the forces that have brought about change in order to determine how different regimes affected the economic environment. They consider the merits or otherwise of the respective regimes and assess the evidence and arguments for and against fixed and floating exchange rate systems.Exchange Rate Regimes in the Twentieth Century provides a coherent and manageable analysis of a complex subject. It will prove invaluable to both undergraduates and postgraduates studying economic history, international economics and international studies.

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Trust is an elusive concept, meaning different things to different people, and so needs to be clearly defined. By focusing on relations within and between firms, Bart Nooteboom undertakes to produce a clearer definition of trust and its role in the economy.Trust deals with a range of questions such as: what are the roles of trust? What can we trust in? Can trust serve as an instrument for the governance of relations? Is trust a substitute, a precondition or an outcome of contracts? The author then goes on to analyse what trust is based on, what its limits are, how it grows and how it can also break down. The role of intermediaries is also discussed.Bart Nooteboom argues that trust goes beyond calculative self-interest and that blind, unconditional trust is unwise. He then examines the paradox of how trust can be non-calculative and yet, not blind. The book also reveals ways to measure and model trust, its antecedents and its consequences.

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This highly innovative and original book proposes evolutionary microeconomics as a synthesis of the collective schools of heterodox economic thought with complex systems theory and graph theory. The book charts a research programme for evolutionary economics that encompasses the theory of dynamic efficiency and emergence in markets, a computational model of the learning and interacting agent, a competence based theory of the firm and the household, and, via a theory of expectations and plans, an agent-based foundation to macroeconomics.Principally a work of meta-theory, The New Evolutionary Microeconomics argues for a radical refocus of microeconomic research toward the evolutionary nature of institutions, preferences, technology and knowledge.This challenging new book should prove timely and important for evolutionary and computational economists as well as those in the fields of managerial economics, business studies and marketing.

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This book is the first in English to comprehensively examine the French economy and how it is adjusting to the exigencies of an increasingly globalized environment. The opening of the French market to international competition has forced recent governments to realize that the old closed model in which France had considerable autonomy over policy is no longer valid. French solutions to domestic problems had to be given up in the early 1980s. Changes in technology have had dramatic impacts on the comparative advantage of French producers and the necessary restructuring has been far from easy. These twin aspects of globalization have also altered the situation of France's various regions and urban economies and the highly centralized structure has come under pressure. This has forced a change in the thinking of French public and private sector leaders. The role of the state, the degree of intervention, the extent of control over the domestic economy, and the need to be accommodative to market forces have all been subject to public debate and to fundamental reconsideration. While this is a book on the French economy, Kresl and Gallais deal with issues, challenges, and processes of change and adaptation that are facing all of Europe, and indeed all industrialized economies. Economists, political scientists, business scholars and anyone interested in globalization will find this comprehensive study engaging and topical.

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This book presents Human Resource Management (HRM) as a tool for improving the performance of organizations in developing and transitional countries. It does this through the presentation of an integrated model of human resource management, informed by the practical realities of applying such a model in developing and transitional countries. Using exercises and real-life examples, the authors emphasize the need to practise (and to study) HRM in context, taking account of the contrast between what theory says should happen and what actually happens in practice. Having introduced a strategic model of HRM, the book explores the key HRM activities of human resource planning, job analysis, managing pay, recruitment and selection, performance management, learning and training, job reduction and employee relations. The authors stress that every HRM model must be critically assessed in the particular setting in which it is being used, and then adopted, adapted or abandoned. This process of critical adaptation of international models of 'good practice' is the essence of global HRM.This textbook offers a clear and highly accessible introduction to the theory and practice of HRM in developing and transitional countries. It has been designed for students on a wide range of human resource oriented courses, including development management and administration. It will also be a valuable reference tool for HRM practitioners in the private and public sector and in NGOs.

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This comprehensive collection brings together an impressive range of papers on the economics of labor unions. Some of these are classics, and others are less well known - included because they cover significant but under-researched areas, or because they raise interesting questions that as yet remain unanswered. The study of labor unions has long fascinated economists. Over the last quarter of the twentieth century there has been a tremendous evaluation of research in this area. This blossoming occurred with the growth of labor economics as a discipline separate from industrial relations, and with the development of micro data sets and the dissemination of sophisticated new micro-econometric techniques with which to analyse them. These volumes include papers that not only span the most important topics in the economics of labor unions, but also offer a useful overview of the field and its methodology. They will prove invaluable both to researchers and practitioners.

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As the world entered the twenty-first century, global skill shortages in many occupations were evident throughout the world. While these were mitigated by a global recession, there is no generally agreed upon method for measuring these shortages. This book discusses various theories for measurement. Using data collected from 19 developed countries in North and Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific region, the authors explore various aspects of skilled labor shortages, develop a methodology of measuring shortages by occupation, and provide estimates of the likelihood of the occurrence of such shortages. They develop labor market indicators which measure the degree of shortage or surplus in different occupations. The study covers as many as 49 occupational groups, although the number varies by country. The indicators are compared to anecdotal reports about shortages in the countries studied as well as correlated with various economic, political and institutional indicators. Some occupations such as CEO's, health professionals and computer scientists were common across many countries studied and part of a global shortage. Scholars, government officials, students and corporate and union representatives concerned with employment, labor and training policies and issues will find the data and analysis in this book a valuable addition to their knowledge.

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What is the potential of the new information and communication technologies? This book assesses the relationship between technological change and employment in all its dimensions, focusing on contemporary economies in Europe.The authors discuss patterns of growth, and the type of employment that countries might expect to be created following the introduction of these new technologies. Also analysed is the extent to which firms should adjust to more favourable production and distribution patterns. Institutional change is another issue addressed in detail as this encompasses the organisation of working time, systems of education and innovation and the welfare state. The final section of the book addresses the future of European employment not only from the competitive position of Europe in a global economy but also the new societal and demographic contexts that will challenge European economies in the future.Technology and the Future of European Employment ends with an overview of the many policy priorities that European societies will have to address. As such, this book will be of interest to scholars of economics, sociology and politics as well as those involved in European studies, technology and innovation, and labour economics. Civil servants in relevant national departments and organisations will also find the book of interest and value.

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This volume investigates the relationship between globalization, inequality and social capital, and reveals that although strongly related, these ideas are also highly contested. The authors elucidate the interactions between these concepts, looking in detail at the conflicts and competitiveness which can arise at both the national and organizational level.The authors examine public and private sector reforms in relation to globalization and inequality, highlight the tensions between global governance and societal resistance, and demonstrate how social capital contributes to systemic competitiveness. More specifically, a number of topical case studies, which focus on a variety of issues, clearly show the contested experiences of globalization, inequality and social capital. These include the introduction of ISO standards; the transformation of the Czech Republic; reforms in the British National Health Service; a comparison of the adoption of new forms of management in the US and the Netherlands; and the role of consultancies in regional economic development. These studies highlight the formal and informal boundaries which exist between different groups in society. Although these boundaries do resist change, at the same time they are flexible and - so the authors argue - can therefore play a significant role in shaping the dynamics of society and the economy.The multidisciplinary approach and the variety of case studies will make this book required reading for institutional and international economists, political and social scientists, and scholars of international relations, management and organization.

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The eastwards expansion of the European Union is one of the most explosive economic and political issues of the early 21st century. Economic and financial stability combined with rising prosperity in the applicant countries are increasingly seen as necessary preconditions for European Union membership.This authoritative volume, written by scholars and practitioners from Central and Western Europe and the United States, confronts the issues involved in three of the countries most likely to be successful applicants to the EU - the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. A spotlight is turned on the banking and financial industries, as they are crucial to the achievement of economic stability. The blend of expertise deployed, which draws on in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in central banking, financial and commercial law, business, practical policy making and economic analysis, ensures that this book is timely, relevant and insightful.The authors suggest that the role of the state in both creating and maintaining an effective financial sector is central. Furthermore, they argue that well-regulated commercial banks and strategic foreign investors are a must as, in practice, the attempt to skip straight to modern capital markets has been ruinous.This accessibly written volume will be of interest to students and scholars of economics, finance, law, political science, the sociology of economic life and European studies.

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Despite the disruption of the multilateral trade talks at Seattle in December 1999, the work of the World Trade Organization (WTO) continues. The trade and investment issues that have been outstanding since the Seattle events are explored in this far reaching book. The distinguished contributors combine several analytical approaches for a comprehensive assessment of the trends, problems and opportunities demanding attention in international trade negotiations.The authors discuss the principle items on the agenda for a renewed round of WTO talks, and also examine issues concerning the treatment of foreign direct investment, urging trade policymakers to adopt measures that will enhance flows of such investment, as these contribute to trade expansion. US, European and Japanese interests and perspectives are considered. The authors believe that cooperative management of international trade and investment issues could introduce greater harmony in the world trading system and overcome fears about the disruptive consequences of increased market openness. The self appointed roles of Non Government Organizations (NGOs) are examined, with emphasis on the primary responsibilities of governments as representatives of their nations.By bringing together the extensive results of research by economists, international management experts and political scientists, this book will be of immense worth to trade policymakers, policy research institutes, consulting firms, and academic communities. Of particular value will be the volume's discussions of international competition policy problems.

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Industrial ecology is coming of age and this superb book brings together leading scholars to present a state-of-the-art overviews of the subject.Each part of the book comprehensively covers the following issues in a systematic style: the goals and achievements of industrial ecology and the history of the field methodology, covering the main approaches to analysis and assessment economics and industrial ecology industrial ecology at the national/regional leve industrial ecology at the sectoral/materials level applications and policy implications. The authors are all experts at the cutting edge of the field and the bibliography alone will prove useful as a comprehensive guide to the literature. This outstanding handbook will be an indispensable reference for students and scholars working in environmental management, industrial ecology and environmental and ecological studies.

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This important collection reprints the most significant papers and case studies on the prevention and resolution of conflict over water resources. It focuses in particular on the human dynamics that are involved when conflicts over water resources impact on different interest groups, economic sectors and legal or political boundaries. It addresses key issues which arise at both the local and the international level, including amongst others: How do people interact in these situations of conflict? What methods do they use to find a compromise? What institutions do they create - either jointly or unilaterally - to help overcome problems in the future?This interdisciplinary collection will be essential reading for professional water practitioners throughout the world, including engineers, economists, geographers, geologists, and political scientists concerned with water disputes and conflict resolution. It will make a significant contribution to the study of water as an essential theme in the increasingly important topic of environmental security.

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Including work by some of the world's leading economists, engineers, ecologists and social scientists, Water Resources and Economic Development is a unique collection due to its global perspectives and specific focus upon the recent experiences of the developing regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America.It explores important topics such as basin and regional development, irrigation and agricultural development, water supply, sanitation and health, legal and institutional issues, water pricing and water markets, and policy trends and emerging issues.This authoritative volume will be an invaluable source for students, researchers and policymakers and also for those who would like to be more informed in this key area of development studies.

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The forecasting of financial markets has engaged the attention of market professionals and academic economists and statisticians for many years, and has also attracted the interest of numerous 'amateur' investors. This book brings together key papers in this wide field. After considering some of the earliest attempts at forecasting, it provides an insight into the theoretical underpinnings of the subject, investigates the random walk model, and examines various financial markets, volatility and density forecasting, the forecasting of extreme events, trading rules, technical analysis and high frequency data.

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This unique book demonstrates how instruments of economics can be usefully employed to analyse social policy. The merits and limits of social policy programmes are discussed as answers to problems of market societies.Taking this enlightened approach, the author addresses key issues such as access to health services, pension programmes, unemployment, poverty and family support. Microeconomic tools are used to evaluate the rationale behind these programmes, underpinning the theoretical propositions with strong empirical research. Unusually, economic values are shown to harmonise with, rather than condemn, ideas of social protection.Providing information about institutional structures of social policy programmes in many countries, this book will be a must for academics and students interested in social policy and the welfare state. Furthermore, those who want to follow the political and scientific discussion of social policy matters will find this book invaluable.

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China is now among the top hosts for foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in the world. This fact, combined with recent developments in internationalisation and economic growth in China, ensures a perfect opportunity to identify the determinants and impact of FDI in the largest transition economy in the world.Based on the latest official data, this book adopts a panel data approach to the analysis of the national and regional determinants of inward FDI in China and its impact on regional economic growth, labour productivity and international trade. The Chinese evidence shows that FDI, international trade and economic-growth are interrelated. This book will be welcomed by scholars of emerging economies, international business - especially those interested in FDI - and international trade as well as those specialising in the Chinese economy.

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This comprehensive three-volume edition brings together the most important contributions in capital theory, from its classical origins to its modern manifestation in endogenous growth models. The readings examine the recurring controversies, and the two incisive, and sharply contrasting introductions by Bliss and by Cohen and Harcourt provide the reader with context and guidance for making sense of this central, contentious and often difficult literature.These authoritative volumes will be an invaluable source of reference for all of those with an interest in this subject.

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Asset pricing lies at the heart of financial economics, being not only the foundation of every other field in this subject area but also having prime relevance for practical decision-making.For this two-volume collection the editor has selected some of the most influential articles which have been published on this topic since the 1970s. These papers offer an overview of the theories of asset pricing, an investigation and critique of the empirical tests applied to these theories and an examination of five particular models: the mean-variance CAPM, the linear risk tolerance CAPM, the intertemporal CAPM, the consumption-based CAPM and the arbitrage pricing theory.Robert Grauer has written a major new introduction which gives a balanced discussion of the competing theories and highlights the invigorating controversy that surrounds both the design of the empirical tests and the interpretation of the results.

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The Asian crisis that started in July 1997 wrought untold damages on a large number of countries worldwide and brought intolerable hardships and poverty to millions of people in Asia, and to a lesser extent in Russia and Latin America as well as the European Union. After more than three years of widespread economic, social and financial turmoil, there were signs in mid 2000 that a slow but promising economic recovery was on the way in Asia. This book explores in-depth the major issues and important aspects of this economic recovery and its potential impact on growth, development, trade and investment. Expert contributors also discuss the global directions in international economic and financial relations, corporate and public governance and the challenges to be met and managed in the 21st century.The Asian crisis, and its subsequent recovery, is a global experience and as such is one of the most challenging and important crises of our times. The Asia Recovery is a timely and valuable contribution that will be essential for those in government, business and academia to understand this crisis more fully.

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Robert Solow has made a seminal contribution in the field of aggregative economics. This authoritative volume will be an important starting point for any researcher or professional economist seeking to understand how this branch of economics advanced in the twentieth century.

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The computer revolution of the 1960s ushered in a golden period of econometric model building. Lawrence Klein was constantly in the forefront of this development. He was awarded the Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for this and other contributions to applied econometrics.The 20th century witnessed a great expansion of economics as a scholarly discipline. The editor has chosen a selection of papers which sparked his interest as a student, a teacher and a researcher. This key volume includes both classic articles as well as lesser known papers which Professor Klein judges will stand the test of time.

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James Buchanan has been a key figure in the integration of the analysis of political decision-making into the corpus of economic theory, the source for what is now called 'public choice economics'. This notable volume seeks to identify for future generations the landmark contributions to this area made in the twentieth century.

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Economic Growth is an advanced undergraduate text written specifically for one semester courses in growth theory and for first year graduate students to refresh their knowledge. It will also be of great use for scholars and professional economists as the text contains many references to practical policy issues. The author condenses the fundamental issues of growth theory and covers the new ideas in a highly entertaining text, written in a clear and accessible style.

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This unique book - informed by ten years' research - focuses on intellectual property and charts the global transition towards intellectual capitalism with technology-based corporations as prime movers. The book gives a comprehensive overview of the history and fundamentals of intellectual property as well as a textbook introduction to the field.The book sheds new light on the economics and management of intellectual property in large corporations in Europe, Japan and the US. Special emphasis is given to strategies for the acquisition and commercialization of new technologies, patent strategies and strategies for secrecy and trademark, technology intelligence and corporate management of intellectual property. It includes an in-depth study of leading large corporations in Japan - including Canon, Hitachi, Toshiba and Sony. In conclusion, it explores the possible evolution of intellectual property management towards a distributed intellectual capital management in the context of a wider transition to intellectual capitalism, fueled by new technologies in general and new infocom technologies in particular.The book will have particular appeal to practitioners such as managers, economists, engineers and lawyers as well as students and scholars of industrial organization, economics of innovation and technical change, and management of technology.

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In the post-Cold War era, the pre-eminent threats to our security derive from human degradation of vital ecosystems as well as the possibility of war and terrorist attack. This substantial book examines this new 'security-environment' paradigm and the way in which the activities of societies are shifting the balance with nature. The distinguished authors investigate this redefinition of security with particular reference to environmental threats such as climate change and the availability of adequate supplies of food and water. They illustrate how unfettered economic growth, rising levels of personal consumption and unsustainable natural resource and energy procurement are taking a heavy toll on the global environment. This, in turn, is forcing both developed and developing countries to re-evaluate the more immediate environmental security of their own populations. For a truly global perspective, the authors present a series of country case-studies, looking at issues of security and environment, and comparing how they influence policy and human well-being. They also discuss a number of theoretical issues which underpin discussions of 'environmental security', demonstrating that this is a relatively new and essentially contested concept.This thought-provoking book highlights the way in which both security and sustainability are being reworked as concepts and are being linked increasingly to social, economic and cultural factors. It will be of great interest to academics, researchers and students in environmental management, sociology, geography, international relations and politics.

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This innovative and clearly written book examines the process of diversification as a strategy to promote innovation and growth within firms and to foster structural change in industry. Through a comparative case study of the aerospace industry, using cases of diversification at Dassault (France), Saab (Sweden) and Daewoo (South Korea), the author examines interactions between the firm and the state, and critically evaluates the role of national and sectoral institutions during the diversification process. He then uses these findings to propose a new, original model for diversification.Key features include: an exploration of the ways in which the systems of innovation approach can be used to analyse strategies in firms new insights into the concept of 'institutions' an examination of the relationship between the behaviour of diversifying firms and institutionspath-breaking research on the South Korean aerospace industry. The combination of an up-to-date and thorough analysis of the general literature on diversification and its shortcomings, as well as three detailed case studies, will render this work invaluable to those interested in management studies and systems of innovation, and anyone working in the aircraft industry.

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As greater significance is placed on the relationship between people and their environment it is increasingly acknowledged that few environmental problems can be solved without considering the social context in which they arise. But what does it mean to incorporate the 'social' and what types of social sciences are needed? This incisive book critically reviews the theoretical perspectives that underlie social scientific contributions to natural resource management and argues for both a greater social science presence and for conceptual and methodological clarity within the social sciences themselves.The expert contributors explore how new concepts and approaches can contribute positively to natural resource management. They demonstrate how the social sciences can be used as a vehicle to highlight social concerns as well as to foster greater participation, co-operation, and integration among community members, natural resource managers and researchers. Through detailed case studies from Australasia and the Americas, the authors illustrate how different social science perspectives can be utilised. The range and variety of views provide a basis for the evaluation of various and often competing disciplinary paradigms within the social sciences. This book will undoubtedly contribute to a more sophisticated debate about the place of the 'social' in environmental research. It will prove to be of great worth to students and researchers of environmental and social issues, to those involved in environmental decision making and community planning, as well as environmental policymakers and natural resource managers.

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In recent decades, local government has become increasingly complex. The Political Economy of Local Government draws upon recent developments in economics, including new institutional economics, and contemporary advances in the theories of social capital and leadership, in order to explain local government policy formulation.The authors go beyond the study of local public goods to explore the sources of market failure and examine whether local authorities are more susceptible to certain types of government failure. In addition, a transaction cost analysis of markets, hierarchies and networks is applied to ascertain the comparative institutional advantage local authorities might have in the supply of local governance. The book also considers the extent of the influence that these recent advances in the theories of social capital and leadership have on the process and implementation of local government policy. This book offers a fresh and readily accessible perspective on the political economy of local government policy making, and will be of particular interest to students and practitioners of economics, political science, public administration, policy studies and local government.

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This authoritative collection presents the most important published articles on barter and countertrade from early scepticism to the recent sophisticated theoretical models and empirical evidence.The papers selected focus upon the policy and managerial implications of barter and countertrade and explain the reasoning behind these arrangements in an environment characterized by transaction difficulties. They demonstrate that appropriately designed transactional governance is crucial for the efficiency of successful trading relationships between different parties.The Economics of Barter and Countertrade is a timely collection due to the resurgence of barter and countertrade following the Russian and Asian financial crises. It is an essential reference source for those with an interest in trade and international economic relations.

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During the last decade, privatization, understood here as the transfer of state-owned enterprises to the private sector, has become a widespread phenomenon among formerly socialist and mixed economies. It has been touted as a quick route to growth and prosperity in countries suffering from bloated, inefficient, and debt ridden public sectors. The contributors to this book, drawn from a number of social science disciplines, explore the various ways in which privatization programs affect workers in the reforming countries. The book includes an examination of how privatization impacts on labor economically, by changing the level and conditions of employment, as well as its influence on wages, benefits, and social services. A second section looks at the political effects of privatization on workers, focusing on the strength and militancy of trade unions and their relationship to political parties.The essays, written by scholars as well as policy practitioners, cover both post-socialist countries, including Russia, China, and Eastern Europe, and the developing regions - the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. Scholars and students in economics and political science as well as policymakers will find this collection a welcome addition to the literature on privatization.

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Air Transport Networks provides an economic analysis of the way in which the air transport industry operates and the nature of the policies that have been adopted to regulate the sector. The book covers domestic and international air transportation with an emphasis on airlines and includes discussions of related markets such as airports and air traffic control. The authors provide details of how the sector functions and the reasons why the airline industry performs as it does today and explore the ways in which governments have, over the years, attempted to manipulate air transport markets to meet political objectives.This volume will be warmly received by those interested in the operations and the influences that public policy has on the air transport sector. Air Transport Networks will also appeal to policymakers and to those working in the air transportation sector.

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Concerns about European prospects for competitiveness, jobs and growth are high on the European Union agenda and regulatory reform, both at national and EU levels, is widely recognised as a crucial tool for improving the performance of European companies. Despite the single market, selective sectoral regulatory reform and certain reforms at the national level, regulation in Europe still tends to discourage new entrants, impede new production methods and inhibit the exit of existing competitors. It often increases costs without providing compensatory benefits, reduces operational flexibility and distorts capital expenditure, creating obstacles to innovation. The authors in this book argue that regulatory reform can, more often than not, help improve the competitiveness of companies while generating net growth effects for the European Union as a whole.In this second volume, the authors discuss the vertical issues involved in regulatory reform. The authors describe in detail the regulatory reforms which are needed or have been initiated in nine major industrial sectors, including automobiles, textiles and clothing, retail trade, chemicals, banking, road transport, telecoms, electricity and (scheduled) air transport.In the companion volume, Regulatory Reform and Competitiveness in Europe, 1: Horizontal Issues, the authors address regulation and growth, and the regulatory burdens and failures in Europe. The book also deals with national competition policy, state aids, EU environmental policy, reforms in product markets, labour market reforms, the regulatory environment of small and new firms, and the current, insufficient, EU reforms to improve regulatory quality.

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The economics of sport exploded onto the academic teaching and research scene in the 1990s. This decade of intellectual effervescence is encapsulated in this state-of-the-art collection which reprints both classic work and more recent papers which may achieve classic status in the future. Andrew Zimbalist - widely recognised to be the leading authority in the field - has prepared a selection of articles which mark an important milestone in the development of sports economics. It will be an essential source of reference to a rapidly growing and widely dispersed literature.

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Problems arise if budgets for services are held constant whilst prices rise. Education, cultural activities and health services are under constant budgetary pressure. The authors argue that the price of commodities is linked to demand and price increases would therefore seem to threaten the very existence of these services. The paradox of these services is that in spite of their exploding costs, demand persists.Policymakers struggle with the problematic question of whether to limit public service budgets as costs for their provision rise. The service sectors of advanced economies are surprisingly vigorous - the employment of an ever increasing share of the labour force is one phenomenon. Economists are perplexed by the interplay of slow service and fast goods productivity growth and wonder why the demand for services is so persistent. The Growth of Service Industries is intended for use by both policymakers and economists and serves as a useful introduction to service productivity analysis.

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Issues surrounding Annex I trading - the trading of greenhouse gas emissions among industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change - comprise the central theme of this collection, which offers an integrated discussion of the practical, economic and political issues involved in its implementation. Topics explored include compliance of the Protocol as a whole and compliance issues arising from trading; the design of a system for tracking the trade of permits; fair competition, market power and Annex B trading; and the development of guidelines for joint implementation. Global Emissions Trading has grown out of direct work with Annex I delegates and representatives of the business community. Thus, it reflects and responds to their concerns and their assessment of the political and practical feasibility of different options. Several authors have contributed to this volume, but the papers were developed together and the result is a unified and cohesive text, which aims to provide a focus for future debate on issues where there are real conflicts of interest and genuine uncertainties about appropriate design. Further, the book should stimulate debate on the solutions proposed and encourage research in areas where recommendations are ambiguous. Economists, policymakers, students and readers concerned about environmental issues and climate change will find this collection essential reading.

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Measuring tax evasion and the size of the underground economy is a growing industry among researchers. However, Filip Palda argues that deadweight losses from tax evasion are a social loss that have been largely neglected.Tax Evasion and Firm Survival in Competitive Markets illustrates how a firm with high production costs but which is easily able to evade taxes may displace from the market a company with low production costs but poor tax evasion capabilities. The difference in production costs between the inefficient survivor and the efficient loser is termed by the author the 'displacement loss from taxation', and rivals in size the Harberger triangle loss from taxation.The book demonstrates how Filip Palda's calculus for measuring displacement loss can be extended to subsidies, minimum wages, and any other government attempt to displace resources from one part of the economy to another. Throughout, the book highlights the way in which taxation has evolved to mitigate displacement losses and how policymakers should be even more sensitive to the larger costs of the uneven enforcement of taxes and regulations.This volume also contains simple but powerful analytical tools for calculating economic equilibrium in the presence of two inseparable characteristics of the firm that determine its survival in the market: the ability to produce efficiently and the ability to evade taxes and ignore regulations.This highly innovative book will be of great interest to public finance economists and policymakers concerned with fiscal issues.

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During the past twenty years there has been an explosive growth in research into environmental issues from a social science perspective. Ecological economics, in particular, has emerged as a true transdiscipline which seeks to conceptualise environmental concerns, thus allowing for the formulation of appropriate policy measures. This volume takes stock of this emerging body of work and offers an authoritative insight into current environmental thought. The book is divided into three broad sections: Disciplinary Approaches, Concepts and Issues. Under the heading of disciplinary approaches, the authors review the state of environmental thinking in the diverse fields of philosophy, politics, sociology, economics and law. The concepts addressed include the precautionary principle, sustainable development, environmental security and ecological modernisation. Finally, in the last section, they assess a range of crucial environmental issues such as consumption, biodiversity, global climate change and population. Each of the specially commissioned chapters is written by a recognised expert in the field, while the book as a whole offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective. Ecological economists, environmental researchers and environmental policy analysts will all find this an accessible and highly rewarding introduction to contemporary environmental thinking.

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This authoritative two-volume collection brings together a comprehensive selection of over 40 previously published articles which include seminal and recent contributions in the area of speculation and financial markets.The volumes present the key theoretical and applied research in the pricing of assets, market efficiency and behavioural finance. It explores speculative behaviour in finance and the main financial markets including the stock market, the bond market and the market for foreign exchange and derivatives.Speculation and Financial Markets will be an essential source of reference for researchers, students and practitioners. It will also be an invaluable companion to intermediate and advanced texts on financial markets.

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Economic Institutions and Democratic Reformrigorously and systematically explores the political effects and consequences of economic reform in more than 20 post-communist countries. By using primary quantitative data and stringent statistical analyses, Ole Norgaard demonstrates that there is no universally applicable economic reform strategy and that popular democracy is often the foundation of a successful economy, rather than a powerful executive or president, as is popularly asserted. The book also shows that generalised models are not productive when studying the complexity of post-communist transformation. The author argues that the danger to democracy comes from the alienation of citizens and the collapse of public service and education systems instigated by individuals who, with few democratic credentials, capture the political playing field. These leaders have often been encouraged by Western governments who believe democracy can only be imposed on reluctant societies by newborn capitalist elites. This book will be essential and challenging reading for political scientists and economists as well as policymakers in NGOs, such as aid agencies and the institutions of the EU.

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The last two decades have seen a number of important developments in exchange rate economics, with substantial contributions to both its theory and empirics. While our understanding of exchange rates has significantly improved, a number of challenges and open questions in the exchange rate debate still remain. In these two volumes, the editors have brought together a selection of key articles which are representative of recent developments in the exchange rate economics literature. This important collection is essential for academic economists and practitioners interested in understanding and participating in the exchange rate debate.

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The Encyclopedia of Macroeconomics is an authoritative and invaluable reference source on macroeconomics, which embraces definitions of terms and concepts, conflicting ideological approaches and the contributions of major thinkers. Comprehensive in scope, it contains over 300 short entries and more than 100 specially commissioned main entries from an internationally renowned group of scholars.The alphabetically ordered entries will be useful both as a basic reference source and a provocative stimulus for further reading. The Encyclopedia will soon be established as a leading reference source on macroeconomics that will both enlighten students and be highly valued by scholars and teachers of economics.

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This thoroughly revised and updated edition of a classic text provides a comprehensive, non-technical overview of the principles of environmental and resource economics. The distinguished group of authors offers both an introduction to the economic causes and consequences of environmental and resource problems and an assessment of recent developments in environmental policy instruments and corporate responses to environmental problems.Comprehensive and authoritative, this new edition of Principles of Environmental and Resource Economics offers a non-technical state-of-the-art review which will be widely used as a teaching tool for upper undergraduate students and above as well as a reference point for practitioners and researchers.

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