Search results for ""edward elgar publishing ltd""

In this collection of autobiographical essays, 26 prominent scholars detail their profes sional development, while offering insight into their lives and philosophies. With candor and humor they relate how they came to the field of economics, as well as how their views have evolved over the years.Highlights of the collection include discussions by: Irma Adelman on how World War II shaped her life; Mark Blaug on how Marxism, involvement with the Communist Party, and McCarthyism influenced his scholarship; Victor Fuchs on economic perspective and its applicability to many disciplines; Allan Meltzer on his development as a researcher; and Julian Simon on his eclectic career and untraditional path to economics. Examining the essayists' reflections affords us the opportunity to explore the question of what makes distinctive and exciting scholarship while allowing us to probe the criteria for excellence. These thoughtful essays will be of great value to students of economics and to all those interested in personal recollections of wise and accomplished scholars.

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This significant new book highlights a little acknowledged but potentially catastrophic crisis of innovation in the global water sector, which institutions and industries are frighteningly ill-equipped to tackle or even accept. It suggests potential new technology and policy approaches to overcome both current and future problems. The book explores how technological innovation is vital to help provide sustainable water in both the UK and developing countries. However, innovation is being overlooked in the face of global trends to privatize and regulate water utilities. The authors highlight how the global water sector is failing to respond to increasingly complex world needs and continues to build largely unsustainable centralized infrastructures, opposing more appropriate, distributed and local modern technologies. The book also includes suggestions for potentially innovative technology and policy solutions to meet escalating global water and wastewater demands. Importantly, the authors adopt a long-term perspective that crosses both disciplinary and institutional boundaries, and include an international comparative perspective, covering a diverse range of examples and countries. This comprehensive book will have a broad appeal amongst researchers and academics with an interest in technology management, innovation studies, geography and development studies. It will also be a valuable asset for water regulators and governmental and non-governmental organisations working in this field.

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In the face of an increasing threat from separate bilateral trade negotiations the World Trade Organization (WTO), more than any other international institution, is set to have a significant impact on the trade in technology in the decade ahead. Alert to this potential, Rohan Kariyawasam brings together articles on international economic law and policy that touch on issues as diverse as telecommunications, e-commerce, information technology and technology transfer. This two-volume set navigates an innovative discussion of these sectors, their effect on international trade and the role of the WTO in promoting the worldwide trade of electronic goods and services. The papers will have relevance for regulators, lawyers advising both in private practice and in-house, academics, students and those in the NGO sector with an interest in trade and technology.

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Organisations and the nature of work have undergone fundamental changes in recent decades. At the same time, the traditional family pattern in Europe is being challenged by the growing number of dual-income families, and by the rise of women's employment. The central aim of this book is to consider to what extent changes in organisations and in the nature of jobs are compatible with the need, increasingly expressed by employees, for greater integration between work and family life. The book questions what sort of dilemmas modern and future employees face, in terms of shaping their careers and organising their lives at home. The authors formulate answers to these problematic questions by shedding light on relevant developments in the European labour markets, the European workplaces, in (flexible) working patterns, changing preferences for working hours and in gender relations at work.With a focus on future developments, this book will be of interest to labour market researchers and social policymakers in Europe, and also students in the social sciences, management (HRM) and social policy.

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This book brings together ten original studies on the transition and growth experience and the foundations for long-term growth of the newly independent states created by the dissolution of the Soviet Union.Beginning with an overview of the common pre-1992 background and comparative information on the post-1992 performance of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, the authors continue by reviewing the Soviet background and post-independence experience. They then emphasise both the uniformity and diversity of the twelve CIS countries' recent history. The problem of explaining economic growth in transition economies is also explored, and individual in-depth country studies are presented.The contributors to the book are a combination of in-country researchers with in-depth local knowledge and access to data, and international economists with technical expertise and experience of long-term growth in other countries. This approach ensures the book's appeal to academics and researchers of economic growth, transition and comparative economics. Economists assigned to the region or any individual CIS country will find the analysis invaluable.

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This fully updated and comprehensively revised edition of a classic text concentrates on the economics of conserving the living environment. It begins by covering the ethical foundations and basic economic paradigms' essential for understanding and assessing ecological economics. General strategies for global environmental conservation, policies for government intervention, developing countries, preserving wildlife and biodiversity, open-access to and common property in natural resources, conservation of natural areas, forestry, agriculture and the environment, tourism, sustainable development and demographic change are also all covered.This second edition deals with contemporary environmental policy issues that can be expected to be of lasting concern and importance - each chapter benefiting from either the addition of substantial sections of new material, valuable explanations or updates and revisions in light of developments in theory or world events and conditions. Updated techniques of economic analysis are also introduced, explained simply, and applied as appropriate.Economics of Environmental Conservation, Second Edition is written in an engaging and accessible manner and as such will be warmly received by both specialists and non-specialists in economics. It will find a wide readership amongst academics and policymakers in the fields of ecological, environmental and natural resource economics as well as those involved in development studies, environmental management and science, and conservation ecology and biology. Particular chapters will be of interest to those in tourism studies, agriculture, wildlife management and forestry.

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In this book, Robert Boyer follows the origins, course and collapse of the 'new economy' and proposes a new interpretation of US dynamism during the 1990s. He argues that the diffusion of information and communication technologies is only part of a story that also requires understanding of the transformation of the financial system, the reorganization of the management of firms and the emergence of a new policy mix. The book includes a long-term retrospective analysis of technological innovation, and an international comparison of OECD countries delivers an unconventional and critical assessment of the hope and the hype of the 'new economy'. The book proposes that the US way is not necessarily the only efficient one, as demonstrated by the experience of the Nordic countries, which manage to combine economic efficiency with social justice. The author argues that European economies would do well to take note and to explore a promising growth regime for the twenty-first century, one built upon health, education, training and leisure, this comprising the 'anthropogenetic model'.The Future of Economic Growth is a challenging and thought-provoking book, and as such will be of interest to many academics, researchers and students within the field of economics. It will be particularly relevant to those with an interest in macroeconomics, industrial organisation and the theory of the firm, and growth theory.

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A Grammar of Organizing provides a new, innovative perspective on the organizational challenges now facing companies in complex and dynamic business situations.This book represents a much needed departure from static theories of organizations to incorporate the dynamic and ever-changing nature of today's companies. The authors assert that management and organization theory is increasingly turning its attention to the perpetual practice of organizing and strategizing rather than just focusing on formal structures and strategies. This new paradigm is thoroughly analyzed, and the consequent management implications discussed. The book then goes on to build a much needed, coherent and fully developed theoretical framework to further expand upon this new emerging perspective. The 'activity-community' model is built around fundamental principles, and numerous case studies are used to illustrate and support this unique theoretical framework.Offering an up-to-date overview of the latest developments within organization theory, and posing a number of important questions on this changing realm, this book will prove a fascinating read for academics, students, researchers and practitioners with an interest in management and organization studies and practices.

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Now in its third incarnation, this widely acclaimed and popular text has again been fully updated and revised by the author. There is a bewildering array of models to explain the volatility of exchange rates since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s. It is therefore invaluable that Hans Visser is able to bring method to this 'model madness' by grouping the various theories according to the time period for which their explanation is relevant, and further subdividing them according to their assumptions as to price flexibility and international financial asset substitutability.A Guide to International Monetary Economics is a systematic overview of exchange rate theories, an analysis of exchange rate systems and a discussion of exchange rate policies including discussion of the obstacles that may confront policymakers while running any particular system. This third edition emphasises recent developments such as the creation and expansion of the euro and the radical solution of dollarisation. The book is a concise treatment of this complex field and does not encumber the reader with a surfeit of potentially distracting institutional details.As with previous editions, the emphasis is on the economic reasoning behind the formulae while introducing students to the mathematics that will enable them to pursue further reading. This book is aimed at postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students in general and international economics and international finance, as well as business management scholars and researchers specialising in finance. Professional economists wishing to bring up to date their knowledge of the subject will also find much within this book of value to them.

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Lourdes BenerIa, Ann Mari May and Diana Strassmann have combined to produce a major new three-volume research collection that demonstrates the breadth and significance of feminist scholarship in economics. This important selection of articles shows how feminist economics has illuminated our understanding of topics such as household decision-making, the care economy, globalization, the feminization of the labour force, macroeconomics, trade, development, and international migration. Many of the essays provide a feminist perspective on policy and social transformation. The editors have provided an original introduction to the literature, ensuring that these volumes will be an essential source of reference for both students and scholars.

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The first book in this important new series, under the general editorship of Nobel Laureate Robert Solow, Institutions, Innovation and Growth assembles a stellar cast of international contributors. Leading economists join the debate on innovation and economic growth, focussing on a broad spectrum of issues ranging from labour markets to corporate governance. Growth paths within the OECD are also assessed, with particular emphasis on contrasts between US and European models. The book seeks to identify those institutional factors, taking into account different national trajectories, which might serve to promote economic growth in Europe.As with all books in this series, Institutions, Innovation and Growth offers cutting edge research that is relevant to the world in which we live. It will be essential reading for scholars, policymakers and interested readers concerned with the economic challenges facing Europe in the twenty-first century.

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Examining the reform and restructuring of the electricity industry in China, India and Russia, this book explores the way that local conditions and institutions shape the commitment, direction and speed of public utility reform in the three countries. It questions the validity of the argument that one model for electricity reforms will work in all countries, on the grounds that the industry is the same everywhere, by examining the World Bank's involvement in economic reforms in developing and transition economies.The author asks how the template developed by the World Bank has affected the three countries and seeks to explain why changes took place, how effectively they have been proceeding, and what the consequences are for these countries. In so doing, Electricity Reform in China, India and Russia challenges both the assumption behind the new reform paradigm - that market competition is the panacea for all the ills of the electricity industry - and the oft-cited belief that a single template can work in different environments.China, India and Russia have different political and economic systems and at different development stages. Xu Yi-chong uses the experience of the three countries to illustrate the complications created by the use of a single template, a policy encouraged by the World Bank, to direct reform and the need to appreciate the different problems that each had to overcome.Academics and students who are interested in comparative politics, comparative economics, public policy and particularly the reform of public utilities will find this work of great interest, as will practitioners and those who are involved in restructuring the electricity industry worldwide.

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This compelling book focuses on the global formation of the Internet system. It contests the common belief that the Internet's adoption was inevitable and instead examines the social and economic processes that allowed to it to prevail over competing standards and methods for achieving a global information infrastructure. The author demonstrates how the current Internet system was not the only possible choice, nor the best data network in terms of technological and economic performance. It is therefore vital, he argues, to understand the way in which different political and economic interests have helped shaped the Internet and allowed it to overcome rival technologies. Issues of particular importance include the role of negotiations among different social groups in the design of the Internet as well as the influence of US promotion. The author also examines patterns of growth and pervasiveness of the Internet between different regions and countries, providing new evidence on the factors influencing the extent of the 'digital divide'. Using econometric models, he goes on to identify the features of the co-evolution of the Internet and other sub-systems within countries, and highlights the most interesting features of their local and global interplay. Researchers and academics involved with science and technology policy, industrial and corporate change, and the information society will welcome this insightful, original and highly pertinent book. It will also be of value for anyone with an interest in how the backbone of the digital economy was formed.

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Offering a diverse set of contributions to current social contracting research, The Social Institutions of Capitalism illustrates how social contracts necessarily underlie and facilitate all forms of capitalist production and exchange.The editors bring together novel contributions from fields as diverse as economics, evolutionary game theory, contract law, business ethics, moral philosophy and anthropology to offer multifaceted but subtly intertwined perspectives on fundamental questions concerning human cooperation.This interdisciplinary book, with articles written by academics who are widely known and respected in their respective fields, will be of great value to those interested in political theory, moral philosophy and business ethics.

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Academic and accepted orthodoxy maintains that Southeast Asia, and Asia generally, is evolving into a distinctive East Asian regional order. This book questions this claim and reveals instead uncertainty and incoherence at the heart of ASEAN, the region's foremost institution.The authors provide a systematic critique of ASEAN's evolution and institutional development, as well as a unified understanding of the international relations and political economy of ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific. It is the first study to provide a sceptical analysis of international relations orthodoxies regarding regionalization and institutionalism, and is based on wide-ranging and rigorous research.Students of international relations, the Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia, regional studies, international history and security and defence studies will find this book of great interest, as will scholars, policy makers and economic forecasters with an interest in long-term Asia-Pacific trends.

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This important Handbook on international development policy and management covers a broad spectrum of contemporary topics across all the major areas of interest. With over 40 chapters, the book comprehensively explores the many themes and issues of significance for both policy and implementation, and provides easily accessible reference material on current practice and research. The 42 contributors come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and enjoy international reputations in their chosen fields.The Handbook is organised in two parts, one dealing with policy issues and the other with implementation and management issues. The first part, on policy, covers a wide range of economic, social and environmental topics. The second part explores the political context of implementation and development practice and goes on to cover a range of issues relating to management in the public and non-state sectors and the management of development projects. Each individual chapter provides background information on theory and practice, describes the current 'state of play', examines prospects for the future and includes an annotated guide to further reading.This extensive handbook will become an essential reference on international development policy and management. Although primarily designed for postgraduate students and scholars of development studies, it will also be welcomed by development practitioners, NGOs and aid agencies.

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Theories of Financial Disturbance examines how the operations of market-driven finance may initiate and transmit disturbances to the economy at large, by looking in detail at how various economists envisaged such disturbances occurring.This book is more than just a study in the history of economic thought - it illustrates how economic debate focuses upon financial disturbance at times of financial instability, and then conveniently discards critical views when such instability recedes. Jan Toporowski looks at the development of critical theories from the views of Adam Smith and Francois Quesnay, and their reflection in recent new Keynesian ideas of Joseph Stiglitz and Ben Bernanke, through credit cycles in Alfred Marshall and Ralph Hawtrey, to the financial theories of Thorstein Veblen and Irving Fisher. Also studied are the theories of John Kenneth Galbraith, Michal Kalecki, John Maynard Keynes, Charles Kindleberger, Rosa Luxemburg, Hyman P. Minsky, Robert Shiller and Josef Steindl. Not least among the original features of this book are a discussion of Quesnay's attitude towards interest, and a chapter devoted to the work of the Polish monetary economist Marek Breit, whose work inspired Kalecki.Jan Toporowski's fascinating work will find its audience in academics of finance and financial economics, bankers, financiers and policy makers concerned with financial stability as well as anyone looking for arguments on the imperfect functioning of finance.

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On the premise that pension provision in Europe will dramatically change over the next few decades, this book concentrates on the funded component of pension wealth, and specifically on annuities - financial products that, on the basis of actuarial equivalence, allow the conversion of wealth into a lifelong stream of income. Developing an Annuity Market in Europe provides an analysis of how longevity and return risks are dealt with, besides considering key features from both household and insurance company perspectives. It takes account of the fact that annuity markets are expected to attract much interest in future years given the prospective cuts in public pension expenditure. In order to fill the gap between shrinking pensions and desired retirement consumption, the authors argue, annuities must be well regulated and supplied with financially attractive products. These conditions hardly exist today: thin markets and scant interest prevail, information is incomplete and imperfect, products show significant disparities. The contributors to this book explore the causes of present malfunctioning and examine the changes that may give annuities a new and vital function, which, along with greater competition and greater regulation may significantly alter the present scene of pension finance.Finally, the book offers an overview of regulatory issues including transparency, prudential provisions, appropriate levels of guarantees, and administrative costs.This important and timely book will be invaluable to anyone interested in annuities, from practitioners through to students, researchers and academics concerned in financial or public economics.

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This book presents a valuable new tool for water management - water resource accounting - which significantly advances the economic analysis of water. Water resource accounts integrate detailed information about water supply and use with national income accounts to show the economic use of water, costs and tariffs paid, and the economic value of water for different economic uses.Based on the UN's handbook for environmental accounting, this book describes the implementation and policy application of water accounts in three African countries - Botswana, Namibia and South Africa - and discusses how they have been used by water managers. The book compares water use across the three countries, explaining the differences in water resources and water policy. In addition to the comprehensive outline of physical and monetary water accounts for each country, the authors provide an extensive discussion of water valuation as well as addressing a number of issues of regional importance, including water accounting for an international river basin and the impact of trade on each country's water use.By demonstrating the usefulness of water resource accounts, this book makes a major contribution to the literature on water economics and management, sustainable development, and to the development of environmental accounting in general. The Economics of Water Management in Southern Africa will appeal to a wide readership including: environmental and development economists NGOs concerned with sustainable development environmental advocacy groups professionals (economists and environmentalists) working in Africa on water and sustainable development issues water professionals national accounts experts and statisticians.

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The knowledge economy is a notion that has been used, since the end of the last decade, to describe a new economic order perceived by scholars and practitioners. The authors argue that this order, triggered by new information and communication technologies, has resulted in a different set of challenges for effective management of the contemporary firm. Knowledge will play an important role in managing these challenges, with the onus being on new hardware and software as much as how businesses can be organised with regard to relationships with customers and suppliers. This book shows how 'intelligent management will be key to how internal operations can be organised in order to take advantage of opportunities brought about by new technologies. This change in management is discussed throughout the book from a wide array of perspectives ranging from contextual and philosophical aspects, through tools and methods to case studies concerning the organization of business, its management and application in the knowledge economy.Intelligent Management in the Knowledge Economy will be of great interest to academics and researchers of management - knowledge management in particular - ICT and organisational studies. Business practitioners will also find much to engage them within this book.

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The first Handbook of original articles by leading scholars of global environmental politics, this landmark volume maps the latest theoretical and empirical research in this young and growing field. Captured here are the dynamic and energetic debates over concerns for the health of the planet and how they might best be addressed. The introductory chapters explore the intellectual trends and evolving parameters in the field of global environmental politics. They make a case for an expansive definition of the field, one that embraces an interdisciplinary literature on the connections between global politics and environmental change. The remaining chapters are divided into three broad themes - states, governance and security; capitalism, trade and corporations; and knowledge, civil societies and ethics - with each section providing a cohesive discussion of current issues. In-depth explorations are given to topics such as: global commons, renewable energy, the effectiveness of environmental cooperation, regulations and corporate standards, trade liberalization and global environmental governance, and science and environmental citizenship.A comprehensive survey of the latest research, the Handbook is a necessary reference for scholars, students and policymakers in the field of global environmental politics.

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Immigration has become a significant public policy issue in all of the developed countries, as well as an important area of study for academic researchers. Barry R. Chiswick has been a pioneer in research on the economics of immigration and has published numerous seminal studies on the labor market, the educational and linguistic adjustment of immigrants, and the impact of immigrants on the host economy. He has also written extensively on various aspects of immigration policy. Now his most influential and widely-cited papers, published over a span of 25 years in a variety of journals and conference volumes, are available in a single volume. The author has written an original essay introducing this valuable collection.Scholars of economics, public policy, sociology, anthropology and immigration will find this book an essential addition to their libraries.

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This impressive volume presents a detailed comparative analysis of merger remedies in the EU and US, motivated by the fact that a growing number of mergers are being scrutinised and reviewed under both jurisdictions. Merger remedies on either side of the Atlantic play an increasingly important role in the implementation of public policy with regard to the economic concentration of industry. The book provides an understanding of merger remedies in general, and of procedural and substantive differences in the approach of the EU and the US. The editors have gathered together leading European and American practitioners and scholars to comprehensively discuss this issue. They aim to help policymakers decide if, and how, current practices can be improved, and to help firms and their counsel better prepare cases and predict outcomes. This volume sets forth an agenda for future research by providing a critical overview of merger remedies and their implementation in the EU and US. It will become the requisite study in the field for scholars of industrial organisation, law and economics, and for legal practitioners and policymakers working in the realm of competition law.

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Scholarly research on taxation is increasingly preoccupied with its global implications. This volume collects the most important and influential recent research on international aspects of taxation. The book offers empirical estimates of the effects of taxation on foreign direct investment, international borrowing, and other forms of tax avoidance. It further focuses on classic studies of tax competition and the latest research on the characteristics of desirable tax policies in open economies. This authoritative collection of articles offers a comprehensive survey of international tax issues, one that is accessible to newcomers to the field but is also of considerable value to seasoned tax professionals.

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This absorbing book examines the period of massive structural adjustment taking place in the wine industry. For many centuries wine was very much a European product. While that is still the case today - three-quarters of world wine production, consumption and trade involve Europe and most of the rest involves just a handful of New World countries settled by Europeans - the importance of exports from non-European countries has risen dramatically over the past decade. The World's Wine Markets includes an in-depth look at the growth and impact of New World wine production on the Old World producers, revealing that between 1990 and 2001, the New World's combined share of world wine exports grew from 4 to 18 per cent, or from 10 to 35 per cent when intra-European Union trade is excluded. Original essays, by economists from each of the major wine producing and consuming regions in the world, analyse recent developments and future trends, and conclude that globalization of the industry is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Furthermore they argue that with increasing globalization, there is a greater need than ever for systematic analysis of the world's wine markets.This fascinating work will appeal greatly to students enrolled in wine marketing and business courses, those studying industrial organization, and economists and other social scientists interested in case studies of globalization at work. As well, wine industry participants interested in understanding the reasons behind the recent dramatic developments in the industry will find this rigorously analytical yet accessible book of great value.

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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 is the definitive collection on the subject of innovation and innovation management. It brings together in two volumes the essential analyses in the field from its leading authorities. Critical issues addressed include major theoretical overviews and syntheses of the field; analyses of different national systems of innovation, patterns of diffusion and historical trajectories; the links between business strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation; analyses of technology strategies, new product development and innovation; the barriers and enablers of innovation; the ways in which innovation can be promoted through organizational and human resource interventions; the role of managers in promoting (or hindering) innovation; the links between knowledge, learning and change; and the role of alliances and networks in enabling innovation. These volumes provide an invaluable resource for scholars and students worldwide who have an interest in the subject of innovation.

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The Economics of Knowledge Sharing claims that useful economic knowledge is the most important foundation for the development of a sufficiently strong process of innovation. Within the framework of new institutional economics, the book looks at the institutional conditions required for the interactive sharing and dissemination of knowledge in the development of economies. It outlines in four distinct parts the complex societal process of human interaction by which knowledge is effectively generated and used.The book first considers knowledge sharing institutions, differentiating between types of interaction and types of actors. Secondly, it examines the economic role of knowledge and cognition, asking how and why human actors gather knowledge. It goes on to revisit historical questions of knowledge and embeds them within the contemporary debate, before finally reflecting on the significant relationship between technology and knowledge sharing in the digital age.Opening up a new area of research encompassing the institutional framework of the innovation process, this pathbreaking volume will be of enormous interest to a wide-ranging audience including economists in the fields of theory, innovation research, new institutional economics, evolutionary economics, history of economic thought, and education policy. As knowledge sharing interactions are akin to other kinds of competition aside from economic, this book will also be warmly welcomed by social and political scientists specialising in a variety of related topics.

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Presenting new and innovative perspectives on macroeconomics at the national and international levels, the editors bring together contributions on a wide range of topics including: current issues of globalization; transitional economies; inequality; unemployment; national and international debt; and the relationship of macroeconomic policies to the environment. The contributors draw on expertise in a variety of areas to provide insight into debates on macroeconomic policy in the US and Europe, as well as in developing and transitional economies. Themes explored include: disequilibrium in the macroeconomy: analysis of the roots of instability and crisis in national and global systems• the evolution of macroeconomic institutions to stabilize and guide economic growth the paradoxes of globalization, the dangers of unrestricted financial flows, and the impacts of globalization on national institutional coherence macro and institutional strategies for the transitional economies of Russia and Eastern Europe distributional and equity issues, including employment, housing, and homelessness the impact of macroeconomic policy and debt on the environment long-term growth and its relationship to well-being and environmental sustainability. This collection is a valuable resource for researchers and students of macroeconomics, presenting numerous case studies and examples which bring to life some of the theoretical debates that will determine the future of macroeconomics. Policy professionals in a variety of fields including politics, political economy, and international relations will also find much of interest in this enlightening volume.

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Keynesian economists have continually highlighted the crucial role of effective demand and capital investment in determining the level of unemployment. However, this vital insight has been conspicuous by its absence in recent mainstream debates on the causes of the rise of unemployment in Europe. The dominant explanation of unemployment - the NAIRU theory - implies that wages are 'too high' and holds changes in labor market institutions responsible for the rise in unemployment. Given that wage shares have been falling for more than two decades and unemployment rates have remained high, it is surprising that this explanation has yet to be properly challenged. This book offers a long overdue and refreshing Keynesian approach to the rise of European unemployment. It critically discusses the NAIRU theory and presents econometric evidence to assess the relative importance of capital investment and labor market institutions. The author also explores the reasons for the slowdown in capital accumulation, and is able to establish a clear link between changes in the financial sector, changes in corporate governance and investment expenditures.This insightful theoretical and empirical analysis of mainstream and heterodox approaches to unemployment deserves a wide readership amongst academics, economists, graduate students and policymakers in the fields of labour market theory and policy, post Keynesian economics and macroeconomics. It will also make a substantial contribution to the on-going and highly pertinent debate on the economic, political and social problem of unemployment.

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Collecting Nobel Laureate William S. Vickrey's articles on macroeconomic theory and policy written towards the end of his career, this volume demonstrates his enduring commitment to full employment and price stability, and his rejection of conventional macroeconomic theorizing. William Vickrey never lost hope that sensible macroeconomic policy could be understood and implemented, a faith inspired by his humanistic vision of a better world for all and his belief that common sense would ultimately prevail.Advocating sensible economic policies, this collection will offer much of value to heterodox and orthodox economists, graduate economics students and also policymakers.

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Why do societies benefit differently from knowledge? How exactly does social interaction interfere with knowledge acquisition and diffusion? This original Handbook brings together a wide range of differing approaches to shed light on these questions and others relating to the role and relevance of knowledge in economic analysis. By illuminating the philosophical roots of the various notions of knowledge employed by economists, this Handbook helps to disentangle conceptual and typological issues surrounding the debate on knowledge among economists. Wide-ranging in scope, it explores fundamental aspects of the relationship between knowledge and economics - such as the nature of knowledge, knowledge acquisition and knowledge diffusion. This important compendium embraces various fields and traditions of economic analysis and discusses the role of knowledge in 21 papers from outstanding international scholars. Advanced scholars and postgraduate students interested in cross-fertilization between different fields of economic analysis will find this Handbook of considerable importance. Contributors: A. Amin, R. Arena, M. Augier, M.C. Becker, T. Brenner, T. Broekel, P. Cohendet, G. Dosi, J. Durieu, V. Dutraive, M. Egidi, A. Festre, D. Foray, T. Knudsen, N. Lazaric, B.J. Loasby, B.-A. Lundvall, P. Nightingale, B. Nooteboom, A. Orlean, R. Patalano, L. Ragni, S. Rizzello, P.P. Saviotti, P. Solal, A. Spada, U. Witt

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The conditions for successful manufacturing have changed considerably in recent years. New technologies such as information technology and biotechnology are considered important players in eradicating poverty in developing countries, but the risky nature of projects based on new technologies forces firms to raise investment capital by means other than conventional capital markets. This book examines the role of venture capital institutions in financing technology-based ventures both in developed and developing countries. It also explores that part of venture capital activity which is hitherto vastly under-researched; namely the ability of venture capital institutions to render a whole host of value-added support functions. These include setting up management teams and designing strategic plans for fledgling enterprises. The latter issue is operationalized through a series of carefully chosen case studies.Financial Systems, Corporate Investment in Innovation, and Venture Capital will be a valuable text for scholars and students of the theory and practice of financing innovation. It will also be a valuable source for governments, NGOs, financial institutions and multilateral agencies interested in the practicalities of promoting technology-based small and medium enterprises.

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There is currently a popular view that the world is undergoing profound changes in the fundamental relationships upon which it is organised. In particular, there is widespread talk of a 'globalised' economy, facilitated by and associated with 'new' technologies and practices. There is a further consensus that within this 'globalised', 'new' economy, regionalisation in some form is important. The aim of this volume is to address these topical issues, presenting perspectives from which they can be analysed and exploring specific aspects in greater detail.The contributors provide a framework for understanding current trends, and suggest approaches that highlight appropriate ways forward in the context of both opportunities and dangers. In doing so, they discuss specific cases and explore detailed policy possibilities, including the prospect of stimulating change through multinational engagement and debate.The rigorous analysis and coherent nature of the book will ensure its appeal to researchers and scholars across a wide range of disciplines and topics, including industrial economics, regional science and globalisation.

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This authoritative and encyclopaedic reference work provides a thorough account of the public choice approach to economics and politics. The Companion breaks new ground by joining together the most important issues in the field in a single comprehensive volume. It contains state-of-the-art discussions of both old and contemporary problems, including new work by the founding fathers as well as contributions by a new generation of younger scholars.The book reviews the literature of public choice, highlighting the common ground between all rational choice approaches to politics. It demonstrates the important impact of public choice on economics, political science, philosophy and sociology. It will be an indispensable source of reference for many years to the ideas, analytical methods and empirical research in the field.The Companion will serve as the standard reference work for all those engaged in the field of public choice and will be essential reading for politicians and policymakers, scholars in political science, public and social choice, as well as graduate students in economics, political science and public administration.

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This book investigates the implications of digital technologies on the industrial and business dynamics of modern economies. In-depth studies analyse how deep-rooted work practices of the Old Economy have been dramatically challenged when confronted with the entrepreneurial wave of the New Economy. Initially the digitization of existing processes was motivated by ideas of rationalization and cost-cutting. The book convincingly shows how reaping the full benefits necessitates fundamental changes in procedures and organizational design. The effects transcend the boundaries of the firm, as established channels of interaction with old partners must be reconfigured and familiar divisions of labour rethought. The Industrial Dynamics of the New Digital Economy presents novel and detailed data showing how vast and still dominant industries of the Old Economy have responded to the new challenges and exploited the emerging opportunities of digitization in very different ways. The book offers the first theoretical framework for analysing and evaluating the different strategies chosen by industries when struggling to rebuild competitive positions in the new digitized business environment and will be of great value to academics, industrial economists and all those interested in technology, innovation and the new economy.

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Exploring the scope, breadth and depth of innovation in small firms, the authors of this book employ a rich array of survey data to analyze the operating characteristics of dynamic small-firm populations. They investigate the strategies and activities that small firms pursue at different stages in their lifecycles and in different competitive environments, as well as which business skills are associated with survival, innovation, growth and high performance. John Baldwin and Guy Gellatly find that the strategic decisions young firms make play a critical role in determining their odds for survival and growth. New small firms survive by developing a core set of business skills - skills related inter alia to management, human resources, marketing and financing. Advanced innovation capabilities related to R&D and technology set high-performance firms apart from other businesses. Industry-level differences in product lifecycle, production activity, competitive intensity and the science base all influence the nature of small-firm innovation. Unique features of this volume include: comprehensive strategic profiles representative of small-firm populations information from business surveys and administrative data sources for a better understanding of how strategies and activities relate to firm performance an exploration of how small-firm strategies and activities vary across a diverse range of operating environments - from manufacturing to services to science-based environments. Researchers and students interested in small firms and entrepreneurship will benefit from the wealth of new data that investigates relationships between business strategies, innovation and performance. Those interested in industrial organization, innovation and firm turnover will appreciate the new data on how small-firm strategies vary in different competitive environments and at different stages of the entry and exit process.

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The two volumes incorporate major new papers contributed by leading international economists, on a range of topics that reflect the breadth of Professor Lloyd's own distinguished contributions to the field of international trade and policy during a career spanning over four decades. This second volume, Trade Policy Reforms and Development, comprises 11 essays offering new contributions on the following topics: globalisation and political economy of trade trade, labour standards and economic crisis the changing role of the WTO• competition policy and the WTO choice of formulas for market access negotiations• regionalism and bilateralism in ASEAN ANZUS free trade agreement new criteria for optimum currency areas trade policy and poverty in Asia impact of agricultural trade reforms on poverty recent behaviour of US imports. The diversity of the topics covered by the contributors will appeal to those interested in the global trading system, and to development economists, particularly in Asia.

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The steady progress of global economic integration and trade-policy liberalization facilitated by the GATT and WTO over the past half-century has been accompanied by persistent warnings of the consequences for wages, employment and working conditions. Indeed, over the last decade, labor interests in the west have sought to slow the pace of international trade negotiations, seeking some protections in the WTO Charter itself and in individual trade agreements.The central focus of this collection is to provide the reader access to the seminal papers analyzing the accommodation of labor interests within the WTO. This comprehensive volume establishes an understanding of the interaction between global goods, capital and labor markets and the national government institutions that regulate their function. In selecting papers for this volume, the editors have identified the most important contributions to the debate.

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This book represents a major innovation in the institutional analysis of cities and their planning, management and governance. Using concepts of transaction costs and property rights, the work shows systematically how urban order evolves as individuals co-operate in cities for mutual gain. Five kinds of urban order are examined, arising as co-operating individuals seek to reduce the costs of transacting with each other. These are organisational order (combinations of property rights), institutional order (rules and sanctions), proprietary order (fragmentation of property rights), spatial order and public domain order. Property Rights, Planning and Markets also offers an institutional interpretation of urban planning and management that challenges both the view that planning inevitably conflicts with freedom of contract and the view that its function is a means of correcting market failures. Real life examples from countries and regions around the world are used to illustrate the universal relevance of theoretical generalisations, which will be welcomed by a new generation of policymakers and students who take on a world view that goes beyond national boundaries.

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Explaining the Economic Success of Singapore explores the transformation of Singapore in the last three decades, going beyond the conventional explanations. The book argues that there was more to the transformation than a simple 'right place, right time' scenario as other developing countries benefited from similar multinational corporation investment and political stability but did not achieve the same success. Johnny Sung illustrates what differentiates Singapore from these other similar countries.This book argues that both neo-classical economic theory and early versions of the developmental state theory have contributed little to understanding the nature of worker participation in Singapore's 'miracle growth' period. By developing a complementary concept - the developmental worker - the book examines the socio-political context in which workers became central to the national growth strategy and its skill formation projects. It further argues that one of the most important achievements of the developmental state is its ability to systematically embed the skill formation process through building innovative worker stake-holding while explicitly recognising the importance of social commitment for economic growth.Providing important lessons for workforce development policies, this book will appeal to workforce development policy makers, researchers, academics of labour studies, Asian studies and political science, as well as consultants advising on workforce matters.

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This book charts the consequences for banking supervision of two stylized developments that over the last decade have characterized the global financial landscape: the integration of cross-sector and cross-border financial services. Both developments inevitably call for a supervisory response and the authors discuss what form and direction this should take. They also address a number of other important subjects including the new Capital Accord (Basel 2), the convergence of supervisory practices, procyclicality, financial conglomerates, deposit insurance and a brief history of the interplay between banking supervision and bank behaviour.The important practical and theoretical issues highlighted in this volume clearly demonstrate that banking supervision currently stands at a crossroads. The detailed, objective discussions of these themes and the sensible conclusions drawn will undoubtedly help policymakers to decide which path to take. The original contributions from high-level practitioners and academics from around the world will also be of great interest to commercial bankers, and academics and researchers of banking, finance and monetary economics.

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Globalisation and social transformation theorists have paid significantly less attention to the movement of people than they have to the movement of capital. This book redresses the balance and provides timely insights into recent developments in return skilled migration in four regions in the Asia Pacific - Bangladesh, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The authors believe that the movement of skilled migrants, and the tacit knowledge they bring with them, is a vital component in the process of globalisation.The authors examine the patterns and processes of return migration and the impacts it can have on migrants, their families and communities (including gender relations), as well as the effects on both the original source country and the host country. They highlight the many considerations which can influence the decision to return home, including social factors, career-related prospects, and the economic and political environment. Government policies in facilitating return migration through the promotion of entrepreneurship, education and training can also play a crucial role. In the long term, fears of a 'brain drain', under certain circumstances, may be replaced by the prospect of a 'brain gain' or 'global brain circulation', where emigration and immigration (or return migration) co-exist and are supplemented by short-term circulatory movements as a country becomes more integrated into the global economy.This is a pioneering comparative study of return migration in the Asia Pacific based on original primary data. Researchers, academics and students interested in migration, globalisation, demography and social transformation will find this a valuable and highly rewarding book.

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This book attempts to make sense of a new area of integrated study, namely information systems and information technology (IS/IT) and the organization. It also aims to bring this mix into the broader theme of complexity as applied to organization and management and to draw useful conclusions about how to organize and how to manage IS/IT in the knowledge era. The author argues in favour of a more action-oriented - as opposed to planning dominated - approach to information systems management. Key topics discussed include: complexity, enacted cognition and autopoiesis applied to organizations; managerial action as a foil to the prevailing managerial paradigm; managerial action and the formation of cultural knowledge contexts in organizations and an holistic approach to information systems development. The book concludes with consideration of the problems surrounding epistemology.Organizational Knowledge and Technology will be warmly welcomed by academics and researchers working in the areas of technology, management, information systems and organizational science as well as information systems managers.

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This important volume contains research articles about international accounting issues related to the countries of the Americas and the Far East. The volume is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on accounting regulations and policy choice. The second and third parts look at disclosure practices, the properties of accounting earnings, and the value relevance and informativeness of accounting information. Part II examines the Americas, whilst Part III considers the Far East.This acclaimed collection will be of interest to researchers and practitioners alike.

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The Kyoto Protocol was a milestone event in the process of getting global climate change on to the political agenda and taking the first tentative steps towards internationally co-ordinated action. This book brings together researchers from the disciplines of law, economics, political science and sociology to analyse the instruments which have been set up to manage climate change and the institutional shifts that are required for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The authors highlight the need for an adequate implementation structure and well designed flexible instruments to enable emissions targets to be achieved. They discuss the level of international coordination which is required for the smooth operation of flexibility mechanisms and the importance of ensuring these instruments fit within existing national structures. In some countries, there are concerns that the introduction of cap and credit trading programmes may require an overhaul of existing environmental legislation. Technical innovations will also have a critical role to play in preparing the ground for increasingly ambitious controls of GHGs. The authors emphasise the need for an evolutionary development of instruments to support such innovations and the potentially vital roles of firms and governments to help their quick diffusion. This book presents an unusual, fascinating and highly instructive mixture of approaches which will be readily accessible to a broad array of readers from a variety of scientific backgrounds. It will prove invaluable to economists, political and social scientists, lawyers, practitioners and decision-makers involved with climate change policy and international environmental law.

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This volume is the latest in an annual series, published in association with the Institute of Economic Affairs and the London Business School, which provides an up-to-date review of the state of utility regulation in Britain, with some relevant overseas comparisons. The book, edited and with an introduction by Colin Robinson, covers many of the major issues and significant developments in the field of regulation and competition policy. In each case, essays by expert contributors are followed by the views of the sector regulator.This volume will prove invaluable to practitioners, policymakers and lawyers involved in monopoly regulation, regulatory reform and deregulation.

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This major annual publication provides a state-of-the-art survey of contemporary research on environmental and resource economics by some of the leading experts in the field. The critical issues addressed in this year's volume include: the management of high seas fisheries choosing environmental risks the stability and design of international environmental agreements managing environmental risk through insurance motor vehicles and the environment recreation demand models stated preference methods for environmental valuation pollution control policy in developing countries.

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