Search results for ""author ltd e"

Beginning with railroad regulation in 1887 and continuing for eight decades, the U.S. Federal Government expanded its regulatory scope to cover key transportation, telecommunications and energy sectors. In the last quarter of the 20th century this long-term trend was abruptly and dramatically reversed as important sectors of the U.S. economy were deregulated. This Research Review introduces the causes and effects of this process, and the political and economic forces behind the elimination of regulatory authority.

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This book explores the making of international social science, and the parts which academics, policymakers and research managers play in creating European social environmental research. The authors present and analyse a complex picture of overlapping institutional interests within six countries of the EU - The Netherlands, UK, Spain, Greece, Finland and Austria - and develop new models with which to capture the transnational interaction of researchers and funding agencies.The contributors consider the practical and intellectual challenges facing European research managers charged with the task of building a community of social researchers willing to engage with a policy-relevant environmental agenda. The book analyses the shape and character of European social science and the values and commitments of research activity on the environment.This book will be of special interest to those involved in social environmental research, environmental policy, European studies and research management whether at the practical and policy level or in academia.

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Global warming is widely considered to be one of the most serious environmental problems for current and future generations. Moreover, the apparent failure of the Kyoto Protocol to effect a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has increased the importance of economic research into new ways to control global warming. In this exhaustive study, the authors break new ground by integrating cutting edge insights on global warming from three different perspectives: game theory, cost-effectiveness analysis and public choice. For each perspective the authors provide an overview of important results, discuss the theoretical consistency of the models and assumptions, highlight the practical problems which are not yet captured by theory and explore the different applications to the various problems encountered in global warming. They demonstrate how each perspective has its own merits and weaknesses, and advocate an integrated approach as the best way forward. They also propose a research agenda for the future which encompasses the three methods to create a powerful tool for the analysis and resolution of global pollution problems. Surveying a large amount of literature and providing plentiful examples of potential applications, this extensive book combines three branches of economic research on global warming into one accessible volume. It will be widely read by students and scholars in environmental courses, environmental and resource economists, and those working in governmental and non-governmental organisations concerned with international environmental problems.

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Offering the first scholarly analysis of the economic nature of blockchains and the formation of the blockchain economy, this timely book explores the future of global capitalism. Applying the institutional economics of Ronald Coase and Oliver Williamson, the authors highlight how blockchains are poised to reshape the nature of firms, governments, markets and civil society. Chapters apply basic economic principles to explore blockchains and distributed ledger technologies through the framework of institutional economics. The book suggests ways in which cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin may develop further in the future, bringing us back to a barter economy which removes the need for a third person in economic transactions. Outlining a ledger-centric view of the economy, the authors explore how blockchains and dehierarchalisation will reduce the demand for government regulation. Institutional economists and scholars will greatly appreciate the thorough analysis of the development of institutional cryptoeconomics and insight into the future of blockchains that this book offers. Computer and technology scientists will also find this book to be a valuable read, as well as those working specifically in the blockchain industry.

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Open innovation is about firms' external relations with other firms and organizations. It is a topic which has attracted an immense amount of attention, but which has also been heavily criticized due to the diversity of the ideas and fuzziness of its key concepts. To date, the bulk of the literature on open innovation draws on case study material to illustrate the operation of firms in an anecdotal way. By contrast, this book examines open innovation practices by using large-scale data sets and stresses their impact on firm performance. The authors examine four key issues: differences between firms in open innovation practices, public funding to enhance external relations, R&D outsourcing of firms, and the role of human resources in R&D and innovation. The conceptual and measurement issues attached to open innovation explored in this timely book will prove essential to academics. Practitioners from large firms who are closely engaged in the practical organization of open innovation will benefit from the authors insights on outsourcing R&D and the need for the right kinds of human resources.

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This research review offers an examination and discussion of the seminal contributions by many prominent scholars in the heterodox tradition of post-Keynesian economic thought. The authors explore methodological issues - showing the contrast with orthodox thinking on fundamental grounds, concepts such as credit, money and production - which are crucial to understanding the working of our economic systems, as well as several interrelated macroeconomic issues including employment, distribution, growth, development, asset bubbles, and financial crises. The review provides a unique opportunity to appraise and appreciate the depth and variety of post-Keynesian economics at both theoretical and policy-oriented level.

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This book explores some of the complexities of decision-making under risk and uncertainty in environmental and natural resource economics. Risk and uncertainty are inherent problems for economists, and the authors in this volume offer numerous challenges and opportunities to improve the tools we use to assess these concepts. They begin by studying various environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity conservation to underline the importance of identifying different forms of uncertainty and irreversibility. They move on to consider the implications risk and uncertainty have on economic development and environmental policies, and study the attitudes of different user-groups to these issues. Finally, they examine the natural resource management dilemmas faced by the private sector including issues of optimal resource allocation, insurance problems and consumer behaviour.Presenting cutting-edge research on the management of the environment under risk and uncertainty, this book will interest and inform academics and researchers in the fields of environmental and resource economics, and decision-makers in governmental and non-governmental agencies. It will also be of value to economists who want to understand the importance of analysing the impact of risk and uncertainty on environmental and economic processes.

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This ambitious Handbook covers the history, functioning and impact of cohesion policy, arguably the most tangible presence of the European Union in its twenty-eight member states. The contributions combine world-renowned scholars and country experts to discuss, in six parts, the policy's history and governing principles; the theoretical approaches from which it can be assessed; the inter-institutional and multi-level dynamics that it elicits; its practical implementation and impact on EU Member States; its interactions with other EU policies and strategies; and the cognitive maps and narratives with which it can be associated. This Handbook will be an invaluable resource to students and scholars of EU policies and politics and other related disciplines. In particular, they will benefit from the clarity with which the history and functioning of cohesion policy is laid out. Policy makers and other practitioners will also find this book of interest, due to its presentation of relevant debates.Contributors include: A. Ágh, J. Aprans, R. Atkinson, J. Bachtler, J. Balsiger, J. Baudner, I. Begg, M. Brunazzo, R.L. Bubbico, A. Catalina Rubianes, D. Charles, N. Charron, R. Crescenzi, M. Dabrowski, A. Dahs, F. De Filippis, S. Gänzle, D. Hübner, A. Faiña, A. Faludi, V. Fargion, U. Fratesi, P.R. Graziano, E. Gualini, E. Hepburn, C. Holguin, G. Karakatsanis, E. Kazamaki Ottersten, A. Kovács, A. Lenschow, R. Leonardi, J. Lopez-Rodriguez, E. Massetti, P. McCann, C. Mendez, P. Montes-Solla, T. Muravska, T. Notermans, R.l Ortega-Argilés, I. Pálné Kovács, S. Piattoni, L. Polverari, S. Profeti, A.H. Schakel, J. Schönlau, M.K. Sioliou, P. Stephenson, I. Tömmel, M. Weber, K. Zimmermann

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This book describes the state-of-the-art of software ecosystems. It constitutes a fundamental step towards an empirically based, nuanced understanding of the implications for management, governance, and control of software ecosystems.This is the first book of its kind dedicated to this emerging field and offers guidelines on how to analyze software ecosystems; methods for managing and growing; methods on transitioning from a closed software organization to an open one; and instruments for dealing with open source, licensing issues, product management and app stores. It is unique in bringing together industry experiences, academic views and tackling challenges such as the definition of fundamental concepts of software ecosystems, describing those forces that influence its development and lifecycles, and the provision of methods for the governance of software ecosystems.This book is an essential starting point for software industry researchers, product managers, and entrepreneurs.Contributors: T. Aaltonen, T.A. Alspaugh, C. Alves, M. Anvaari, H.U. Asuncion, O. Barbosa, S. Biffl, S. Brinkkemper, M.A. Cusumano, E. den Hartigh, D. Dhungana, R.P. dos Santos, A. Finkelstein, M. Goeminne, I. Groher, I. Hammouda, S. Jansen, A. Jiménez Salas, J. Kabbedijk, M. Kauppinen, T. Kilamo, Y.-R. Li, L. Luinenburg, T. Mens, T. Mikkonen, K.M. Popp, W. Scacchi, E. Schludermann, J. Souer, M. Tol, J. van Angeren, G. van Capelleveen, M. Viljainen, W. Visscher, C. Werner

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This book offers a detailed, critical account of the economic transformation of the Czech Republic since 1989. It follows the development and implementation of a reform strategy based on 'shock' therapy and rapid privatisation, set against the background of turbulent political change and conflict. The aim of the government in the mid 1990s was the creation of a 'Czech' capitalism, with Czech-owned business empires and banks. A detailed analysis of developments in banking and industrial enterprises shows how the chosen strategy led instead to continuing inefficiency, flawed management decisions and uncontrolled profiteering. These combined factors contributed to serious economic difficulties in the latter part of the decade, with success stories largely confined to foreign-owned firms. After 1998, a new government attempted to encourage economic revival based upon a fresh strategy which emphasised the sale of banks and industrial enterprises to foreign owners. Even with this new reform strategy, the author concludes that the results were, at best, mixed. Throughout the analysis, the author provides in-depth commentary on a variety of topics including the sources of economic growth, the role of the central bank, developments in banking and industrial enterprises and the impact of inward direct investment.It is rare to find such a comprehensive book which assesses the economic transformations of a single country. The detailed analysis and pertinent conclusions will be welcomed by academics and researchers with an interest in transition economies, European integration, international finance and political science.

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This book provides a uniform and coherent approach to the analysis of distribution systems in general and retail systems in particular. It develops the fundamentals of retail demand and supply, and demonstrates how the provision of distribution services is a principal determinant of economic outcomes in retail exchanges for both retailers and their customers, as well as for other agents such as suppliers and franchisors. The author integrates the existing literature with new applications to provide novel insights into the multi-product nature of retailing, the service aspects of packaging, and the evolution of retail formats such as supermarkets, non-store retailers (including the Internet) and shopping centers. He illustrates how the complementarity that underlies retail activities leads to lower average prices for customers. This integrative process also brings out the role of distribution services as mechanisms to exercise economic power. This is evident not only in channels of distribution but in the evolution of Wal-Mart and the development of franchise contracts. The author also identifies the crucial differences between the retailing of goods and the retailing of services.This impressive volume skilfully integrates conceptual, theoretical and empirical research to analyse critical issues in the economics of retailing and distribution. It will be required reading for academics and professional economists interested in industrial organization, marketing, applied microeconomics and business.

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This book opens a fresh chapter in the debate on local enterprise clusters and their strategies for upgrading in the global economy. The authors employ a novel conceptual framework in their research on industrial clusters in Europe, Latin America and Asia and provide new perspectives and insights for researchers and policymakers alike.The debate on local upgrading capacity is torn between two lines of thinking: those who believe that local relationships between enterprises and institutions are key to upgrading, and those who argue that the spaces for upgrading are defined by the sourcing strategies of global buyers. From this debate a number of important questions arise: how feasible is it to develop local upgrading strategies? Can local policy networks make a difference, or do global forces undermine them? Do global quality and labour standards marginalise developing country producers or do they help them to upgrade? To answer these questions, the book brings together theoretical and empirical research on local and regional clusters, global value chains and global standards, using case studies from developed and developing countries. The authors provide a new understanding of how global and local governance interact, highlighting power and inequality in global chains but also identifying scope for local action.By showing how and why insertion in global value chains can accelerate or inhibit local upgrading, this book represents a significant contribution to the academic and political debate on globalization. It will be essential reading for all students, academics and researchers interested in global political economy, global and local governance structures, economic geography and innovation studies.

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This book opens a fresh chapter in the debate on local enterprise clusters and their strategies for upgrading in the global economy. The authors employ a novel conceptual framework in their research on industrial clusters in Europe, Latin America and Asia and provide new perspectives and insights for researchers and policymakers alike.The debate on local upgrading capacity is torn between two lines of thinking: those who believe that local relationships between enterprises and institutions are key to upgrading, and those who argue that the spaces for upgrading are defined by the sourcing strategies of global buyers. From this debate a number of important questions arise: how feasible is it to develop local upgrading strategies? Can local policy networks make a difference, or do global forces undermine them? Do global quality and labour standards marginalise developing country producers or do they help them to upgrade? To answer these questions, the book brings together theoretical and empirical research on local and regional clusters, global value chains and global standards, using case studies from developed and developing countries. The authors provide a new understanding of how global and local governance interact, highlighting power and inequality in global chains but also identifying scope for local action.By showing how and why insertion in global value chains can accelerate or inhibit local upgrading, this book represents a significant contribution to the academic and political debate on globalization. It will be essential reading for all students, academics and researchers interested in global political economy, global and local governance structures, economic geography and innovation studies.

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A political scientist and an urban architect explore China's odyssey to become an ecological civilization and transform its massive, unsustainable, urbanization process into one that creates hundreds of eco-cities. The resulting From Eco-Cities to Sustainable City-Regions is the first book-length study combining analysis of politics and power, urban design and planning issues derived from the co-authors' interdisciplinary research, and on-site fieldwork from their political science and architectural area specialties. Begun in 1986, little-known policy actions have taken shape in the building of 285 eco-cities--and growing. What are the driving forces of these innovative developments? How is China going about converting its teeming urban areas into replicable and showcase cities? Can these new policy initiatives overcome the damage done to its air, waterways, and land, while significantly reducing public health dangers to its inhabitants? In searching for means for the People s Republic of China to take the next step from eco-cities to sustainable city-regions, the co-authors assess the potential success of China's present course and offer key recommendations for Chinese political leaders, urban planners, and citizen stakeholders to make the transition to a sustainable future for its people and the rest of the world. The primary market for this book will be eco-researchers, Asian studies scholars and teachers, eco- and urban architects, environmental and urban policy professionals, and advanced undergraduates in environmental and sustainability studies or sciences programs. The interdisciplinary reach and critical framework of analysis will appeal to a wide variety of scholars interested in Chinese ecological strides and seeking a critical assessment of its potential.

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This comprehensive and far-reaching book describes the growth and economic integration of the European economy from 1500 to 1913. The authors apply macroeconomic techniques to identify growth rates, inflation, product markets, trade networks and business cycles across a set of countries over the period. The book demonstrates that growth was the natural state for European economies throughout the period although, under the impetus of the industrial revolution, growth rates generally accelerated by the end of the nineteenth century. Similarly, business cycles in the modern sense seem to have been in evidence at the beginning of the period but by the eighteenth century there is no doubt that modern cycles affected these countries, sometimes simultaneously. Inflationary episodes are both distinct and shared in this long period, with the long inflation of the sixteenth century attesting to the integration of European markets. Finally, the authors find abundant quantitative evidence to support the argument that economies linked by international trade in 1500 came close to achieving global integration by 1913.The European Macroeconomy will be of interest to scholars of economic history, international economics and macroeconomics.

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Answering pressing questions regarding employee selection and mobbing culture in the workplace, Andrew R. Timming explores the unique intersection of the biological sciences and human resource management. With a rich set of theoretical and empirical chapters, the author shines an innovative light on the fields of human resource management, organizational behavior and evolutionary psychology, engaging with the nature vs. nurture debate as well as offering a ground-breaking explanation for workplace bullying, unconscious bias, and employee selection decision-making. At times poignant and controversial, the book illustrates the dark side of human nature, with a unique focus on our primordial instincts. An excellent exploration into an emerging area, this Footprint will be ideal for human resource management and organizational behavior academics, as well as those interested in applied evolutionary, social, organizational, and experimental psychology.

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Though scientists and environmentalists have long expressed concern over the rapid deterioration of the global environment, economists have largely failed to recognize the issue's relevance to their field. Salah El Serafy argues for an increased focus on the economic aspects of environmental degradation, calling for a fundamental shift in how economists measure and discuss national income.Through a combination of new material reflecting recent developments in the field and previously published essays that provide a history of green accounting, the author emphasizes the importance of considering natural resources as part of a nation's economic capital. Setting forth what has become known as the 'El Serafy Method', this fascinating and complex volume presents both the justification and the methodology for giving the environment a place in the global economic conversation.Students, professors, researchers and policymakers in the field of environmental and ecological economics will no doubt find much to appreciate in this thoughtful and comprehensive analysis of the intersection between economics and the environment.

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Applied Microeconomic Theory presents a seminal collection of the author's influential papers in a number of areas of applied microeconomic theory. This invaluable volume contains a selection of both published and unpublished papers written over a period of thirty years and reveals Curtis Eaton's profound economic insight and ability.Topics covered include: Strategic market structure. Beginning with Eaton's pioneering 1975 paper on pre-emption by product proliferation in a differentiated oligopoly and ending with his paper - in collaboration with Nicholas Schmitt - on the implications for market structure of flexible manufacturing published in 1995. Efficiency wages, including two of the very earliest papers on the subject written in collaboration with William White. Theory of price in both labour and output markets. Collusive behavior, including a number of important papers written in collaboration with Mukesh Eswaran.

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The Changing Global Economy and its Impact on International Entrepreneurship addresses different changes and challenges that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face in an economy where they need to compete at home and cannot refrain from participating in international markets. Contributors examine diverse SMEs that have succeeded in the face of adversity. They offer a combination of practical strategies and efficient tactics, grounded in solid theory and research, for firms in different competitive industries.This volume presents a collection of 12 carefully selected chapters that highlight challenging real-world cases to illustrate a variety of difficult problems. Hamid Etemad presents an analytical framework with three levels of analysis - entrepreneurial level, firm level, and institutional level - to document comprehensive, realistic and experientially-based entrepreneurial initiatives, potent firm and public policy strategies and informative and applicable results.The interactive structural design of this book offers progressively higher levels of analysis and incisive lessons, which make it perfect for academics interested in the rich range of theories, methodologies and topics surrounding SMEs' internationalization processes. Its analysis will also inform management and effective policy formulation for entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers.Contributors: J. Almarri, S. Aureli, L. Battaglia, E. Cedrola, M. Del Baldo, S. Denicolai, N. Dominguez, H. Etemad, B. Hagen, E.J.B. Jørgensen, K. Juusola, D. Kabbara, S. Kock, H. Le Nguyen, J.I.G. Meewella, M. Migliaccio, A.G. Quaranta, E. Rasmussen, F. Rivetti, V. Stanisauskaite, I. Wictor, A. Zucchella

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A first attempt to enter the world-ship and make contact with the Humans inside has failed after the exploration team was contaminated with deadly nanorobots. Only Marie, with her Mantris-improved body, was able to fight them off, and so she and Kim, who is also immune, make the decision to give it another try... before the authorities of Earth destroy the massive vessel, the robotic menace within... and its mysterious Human passengers.

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This timely Handbook provides an excellent overview of our knowledge on the drivers, influencing factors and outcomes of energy entrepreneurship. As the world grapples with global resource crunches and fights to reap the rewards of new energy technologies, a wide space for entrepreneurial opportunity has emerged. The Handbook of Research on Energy Entrepreneurship offers critical insight on how nations the world over can make full use of those opportunities. An informed blend of geographical and methodological approaches to energy entrepreneurship research, these comprehensive and complementary perspectives shed new light on topics ranging from harnessing the power of the sun and wind to consumer preferences and policy frameworks. This book provides an excellent reference point for scholars and practitioners seeking a richer understanding of the aspects of venture financing, corporate entrepreneurship, internationalization of entrepreneurial ventures, emerging cleantech clusters, public policy and the institutional aspects of energy innovation. A must-read for those interested in the scholarly investigation of energy entrepreneurship - including students and scholars of entrepreneurship, technology and innovation management, organizations and the natural environment, and environmental economics, practitioners in energy entrepreneurship, and policymakers - this Handbook is sure to enlighten and engage.Contributors: R. Abold, Z. Acs, J. Aleluia, M.H. Anderson, H. Andree, A. Aspelund, M. Brachert, S. Cohen, N. Dee, P. Dickel, S. Ford, E. Garnsey, D. Grichnik, M.W. Hansen, D.M. Hart, E. Heiskanen, C. Hornych, M. Kenney, C. Koropp, L. Lehmann-Ortega, J. Leitao, M. Loock, N. Løvdal, R. Lovio, A. Marcus, G. Meersohn, P. Mickwitz, P. Migliavacca, N. Peretz, S. Pogutz, A. Russo, J.-M. Schoettl, K. Sutcliffe, T. Teppo, R. Wuebker, R. Wüstenhagen

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Industries located in developing countries have made major improvements in environmental performance since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992. More specifically, their record in reducing energy-use and water-pollutant intensities has been better than developed countries. This significant new book investigates what motivates industries in developing countries to adopt environmentally sound technology (EST) - a subject about which very little is actually known. The authors present the findings of a United Nations study of the factors that determined EST adoption by 105 manufacturing plants in four different sectors within eight developing countries. They explore both factors internal to the plants as well as external factors including governments, markets and civil society.Environment and Industry in Developing Countries will be of great interest to development assistance agencies supporting programmes for industrial environmental management in developing countries, and also to graduate school programmes in economic development, technology management, as well as in international business.

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This important and original book critically evaluates case study practices and calls for a more pluralistic future for case research in international business (IB) and international management (IM). IB and IM researchers typically rely on a case study approach that could be characterized as 'qualitative positivism'. The editors and contributors look beyond this disciplinary convention and encourage pluralism in IB and IM case research. Their key argument is that increased awareness of the prevailing disciplinary convention and its limitations increases the potential for theoretical insight and methodological versatility in case research. The contributions provide critical, novel and innovative perspectives on the case study. The book offers inspiration to case authors, and is an authoritative methodological reference for reviewers of case research. Contributors include: P. Ahonen, P. Almond, P.H. Andersen, S. Blazejewski, M.Y. Brannen, T. Buck, E. Clark, T. Colling, P. d Iribarne, T. Edwards, J. Erland Lervik, M. Fletcher, L. Hurmerinta, R.J. Jensen, M. Johanson, H. Kragh, A.J. Mills, J.H. Mills, R. Mir, F. Moore, R. Morais, M. Nojonen, N. Nummela, R. Piekkari, E. Plakoyiannaki, A. Saka-Helmhout, A. Salmi, A. Soulsby, G. Szulanski, H. Tan, J. Tienari, E. Vaara, C. Welch, A. Wright

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This pioneering book provides a comprehensive, rigorous and in-depth analysis of China's energy and environmental policy for the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This unique book focuses on concrete, constructive and realistic solutions to China's unprecedented environmental pollution and rising greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and energy security as a result of steeply rising oil imports. It provides an up-to-date factual analysis of China's efforts and commitments to improve energy efficiency, to cut pollutants and to increase the use of renewable energy to create a low-carbon economy. The author explores many of the policies and measures that China has put in place to save energy and reduce emissions, as well as examines new policies and measures in order for China to be successful. Energy and Environmental Policy in China will prove to be of great value to practitioners and policy makers, as well as to academies and students in the areas of economics, environmental studies, Asian studies, regional and urban studies, law, political science and sociology.

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Firms adopt a wide variety of ecological strategies, ranging from the development of innovative products with reduced environmental impact to lobbying against governmental attempts to set standards for the way in which firms deal with the natural environment. This book explores this variety and is the first to provide a coherent evolutionary approach to the ecological strategies of firms. Drawing on insights from organization and management sciences and innovation studies, the author outlines an evolutionary framework enabling a deeper understanding of how firms shape ecological strategies and interact to create inertia or change at the level of systems of production and consumption. This framework is applied to the coffee and automobile production and consumption systems, yielding insight into the complex dynamics through which such systems evolve in dealing with ecological impact. The book advances theoretical insight into business strategies and the natural environment and illuminates the dynamics of production and consumption systems.Scholars, students and practitioners from organization and management sciences, innovation studies and industrial ecology interested in the relationship between business and the natural environment will find this book invaluable.

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In Firms, Strategies and Economic Change, Fu-Lai Tony Yu acknowledges the shortcomings of contemporary research on industrial organisation and strategy, while proposing a novel subjectivist approach to economic and management problems. Based largely on the works of Max Weber, Alfred Schutz, Ludwig von Mises and Frank H. Knight, this book develops the subjective interpretation framework to promote better understanding of entrepreneurship, industrial organisation and strategy, vertical integration, innovation, consumer behaviour, business cycles and institutional change more fully. The author also presents a new interpretation on the economics of Frank H. Knight and sheds light on the history of subjectivist economics. Adding new insights not only to economics but also to business, entrepreneurship and industrial organisation issues, this book will have a wide appeal to scholars of these areas as well as Austrian economists.

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While much of the current literature on the economic consequences of an aging population focuses on the negative aspects, this enlightening book argues that seniors can bring significant benefits ? such as vitality and competitiveness ? to an urban economy.The authors illustrate the ways an aging population can have a positive impact on urban centers, including the move by large numbers of seniors from the suburbs to the city, where their disproportionate consumption of education and the arts helps rejuvenate city centers. Given this, the authors conclude that a large and active senior population has the potential to assist a city in the achievement of its strategic economic objectives. The book includes analyses of the effects of population aging on best practices in 40 cities in the US and EU, with surprising results, as well as interviews with city officials and leaders.Academics, researchers and public officials in the areas of urban development, public policy and aging will find much in this original approach to interest and provoke debate.

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During the previous decade, the multi-disciplinary field of family business has advanced significantly in terms of advances in theory, development of sophisticated empirical instruments, systematic measurement of family business activity, use of alternative research methodologies and deployment of robust tools of analysis. This second edition of the Handbook of Research on Family Business presents important research and conceptual developments across a broad range of topics. The contributors - notable researchers in the field - explore the frontiers of knowledge in family business entrepreneurship and stimulate critical thinking, enriching the repository of theoretical frameworks and methodologies.The Handbook takes a systematic and rigorous approach by providing in-depth insights into the dynamics of family business, its context and the significant role of stakeholders. Ultimately, this scholarly compendium of extant family business papers is an invaluable resource for researchers, educators, family business consultants, family business owner-managers and students.Contributors include: D. Arijs, B. Arosa, P. Bachiller, S. Ben-Mahmoud-Jouini, A. Blombäck, I.C. Botero, L. Cabeza-García, J.L. Calvo González, D. Caspersz, S. Chang, J. Chrisman, G. Corbetta, L.-P. Dana, S.M. Danes, A. Dawson, B. Debicki, F. di Donato, E.L. Gimenez, M.-C. Giorgino, L. Gnan, S. Gómez-Ansón, A. Gómez Vieites, T. Goto, V. Gupta, E. Hadjielias, E. Hamilton, C. Howorth, T. Ikäheimonen, M. Ikävalko, T. Iturralde, J. Kansikas, F. Kellermanns, A. Kirmanen, A. Koeberle-Schmid, R. Labaki, I. Le Breton-Miller, J. Lee, N. Levenburg, C. Lindow, S. Litchfield, M.S. Macchione Saes, A. Maseda, C. Matherne, N. Michael-Tsabari, S. Mignon, D. Miller, A. Minichilli, F. Mizumoto, D. Montemerlo, J. Negreira, F. Negreira del Río, M. Nordqvist, J.A. Novo-Peteiro, S. Paternostro, A. Pena-López, J.A. Novo Peteiro, T. Pihkala, D. Pittino, M. Sacristán-Navarro, J.M. Sánchez-Santos, P. Sharma, K.X. Smyrnios, L. Songini, K. Stafford, E. Su, R. Tiscini, G. Valentini, F. Visintin, R.K. Zachary, V. Zheng

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This book, the fourth volume in the McGill International Entrepreneurship Series, brings together 27 top scholars to explore the structural complexities, evolving relations and dynamic forces that are shaping a new system of multi-polar, multi-level international business relations. It examines entrepreneurial efforts and relations in different national and corporate cultures, each embedded in and also constrained by country-specific socio-economic structures and each vying for consumer attentions in competitive global markets.The new millennium has experienced much rapid change, much of it implicit, intangible and not covered by the headlines of the popular press. The bipolar business system of the 20th century that prioritized the relationship between firms and consumers of developed countries is giving way to an emerging multi-polar and multi-level international system that considers consumers and companies in developing economies as well. In this book, scholars from around the world analyze the nascent architecture and relations in this quickly evolving system. They explore the structural complexities, evolving relations, and dynamic forces that are shaping and re-shaping the new system and examine entrepreneurial efforts and relations that cement its structure. The chapters in this volume portray the operating conditions of firms across 14 emerging country environments and industries ranging from basic foods and information technology to complex business processes.Students and professors of international business, entrepreneurship, marketing and management studies will find this volume an indispensable addition to the literature.Contributors: C.F. Agapito, D. Bek, T. Binns, K. Brydon, W. Coyle, L.-P. Dana, E. Dmitrienko, U. Dornberger, H. Etemad, C. Felzensztein, T. Galkina, F. Ghanatabadi, C. Keen, D. Khanduja, K.K. Leung, R.B. McNaughton, V. Minina, M.N.U. Nabi, E. Nel, J. Olavarría, C. Richardson, A. Shatalov, G. Shirokova, R. Singh, J.A. Sy-Changco, T. Vissak, M. Yamin

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This important book tackles the problem of inflation in contract law - whether, and to what extent, contract rules should take inflation into account.The book offers an original approach in proposing that the distributive effects of inflation are an important factor in the design of contract rules. The author also finds that the wealth distribution caused by inflation is relevant to the design of contract rules whichever normative perspective of the contract law one adopts. The book draws theoretical and practical implications of the analysis and suggests that different starting points will result in different solutions. Inflation and the Enforcement of Contracts is essential to anyone interested in research or policy making in the area of contract law.

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Along with its interrelated companion volume, The Content, Impact, and Regulation of Streaming Video, this book covers the next generation of TV-streaming online video, with details about its present and a broad perspective on the future. It reviews the new technical elements that are emerging, both in hardware and software, their long-term trend, and the implications, and discusses the emerging ''media cloud'' of video and infrastructure platforms, and the organizational form of such TV.What kind of companies? What kind of business models? What kind of industries? What kind of impact on existing media? And what kind of market power in media industries, around the world? The author addresses these questions with facts and figures, ranging across technology, economics, communications studies, business, policy, and law.Media professionals in academia, management, technology, policy and creative production will appreciate the non-jargony yet thorough exploration of streaming online video in The Technology, Business, and Economics of Streaming Video.

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This Handbook uses a thematic and interdisciplinary approach to discuss and analyse the various governance structures of the EU, focusing in particular on how these are administered. Key chapters, written by leading experts across the field, engage with important ongoing debates in the field of EU administrative law, focusing on areas of topical interest such as financial markets, the growing security state and problematic common asylum procedures. In doing so, they provide a summary of what we know, don't know and ought to know about EU administrative law. Examining the control functions of administrative law and the machinery for accountability, this Research Handbook eloquently challenges areas of authoritarian governance, such as the Eurozone and security state, where control and accountability are weak and tackles the seemingly insoluble question of citizen 'voice' and access to policy making. Practical and engaging, this timely Research Handbook is sure to appeal to scholars and researchers of EU administrative law and EU law more broadly. Legal practitioners and EU policy makers will also benefit from its high level of engagement with contemporary deliberations.Contributors include: V. Abazi, M. Baran, T.A. Börzel, K. Bradley, A. Brenninkmeijer, E. Chiti, D. Curtin, H. Darbishire, M. de Visser, G. della Cananea, M. Everson, J. Grimheden, E. Guild, C. Harlow, E.G. Heidbreder, H. Hofmann, C. Joerges, M. Kjaerum, P. Leino, L. Leppavirta, I. Maher, J. Mendes, L. Muzi, N. Póltorak, T. Raunio, R. Rawlings, M. Ruffert, J.-P. Schneider, C. Scott, G. Toggenburg

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Any technological advance, innovation or economic growth created by an organization is dependent on how that organization's culture and environment fosters or inhibits these developments. This process is further complicated by the global nature of economic activity and differences in national cultures due to country-specific histories, experiences, traditions and rules. The distinguished authors in this important new book aim to study the nature of organizational innovation and change by examining the complex interplay between entrepreneurship, innovation and culture.The book addresses a number of important questions including: why do so many technological firms fail to sustain entrepreneurial spirit?• is a certain mindset required at the level of the individual entrepreneur? do successful entrepreneurial firms need a certain culture and, if so, what elements make up that culture? what role does national culture, corporate culture and professional culture play? are these issues linked to high levels of innovation, technology development, progress and economic growth and, if so, how are they related? The book's broad global perspective and multi-disciplinary analysis will ensure a wide and varied readership amongst academics, researchers and practitioners interested in technological and organizational change, entrepreneurship, innovation management and cultural studies.

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This innovative book examines the role an automobile emissions tax could play in reducing emissions in the United States. The author concludes that an emissions tax has the potential to reduce emissions from households vehicles significantly, even when travel demand is relatively price inelastic. Beginning with a theoretical discussion of a first-best tax, a second-best tax on passenger vehicles is developed. This study contains detailed analyses of: the design of the tax behavioural responses that lead to emissions reductions, including reductions in the household's vehicle miles of travel and the scrapping of low-value, high emitting vehicles the effect of the tax on the reduction of emissions the effect of the tax on households in different income quintiles the emissions reducing potential of a gasoline tax compared to an emissions tax This study uses a simulation model to analyse the sensitivity of travel demand and the resulting emissions, to different tax rates and demand elasticities. The author concludes that an emissions tax has the potential to reduce emissions from household vehicles significantly, even when travel demand is relatively price inelastic.Taxing Automobile Emissions for Pollution Control will prove invaluable to policymakers and academics in the field of environmental management and environmental economics and policy.

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This authoritative and in-depth collection presents seminal papers from leading academics in the field of organisation and bureaucracy. It encompasses sections on organisational boundaries, neo-Schumpeterian theories, hierarchy and international organisation, organisational culture and behaviour, power politics and authority, as well as organisational institutions and practices. Professor Jackson has chosen works which have shaped the views of how the economics of organisation and bureaucracy are viewed today and has included papers from conflicting ends of the spectrum to illustrate the fluid and evolving nature of the subject. This indispensable volume, with an original introduction by the editor, will be of immense value to students, scholars and practitioners interested in this topical and relevant field.

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If you're interested in the cutting-edge of the very best thinking on economics and the environment, it's right here. Boyce has done a masterful job integrating issues of equity and ecological thinking into economics, and presenting deep and important ideas accessibly with the latest research to back them up. Not just recommended, but essential.'- Juliet Schor, Boston College, US and author of True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans are Creating a Time-rich, Ecologically-light, Small-scale, High-satisfaction Economy'A colleague of mine puts it best: when thinking about the fundamentals of the economy and the environment, there is Pigou, Coase, and Boyce. Boyce adds to traditional economics the critical understanding that social power is a determinant of the extent and spatial scale of environmental degradation. In these essays, on subjects ranging from housing and credit markets to agriculture and globalization, Boyce mixes a data-driven picture of unequal environmental protection with a keen and useful discussion of the many forms of social power that can help right the scales.'- Eban Goodstein, Bard College, USThis fascinating volume has at its heart a simple but powerful premise: that a clean and safe environment is not a commodity to be allocated on the basis of purchasing power, nor a privilege to be allocated through political power, but rather a basic human right. Building upon this premise, James K. Boyce explores the many ways in which economics can be refashioned into an instrument for advancing human well-being and environmental health.Comprising a decade's worth of essays written since the publication of the author's pathbreaking book, The Political Economy of the Environment (2002), this volume discusses a number of diverse environmental issues through an economist's lens. Topics covered include environmental justice, disaster response, globalization and the environment, industrial toxins and other pollutants, cap-and-dividend climate policies, and agricultural biodiversity.The first economics book to explore the idea that the environment belongs in equal measure to us all, this pioneering volume will hold great interest for students, professors and researchers of both economics and environmental studies.Contents: 1. The Environment as Our Common Heritage 2. Is Inequality Bad for the Environment? 3. In the Wake of the Storm: Disasters and Environmental Justice 4. Justice in the Air: Tracking America's Industrial Toxics 5. Where Credit is Due 6. Cap and Dividend: Carbon Revenue as Common Wealth 7. A Chinese Sky Trust 8. A Future for Small Farms 9. Globalization and Our Environmental Future Index

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This book focuses on arrangements for redistributing consumption opportunities over the life cycle and for providing compensation for income losses or large expenditures due to reasons such as illness and unemployment. After extensive coverage of the nature of inequalities in income and wealth in a market economy, and various notions of social justice, the author discusses public and private transfers in cash or in kind related to old age, childhood, illness and the like. Importantly, the book takes into account both equity and efficiency aspects.This concise discussion of the welfare state and its alternatives will be of great interest to students of economics at the intermediate level as well as to graduate students of sociology, social work and other social sciences. It will also appeal to politicians and civil service managers with an interest in the fundamentals of social policy.

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Practical suggestions, and documentary evidence, for performers wishing to understand the gestures and nuances embedded in eighteenth-century musical notation. There are, of course, no commas, periods, or question marks in music of the Baroque and Classic eras. Nonetheless, the concept of "punctuating" music into longer and shorter units of expression was richly explored by many of the era's leading composers, theorists, and performers. The Art of Musical Phrasing in the Eighteenth Century gathers and discusses, for the first time, an extensive collection of quotations and musical illustrations relevant tophrase articulation and written and unwritten rests. Among the notable authors cited and discussed are Muffat, Telemann, C. P. E. Bach, Mattheson, Marpurg, Tartini, and Mozart's father Leopold (author of the most important eighteenth-century treatise on string playing). On a larger scale, The Art of Musical Phrasing demonstrates the role of punctuation within the history of rhetoric during the Age of Enlightenment. From this, the performer of todaycan gain a greater appreciation for both the strengths and shortcomings of the analogy that writers of the day drew between punctuation in written language and in music. Modern performers, argues Vial, have the challenge andresponsibility of understanding and conveying the nuances, inflections, and rhythmic gestures deeply embedded in eighteenth-century musical notation. The Art of Musical Phrasing, the fruit of Vial's rich experience as a cellist performing on both period and modern instruments, lays out long-needed practical suggestions for achieving this goal. Stephanie D. Vial performs and records widely as a cellist and has taught at the University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

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The country of origin of goods and services can have positive or negative effect on customers' intentions to purchase. This book analyzes the impact of this effect on the international development of Italian companies in emerging markets.The chapters refer to a wide range of issues, including made-in effects in relation to ethnocentrism and to corporate social responsibility in small and medium-sized enterprises; the interactions and synergistic effects between product-related made-in images and the images of places as tourism destinations; distribution channel issues; 'made-in topics' in relation to emerging markets; and a review of the relevant literature on country of origin effects. The contributors propose strategies and tools that companies might leverage to develop their international marketing and suggest policies that might strengthen these efforts.This original work will prove to be a valuable resource for students and researchers of international marketing and strategy as well as policy makers.Contributors: B. Balboni, L. Battaglia, G. Bertoli, G. Bortoluzzi, T. Bursi, E. Cedrola, A. De Chiara, P. de Luca, A. De Nisco, B. Francioni, S. Grappi, G. Mainolfi, V. Marino, E. Martinelli, M. Matarazzo, F. Musso, M.R. Napolitano, A. Pagano, T. Pucci, R. Resciniti, C. Simoni, D. Vianelli, M. Vignola, L. Zanni

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This book makes a rational and eloquent case for the closer integration of ethics and economics. It expands upon themes concerned with esteem, self-esteem, emotional bonding between agents, expressive concerns, and moral requirements. Economists have long assumed that 'value' and 'price' are synonymous and interchangeable. The authors show how disregarding this false assumption and adopting an interdisciplinary approach could improve the economics profession by distinguishing economic values from ethical values. Replete with discussions that will challenge conventional economics, this book offers a corrective argument against the rigid separation of agents' motivation and the purely normative aspects of economic analysis. The various contributions explore the different dimensions at the frontier between the rational and the moral in political economy, ethics and philosophy. Containing a variety of cross-border analyses, this innovative book will be a must-read for economists, political scientists and philosophers. It will also be an invaluable resource for students in the fields of economics and philosophy.

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The Handbook of Emerging Market Multinational Corporations focuses on why emerging market multinationals internationalize, how they do so and the advantages they explore and exploit as they internationalize. The Handbook highlights the requirement for new perspectives on theory and managerial practice to better comprehend this phenomenon.Internationalizing firms from emerging markets are sweeping the global economy. Here, expert contributors offer interesting insight into emerging market multinationals internationalization drivers, growth processes and expansion, and underscore similarities and differences between developed and emerging country internationalizing firms. Case studies from emerging market economies are presented, including corporations from China, Egypt, India, Thailand, Russia, and South Africa. Revised perspectives on internationalization theory are proposed, addressing changing global value chain configurations, institutional distance between home and host countries, the role of governments and preferred modes of entry into foreign markets.This theoretical, empirical and conceptual work is a fundamental point of reference for students and academics interested in business, economics and internationalization theory. Practitioners in internationalizing firms and policy makers within government and non-governmental organizations will find this discerning book to be of great value.Contributors include: Y. Aharoni, F. J. Contractor, A. Cuervo-Cazurra, M. Demirbag, L. Fernández-Méndez , L. Gao, E. García-Canal, M. F. Guillén, K. Kalotay, E. Lioliou, X. Liu, K. Meyer, S.R. Nair, P. Pananond, R. Ramamurti, J.N. Sheth, R. Singh, Y. Wei, G. Wood, Y. Wu, A. Yaprak

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Why do organisations 'leave money on the floor' by neglecting highly cost effective measures to improve energy efficiency? This question lies at the heart of policy debates over climate change and is a focus of continuing dispute within energy economics. This book explores the nature, operation and relative importance of different barriers to energy efficiency through a comprehensive examination of energy management practices within a wide range of public and private sector organisations. The authors use concepts from new institutional economics to explain individual and organisational behaviour in relation to energy efficiency, and identify the mechanisms through which such barriers may be overcome. In doing so, they are able to shed new light on the 'barriers debate' and provide a valuable input to the future development of climate policy.Combining a critical evaluation of different theoretical perspectives with detailed case study research, this significant new book analyses how and why organisations waste energy and suggests practical policy measures to help prevent these losses. It will be required reading for professional economists, academics and students with an interest in energy use, environmental policy and organisational economics. It will also be highly relevant for policymakers and consultants working on the important policy issues surrounding energy efficiency and climate change.

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This important book, written by some of the leading scholars in the field, provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in coalition theory and presents both the latest theoretical developments and novel applications in the field of economics. The authors demonstrate the many uses of coalition theory and its ability to address a whole host of complex economic problems, such as the provision of global public goods, the adoption of co-operative R&D strategies and the emergence of sovereign states. By highlighting important game-theoretic results they are able to compare and contrast the effectiveness of different approaches. Some of the specific topics addressed include: advances in the theory of large co-operative games non co-operative models of coalition formation a survey of the partition function in the formation of coalitions farsightedness in coalition formation coalition stability coalition formation in industrial economics, trade theory, environmental economics, public finance. This essential study of recent theories of coalition and group formation will arm the reader with a new set of tools with which to analyse a variety of problematic economic issues. It will prove invaluable to economists, ecologists, and political and social scientists.

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Banking Reforms in South-East Europe gives a critical and detailed overview of banking system restructuring in the transitional countries of South-Eastern Europe - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia - and offers suggestions for future reforms. The book opens with a comparison of the experiences of Central European advanced transitional economies with those of the Balkan countries. Proposals are put forward for ways in which positive aspects of the Central European experience can be applied to banking reform in the Balkans. The authors examine the importance of regional collaboration for the overall economic and social transition in the region, and consider whether it can facilitate the next stage of banking reform. They also analyse the results of currency board arrangements as a possible alternative to classical central banking, using the experiences of Bulgaria, Bosnia and the Yugoslav Republic of Montenegro. The book concludes with an analysis of the experience of individual economies and consists of a number of country-specific banking studies, covering all the transitional economies of South-East Europe.The book will be of great interest to both scholars of transition economies and policymakers in finance and financial institutions.

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This book deals with the complex social process of managing an innovative organization. Jon Sundbo presents an original sociology-based theory of innovation in firms which combines developments in markets and other environments with internal organizational processes. The fundamental concept of this theory is understanding innovation processes in the context of strategy. The author regards strategy as both an interpretation of environmental developments and an instrument for managing the innovation process. The book takes an evolutionary perspective and combines an 'out-in' approach (the market situation determines innovations) with an 'in-out' approach (internal organizational processes and entrepreneurship determine innovations). In both cases the implementation of strategy is closely studied and its role as a social process within the firm is emphasised. Significantly, the author combines economic and sociological factors and presents a series of models of the innovation process which are based on empirical studies. The book concludes with a model of macro-innovation factors.Presenting an original theory of innovation within a strategic paradigm, this book will be required reading for all students and academics of economics and business, as well as management consultants and those interested in industrial organization.

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Notes and Introduction by Mark G. Spencer, Brock University, Ontario John Locke (1632-1704) was perhaps the most influential English writer of his time. His Essay concerning Human Understanding (1690) and Two Treatises of Government (1690) weighed heavily on the history of ideas in the eighteenth century, and Locke’s works are often ? rightly ? presented as foundations of the Age of Enlightenment. Both the Essay and the Second Treatise (by far the more influential of the Two Treatises) were widely read by Locke’s contemporaries and near contemporaries. His eighteenth-century readers included philosophers, historians and political theorists, but also community and political leaders, engaged laypersons, and others eager to participate in the expanding print culture of the era. His epistemological message that the mind at birth was a blank slate, waiting to be filled, complemented his political message that human beings were free and equal and had the right to create and direct the governments under which they lived. Today, Locke continues to be an accessible author. He provides food for thought to university professors and their students, but has no less to offer the general reader who is eager to enjoy the classics of world literature.

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Currently developed countries pay much more attention to harmfully addictive substances than developing countries. However, the experience of developed countries is very relevant to the developing world since substance abuse is likely to impose a continually increasing burden of disease in this region in the near future. This book extends the frontiers of research on the economics of substance use and abuse in a variety of extremely significant ways. It focuses on the determinants and consequences of the consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, betel quid, and illicit drugs in the United States, Great Britain and Taiwan. The authors use a variety of empirical techniques to examine the roles of price, advertising, risk perception, time preference and forward-looking behaviour in consumption decisions and the effects of these decisions on labour market outcomes, unintended pregnancies and criminal violence.Economic Analysis of Substance Use and Abuse will be required reading for scholars of economic development and health economics.

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How do business leaders think as a result of their national culture? This book provides a discussion and comparative analysis of five major cultures - American, Arab, Chinese, Japanese and Scandinavian - and how they reveal themselves in business practice.The author begins by introducing the concept of culture and why it is important, addressing issues such as values, beliefs and assumptions and the consequences of these. Bjorn Bjerke then goes on to address corporate culture and business strategy as well as some myths associated with national cultures. Looking at the five specific cultures he addresses cultural themes and presents a typified picture of the business leader in each of these. He concludes that there are five different capitalist systems governing these cultures, and that the business leader plays a different role in each. Extending this discussion, the author questions whether the culture-free business leader exists and, if so, what the characteristics of such a person might be.Business Leadership and Culture will enlighten students, scholars and business people about the consequences of culture for international business and management.

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