In 1970 Sultan Qaboos took over a country that had no social or economic infrastructure. This book describes the process of political, social and economic transformationn that has turned it into a modern oil-producing state which has gained both regional influence and international respect. It also looks to the problems that Oman will face in the next decade as it aims to build on the successes of its first 20 years.

Since the end of the Cold War, the study of intercultural relations has become one of the most popular topics in the field of global politics and economics. This book presents a methodological framework for the analysis of intercultural issues frequently misinterpreted by existing theories. The book uses a challenge-and-response theory of cultural development to examine the relationship between different natural disasters and threats and the developments of ancient civilizations. The spatial interaction of ancient civilizations is assessed and some theoretical patterns of intercultural influences are presented with a focus on the Chinese, Egyptian, Indus, and Mesopotamian civilizations. Using the development of China as a case study, and on the basis of a simplified spatial model, the optimal spatial structure and size of culture areas are mathematically solved, and the political economy implications to the interactions between cultures differing in size are illustrated.

The book also examines various aspects of intercultural economic influences, such as those of culture on international trade. The empirical results suggest that high-income trade partners are less sensitive than low-income trade partners to the measures of cultural dissimilarity which block international trade. The existing literature relating to the determinants of economic growth treats explanatory variables such as income inequality and cultural diversity separately. This book investigates whether there are any conditions under which income inequality and cultural diversity could encourage economic growth and provides evidence from a broad panel of nations, which reveals that economic growth is quite independent from the variables of inequality and cultural (linguistic and religious) diversity. Finally, this book provides suggestions for how cultural influences can benefit developing economies both large and small.

This book debunks the foundations of contemporary government-led development policy. The author questions the predictability of success when using mainstream development doctrines and its underlying assumptions, approaching development from a sceptical standpoint, as opposed to the more common optimistic view. The book uses international development and aid as a case study of how rich countries define how change should happen. Further, it suggests alternative ways of thinking about and organizing social change.

Over the past decade, international human rights organisations and think tanks have expressed a growing concern that the space of civil society organisations around the world is under pressure. This book examines the pressures experienced by NGOs in four partial democracies: Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Ireland's economic performance over the last decade has been spectacular. National Income expanded in the ten years from 1987 at more than double the rates achieved by the US, the UK or the EU. Job creation figures are equally impressive. These essays by a group of leading Irish economists analyze the factors behind this dramatic growth. Among the issues explored are the long-term consequences of fiscal stabilization, the increasing educational attainment of the workforce, and the wage moderation and peaceful labor relations that characterized the period.

Globalisation has created an interconnected world, but has not diminished violence, militarism and inequality. The Economics of Killing describes how the power of global elites, entrenched under globalisation, has created a deadly cycle of violence. In this groundbreaking work, Vijay Mehta shows how attempts at peaceful national development are routinely blocked by Western powers. He locates the 2008 financial crisis in US attempts to block China's model of development. He shows how Europe and the US conspire with regional dictators to prevent countries from developing advanced industries, and how this system has fed terrorism. Mehta argues that a different world is possible, based on policies of disarmament, demilitarisation and sustainable development. This original and thought-provoking book will be of great interest to anyone concerned about the consequences of endless war fuelled by the West.

Cohn lays out a new strategy of how states can produce economic development in poor nations - by considering barber shops, beauty parlours, hotels and restaurants in Brazil. Cohn considers the case of nations with budgetary limits that cannot afford to follow the East Asian model, and finds alternative policies that create jobs and reduce poverty.

This is the first comprehensive book on the politics and economics of financial sector consolidation in an emerging market in West Africa. It draws on the author's twenty years experience working with multinationals in this oil-rich zone, to address key issues and examine banking reform in one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Innovation is sweeping the globe at breakneck speed, and emerging markets are where tremendous growth and opportunity reside. Jerry Haar and Ricardo Ernst delve into the forces and drivers that shape innovation in emerging markets and present case studies, along with a summation of the key features and outlook for innovation over the next decade.

This book presents significant new research on the informal labour markets of developing countries. Examining the critical role of informal labour markets in allowing countries to adjust successfully to the forces of globalization, this volume also brings to the fore a number of problems associated with the expansion of informal employment.

This volume examines the role of Chinese businesses and industries in Asian production networks. By presenting different case studies of the Asian region, the contributors illustrate how China successfully exports the Chinese business model, based on Chinese ethics, social networks and production integration. The contributors also discuss topics such as the implications and ramifications of global product sharing within Asia; the prospects of free trade agreements in Asia; the economic advantages of Chinese family lineage and Guanxi an influential Chinese network; collaboration of overseas Chinese with mainland Chinese, as well as direct Chinese business involvement and investment in other Asian countries.

This volume identifies and analyses the crucial issues in the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on less developed countries (LDCs). Although the authors take a variety of wide stances on the important questions a uniformity of approach emerges. The perspective is essentially that of economic analysis but it is enlivened by unorthodox concepts derived from related social science disciplines. The chapters cover the process of development, paying attention to entrepreneurship, cultural factors and management styles and examine the impact on welfare and income distribution in the host country.

This book presents effective strategies for developing countries to leverage their public sector demand for manufactured imports to promote industrialization, trade, and technology transfer. Technology transfer and its absorption is considered one of the most crucial and complicated challenges for developing countries, which are characterized by insufficient infrastructure, low technological intensity of the domestic capital stock, and high levels of manufactured imports. Which strategies and policy tools can governments employ to link demand with technology transfer, thereby enhancing absorption capacity and development in emerging economies? This book is part of a broader project launched by PGlobal Global Advisory and Training Services Ltd., in cooperation with Istanbul Commerce University (ITUCU) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUEBITAK). The contributors to this book are policymakers, academicians, and experts who are working together to identify problems and develop policy recommendations for public procurement with respect to economic development. The book includes theoretical, empirical, and case study analyses of technology transfer mechanisms, public procurement policies, and countertrade and offset strategies. The lessons learned from these chapters will be of interest to both academics and policymakers concerned with technology transfer, industrial policy, and economic development.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This book offers a concise and accessible introduction to the main themes and debates in the field of law and development. It unpacks the role of legal systems and institutions, and investigates what kinds of law and legal arrangements are perceived (correctly or not) to encourage and facilitate development. Starting with a clear and readable overview of the key concepts and theories of development, the authors probe the issues which arise in both private law and public law as well as in international economic relations. The book also brings in key debates relating to politics and identity - especially highlighting gender and development as a topic that poses some of the biggest challenges for institutional conceptions of development. Written with the insight of two experts in the field, this unique book covers the most recent trends in law and development research and points out key topics that remain underexplored. It will be essential reading for students, practitioners and policy-makers needing to quickly gain an understanding of the core principles of this multi-faceted topic.

After two centuries of nation-building, the world has entered an era of region-building in search of political stability, cultural cohesion, and socio-economic development. Nations involved in the regional structures and integration schemes that are emerging in most regions of the world are deepening their ambitions, with Europe's integration experience often used as an experimental template or theoretical model. Volume I provides a political-analytical framework for recognizing the central role of the European Union not only as a conceptual model but also a normative engine in the global proliferation of regional integration. It also gives a comprehensive treatment of the focus, motives, and objectives of non-European integration efforts. Volume II offers a unique collection of documents that give the best available overview of the legal and political evolution of region-building based on official documents and stated objectives of the relevant regional groupings across all continents. Together, these volumes are important contributions for understanding the evolution of global affairs in an age when power shifts provide new challenges and opportunities for transatlantic partners and the world community.

Ludger Kuhnhardt has been Director at the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) and Professor of Political Science at Bonn University since 1997. He has been advisor to political leaders in Europe and Africa. As a Public Policy Scholar he has worked at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. As Visiting Professor he has taught and studied at renowned universities across the world, including St. Antony's College Oxford, Stanford University, Dartmouth College, Seoul National University, Cape Town University, and the College of Europe in Bruges. He has conducted research in comparative region-building in all continents."

There is a growing realization that business development is the most effective weapon in fighting world poverty. How the for-profit model can be harnessed to provide the poor with a share in the world's prosperity is discussed through actual cases, and nested in innovative theories of business, social sciences, and philosophy.

In 1970 Sultan Qaboos took over a country that had no social or economic infrastructure. This book describes the process of political, social and economic transformationn that has turned it into a modern oil-producing state which has gained both regional influence and international respect. It also looks to the problems that Oman will face in the next decade as it aims to build on the successes of its first 20 years.

This book reviews the latest methods of sustainable investing and financial profit making and describes how ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) analysis can identify future business opportunities and manage risk to achieve abnormal returns. Megatrends such as climate change, sustainable development and digitalisation increase uncertainty and information asymmetry and have an impact on the future returns on investments. From a profit perspective, it is largely about how ESG factors affect the long-term value added by companies and the valuation of companies in the financial markets. Although sustainability provides an opportunity for abnormal returns, this phenomenon must be considered in a critical light. The book describes the risks and limitations associated with the accountability and availability of ESG data and tools. This book provides both academic findings and practical models for assessing the sustainability of investees and introduces practical tools and methods to make ESG analysis practice. It focuses on the ESG analysis of equity investments and fund investments in institutional investment organizations and provides a handbook for all investment analysts who are involved with investment decisions. Readers will benefit from understanding the methods, opportunities and challenges that professionals use in their ESG analysis with cases, interviews and practical tools for both institutional and private investors.

This book explores the expansive economic experiences of India and China and charts the highlights of the new economic era of two ascending economic superpowers. It discusses the resonance of East and South-East Asian economics and the new dimension it has provided to the international arena. The current co-existence of boundless prosperity and endemic development is an impossible task and the author presents realistic solutions to sustaining these goals.

This book arises from a collaboration between the University of Mauritus and the University of Nottingham. It includes detailed analysis of the main aspects of the Mauritian Economy including microeconomic topics, macroeconomic policy questions and external trade and international issues.

Both globalization and development are contested terms. Establishing their meaning and exploring how the two interact in the real world are crucial to understanding the expansion of the global economy. Globalization Versus Development addresses the implication of recent globalization for economic development prospects in the South in general, including references to the relatively open economies of Southeast Asia. The contributors take a critical perspective on the effects of trade liberalization; explore the challenges for development in the face of globalization; and focus on financial liberalization and its likely implications for sustaining development with reference to the aftermath of the financial crisis.

After a decade of sharp economic decline, Russia switched to an impressive period of economic growth. Yet the economic record is still mixed, and many key problems remain unresolved, both in the economic sphere and the political system. The focus is on economic dynamics in Russia, reasons for its hesitant opening up process as well as the special role of the natural resources sector which is expected to continue to grow. This analysis highlights the existing deficiencies of the Russian economic system and raises doubts about the sustainability of growth. Twin focus is on required reforms and endogenous forces that impair liberalizing trade and investment in an orderly way. Russian discussions on WTO and other international topics are reflected.