From Industrial Districts to Local Development introduces a set of papers representing the main contribution of the 'Florence school' to the recent literature on industrial districts. The authors illustrate that the revitalisation of the concept of industrial districts, returning to Alfred Marshall's nineteenth-century writings, is rooted in an unconventional interpretation of the economic development of Tuscany after the Second World War.Models of industrial organisation and empirical investigation of industrial tendencies are featured, and Alfred Marshall's concepts of the advantages of the geographical agglomeration of specialised small firms in industrial districts are reintroduced. The authors extend the analysis of purely economic effects of agglomeration, including social, cultural and institutional foundations of local development, and current case studies are presented. This book will appeal to scholars, lecturers and researchers focusing on industrial economics, development economics and economic geography. Its references to Italian political experiences will also be of interest to policymakers in both developed and developing countries.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have become a popular development policy throughout the world over the last half a century. These zones form designated areas where governments offer businesses lower taxes, tariffs, and often lighter regulations. Generally, SEZs aim to attract investments and raise a country's export and employment rates, but although success stories are often cited, there are numerous failed projects that have instead become burdens for their host countries. This book examines SEZs from a political economy perspective, both to dissect the incentives of governments, zone developers, and exporters, and to uncover both the hidden costs and untapped potential of zone policies. Costs include misallocated resources, the encouragement of rent-seeking, and distraction of policy-makers from more effective reforms. However, the zones also have several unappreciated benefits. They can change the politics of a country, by generating a transition from a system of rent-seeking to one of liberalized open markets. In revealing the hidden promise of SEZs, this book shows how the SEZ model of development can succeed in the future. Applying frameworks from various schools of political economy, this volume places SEZs in the context of their mixed past and promising future. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in international economics, development economics, and political economy, including practitioners and consultants of SEZ policies.

Although the world is saturated with extraordinary methods, innovation, and technology, the Caribbean seems to have been left behind in the sustainable growth of global development. While the majority of the world defines the Caribbean as "paradise," the reality of life for Afro-Caribbean culture is defined by an unrelenting hardship. This book comprehensively analyzes this phenomenon from a unique and intimate perspective in order to offer a viable pathway to sustainable growth. By examining the historic progression of the Caribbean region and the African culture within, the author explores the relationship between creative practice and socioeconomic crisis and questions whether limited access to environments that facilitate original and conceptual ideas correlates with socioeconomic crisis. The outcomes and methods of analysis developed in this book are a useful tool for other cultures or organizations seeking to diffuse socioeconomic crisis and implement a pathway of sustainable growth. This innovative book will be of great interest to students and scholars of cultural and sustainability studies, Caribbean and African Studies, as well as Development and Sustainable Development

In addition to constituting an evolving area of inquiry within the social sciences, agricultural certification, and particularly its Fair Trade and organic components, has emerged as a significant tool for promoting rural development in the global South. This book is unique for two reasons. First, in contrast to existing studies that have tended to examine Fair Trade and organic certification as independent systems, the studies presented in this book reveal their joint application within actual production settings, demonstrating the greater complexity entailed in these double certification systems through the generation of contradictions and tensions compared with single certification systems. Second, the authors, who are both Asian, reveal the realities of applying Fair Trade and organic certification systems within Asian agriculture. In doing so, they challenge the fact that most Fair Trade studies have been undertaken by Western scholars who have tended to focus on Latin American and African producers. Drawing on a wealth of grounded case studies conducted in India, Thailand, and the Philippines, this pioneering study on double certification makes a significant contribution to studies on Fair Trade and organic agriculture beyond Asia.

Poverty remains one of the most intractable problems in the developing world. Microfranchising offers great promise in alleviating poverty by aiding in the foundation of locally owned businesses. Microfranchising is defined as small businesses whose start-up costs are minimal and whose concepts and operations are easily replicated. It involves the systematizing of microenterprises to create and replicate turnkey businesses for the poor. With the awarding of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, attention has increased on this remarkable concept. This unique book provides an overview of the need to alleviate poverty and what methods have been used in the past to do so (e.g. microcredit). It then introduces the concept of the microfranchise and discusses how this business model can be used in poverty alleviation. Different models of microfranchising are reviewed and specific case studies highlighted to show how it has worked in different parts of the world. This book concludes with a discussion of the advantages as well as the potential problems and pitfalls that accompany microfranchising. This book is a must read for business scholars and economists, practitioners and lenders, members of NGOs dedicated to poverty alleviation and anyone else who is interested in learning about an innovative, business focused tool to alleviate poverty.

Analysis of North African revolt against authoritarianism, known as the 'Arab Spring', embraced reductionist explanations such as the social media, youth unemployment and citizens' agitations to regain dignity in societies humiliated by oppressive regimes. This book illustrates that reductionist approaches can only elucidate some symptoms of a social problem while leaving unexplained the economic and political structures which contributed to it. One outcome of quiescence, resource-based ethnic and sectarian conflicts and faulty development paradigm is deepened inequality and a wedge between winners and losers or affluence, wealth and power vis-a-vis poverty and hunger among humiliated jobless and hope-less masses. The book blends theories of development and transition to explain the complex factors which contributed to North Africans' revolt against authoritarianism and its long-term consequences for political development in the Arab World. This timely book is of great interest to researchers and students in Development Studies, Economics and Middle Eastern Studies as well as policy makers and democracy, human rights and social justice activists in the Arab world.

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. Taking a detailed tour through the emerging economic field of financial inclusion, this timely book charts the subtle conceptual shifts that gave rise to the focus on inclusivity in development finance, and provides an overview of key concepts, issues, and empirical findings. Diving into the crucial interaction of financial inclusion with gender, further chapters present new conceptual frameworks for thinking about these interactions, as well as discussing the impacts of gendered financial exclusion on both economic and empowerment outcomes. Key Features: Comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of financial inclusion Accessible style, with focus boxes detailing more advanced material In-depth analysis of the relationship between female empowerment and financial inclusion Up to date discussions of recent developments in FinTech, the impact of microfinance, and the new frontiers of financial inclusion research Discussing what is known about the economic impacts of financial inclusion and what is still to be discovered, this book is an ideal companion for students and researchers of development finance and economics. It aims to inspire current and future cohorts of researchers and policymakers, as well as practitioners with an interest in financial inclusion.

* The real strength of the book lies in setting out an alternative vision to the current practice in economics, especially in light of the re-evaluation being forced by COVID-19 in addition to the climate crisis. * Offers an important challenge to the current corporate sustainability gospel expressed in recent books. * Written by a well-recognised commentator on the environment and economics. * The book specifically connects global environmental imperatives with their microeconomic implications for businesses and households, which makes it utterly unique.

Thailand's dynamic economic development has earned it a reputation as the "Fifth Tiger" (following on the heels of the superperforming "Four Tigers" - South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong). This is a study of Thailand's development experience since 1955.

Haiti is a country which, until the earthquake of 2010, remained largely outside the focus of world interest and outside the important international historical currents during its existence as a free nation. The nineteenth century was the decisive period in Haitian history, serving to shape the class structure, the political tradition and the economic system. During most of this period, Haiti had little contact with both its immediate neighbours and the industrialised nations of the world, which led to the development of Haiti as a peasant nation. This title, first published in 1979, examines the factors responsible for the poverty of the Haitian peasant, by using both traditional economic models as well as a multidisciplinary approach incorporating economics and other branches of social science. The analysis deals primarily with the Haitian peasant economy from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, examining in depth the explanations for the secular tendency of rural per capita incomes to decline during this period.

John Bristow's wide-ranging review, based on primary sources, traces economic developments since the fall of Zhivkov in late 1989. The progress of the macroeconomy, sectoral developments, international relations, reform of the banking and fiscal systems, and privatization are all extensively examined by Professor Bristow. While focusing on policy and the failure of the Bulgarian political system to provide sufficient momentum for effective economic reform, this important book acknowledges the successes and recognizes the problems of framing policy in times of severe economic dysfunction.Accessible and up-to-date, The Bulgarian Economy in Transition will be welcomed by scholars, researchers and policy makers concerned with the problems of transition from planned to market economies.

'In the galaxy of issues that developing countries are faced with in their international economic relations, this publication manages to focus on some critical areas of particular concern to developing countries. Moreover, the issues focussed on have a contemporary relevance touching as they do on financial reform, aid and IMF conditionality, international trade and investment, multinational corporations, competition, corruption, the environment and intellectual property issues. This is a comprehensive appraisal of development related problems in international economic relations written by practitioners and academics in the field.' - Asif Qureshi, University of Manchester, UK International Economic Law, Globalization and Developing Countries explores the impact of globalization on the international legal system, with a special focus on the implications for developing countries. The onset of the current process of globalization has brought about momentous changes to the rules and processes of international law. This comprehensive book examines a number of these changes, including the radical expansion of international economic law, the increase in the power of international economic organizations, and the new informal approaches to law-making. The greater reliance on judicial and arbitral mechanisms, and the proliferation of international human rights instruments, many of which have a direct bearing on international economic relations, are also discussed. The contributors to this book are all prominent experts in the fields of international law and international political economy, drawn from both developing and developed countries. This insightful book will appeal to scholars and advanced students with an interest in international law, development studies, international political economy and international governance. It will also be an indispensable tool for practitioners - including members of leading international NGOs, international lawyers, political scientists and international development specialists. Contributors: Y. Akyuz, D. Bradlow, E.R. Carrasco, P. Cullet, K.E. Davis, J. Faundez, M.E. Footer, J. Harrison, F. Macmillan, K. McMahon, P. Muchlinski, T. Novitz, P. Roffe, D. Salter, C. Tan, V.P.B. Yu III

There has been an increased awareness of the need to establish and maintain small-scale forestry in tropical countries. This is due to concerns over continued deforestation, as well as the long-term environmental and economic resources these plantations can contribute if managed successfully. This book examines the constraints that limit the development of small-scale forestry in tropical environments and how they can be overcome. The authors first explain the background to their research and demonstrate how, in contrast to industrial plantations, small-scale forestry has a wide variety of objectives, including the production of fuelwood and a wide variety of non-wood products, and the protection of degraded watersheds and wildlife habitats. They examine a broad range of socio-economic topics under the broad themes of policy development, market considerations, the evolution of small-scale forestry systems, and timber and non-wood benefits. In developing countries for example, small-scale forestry is often regarded as a means of facilitating sustainable regional development. As a result of seven years extensive research they have developed a strong policy line, examining measures such as tax provisions and the targeting of subsidy and extension programs that can help promote the growth of non-industrial forest industries. The authors present an integrated socio-economic analysis of the opportunities, impediments and challenges to small-scale forestry in the tropics. As such, this book will be required reading for scholars of environmental economics and science, land resource economists, and environmental, forestry and resource managers.

A flagship annual document of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, the Economic Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous twelve months, summarizes the performance on major development programmes, and highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in the short to medium term. This document is presented to both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session, tabled a day ahead of the Union Budget. The survey is the most authoritative and updated source of data on Indias economy. It highlights a growth rate of 7.6% hailing India as a bright spot amidst a slowing global economy. Elucidating further, it identifies wide-ranging challenges and summarizes policy and performance of the government, while advocating inclusive development in key sectors with the right strategies, policies, and interventions. The focus is on ensuring macro-economic stability and prudent fiscal management through a fresh set of economic reforms and policy initiatives to counter risks of global slowdown.

This textbook presents an innovative new perspective on the economics of development, including insights from a broad range of disciplines. It starts with the current state of affairs, a discussion of data availability, reliability, and analysis, and an historic overview of the deep influence of fundamental factors on human prosperity. Next, it focuses on the role of human interaction in terms of trade, capital, and knowledge flows, as well as the associated implications for institutions, contracts, and finance. The book also highlights differences in the development paths of emerging countries in order to provide a better understanding of the concepts of development and the Millennium Development Goals. Insights from other disciplines are used help to understand human development with regard to other issues, such as inequalities, health, demography, education, and poverty. The book concludes by emphasizing the importance of connections, location, and human interaction in determining future prosperity.

The Randstad metropolitan region encompassing Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht in the western Netherlands is regarded worldwide as a model of a 'successful' polycentric metropolis. It is widely cited as an example of how a region of interconnected small cities can effectively compete globally by providing complementary functions which together match the power of large monocentric cities. The methods of strategic spatial planning, regional design and strategic projects that are said to underpin this polycentric metropolis are used as models for practitioners and students around the world. But is this high reputation deserved? Does the Randstad really function as a polycentric metropolis? The operation of the Randstad as a polycentric networked region is controversial both in terms of the actual strength of relations between its component parts, and the value of promoting polycentricity in policy. What are the costs and benefits of a Randstad metropolis? Does polycentricity improve the performance of the region in economic, social and environmental terms? How has the polycentric metropolis evolved and what part is played by its delta location? Has spatial planning made a difference in the form and operation of the region today? How will this spatial configuration fare in the face of the climate crisis and need to create healthy cities and regions? Is there benefit in pursuing the idea of a polycentric metropolis in government policy and action, and how? These questions are of critical interest within the Netherlands but experience in the Randstad offers valuable insights to many other complex urban regions around the world. This book will provide a critical analysis of the Randstad and lessons for strategic planning in other metropolitan regions.

Examining the issues facing smaller regions and countries, John de la Mothe explores how innovation, strategy and interdependence shape their performance, competition, and futures. Innovation and interdependence are central elements of advanced and advancing economies. In our globalized world, the production of knowledge is continually evolving. This is reflected in the design of institutions and in the results on the standards of living that are achieved and sustained. It also implies new forms of competition. Increasingly, smaller countries, regions and cities that do not fit into traditional theories of growth are becoming leaders in technology-intensive products and quick followers in innovative practices. Often heavily committed to large emerging economic markets (such as China and India) and political hegemons (such as Germany, Japan, and the United States), smaller nations, regions and cities are playing an almost unprecedented role in the shape of things to come. By examining the texture of the new economy, paths to constructing advantage, and aspects of the cultures that lead to the new economy, this book provides a valuable and essential guide to scholars, policymakers, strategists and students.

First published in 1975, this book traces the origins of our modern economy, showing the routes by which nations have either achieved wealth or have been impoverished. W. W. Rostow brings together issues of public policy, international trade and the world of science and technology, arguing that conventional economic thought has failed to relate scientific innovation to the economic process. Chapters consider the politics of modernization, the Commercial Revolution and the development of the world economy between 1783 and 1820.

China's rapid socio-economic development has achieved remarkable equalizing conditions between men and women in the aspects of health, education and labor force participation, but the glass ceiling phenomenon has become more prominent. The book develops a cross-disciplinary paradigm, with economics at its core, to better understand gender in China and women in management in the Chinese business context. The theoretical perspective integrates the knowledge and evidence from cognate disciplinary strands, such as economics, sociology, management studies, and the Chinese literature, into one unified framework. In-depth interviews with managers in China's largest enterprises complement the theoretical perspective with rich empirical details to examine women's managerial experiences and career choices. The book's argument sheds light on the power of stereotypes that specify women's roles in the family, organization, and society. It shows that understanding the socio-psychological and organizational dynamics of stereotyping in the Chinese context, as well as how Chinese women make career decisions, recognizing and deploying these expectations, provides new perspectives on the underrepresentation of women among business leaders in China. The book offers multi-disciplinary evidence on the economics of gender in China that is highly relevant for gender studies in general, and across a number of subject areas, and it can be used in any setting as an introductory reference. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This book explores in depth the factors determining economic development in the Arab region. The particular factors relevant to the Arab world are also set within the context of the broad political economy of underdevelopment. The factors are identified as comprising three main groups: economic, political administrative and socio-cultural; petroleum and regional Arab economic development are examined separately. The force and operation of each determinant is further assessed in the context of the individual countries, from which the author is able to arrive at some important conclusions concerning the interaction of these determinants and their impact upon development.

First published in 1978.

This book, a comprehensive study of twelve of the economies of key countries of the Arab world, has three main objectives: to record the developmental achievements and failings of each country; to examine the main issues arising in the drive for development; and to assess the future outlook for development for each country. Most of the countries studied only gained independence from their colonial masters in recent decades, and the process of economic development has necessarily been accompanied by political development.

First published in 1978.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most controversial and least known of the Arab nations. A land of massive contrasts between its densely populated cities and its vast expanses of desert; between the recent poverty of its villages and the massive wealth created by oil, which is drawing a labour force from most of the neighbouring countries; between the aggressive technocratic and industrial thrust forward and the strongly traditionalist Islamic basis of the ruling ideologies it has progressed to world prominence in a matter of years after centuries of little or no change. The change is not so much a surge, or even a thrust, as a rush into the industrialized and wealthy world. This book analyzes the problems and achievements of Saudi development and provides the first detailed critique of the Third Development Plan.

First published in 1982."

This book covers the contemporary politics and economic development of the four countries of North Africa Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The first part is devoted to contemporary politics and political systems in each of these countries. It traces their political development since independence with the emphasis on the last ten to fifteen years. The second part concentrates on economic developments in each of the four countries. A separate chapter on each state provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic strategies adopted since independence. They discuss the impact of the planning strategies on the structure of the national economies and the social consequences resulting from these economic policies, notably in the field of employment and income distribution.

First published in 1984."

Were oil supplies everlasting and the demand for oil strong and continuous, economic diversification in the Gulf would be pointless. However oil reserves are finite and non-renewable and the world demand for oil from the Gulf region is simply not stable. Collectively the countries of the Gulf face the striking prospect that unless priorities and plans are set with care the gestation period of their economic development may be longer than the expected life of their hydrocarbon resources. This book examines just that threat. It considers the opportunities available to the Gulf states for accumulating sufficient productive capital in the non-oil sectors of their economy to offset the drawing down of oil reserves. The book pays particular attention to the possibilities of development through cooperation not only within the Gulf Cooperation Council but also within the larger Arab region and the Third World as a whole. It concludes with a critical review of the main challenges that these economies are facing and are likely to face in the near future with special emphasis on their major problems and failures.

First published in 1984.

The crucial importance of the Gulf region today which may be defined as comprising the states of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with Iran as a non-Arab onlooker has stimulated surprisingly little interest in academic circles. Much of what has been written, moreover, focuses exclusively on those aspects of direct concern to external interests. The focus of this book is on the Gulf region as an area with its own problems of social, economic and political development. It examines the dimensions of the attempts by the governments and peoples of the area to create new social, economic and political structures stemming mainly, of course, from their new-found oil wealth.

First published in 1980."