This book examines female-headed households (FHHs) in the world economy, aspects of their poverty, and the implications of those for sustainable development. Following a general discussion of FHHs in the world community, the work discusses FHHs in two regions of India, one being an example of unsuccesssful development and the other of successful development. The research is based on fieldwork in five rural villages. One village, comprising mostly female-headed households, provided a unique case study. The other four villages include both male- and female-headed households with a high proportion of female-headed households.

The authors found that female-headed households dominate the poorer sections of the community, and women's access to resources is limited by cultural, social, and economic influences. Women, particularly those in FHHs, bear the heaviest burdens in times of economic hardship. These women face more forms of discrimination outside the home than women from male-headed households. They have fewer customary rights but greater freedom of movement and more opportunities for paid employment. The authors go on to show that the benefits of government development programs have not reached remote areas. The trickle-down approach has not worked, but sustainable development programs focusing on women's development and self-responsiblity have helped to lift the economic status of women in general and FHHs in particular.

Challenging conventional wisdom, Shienbaum argues that the U.S. federal government, not the private sector, created the dynamic New Economy. Declining economic competitiveness and relative global underperformance during the 1970s and early 1980s threatened America's post-war global leadership position, a role Washington was loath to relinquish, especially during the Cold War. Citing these threats to American leadership and security, government officials set out to make the U.S. economy more competitive by creating innovative technology policies combined with policies providing strong incentives to new entrants while removing regulatory protections from more established companies. The federal government, in other words, nurtured fragile high-tech start-ups while forcing larger companies to compete in the marketplace, in the process transforming regulatory capitalism into an entrepreneurial capitalism marked by innovation, entrepreneurship, and competition.

ShienbauM's book will be of interest to political scientists, policy makers, economists, and lay readers wanting to discover the causal factors that created the conditions for the unprecedented economic boom of the 1990s. Furthermore, by explicitly connecting government policy-making to economic change, Shienbaum reminds us of the basic but often-ignored truth that politics and economics are inescapably linked together. She concludes with a clear-eyed discussion of the limits of entrepreneurial capitalism and the forces lining up to oppose the New Economy.

Chen provides an analysis of the political economy of rural development in China during the reform era. Revolving around the central theme of statecraft, Chen's study gives a concise and comprehensive treatment of the interaction of ideology and politics with central policy and economic growth. He examines China's economic reform in historical perspective, characterizes China's economic and political transformation since the reform, and proposes that the Chinese Communist Party is being transformed into a party of economics while China's ideology is becoming market-oriented communal socialism.

In addressing the issue of the Chinese path of development, Chen discusses the role of local party organizations in China's modernization drive and the microform of market-oriented communal socialism in the newly emerged village conglomerate, highlights the challenges that China faces at the turn of the new century after 20 years of economic reform, and analyzes the context of the introduction of village elections in 1990, and the establishment of Deng Xiaoping's Theory as a new ideological discourse at the 15th National Congress as well as the rationale behind them. In examining the connection between the two goals of statecraft --improving people's welfare and strengthening the state--and between central policies and local initiatives, Chen provides a study that will be of great interest to scholars, students, and other researchers involved with contemporary Chinese politics and development.

In this up-to-date, authoritative overview of where economic and social reform now stand in Vietnam, the contributors discuss the progress the country has made toward establishing a market-oriented economy. By focusing on the institutions needed to transform a centrally-planned economy into one oriented toward world markets and trade, the book gives business-people an insight into the potential rewards and risks they may find in their efforts to do business in, and with, Vietnam. It brings together the perspectives of economists, sociologists, political scientists, fiscal and financial experts, and business and public administration specialists--all of whom provide background essential for an understanding that the prospects are for a mutually beneficial business relationship between Vietnam and the rest of the world.

VietnaM's economy has grown rapidly since its government introduced economic renovation policies (doi moi) in the late 1980s. Although still extremely poor, Vietnam is on its way to becoming an emerging market economy, but investors have become concerned that its strong performance cannot be sustained. Despite doi moi's success in stimulating structural changes, a wide range of market-oriented institutions must still be developed, if Vietnam is to maintain macroeconomic stability and broad-based growth. Without that, its growth could become narrow and urban centered, and this would have profound negative implications for the reduction of poverty, the pace of urbanization, and VietnaM's ability to manage urban congestion.

The editors and their contributors address issues of institutional development as the key to continuing VietnaM's successful transition to a market economy and to improve the welfare of its people. Among the book's themes are the need to clearly define the complementary roles of the public and private sectors, and the need to strengthen the government's capacity to perform its unique functions effectively. Economic policies that provide the incentives for investment and production are a necessary, but not sufficient, component of the development process. The volume clearly shows that what is going on in Vietnam is relevant to most developing countries, and that these processes are of crucial concern to international business-people.

Since its inception 30 years ago, Southeast Asian Affairs (SEAA) has been an indispensable annual reference for generations of policy-makers, scholars, analysts, journalists, and others. Succinctly written by regional and international experts, SEAA illuminates significant issues and events of the previous year in each of the 10 Southeast Asian nations and the region as a whole. Southeast Asian Affairs 2006 begins with four incisive regional surveys, which focus on terrorism, security challenges and economic impact on Southeast Asia in 2004. The eleven country sections with the inclusion of Timor Leste discuss incisive surveys of regional economic, political, and social trends. It also features indispensable country reviews.

The Emerald Handbook of Public-Private Partnerships in Developing and Emerging Economies is a comprehensive resource bringing together leading scholars to analyze some of the key aspects associated with the processes of designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating PPPs in the context of emerging economies. Each contribution discusses ways to ensure PPPs result in the highest value for public money and welfare within the Sustainable Development Goals framework. There are four distinct sections: the first lays the groundwork for a thorough understanding of PPPs in developing and emerging countries; the second explores how to make PPPs work for the poor; the third focuses on public policy, public management practices and entrepreneurship; and the fourth uses practical considerations and case studies to address the implementation and evaluation of PPPs. Individual topics covered include public policy practices and social entrepreneurship; implementation and evaluation of PPPs; empirical analysis of PPP determinants; triggers and determinants to PPP implementation; and guiding principles for PPP sustainability and value for money. With a broad scope and final summary of lessons learned and emerging best practices from a range of case studies, this handbook is a go-to source for researchers and students.

Thirty years ago, the UN report Our Common Future placed sustainable development firmly on the international agenda. The Imperatives of Sustainable Development takes the ethical foundations of Our Common Future and builds a model that emphasizes three equally important moral imperatives - satisfying human needs, ensuring social justice, and respecting environmental limits. This model suggests sustainability themes and assigns thresholds to them, thereby defining the space within which sustainable development can be achieved. The authors accept that there is no single pathway to the sustainable development space. Different countries face different challenges and must follow different pathways. This perspective is applied to all countries to determine whether the thresholds of the sustainability themes selected have been met, now and in the past. The authors build on the extensive literature on needs, equity, justice, environmental science, ecology, and economics, and show how the three moral imperatives can guide policymaking. The Imperatives of Sustainable Development synthesizes past reasoning, summarizes the present debate, and provides a clear direction for future thinking. This book will be essential reading for everyone interested in the future of sustainable development and in the complex environmental and social issues involved.

The lack of effective leadership and disciplined workforce is a major contributor to the lack of economic development and progress in the Sub-Saharan African countries. The essays in this book take a fresh look at Sub-Saharan African problems of underdevelopment and argue the need for African countries to incorporate appropriate personality characteristics in the education and training of their labor force. The volume is aimed at providing international development scholars and agencies, Sub-Saharan African countries, and non-governmental organizations with an overview of the problems in Sub-Saharan Africa, and supplying some possible solutions.

The mineral economies comprise approximately one-fifth of developing countries. They face special problems in achieving sustainable development, and have as a group been less successful than resource-deficient neighbours. This book examines the apparent paradox, detailing the current problems facing the mineral economies and the future policies necessary to overcome these problems. Nine countries are studied: Botswana, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. The authors argue that the key factor is not the sustainability of the mineral production that initially generates growth, but the maintenance of the economic and social conditions for sustaining that growth. They draw upon recent progress in environmental and natural resource accounting to show how this can be achieved, and also assess the socio-political factors that often constrain sustainable development.

China is the largest emerging market in the world, yet Western MNCs have invested significantly less there than their Asian MNC counterparts. Luo systematically compares Western and Asian investment strategies and their performance in China and draws lessons that Westerners must heed. He compares Western and Asian MNCs on their respective economic rationales, cultural proximity, strategy behavior, investment structure, business determinants, and performance differences. He also reviews foreign direct investment in China over two decades, outlines the economic environment facing MNCs today, delineates new policies that affect foreign investment and operations, and discusses China's entry into the World Trade Organization and the impact this will have on MNCs everywhere. The result is a needed contribution to the literature on international investment and the China market, particularly for upper level executives, analysts studying emerging markets, and scholars specializing in international business and expansion.

In Part I, Luo reviews the experience of MNCs in China and the opportunities and challenges, today and in coming years. In Part II he looks at the strategy, structure, and performances of Western and Asian MNCs. He assesses and compares strategic and structural behaviors of these two groups of MNCs, then deciphers and compares the differences in distinctive capabilities and their performance implications. In other chapters he examines and compares financial performance and its business determinants--thus giving executives of Western MNCs a way to verify the effectiveness of their own investment and operating strategies and to reconfigure them, if necessary, to include environmental dynamics and organizational capabilities. In addition to mini-cases throughout the book, there is an appendix consisting of six major case studies, detailing the experiences and successes of six Asian MNCs in China, offering a seldom seen glimpse of how the West's Asian competitors accomplish their own goals, and why the challenges they present to the West are so formidable.

Based on a policy-making theoretical framework and on the recent experiences of 10 developing countries, this study explores the factors that lead to the success or failure of telecommunications reform. It provides universal conclusions that might help predict the success or failure of telecommunications policies, such as, privatization and liberalization, in other nations that are moving towards reform. This book is an original contribution to our understanding of the rapid and often complex transformations in telecommunications policies. It defies previous assumptions about conditions for success and failure of policy implementation. Although numerous publications deal with telecommunications policy reform in Europe or the United States, little has been written about it in the developing world. This book fills the gap and will be invaluable for academics, policy makers, and others concerned with communications, economic development, and international business.

The formulation of a rural development strategy for any country is an extremely difficult and multi-faceted task, especially so for a country as large and diversified as Indonesia. Illustrating again how economic growth in urban areas rarely translates into a decrease in rural poverty, this volume identifies the impact of recent changes in the national economy on the rural poor, the interaction between the agricultural sector and the rural population, and patterns of food consumption, nutrition, and health. Drawing on the data and conclusions of thirteen years of IFAD experience in Indonesia, this book also examines the successes and failures of past practical recommendations for future programs. The authors highlight the need for greater employment opportunities, greater commodity and regional diversification and a special emphasis on poor rural women.

In a changing and complex environment currently facing the main challenges of sustainable development, effective management of knowledge, intellectual assets, organizational learning, and talent management are the basis for social innovation and new ways of competition. In this sense, management and business practice are incorporating social and environmental demands made by all types of stakeholders to improve business decisions and strategies. Knowledge Management for Corporate Social Responsibility provides research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of linking firm profitability, social development, and natural environment in respect to business management practices. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as employer branding, intellectual capital, and organizational performance, this book is ideally designed for business professionals, small business owners, entrepreneurs, academicians, researchers, and business students.

The central focus of the book is the state's efforts to industrialize Myanmar, first through direct intervention and planning under a socialist economic framework as interpreted by the state leaders (1948-88) and lately (1989 onwards) through state-managed outward orientation. In examining developments during the 1948-88 period, this study situates the Myanmar case within the developmental state paradigm, whereby a critique of the investment-driven-pathway of Myanmar's political economy under socialist ethos is provided. On the other hand, in examining the post-1988 period, the focus is on drawing attention to continuities regarding the states crucial role, despite attempts to introduce market-conforming policies and practices, in economic development in general and industrialization in particular.

This is the first theoretical book on Chinese Cultural Soft Power. It focuses on the inner logical relations between Chinese cultural soft power and the realization of the China Dream, while also offering detailed explanations of the scope of and essential questions concerning Chinese cultural soft power. The book is divided into six parts, which, taken together, concisely yet thoroughly examine the theoretical roots of soft power and the current status of China's soft power as illustrated in concrete cases. On this basis, the author subsequently draws a cautious overall conclusion on the development of China's soft power.

Education and training are important in nation building and development. Properly articulated, implemented, and operated, educational and training programs can help develop the necessary human qualities and skills required for economic development. Although many African countries have paid a great deal of attention to and invested significant resources in these programs, they have been unsuccessful in developing the caliber of people needed. This failure is due to the fact that the programs pursued have focussed primarily on human capital acquisitions. Yet with human factor, human capital alone is not sufficient to make development happen. This work is an exploration of the reasons for the failure, and it discusses how African countries can develop the type of labor force needed to initiate and manage the development process.

Banking entities have significant involvement and impact on the structure of a nation's economy. By utilizing the proper strategies and available data, banks can act as an effective financial instrument for economic enhancement. Examining the Role of National Promotional Banks in the European Economy: Global Insights and Implications is a pivotal reference source for the latest perspectives on the performance and evaluation of National Promotional Banks (NPBs) within European economic contexts and their impact on social welfare. Featuring relevant coverage across innovative topics, such as funding, productivity, and financial structure indicators, this publication is ideally designed for professionals, academics, graduate students, and practitioners seeking investigations on the European NPB business model.

Today's energy, climate, and government crises are inarguably massive and mounting. Our civilization, our very existence, is threatened. It would be easy to despair, admits author and political scientist Michael P. Byron. But instead he offers the insight, tools, and inspiration we need to create the kind of humane, ecologically sustainable civilization that can endure for generations.

In "The Path Through Infinity's Rainbow," Byron examines the causes, consequences, and interrelationships of current crises, including global warming and extreme weather, peak oil and its effect on our food supply and economy, the corporate capture of our governments, creeping global fascism, and more. He then delivers actionable advice for individuals and governments to address the critical needs of a threatened global community.

This visionary but down-to-earth guide empowers us to:

* Navigate the coming years of crises
* Survive and transform our world
* Participate in the creation of a new, sustainable economy

Byron urges citizens to arm themselves with knowledge and commit to changing their own way of life as they come together decisively today in order to deeply transform our civilization for tomorrow.

This is the first study of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It provides a concise description of UNIDO's activities as an actor in the field of international industrial cooperation from the 1960's to the present day. The emergence of UNIDO as a specialized agency of the United Nations is analyzed with emphasis on legal and institutional issues, and problems related to UNIDO's efficiency and its dependence upon political consideration, especially with respect to major countries, are examined. Finally, recommendations are made for the improvement of UNIDO's industrial development activities. This work will be of interest to scholars and students in development economics, international economics, international relations, and international organizations.

Economic development may be seen from many different points of view: in terms of history, theory or empirical generalization. The Political Economy of Development draws these points of view together as it explores the practice of economic development itself and considers the issues that arise in attempting to devise development strategies for developing countries and to implement them. The term 'political economy' highlights the fact that economics cannot be conducted in isolation, and always has to be related to the political and social setting of the countries with which it is concerned. The Political Economy of Development foregrounds the political context of development in its study of applied economics.

The book presents a comprehensive study of the impact of policy reforms on output, employment, and productivity growth across sectors of India since 1991. It showcases varied responses from different sectors as they faced different degrees of policy interventions, and challenges or opportunities as regards markets, technology, and availability of skills and other complementary resources. The book also discusses the contributions of the service sector on India's GDP and employment. The book throws light on the phenomena of rising inequality and persistent poverty which continues to shadow and be a hallmark of post-reform India, despite high economic growth. It underlines the failure of these reforms to bring about major change in social and economic organizations and institutions. The book's contents stress on the criticality of addressing these issues as they have a serious potential of jeopardizing the country's ability to maintain high growth momentum. With these pertinent topics, the book would be of interest not only to the research community, but also to policy makers and practitioners of various sectors addressed here.

With the goal of perfecting the national governance system and raising the country's governance capability, this book systematically analyzes the characteristics and trajectory of China's economic expansion and structural adjustment, while also assessing a variety of short-term debt and long-term economic performance and financial risks. In addition to discussing the market-oriented reform process at the stage of economic development, institutional and structural characteristics, it presents research on the country as a whole, its residents, non-financial corporations, financial institutions and central banks, the central government, local government, and other external sectors. On the basis of extensive data, the book analyzes the national and sectoral balance sheets in China and explores a number of major issues the country is currently facing, such as sustainable development, government restructuring, local debt, welfare reform, openness and stability of the financial system, etc., as well as suitable policy measures and institutional arrangements for addressing them.