![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Business & Economics > Economics > Development economics
The rise and expansion of organized scientific research has led individuals to become accustomed to an unceasing delivery of new scientific results and technical improvements that resolve even seemingly unsolvable problems. This timely book examines how science-based research and innovation is designed, implemented and applied in developing countries in support of development and poverty alleviation. The expert contributors trace and compare the emergence of National Innovation Systems (NIS) in four developing countries - Bolivia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. Dedicated chapters on each country identify the main structural and organizational problems for improving the relevance and quality of research output for the productive sector, and conclude by offering suggestions on how the process of applying research outputs and innovations in support of development goals can be improved. Scholars and students of development, innovation and related subjects will find this book to be useful with its focus on national innovation systems. It will also be of interest to policy advisors, decision-makers and other practitioners involved in development issues.
China's Economic Development, 1950-2014: Fundamental Changes and Long-Term Prospects is a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of Chinese economic development from 1950-2014 focusing on current world-wide attention to the economic reform. Chu-yuan Cheng covers a wide range of topics, including the cultural effects and ideological influences on China's economic development; the process of China's transition from a planned to a market economy, leadership changes and the root of the Cultural Revolution; the machine-building industry and scientific and engineering manpower in China; China's new development plans in the twenty-first century and the process and consequence of the "Quiet Revolution"; the international economic relations including the U.S.-China, Sino-Japanese economic relations and access to WTO; economic relations across the Taiwan Strait and the formation of the Greater China Economic Sphere; and the long-term development prospect of the Chinese economy in the twenty-first century and beyond.
This volume discusses post-socialist urban transport functioning and development in Russia, within the context of the country's recent transition towards a market economy. Over the past twenty-five years, urban transport in Russia has undergone serious transformations, prompted by the transitioning economy. Yet, the lack of readily available statistical data has led to a gap in the inclusion of Russia in the body of international transport economics research. By including ten chapters of original, cutting-edge research by Russian transport scholars, this book will close that gap. Discussing topics such as the relationship between urban spatial structure and travel behavior in post-soviet cities, road safety, trends and reforms in urban public transport development, transport planning and modelling, and the role of institutions in post-soviet transportation management, this book provides a comprehensive survey of the current state of transportation in Russia. The book concludes with a forecast for future travel development in Russia and makes recommendations for future policy. This book will be of interest to researchers in transportation economics and policy as well as policy makers and those working in the field of urban and transport planning.
More than half of the world's sovereign states are small economies. The majority are in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean Basin. For small economies, the globalization process involves opportunities, but also important risks because of their vulnerability and lack of diversification. This book discusses the advantages and pitfalls of different strategies for small developing economies to become more integrated into the world economy. It should help with the formulation of a coherent and effective policy response.
This book examines the ways in which universities can play a crucial role in inclusive development, social innovation and social entrepreneurship. It aims to prove the importance of inclusive development and inclusive innovation on economic growth and demonstrate the ways in which universities can be pioneers in this area through initiatives in social responsibility and social innovation. For example, providing access to a university education without discrimination of race, gender, income status, or other factors would help to diminish the increasing income differentials currently being experienced in many countries, especially in the developing world. The research and studies included in this book provide insight into possible actions that can be taken by universities and public and private shareholders in inclusive development, social innovation, social entrepreneurship and overall regional economic and social development. Innovation is currently considered to be the most important and dynamic factor explaining growth and development. At the same time, the traditional view considering innovation as having to be commercialized at any price is being challenged. Lately, there has been growing interest in innovation in the public sector, particularly with respect to social innovations designed to reduce income inequality. To address these concepts, constant exchange of ideas and information between research groups became necessary. UniDev (Universities in Development - the Evolving Role of Academic Institutions in Innovation Systems and Development) is an international research group with researchers in twelve countries interested in the role of universities in development. This book features the results of research performed by eleven research groups from UniDev country communities, presenting in-depth and comparative case studies from universities around the world, including Latin America, Northern and Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. This title will be of interest to students, academics, researchers, and policy makers interested in the role of universities in development, social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
Midway through the eighteenth century, the rate of growth for the
world's population was roughly at zero. Immediately after World War
II, it was just above 2 percent. Ever since, it has fallen
steadily. This new book, the latest offering from a distinguished
expert on international economics, tells readers what this
stagnation or fall in population will mean--economically,
politically, and historically--for the nations of the world.
The issue of government or state involvement in the process of economic development and reform has become very popular in the economic development literature. This timely volume examines China's post-Mao economic reforms, and the Chinese government's involvement in the process of managing those reforms. Focusing on management issues, the book considers the state led reforms from a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective. The work consists of two parts--the experience of China's post-Mao reforms and major issues associated with the reforms. The first part covers the background, stages and measures, and achievements and problems of economic reforms. The second part addresses major changes in China's regional development, administrative system, and state-society relations. A final chapter considers the lessons of China's economic reforms.
This edited volume discusses the role of innovation and regional integration in economic development in Africa. Over the past five decades, post-colonial African countries have struggled to break loose from the trap of poverty and underdevelopment through the adoption of various development strategies at regional, national, and continental levels. However, the results of both national and regional efforts at advancing development on the continent have been mixed. Although the importance of agglomeration and fusion of institutions have long been recognized as possible path to achieving economic development in Africa, the approach to regionalism has been unduly focused on market integration, while neglecting other dimensions such as social policy, mobility of labor, educational policy, biotechnology, regional legislation, manufacturing, innovation, and science and technology. This volume investigates the link between innovation, regional integration, and development in Africa, arguing that the immediate and long term development of Africa lies not just in the structural transformation of its economies but in the advancement of scientific and innovation capacities. The book is divided into four parts. Part I addresses the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of innovation and regional integration in Africa. Part II presents case studies which examine how regional economic institutions are fostering innovation in Africa. Part III of the book deals with sectoral issues on innovation and integrated development in Africa. Part IV sets the future research on innovation, regional integration, and development in Africa. Combining theoretical analysis and a comparative, interdisciplinary approach, this volume is appropriate for researchers and students interested in economic development, political economy, African studies, international relations, agricultural science, and geography, as well as policymakers in regional economic communities and the African Union.
Nine world-class experts on the African economy share their knowledge regarding the potential for real improvement and growth in food production and the development of grassroots economies that will benefit citizens as well as governments. Economic models that assume good incentives, infrastructure, entrepreneurial skills, and a level trading field cannot be invoked. Structural adjustment in African countries has led to unintended consequences because the common people and the small farmers have not been consulted. Domestic food production, the crux of Africa's economic problem, has been downgraded because of the emphasis on export crops. To develop self-sufficiency and food security, African nations must mobilize domestic resources, improve the human resource capacity, and strengthen their scientific and technological bases. They must also cooperate in integration schemes rather than compete for the available Western aid.
Miller and Henthorne give U.S. investors and entrepreneurs the insights they need to capitalize upon the rapidly expanding, but still open, Cuban tourism industry--the island's major industry. This authoritative examination of the market for Cuban tourism provides comprehensive information on Cuban contacts and data sources that are accessible to foreigners; insights into the competition and possible competitive strategies, plus the general background on Cuba and its economy that investors must have for an understanding of Cuba's potential. With its lists of references and contacts, Miller and Henthorne's study will be invaluable to international tourism executives, particularly specialists in strategic planning and the development of strategic business alliances as well as international marketers and business development officers. Miller and Henthorne have written their book for the day when relations and travel ties are reestablished between Cuba and the United States--a day that in their opinion will soon come. From their personal visits and interviews with Cuban officials in banking, finance, investment, politics, and the tourist industry itself, Miller and Henthorne have compiled material that is unavailable from any other single source. Here is detailed, first hand, timely information on Cuba's tourism resources, opportunities, infrastructure, competitors and competition, peculiarities, and historical and regional background for the benefit of investors in the United States and worldwide.
Distinguished experts on African development offer their considerable knowledge and background to the coming crisis in Africa. They examine not only development but also related factors such as foreign trade, politics, indigenous traditions, and international relations in order to understand development problems on the continent. It is one of the first volumes since the end of the Cold War to analyze African development, or the lack thereof, that had polarized the developing countries for the past 30 years. Yansane and his contributors present the strengths and weaknesses of various development strategies including ideas for the future, such as the inclusion of the human dimension that was overlooked in past strategies for growth. This inclusion would increase participation and the accountability of the political system and parties.
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.
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.
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.
This book studies the evolution of the middle class in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Using data from the RLMS (Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey), the volume covers the period of transition (1991-2008) during which many fundamental economic reforms were implemented. The first part of the book is devoted to a discussion of the concept of middle class and a description of the economic situation in Russia during the transition period. Particular attention is given to variations in the distribution of Russian incomes and the estimated importance of the middle class. The second part of the book focuses on the link between the middle class and income bipolarization. The third and last section of the book uses the semiparametric "mixture model" to discover how many different groups may be derived from the income distribution in Russia, as well as what the main socio-economic and demographic characteristics of those groups are. The mobility of households into and out of the middle class during the transition period is also studied in hopes of determining the factors that contribute to such mobility. Using rigorous empirical methods, this volume sheds light on a relatively unstudied economic group and provides insight for countries which are about to enter a transition period. As such, this book will be of great interest to researchers in economics and inequality as well as professionals and practitioners working with international organizations.
This book provides up-to-date information on globalisation trends and the transformations taking place in emerging markets. It discusses key themes of relevance to the auto industry, including the environmental impact of the car, adaptation of designs for the needs of emerging markets and the emergence of global mega-suppliers. These issues are placed in the context of more general debates about globalisation and current crises in emerging markets such as Brazil and East Asia.
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.
This volume explores Japan's industrialization from the perspective of "indigenous development", focusing on what may be identified as "traditional" or "indigenous" factors. Japanese industrialization has often been described as the process of transferring or importing technology and organization from Western countries. Recent research has, however, shown that economic development had already begun in pre-modern period (Tokugawa-era) in Japan. This economic development not only prepared Japan for the transfer from the West, but also formed the basis of the particular industrialization process which paralleled transplanted industrialization in modern Japan. The aim of the volume is to demonstrate this aspect of industrialization through the detailed studies of so-called "indigenous" industries. This collection of papers looks at the industries originating in the Tokugawa-era, such as weaving, silk-reeling and pottery, as well as the newly developed small workshops engaged in manufacturing machinery, soap, brash, buttons, etc. Small businesses in the tertiary sector, transportation and commerce, are also observed. Available for the first time in English, these papers shed new light on the role of "indigenous development" and our understanding of the dualistic character of Japan's economic development.
This book focuses on international relations in the Indian Ocean region and covers many policy aspects of Modi's India. Written by leading scholars of international and Indian Ocean studies, this annual report includes both a strategic review and the major events and related data in this region. It also discusses the origin, aims, frameworks and regional and global impact of India's development under the Modi administration, offering readers a full and authentic picture of the most recent developments in India. This year's Annual Report is the fourth of this kind and the only one to include the Indian Ocean region of China.
In the last decade, regionalism appears to have emerged as a major new force in the world. This book puts it in its historical context. Regions have emerged before; few are old because they either evolve into federal systems or break up. The current regions imply more integration than a simple view that they are about liberalising trade. |
You may like...
Developments and Innovation in Carbon…
M M Maroto-Valer
Paperback
Mokgomana - The Life Of John Kgoana…
Peter Delius, Daniel Sher
Paperback
|