The book focuses on efficiency analysis in enterprises and describes a broader supply-chain context to support improved sustainability. The research and its outcomes presented here provide theoretical and empirical studies on efficiency analysis in the supply chain, including operational, economic, environmental and social aspects. This book sheds new light on the efficiency-assessment framework for practitioners and includes essential tips on how to improve the sustainability of supply-chains operations.

The rise of new powers such as China and India is sending shockwaves through the global multilateral system. This volume systematically examines how 13 multilateral institutions are responding to this shift, with some deploying innovative outreach and reform activities, while others are paralyzed by gridlock or even retreat from the global scene.

Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals require substantial improvements in the health sector by 2015, specifically in the reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, and combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Although international concern about health is increasing, health outcomes do not appear to be improving at a steady rate. This book raises critical concerns about the limited capacity of healthcare services in developing countries, sadly it is the most vulnerable that are the least protected. This book focuses on the challenging factors and key elements that are essential for a workable health system, in particular finance, human resources, pharmaceuticals and public facilities. Through empirical analyses and in-depth case studies, this book sheds light on how we can help strengthen, improve and make health systems more accessible in developing countries

Over the past decade, the transport industry has become an increasingly popular scapegoat for polluting the environment with emissions and noise. Therefore, additional transport infrastructure investments, especially in road transport, are becoming more and more contentious. Conversely, the advocates of free trade stress the importance of transport to enhance economic growth and subsequently the standards of living. Thus, political decision makers and business people alike are facing the challenge of reconciling these conflicting ideas. Though being one of the most prominent topics in public discussion, hard facts are still rare.

In order to analyze the question from a different perspective, this book sets out to combine different approaches from economics as well as business administration to stimulate scientific discourse and to support decision-makers in their efforts to ameliorate the situation.

The first part of this book contributes to the empirics of the relationship between transport and economic growth, or more specifically, whether "decoupling" of transport and economic growth appears possible. For this purpose previously unavailable regional data for Italy and Germany were collected and analyzed. The results indicate that transport makes an important contribution to economic growth.

Therefore, the second part of this book goes into more detail. Given the economic importance of transport and the resistance against the expansion of the transport infrastructure, it is essential to make efficient use of the already existing transportation network. For this purpose the author investigates which characteristics of transport are perceived as most important by decision makers, applying an adaptive conjoint analysis. The results show that transport quality in terms of timeliness, reliability, etc. seems to be at least as important as the monetary transport costs.

Networks are thriving in global politics. Some bring policy-makers from different countries together to share problems and to forge possible solutions, free from rules of representation, decision-making, and transparency which constrain more formal international organizations. This book asks whether developing countries can benefit from such networks? Or are they safer to conduct their international relations in formal institutions? The answer varies. The key lies in how the network is structured and what it sets out to achieve. This book presents a fascinating account of how some networks have strengthened the position of developing country officials, both at home, and in their international negotiations. Equally, it points to conditions which make it perilous for developing countries to rely on networks.

With the globalization of economic activity bringing about the expansion of markets and deepening of economic interdependency beyond state-borders, a new political challenge arises: how to effectively integrate the interdependent economies into a harmonious unity through the creation of new super-state institutions? This book applies a spatial economics perspective to the understanding of the recent dynamism of the global economy, with particular focus on East Asia. In addition, it examines the prospects of regional integration in East Asia.

In the past twenty years the clusters of small enterprises proved to be among the most dynamic ways to promote the endogenous growth of local economic systems. However, the case of 'survival clusters' in developing countries is more controversial, as many international organizations and specialized government agencies have verified over their long-term experience. This book offers a new interpretative key, which we call 'a stage and eclectic approach' to the development of clusters. This approach supports public efforts to increase the effectiveness of policy-making and development operations in local contexts.

This volume highlights the importance of interactive, practice-based learning as a means to promote more thorough innovation dynamics in regional and national economies. Successful experiences in Scandanavia and southern European countries are examined, with insightful policy lessons extracted from each case.

This book examines the dynamic relationship and volatility spillovers between crude oil prices, exchange rates and stock markets of emerging economies. Although considerable literature on relationship between exchange rates and stock markets as well as affiliation between oil prices and stock markets is available, unfortunately very little research has been conducted to analyze the volatility spillovers and dynamic relationship between crude oil prices, exchange rates and stock markets of India covering pre-recession, recession and post-recession period. More particularly, a clear research gap has been found in analyzing the volatility spillovers between above three variables in respect of India irrespective of the importance of oil prices and exchange rates as essential parameters for economic recovery and growth of the capital markets. Furthermore, the stock returns volatility is partly explained by volatility in crude oil prices and exchange rates. The volatility in stock markets is partly due to foreign interference that persuades a correlation with international markets through crude oil prices and exchange rates. Hence, a new publication on this topic is needed at this time.

The global centre of gravity continues to shift to the Asia-Pacific, the most dynamic region in the world. These economies have generally grown faster for longer periods of time than any other major region in world history. Their embrace of globalization has been a central feature, and driver, of their dynamism. The management of Asia-Pacific economic integration and globalization is crucial not only for the countries themselves but also for the state of the global economy, including importantly latecomer developing economies who look to the region for analytical and development policy lessons. Twenty-seven leading international authorities in the field, drawn from nine countries, provide a comprehensive examination of the causes, consequences and challenges of globalization, in a volume that celebrates the distinguished career of Professor Prema-Chandra Athukorala. Among the major issues examined are the region's distinctive approach to trade liberalization, the effects of economic growth on poverty reduction and the labour market, the special challenges of by-passed regions, the role of ideas in influencing policy making, the modalities of connecting to global production networks, and the importance of remittances in economic development. Several country case studies provide in-depth analyses of development processes and outcomes. These include episodes in economic development, the challenges faced by transition economies, the macroeconomics of adjusting to slower growth and rising debt in advanced economies, and the so-called middle-income trap phenomenon.

Achieving and sustaining higher levels of human well-being is a core challenge for individuals, governments and international organizations worldwide. Measures of human well-being levels are an integral part of this process. This book provides insights into how human well-being could be better defined and empirically assessed.

This book examines the complex relations between democracy and social policy. Economic development is a necessary but not sufficient condition for welfare development. In industrial democracies, differences in the reach and organization of unions, presence of Left parties in government, and social pacts, account for much of the variation in welfare provision among countries. Social security is limited in democracies with low levels of industrialization, even though some countries with a social democratic orientation seem to have done well. Traditions of political rights, improvements in electoral competitiveness, and a pro-active judiciary may empower social movements to pressure governments in low-income democracies to introduce progressive social reforms.

In India today only 35 percent of people have access to medicines. This book examines the rise of drug prices in India, and develops a new healthcare model, which if implemented, would extend access to medicines to India's entire population. Sensitivity tests show that the proposed model is affordable, equitable and implementable

Regional economic organizations of developing countries have a mixed record of success. The author examines national decisions, regional institutions and selected cases using a cognitive framing model in order to better understand the reasons behind their failures and successes. Case studies are included on Chile (Andean Pact), Nigeria (ECOWAS) and the Philippines (ASEAN). This study will interest researchers and graduate-level students of regional economic integration, political economy of developing countries, as well as specialists in Latin America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.

This book offers insights on effective policies that can be applied to other economies in terms of using technology financing to foster technological innovations. It outlines the role of government in accelerating the nation's innovative capacity by promoting technology investments that will achieve successful and sustainable economic development.

Combining theoretical and empirical insights, this book provides an in-depth analysis of South Asia's transition in the areas of democracy, political economy and security since the end of the Cold War. It provides a close scrutiny to the state of democracy and political economy in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The book pays tribute to the celebrated economist Professor Suresh Tendulkar's contribution and scholarship to economics, economic-policy making, and economic reforms in India. Professor Tendulkar served on numerous panels and commissions set up to reform diverse aspects of India's economy. To name a few, he served as the Chairperson of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, Chairman of the National Commission of Statistics, National Sample Survey Organisation, Committee on National Accounts, and as a member in the Fifth Pay Commission, the Disinvestment Commission (1996). He is credited with devising the new method to estimate poverty in India which resulted in India's poverty estimates being scaled up. This book primarily focuses on Professor Tendulkar's contributions on economic planning in India, the political economy of economic reforms, and his important conceptual and policy-relevant work on poverty measurement. The three sub-themes of the book - Economic Reforms and Policy Formulation, Poverty and Inequality, and Development and Trade - are indicative of his specific research interests, namely poverty and well-being, and India and the world economy. It covers both micro and macro aspects relevant to the Indian economy. The econometric techniques utilized encompass state-of-the-art microeconometric as well as macroeconometric models. The book contains contributions from eminent economists associated with Professor Tendulkar, and is useful for readers from the undergraduate through the Ph.D. level as well as researchers and practitioners of economics.

The Chilean economy over the last three decades has been a source of continuous interest and fascination for economists, political scientists and development analysts. Moving from a regime with significant protectionist policies to one with a very open economy, embracing free trade reforms, negotiating multilateral and bilateral agreements, the macroeconomic indicators suggest that the economy has prospered. This book explores the macroeconomic picture, complementing this with detailed sectoral evaluation and an analysis of the impacts at regional level. Evidence suggests an increasing need to drill down from the macroeconomic perspective to explore the degree to which economic development has or has not contributed to reducing disparities in level of welfare across the country.

We all view the ubiquitous term 'sustainability' as a worthwhile goal. But how can we apply the principles of sustainability in the real world, at the sharp end of communities in developing nations where income insecurity is the troubled norm? This volume provides some practical answers, explaining the precepts of the 'sustainable livelihood approach' (SLA) through the case study of a microfinance scheme in Africa.

The case study, centered around the work of the Catholic Church's Diocesan Development Services organization, involved an SLA implemented over two years designed in part to help enhance its existing microfinance operation through closer links between local communities and international donors. The book's central conclusion is that we must move beyond the concept of sustainable livelihood itself, with its in-built polarities between developed and developing nations, and embrace a more global notion of 'sustainable lifestyle'; a more nuanced and inclusive approach that encompasses not just how we make a sustainable living, but how we can live sustainable lives.

"

Since the pioneering work of Joseph Schumpeter (1942), it has been assumed that innovations typically play a key role in firms' competitiveness. This assumption has been applied to firms in both developed and developing countries. However, the innovative capacities and business environments of firms in developing countries are fundamentally different from those in developed countries. It stands to reason that innovation and competitiveness models based on developed countries may not apply to developing countries. In this volume, Vivienne Wang and Elias G. Carayannis apply both theoretical approaches and empirical analysis to explore the dynamics of innovation in developing countries, with a particular emphasis on R&D in manufacturing firms. In so doing, they present an alternative to Michael Porter's Competitive Advantage Model-a Competitive Position Model that focuses on incremental and adaptive innovations that are more appropriate than radical innovations for developing countries. Their research addresses such questions as: Do innovations advance the competitive positions of manufacturing firms in developing countries? Does the pace of innovation matter, in particular, in socio-economic and socio-political contexts? To what degree can national innovation systems and policies influence development? To what extent do a firm's innovation commitments correlate with the protection of intellectual property rights? What roles do foreign direct investment and relationships with clusters and networks play? The resulting analysis not only challenges traditional theoretical approaches to innovation, but provides suggestions for improving business practice and policymaking.

This book is written in the light of the latest developments in the field of multidimensional poverty measurement. It includes clear presentations of more than a dozen different quantitative techniques based respectively on information or fuzzy sets theory, the Rasch model, Factor, Cluster and Multiple Correspondence Analysis, MIMIC and structural equations models, efficiency analysis, axiomatic, subjective and ordinal approaches to the topic. The book provides empirical illustrations based on data sources from developed or developing countries.

Productivity growth is vital for wealth creation. It is fashioned by a number of factors including international trade and foreign direct investment. This volume examines the nature of the links between the globalisation process and productivity growth whilst including empirical analyses of these links. Other subjects covered include how exporting and productivity interact; the relevance of ownership to productivity growth; and potential spillovers from multinational firms to indigenous firms in their host country. This volume offers the most complete collection of studies available on this key issue.

Goodstadt brilliantly weaves a tapestry that resolves major puzzles about Hong Kong's growth as an international financial centre during this pivotal fifty-year period. This is a devastating expose of the consequences of the British colonial government's failure to effectively regulate banking and manage monetary policy."--David Meyer, Washington University. St. LouisLeo F. Goodstadt is adjunct professor in the School of Business Studies at Trinity Colletge, University of Dublin. He was formerly deputy editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review.

The book "The Greek Economy and the Crisis. Challenges and Responses" targets all those who think about the present and future of this (culturally) long-lived small geographic region (Greece), to form a personal view of its social and economic problems. A society that repeats the same types of behaviour over the centuries does not do so due to random mistakes. It contains intrinsic forces that affect it. These should be understood, to allow us to delineate future developments. However, the manner in which the social and economic process is perceived must be comprehensive and multidisciplinary: Economics, politics, social psychology and organizational psychology are essential to this analysis. Thus, the book is useful to those seeking information for their professional, scientific and personal development, allowing them to shape their social attitude. It is also useful to those responsible for taking decisions at national, European or enterprise level, in relation to the social and economic problems of Greece.

This collection of eighteen chapters plus an editorial introduction brings together studies of land and development throughout the Caribbean region by historians, anthropologists, geographers, land use planners, a sociologist and a human rights lawyer. Themes include post-emancipation access to land for the former slaves, soil erosion, crop production, agro-biodiversity, tourism, fishing, migration, land tenure, landscape and environment, and various aspects of land policy, planning and management. The chapters cover a range of territories in the Hispanic, Francophone, English-speaking and Dutch Caribbean. This volume is a sequel to the editors' earlier ground-breaking book "Land and Development in the Caribbean" (Macmillan, 1987) and, with a new cast of authors and an entirely new collection of essays, provides fresh perspectives on Caribbean land and development based on both historical and contemporary research.