Although South Africa’s informal sector is small compared to other developing countries, it nevertheless provides livelihoods, employment and income for millions of workers and business owners. Almost half of informal-sector workers work in firms with employees. The annual entry of new enterprises is quite high, as is the number of informal enterprises that grow their employment. There is no shortage of entrepreneurship and desire to grow.

However, obstacles and constraints cause hardship and failure, pointing to the need for well-designed policies to enable and support the sector, rather than suppress it. The same goes for formalisation. Recognising the informal sector as an integral part of the economy, rather than ignoring it, is a crucial first step towards instituting a ‘smart’ policy approach.

The South African Informal Sector is strongly evidence- and data-driven, with substantial quantitative contributions combined with qualitative findings – suitable for an era of increased pressure for evidence-based policy-making – and utilises several disciplinary perspectives.

Essential Mathematics for Economics and Business is established as one of the leading introductory textbooks on mathematics for students of business and economics. Combining a user friendly approach to mathematics with practical applications to the subjects, the text provides students with a clear and comprehensible guide to mathematics. The fundamental mathematical concepts are explained in a simple and accessible style, using a wide selection of worked examples, progress exercises and real world applications. New to this Edition * Fully updated text with revised worked examples and updated material on Excel and Powerpoint * New exercises in mathematics and its applications to give further clarity and practice opportunities * Fully updated online material including animations and a new test bank * The fourth edition is supported by a companion website at www.wiley.com/college/bradley, which contains: Animations of selected worked examples providing students with a new way of understanding the problems Access to the Maple T.A. test bank, which features over 500 algorithmic questions Further learning material, applications, exercises and solutions. * Problems in context studies, which present the mathematics in a business or economics framework. * Updated PowerPoint slides, Excel problems and solutions. "The text is aimed at providing an introductory-level exposition of mathematical methods for economics and business students. In terms of level, pace, complexity of examples and user-friendly style the text is excellent - it genuinely recognises and meets the needs of students with minimal maths background." Colin Glass, Emeritus Professor, University of Ulster "One of the major strengths of this book is the range of exercises in both drill and applications. Also the 'worked examples' are excellent; they provide examples of the use of mathematics to realistic problems and are easy to follow." Donal Hurley, formerly of University College Cork "The most comprehensive reader in this topic yet, this book is an essential aid to the avid economist who loathes mathematics!" Amazon.co.uk

Economic theories can be expressed in words, numbers, graphs and symbols. The existing traditional economics textbooks cover all four methods, but the general focus is often more on writing about the theory and methods, with few practical examples. With an increasing number of universities having introduced mathematical economics at undergraduate level, Basic mathematics for economics students aims to fill this gap in the field. Basic mathematics for economics students begins with a comprehensive chapter on basic mathematical concepts and methods (suitable for self-study, revision or tutorial purposes) to ensure that students have the necessary foundation. The book is written in an accessible style and is extremely practical. Numerous mathematical economics examples and exercises are provided as well as fully worked solutions using numbers, graphs and symbols. Basic mathematics for economics students is aimed at all economics students. It focuses on quantitative aspects and especially complements the three highly popular theoretical economics textbooks, Understanding microeconomics, Understanding macroeconomics and Economics for South African students, all written by Philip Mohr and published by Van Schaik Publishers.

Gain an understanding of how econometrics can answer today's questions in business, policy evaluation and forecasting with Wooldridge's INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS: A MODERN APPROACH, 7E. Unlike traditional texts, this book's practical, yet professional, approach demonstrates how econometrics has moved beyond a set of abstract tools to become genuinely useful for answering questions across a variety of disciplines. The author has organized the book's presentation around the type of data being analyzed with a systematic approach that only introduces assumptions as they are needed. This makes the material easier to understand and, ultimately, leads to better econometric practices. Packed with relevant applications, the text incorporates more than 100 data sets in different formats. Updates introduce the latest developments in the field, including the recent advances in the so-called "causal effects" or "treatment effects," to provide a complete understanding of the impact and importance of econometrics today.

Gain a clear understanding of the fundamental concepts and applications behind operations and supply chain management with the reader-friendly approach in Collier/Evans' popular OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, 2E. The authors present detailed, solved problems throughout this edition to illustrate key formulas and computations as you learn to complete both manual and digital calculations using Excel spreadsheet templates and other Excel models for optimization and simulation. Even more review questions, cases, experiential activities, problems and exercises as well as feature boxes teach you how to work with the latest operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM) concepts and tools. New content examines process analysis and resource utilization, analytics in OM, capacity measurement, applications of linear optimization and other critical OM and SCM topics. You can further your understanding with interactive digital resources and new algorithmic exercises within MindTap's complete learning applications.

Master the fundamental concepts and today's applications of operations (OM) and supply chain management (SCM) with OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, 3rd Edition by award-winning authors Collier and Evans.

This edition provides balanced coverage of both manufacturing and service businesses with updates, recent developments and new concepts that highlight the latest changes in OM and SCM. This edition clearly explains concepts while using contemporary practical examples ideal for business students, updated boxed features and new and updated case studies. Discussions highlight new concepts and new Excel techniques and digital tools, while solved problems illustrate key formulas and computations.

MindTap online learning platform is also available to support both manual calculations and the use of Excel spreadsheet templates and models. MindTap's algorithmic homework and interactive learning tools encourage students to apply qualitative and quantitative reasoning to today's OM and SCM concepts.

For much of its history, human population growth increased at a glacial pace. The demographic rate only soared about 200 years ago, climaxing in the period 1950-2000. In that 50-year span, the population grew more than it had in the previous 5000 years. Though these raw numbers are impressive, they conceal the fact that the growth rate of population topped out in the 1960s. The apparent population boom may be approaching a population bust, despite our coexistence with more than seven billion people. In On the Cusp, economist Charles Pearson explores the meaning of this population trend from the arc of demographic growth to decline. He reviews Thomas Malthus's famous 1798 argument that human population would exceed the earth's carrying capacity, and explains why this surfaces periodically when birth rates strongly exceed 2.1 children per household. Analyzing population trends through dual lenses - demography and economics - Pearson examines the potential opportunities and challenges of population decline and aging. In many industrialized countries, the combination of an aging population and considerable food security may call for policies that boost fertility, immigration, and worker participation, reform pension schemes, and ease concern over moderating rates of population and economic growth. Sharp and occasionally funny, Pearson's research has thought-provoking implications for future public policies. Pearson ends his analysis with a mildly hopeful conclusion, noting that both the rich and the poor face a new demographic order. Bold and comprehensive, general readers and students alike will find On the Cusp an informative and engaging read.

This book reviews the three most popular methods (and their extensions) in applied economics and other social sciences: matching, regression discontinuity, and difference in differences. The book introduces the underlying econometric/statistical ideas, shows what is identified and how the identified parameters are estimated, and then illustrates how they are applied with real empirical examples. The book emphasizes how to implement the three methods with data: many data and programs are provided in the online appendix. All readers--theoretical econometricians/statisticians, applied economists/social-scientists and researchers/students--will find something useful in the book from different perspectives.

Design and Analysis of Time Series Experiments presents the elements of statistical time series analysis while also addressing recent developments in research design and causal modeling. A distinguishing feature of the book is its integration of design and analysis of time series experiments. Drawing examples from criminology, economics, education, pharmacology, public policy, program evaluation, public health, and psychology, Design and Analysis of Time Series Experiments is addressed to researchers and graduate students in a wide range of behavioral, biomedical and social sciences. Readers learn not only how-to skills but, also the underlying rationales for the design features and the analytical methods. ARIMA algebra, Box-Jenkins-Tiao models and model-building strategies, forecasting, and Box-Tiao impact models are developed in separate chapters. The presentation of the models and model-building assumes only exposure to an introductory statistics course, with more difficult mathematical material relegated to appendices. Separate chapters cover threats to statistical conclusion validity, internal validity, construct validity, and external validity with an emphasis on how these threats arise in time series experiments. Design structures for controlling the threats are presented and illustrated through examples. The chapters on statistical conclusion validity and internal validity introduce Bayesian methods, counterfactual causality and synthetic control group designs. Building on the earlier of the authors, Design and Analysis of Time Series Experiments includes more recent developments in modeling, and considers design issues in greater detail than any existing work. Additionally, the book appeals to those who want to conduct or interpret time series experiments, as well as to those interested in research designs for causal inference.

Introduction to Computational Economics Using Fortran is the essential guide to conducting economic research on a computer. Aimed at students of all levels of education as well as advanced economic researchers, it facilitates the first steps into writing programs using Fortran. Introduction to Computational Economics Using Fortran assumes no prior experience as it introduces the reader to this programming language. It shows the reader how to apply the most important numerical methods conducted by computational economists using the toolbox that accompanies this text. It offers various examples from economics and finance organized in self-contained chapters that speak to a diverse range of levels and academic backgrounds. Each topic is supported by an explanation of the theoretical background, a demonstration of how to implement the problem on the computer, and a discussion of simulation results. Readers can work through various exercises that promote practical experience and deepen their economic and technical insights. This textbook is accompanied by a website from which readers can download all program codes as well as a numerical toolbox, and receive technical information on how to install Fortran on their computer.

While the significance of networks in various human behavior and activities has a history as long as human's existence, network awareness is a recent scientific phenomenon. The neologism network science is just one or two decades old. Nevertheless, with this limited time, network thinking has substantially reshaped the recent development in economics, and almost all solutions to real-world problems involve the network element. This book integrates agent-based modeling and network science. It is divided into three parts, namely, foundations, primary dynamics on and of social networks, and applications. The authors begin with the network origin of agent-based models, known as cellular automata, and introduce a number of classic models, such as Schelling's segregation model and Axelrod's spatial game. The essence of the foundation part is the network-based agent-based models in which agents follow network-based decision rules. Under the influence of the substantial progress in network science in late 1990s, these models have been extended from using lattices into using small-world networks, scale-free networks, etc. The text also shows that the modern network science mainly driven by game-theorists and sociophysicists has inspired agent-based social scientists to develop alternative formation algorithms, known as agent-based social networks. It reviews a number of pioneering and representative models in this family. Upon the given foundation, the second part reviews three primary forms of network dynamics, such as diffusions, cascades, and influences. These primary dynamics are further extended and enriched by practical networks in goods-and-service markets, labor markets, and international trade. At the end, the book considers two challenging issues using agent-based models of networks: network risks and economic growth.

Connections among different assets, asset classes, portfolios, and the stocks of individual institutions are critical in examining financial markets. Interest in financial markets implies interest in underlying macroeconomic fundamentals. In Financial and Macroeconomic Connectedness, Frank Diebold and Kamil Yilmaz propose a simple framework for defining, measuring, and monitoring connectedness, which is central to finance and macroeconomics. These measures of connectedness are theoretically rigorous yet empirically relevant. The approach to connectedness proposed by the authors is intimately related to the familiar econometric notion of variance decomposition. The full set of variance decompositions from vector auto-regressions produces the core of the 'connectedness table.' The connectedness table makes clear how one can begin with the most disaggregated pair-wise directional connectedness measures and aggregate them in various ways to obtain total connectedness measures. The authors also show that variance decompositions define weighted, directed networks, so that these proposed connectedness measures are intimately related to key measures of connectedness used in the network literature. After describing their methods in the first part of the book, the authors proceed to characterize daily return and volatility connectedness across major asset (stock, bond, foreign exchange and commodity) markets as well as the financial institutions within the U.S. and across countries since late 1990s. These specific measures of volatility connectedness show that stock markets played a critical role in spreading the volatility shocks from the U.S. to other countries. Furthermore, while the return connectedness across stock markets increased gradually over time the volatility connectedness measures were subject to significant jumps during major crisis events. This book examines not only financial connectedness, but also real fundamental connectedness. In particular, the authors show that global business cycle connectedness is economically significant and time-varying, that the U.S. has disproportionately high connectedness to others, and that pairwise country connectedness is inversely related to bilateral trade surpluses.

The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Networks represents the frontier of research into how and why networks form, how they influence behavior, how they help govern outcomes in an interactive world, and how they shape collective decision making, opinion formation, and diffusion dynamics. From a methodological perspective, the contributors to this volume devote attention to theory, field experiments, laboratory experiments, and econometrics. Theoretical work in network formation, games played on networks, repeated games, and the interaction between linking and behavior is synthesized. A number of chapters are devoted to studying social process mediated by networks. Topics here include opinion formation, diffusion of information and disease, and learning. There are also chapters devoted to financial contagion and systemic risk, motivated in part by the recent financial crises. Another section discusses communities, with applications including social trust, favor exchange, and social collateral; the importance of communities for migration patterns; and the role that networks and communities play in the labor market. A prominent role of networks, from an economic perspective, is that they mediate trade. Several chapters cover bilateral trade in networks, strategic intermediation, and the role of networks in international trade. Contributions discuss as well the role of networks for organizations. On the one hand, one chapter discusses the role of networks for the performance of organizations, while two other chapters discuss managing networks of consumers and pricing in the presence of network-based spillovers. Finally, the authors discuss the internet as a network with attention to the issue of net neutrality.

This volume offers extensive coverage of current political, economic and social affairs of the region. It provides an impartial perspective on all the countries and territores of Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. With easy-to-use data, it contains almost 600 pages of analysis by acknowledged experts, recent statistics and useful directory material.

This book collects results from ad hoc surveys on firms pricing behavior conducted in 2003 and 2004 by nine National central banks of the Euro area in the context of a joint research project (Eurosystem Inflation Persistence Network). These surveys have proved to be an efficient way to test theories on the pricing strategies of economic agents, documenting, in qualitative terms, the underlying rationale of the observed pricing patterns. The book provides an unprecedented amount of information from more than 11,000 euro area firms, addressing issues such as the relevance of nominal and real rigidities, the information set used by firms in the price setting process, the strategy followed to review prices, the frequency of both price reviews and price changes, the reasons underlying price stickiness, and asymmetries in price adjustment. It also compares results for the euro area to those obtained for other countries by similar studies. Finally, it draws the main implications for theoretical modeling and for monetary policy.

Panel data econometrics uses both time series and cross-sectional data sets that have repeated observations over time for the same individuals (individuals can be workers, households, firms, industries, regions, or countries). This book reviews the most important topics in the subject. The three parts, dealing with static models, dynamic models, and discrete choice and related models are organized around the themes of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and modelling dynamic responses and error components.

Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) has become one of the main statistical tools for the analysis of economic and financial data. This book is the first to provide an intuitive introduction to the method combined with a unified treatment of GMM statistical theory and a survey of recent important developments in the field. Providing a comprehensive treatment of GMM estimation and inference, it is designed as a resource for both the theory and practice of GMM: it discusses and proves formally all the main statistical results, and illustrates all inference techniques using empirical examples in macroeconomics and finance. Building from the instrumental variables estimator in static linear models, it presents the asymptotic statistical theory of GMM in nonlinear dynamic models. Within this framework it covers classical results on estimation and inference techniques, such as the overidentifying restrictions test and tests of structural stability, and reviews the finite sample performance of these inference methods. And it discusses in detail recent developments on covariance matrix estimation, the impact of model misspecification, moment selection, the use of the bootstrap, and weak instrument asymptotics.

Presenting innovative modelling approaches to the analysis of fiscal policy and government debt, this book moves beyond previous models that have relied upon the assumption that various age-specific rates and policy variables remain unchanged when it comes to generating government expenditures and tax revenues. As a result of population ageing, current policy settings in many countries are projected to lead to unsustainable levels of public debt; Tax Policy and Uncertainty explores models that allow for feedbacks and uncertainty to combat this. Applicable to any country, the models in the book explore the optimal timing and extent of tax changes in the face of anticipated high future debt. Chapters produce stochastic debt projections, including probability distribution of debt ratios at each point in time. It also offers important analysis of fiscal policy trade-offs as well as providing advice on when and by how much tax rates should be increased. Economics scholars focusing on fiscal policy will appreciate the improved models in this book that allow both for uncertainty and feedback effects arising from responses to increased debt. It will also be helpful to economic policy advisors and economists in government departments.

Economic theories can be expressed in words, numbers, graphs and symbols. The existing traditional economics textbooks cover all four methods, but the general focus is often more on writing about the theory and methods, with few practical examples. With an increasing number of universities having introduced mathematical economics at undergraduate level, Basic mathematics for economic students aims to fill this gap in the field. Basic mathematics for economic students begins with a comprehensive chapter on basic mathematical concepts and methods (suitable for self-study, revision or tutorial purposes) to ensure that students have the necessary foundation. The book is written in an accessible style and is extremely practical. Numerous mathematical economics examples and exercises are provided as well as fully worked solutions using numbers, graphs and symbols. Basic mathematics for economic students is aimed at all economics students. It focuses on quantitative aspects and especially complements the two highly popular theoretical economics textbooks Understanding microeconomics and Understanding macroeconomics, both written by Philip Mohr and published by Van Schaik.

Master the proven, traditional methods in project management as well as the latest agile practices with Kloppenborg/Anantatmula/Wells' CONTEMPORARY PROJECT MANAGEMENT, 5E. This edition presents project management techniques and expert examples drawn from successful practice and the latest research. All content reflects the knowledge areas and processes of the 6th edition of the PMBOK (R) Guide as well as the domains and principles of the 7th edition of the PMBOK (R) Guide. The book's focused approach helps you build a strong portfolio to showcase project management skills. New features, glossary and an integrated case highlight agile practices, mindset and techniques, while PMP (R)-style questions prepare you for the new 2021 PMP (R) certification exam. You also learn to use Microsoft (R) Project to automate processes. Gain the expertise you need to become a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM (R)) or Certified Project Management Professional (PMP (R)) with this edition and MindTap digital resources.

Quantitative techniques form the backbone of all statistical, economic and management models according to which forecasts and management decisions are made. Quantitative statistical techniques aims to help readers not only master these techniques, but also understand the role of each technique. Quantitative principles are stated simply and are specifically directed at the first-year student who is contemplating a career in the business sector. The topics that are dealt with reflect the relevant quantitative background specifically demanded by business careers.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This Advanced Introduction provides a critical review and discussion of research concerning spatial statistics, differentiating between it and spatial econometrics, to answer a set of core questions covering the geographic-tagging-of-data origins of the concept and its theoretical underpinnings, conceptual advances, and challenges for future scholarly work. It offers a vital tool for understanding spatial statistics and surveys how concerns about violating the independent observations assumption of statistical analysis developed into this discipline. Key Features: A concise overview of spatial statistics theory and methods, looking at parallel developments in geostatistics and spatial econometrics, highlighting the eclipsing of centography and point pattern analysis by geostatistics and spatial autoregression, and the emergence of local analysis Contemporary descriptions of popular geospatial random variables, emphasizing one- and two-parameter spatial autoregression specifications, and Moran eigenvector spatial filtering coupled with a broad coverage of statistical estimation techniques A detailed articulation of a spatial statistical workflow conceptualization The helpful insights from empirical applications of spatial statistics in agronomy, criminology, demography, economics, epidemiology, geography, remotely sensed data, urban studies, and zoology/botany, will make this book a useful tool for upper-level students in these disciplines.

The Handbook of Experimental Game Theory offers a comprehensive analysis of the field, discussing foundational topics that are at the core of applied game theory. It highlights the nuances that scientific experiments have delivered to our understanding of strategic interactions among decision makers. Leading experts explore methodological considerations and games of complete and incomplete information to offer new directions for research in experimental game theory. Chapters demonstrate transformative behavioral research focused on classic topics in game theory such as cooperation and coordination games. Taking a scientific approach to the study of game theory, this innovative Handbook provides an insight into laboratory and field experiments that test game theoretic propositions and suggests new ways of modeling strategic behavior. It takes a forward-thinking position, addressing the challenges inherent in innovations surrounding the measurement of strategic behavior using experimental methods. This Handbook will prove to be a valuable resource for scholars and students who are looking to gain a broader understanding of experimental game theory and how to contribute to its advancement. It will also be of particular interest to researchers in experimental and behavioral economics.

Agricultural Statistics is published each year to meet the diverse need for a reliable reference book on agricultural production, supplies, consumption, facilities, costs, and returns. Its tables of annual data cover a wide variety of facts in forms suited to most common use. The estimates for crops, livestock, and poultry made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are prepared mainly to give timely current state and national totals and averages. They are based on data obtained by sample surveys of farmers and of people who do business with farmers. The survey data are supplemented by information from the Census of Agriculture taken every five years. Being estimates, they are subject to revision as more data become available from commercial or government sources. Unless otherwise indicated, the totals for the United States shown in the various tables on area, production, numbers, price, value, supplies, and disposition are based on official Department estimates. They exclude states for which no official estimates are compiled. Extensive data includes statistics for the following: Grain and Feed Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar Crops, and Honey Oilseeds, Fats, and Oils Vegetables and Melons Hay, Seeds, and Minor Field Crops Cattle, Hogs, and Sheep Dairy and Poultry Insurance, Credit & Cooperatives Agricultural Conservation & Forestry Consumption & Family Living Fertilizers & Pesticides Miscellaneous Agricultural Statistics such as Foreign Agricultural Trade Statistics including exports, fisheries and more. Professionals in the following fields to include farmers, ranchers, soil conservationists, surveyors, agricultural economist consultants, livestock manufacturers, livestock feedlot operators, food distributors, animal scientists, food chemists, food brokers, farm and land appraisers (and more) may have the greatest interest in this volume.