The current dynamics of world economy show remarkable changes in the socio-economics of credit provision and entrepreneurship. If the emergence of the sharing economy is fostering innovative models of collaborative agency, networking and venture business, economic actors are also looking for a more sustainable development, able to foster profitability as well as community welfare. This book investigates Islamic social finance as a paramount example of this economy under change, where the balance between economic efficiency and social impact is contributing to the transformation of the market from an exchange- to a community-oriented institution. The collected essays analyse the social dimension of entrepreneurship from an Islamic perspective, highlighting the extent to which the rationales of "sharing," distribution and cooperation, affect the conceptualization of the market in Islam as a place of "shared prosperity." Moving from the conceptual "roots" of this paradigm to its operative "branches," the contributing authors also connect the most recent trends in the financial market to Shari'ah-based strategies for community welfare, hence exploring the applications of Islamic social finance from the sharing economy, FinTech and crowdfunding to microcredit, waqf, zakat, sukuk and green investments. An illuminating reference for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers dealing with the challenges of a global market where not only is diversity being perceived as a value to be fostered, but also as an important opportunity for a more inclusive economy for everybody.

Recently, the issue of inequality has regained attention in the economic and political debate. This is due to both an increase in income inequality, in particular among rich countries, and an increasing interest in this issue by researchers and politicians. In the last three decades, income inequality among rich countries increased. This period also witnessed the growth of "financial capitalism", characterised by the strong dependency of economies on the financial sector, by the globalisation and intensification of international trade and capital mobility, and by the "flexibilisation" of labour markets and the reduction of wage shares. From the 1980s to the present day, this book considers the theoretical aspects of inequality (its foundations, definitions, approaches and origins) and examines empirical evidence of income inequality in a wide range of advanced economies. The key arguments in this volume are that income inequality increased during this period because labour and welfare became seen as costs to be compressed in "financial capitalism" rather than as a fundamental part of aggregate demand to be expanded. However, the welfare state is not a drain on economic performance and competitiveness, nor is it a barrier to economic efficiency. Instead, it is demonstrated that in countries that adopt "welfare capitalism", welfare state expenditure not only contributes to a reduction in inequality but also fosters economic growth. Inequality in Financial Capitalism is of great importance to those who study economics, political economy, labour economics and globalisation.

This is the era of the Smart Ecosystems Economy, where the companies that thrive must be ready to cope with randomness and unexpected events. In this digital world, the traditional boundaries have disappeared, paving the way for new and smarter ecosystems to develop. Companies seeking to transform into future-proof organisations would do well to understand these ecosystems, and get a grasp on how they work. This book serves as a guide to building smart, competitive ecosystems for both small and large organisations. A timely book that cracks the code of tomorrow's business models.

This text provides an outline of the main concepts of capitalist theories of development. It seeks to clarify both its theory and history, and also presents a series of critiques of the main problems that capitalist development still has to solve around the world. Key sectors of capitalist development are covered, including electronics, automobiles, agribusiness, apparel, cross-cutting areas of commodity chains and women's work. These chapters ask if capitalism cannot develop the Third World through these industries, then how can it do so at all? The contributors argue that not even the most enthusiastic proponents of the capitalist road to development would argue that capitalism has solved all its problems in the Third World.

This text provides an outline of the main concepts of capitalist theories of development. It seeks to clarify both its theory and history, and also presents a series of critiques of the main problems that capitalist development still has to solve around the world. Key sectors of capitalist development are covered, including electronics, automobiles, agribusiness, apparel, cross-cutting areas of commodity chains and women's work. These chapters ask if capitalism cannot develop the Third World through these industries, then how can it do so at all? The contributors argue that not even the most enthusiastic proponents of the capitalist road to development would argue that capitalism has solved all its problems in the Third World.

This book presents current theories of European integration, such as federalism, neo-functionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism with their strengths and weaknesses. It is then argued that the combination of republican theory with public good theory, the res publica of public goods, could better explain European integration. Public good theory has, however, to be adopted in order to make it applicable to European republicanism. Finally, the book demonstrates how this new framework can influence further academic debates, such as on sovereignty and monetary integration, externalities of a common European market and the driving force of European integration. It is maintained that as the republican approach does not follow a pure economic logic, there remains space for political considerations and motivations. In this topical and interdisciplinary book, the author combines many important strings of European integration theory, history, economics and political sciences, which are clearly brought together into a coherent analytical discourse. Its strength is the interdisciplinary interaction between politics and economics, as well as theoretical and practical issues which are of high relevance for public debate in Europe. This book will be of interest to scholars and students interested in economic integration, as well as history and political philosophy.

The great demonstrations at Seattle and Genoa have shown that we are in a new era of protest. The neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the Group of Seven leading industrial countries and the international institutions they control are provoking widespread resistance. Growing numbers of people in all five continents are rejecting the values of the market and the vision of a world made safe for the multinational corporations.

But what does the anti-globalization movement stand for? Is it, as its most common name suggests, against globalization itself? Is it opposed merely to the neo-liberal Washington Consensus that became dominant in the 1980s and 1990s, or is its real enemy the capitalist system itself? The World Social Forum at Porto Alegre has popularized the slogan 'Another World is Possible'. But what is that world?

Alex Callinicos seeks to answer these questions in "An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto," He analyses the development of the movement, distinguishes between the different political forces within it, and explores the strategic dilemmas - notably over violence and the nation-state - that it increasingly confronts. He argues that the movement is directed against capitalism itself. The logic of competitive accumulation that drives this system is not only increasing global inequality and economic instability, but threatens ecological catastrophe and appalling conflict. To meet the challenge of global capitalism the new protest movement requires, according to Callinicos, a creative synthesis of its own inclusive and dynamic style and the best of the classical Marxist tradition.

This unique work combines an authoritative account of Veblen's life with a thoughtful appraisal of his interdisciplinary analysis of the origins, nature, and persistence of industrial capitalism. The book goes beyond the myth of Veblen's alleged marginality, and advances an original interpretation of his life's work, with special reference to his ethnicity and to evolutionism. In the process, the author considers the intellectual sources and impact of Veblen's critical social thought, and its continued relevance to understanding the economic and cultural dimensions of global capitalism.

This collection on the privatization of property ownership seeks to explore the middle ground between state socialism and corporate capitalism. "A Fourth Way?" examines the transition to market economies in post-Communist Eastern Europe and considers Western experiences with alternative forms of ownership. The contributors to this study argue that neither the market alone nor state planning is adequate, in economic or moral terms, as the exclusive means to regulate the economy. Several essays focus on the impediments to the transition to market economies in Poland, Hungary and Germany. Others consider the problems of active participation, self-governance and domination involved in some forms of private ownership. The editors propose a new conception of property, and the possibility of a "fourth way" that mediates between classical liberalism and state socialism. They discuss new modes of ownership in the context of housing, industrial property and other areas of social life which avoid the unfortunate connotations associated in the past with the notion of a "third way".

Central planning might be disappearing from large parts of what was the socialist world but viable economic systems are yet to emerge to take its place. Integrating these countries within the international economic system and developing market economies within them are likely to remain amongst the most pressing of economic problems for the forseeable future. "The Socialist Economies and the Transition to the Market" is unique in providing a detailed account of each of the individual socialist countries as well as an analysis of the various routes they might take to the market. Whilst some problems are common to all command economies, others are confined to particular countries. Consequently this unique work of reference includes chapters which outline the main feature of Soviet-type economies, foreign trade and its reform, and the various schemes which have been put forward for the transformation of these economies. But it also includes chapters on individual countries, ranging from Cuba and Albania to the Soviet Union and China.

In all of the contemporary economics textbooks that have been written there is typically at least one chapter that addresses "market failure." Markets Don't Fail! is a response to what author Brian Simpson sees as a fundamental error in the thinking of some economists. The chapter titles of this book are crafted against the premises of "market failure" arguments, and a significant portion of this book focuses on exposing the invalid premises upon which the claims of market failure are based and providing a proper basis upon which to judge the free market. The material in this book provides a strong antidote to the arguments typically presented in contemporary economics textbooks. Through example and argument, Brian Simpson shows that the claims against the free market are not true. In fact, he demonstrates how free markets succeed, how they raise the standard of living of all individuals who live within them, and how free markets allow human life to flourish. However, the book goes much deeper than economics by providing a moral and epistemological defense of the free market. Markets Don't Fail! gets to the fundamental, philosophical reasons why the claims of market failure are false and why markets actually succeed. Through an integration of economics and philosophy Simpson is able to provide a comprehensive, rigorous, and logically consistent defense of the free market. The specific topics covered in the book include monopoly, antitrust laws and predatory pricing, "externalities," the regulation of safety and quality, environmentalism, economic inequality, "public goods," and asymmetric information. This book is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to gain a sound understanding of the free market.

Originally published in 1974. This book provides a rigorous and detailed introductory treatment of the theory of difference equations and their applications in the construction and analysis of dynamic economic models. It explains the theory of linear difference equations and various types of dynamic economic models are then analysed. Including plenty of examples of application throughout the text, it will be of use to those working in macroeconomics and econometrics.

This work examines the complex, detailed relationship between the theory of wealth and the theory of power, both subsumed as they are under the overarching mantle of capitalist ideology, ever distorting real connections and evading critical issues. It examines various theories of class, state, and power either explicitly or implicitly avowed in the diverse social science disciplines of politics, economics, and sociology. In illuminating the subtle machinations of ideology, it boldly reveals the realist ontology of capitalism which produces illusory theory. The essays employ transcendental realism, emphasizing the primacy of ontology over epistemology as a mode of critique, necessarily going beyond traditional Marxian arguments in many cases. Although intended only as an analytical critique, the project is emancipatory of necessity, for it allows, ultimately, for an increased purchase on reality.

Nowhere is the tension attending simultaneous political democratization and economic liberalization more sharply felt than in the realm of labour relations. What is happening in Soviet trade unions today? How will the emerging independent unions respond to anticipated rises in unemployment? What kind of social regulation of the labour market will be appropriate in the future? These papers from a pathbreaking US-Soviet conference on labour issues reveal a considerable diversity of views on questions whose resolution will be essential to social peace in this period of transition. Among the noted contributors are Joseph Berliner, Sam Bowles, Richard Freeman, Leonid Gordon, V.L.Kosmarskii, Alla Nazimova, Michael Piore, Boris Rakitskii, Iurii Volkov, Ben Ward and Tatiana Zaslavskaia.

Nowhere is the tension attending simultaneous political democratization and economic liberalization more sharply felt than in the realm of labour relations. What is happening in Soviet trade unions today? How will the emerging independent unions respond to anticipated rises in unemployment? What kind of social regulation of the labour market will be appropriate in the future? These papers from a pathbreaking US-Soviet conference on labour issues reveal a considerable diversity of views on questions whose resolution will be essential to social peace in this period of transition. Among the noted contributors are Joseph Berliner, Sam Bowles, Richard Freeman, Leonid Gordon, V.L.Kosmarskii, Alla Nazimova, Michael Piore, Boris Rakitskii, Iurii Volkov, Ben Ward and Tatiana Zaslavskaia.

This book, first published in 1936, analyses the then-recent phenomenon of industrial combination. Concentration was new. Industrial combination was new. The interlocking of finances was new. The role of banks in regard to industry was new. The domination of financial capital over large sectors of industry was new. The author examines the new industrial system as it was, on the cusp of new world-economic conditions, resulting from and manifesting themselves in a revolution in transport, the creation of concentrated mass supply and mass demand, changes in the distribution of raw material supplies and the adaption of the technical and economic structure of the industrial unit to these new conditions.

Concern over conglomerate mergers increased dramatically in the latter part of the twentieth century. An acceleration in conglomerate merger activity rekindled firms' takeover fears and swamped trustbusters, and attention focused on the political and economic issues surrounding conglomerate mergers. Of particular importance is the possibility that conglomerate mergers may increase aggregate concentration and eventually create a 'zaibatsu' economy. This book, first published in 1984, addresses the issue by examining the mutual forbearance hypothesis. More specifically, do multi-market contacts among diversified firms affect market competition?

This book, first published in 1986, is an important contribution to the economic analysis of new firms. It emphasises the importance of analysing the economic inter-relationship between new and established firms. These links are especially relevant in the assessment of the employment effects of formation activity.

Many European, Latin American and Asian countries have experience with regional policies aiming to reduce regional disparities in GDP per capita and/or to develop problem regions helping to recover from its GDP decrease. Spain represents, without any doubt, a very rich and interesting case-study regarding regional problems and regional development policies.

The aim of this book is not only to analyze the regional policies practiced, their objectives, instruments and effects, but to provide an in-depth analysis on the impact of investments in infrastructure, human capital and other factors, as well as the advances accomplished in terms of productivity, convergence and regional competitiveness. The book particularly wants to impart knowledge, which can be useful for other countries policy makers, as well as for academics, researchers and consultants.

The contributions selected have been written by prestigious Spanish academics, most of them also having practical experience in the field."

This title was first published in 2002. Portugal experienced rapid and dramatic change over the final decades of the twentieth century. After the turbulence that followed the 1974 revolution, the 1980s and 1990s provided a period of unprecedented political stability and economic modernization during which Portugal converged rapidly with the wealthier member states of the European Union. This important new volume offers a timely focus on this recent period. Written for a wide audience by a multidisciplinary team of experts, the book provides an accessible overview and analysis of the key dimensions of recent economic and political change in Portugal and identifies the tensions and policy challenges that rapid change has produced. In so doing the book reveals something of the complexity of contemporary Portugal: an outward looking modern, democratic and European state, but one where the legacy of its recent traditional, colonial and often inward looking past continues to influence and shape its development in the twenty-first century.

Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism? The role of business in South Africa offers an insightful and balanced account of how the business sector - and particularly organised business - has influenced South Africa's political and socio-economic trajectory over the years, and what it will take for the key actors - politicians and business and labour leaders - to find a new sense of (common) purpose in the post-Zuma era. Recent years have seen organised business in South Africa (represented by organisations such as Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) and the Black Business Council (BBC)) become fragmented and unnecessarily competitive, with national, provincial and/or local multi-sectoral bodies often having overlapping or conflicting interests and mandates. In the process, the once powerful 'voice of business' has become considerably weaker. What has gone wrong, and can order be re-established?

This title was first published in 2002. This useful collection brings together scholars from diverse standpoints to examine the transition from Communism a decade after it began. The result is a book that illuminates the changes, and particularly the problems, that have accompanied attempts to introduce representative democracy and a viable market economy into formerly Communist states. Specialist chapters on the Former Soviet Union, Russia, Poland, Azerbaijan and the former East Germany, institutional accounts of postcommunist states and conceptual chapters result in this volume being ideally suited to university courses, policy makers and NGOs that have an interest in transition countries.

This title was first published in 2000: Since 1998, there have been many diagnoses, studies and theories attempting to explain the East Asian economic crisis and the impact on major economic and financial sectors. This text aims to fill a gap in the literature by examining the effects on small and medium-sized enterprises. From early 1998, unemployment figures in the region rose rapidly although large enterprises were not as yet engaged in corporate restructuring. Registered small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microenterprises were a major source of this unemployment, especially among unskilled and seasonal workers. This volume covers the debate in five ways. An introductory chapter presents an overview of the SME international experience both in OECD and developing economies. Part I looks at the economic and social contribution of SMEs in Thailand before and after the 1997-1998 crisis and Part II reviews government policy and SME promotion initiatives. Part III explores the assumption that local SMEs linked to large firms have been more resilient, while the concluding chapter suggests a range of policies which have been derived from experiences in places other than Thailand.

Hannah Arendt's 1958 The Human Condition was an impassioned philosophical reconsideration of the goals of being human. In its arguments about the kind of lives we should lead and the political engagement we should strive for, Arendt's interpretative skills come to the fore, in a brilliant display of what high-level interpretation can achieve for critical thinking. Good interpretative thinkers are characterised by their ability to clarify meanings, question accepted definitions and posit good, clear definitions that allow their other critical thinking skills to take arguments deeper and further than most. In many ways, The Human Condition is all about definitions. Arendt's aim is to lay out an argument for political engagement and active participation in society as the highest goals of human life; and to this end she sets about defining a hierarchy of ways of living a "vita activa," or active life. The book sets about distinguishing between our different activities under the categories of "labor", "work", and "action" - each of which Arendt carefully redefines as a different level of active engagement with the world. Following her clear and careful laying out of each word's meaning, it becomes hard to deny her argument for the life of "action" as the highest human goal.

When this book was published in 1934, Britain had been a protectionist country for three years. The Import Duties Act and the Ottawa Agreements were based upon four main principles - the use of the tariff as an instrument of revenue, its use as a bargaining weapon, its use as a means of protecting domestic manufacturers, and its use as a means of fostering trade within the British Empire. This book is a valuable analysis of the years of protectionism, measuring the effects on the country's trade and economy.