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Books > Business & Economics > Economics
This book revolves around the idea that capitalism is not a democratic system and that a system of producer cooperatives, or democratically managed enterprises, gives rise to a new mode of production which is authentically socialist in essence and fully consistent with the ultimate rationale underlying Marx's theoretical approach. The author argues that the cooperative firm system outlined in this book offers a rich array of non-economic benefits that justify its classification as a 'genuinely socialist' entity, with real potential for achieving true economic democracy. This book will be required reading for all economists who are not content with the current capitalist economic system, and yet will still provide intriguing and thought-provoking insights for those who are.
Nowhere in the world presents a more dramatic case of wealth creation than East Asia. Contrary to the common belief that social policy in the economic powerhouses of the region is secondary to their pursuit of economic growth, Gyu-Jin Hwang argues that it has in fact played an integral part in building strong states and competitive market economies. Building Markets examines the original four Newly Industrialised Economies (NIEs) of East Asia: Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, as well as Japan, the regional forerunner in both economic and social terms. Chapters undertake a comparative analysis of the various social policy measures and redistributive efforts taken across a diverse range of social policy sectors in the region, covering cash transfers, healthcare, education, housing, and family policy. Addressing the mounting pressure on East Asian economies to rethink their growth strategies, Hwang concludes with a call for social means to be diverted, adapted, and converted to serve new social ends. Integrating cutting-edge theoretical insights with detailed policy analysis, Building Markets will be an invaluable tool for academics and postgraduate students interested in social policy, economics, and development in East Asia.
In this timely book, Benjamin J. Cohen identifies and analyses a range of critical pathologies currently afflicting the field of international political economy (IPE) and offers remedies to restore the field's vitality. The book addresses the purpose of IPE as a field of study, highlighting the key questions posed by scholars since the modern field's inception, and explores how research seeks to engage with politics in practice. Tackling contemporary factionalism in the field, chapters consider IPE's remarkable diversity and fragmentation of research traditions across the globe and draw attention to the lack of clear methods and behavioural assumptions established as 'best practice' internationally. To rejuvenate the field, Cohen argues, reforms are needed that would both encourage more policy engagement by IPE scholars and maximize opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the field's diversity. The book offers a cutting-edge research agenda, emphasising the need for collaboration across scholarly divides and the obligations of leading professional associations and societies to countervail the forces that keep these groups separated. A powerful critique and a rousing call-to-arms, this book is crucial reading for scholars of IPE in search of innovative ways to develop new research and revitalise the field as a whole. It also offers key insights for students who need to understand the challenges facing IPE and its potential research trajectories.
Policy makers give a lot of attention to business creation and entrepreneurship, but they do not have a good resource for understanding The Truth about Entrepreneurship. The extensive media coverage of Wall Street entrepreneurship provides an incomplete portrayal of most business creation. While both high profile and everyday new firms provide major contributions to economic growth, the ongoing, bottoms-up activity pursued by over half a billion around the world is not widely recognized. This book reviews some of the most salient features of grass roots business creation, such as the total amount of activity, differences related to national economic development, the relationship to business churning and job creation, the impact of national context, the mixed contributions of high growth firms, the modest effect of external financial support, the unequal distribution of sunk costs related to successful payback, importance as an option for the most desperate in poor countries, and the tendency to overlook the continuing incremental impact of Main Street business creation. Entrepreneurial scholars, faculty, policy analysts and graduate students interested in economic development, entrepreneurship and public policy will find clarity and gain a depth of knowledge about policymaking and business creation with The Truth about Entrepreneurship.
With a down-to-earth and practical approach that is both refreshing and inspiring, this revised edition of The South African labour market contains an abundance of information about labour markets in general, as well as the South African labour market in particular. It successfully fills a serious void in comprehensive, objective literature on this topic. The labour market and labour policies are in constant flux, with the result that fairly substantial changes have been made to ensure that this revised edition is positioned squarely in the middle of labour debates currently raging in South Africa. A chapter is specially dedicated to collective bargaining and the impact of unions on the labour market. It also covers strike action in South Africa and looks at the controversy surrounding bargaining councils. Labour market flexibility has become an important public focal point with the ANC publishing some important position papers on the matter and notable international organisations also referring to it in the context of South Africa's labour markets. This is part of the broader debate on ways to increase productivity. Formal employment is said to have increased substantially since the advent of democracy. The book considers the evidence of this and comes to some disturbing conclusions about the sensitivity of employment to economic growth. The book deals extensively with the impact of globalisation on the labour market and how other countries have managed the challenges of globalisation. Other topics include affirmative action in South Africa compared to Malaysia, and whether consensus-seeking institutions such as Nedlac still have a role to play. The book is generally accessible, but without sacrificing the firm academic foundation required to understand the operation of labour markets. All in all, this book is a mine of information, set out in a user-friendly manner, so that even the uninitiated will be able to understand the issues at hand. The content provides the reader with more than sufficient material for intelligent participation in debates and decisions regarding the labour market. Contents include the following: Unique characteristics of the labour market; The impact of HIV and Aids; Employment in the formal and informal sectors; Wages and the cost of labour; Addressing the challenges of globalisation; Unemployment in South Africa; Human capital and the demand for skilled workers; Inequalities and discrimination.
Explore the essential principles of this exciting subject and engage with real-life issues facing our world today. Essentials of Economics, 9th edition by John Sloman and Dean Garratt provides a clear, concise and engaging introduction to economics, making it the ideal textbook if you are studying on a one-semester or non-specialist course. The new edition has been thoroughly updated to include analysis and insights into real global problems, such as the climate emergency, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. It also discusses how economic thinking and government policies might be applied to address them. Key features include topical examples, news stories and case studies to explain and illustrate key economic concepts activities, questions, and useful summaries to help you check your understanding and progress Key ideas are highlighted, explained and linked throughout the text to help you see connections and start to think like an economist Up-to-date charts and tables throughout the book reflect the most recent economic data Access the free student website that accompanies this book for additional learning support, including animated explainers of key economic models, 225 extra case studies and answers to in-text questions. Also available with MyLab (R) Economics MyLab (R) is the teaching and learning platform that allows instructors to reach every student with powerful self-study material and assessments. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab Economics personalises the learning experience and improves results for each student. If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Economics search for: 9781292440248 Essentials of Economics 9th Edition with MyLab Economics Package consists of: 9781292440101 Essentials of Economics 9th Edition 9781292440057 Essentials of Economics 9th Edition MyLab Economics 9781292440064 Essentials of Economics 9th Edition Pearson eText
Since Garrett Hardin published 'The Tragedy of the Commons' in 1968, critics have argued that population growth and capitalism contribute to overuse of natural resources and degradation of the global environment. They propose coercive, state-centric solutions. This book offers an alternative view. Employing insights from new institutional economics, the authors argue that property rights, competitive markets, polycentric political institutions, and social institutions such as trust, patience and individualism enable society to conserve natural resources and mitigate harms to the global environment. The authors support their argument by considering several types of commons: forests, fisheries, minerals, and the global environment. The central lesson of these empirical studies is that following a simple set of rules - definition and enforcement of property rights in response to local conditions, creating and maintaining democracy at the local level, and establishing markets to allocate resources - improves ecological and environmental sustainability. This book will appeal to scholars of natural resources, economics, political science and public policy as well as policymakers who are interested in environmental governance and the ways markets contribute to sustainability.
This incisive book integrates the academic fields of sustainable production and consumption (SCP) and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) as a framework for challenging the current economic paradigm and addressing the significant ecological and environmental problems faced by the contemporary business world. Outlining the growth and progress of consumption in the developed world, initial chapters explore the numerous problems that have emerged from the current mode of consuming resources, and how we might engage in more sustainable consumption practices. The book goes on to address the historical development of mass production and the ecological damage caused by an unsustainable linkage between mass consumption and mass production. Considering the future of the supply web, it illustrates how SSCM can play a leading role in the transition towards a more sustainable economic system if it is able to address contemporary ecological concerns more effectively. This insightful and optimistic platform for ecological supply chain management is a rousing call to arms for business and management scholars hoping to propose innovative methods of improving the sustainability of consumption, production and supply webs. It will also benefit the work of business practitioners and entrepreneurs looking to engage in more sustainable business operations.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a modified and modernized version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), will continue to govern most economic relationships in North America, including the more than $1.3 trillion in annual regional trade in goods and services, for the foreseeable future. USMCA preserves the bulk of the NAFTA structures that permit North American manufacturers to compete effectively with their European and Asian counterparts in North American and foreign markets. Once in effect, USMCA should largely resolve the chilling effect on investment and new hiring generated by three years of uncertainty over NAFTA's future. This book provides a detailed analysis and critique of the provisions of the USMCA and the USMCA's relation to NAFTA. It is designed to assist lawyers and non-lawyers alike, including law, economics and public policy scholars, business professionals and governmental officials who require an understanding of one of the worlds' most economically and politically significant regional trade agreements.
In this penetrating volume, Jeffery Webber charts the political dynamics and conflicts underpinning the contradictory evolution of left-wing governments and social movements in Latin America in the last two decades. Throughout the 2000s, Latin America transformed itself into the leading edge of anti-neoliberal resistance in the world. But what is left of the Pink Tide today? What are the governments' relationships to the explosive social movements that first propelled them to power? And as China's demand for Latin American commodities slackens, is there a viable economic strategy based on continued natural resource extraction? Webber approaches these questions through an analysis of capitalist accumulation from 1990 to 2015 in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela. He explains these countries' patterns of inequality through a decolonial Marxist framework, rooted in a new understanding of class and its complex associations with racial and gender oppression. He also discusses indigenous and peasant resistance to the expansion of private mining, agro-industry and natural gas and oil activities. The book concludes with chapters on 'passive revolution' in Bolivia under Evo Morales and debates around dual power and class composition during the era of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
This timely Research Agenda examines the ways in which public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure continue to excite policy makers, governments, research scholars and critics around the world. It analyzes the PPP research journey to date and articulates the lessons learned as a result of the increasing interest in improving infrastructure governance. Expert international contributors explore how PPP ideas have spread, transferred and transformed, causing supporting markets to develop and mature. Providing a multidisciplinary perspective on the topic, this thought-provoking Research Agenda proposes a range of future research directions, pointing towards the potential of fresh research approaches to PPP, the adoption of new theories and intellectual lenses, better balancing of public-private interests, and stronger public governance across what has now become a global phenomenon. It lights the way to diverse research frontiers ranging from financialization to psychology and behavioural science, as well as the continuing prominence of public administration, politics, economics, planning and law. A Research Agenda for Public-Private Partnerships and the Governance of Infrastructure will be an enticing read for students and scholars of regulation and governance, public management and administration, politics and economics as well as industry professionals across the domains of public policy, infrastructure and city planning.
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.
Answering the strong call for theory application and development in purchasing and supply management (PSM) and supply chain literature, this Handbook is an essential reference that provides extensive guidance on which theories to apply, how to apply them, and when to build theory. Introductory chapters present the background of theory in PSM, providing a mapping of major types of theory to deliver guidance on appropriate theory application and when a new theory or mid-range theory development is required. Featuring more than 25 theories with relevance across management research, each chapter presents an excellent overview for beginning the exploration of a certain theory. The authors discuss assumptions about different theories such as agency theory, transaction cost, and game theory, and explore levels of analysis, unit of analysis, variables and relationships, as well as key research findings. In addition, chapters include lists of selected seminal literature for further reading. The Handbook will be a key reference for scholars in management and marketing fields, particularly empirical researchers in operations and management sciences.
This book summarises an investigation into elements of the economic and political institutions that affect prosperity in ECOWAS development. Information and material enclosed was obtained from most relevant literature and publicly available data. The work evaluates the macroeconomic consequences of various programs and policies, which are represented through key selected mainstream indicators for ECOWAS countries from 1960-2013, contrasted with the European Union 28 countries in the same period and illustrating the specific situation of Guinea-Bissau. It was found that actual progresses in the theoretical domain are slow, solid formal models are lacking, and inconsistency predominates as challenges, outcomes and relations from inputs to outputs are mostly evidenced by adoption of anecdotal examples. Negative prosperity is the norm and thus, the question of how, and what, the institutions are doing to address it, becomes especially relevant. It is also observed that the available source data is inconsistent and controversial; for same indicators, it varies wildly at intra and inter organisations. In the likeliness of many of the current aid and structuring programmes being based on data from the mentioned sources, a risk emerges that, even though mathematic and economic models may be advanced, they are based on fundamentally unreliable data that push wrongdoing and hinder prosperity. It also emerges that, frequently, institutions and programmes do have negative impact on the sub-region, because the framework that they provide is based on western values, mostly carried by western experts or local experts that acquired western behaviour and values ignoring the rural and peri-urban populations. It was found that circumstances where cultural differences are not accounted for, namely in acceptance of the distribution of power, collaboration, personal relations, traditions and manners of performing work and duties as well as managing free time, potentially hinder societal development.
Responding to global events, including the international financial crisis (IFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks and the monetary regimes in many Latin American countries responded with actions to mitigate the worst impacts. The authors in this book focus on the recent trends of monetary policy in Latin America and analyze how the actions that were taken have affected the economic performance of these countries. The book is composed of 11 chapters that analyze, theoretically and empirically, the central banks' actions and the monetary regimes of the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. As most of these countries implemented inflation-targeting regimes in the 1990s and 2000s, a special focus will be given on these experiences and how central banks dealt with the IFC and COVID-19 crises. Academic researchers and students of economics will find a wealth of knowledge contained in these chapters, as will anyone looking for a better understanding of the economy of this important region.
The challenge of including youth in the labour market is a problem which many European countries are facing. Examining the transition from education to employment, Youth, Diversity and Employment combines insights from law and the social sciences to link the challenges and specific barriers facing young and vulnerable people today. Based on original research, this book presents ways in which social protection policies in Europe can utilise the synergy between redistribution and regulations to combat economic inactivity and exclusion of young people. Drawing on the experiences of Nordic countries, which represent cases of high theoretical and political relevance, and systematically examining the significance of social regulation on the employment opportunities for young adults, this book develops an original approach to social protection policies. This book focuses on ways to strengthen the demand for the work capacity of European youth, identifying principles which will make the best progress in policy making to assist youth transitions into work. Arguing that gender, ethnicity, and disability are increasingly important factors to consider, chapters reveal how to ensure that the full use of skills that young adults have can be brought to the workforce effectively. This book will be a valuable tool for students and scholars of social policy, sociology, employment and human rights law, and cultural studies, as well as for researchers, who will find the analytical framework and new data useful for future research into youth transitions, policy, and social protection policies. Contributors include: O.M. Arnardottir, O. Backman, R. Halvorsen, M.J. Hotvedt, B. Hvinden, C. Hyggen, V. Jakobsen, K. Jokumsen, L. Kolouh-Soederlund, S. Kuivalainen, T. Lorentzen, S. Niknami, K. Nousianen, T. Olsen, E. OEsterbacka, J.G. Rice, M.A. Schoyen, L. Schroeder, M. Seeleib-Kaiser, T.F. Spreckelsen, J. Tagtstroem, R. Traustadottir, M. Ventegodt, E. Wadensjoe
This book of selected essays presents constructive analyses of vital economic problems confronting the United States since the 1970s, giving special attention to challenges facing working families. The analyses, produced by Charles Whalen over three decades, address the causes and consequences of macroeconomic instability, job offshoring, community economic dislocation, financialization, and income inequality. They also explore the various dimensions of worker insecurity and underscore the dynamics of an ever-changing economy. The result is a compelling case for reforming capitalism by addressing workers' interests as an integral part of the common good, and for reconstructing economics in the direction of post-Keynesian institutionalism. Whalen's reformist approach builds not only on the institutional economics of John R. Commons, but also on the post-Keynesianism of Hyman Minsky, who stressed that society should be democratic and humane. To that end, the book gives attention to policy-making processes as well as policy details. Scholars and students of economics and labor studies will appreciate the incisive analyses and real-world focus. Historians and economic sociologists will be interested in the book's attention to the evolution of US capitalism; and policy analysts and concerned citizens will welcome its emphasis on economic reform and optimistic vision for our economic future.
Kwantitatiewe tegnieke vorm die ruggraat van alle statistiese, ekonomiese en bestuursmodelle ingevolge waarvan vooruitskattings gemaak en bestuursbesluite geneem word. Die doel van Kwantitatiewe statistiese tegnieke is om die rol van hierdie tegnieke aan lesers te verduidelik en hulle in staat te stel om dit te bemeester. Die kwantitatiewe beginsels word eenvoudig uiteengesit en is veral gemik op eerstejaarstudente wat 'n loopbaan in die sakesektor beplan. Die onderwerpe wat behandel word, sluit direk aan by die kwantitatiewe agtergrond wat vir bepaalde beroepe in die sakewereld vereis word.
The important yet contradictory role of innovation in society calls for a philosophy of innovation. Critically exploring innovation in relation to values, the economy and social change, Rafael Ziegler proposes a collaborative theory and practice of innovation that aims to liberate possibilities for our common futures. Following cues from the arts and drawing on the innovation literature across the social sciences, this book exposes pro-innovation bias and the gospel of disruptive change. Not only entrepreneurs but also civic networks and tinkerers are discussed as sources of innovation, and social change as a balancing act of innovation, exnovation and restoration. The discussion of capabilitarian, communitarian, liberal, republican and socialist ideas of justice and innovation leads Ziegler to a transformative proposal: 'enough innovation' based on enough for all and with respect for all. This is a thought-provoking read for scholars working on sustainability-transformation, democratic, responsible and social innovation, and philosophy of economics. |
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