This book features a selection of the best papers presented at two SIEV seminars held in Venice, Italy, in September 2017 and 2018, in the context of the Urbanpromo Green events. Bringing together experts from a diverse range of fields - economics, appraisal, architecture, energy, urban planning, sociology, and the decision sciences - and government representatives, the seminars encouraged reflections on the role of future cites in terms of sustainable development, with a particular focus on improving collective and individual well-being. The book provides a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary green urban agendas and urban sustainability, and addresses the demand for policies and strategies to strengthen resilience through concrete measures to reduce energy consumption, mitigate pollution, promote social inclusion and create urban identity.

The creation, success and long-term survival of enterprises are fundamentally linked to the effectiveness of decision-making processes and negotiation capabilities. This book provides an overview of research into how decisions permeate entrepreneurial ventures throughout their lifecycle. A multidisciplinary approach combining psychology, sociology and political science is used to investigate how entrepreneurs address and deal with decision-making. The respective contributions highlight the latest empirical, theoretical and meta-research, and bridge the gap between literature on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial and innovative behaviours with that on decision-making and negotiation. This book is one of the first to combine these streams of research, thereby offering a new and insightful addition to the field of entrepreneurship.

Ulrich F. Zwygart offers an essential insight to the financial crisis that provides ample food for thought. He criticizes homo oeconomicus, the model of individual rationality, and contrasts it with the ideal of critical reflective rationality. This is about reason-based thinking, that involves a limitation of one's own activities and the evaluation of the subsequent cost of decisions. The author introduces twelve famous managers from the financial services, such as Richard Fuld, Fred Goodwin, Jon Corzine and Marcel Ospel, analyzes their actions based on neurological findings, social- and cultural-science, psychological and economic insights and describes conflicting challenges such as egomania, eroticism, experiences, emotions, one-dimensionality, successes, agents and rapture. Subsequently he raises the question of responsibility: Who is accountable for the development of top managers and how can ethical conduct be implemented in the field of management?

Education has become an increasingly important activity within all economies; from pre-school years groups through to continuing education and retraining, the accumulation of skills spans a lifetime. Economic Principles for Education looks at all the major areas of economics, applying them to education. Human capital theory is discussed and evidence on rates of return and the benefits of training is presented. The demand for education is described, with an assessment of how pervasive wealth effects are in education systems. The author discusses the efficiency of education providers, including teacher supply, and identifies the optimal rules for teacher deployment. Education markets, the role of governments and the macroeconomics of education are all considered along with the key social benefits of education. Using evidence from a range of countries, but particularly the UK and the US, Clive Belfield provides an appreciation of the depth and breadth of the literature of the economic study of education in one easily accessible volume. This will be a valuable text for scholars of economics and education, and will be welcomed by all those interested in obtaining an overview of the field and in understanding the key principles economists use.

Consumer behavior is becoming increasingly complex in the current global market. A broader understanding of the psychologically driven motivation of consumers and characteristics of the consumer decision-making process is vital for effective customer engagement. Utilizing Consumer Psychology in Business Strategy provides emerging research on consumer behavior and decision-making processes through the lens of business advancement and innovation. While highlighting topics such as brand personality, consumer perception, and marketing strategy, this publication explores various types of consumer behavior and methods to maximize benefits and efficiency. This book is an important resource for business administrators, managers, practitioners, academics, and students seeking emerging research on the consumer markets.

The impact of transport on the global environment is an issue attracting world-wide attention in the 1990s. This important book sheds new light on the environmental costs of transport. It discusses all modes of transport and their effects of major problems such as greenhouse gases, depletion of non-renewable resources, urban sprawl, acid rain, oil spillage etc. Drawing on the most recent research in environmental economics, it discusses problems of regulation and the implications for economic policy. This genuinely international and comparative book will be essential reading for economists, transport planners, policymakers and environmental scientists.

This book helps readers understand how universities position themselves in the innovation landscape and the implications for national policies. It provides a scholarly discussion and best practice-based insights to help answer questions like: To what extent do funding and governance policies support activities within the knowledge triangle? How should policies for universities be designed in countries with different industrial and higher education structures? Are there ways to effectively link universities with regional enterprises and social actors? And finally, what are the new institutional models and best practices for overcoming obstacles to interaction, collaboration, and co-creation?

Transforming Socialist Economies presents - for the first time - an account of the initial attempts to transform the centrally planned economies of Czechoslovakia and Poland into modern capitalist economies.Both countries have adopted 'shock therapy' aimed at the fastest possible transition but with disappointing results. Poland appears to be on the brink of permanent depression and political paralysis. Czechoslovakia is only now beginning to show the first signs of economic recovery and faces the prospect of partition. In seeking to explain these disappointing results, Dr Myant critically analyses recent economic performance and past attempts at economic reform. He shows the weaknesses in the theory behind 'shock therapy', considers the political processes that led to its adoption and analyses its impact on the economy, on relations in the workplace and on political life. The result is a provocative and enlightening view of economic reform which will be essential reading for economists and political scientists.

This lucid, up-to-date book takes a fresh look at the application of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to environmental problems ranging from wildlife protection to global warming. Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Environment is structured into two parts. Part one provides a critical up-to-date account of the theory and practice of CBA as applied to the environment. Part two focuses on a number of specific case studies, in particular ozone damage to agricultural crops, wilderness land use, recreation and nitrate pollution. The application of CBA to the greenhouse effect is used to illustrate the limitations of the method. The book summarizes the major problems CBA faces in environmental application. This book will be highly relevant for the growing number of undergraduate and post-graduate courses in environmental economics and management, as well as being of interest both to academics researching in these areas, and to other professionals concerned with project appraisal and the environment.

The "Address" to the nation was once about the true state of our nation and was based on true statistics and situations. Now, a nation of disenfranchised constituents who realize we are being misled by our government and that our liberties are now in jeopardy. The constitution is being ignored to further the agenda of Socialism, in our country. This "State of the Union" address is more about the truth pertaining to the state of our economy, our families and our faith, written by an average guy with some common sense. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to The Wounded Warriors Project, on behalf of Spec. Joshua Lee Plocica---- DOB 10/18/1988 and KIA 06/25/2008.

Cultural heritage is a complex and elusive concept, constantly evolving through time, and combining cultural, aesthetic, symbolic, spiritual, historical and economic values. The Handbook on the Economics of Cultural Heritage outlines the contribution of economics to the design and analysis of cultural heritage policies and to addressing issues related to the conservation, management and enhancement of heritage.The Handbook takes a multidisciplinary approach, using cultural economics as a theoretical framework to illustrate how crucial and stimulating cross-disciplinary dialogue actually is. Contributors scrutinize the co-existence of cultural and economic values as well as the new challenges that arise from changes brought about by technology, and relationships between the different actors engaged in the production, distribution and consumption of heritage services. The roles of public, private and non-profit organizations are also explored. Case studies underpin the discussion, demonstrating the clear and vital link between theory and practice. This highly unique Handbook will prove a fascinating and informative read for academics, researchers, students and policymakers with an interest in cultural economics. Contributors: M. Abdel-Kader, N. Agnew, G.J. Ashworth, V. Ateca Amestoy, H. Attala, F. Benhamou, L. Bonet, R.T. Carson, X. Castaner, F. Colbert, F. Cominelli, M.B. Conaway, L. Deloumeaux, M. Demas, V. Fernandez-Blanco, M. Forte, B.S. Frey, V. Ginsburgh, K. Goto, X. Greffe, C. Guccio, L.C. Herrero, M.J. Holler, A. Klamer, F. Mairesse, I. Mazza, A. Mignosa, D. Mitroff Silvers, T. Navarrete, S. Navrud, D.S. Noonan, P. Paolini, A. Peacock, L. Petrova, J. Prieto-Rodriguez, N. Proctor, F. Revelli, I. Rizzo, E. Rojas, J.-M. Salaun, H. Samir, B.A. Seaman, J.D. Snowball, L. Steiner, J.H. Stubbs, D. Throsby

This book takes an in-depth look at the economics of digital transformation. Presenting a variety of perspectives from experts, it deals with the socioeconomic changes associated with the digital transformation of production systems. The chapters also address the impacts of digital transformation on the sustainable functioning of socioeconomic and environmental systems. Select chapters also investigate the consequences of adopting intelligent learning systems, both in terms of replacing the human labor force. and their effects on the smart digital management and security of cities, places, and people. Lastly, chapters discuss important questions regarding innovations leading to sustainable change.

"Profit from Design," clearly teaches how to integrate design criteria up front into business plans and portfolio management. The cutting edge scientific methods shown here establish and translate strategic opportunities into inspirational design briefs and new superior concepts. The methods used in the book were developed together with Stanford University and top tier corporations over a seven-year period and have now been successfully implemented on multiple projects from consumer products to automotive products. They have also been published in eighteen scientific papers and articles for international conferences and journals. The methodology taught in the book predicts a concept's trendsetting and financial performance in the marketplace and helps leaders to quickly select the most promising and financially viable concepts for final development, allowing profit margins to rise from seven to ten per cent.

Toll Road Traffic & Revenue Forecasts: Chinese-language version.

This comprehensive single volume includes seminal articles written by eminent scholars that study the role of standards in the competitive process, the diffusion of standards throughout industry and the role of the public sector in support of standards development. With an original introduction by the editor, this volume is an excellent source of reference and provides an invaluable foundation for students and researchers interested in standards.

Currently, there is a need for new management practices for fruit orchards in order to sustain the growth and productivity of various fruit crops. In addition, due to the continuous growth in the world's population, there is a demand for adequate food which is produced from the same sources of water and soils. The main factors limiting agricultural production are droughts and the population growth; this makes it important to prevent fruit production from being subject to climatic hazards. This book enhances the growth and productivity of fruit trees through different techniques, such as artificial intelligence optimization for soil conditioner, site-specific nutrient management in orchards in fertilizing as an application of smart agriculture, irrigation, modeling of parameters of water requirements in fruit orchards, and up-to-date trends in vineyard practices. The book also explores pest control on orchards to increase the efficiency of pesticides and protect the environment and discusses the shading of citrus orchards to avoid negative impacts such as rising temperatures and heatwaves on citrus productivity. Finally, the book discusses the carbon and water footprint for various fruit orchards. This book is ideal for researchers and academics of horticultural science, agricultural organizations, fruit growers, and economics and data analyzers.

The question of how we can best regulate the all-important markets for legal services is rarely investigated with the benefit of good empirical evidence about what's wrong and what works. The challenge of doing empirical work in this area is steep, given a lack of data and the complexity of comparing across very different jurisdictions and legal environments. In this much-needed contribution, Frank Stephen usefully brings together a set of empirical studies and an overview of the recent regulatory reforms that have been pursued in the UK and other European jurisdictions in the past two decades. The result will help policymakers make further progress in the increasingly urgent effort to establish efficient and accessible markets for legal services worldwide.' - Gillian K. Hadfield, USC Gould School of Law, US'Frank Stephen draws on thirty years' experience of working on the regulation of the legal professions, and on several empirical studies, to provide a fascinating account of the evolving attempts to introduce competition into the supply of legal services and how such attempts have sometimes been thwarted. It also makes a major contribution to the theoretical debate on the justifications, modes and likely impacts of regulation.' - Anthony Ogus, University of Manchester, UK and University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands 'Professor Stephen's book provides a wonderfully concise, accessible and insightful review of both the theory and the empirical evidence (much of it his) on regulatory restrictions on the provision of legal services and challenges traditional arguments for the self-regulation of the legal profession. His economic/consumer welfare perspective provides a stimulating reference point in ongoing debates on the appropriate regulation of the market for legal services and the case for self-regulation, which (unlike the UK) is still very strongly espoused in North America, but under increasing scrutiny. Professor Stephen s book will intensify this scrutiny.' - Michael Trebilcock, University of Toronto, Canada Frank H. Stephen's evaluation of public policy on the legal profession in UK and European jurisdictions explores how regulation and self-regulation have been liberalized over the past 30 years. The book surveys where the most recent and radical liberalization involving the ownership of law firms by non-lawyers is likely to lead, and appraises the economic literature on the costs and benefits of regulating markets for professional services. It challenges socio-legal views on professional legislation and highlights the limitations of regulatory competition, as well as the importance of dominant business models. The author reviews the empirical work underpinning these theories and policies. He also evaluates the effectiveness of regulatory competition as a response to regulatory capture. Lawyers, Markets and Regulation will be of interest to academics focusing on professional regulation in the fields of economics and law. Lawyers, legal policymakers, competition authorities and regulators will also find the book to be an enlightening read. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction Part I: Why Do We Regulate Lawyers? 2. Why Regulate Lawyers? 3. How Lawyers are Regulated 4. Lawyers and Incentives Part II: Deregulation of Legal Markets in the UK and Europe 5. Liberalization of Legal Markets in UK and EU Jurisdictions 6. Evidence on Effects of Deregulation Part III: The Future of 'Lawyering' 7. Legal Services Act 2007 and the Promotion of Regulatory Competition 8. A Technological Revolution in 'Lawyering'? 9. Summary and Conclusions References Index

The shadow economy has become the focus of policy makers around the world. This timely book explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and the shadow economy, by reviewing how to measure, explain and tackle this hidden enterprise culture. The editors bring together leading authorities in the field to examine existing methods to measure shadow economy, explore entrepreneurship and shadow economy practices in various contexts, and provide policy suggestions for decreasing the shadow economy. It concludes by encouraging further research in this ever-growing field. Students and scholars in the field of entrepreneurship and the shadow economy will find this book to be of use to their work. It will also be of use to those in disciplines, such as sociology, economics and global studies, as well as practitioners in the field of public policy. Contributors: Y. Abdih, J.E. Amoros, A. Chepurenko, J.P. Couyoumdjian, O. Cristi, E. Denisova-Schmidt, I.A Horodnic, L. Medina, M. Minniti, Y. Prytula, T.J. Putnins, A. Sauka, F. Schneider, M. Virtanen, C.C. Williams, J. Windebank

This peer-reviewed book provides detailed insights into how space and its applications are, and can be used to support the development of the full range and diversity of African societies, as encapsulated in the African Union's Agenda 2063. Following on from Part 1, which was highly acclaimed by the space community, it focuses on the role of space in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, but covers an even more extensive array of relevant and timely topics addressing all facets of African development. It demonstrates that, while there have been significant achievements in recent years in terms of economic and social development, which have lifted many of Africa's people out of poverty, there is still a great deal that needs to be done to fulfill the basic needs of Africa's citizens and afford them the dignity they deserve. To this end, space is already being employed in diverse fields of human endeavor to serve Africa's goals for its future, but there is much room for further incorporation of space systems and data. Providing a comprehensive overview of the role space is playing in helping Africa achieve its developmental aspirations, the book will appeal to both students and professionals in fields such as space studies, international relations, governance, and social and rural development.