Clusters of specialized businesses are being promoted around the world, aided by high-profile examples such as Silicon Valley.

Using evidence from high- and low-income economies, as well as detailed case studies that show the special conditions behind successful clusters, this book provides a new vantage point on this high-interest topic, making it ideal for students of business location, policy-makers and managers seeking a real-world understanding of clustering.

This book analyzes the history and structure of the intricate system of informal negotiation and secret dealings between the Mexican government and big businessmen in the process of Mexican industrialization between 1936 and 1984. In order to do this, State and Business Groups in Mexico develops a new theory about the operation of formal and informal political institutions, which is fully applicable to every other region of the world. This book is not only an essential tool for the expert in the study of social, political and economic institutions, but also a required reading for all those - experts or not - interested in learning for the first time the exact features of the secret webs that even today determine policymaking in Mexico.

Global Taiwan examines the impact of globalization on the industry and economy of Taiwan since the spectacular growth of the 1990s. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with firms in Taiwan, China, the United States, Japan, Europe, and other areas, the book analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Taiwanese firms at a time when they face new competition from powerful global leaders and new producers in China. The contributors cover topics of enormous importance for Taiwan as well as the rest of the world, including transformations in the international economy, technological advances that enabled modularization and fragmentation of the production system, contract manufacturers, regionalization, and links with Chinese industry. The book addresses such questions as: Can Taiwanese companies be maintained and expanded with the same corporate strategies and public policies as in the past? Can these strategies still work for other countries? If changes are required, what resources can be mobilized in the public and private sectors? As massive relocation of manufacturing and services moves plants and jobs to low-wage countries like China and India, what will remain at home in societies like Taiwan?

This study addresses the increasing tumult over the commercialization of higher education - a battle over profit and principle, money and mission. While many issues in higher education encompass the mission and values of the university, the operation of for-profit subsidiaries by nonprofit universities provides the potential for an especially contentious clash. Some faculty have been especially vocal in this debate, claiming that the culture of the academy is being irreparably altered as traditional values are being replaced by a corporate style of management, or by some hybrid.
By answering the questions of why for-profit subsidiaries of nonprofit universities were created, how they are governed and managed, and what the nature of the relationship with their nonprofit parent is, this book contributes to a better understanding of the larger controversy over whether universities have become too business-like, too market oriented, and whether they have sold their souls and values in the process. In essence, the book provides a window into whether it is possible to do business like a business-a trend afoot in the academy-and still retain allegiance to core values.

Over the past several years, productivity improvement has become an increasingly vital economic issue for economies and individual firms. This book, first published in 1996, examines empirically relationships between changes in catalyst financial commitments (ie, research and development projects and capital improvements) and productivity/profitability changes, and relationships between productivity changes and profitability changes in selected manufacturing industries and companies.

This title was first published in 2001. When Ghana became independent in 1957, becoming the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to banish colonialism, there was a general optimism that irreversible socio-economic development was about to unfold. But by the end of the 1970s Ghana paradoxically became the first country in Twentieth Century Africa to have experienced socio-economic decline. What failed Ghana? This book seeks to answer this question. By combining sociological, economic, political and institutional perspectives, this book focuses on the interplay between state politics and socio-economic development. It provides a model, which suggests that Ghana's postcolonial development has suffered mainly as a result of the failure or inability of governing elites to develop consensual politics and a clearly specified long-term development objective that could be widely understood, accepted and have relevance for policy making. This book presents a much-needed self-assessment of the post-colonial development experience which contends that governance, economic management and institution building are basic challenges without which the search for development is likely to falter.

This groundbreaking text brings together experts in the field of visual art markets to answer some fundamental questions:

• Is art a good investment?
• Why is the art market dominated by America and Western Europe?
• Where are the key emerging markets and what are the next good buys in art?

Providing readers with an understanding of the challenges facing art market 'makers' (dealers, auctioneers, collectors and artists) and the decision-making process experienced by market 'players' and investors, this exciting text merges the key theories with examples of practice in a highly accessible style.

Written by an international array of experts from the US, the UK and China, this book is essential reading for all those studying or interested in art markets and management.

Looks at the role of small firms and employment-generating technologies in reviving the economy. Includes studies of brewing, printing, brick-making, woollen textiles, plastic recycling, repair and servicing garages, and small-scale cheese production.

Impacts of technological change have historically been assessed only after the passage of a significant period of time. It is then that historians recreate the decisions that were made, sort out the influencing factors, and debate in hindsight the options that were available at the time. Sheldon Krimsky, consistent with the importance of his subject, telescopes this process by providing to contemporary readers a broad overview of the first ten years of the industrial revolution in applied molecular genetics. He discusses the birth and expectations of the biotechnology industry, the response to products of genetic engineering, perspectives on risk assessment from different sectors of the scientific community, and public initiatives to regulate new products. The author explores the social and political discourse on the direction of biotechnology, and offers the most detailed examination to date of the controversy over the environmental release of genetically engineered organisms. Finally, he takes a critical look at the conventional role of technology assessment and suggests an alternative model that fits more closely with the needs of an environmentally sensitive world.

Krimsky's thought-provoking work offers readers a unique opportunity to understand what questions were being asked, what options were available, and what decisions were being made when the industrial application of genetic technologies was still in its infancy. His insider's perspective will interest those working in the fields of biology and social issues; science, technology, and society; and the sociology of science. Challenging, cautioning, and balanced, this book is required reading for all who are seriously concerned with the relationship of emerging technologies to society.

Japanese white-collar workers have been characterised by their intense loyalty and life-long commitment to their companies. This book is based on very extensive ethnographic research inside a Japanese insurance company during the period when the company was going through a major crisis which ended in the company's bankruptcy and collapse. It examines the attitudes of Japanese employees towards their work, their company and related issues at a time when the established order and established attitudes were under threat. The wide range and detail of the reporting of workers' attitudes, often in their own words, sustained over a considerable timescale, makes this study a particularly valuable resource.

This is the first book to summarise the twentieth century economic history of the Netherlands from a business history perspective. It has a broad historical coverage of Dutch business development including in particular the major multinationals such as Philips, Shell, and Unilever. Although focused on Dutch business it has a strong international flavour.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The latest wave of European Union expansion has brought many central and Eastern European countries into the fold. Unlike previous enlargements however, the latest new members are also undergoing radical economic reform as they reintegrate into international economy.
This book reviews the changing industrial architecture of the new wider Europe from a "network" perspective, highlighting the importance of the linkages that develop between firms and governments in the new entrants and the EU. It does so on the basis of a series of case studies covering countries, sectors, and firms as well as providing an analysis of the underlying dynamics of production and policy integration.
The impressive group of authors go beyond tradition analyses by adopting an interdisciplinary approach drawing on the insights of economics and politics. As such, the book will appeal to students of the EU and enlargement, as well as those with an interest in foreign investment and transition economies.

Within economics, few issues are more central than the role of the state in the economy; within Japanese studies, few are more central than the role the Japanese government has played in post-war economic growth. With exquisite attention to theory and meticulous attention to detail, this book focuses on both these topics with startling results. Yoshiro Miwa asks whether a state can correct market failures and in particular critically analyses the performance of the Japanese economy as a result of state intervention within it. In order to examine the capacity of the state to promote growth, Miwa examines the Japanese machine tool industry, the government's role in promoting this sector and government efforts to achieve growth in small and medium sized enterprises in Japan. Despite the huge interest worldwide in Japan's economic history and industrial performance, there is no other book that has approached this important topic in such a comprehensive and incisive manner.

The systems of innovation approach is considered by many to be a useful analytical approach for better understanding innovation processes as well as the production and distribution of knowledge in the economy. It is an appropriate framework for the empirical study of innovations in their contexts and is relevant for policy makers. This text is the result of the work within an international inter-disciplinary network or working seminar with the task of building a more solid and sophisticated conceptual and theoretical foundation for the continued study of innovations in a systemic context.

This text, by three distinguished authors, applies the theories and techniques of economic analysis to sport and topics related to the business of sport. It builds on a basis of introductory microeconomics and continues the discussion, generally at an intermediate standard. The text has an international perspective, primarily the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, and contains relevant and entertaining case studies. The text suits both undergraduate and postgraduate students in that while it provides a clear progression of topics throughout, it also incorporates optional sections in each chapters of a higher and more challenging level.

Contents:
1. Americanisation: historical and conceptual issues Akira Kudo, Matthias Kipping and Harm G. Schröter
2. 'Importing' American ideas to West Germany, 1940s to 1970s: from associations to private consultancies Matthias Kipping
3. Paths to Americanisation in post-war Japan Satoshi Sasaki
4. Driving the West German consumer society: the introduction of US-style production and marketing at Volkswagen, 1945-70 Christian Kleinschmidt
5. Americanisation with the Japanese supplier system in the Japanese automobile industry, 1950-65 Hiorfumi Ueda
6. The Americanisation of the German electrical industry after 1945: Siemens as a case study Wilfried Feldenkirchen
7. The Americanisation and Japanisation of electronics firms in post-war Japan Shin Hasegawa
8. America and the resurgence of the German chemical and rubber industry after the Second World War: Hüls, Glanzstoff and Continental Christian Kleinschmidt
9. The Americanisation of technologies and management in Japan and its multiple effects: the case of Toray Tsuneo Suzuki
10. Reluctant Americanisation? The reaction of Henkel to the influences and competition from the United States Susanne Hilger
11. Emerging post-war-type managers and their learning of American technology and management: the consumer chemicals industry and the case of Kao Akira Judo and Motoi Ihara
12. 'Revolution in trade': the Americanisation of distribution in Germany during the boom years, 1949-75 Harm G. Schröter
13. American influences and Japanese innovation in the distribution industry: changes of supermarket system from the 1950s until the 1970s Mika Takaoka and Takeo Kikkawa

Scientists have developed a featherless chicken designed to make industrial chicken production more efficient, while specially trained Pacific bottlenose dolphins are being deployed in the Persian Gulf to disarm mines and protect our Navy. Everyone knows Darwin's theory of natural selection, but what about his idea of artificial selection-how humans, not nature, rework natural organisms to meet our needs? Industrializing Organisms brings us to the threshold of the new field of evolutionary history-from the mobilization of war horses in the nineteenth century to today's engineered plants and manipulated animals.

Considers the 'late industrialisation' of China, showing how government policies have encouraged the development of 120 'national champions' (akin to Japanese keiretsu and South Korean chaebol), how these 'national champions' compete with multinational enterprises, and how China's rapid and successful 'late industrialisation' does not fit orthodox economic theories. The book provides a detailed illustration of these wider issues with a case study of the auto industry.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203511743

Contents:
1. Introduction: Researching Japanese Modernity 1.1 Work in Capitalist Modernity 1.2 Work Values 1.3 Institutions and Organizations of Employment 1.4 Japan, the Lifetime Employment System and the Japanese Salaryman 1.5 Research Methodology 1.6 Research Strategy 2. Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in Theoretical Perspective 2.1 A Theory for Modernity and the Individual 2.2 Tradition and the Self in Japanese Modernity: Tradition and the Japanese Relational Self 2.3 Modernisation in Europe and Japan 2.4 The Self and Modern Society in the West and in Japan 2.5 Contemprary Social Change, Globalization and Convergence 2.5 Conclusion 3. Lifetime Employment in Post-War Japan 3.1 The Origins and Establishment of the Japanese Lifetime Employment System: The Origins of the System, The Establishment of the Lifetime Employment System 3.2 The 1960s and 1970s Lifetime Employment System: The Principal Characteristics of the LIfetime Employment System, Systemic and Ideological Compatability, Flexibility and Adjustment 3.3 The LIfetime Employment System as a Transnational Institution 4. Re-Fabricating Lifetime Employment Relations 4.1 The Contemporary Structure of Lifetime Employment: Lifetime Employment, The Dependent Attributes of the Lifetime Employment System 4.2 Field Investigations 4.3 Change or Transformation, The Managerial Ideology of Lifetime Employment 4.4 Re-Fabricating the Japanese Salaryman 5. Working Under Changing Employment Relations 5.1 Needs, Desires and Values 5.2 Flow 5.3 Work Values in Japan: To Have One's Cake and Eat It?, Career Choice 5.4 Field Investigations: Career Start, Lifetime Employment at a Single Organization 5.5 Caught Between Two Modernities 6. Conclusion: Japanese Capitalism and Modernity in a Global Era 6.1 Review and Conclusions

Global economic integration, widening communication networks and government policies supportive of private enterprise are changing opportunities for accumulating wealth, status and power. In varying degrees throughout Asia, this process is accompanied by the development of service enterprises such as banking, insurance, legal firms and IT firms, which provide access to the resources required for a profitable connection to the wider world. This book focuses on the key role played by producer services in shaping new business areas and new patterns for social mobility, and their interdependence with the State as either a facilitator of, or an obstacle to, the emergence and flourishing of the new professions.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203711785

Graham explores the attitudes of Japanese employees towards their work, their company and on related issues. Based on extensive original research inside a Japanese insurance company (C-Life), which subsequently went bankrupt, the book shows that attitudes towards lifetime employment, company loyalty and the other characteristics of Japanese working life, which are often portrayed in stereotype form in the West, are in fact more complicated than is at first apparent.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203433637

Modelling European Mergers presents a comprehensive and fresh perspective on the economic analysis of mergers by leading academics and competition policymakers from Europe and the US. The book frankly discusses the pros and cons of using applied game theory models in merger control from historical and theoretical perspectives. Seven case studies on the actual use of advanced techniques and models in legal procedures provide a perspective from the national competition authorities in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden on markets that range from basic goods such as bread and aperitifs to complex products such as electricity, literature and software. The case studies provide many insights into practical issues such as data collection, procedures and errors of predication, as well as in the relative merits of different econometric approaches. A recurring theme of the book is how economic insights can be translated into convincing legal decisions. The contributions cover a broad spectrum of markets, methods and countries and the contributors offer incisive reflection on the increasing use of economics in competition policy. This unique book is a thorough transatlantic discussion of academic and policy insights combined with applications based on actual decisions. It will appeal to legal and economic professionals who deal with and advise on mergers and acquisitions whether they be in a ministry, central bank or competition authority setting. Scholars and students interested in analysing markets, law and economics, industrial organization and applied econometrics will also find much to interest them in this work.

In handicrafts and artisanal products, industry has witnessed both a technological shift and a renewed interest among customers, especially after the challenges and limitations of mass production became evident under the COVID-19 pandemic. This book portrays the worldwide development of this trend, the nature of entrepreneurship in these industries, and the unique challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face. The book shows how these businesses are gaining a resurgence due to customers preferring ethical, regional, and climate-friendly options to fulfill their needs. The chapters focus on artisan entrepreneurs' contribution to society by not only creating businesses, but also in terms of tourism development. The book reiterates that artisan entrepreneurs enable crucial cultural connections with tradition due to their affinity to a region, city, village, or community. Small business and entrepreneurship researchers as well as policymakers in the cultural sector would benefit from this book.

Published in 1999, this is a collection of recent research results by acknowledged researchers in the field of enterprise transformation and industrial development in Central and Eastern Europe.