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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > General
First Published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.
Enterprises located in rural regions face various challenges in the globalised and digitised world. This book offers comprehensive answers to the question of what makes up the rural enterprise economy in the contemporary business world. It addresses the competitiveness and viability, strategic management and strategic change, and marketing issues for both incumbent and start-up companies in rural regions. The book presents new concepts that shed light on the rural enterprise economy with its entrepreneurs. With a broad range of cases from European regions, the book provides theoretical insights for scholars, practical case-based evidence for lecturers and teachers, and practical knowledge for business practitioners and planning specialists. Academic experts from European universities and research institutes provide compelling answers to this under-researched topic in business studies and economics.
The economic process of financialization is defined by many as the development of the dependence and subordination of the productive sector to the financial sector. Leading to an emphasis on maximizing shareholder value above all else, the financialization of the economy and production has an enormous impact on the everyday life of ordinary people including the erosion of employment right, the rise of precarious work, and rising inequalities. Using multicase study research and an exploratory approach, this book analyzes the financialization process in the ten companies with the highest market capitalization worldwide including tech firms, oil companies and banks. This book analyzes indicators of financialization in large corporations including a comparison between profitability sources; shareholding structure, acquisitions and sales of shares; mergers and acquisitions; the origins of directors; payment of compensation to executives; dividend payments to shareholders and stock repurchases; employee salaries; and employment levels. The data demonstrates that what would once have been considered non-core business activities have become more profitable than core business activities in many of these companies. In some cases, these companies are responsible for large investment funds and financial-type institutions which already surpass the largest banks in terms of assets under management. Meanwhile, the average salaries at some of these companies have been falling in real terms due to the rise of outsourcing and the use of cheap or precarious labour. Adopting an economic sociology approach, this book marks a significant contribution to the literature on financialization in economics, sociology and business.
There are few contemporary studies on the finances of unions. Indeed, little research exists on the internal operations of unions in the U.S. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the financial resources and performance of the largest national unions. It discusses the theoretical and practical relevance of the topic, which goes directly to the formation, maintenance, and potential advancement of labor organizations. Financial capacity and performance create incentives for unions to mobilize at the grassroots level and launch major drives to improve their position in society. Understanding how unions raise and spend money provides insight as to their administrative orientation and organizational capacity. Given its topical breadth and depth, the book stands apart from the extant literature on unions in society. It is unique in the range of financial information presented, how data are analyzed, and its treatment of such important matters as compensation and benefits; operating budgets; political activism as measured by expenditures from treasury-based funds and political mechanisms funded by members through voluntary donations. The authors show not only the scope of union financial wherewithal and how it varies across labor organizations but also how such indicators compare to corporate entities who employ the rank-and-file. The book provides a wealth of information on how to analyze the finances of unions and to use this information to prepare for collective bargaining and other aspects of labor-management relations. It informs employers and other observers about how unions are able to represent members and their ability to withstand strikes.
The West has long been ignorant of cultural and political processes
in China. Today, a growing number of Westerners are becoming aware
of China's real and giant potential as a player in the
international business arena. As business becomes increasingly
international, it is vital to understand the concrete nature of
business and underlying attitudes in the world's most populated
country.
In The New Society, Peter Drucker extended his previous works The Future of Industrial Man and The Concept of the Corporation into a systematic, organized analysis of the industrial society that emerged out of World War II. He analyzes large business enterprises, governments, labor unions, and the place of the individual within the social context of these institutions. Although written when the industrial society he describes was at its peak of productivity, Drucker's basic conceptual frame has well stood the test of time. Following publication of the first printing of The New Society, George G. Higgins wrote in Commonweal that "Drucker has analyzed, as brilliantly as any modem writer, the problems of industrial relations in the individual company or 'enterprise.' He is thoroughly at home in economics, political science, industrial psychology, and industrial sociology, and has succeeded admirably in harmonizing the findings of all four disciplines and applying them meaningfully to the practical problems of the 'enterprise.'" This well expresses contemporary critical opinion. Peter Drucker's new introduction places The New Society in a contemporary perspective and affirms its continual relevance to industry in the mid-1990s. Economists, political scientists, psychologists, and professionals in management and industry will find this seminal work a useful tool for understanding industry and society at large.
Herbert Blumer wrote continuously and voluminously, and consequently left a vast array of unpublished work at the time of his death in 1987. This posthumously published volume testifies further to his perceptive analysis of large-scale social organizations and elegant application of symbolic interactionist principles. Blumer's focus on the processual nature of social life and on the significance of the communicative interpretation of social contexts is manifest in his theory of industrialization and social change. His theory entails three major points: industrialization must be seen in processual terms, and the industrialization process is different for different historical periods; the consequences of industrialization are a function of the interpretive nature of human action and resembles a neutral framework within which groups interpret the meaning of industrial relations, and the industrial sector must be viewed in terms of power relations; industrial societies contain inherently conflicting interests. The editors' introductory essay outlines Blumer's metatheoretical stance (symbolic interactionism) and its emphasis on the adjustive character of social life. It places Blumer's theory in the context of contemporary macro theory, including world systems theory, resource dependence theory, and modernization theory. "Herbert Blumer" (1900-1987), formerly Chairperson, Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, was the theoretical and methodological leader of "symbolic interactionism" and was identified as its foremost proponent for a half-century. His publications include works on industrial relations, research methods, mass society, collective behavior, race relations, and social movements. "David R. Maines" is chairman of the department of anthropology and sociology at Oakland University. He has worked to articulate an interactionist approach to the study of social organization as well as the fundamental relevance of temporality and communication for sociological analysis. "Thomas J. Morrione" is Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Colby College and he is currently Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the college. He was a Research Associate (1977, 1985) and Visiting Professor (1984) at the University of California, Berkeley.
Vodka pioneer Pyotr Smirnov is one the most fascinating salesmen and entrepeneurs the world has ever known, and his life as recreated by Linda Himelstein, set against the Russia of Tolstoy and tsars, is a stirring chronicle of ambition and innovation that has fascinating parallels to the post-communist Russia of today. Plumbing recently unearthed archives and mountains of primary sources, Himelstein has uncovered a rich historical record. In prose that's vivid and assured, she takes the reader beyond the formation of one of the oldest brands in business history and into the personal lives of the Smirnov family and the tumultuous events that lead to the Revolution. Authoritative, illuminating, and deeply engrossing, "The King of Vodka" is a monumental work of history.
The Russian Enterprise in Transition provides a unique insight into the realities of the restructuring of Russian industrial enterprises in the transition period from the boardroom to the shop floor.An introductory chapter by Simon Clarke, which gives an overview of the industrial enterprise in transition, is followed by four in-depth case study reports of enterprises, covering the period since the beginning of the radical reform. Each report looks at the changing strategy of management at various levels in response to the challenge of transition, at the response of the shop floor and to the more subtle changes in values and social relations within the enterprise over the period of reform. Together the reports cover five enterprises which provide a cross-section of different types of former state enterprises. Two of the enterprises covered were among the pioneers of privatization, two were flagships of the military-industrial sector which had to respond to the collapse of the traditional markets, and the fifth was a passenger transport enterprise which remains in state control. The Russian Enterprise in Transition is the fourth volume in the series Management and Industry in Russia, reporting directly on the results of a unique programme of case study and ethnographic research into the restructuring of social relations in Russian industrial production. Together these case study reports provide a unique insight into industrial life in Russia and are an essential component to the previous volumes in the series, which have focused on substantive thematic analysis.
In revisiting the forty year history of reforms to China's state-owned enterprises (SOE), the book assesses the experiences of this process of reform and scrutinizes how this has helped advance the country's economy overall. The author finds that China's SOE reform not only commits to institutional innovation within the corporation in terms of operating mechanisms, management structure, legal organization and the economic system of the enterprise; but that it is also underpinned by a series of policies that highlight an increasing market orientation. The measures have given rise to a benign interaction between enterprise reform and market development, while switching the SOE's role from appendages of government organs under a planned economic system to more autonomous entities that integrate public ownership and the market economy. In this regard, SOE reform's success in constructing a modern enterprise system serves as the micro-foundation and core of an improved socialist market economic system. The book will appeal to academics and students interested in political economy and the Chinese economy, with particular reference to SOE reform and the recent economic transition in China.
Industrial innovation is essential for national and corporate competitiveness. Understanding the nature, determinants and consequences of innovation is a key task of managers, public policymakers and all students of industry and business. This major new reference book brings together specially commissioned contributions by many leading world experts on a wide range of issues concerning innovation. The first section provides an introduction to the significance and process of industrial innovation, and to the contexts or 'systems' within which it occurs. A series of sectoral and industrial studies is followed by assessments of the key issues affecting innovation. Another section examines one of the main constraints on successful innovation: the strategic management of technology in both products and processes. As well as the benefits of innovation, the problems and challenges of the processes, management and outcomes of innovation are raised throughout the book. Select bibliographies chosen by international experts are included to ensure that this comprehensive reference tool is an indispensable guide for students, scholars, innovators and policymakers.
A growing number of organizations are meta-organizations; rather than individuals they have other organizations as their members. This comprehensive book explains, in-depth, the unique way in which meta-organizations function, how they differ from organizations with individual membership, and how they are crucial agents in the process of globalization. The book opens a whole new area for organizational research. It will be essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students interested in organization theory, globalization, politics and organizations, or international organizations.
Robust university-industry partnerships are vital to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create a better world for everyone. Developing the theory and practice of the '5th Generation University', this book shows how cross-sector collaboration and innovation are crucial to maximising the societal benefits of research, education and knowledge exchange, while also driving economic growth and productivity. The authors bring extensive experience in working at the interface between academia, industry and government to demonstrate how universities can effectively combine transdisciplinary programmatic activities and strategic corporate philanthropy. They explain how long-term alliances can be forged to have a transformational impact on the greatest challenges facing our world such as climate change.
First published in 1989, The Competitiveness of European Industry helps in developing our understanding of the process of improving and measuring industrial competitiveness. The contributors focus on the competitiveness of European industry. Three main topics are discussed: the concept of competitiveness itself; what can be learned about competitiveness at the level of an individual national economy; and processes and strategies in forms which might contribute to improved competitive performance. The first two papers critically assess concepts and measures of national competitiveness and review the performances of the economies of Britain, France, and the Federal German Republic. Then follow accounts of industrial competitiveness in three smaller economies (Belgium, Switzerland, and Sweden), which develop a series of methods and techniques for the analysis of industrial structures and indicate significant policy implications. The three concluding papers look at the competitiveness of British industry at the firm level, focusing on the strategic changes, the competitive process, and technical innovation. This book will be of interest to policy makers, business school teachers, and researchers in the area of strategy, industrial economics, organization behaviour, and innovation management.
This book examines the diffusion of digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies in Malaysia by focusing on the ecosystem critical for its expansion. The chapters examine the digital proliferation in major sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce and services, as well as the intermediary organizations essential for the orderly performance of socioeconomic agents. The book incisively reviews policy instruments critical for the effective and orderly development of the embedding organizations, and the regulatory framework needed to quicken the appropriation of socioeconomic synergies from digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies. It highlights the importance of collaboration between government, academic and industry partners, as well as makes key recommendations on how to encourage adoption of IR4.0 technologies in the short- and long-term. This book bridges the concepts and applications of digitalization and industry 4.0 and will be a must-read for policy makers seeking to quicken the adoption of its technologies.
Social science theorists from various scholarly disciplines have contributed to a recent literature that examines how the finance industry has expanded and now wields increasing influence across a variety of economic fields and industries. In some cases, this tendency towards a more sizeable and influential finance industry has been referred to as "the financialization" of the economy. This book explains how what is referred to as the finance-led economy (arguably a more neutral and less emotionally charged term than financialization) is premised on a number of conditions, institutional relations, and theoretical propositions and assumptions, and indicates what the real economic consequences are for market actors and households. The book provides a theoretically condensed but empirically grounded account of the contemporary finance-led economy, in many cases too complicated in its design and rich in detail to be understood equally by insiders-empirical research indicates-and lay audiences. It summarizes the relevant literature and points at two empirical cases, the construction industry and life science venturing, to better illustrate how the expansion of the finance industry has contributed to the capital formation process, and how the sovereign state has actively assisted this process. It offers a credible, yet accessible overview of the economic conditions that will arguably shape economic affairs for the foreseeable future. The book will find an audience amongst a variety of readers, including graduate students, management scholars, policymakers, and management consultants.
Two of the most important economic processes at work in recent years are the globalization of the world economy and the economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This book analyses the transition process from a comparative perspective and places these changes within the wider framework of globalization. It assesses the problems of transition faced by business and governments to better understand the direction in which future economic and political policy should move for improved growth. It evaluates the current stage of economic development in the transitional countries and discusses trends in the world economy since the early 1990s. Specifically, it addresses trends in global and regional development strategies, government policies, privatization, foreign investment and external balances. The authors then analyse the future prospects for economic and political relations between Eastern Europe and the European Union, the World Trade Organization and the international community as a whole. Some of the specific issues they focus on include US industrial competitiveness policy, economic nationalism, privatization in Eastern Europe, venture capital activities, the required economic conditions for Eastern European countries to join the European Union, regionalism and industrial policy for Eastern Europe, and lessons to be learned from the Japanese and Hong Kong transformations, as well as a comparative assessment of some political aspects of the economic strategies in Japan and Germany. Eastern Europe and the World Economy will be welcomed by scholars and students interested in the economics of transition, comparative economic systems, international economics and development economics, as well as by policymakers and government officials.
Given the past decade of abuse of shareholder rights, corporate governance is essential for Russia's future. In this comprehensive volume, an international group of contributors - academics, corporate executives, government officials, policymakers, specialists from nongovernmental organizations, and legal experts - examine the crucial role of corporate governance as well as the external institutions and forces that affect it. Offering coverage from numerous perspectives, the contributors explore external and institutional influences on corporate governance, its workings within corporations, and the relationships between boards of directors, managers, shareholders, and the government. Case studies of three major companies illustrate the challenges and opportunities involved in creating sound practices. The concluding section provides a summary of the current situation and discusses implications for the future of Russia's corporate governance. A valuable source of information, Corporate Governance in Russia is a must-read for business people, government officials, academic researchers, students, and all those interested in Russia and what the future holds.
1. This book assesses different sectors in the world economy with particular emphasis on the Indian economy and highlights the achievement and prevailing problems in the sectors. 2. It focuses specially on industries, investment and trade; finance and credit; and employment, gender and development. 3. It will be of interest to departments of Economics, Business, and Gender Studies across the UK and USA.
1. An important contribution to the growing field of 'Economics of Innovation', 'Systems of Innovation' and the broader fields of 'Evolutionary Economics' and 'Development Economics', the volume looks into different facets of the nature, structure, growth and impact of innovation on different entities. 2. Will be of interest to departments of industrial economics, international economics, political economy, economics of innovation, institutional economics, public economics, industrial organization, evolutionary economics, and international trade across the US/UK.
This book investigates cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) conducted by Chinese enterprises seeking to evaluate the pivotal factors that influence the results of this dominant form of China's outbound direct investment. In contrast to previous studies, the author places a particular focus on the provenance of the supply side as a determinant of overseas M&A, comparing acquisitions where target companies originate from developed and developing countries. Other major indices identified include cultural and industrial differences between targets and buyers, enterprise ownership, deal payment forms, types of consolidation and the market environment. Based on investment theories, quantitative analyses and several in-depth case studies, the book elucidates how these factors synergistically determine the success or failure of an acquisition attempt and the short- and long-term performance of Chinese companies' M&A undertakings. This work will be a practical reference for M&A practitioners as well as academics interested in transnational corporations and mergers, capital market and international investment.
The US political system has come to depend upon money too much. The US health care industry spends the most on political lobbying among all the 13 industrial sectors in the US economy. The government regulatory agencies at both federal and state levels have been "captured" by the health industry interest groups meaning that the regulatory agencies respond to the interests of the industry but not those of citizens. This book employs a broad theoretical framework of crony capitalism to understand US health care system dysfunction. This framework has not been applied before in any serious manner to understand the shortcomings in the US health care system. Specifically, the book examines the role of seven key players using this framework - politicians/interest groups, pharmaceutical companies, private health insurers, hospitals/hospital networks, physicians, medical device manufacturers, and the American public. Crony capitalism is a destructive force and is rampant in US health care system, causing much waste, inefficiencies, and malaise in the system. Current efforts and initiatives, such as patient-centered medical homes and precision medicine, for improving/reforming the system are of mere academic interest and tantamount to taking aspirin to treat cancer. They do not even pretend to address the root cause of the problem, namely, crony capitalism. Offering prescriptions to fix the U.S. health care system based on a comprehensive diagnosis of the dysfunction, this book will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students in the fields of health care management, public and non-profit management, health policy, administration, and economics, and political science.
Can economic globalization and environmental protection co-exist or does globalization inevitably lead to environmental degradation? How have firms in Europe responded to increased environmental regulation in the face of growing international competition, particularly from newly industrializing and transition economies? This book attempts to answer these questions using case studies of three pollution-intensive industries: iron and steel, leather tanning, and fertilizers. Based on in-depth interviews with managers and regulators in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, the book illustrates the variety of responses to the conflicting pressures of globalization and environmental protection at corporate and industry levels. It also considers the impact which shifting competitive advantage has on the environment in newly industrialized countries and transition economies. Environmental managers and regulators of national and international environmental agencies will find Environmental Regulation in the New Global Economy of great interest, as will, academics and students of economics, environmental management, business studies, geography and international relations. |
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