The growth in global competitiveness and interdependence has led to an increased interest in the role of industrial policy in achieving economic growth objectives. Heather Smith reignites the contentious debate of the role of the state using East Asian economic development in general with particular emphasis on Taiwan and Korea. Using quantitive techniques, the author analyses the view that industry policy interventions were a necessary factor explaining Taiwan's economic performance in the 1980s. Lessons for other countries attempting to upgrade their industrial structure are drawn from the comparative industrialisation experience of Taiwan and Korea, along with: * a comprehensive discussion of strategic industry policy with an application to East Asia. * discussion on the impact of the 1997-1998 financial crisis in Korea * a critique of the structuralist/revisionist literature in the light of the financial crisis. This highly topical study constitutes essential reading for governmental and non-governmental policymakers, business leaders and academics alike.

This major new book contains contributions by many of the leading historians of technology. The contributors argue that culture, institutions and learning either made the way for, or blocked technological and industrial transformation. Their essays include broad comparative frameworks between Europe and Asia, and Europe and America, and examine the specific experiences of Britain, France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia. Themes addressed include cultures of invention and the learning economy, technological inertia and path dependence, patents and product innovation, and technology, institutions and boundaries.

The interdependencies between politics, governance and technology have created a 'virtual state'. The author analyses this development within the framework of postmodernism in order to illustrate the importance of adopting a postmodern perspective to understand the theory and practice of public administration and politics. This book examines the special connections linking politics, administration and technology in the 'information society'. Paul Frissen describes recent developments both within public administration and in postmodernism and uses examples from Dutch public administration in order to emphasise the importance of the postmodern perspective. Finally, the author considers the role of politics in the virtual state. This book will prove to be invaluable to scholars of public and social policy, public administration and politics. The translation was funded by NWO, the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research.

Innovation is critically important for countries seeking to maintain or improve their competitive advantage in the global economy. This book addresses the major current policy debates in science, technology and innovation focusing mainly on Europe but also including comparisons with other countries around the world.The R&D policies of five European countries - the UK, The Netherlands, France, Finland and Germany - are examined to understand national innovation systems and public policies, the determination of R&D spending priorities, research responsibilities and the allocation of funds. The authors combine interviews with senior civil servants, analyses of government publications and various government statistics on R&D performance. They consider national debates on science, technology and innovation policies within the wider context of the overarching political and administrative culture, and relate actual innovation and research policies to structural and institutional features of national economies. This book will be warmly welcomed by scholars and all those in decision making positions in government and non-governmental institutions on research, innovation and technology.

Environmental taxes are considered one of the most attractive environmental policy instruments. However, many problems still prevent their widespread implementation. This impressive book offers a comprehensive, global and innovative treatment of the environmental tax issue. The author provides detailed economic analysis as well as practical policy suggestions and presenting numerous examples that have been successful in addressing complex issues as well as considering questions including: how should the instrument be designed? what to do with the tax revenues? how taxes could be made acceptable for industry, politicians and voters an analysis of the ethical issues of environmental taxation. This comprehensive treatment of environmental taxes will ensure the book's appeal to researchers, academics and students. It will also be of immense value to those working with the environment, as well as providing practical solutions to implementation problems faced by civil servants in central and local government.

This is the second book celebrating Brian Loasby's contribution to economics by an internationally renowned group of authors including Mark Casson, G.B. Richardson, Nicolai Foss, Keith Pavitt, Martin Fransman and Richard Day. It extends Brian Loasby's work in the area of the theory of the firm and related methodological issues. This book is mainly concerned with the theory of the firm, a subject central to much of Brian Loasby's work. The authors begin by considering the existence and nature of firms and their internal and external relations, paying special attention to the themes of coordination and communication costs in a world of surprise and change. The discussion then moves on to the way in which firms use and create knowledge and capabilities, referring to questions of organization, with some detailed empirical investigation of high technology industries. The final part focuses on methodological issues including rationality, knowledge, incommensurability and equilibrium, in the context of different traditions. This book will be welcomed by microeconomists especially those interested in the theory of the firm and methodology.

This important and accessible book focuses on the problems confronting public authorities in transitional economies. It is based on a large, diversified and first-hand body of empirical research, which is analysed in terms of mainstream industrial economic theory.A distinguished group of authors explores the long-term prospects for industrial growth, the accumulation of technology and the overall framework of economic restructuring and industrial reform. They cover the role of government in emerging market economies and agencies such as the Treuhandanstalt in Germany. They also trace other major issues such as restructuring and privatization, industrial strategy and trade policy, tax reform and incomes policy and productivity growth. Industrial Economics for Countries in Transition will be essential reading for policymakers in developing countries and will also appeal to students and economists concerned with economic and industrial development.

The 1990s have witnessed a vast growth of research on the topics of trust and learning. This can be explained by the profound technological and organizational changes that have made both inter-and intra-firm trust indispensable for sustaining the forms of learning that underlie successful competitive performance.Trust and Economic Learning brings together innovative research by an internationally recognized group of scholars from Europe and the United States. The distinction between trust and a variety of related concepts, including reputation, implicit contracts and confidence is examined. The links between learning and trust are then explored using a number of original empirical contributions and theoretical approaches including an adaptation of game theory, Marengo's computational model of organizational learning and the 'step by step' rule developed by Lazaric and Lorenz. In addition, Bayesian learning models are compared with evolutionary approaches based on tools of artificial intelligence to evaluate the preconditions for establishing trust. This unique volume will be a highly useful companion to traditional graduate-level texts in industrial organization. It constitutes a valuable source of knowledge for practitioners and policymakers alike. It will also be of interest to scholars interested in evolutionary and institutional economics, technology and innovation and international business.

By harnessing technological progress, good innovation policies can help enhance economic growth. New research offers additional insights into the design and application of such innovative policies.Industrial Dynamics, Innovation Policy, and Economic Growth through Technological Advancements examines the nature of the process of technological change in different sectors of an array of countries, analyzing the impact of innovation as well as research and development activities on different outcomes in different fields and assessing the design and impact of policies aimed at enhancing innovativeness of firms. The analyses and findings of the studies in this book contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of industrial dynamics, innovation policies, and economic growth.

Green technology is focused on devising environmentally-friendly (eco-friendly) agricultural practices. It plays a crucial role in dealing with food security issues and reducing the carbon footprint. Green technologies and environmental sustainability are focused on the goals of green technologies, which are becoming increasingly important for ensuring sustainability. The Handbook of Research on Green Technologies for Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources covers the applications of green technology as well as different eco-friendly technologies for the sustainable management of natural resources. It also explores the timely topic of enhancing crop productivity. It is ideal for agriculturists, farmers, botanists, technologists, policymakers, scientists, academicians, researchers, and students as it covers a variety of concepts such as organic farming and the role of green technologies.