This book examines the limited liability business forms that have recently emerged, and seeks to identify the forces that have led to the emergence of new business forms for small and medium-sized businesses. Focusing on the US, UK, and continental Europe, the contributors analyse the Limited Liability Company, the Limited Liability Partnership, and the new business forms proposed in Europe.

First published in 1991, this book offers a thorough examination of the decline of heavy industry in industrialised countries in the West, which focuses on problems in the shipbuilding industry. Todd argues that three points are central to its demise: industrial life cycles, the international division of labour and the energy crises of 1973. His work begins with despondency in western shipbuilding, going back as early as 1956, when Japan usurped Britain as the pre-eminent ship producer. The book goes on to explore international trade and industry in the second half of the 20th century, with analysis on industrial reorganisation and East Asian conglomerates, diversification with the marine industries, and shipbuilding in Brazil, India, and China.

This title was first published in 2000: The central aim of the Common Agricultural Policy is to support the incomes of farmers, yet reliable information on the overall incomes of farmers and their households is scarce. In general, farmers in the EU are not a low-income or poor sector of society and much of the present CAP income support goes to those that are relatively well-off. This book, the 3rd edition to address these issues, has been updated and expanded to include: updated coverage of statistics and references; the major changes in methodology of income measurement flowing from the 1995 revision of the European System of Accounts; a critical examination of wealth and balance sheets for the agricultural industry as currently calculated; incorporation of material from Japan and countries in Central and Eastern Europe that are candidates for EU membership.

This book investigates the mechanisms that may stimulate or hamper the renewal of the regional industry structure. Recent years have witnessed a strong interest in, and need for, the modernization and upgrading of existing industries and the introduction of new industries. Informed by the evolutionary perspective this book argues that innovations within existing industry paths and the creation of new industries are strongly rooted in the established economic practice. Historically developed skills, existing industrial structure and regional and extra-regional networks form the basis for future regional growth. This volume consists of 11 chapters studying different aspects of regional industrial path development illustrated with cases from Norway, Sweden and Spain. The book also look into the role of policy for regional economic renewal, and argues that economic renewal is fostered by policies that incorporate both actor-based and system-based elements. Such policy mix will provide a vital push towards renewal and new path development. The chapters were originally published as a special issue in European Planning Studies.

This title was first published in 2003. Schumpeter first put forward the premise that the incessant turbulence of an economy in motion, carrying out new combinations of products, production methods with new technologies and the opening of new markets, is capable of explaining patterns of economic growth and change. Focusing on US industrialized urban areas, this volume tests this theory empirically. Localized employment 'churn' - registered as job creation/destruction dynamics - is used to account for variations in US metro-regional economic productivity performances during the 1986-1999 period. The results suggest that the employment turnover and replacement dynamics have large and significant positive effects on localized productivity growth independent of a variety of industrial restructuring processes occurring simultaneously. While employment churn effects are robust across US Census regions, they do not exert a uniform influence on metro-regional productivity performances across time. Until 1996, job creation and destruction dynamics often cancelled each other out as metro-regions underwent continued industrial restructuring. Since 1996, however, positive effects on metro-region productivity growth have been consistently strong. In addition to a strong positive effect on productivity of the emergence of a localized IT sector, both an expanding service sector share of regional employment and a rising public spending share of regional output exert powerful downward pressure of localized productivity growth rates.

This title was first published in 2000. Illustrated by a wide range of international case studies, this volume elaborates, extends and critiques one of the key models of local growth, which emphasizes learning, networking and 'embeddedness' in relation to the role of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs). In doing so, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the changing role of SMEs in an era of globalization.

This title was first published in 2003.During the 1990s research and technological development policies moved from a 'problem-solving' approach towards a wider one focusing on the systemic nature of the innovation process. This change can be featured as the transition from a technology policy towards an innovation policy. 'Innovation Policies in Europe and the US: The New Agenda' provides a comparative analysis of eleven highly industrialized countries' innovation policies in the 1990s, and addresses the nature, dynamics, causes and effects of this transition. By combining the analytical skills of sociologists, economists and political scientists the book sets up a novel framework for studying the evolution of this particular policy area by examining institutional change from a broader perspective.

This title was first published in 2002. The concept of embeddedness refers to the social construction of inter-firm relationships and the enmeshing of economic relationships within broader social structures and relationships in particular places. Previous research has suggested embedding is the best way to generate local growth and social capital and has focused on SMEs in Europe and North America, although the existing model is being more widely adopted now. This volume is the first to examine the complex processes of embedding in this wider context. Bringing together a broad range of case studies from the developed and developing world which address the nature of embeddedness from various perspectives, it not only questions the universality of the current model and the policy initiatives it has spawned but also provides a much wider understanding of embeddedness . It does so by discussing the social dimensions more fully and by throwing light on the spatial and temporal ambiguity of the concept and its inadequate treatment of power.

Extending your home? New kitchen or bathroom? Planning to decorate? If you're taking on a job like this you need to know three things - can you do it on your own; how long is going to take; and most important of all, how much is it going to cost.This book tells you the answers. With simple-to-follow guidance on all your home improvement projects it tells you: the time the job will take the costs of the materials how difficult it's going to be and what a professional is going to charge to do it for you

This title was first published in 2000: The first book which brings together and interprets both the theoretical concepts associated with the study of networks in the business world, and the policy applications being applied to the practical building and development of such networks. It maps the changes in the culture of economic development policy that occurred in the UK during the 1990s, incorporating a detailed assessment of the contribution that the Training and Enterprise Councils made to business support policies. The book is published at a time when network and cluster building has risen to the top of economic development agendas not only in UK, but in many countries throughout the world. It offers the most detailed insight so far available into the structure, motivations and processes involved in developing business networks through institutional intervention. The book is relevant to anyone with an interest in business policy and theory.

This title was first published in 2000: Steven Nivin analyzes a process vital to economic development - technological change. He furthers understanding of the processes driving innovation, so that we may gain a deeper insight into the development of economies. Specifically, the study explores the concept of innovation potential and the factors that result in variations in innovation potential across metropolitan areas, using the US machine tool industry as a case study. To provide a comparison, the same models are also estimated for the semiconductor industry. The findings indicate that urbanisation economies, localization economies, human capital, universities, and invention-derived knowledge are significant factors. The study assesses the contributions of three different skill levels of human capital; college-educated, graduate degree, and locally produced PhD's in mechanical and electrical engineering. Only the graduate and PhD degree measures are found to be significant, indicating the importance of having a highly skilled pool of labour within the region. The influences of the factors appear to be similar across industries, with some slight differences. The transfer of knowledge through patents is also studied. It is found that the transmission of this knowledge is slower between different industries, relative to the transmission within the same industry.

This title was first published in 2002. Bringing together a wide range of theoretical and empirical case studies from Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Turkey, China, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland, South Africa, Japan, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, this book addresses these neglected issues, in particular, contemplating the vitally important nexus between industry, environment and the knowledge economy.Throughout the book, four key themes and issues are explored: institution building strategies; agglomeration as territorial context; sustainable industrial-environmental processes and policy initiatives; globalization, learning and industrial location dynamics. The book concludes with an outline of future research directions within the paradigm.

This title was first published in 2002: Retailers who ignore the demographics of their customers do so at their peril. Examining the role of age and gender in the behavior and patterns of shoppers, this book looks at all shoppers as members of distinct demographic groups, each of which marches to the beat of its own drum. We can say a lot about people and their shopping behavior simply by examining their demographic group membership. For example, we can say that middle-aged shoppers have less time available for shopping, but more money. Such ideas provide valuable information about how to sell to them. Demographic targeting is the key to success when it comes to modern retailing. This book takes a look at shopping from the perspective of demography and considers the demographic group to be a crucial concept for understanding the modern shopper.

First published in 1975, this book investigates the various pre-capitalist modes of production briefly indicated in the works of Marx and Engels, and gives an examination of the conditions of the transition from one mode of production to another. The fundamental concepts used in these investigations, including those of mode of production, of necessary labour and surpass labour, of politics and state, are derived from Capital and from other works of Marxist theory. The primary aim of the analysis is to raise the conceptualisation of pre-capitalist modes of production and of transition to a more rigorous level. This book will appear controversial to both Marxists and non-Marxists alike.

Growing scarcity of freshwater worldwide brings to light the need for sound water resource modeling and policy analysis. While a solid foundation has been established for many specific water management problems, combining those methods and principles in a unified framework remains an ongoing challenge. This Handbook aims to expand the scope of efficient water use to include allocation of sources and quantities across uses and time, as well as integrating demand-management with supply-side substitutes. Socially efficient water use does not generally coincide with private decisions in the real world, however. Examples of mechanisms designed to incentivize efficient behavior are drawn from agricultural water use, municipal water regulation, and externalities linked to water resources. Water management is further complicated when information is costly and/or imperfect. Standard optimization frameworks are extended to allow for coordination costs, games and cooperation, and risk allocation. When operating efficiently, water markets are often viewed as a desirable means of allocation because a market price incentivizes users to move resources from low to high value activities. However, early attempts at water trading have run into many obstacles. Case studies from the United States, Australia, Europe, and Canada highlight the successes and remaining challenges of establishing efficient water markets.

The First World War was above all a war of logistics. Whilst the conflict will forever be remembered for the mud and slaughter of the Western Front, it was a war won on the factory floor as much as the battlefield. Examining the war from an industrial perspective, Arming the Western Front examines how the British between 1900 and 1920 set about mobilising economic and human resources to meet the challenge of 'industrial war'. Beginning with an assessment of the run up to war, the book examines Edwardian business-state relations in terms of armament supply. It then outlines events during the first year of the war, taking a critical view of competing constructs of the war and considering how these influenced decision makers in both the private and public domains. This sets the framework for an examination of the response of business firms to the demand for 'shells more shells', and their varying ability to innovate and manage changing methods of production and organisation. The outcome, a central theme of the book, was a complex and evolving trade-off between the quantity and quality of munitions supply, an issue that became particularly acute during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. This deepened the economic and political tensions between the military, the Ministry of Munitions, and private engineering contractors as the pressure to increase output accelerated markedly in the search for victory on the western front. The Great War created a dual army, one in the field, the other at home producing munitions, and the final section of the book examines the tensions between the two as the country strove for final victory and faced the challenges of the transition to the peace time economy.

Title first publishedin 2003. This comprehensive book focuses on the prevailing conditions in Asia and Africa under various macroeconomic and sectoral themes in order to provide in depth explanations for the divergent development experiences of the two regions. Seeking to go further than the simple comparison of policies, the book carefully examines the institutional context for policy implementation within which growth and development have proceeded in the regions.

This title was first published in 2001. The dynamics of New Firm Formation (NFF) are central to the phenomenon of economic growth and development. While the economic importance of NFF has been recognized, the mechanisms that drive NFF are not well documented or understood. Illustrated by an in-depth case study from Texas, this volume analyzes the relationships between NFF and its localized context. Using specially-formulated fixed-effects regression models, the study brings about controversial new findings. These provide a counterpoint to the neoclassical theory that there is an adversarial relationship between small and large firms by instead suggesting that the relationship is more of a symbiotic one. Furthermore, it suggests that deep churning - the turnover and replacement in a business base - is a key factor in understanding the forces shaping regional economies.

This title was first published in 2003. Since the late 1970s there has been considerable interest in the role of small firms in economic development in general and employment generation in particular. Throughout the developed world, governments have introduced a range of measures to encourage small firm growth and development in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, generate employment and foster innovation. Though not all measures have been successful many policies have transferred to the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe where, since 1989, small firm growth and development has achieved considerable importance in economic restructuring. Accordingly, this volume presents the leading research on the role of small firms in economic development and employment generation in both transition and developed countries. Setting itself in a wider theoretical context, the book also considers the implications for both policy and theory and suggests directions for future research.

This title was first published in 2000: Providing a review and assessment of a number of the major features evident in regional planning and development in Europe, this volume contains a series of regional case studies, drawn from current research in various European countries. These illustrate a broad range of theoretical views, which offer perspectives on the operation of the EU Structural Funds and regional restructuring, development and key concerns evident in spatial planning an environmental management and lessons from past experience. The editors collate views to arrive at challenging conclusions and suggestions for future policy priorities.

This title was first published in 2000. Providing an introduction to contemporary regional economic development issues, this book analyzes whether the Regional Development Agencies (ROAs) have the organizational capacities to cope with complex business and economic development challenges.

Once recognised as a high-performing newly industrialising Asian economy with the potential for economic and developmental success similar to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, Thailand's growth rate and competitive edge have declined substantially. With slower adoption and movement towards the knowledge-intensive industries, the loss of the competitive edge is a cause of growing concern among Thai policymakers, with Thailand succumbing to the middle-income trap. This book analyses Thailand's declining competitiveness in the past 50 years, considering both the national and sectoral roles and capabilities of key players, including the government, universities and research institutes, as well as the electronics, food, and automotive industries. Including comparative analyses with other Asian nations, this book is a must-read for both students and practitioners with interests in development economics, industrial economics and public policy.

Americans tend to believe that their country is very different from Europe. Yet over the past half century they have imported and embraced the most transformative social idea of modern Scandinavia: egalitarianism. Today, the United States is more like Sweden than it is different, dedicated to economic redistribution and to vigorously defending its big government. What price, morally and economically, are today's Americans willing to pay to preserve their egalitarian welfare state? Are they willing to turn life into a fiscal cost item? Will they sacrifice their children's future prosperity to defend their entitlements? The Rise of Big Government: How Egalitarianism Conquered America pursues the answer to these questions by going back to the ideological origins of the modern, egalitarian welfare state. Specifically, the book asks why this unity has been able to set such deep roots in the United States, a country that is often perceived as fundamentally different when it comes to the role of government in the economy. It is shown that there are more similarities than differences between the welfare state in the United States and its Swedish "template." This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how the egalitarian ideology conquered the United States, and who seeks to gain a deeper understanding of its strength, its resiliency, and the problems it faces in the future.

Americans tend to believe that their country is very different from Europe. Yet over the past half century they have imported and embraced the most transformative social idea of modern Scandinavia: egalitarianism. Today, the United States is more like Sweden than it is different, dedicated to economic redistribution and to vigorously defending its big government. What price, morally and economically, are today's Americans willing to pay to preserve their egalitarian welfare state? Are they willing to turn life into a fiscal cost item? Will they sacrifice their children's future prosperity to defend their entitlements? The Rise of Big Government: How Egalitarianism Conquered America pursues the answer to these questions by going back to the ideological origins of the modern, egalitarian welfare state. Specifically, the book asks why this unity has been able to set such deep roots in the United States, a country that is often perceived as fundamentally different when it comes to the role of government in the economy. It is shown that there are more similarities than differences between the welfare state in the United States and its Swedish "template." This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how the egalitarian ideology conquered the United States, and who seeks to gain a deeper understanding of its strength, its resiliency, and the problems it faces in the future.

Mining has played a key role in the growth of many towns in South Africa. This growth has been accompanied by a proliferation of informal settlements, by pressure to provide basic services and by institutional pressures in local government to support mining. Fragile municipal finance, changing social attributes, the pressures of shift-work on mineworkers, the impact on the physical environment and perceived new inequalities between mineworkers, contract workers and original inhabitants have further complicated matters. Mining growth has however also led to substantial local economic benefits to existing business and it has contributed to a mushrooming of new enterprises.

While the relationship between mining and economic development at the country level has received adequate attention in existing literature, less is known about the consequences of mining at the local level. This book investigates the local impacts of mining in South Africa, focusing on employment, inequality, housing, business development, worker well-being, governance, municipal finance, planning and the environment.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Mining and Community in South Africa will be of interest to scholars of South Africa, economic development, labour and industry, politics and planning.

Table of Contents

Part I

1. The background to the Postmasburg study

2. The literature on mining communities and mining growth and decline

3. Migration and mine labour in South Africa

Part II: Governance, planning, the environment and power

4. The Tsassamba Committee

5. Spatial planning for Postmasburg

6. Government, mining and community relations

7. Mining and municipal finance

8. Environmental legislation, mining and ecosystems

Part III: To own or to rent?

9. Mineworker housing

10. The Khumani approach to homeownership in Postmasburg

IV: Working and doing business

11. Work, wages and welfare in Postmasburg

12. Psychological well-being on the mine

13. Businesses in Postmasburg: Tshipe e lokile (‘iron is good’) – but what about business?

Part V: Conclusion

14. The way forward for Postmasburg