This theoretical and empirical study examines the relationship between the organisation of work, industrial relations, production spaces and the dynamics of capitalist investment. Jamie Gough explores the connections between labour process change, products, local economy and society, spaces and forms of competition, and firm's locational strategies. In a path-breaking analysis he shows that these are closely bound up with the business cycle and other rhythms of investment. Differences within the labour process are central to the argument. Gough explores the divisions between workers arising from these differences and from spatial flows of capital, and suggests strategies through which these divisions might be overcome.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a global phenomenon which is gaining significant momentum across the world. Currently there is little information on how to realise and monitor benefits from implementing BIM across the life-cycle of a built environment asset. This book provides a practical and strategic framework to realise value from implementing BIM by adapting Benefit Realisation Management theory. It presents an approach for practitioners aiming to implement BIM across the life-cycle of built environment assets, including both buildings and infrastructure. Additionally, the book features: wide-ranging information about BIM, the challenges of monitoring progress towards benefit goals and the greater context of implementation; a set of dictionaries that illustrate: how benefits can be achieved, what the benefit flows are and the enabling tools and processes that contribute to achieving and maximising them; a suite of measures that can serve to monitor progress with examples of how they have been used to measure benefits from BIM; real-world examples from across the world and life-cycle phases that show how these benefits can be achieved; and information on international maturity and competency measures to complement the value realisation framework. Including a blend of academic and industry input, this book has been developed in close collaborative consultation with industry, government and international research organisations and could be used for industry courses on BIM benefits and implementation for asset management or by universities that teach BIM-related courses.

From an interdisciplinary perspective based primarily on European ethnology and political economy, this book explores issues and concepts concerning the link between culture and economy. A historical introduction to key theoretical problems is followed by five empirical chapters discussing aspects of development in rural as well as urban locations. The author considers local leadership, looking in particular at part-time farming, counter-urban migration, and pluriactivity. The classification of informal economy is illustrated with examples drawn from fieldwork, and urban poverty and migration are each explored in detail. A discussion of heritage and identity as a resource for development questions whether the concern with the authenticity of culture(s) may be an inappropriate approach to take. The book concludes with a theoretical reflection on the problematic of culture and economy and a call for a return to the roots of European ethnology as an essentially political science.

This volume investigates the limited effectiveness of technology policy in the inward-oriented industrialization model of the past. It looks at the political structures that compromise the transition to the development model, and the restructuring effort within Brazilian industrial firms.

Published in 1985, "The Economics of Industries and Firms" is a vaulable contribution to Economics.

Small and medium enterprises (SME) have attracted increasing interest in the last few years, and industrialization is no longer seen as a linear way of development. This book analyzes how SME clusters emerge in a developing economy. Using India as a case study, it addresses one central question: If growth has largely failed to be inclusive so far, and if employing a work force in increasing returns activities through a different trajectory of industrialization is largely dependent upon industrial clusters of small and medium sized firms, then what are the structural infirmities and asymmetries that need to be taken into account in the context of framing policies related to industrial clusters? The book identifies the structural infirmities in industrial clusters in India, which could be typical to any of the developing countries and sharply in contrast to European success stories. Blending theory and empirical material, it provides a middle ground between the two extremes of a uniform policy assuming 'one size fits all', and a specific policy based on individual cases. The book redraws the broad contours where space and production processes mutually constitute each other, giving rise to outcomes somewhat generic to underdevelopment. It is of interest to academics working in the fields of economics, business administration/ management and development economics.

The aim of this book is to examine and compare the integration process in both Europe and Asia, and to draw some possible lessons for East Asia from the European experience, which culminated with the establishment of the economic and monetary union. The book embraces the political dimension of integration (peace and security), economic, trade and monetary aspects, and cultural aspects. Written by well-known experts in the field of integration, this book represents one of the first attempts at comparing Europe and Asia in the process of integration, by incorporating the latest developments in the field. The main theme of the book - integration in Asia from a comparative perspective - has been relatively unexplored as most experts in the field of integration are also 'area experts' (i.e. European integration experts or Asian experts). The contributors to the book provide a distinctive perspective based upon their understanding of integration (political, economic, and socio-cultural) across various regions of the world.

In recent years, developed countries have formulated public policies in agriculture ranging from supporting rural life and farm income to promoting sustainability of food and fibre production. Public Policy in Agriculture: Impact on Labor Supply and Household Income addresses the lack of empirical research in this area. It explores the impact of differing approaches to public policy through a series of international case studies, from the USA and Canada to South Korea, Norway, Slovenia and Taiwan. At a time when much of the developed world has been experiencing budget deficits and policy-makers and the public in general have re-opened the debate on public expenditures in the agricultural sector, this is a timely volume. Mishra, Viaggi and Gomez y Paloma have written an authoritative guide to agricultural public policy that will serve as a reference for academics, researchers, students, and policy-makers.

Originally published in 1987, this book brings together leading authorities from Germany and the USA who analyze how the East German economy actually operated - planning and management, pricing, investment and innovation, the financial system, agriculture and foreign trade (including the special concessions granted by the then Federal Republic of Germany). The volume is an insightful study of one of the least studied and most successful of socialist economies.

Among the key debates fought in developing economies is whether globalization through liberalization is the means by which economies can industrialize and provide their labour forces with tangible improvements in the material conditions of living. This book addresses this issue head on, using empirical evidence from some of the fastest growing and transition economies from East and South Asia. Countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia have already started to deindustrialize before enjoying industrial maturity, while with the exception of China and evidence of some growth in real wages in the other economies, the evidence appears compelling to suggest that increased industrialization and integration into the capitalist economy have not succeeded in providing significant labour improvement. The evidence suggests that a proactive state, focusing on enhancing the material conditions of labour, is pertinent to ensuring sustainable long term industrialization and thus improving material conditions for workers. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

The 25 years leading up to the international financial crisis have been depicted as 'capitalism unleashed', containing deregulation, privatisation, demutualisation and financialisation. Yet remarkably, given this economic and political context, co-operatives and mutuals appear to have been gaining ground in many countries, albeit modestly, even before the international financial crisis and the resulting global recession, from which the global economy is still only slowly recovering. The 2007-2008 international financial crisis called into question how appropriate the shareholder-owned model is, certainly if it is allowed to dominate the financial services sector. However the International Co-operative Alliance is determined to make the mutual and co-operative sector of the economy a dynamic, sustainable and increasingly important sector of the global economy. This book looks at the contribution of co-operative, mutual and employee-owned firms to the Asia Pacific economy - both currently and prospectively - and the challenges the standard 'Western' model faces regarding employment and output. It also looks at the role of Governments, the nature of co-operatives in China and the role of the state, and the future prospects for cross-border growth of co-operative and mutual business within Asia Pacific, and more widely. This book was originally published as a Special Issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

In the past three decades, China has successfully transformed itself from an extremely poor economy to the world's second largest economy. The country's phenomenal economic growth has been sustained primarily by its rapid and continuous industrialisation. Currently industry accounts for nearly two-fifth of China's gross domestic product, and since 2009 China has been the world's largest exporter of manufactured products. This book explores the question of how far this industrial growth has been the product of government policies. It discusses how government policies and their priorities have developed and evolved, examines how industrial policies are linked to policies in other areas, such as trade, technology and regional development, and assesses how new policy initiatives are encouraging China's increasing success in new technology-intensive industries. It also demonstrates how China's industrial policies are linked to development of industrial clusters and regions.

Antitrust economics is a field that draws extensively on the economic theory of industrial organization, and the field's frontier is at the cutting edge of economic research. This book bridges the gap between introductory texts and advanced research volumes by presenting select themes in antitrust economics and modeling. All from a neoclassical perspective, the author begins by discussing classic monopoly, continues to add more markets to the mix-via spillover effects and horizontal/vertical mergers-and then explores logical ties to international trade and regulated industries. While brief and selective, the method provides a basic analytical reference point for approaching special antitrust topics not covered here, such as tying, bundling, and exclusive dealing. Such analytics are sometimes likened to a rational defense of monopoly and related anti-competitive behavior, but are essential to explicating antitrust economics from a mainstream Western economic vantage.

With the ongoing restructuring in Sudan, structural issues such as the need for skill development and interaction with technological change need an in-depth analysis that this book offers. The central themes of this book are- required skill formation, upskilling of the workers, and their interaction with technological change in lieu of a deficient educational system and its implications. An empirical investigation of the causes and consequences of low skill and technology indicators using a primary survey at macro and micro levels is undertaken. This is followed by an examination of the interaction between the low skill and technology indicators, the relationships between skill, upskilling and technology indicators, skills mismatch, the uses and impacts of ICT and differences at firm as well as industry level as well as knowledge transfer effects. A set of recommendations towards the need for implementation of consistent policies, increasing incentives and collaboration between public and private institutions completes the book.

This book presents several pieces of empirical work which disentangle why the standard measure of productivity growth used in macroeconomics turn out to be procyclical for American manufacturing industries. Procyclical productivity is an essential feature of business cycles because of its important implications for macroeconomic modelling. The author explains why traditional Keynesian theories of the business cycle do not explain satisfactorily why productivity is procyclical, and argues that the force of technology for generating economic cycles is much more important than that of the management or mismanagement of monetary or fiscal policies. This book is aimed at those working in empirical macroeconomics but also industrial economics.

Processes of multi-scalar regional urbanization are occurring worldwide. Such processes are clearly distinguishable from those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries due to the shifting concepts of both the city and the metropolis. International literature highlights how what we have historically associated with the idea of cities has long been subjected to consistent reconfiguration, which involves stressing some of the typical features of the idea of "cityness". Post-Metropolitan Territories: Looking for a New Urbanity is the product of a research project funded by the Italian Ministry for Education, Universities and Research (MIUR). It constitutes a thorough overview of a country that is one of Europe's most diverse in terms of regional development and performance: Italy. This book brings together case studies of a number of Italian cities and their hinterlands and looks at new forms of urbanization, exploring themes of sustainability, industrialization, de-industrialization, governance, city planning and quality of life. This volume will be of great interest to academics and students who study regional development, economic geography and urban studies, as well as civil servants and policymakers in the field of spatial planning, urban policy, territorial policies and governance.

The ability to successfully procure built assets is at the heart of the construction process and in turn at the heart of the procurement process is identifying the constantly evolving needs of the construction client. Despite client criticism and a mountain of reports and statistics, spanning both the public and private sectors, until now the construction industry has failed to transform the diverse and often separate and inefficient processes of design and procurement of built assets into one single integrated production process. There are now signs however that the construction industry is beginning to transform its approach to built asset procurement and client care. This book draws heavily on the experiences and best practice of other industries and market sectors who have, just as construction is now having to do, taken a critical look at their procurement practices and techniques and the inherent waste in many traditional systems. The text includes practice-based case studies, from both the public and private sectors, to demonstrate how new procurement approaches are delivering value for money over the life cycle of built assets. This book is recommended reading for a range of students in the field of the built environment from quantity surveyors and commercial managers to architects and an essential and comprehensive guide to all construction procurement professionals seeking to familiarise themselves with the latest approaches to procurement.

Tourism looks set to replace oil as the most important global industry. James Elliot explores the ways in which governments of both developed and developing countries manage this increasingly diverse and volatile industry, providing a historic and economic overview as well as the reasons why and how governments are involved in tourism management. Using case studies from the UK, Australia and the Third World this wide ranging book covers: policy-making and planning; local governments; airlines and airports; and environmental control and sustainable development. Detailed information boxes and excerpts of official documents illustrate government management of the tourism system and provide critieria for evaluation

In recent years, Supply Chain Management has gained greater attention from academics and managers concerned to improve process efficiencies; and take best advantage of information technology and inter-organizational networks and relationships. This book brings together leading experts to provide a reference point for developments and issues in the area.

Drawing on detailed empirical data and a range of case studies, Managing Voluntary and Non-Profit Organizations, first published in 1990, demonstrates how voluntary organizations formulate strategies for securing funds, providing services, and dealing with other non-profit bodies, public agencies, and the private sector. The central theme is organizational change and how managers have responded, strategically and structurally, to changes to their environment. Using original data, and writing from the broad perspectives of current organization theory, the authors increase our understanding of strategies, structures and designs currently in use in the voluntary sector. Their authoritative text will make essential reading for practising managers in non-profit organizations and for an international audience of academics and students of management, organization theory, and strategy.

Electricity Economics: Production Functions with Electricity studies the production output from analyzing patterns of electricity consumption. Since electricity data can be used to measure scenarios of economic performance due to its accuracy and reliability, it could therefore also be used to help scholars explore new research frontiers that directly and indirectly benefits human society. Our research initially explores a similar pattern to substitute the Cobb-Douglas function with the production function with electricity to track and forecast economic activities. The book systematically introduces the theoretical frameworks and mathematical models of economics from the perspective of electricity consumption. The E-GDP functions are presented for case studies of more than 20 developed and developing countries. These functions also demonstrate substantial similarities between human DNA and production functions with electricity in terms of four major characteristics, namely replication, mutation, uniqueness, and evolution. Furthermore, the book includes extensive data and case studies on the U.S., China, Japan, etc. It is intended for scientists, engineers, financial professionals, policy makers, consultants, and anyone else with a desire to study electricity economics as well as related applications. Dr. Zhaoguang Hu is the vice president and chief energy specialist at the State Grid Energy Research Institute, China. Zheng Hu is a PhD candidate at the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware, USA.

This book investigates the basic theoretical framework and conducts a logical analysis of China's new supply-side economics, while also providing a strategic path to remedy the plight of China's economic development. From the perspective of connotation, theory and methods, China's structural reform differs both from that proposed by the Western supply-side school or supply-side economics, and from that proposed by structural economists. The theoretical basis of supply-side structural reform falls under socialist political economics with Chinese characteristics, and the new supply-side economics represent an important component of socialist political economics with Chinese characteristics.

Over 20 years ago Philip Sadler, then head of a leading British business school, wrote Managerial Leadership in the Post-Industrial Society. In it he predicted that business would experience the most radical transformation since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. This transformation has now taken place. In his latest book, Sustainable Growth in a Post-Scarcity World, Sadler charts developments once envisaged by Keynes, Chase, Galbraith and Packard, and more recent radical thinkers such as Chris Anderson. Sadler describes how many goods and services have moved from relative scarcity to relative abundance, and asks how this trend can be reconciled with the global issues of population growth and climate change. He assesses the impact of new technologies, new energy sources, new materials and the development of artificial intelligence, on business, government and economics, and discusses the challenges ahead - the creation of new business models, the need to meet people's legitimate expectations of improved living conditions while avoiding environmental catastrophe, and the need to adapt ideas developed in scarcity to conditions of abundance. Why is it that in countries foremost in creating post-scarcity conditions, millions are still in poverty, and billions, worldwide, still lack basic necessities of life? Philip Sadler agrees with those who say the relief of global poverty cannot rely on aid and corporate philanthropy. He explores the idea of re-engineering products and delivering them into bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) markets, and concludes that the more global companies take this route, as some are already doing, the more profitable they will find it, and this will in turn help the poorest people who currently pay more for goods and services - the 'poverty penalty' - than the rich.

Prevailing wage laws affecting the construction industry in the United States exist at the Federal and State levels. These laws require that construction workers employed by contractors on government works be paid at least the wage rates and fringe benefits 'prevailing' for similar work where government contract work is performed. The federal law (Davis-Bacon Act) was passed in 1931. By 1969 four fifth of States had enacted prevailing wage legislation. In the 1970s, facing fiscal crises, States considered repealing their laws in an effort to reduce construction costs, and since 1979 nine States have repealed their laws. These repeals at State level along with unsuccessful attempts to repeal the Davis-Bacon Act have pushed prevailing wages to the forefront of public policy and controversy. This book, for the first time, brings together scholarly research in the economics of prevailing wages placed in historical and institutional context.

The concepts of social networks, social capital and trust play an increasingly central role in the social sciences. They have become indispensable conceptual tools for the analysis of post-industrial/late-modern societies, which are characterized by such features as the relative decline of formal hierarchies, the development of flexible social arrangements in the sphere of production and the extreme mobility of capital. This is the first book to study the interrelationships between these important concepts both theoretically and empirically. Drawing on empirical investigations from a range of diverse European social contexts, the contributors develop an economic sociology that builds on and extends established theoretical perspectives. The book opens with an introduction to the theoretical ideas: relating social capital to reciprocity, trust and social networks in line with current debates. The authors go on to discuss the concept of social embededdness, addressing the economic effects of social capital by examining the network and trust foundations of labour markets and investigating the structural limits of trusting networks. They conclude with an exploration of the impact of networking and the functioning of trust and social capital on the economic arrangements and performance of nascent capitalist economies in post-Communist Europe. This thematically unified collection by a team of distinguished contributors from across Europe provides an innovative and distinctive contribution to an expanding area of research.