This book examines the economics of natural resource markets and pricing, as well as the field of natural resource economics in general. It presents the key contributions to this field of research, including the pioneering works and contemporary studies. The book highlights the basic principles and ideas underlying theoretical models of resource pricing. The models considered in the book underline the fundamental determinants of resource prices and the economic nature of rents for non-renewable and renewable resources. Besides the classical theory of exhaustible resource economics, the book includes several issues that are of high importance for global economic growth, such as the transition to alternative energy and the economics of climate change. The authors also consider the issues of commodity pricing and a resource cartel's activity that are relevant to the world oil market. The book provides analytical solutions illustrated with numerical examples. It allows an intuitive understanding of the subject and the model inferences through graphical illustrations and an informal introduction. It, therefore, is a must-read for everybody interested in a better understanding of resource prices, resource markets, and resource economics.

The book explains strategic issues, trends, challenges, and future scenario of global economy in the light of Fourth Industrial Revolution. It consists of insightful scientific essays authored by scholars and practitioners from business, technology, and economics area. The book contributes to business education by means of research, critical and theoretical reviews of issues in Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This book analyzes of the surplus of production capacity in China. According to a government statement, there is a serious surplus of productive capacity in the steel, cement, glass, aluminum, and shipbuilding industries. There was no surplus of productive capacity in above industries between 2002 and 2012, and the current surplus is due to poor government policies on real estate prices after 2012. The book argues that if the Chinese government invested more in social welfare housing over the next few years the surplus of productive capacity would very soon disappear.

With the continuing consolidation of corporate holdings through wave after wave of mergers and acquisitions, the ubiquitous power of major corporations is of increasing concern from both a practical and a theoretical standpoint. In this study Dugger approaches corporate power as an institutional phenomenon. Through his sharply focused analysis, he traces the development of U.S. corporate hegemony and explores the impact of the big corporation's social dominance in every aspect of contemporary life. The author begins with an examination of the nature of the corporate behemoth, its values and behavior, inner contradictions, drive for economic power, and its unrestricted control of the global market economy. He looks at the underlying dynamics of the corporation's drive for control and the various processes through which its values, meanings, and motives are imposed. These processes include coercion, contamination, subordination, emulation, and mystification. Dugger shows how the careerism corporations demand systematically draws energy and commitment away from family, community, and other spheres of life, thus corroding their meaning and value. He studies the impact of corporate power on the family, schools and colleges, unions, churches, communities, the state, and the media, and demonstrates how each of the power mechanisms is used to devalue and hollow out these institutions. Dugger argues that the social vacuum this creates is being filled by the big corporations. Unique in its institutional approach to the rise and spread of corporate power, Corporate Hegemony makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the crisis of pluralism in the West.

This two-volume collection analyses the evolution of wine production in European regions across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. France and Italy in particular have shaped modern viticulture, by improving oenological methods and knowledge, then disseminating them internationally. This first volume looks closely at the development of winegrowing, with cases ranging from Italian and French regions to smaller producers such as Portugal and Slovenia.

This book focuses on informal workers and margins and seeks to advance the discourse on the concepts of 'work', 'workers' and 'margins'. By largely focusing on informal, non-formal and non-industrial sector workers where unionism, collective bargaining, and labour laws have little influence, the book promotes approaches to understanding alternate worker politics and organising practices. As such, it presents an alternative to conventional approaches to understanding workers in management and organisation studies. The book draws attention to the mechanisms of erasure implicit in disciplinary and governmental practices that allow the worker to remain invisible. By making the worker visible, it seeks to go beyond economistic and psychological approaches to work(ing) to understand the worker as a human being, with all the complexity, vulnerability and agency that status implies. Further, it seeks to go beyond worker victimhood to gather narratives of workers' worlds and the possibility of alternate worlds. The contributing authors bring together diverse perspectives from fields including industrial relations, environment, displacement, collective action, livelihoods, rural development, MSMEs, organisational behaviour and entrepreneurship to present a textured and multidimensional view of workers and their worlds.

This book examines the historic role of professional and demanding military customers in industrial development. Particular emphasis is paid to public procurement of military equipment as a catalyst for innovation; and the civilian commercialization of military technologies (from gunpowder and cannons to submarines, missiles and aircraft) is documented by many case illustrations that show how macro-level productivity advance has been generated. A complementary volume to Advancing Public Procurement as Industrial Policy (2010), which focused on the spillover effects of the Swedish combat aircraft, Gripen, in this book Gunnar Eliasson widens the perspective to cover product development across the Swedish defense industry, with an emphasis on regional economic development and macro-economics, inter alia through the involvement of Saab (aircraft) and Kockums (submarines) in partnership ventures in Australia, Norway and Brazil. The volume is organized into four parts. Part one examines the historical transformation of the Swedish economy over the past three centuries from agriculture and raw materials to an advanced industrial economy. Part two presents detailed case studies to illustrate the spillover effects of procurement projects and military-industrial partnerships. Part three explains the spillover phenomenon theoretically within a dynamic micro- to macro-economic perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on the empirical credibility of model-based economy-wide and dynamic cost-benefit calculations. The book concludes with a section on fostering industrial development through public procurement. The result is a book that will appeal to economists in the industrial economics and management fields; to technical, marketing and purchasing executives in business; and to policy makers in public procurement concerned with innovation and long-run industrial development.

This book promotes the creation of advanced knowledge-based economies driven by innovation networks and the continuous development of human capital and capability. It provides valuable insights into the growing emergence of knowledge-based industries of the Asia Pacific, and highlights research on: modes of creativity and innovation; intellectual property; the components of national innovation systems such as firms, education and training; knowledge and technical infrastructure; and public policy. The Asia Pacific region is currently in the process of transforming from being the manufacturing centre of the global economy to a centre of innovation for the knowledge economy, with the successful IPO of Alibaba in 2014 being a prime example of this shift. From a neo-Schumpeterian perspective, the region is increasingly engaged in shortening and intensifying cycles of innovation. The historic agreement at the Beijing APEC meeting between China and the US to radically reduce carbon emissions indicates that one imperative of this innovation is to contribute to sustainability. The fact that the US Government is moving away from this historic commitment, while the Chinese Government is endorsing the commitment, indicates an emerging opportunity for Asia to lead the world technologically in a vital industrial sector of the future.

This book provides an evaluation of the industrial organization of banking with a focus on the interrelationship among bank behavior, market structure, and regulation. It addresses a wide range of public policy topics, including bank competition and risk, international banking, antitrust issues, and capital regulation. New to this edition, which has been updated throughout, is a broadened consideration of alternative theories of competition among banks, which includes discussions of such issues as the implications of large increases in bank reserve holdings in recent years, effects of nonprice competition through quality rivalry, analysis of mixed market structures involving both large and small banks, and international interactions of banks and policymakers. The intent of the book is to serve as a learning tool and reference for graduate students, academics, bankers, and policymakers seeking to better understand the industrial organization of the banking sector and the effects of banking regulations.

This book presents state-of-the-art research, challenges and solutions in the area of cloud-based cyber-physical systems (CPS) used in manufacturing. It provides a comprehensive review of the literature and an in-depth treatment of novel methodologies, algorithms and systems in the area of architecture design, cyber security, process planning, monitoring and control. The book features detailed descriptions of how to derive solutions in a cloud environment where physical machines can be supported by cyber decision systems when engaged in real operations. It presents a range of novel ideas and is characterized by a balanced approach in terms of scope vs. depth and theory vs. applications. It also takes into account the need to present intellectual challenges while appealing to a broad readership, including academic researchers, practicing engineers and managers, and graduate students. Dedicated to the topic of cloud-based CPS and its practical applications in manufacturing, this book benefits readers from all manufacturing sectors, from system design to lifecycle engineering and from process planning to machine control. It also helps readers to understand the present challenges and future research directions towards factories of the future, helping them to position themselves strategically for career development.

The publication of this book is timely and appropriate because it deals with Eastern and Central Europe (ECE), and alliances with local partners with different attitudes, beliefs and ways of thinking. At the beginning of the 1990s many Western firms entered ECE hurriedly without thinking about the complexities associated with this region. Many promising business ideas failed due to lack of knowledge about the local environment including social, cultural, political and human resource related issues. This book therefore addresses issues in depth as how to reduce the gaps between Western and Eastern firms and how to make the alliances workable and fruitful.
Initially motives are focused to assess partners' expectations from the alliances. Once expectations are known, it becomes easier to evaluate performance of the activities. Exchange of complementary resources plays a vital role in the formation, management and development of the relationships. The change of need over time and exchange of resources are seen as a consequence of learning that takes place on the part of alliance partners. Environmental factors are of particular interest in this study as they influence the operations in various ways and many times can directly contribute to the success or failure of the collaborations.
- Exchange of complementary resources
- Grouping of Eastern and Central Europe on the basis of success in adopting market economy
- Role of environment factors on alliance operations
- Scope and consequence of learning on the alliance
- Development and benefits of networking

Finally! A comprehensive volume on the management of corporate acquisitions that summarizes contemporary research, and that moves what we know about acquisition management a step further. The book encompasses innovative works from several countries, related to a variety of issues; managerial motives, the role of acquisitions in competitive strategy, as well as organizational and political processes. Unlike several other works on acquisitions, this book emphasizes the most critical issue faced by managers today; how to manage successfully already acquired companies and operations. Both researchers, managers and students of strategy and organization will find this book an important supplement.

This two-volume work provides a comprehensive overview of the Belt and Road Initiative, examining its impact on economic growth, trade, financial systems and international relations. Weaving theory with real-world examples, Joshua makes an important contribution to the understanding of how the Global Economy is being shaped through these developments. In this second volume, Joshua focuses on the operation of the international monetary system and the effects of the Belt and Road Initiative on both China's domestic economy and the Global Economy. In addition, this volume addresses the consequences of economic growth on the environment and international relations.

This textbook provides the tools for a modern post-graduate introductory course on system reliability theory. It focuses on probabilistic aspects of the theory, including recent results based on signatures, stochastic orders, aging classes, copulas and distortion (or aggregation) functions. The reader requires on an introductory knowledge on probability theory and mathematics. The book serves both for graduate students in mathematics and for engineering students in various disciplines as well as students learning survival analysis, network reliability or simple game theory. Included also are brief introductions to the basic aspects of lifetime modelling, stochastic comparisons, aging classes, mixtures and copula theory. The book develops this knowledge with worked examples and supplies code for the program R so that students can explore its lessons and techniques.

Recent scandals involving large firms, in the US and elsewhere, have intensified discussion regarding the role and conduct of the corporation. The contributors to this book argue that much of this debate has taken too narrow a view of the issue of corporate governance, and question some of the
key assumptions of economic models.
Drawing on insights from a variety of fields, including management studies, organization studies, economics and finance, political science, sociology, psychology, and legal studies, the contributors argue that these models fail to take account of the varied and complex behaviour of actors within the
corporation. Instead the cognitive and motivational foundations of governance problems and possible solutions are re-worked to produce a broader conception of governance, and a new range of forms that this can take. The book argues that no one of these forms is the 'solution' to the corporate
governance problem.
The book contains chapters from leading international management scholars, including: Masahiko Aoki, Margaret Blair, John Child, Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra, Bruno Frey, Anna Grandori, Joseph Lampel, Ryon Lancaster, William Lazonick, Siegwart Lindenberg, Patrick Moreton, Margit Osterloh, Michael Piore,
Andrea Prencipe, Suzana Rodrigues, Mark Roe, Giuseppe Soda, Steen Thomsen, Brian Uzzi, Paul Windolf, and Todd Zenger.
Corporate Governance and Firm Organization provides an important contribution to the corporate governance debate, and will be essential reading for academics and graduate students of corporate governance, business and management, economics, finance, sociology, and law; Consultants, professionals,
and policy-makers workingin the area of corporate governance.

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the alterations and problems caused by new technologies in all fields of the global digital economy. The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) not only on law but also on economics is examined. In the first part, the economics of AI are explored, including topics such as e-globalization and digital economy, corporate governance, risk management, and risk development, followed by a quantitative econometric analysis which utilizes regressions stipulating the scale of the impact. In the second part, the author presents the law of AI, covering topics such as the law of electronic technology, legal issues, AI and intellectual property rights, and legalizing AI. Case studies from different countries are presented, as well as a specific analysis of international law and common law. This book is a must-read for scholars and students of law, economics, and business, as well as policy-makers and practitioners, interested in a better understanding of legal and economic aspects and issues of AI and how to deal with them.

The transition to Industry 4.0, and the subsequent ubiquitous digitalization and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the economic system, has set the stage for a fundamental change - one towards forming a cyber economy: a type of economy in which humans are economic subjects who interact with or are confronted with AI. This book examines these interactions and specifically analyzes the overall effects of digitalization on the workplace, and on the economic system of the future. Scholars from a diverse range of fields address both the challenges and opportunities of using AI in business sectors, as well as the role of people dealing with digital channels. In closing, the book discusses the need to, and options for, training and educating the labor force in the digital age.

This book presents a range of recent advances concerning industrial restructuring strategies, industrial organization, industrial policy, departmental economic research, industrial competitiveness, regional industrial structure, national industrial economic security theory and empirical research. Successfully combining theory and practice, the book gathers the outcomes of the "6th International Conference on Industrial Economics System and Industrial Security Engineering", which was held at the University of Maryland, USA.

Industry Structure and Pricing: The New Rivalry in Infrastructure extends current economic models by incorporating effects of actual and potential rivalry in markets outside the markets of immediate interest. Focusing on the contestable model, the author shows how diverse patterns of actual and potential rivalry, called multilateral rivalry or MLR, affect the appropriateness of many regulatory policies. It is specifically shown that many conclusions of the contestability literature are overly generous to firms that might want to protect or extend their monopoly positions. While this book's refinement to existing economic theory gives strong results, it is still based on static production functions and demands - integrated to provide a dynamic view of multilateral rivalry.

This major new book examines the way in which employment is managed across organizational boundaries. It analyses how public-private partnerships, franchises, agencies and other forms of inter-firm contractual relations impact on work and employment and the experiences of those working in these increasingly significant forms of organization. It draws upon research undertaken in eight separate networks comprising over 50 organizations to explore the fragmentating effects of contemporary changes in the organization of work and employment relationships. It considers the consequences of increased reliance upon inter-organizational mechanisms for producing goods and especially for delivering services. It argues that established analyses continue to rely too heavily upon a model of the single employing organization whereas today the situation is often more complex and confused. Public-private 'partnerships' are one high profile example of this phenomenon but private enterprises are also developing new relations with their clients and customers that impinge upon the nature of the employment relationship. Established hierarchical forms are becoming disordered, with consequences for career patterns, training and skills, pay structures, disciplinary practice, worker voice, and the gendered division of labor. The findings of the study raise questions about the governance of such complex organizational forms, the appropriateness of current institutions for addressing this complexity, and the challenge of harnessing of employee commitment in circumstances where human resource practices are shaped by organizations other than the legal employer. Using an analytical schema of three dimensions (institutional, organizational, employment) and four themes (power, risk, identity, trust), the authors adopt an inter-disciplinary perspective to address these complex and critically important practical, policy and theoretical concerns. Fragmenting Work will be vital reading for all those wishing to understand the contemporary realities of work and employment.

This book develops the theory of productivity measurement using the empirical index number approach. The theory uses multiplicative indices and additive indicators as measurement tools, instead of relying on the usual neo-classical assumptions, such as the existence of a production function characterized by constant returns to scale, optimizing behavior of the economic agents, and perfect foresight. The theory can be applied to all the common levels of aggregation (micro, meso, and macro), and half of the book is devoted to accounting for the links existing between the various levels. Basic insights from National Accounts are thereby used. The final chapter is devoted to the decomposition of productivity change into the contributions of efficiency change, technological change, scale effects, and input or output mix effects. Applications on real-life data demonstrate the empirical feasibility of the theory. The book is directed to a variety of overlapping audiences: statisticians involved in measuring productivity change; economists interested in growth accounting; researchers relating macro-economic productivity change to its industrial sources; enterprise micro-data researchers; and business analysts interested in performance measurement.

This edited book aims to address challenges facing the deployment of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles were predicted to hit the road by 2017. Even though a high degree of automation may have been achieved, vehicles that can drive autonomously under all circumstances are not yet commercially available, and the predictions have been adjusted. Now, experts even say that we are still decades away from fully autonomous vehicles. In this volume, the authors form a multidisciplinary team of experts to discuss some of the reasons behind this delay. The focus is on three areas: business, technology, and law. The authors discuss how the traditional car manufacturers have to devote numerous resources to the development of a new business model, in which the sole manufacturing of vehicles may no longer be sufficient. In addition, the book seeks to introduce how technological challenges are creating a shift toward connected autonomous vehicles. Further, it provides insight into how regulators are responding to the insufficiently tested technology and how lawyers try to answer the liability question for accidents with these autonomous vehicles.

This book develops new theoretical perspectives on the economics and politics of innovation and knowledge in order to capture new trends in modern capitalism. It shows how giant corporations establish themselves as intellectual monopolies and how each of them builds and controls its own corporate innovation system. It presents an analysis of a new form of production where Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft, and their counterparts in China, extract value and appropriate intellectual rents through privileged access to AI algorithms trained by data from organizations and individuals all around the world. These companies' specific form of production and rent-seeking takes place at the global level and challenges national governments trying to regulate intellectual monopolies and attempting to build stronger national innovation systems. It is within this context that the authors provide new insights on the complex interplay between corporate and national innovation systems by looking at the US-China conflict, understood as a struggle for global technological supremacy. The book ends with alternative scenarios of global governance and advances policy recommendations as well as calls for social activism. This book will be of interest to students, academics and practitioners (both from national states and international organizations) and professionals working on innovation, digital capitalism and related topics.