Oligopoly theory is one of the most intensively studied areas of mathematical economics. On the basis of the pioneering works of Cournot (1838), many res- rchers have developed and extensively examined the different variants of oligopoly models. Initially, the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium of the different types of oligopolies was the main concern, and later the dynamic extensions of these models became the focus. The classical result of Theocharis (1960) asserts that under discrete time scales and static expectations, the equilibrium of a sing- product oligopoly without product differentiation and with linear price and cost functions is asymptotically stable if and only if it is a duopoly. In the continuous time case, asymptotic stability is guaranteed for any number of ?rms. In these cases the resulting dynamical systems are also linear, where local and global asymptotic stability are equivalent to each other. The classical book of Okuguchi (1976) gives a comprehensive summary of the earlier results and developments. The multipr- uct extensionshave been discussed in Okuguchiand Szidarovszky(1999);however, nonlinear features were barely touched upon in these contributions. WiththedevelopmentofthecriticalcurvemethodbyGumowskiandMira(1980) (see also Mira et al. (1996))fordiscrete time systemsand the introductionof cont- uously distributed information lags by Invernizzi and Medio (1991) in continuous time systems, increasing attention has been given to the global dynamics of n- linear oligopolies. The authors of this book have devoted a great deal of research effort to this area.

Social enterprise and third sector activity have expanded into a prolific area of academic research and discourses over the past twenty years, with many claiming their origins rooted in Blair, New Labour and Giddens' "Third Way". But many academic contributions lack the experience of policy implementation and do not access the wealth of grey, legacy and public policy literature from earlier periods that support different interpretations. Since most make few references to developments during the 1970s and 1980s, their narrow focus on New Labour from 1997 onwards not only neglects real antecedents, but miscasts the role of social enterprise. During a key political period from 1998 to 2002, Blair's New Labour Governments forced through a major conceptual shift for social enterprise, co-operative and third sector activity. Many structures, formed as community responses to massive deindustrialisation in the 1970s and 1980s, were repositioned to bid against the private sector to obtain contracts for delivery of low cost public services. Based on previously unseen archival materials and interviews with key players between 1998 and 2002, when major social enterprise and third sector policy changes occurred, Huckfield offers an alternative narrative of social enterprise in the UK, showing how local communities have been denied the restoration of local economic and social democracy. -- .

This volume of Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics includes selected papers from the 22nd Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES) Conference in Rome. It presents original empirical research from several countries and regions including many developing economies such as Poland, Russia, Tunisia, Lebanon, Belarus, and Lithuania. Both the theoretical and empirical papers in this volume cover diverse areas of business and management from various regions. The main focus is on sharing the latest research results on evolving approaches to entrepreneurship research, behavioral aspects of entrepreneurship and SME development, and policy development. The volume also includes related studies that analyze international business cooperation, performance assessment, and a range of other current topics.

1) This is a comprehensive volume on India's Industrial Policy and Performance. 2) The book is rich in empirical data and policy analysis. 3) This book will be of interest to departments of development studies and political economy across UK and USA.

The near-ubiquitous spread of ICT offers unprecedented opportunities for social and economic agents, reshapes social and economic structures and drives the emergence of socioeconomic networks. This book contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge, offering the reader broad evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women's economic and social empowerment and hence have an impact on overall welfare creation. More specifically, it concentrates on demonstrating how ICT may become "empowering technologies" through their implementation. The book is designed to provide deep insight into the theoretical and empirical evidence on ICT as a significant driver of women`s social and economic development. Special focus is given to examining the following broad topics: channels of ICT impact on women's development; the role of ICT in enhancing women's active participation in formal labor markets; examples of how ICT encourages education, skills development, institutions development et alia, and thus contributes to women's social and economic empowerment, as well as case-based evidence on ICT's role in fostering women's equality. The primary audience for the book will be scholars and academic professionals from a wide variety of disciplines but mainly those who are concerned with addressing the issues of economic development and growth, social development, the role of technology progress in the context of broadly defined socioeconomic progress. Chapters 1 and 3 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This book explores how small nations can mobilise and use productive activities to generate inclusive growth and rapidly move up the economic ladder. In this study, Dr. Wong explores how Korea and Taiwan came to balance between commanding critical technological competencies and driving inclusive-economic agendas and ultimately culminates decades of moving up the value chain for the two Asian dynamos. In a world dominated by superpowers, Dr. Wong demonstrates how agile, nimble mid-sized economies can move fast, innovate and achieve post industrial catch-up development. This book will interest scholars of the Asian manufacturing sector, those with an interest in the role semiconductors play in the global economy, and scholars of Asian development.

In this book Harold L. Vogel comprehensively and holistically examines the business economics and investment aspects of major components of the travel industry, including airlines, hotels, casinos, amusement and theme parks, cruise lines, and tourism. The book is designed as an economics-grounded text that uniquely integrates reviews of each sector's history with economics, accounting, and financial aspects and analysis. As such, it provides a concise, up-to-date reference guide for financial analysts, economists, industry executives, legislators and regulators, advertisers, and journalists interested in the economics, financing, and marketing of travel and tourism-related goods and services. The fourth edition of this well-established text updates, refreshes, and significantly broadens the coverage of tourism economics. It includes new sections on travel law and applications of big data and artificial intelligence technologies as well as additional material on demographic spending patterns, the online travel agency business, the pandemic's effects and affects on industry finances, expanded coverage of the cruise line industry, and information on the damage to tourist destinations caused by excessive pollution and traffic.

Neoclassical economics has been criticized from various angles by orthodox schools. The same can be said about its particular branch: the theory of the firm. This book demonstrates how a successful theory of the firm can be presented without flawed notions of a neoclassical framework and used to comprehend actual business history. The author argues that we should start from the assumption that businesses are inevitably imponderable, as that is their nature, in the process of economic evolution. The book offers an in-depth exploration of neoclassical limitations by examining each of the small details associated with the famous MR = MC rule. It follows a step-by-step approach, which starts off with neoclassical assumptions and then moves into more empirically sound theory, based on modeling logic and rooted in real world examples. The author presents a novel discussion on the size of the firm, both in terms of classifying a firm's expansion and about the factors that limit the size of the firm and argues how formal pricing theory can be built using more indeterminate assumptions about firms. Further, there is a discussion on how firms are rooted in amorphous industries, which helps to explain economic progress better by emphasizing the importance of economic experiments, mistakes and bankruptcies. This is a valuable reference for scholars and researchers who are interested in a range of topics from microeconomics, through pricing theory to industrial organization, history of economic thought and managerial economics.

Economics and Business Environment is targeted at students preparing for a career in a managerial position in business or public service. With its accessible style and convenient structure, this textbook offers an insight into: 1 current economic developments that are important to (European) businesses and governments; 2 the influence of the business environmenton company profit and turnover. Students are offered an insight into the economic risks faced by all companies. This fifth edition of Economics and Business Environment has been fully updated; including the measurements taken to reinforce supervision of the banking industry.

This contributed volume studies and explains the effect of agglomeration on a firm's innovation and performance. It presents new cases as well as new topics within the agglomeration phenomenon, exploring also their role under the Great Recession. Beyond the analysis of regions or clusters, this volume focuses on firms within agglomerations and captures this phenomenon from different perspectives, contexts and diverse literatures. Specifically, it looks at the question under what circumstances exert generate benefits on firms' performance, and how those gains are generated and distributed, usually asymmetrically, across agglomerated firms. In this context, the book addresses topics such as networks, collocation, labor mobility, firm's strategies, innovation, competitiveness and collective actions across a diverse set of literatures, including economic geography, business economics, management, social networks, industrial districts, international business, sociology or industry dynamics.

Containing selected papers from the ICRESH-ARMS 2015 conference in Lulea, Sweden, collected by editors with years of experiences in Reliability and maintenance modeling, risk assessment, and asset management, this work maximizes reader insights into the current trends in Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) and Risk Management. Featuring a comprehensive analysis of the significance of the role of RAMS and Risk Management in the decision making process during the various phases of design, operation, maintenance, asset management and productivity in Industrial domains, these proceedings discuss key issues and challenges in the operation, maintenance and risk management of complex engineering systems and will serve as a valuable resource for those in the field.

This volume covers various aspects of the regulation of European network utilities, and the chapters are written by academics and regulators working in the field. This is a fast-moving area, which is currently the focus of much attention, and this collection explores the issues from a detailed, case study-based perspective.

Covering the entire world of business from heavy industry to the financial houses of Wall Street, this book shines a spotlight on 100 of the most infamous cases of misconduct and malfeasance in corporate history. Corporations are in the business of making money. But when companies forget ethics, take operational shortcuts, or willingly endanger customers and the general public in their quest for profits, disasters of enormous magnitude can result. This book examines 100 of the worst cases of corporate greed and irresponsibility and poses the questions: Is it necessary or desirable to conduct business in this manner? Do the penalties and other punishments levied against these companies go far enough? And what is the government's responsibility for keeping corporate misdeeds in check? Coauthored by distinguished public policy experts, When Good Companies Go Bad: 100 Corporate Miscalculations and Misdeeds presents a representative sample of cases on a variety of topics, such as the financial sector, health care, environmental protection, product liability, and copyright. This broad introduction to the dark side of the corporate world focuses on events and scandals that resulted in substantial financial penalties, regulatory actions, or criminal convictions. The cases are presented in a readable and engaging format, making the book an illuminating and informative read for high school and college students as well as businesspeople, lawyers, journalists, and professors who teach American politics, public law, or public policy. Presents cogent and accessible explanations of some of the most important cases involving corporate misconduct of this century in a manner suitable for both general readers and specialists Supplies information about the financial penalty involved, legal issues, public policy implications, and human stories of the individuals involved for each case Includes a bibliography for further research, an appendix of the corporations involved, and sidebars containing additional information such as clarifying details and connections to related topics and relevant websites

This book answers the following questions: How will the global oil and gas market change in the next decade? How does the United States become the world's biggest oil and gas producer? What is the current condition of China's Shale Industry and energy security? Is hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technology cheered or feared? Is energy production driven by economy or environment? Who are the major competitors in this market? This book covers not only macro analysis at country-level, but also micro analysis at firm-level, which helps investigate this industry more comprehensively.

The work contains selected and thoroughly reviewed research papers of the topics Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Digitalization, Sustainability, Transportation Management, Process Management, Risk Management, Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance. The papers reflect the current state-of-the-art in logistics and supply chain management and new ideas and technical developments are discussed.

This book presents contributions of intelligent management theories and models for a more effective management of sustainable business practices in competitive, profitable and socially responsible organizations. It communicates the latest developments and thinking on the sustainability and intelligent management subjects worldwide, increasing the knowledge and effectiveness of all those involved in these areas whether in the profit or non-profit sectors or in the public or private sectors.

Written by two of the field's most respected researchers, Modern Industrial Organization goes beyond the traditional structure-conduct-performance framework by using the latest advances in microeconomic theory, including transaction cost analysis, game theory, contestability, and information economics. Updated to reflect new trends and topics, the 4th Edition focuses on providing students with a clear, unified structure for analysing theories and empirical evidence about the organisation of firms and industries.

Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure - Principles of Policy and Finance, Second Edition explains how public private partnerships are prepared, procured, financed, and managed from both the public- and private-sector perspectives. As the use of public private partnerships continues to develop world-wide, both in the area of public policy and private financing and contracting, the Second Edition of this leading textbook: Captures and explains the latest approaches, providing a comprehensive all-round guide for those on both the public- and private-sector sides of the table Emphasises a step-by-step approach within a comprehensive, cross-referenced format Includes clear explanations of PPP evaluation, structuring and financing concepts for the benefit of those new to the topic: no prior knowledge is assumed or required Provides detailed reference points for more experienced practitioners Draws from the authors' experience and practice in PPP markets worldwide to provide a perspective on practical application of the key underlying principles Includes an extensive glossary of technical and financial terms used in the PPP sector

The information age is reshaping current socio-economic structures and processes and this book touches upon the nature of clusters in the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0; I4.0). It focuses on the spatial perspective of digital business transformation and explores in natural context the interrelations between cluster and I4.0. It investigates the role of knowledge, business relations and policy in making cluster relevant for Industry 4.0 and uses the case study method and literature review to develop a conceptual framework outlining the functioning of Industry 4.0 cluster. This book argues that locally embedded knowledge accompanied by strong presence of industry and assisted by proper governance management facilitate the implementation of I4.0. The idiosyncrasies of Industry 4.0 impact also the functioning of cluster as they require more interdisciplinary integrative approach with the provision of industrial commons and development of related varieties. Natural processes of stretching of the cluster cannot be prevented, but should be harnessed for upgrading the core competences of cluster. This book can enrich existing literature on economic geography and regional studies by discussing the spatial aspects of digital transformation. It shows the cluster transformation as induced by the digital transformation, and will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students who explore the regional and local development, competitiveness, or managerial aspects of fourth industrial revolution.

"If a partner understands better the role alliances play in business strategy, is able to engage in a strategic conversation around the needs for and benefits derived from an alliance, and has a more sophisticated approach to partner selection, there should be fewer conflicts down the road." -from Alliance Competence

Dell Computers revolutionized the PC market when the company formed an alliance between Intel and FedEx. Through this partnership, Dell was able to mass-customize and deliver computers faster than most of its competitors.

With monthly losses around $1 million, USAir decided to join forces with British Airways. Through this alliance, USAir became a global player in the airline industry, and gave both companies the ability to save millions in annual costs by incorporating joint purchasing of services, fuel, aircraft, and more.

Strategic alliances are becoming more and more essential to the viability of a company. These alliances are pervasive throughout the corporate landscape and have a big impact on the way business is conducted across the globe. Written by strategy experts from the University of Virginia's prestigious Darden School, Alliance Competence combines the latest research and case studies to explore the key aspects necessary to develop a successful alliance.

Enhanced by a five-year study of global companies, this book offers unique insights about building the foundations of alliance competence. These competencies provide firms with a source of sustainable competitive advantage that will help them compete more successfully in global markets. Through actual "war stories" the problems and challenges that alliances tend to face are revealed, as well as concrete suggestions for managing through the evolutionary cycle.

After examining all the research available, the authors introduce a process they've developed called The No Blame Review(TM) (NBR). This collaborative, nonjudgmental process helps alliances constructively confront times when the alliance seems off track. The NBR creates an objective, nonthreatening, and non-value-laden opportunity for alliance managers and strategic sponsors on both sides to raise, investigate, and review serious issues. It also allows partners to check the alliance's vital signs and to make a determination that all systems are in alignment. This process provides the most positive approach to conflict resolution.

The insight, real-world examples, and research featured in Alliance Competence will give you the tools and diagnostics necessary for locating potential allies and creating a successful alliance.

"A thoughtful, experience-based exploration of the subtleties and nuances that must be addressed when entering into complex alliance relationships. Required reading!" -Lawrence M. Small, President and COO, Fannie Mae

"From global service enterprises to e-business start-ups, firms in the future will win or lose by how well they manage their alliance strategies. This book is a gold mine of valuable perspectives, useful advice, and practical checklists that will help you tilt the game in your favor. Read it and, more importantly, use it to develop your own alliance competence." -Benjamin Gomes-Casseres, Director, MBA Program, Brandeis University and author,

The Alliance Revolution

"This book gives us a frame for learning-in terms of basics, it's the best I've seen. A must-read for those seeking prosperous alliances!" -Dr. Stephan Kessel, Chairman of the Executive Board, Continental AG, Hannover

"In this time when alliances are crucial to the organization, all partners must understand and commit to the success of the alliance. This book makes these issues clear and provides tools to achieve-a very valuable resource for anyone in the business world today." William Mustain, President and CEO, Comdial Corporation

Foundations of Organisational Economics: Histories and Theories of the Firm and Production delves into a range of key topics to do with the history of the mainstream approach to the theory of production and the theory of the firm. This includes the frameworks used to analyse production, the division of labour and its application to the firm and the development of the neoclassical model of production. The first topic explored is the change from a normative approach to a largely positive approach to the analysis of the theory of production, which occurred around the seventeenth century. The next topic is an examination of the relationship (or the lack of a relationship) between the division of labour and the theory of the firm. In the fourth chapter, the focus is on the development of the proto-neoclassical approach to production. Here, the development of the theories of monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition are discussed, as well as the theory of input utilisation. Chapter 5 looks at Marshall's idea of the representative firm, which was the main early neoclassical approach to the theory of industry-level production. The penultimate chapter considers the criticisms made of the neoclassical model between 1940 and 1970. This work is an illuminating reference for students and researchers of the history of economic thought, industrial organisation, microeconomic theory and organisational studies.

The Socialist Industrial State (1976) examines the state-socialist system, taking as the central example the Soviet Union - where the goals and values of Marxism-Leninism and the particular institutions, the form of economy and polity, were first adopted and developed. It then considers the historical developments, differences in culture, the level of economic development and the political processes of different state-socialist countries around the globe.

The demand for economic inclusion has increasingly intensified, as manifested by the growing movements of farmers, workers, and social activists. Therefore, the question of adequate social representation of marginalized and underprivileged communities has to be made pivotal in the discourse of inclusion. This book investigates selected aspects of labour market informality in India. It examines the key factors that have expedited labour informality- contractualisation - in the manufacturing sector since the early 1990s. It analyses the features of informality and inclusion from the perspective of not just class but also the caste hierarchy in Indian society, thus offering readers an exhaustive overview of economic inclusion following the economic reforms and providing fresh insights into labour market informality through the lens of the social divisions in Indian society. Developed on a wide canvas of multiple processes, policies and factors that have contributed to this phenomenon, the book offers an elaborate analysis of contractualisation within the industry from the perspectives of labour legislation and the labour market. In addition, it contextualizes the issue of job informality for the post economic reforms era, from 1991 onwards. It examines the impact of the policies of economic reform on contractualisation across industries and states. Further, the book discusses the dynamics of the labour market reforms in India, given that there is a higher incidence of labour informality in India. It also highlights how the policy quest for inclusive growth has remained unfulfilled. This book will be a useful guide for advanced students, academic researchers, scholars and policy makers that are engaged with the issue of informal sector employment.

This book is the eighth volume in a series entitled "Contemporary Logistics in China," authored by researchers from the Logistics Research Center at Nankai University. In the spirit of the seven preceding annual volumes, this book carries on the ideal of providing a systematic exposition on the logistics development in China for the English-speaking community at large. Specially, this volume captures China's logistics development at a crucial turning point. This present report consists of ten chapters, organized into three sections. The introductory section, consisting of three chapters, depicts the current development status of the logistics market, the logistics facilities and technology, and the regional logistics market. The second section addresses the logistics characteristics of four rapidly expanding industries in China-the third-party logistics, the highway logistics, the express logistics, and the multimodal transport. The final section, consisting of three chapters, discusses some hot logistics topics in China. Chapter 8 studies the capital operation in China's logistics industry. The next chapter deals with the development of intelligent logistics in China. The last chapter of this section presents the development of regional logistics along the Belt and Road routes. As with the previous volumes, the ultimate aim of this book is to present a timely portrait of the rapid growth of China's logistics market and the status quo of its logistics industry. In so doing, the book offers an in-depth analysis of critical issues involved in the ongoing dynamic and multi-faceted development, and provides a valuable reference resource for interested readers in the academic and professional fields.

This book examines driving factors and the effects of globalisation on economic development through firm and product-level data. The book is organised into four themes, i.e., productivity, innovation, wage and income gap, and within-firm reallocation of resources. The comprehensiveness and richness of firm and product-level data shed light upon the channels through which trade and investment affect firms' competitiveness and unveil factors shaping firms' heterogeneous responses towards globalisation. The book looks at Asian economies as well as Australia and how they have experienced substantial structural change and become more integrated into the global economy and will be a useful reference for those who are interested in learning more about the relationship between globalisation and firm performance. This book will appeal to policy makers and researchers interested in the impact of globalisation on firm performance.