This book analyzes the current Islamic marketing environment. Since the Muslim world is extremely diverse in terms of economic development, customs and traditions and political and legal systems, it is vital for companies and marketers to analyze the environment before attempting to address these markets. The author emphasizes that it is ineffectual to elaborate the distribution and promotion strategies if the market does not exist in terms of purchasing power or demographics, if potential consumers do not believe that products and services answer their needs and demands or if there are political and legal barriers to companies wanting to enter these markets. The book offers detailed insights into the economic, socio-cultural, and politico-legal environment in the Muslim world, which are essential for marketers to understand and form the foundations of effective marketing strategies.

The world is changing rapidly. The global economic crisis has called into question the political decisions that have been made by all countries for decades and has led to a re-formulation of tools and aims. Adjustments to the new situation are necessary and entail considerable economic and social costs. The Balkan and Black Sea area is an important reference point for the European and global economy. Accordingly, the study of the economic development in the area is of great interest, engaging politicians and scientists alike. Under this framework, the matter of the relation between the area's countries and the E.U., the role of the banking system and the importance of the primary sector of the economy as an important developmental factor for the countries' economies are of great importance. "

Do countries benefit from their Membership in the WTO? This book addresses this question and examines the role of the WTO in the process of economic development of emerging markets and other developing countries.

In the past twenty years the clusters of small enterprises proved to be among the most dynamic ways to promote the endogenous growth of local economic systems. However, the case of 'survival clusters' in developing countries is more controversial, as many international organizations and specialized government agencies have verified over their long-term experience. This book offers a new interpretative key, which we call 'a stage and eclectic approach' to the development of clusters. This approach supports public efforts to increase the effectiveness of policy-making and development operations in local contexts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the Silk Road Economic Belt component of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative at Kazakhstan in 2013. OBOR is a development strategy and framework that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily in Eurasia. It consists of two main components, the land-based 'Silk Road Economic Belt' (SREB) and ocean-going 'Maritime Silk Road' (MSR). This book studies the equilibrium or balance between overland and maritime trade routes of OBOR.This book has two major sections. The interpretive section examines contemporary media narratives related to the OBOR initiative and how contemporary commentators appropriate narratives about historical events related to the maritime Silk Road to interpret current policy agendas and legitimize diplomatic or economic exchanges. In terms of institutional studies, the chapters related to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will look at the issues facing the Bank in its quest in forming a new world platform for multilateral development financing.The other section, the empirical case study of the publication highlights the fact that Euro-China High Speed Rail (HSR) and Central Asia-China HSR are not viable at the moment as passenger volume is not sufficient to justify the HSR line. This section examines the overland route of the OBOR and looks at recent Chinese HSR history and conventional sub-high speed rail technology development, and identifies technical & economic criteria determining the appropriate technology for a certain line. The chapter in this section will use the developed criteria to analyze the various rail linkage projects currently under study in the OBOR framework, highlight the economic, bureaucratic and geo-political challenges that these projects likely face and lay down conditions that will determine the outcome of these projects.

The tariff policies of the 1890-1922 led to the development of tariff rates that launched the United States on a path that led to later trade wars. The Republican Party and Porter McCumber took the lead in promoting these policies, claiming that the tariff would protect new and struggling industries. In many instances, items subjected to high tariffs were not in conflict with industries in the United States. In addition, although the tariff covered agricultural products, it was not sufficient to halt an agricultural decline. This work traces the course of U.S. policy through five tariffs which preceded the Fordney-McCumber tariff of 1922, when the tariff was used for both protection and revenue. McCumber's economic nationalism combined with his internationalism in other areas is detailed in the work.

This book aims to explore the social and cultural issues within the economic changes that have given rise to service work. Written by specialists in their respective fields, this book draws together authors from interdisciplinary areas that are carrying out significant research into gender and service work within an international context.

Competition between companies tends to be beneficial for the general public, but is this also true for competition between States in a world with global financial markets, low transport costs, and increasing migration? In this book, Sinn provides a solid economic analysis of the competitive forces at work and addresses how we should organize competition between systems so they will enhance the efficiency of these systems, as opposed to acting destructively on them.Provides a thorough economic analysis of the competitive forces at work between nations and governments.Analyzes a wide range of state activities, including taxation, public goods provision, income redistribution, environmental policy, safety standards, and competition policy.Addresses ways to organize competition so it will enhance the efficiency of these systems.

Corporate governance, namely the relationship between the ownership and control of firms, takes on new dimensions in the case of international joint ventures operating in the special context of China. The present study contributes a new examination of this relationship, firstly through its conceptual refinement, and secondly through original empirical research. It develops the concept of ownership as suited to joint ventures, in which account is taken of non-capital resourcing by foreign and Chinese partners.

Many risks face the global insurance industry today, including the aging populations of developed countries, competition from other financial institutions, and both disparate and quickly changing regulatory demands, to name a few. The book's contributors offer their unique perspectives on challenges confronting the insurance industry and how attendant risks can be most effectively managed.

Economic globalisation is a long-term international process in which the roles of the EU, ASEAN, Korea, Japan and China are of increasing importance. Trade dynamics and foreign investment, as well as regional policy cooperation in Europe and Asia, are discussed here along with historical developments. Moreover, the book highlights links between European Community law and WTO regulations. The key challenges posed by China's economic expansion are part of the analysis; specific issues concern international outsourcing and off-shoring as well as regional economic integration in a period of financial globalisation. Based on historical dynamics, theoretical analysis and global shifts, policy solutions for Europe, Asia and the world economy can be arrived at: The book offers clear policy options and also reveals crucial issues in terms of the welfare analysis of regional integration.

With the globalization of economic activity bringing about the expansion of markets and deepening of economic interdependency beyond state-borders, a new political challenge arises: how to effectively integrate the interdependent economies into a harmonious unity through the creation of new super-state institutions? This book applies a spatial economics perspective to the understanding of the recent dynamism of the global economy, with particular focus on East Asia. In addition, it examines the prospects of regional integration in East Asia.

To bring this volume together, the editor asked leading scholars in the field of globalization to outline a "research framework" that reflects their own approach to the subject. The resulting book presents a broad spectrum of analytical approaches to globalization. Theoretical reviews are complemented by substantive chapters and methodological analyses. Contributors include scholars in the fields of sociology, anthropology, history and political science. These writings have been organized into four sections: theoretical perspectives and cultural globalization, economic globalization, political globalization, and methodological approaches.

This book analyzes key international monetary issues from a macro-foundations perspective. It proposes novel frameworks to interpret macroeconomic and financial linkages for globally integrated economies, examining global imbalances, exchange rates, interest rates, international capital flows, inflation, foreign and public debt.

"Governing Global Finance "examines the evolution of financial globalization and the attempts that have been made at the international level to establish a system of global financial governance (i.e. the international financial architecture) to safeguard the functioning of the international financial system. It explains how the international financial architecture has come to take the form that it has, and why it was unable to prevent the recent global financial crisis. The book considers a number of reforms that have been proposed to minimize the risk of future financial crises, as well as others that need to be implemented.

Is the world globalized as so many pundits claim? The facts say otherwise. Consumption, for example, has a strong domestic bias. Distance and borders are two important reasons for this bias and are a powerful deterrent to globalization. Also, multinational corporations ???the organizations that best symbolize the concept of globalization???do not have a global reach, but rather focus their activities within an area surrounding the home market. These facts suggest that regionalization and not globalization is the appropriate characterization of today??'s economic environment.
This volume explores the drivers of cross-border trade and the forces underlying the expansion of the border from the nation to the regional trade area. The findings of this research cast some doubts on the practicality of striving for a more globalized trade system through costly and time-consuming trade rounds populated by a myriad of players with their agendas and conflicts? Would it not be better to let the world fully play out the regional option before implementing a more global strategy?
*International coverage of global strategic management
*Dicusses multi-national corporation and whether their growth strategy should be regional v. global
*Addresses regional trade situations (i.e., NAFTA, European Union, and Mercosur)

Productivity growth is vital for wealth creation. It is fashioned by a number of factors including international trade and foreign direct investment. This volume examines the nature of the links between the globalisation process and productivity growth whilst including empirical analyses of these links. Other subjects covered include how exporting and productivity interact; the relevance of ownership to productivity growth; and potential spillovers from multinational firms to indigenous firms in their host country. This volume offers the most complete collection of studies available on this key issue.

As firms from East Asia gain global market share they are stirring trade disputes with import-competing firms in the West. Jessica Liao analyzes the role played by government-business collaboration in determining how effective East Asian governments are in helping their exporters gain an edge over western competitors through WTO litigation.

Will China eventually be able to eliminate its socialist animal spirits? Highlighting the importance of China's investment booms and busts for both the Chinese and the world economy, Animal Spirits with Chinese Characteristics describes the origins and evolution of the investment cycle during the command economy period.

Veteran journalist and communications scholar Philip Seib examines the future of Anglo-American relations in the context of post-Cold War developments such as the restructuring of NATO and the growing importance of the European Union. After establishing the historical context of ties between the United States and Great Britain, Seib analyzes current and prospective security and economic issues, cultural links between the two countries, and the dynamics of bilateral cooperation in matters such as building peace in Northern Ireland. Professor Seib also suggests an agenda for strengthening these ties as the new millennium begins. Relations between the United States and Great Britain remain good, but neglect-even during stable periods-could undermine this relationship. Seib makes the case that the United States and Great Britain still need each other and would benefit from constructive reappraisal and reaffirmation of their friendship. Although much has been written about the history of the special relationship, Seib provides uniquely comprehensive analysis of the issues that will determine the future of this alliance. The book will be of considerable use to scholars, students, policymakers, and all who believe that the future of US-British relations is too important to be taken for granted.

The Eurasian continent, which has for over a century lagged behind in global markets, is currently gaining economic and political momentum. This book investigates emerging economic linkages in the area, examining the factors shaping this integration, the benefits and risks involved, and the future of these states on the global stage.

By combining insights from Europeanization, globalization, varieties of capitalism, and policy transfer literature, this book reconceptualizes the dynamics taking place during the EU enlargement process and makes a major contribution to the understanding of the relationships between institutional transformation and economic performance.

This book provides a comparative analysis of the emerging corporate control structures in the transition economies. It details characteristics of corporate governance in the two largest transition economies: Russia and Poland. It explores what kind of ownership structures are emerging in these two countries and to what degree they are they path-dependent and conditional on the initial choice of privatization methods - fast ownership transfer through the mass privatization programme and loans-for-equity scheme in Russia, and a more 'organic' growth of the new private sector in Poland. It examines the directions of the subsequent, post-privatization, secondary ownership flows in both countries and the impact of the government on corporations, implied both by the residual shareholding of the state and by its regulatory and administrative actions.

The expanding membership of the EU means significant changes for accession countries' international trade relations, affecting imports, exports, tax revenues, government expenditures and domestic regulatory regimes. There are also significant ramifications for the EU budget. This book is a valuable comprehensive tool kit for analysing the economic effect of EU accession, using examples from the most complex sector for both candidate countries and the EU itself - agriculture. The authors provide a complete set of market configurations with which to analyse harmonisation with the Common Agriculture Policy in both the long and short run. It also provides insights into the questions of regulatory harmonisation in areas of food safety, animal and plant health, the environment, animal welfare, technical standards and the protection of intellectual property. Background is provided on the EU and its policies, economic developments in transition economies and the accession process. The book also provides a unique insight into how negotiating positions can be developed. A wide audience will find this book of great value and interest including policymakers and analysts in governments and related think tanks, businesses and consultancy firms trading in the EU. Scholars and researchers of European studies, international trade and agriculture will also find the book invaluable.