First published in 1998, this collection of essays by eminent microfinance practitioners provides a range of perspectives on contemporary issues in the field. Different approaches are proposed for achieving improved access by the poor to financial services. The common denominator in these essays is financial sustainability for the service provider. Issues addressed include: is savings mobilization integral to microfinance and, if so, how should it be incorporated in new programs? Are borrower groups a necessary element of successful microfinance programs? Are NGOs the right institutional vehicle for sustainable microfinance interventions? Is standardized and generalizable microfinance credit rating system feasible? While there is considerable diversity in the approaches recommended in these essays, the importance of cost efficiency and cost recovery forms the basis for most of the discussions.

This textbook is a comprehensive introduction to applied spatial data analysis using R. Each chapter walks the reader through a different method, explaining how to interpret the results and what conclusions can be drawn. The author team showcases key topics, including unsupervised learning, causal inference, spatial weight matrices, spatial econometrics, heterogeneity and bootstrapping. It is accompanied by a suite of data and R code on Github to help readers practise techniques via replication and exercises. This text will be a valuable resource for advanced students of econometrics, spatial planning and regional science. It will also be suitable for researchers and data scientists working with spatial data.

Milton Friedman and George J. Stigler shaped economics as we know it today a " their Chicago School laid the groundwork for much of the neoclassical tradition in economic analysis. This book brings together a collection of letters from these two Noble laureates from the post-war years, containing new information about their personal and professional relationships, and also illuminating the development of ideas which are now fundamental to economic theory.

The book, expertly edited by Dan and Claire Hammond, contains an introductory chapter, chronologies for Friedman and Stigler, and transcripts of sixty eight letters written from 1945 to 1957 along with enclosures.

First published in 1999, this study recognises the importance of international labour mobility for modern economics. This is in large part due to its effects on the size, age structure and skills of the labour force, the human flow between countries and the expected rise in scale as a result of income differentials, demographic pressures and differential labour-force growth rates along with developments in transport and communications. These migrations are increasingly volatile and unpredictable, whilst being concentrated in regions like Australia, the USA, Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe. Given the extensive literature on the microeconomic view, George M. Agiomirgianakis aims to extend the debate on open economy macroeconomics through an exploration of international labour mobilities and their effects on open economies with flexible exchange rates.

This book explores a new theory of the firm produced through an exchange between management theory and economics. In the process economics is seen to provide a foundational element for strategy research whilst developing a more realistic theory of the firm with a greater emphasis on its internal features. The success of competence theories of the firm also reflects their ability to explain significant trends in the business world, notably the declining importance of conglomerates and critical features in the success of Asian and Japanese business.

This is the first book to address the design needs of older people in the outdoor environment. It provides information on design principles essential to built environment professionals who want to provide for all users of urban space and who wish to achieve sustainability in their designs. Part one examines the changing experiences of people in the outdoor environment as they age and discusses existing outdoor environments and the aspects and features that help or hinder older people from using and enjoying them. Part two presents the six design principles for 'streets for life' and their many individual components. Using photographs and line drawings, a range of design features are presented at all scales of the outdoor environment from street layouts and building form to signs and detail. Part three expands on the concept of 'streets for life' as the ultimate goal of inclusive urban design. These are outdoor environments that people are able to confidently understand, navigate and use, regardless of age or circumstance, and represent truly sustainable inclusive communities.

The financial crisis is a recurring phenomenon, yet its various instances have differed greatly in nature. Crises have punctuated the history of Western financial systems since the early eighteenth century variously appearing in the guise of stock market crashes, large-scale failures of financial enterprises, collapses in the external value of a nation's currency, or some combination of the three.
This study explores the major patterns of change in the evolution of financial crises as enduring phenomena, and analyzes the paradoxical position that crises are at once similar to and different from each other. Brenda Spotton-Visano examines economic, psychological and social elements intrinsic to the process of capitalist accumulation and innovation to explain the enduring similarities of crises across historical episodes. She also assesses the impact that changing financial and economic structures have on determining the specific nature of crises and the differential effect these have in focal point, manner and extent of transmission to other, otherwise unrelated, parts of the economy.
"Financial Crises "offers a consistent method for interpreting variations in financial crises through time and allows for a better overall appreciation for both the transitory fragility and enduring flexibility of financial capitalism and the potential vulnerability created by on-going financial development.

The world of pricing has been changing at a fast pace. There has been a development of new dynamic pricing strategies, an explosion of new pricing tactics, and a focus on smarter buyers. This book focuses on those developments and highlights new perspectives for pricing strategies.

Game theory has implications for all the social sciences and beyond. It now provides the theoretical basis for almost all teaching in economics, and 2x2 games provide the very basis of game theory. Here, Goforth and Robinson here have delivered a well-written and knowledgeable, 'periodic table' of the most common games including:

* the prisoner's dilemma
* coordination games
* chicken
* the battle of the sexes.

This book will provide a valuable reference for students of microeconomics and business mathematics.

The Tender Bud is the moving story of one woman's journey through breast cancer. The woman in question happens to be a senior psychiatrist of broad learning and deep clinical insight. Madeleine Meldin weathered the crisis of breast cancer without the support of an immediate family and in the context of ongoing professional burdens. This book is the journal that she wrote for herself as an aid to coping with the personal upheaval of diagnosis, mastectomy, and the aftermath of treatment. It was written while these events unfolded. With arresting candor, Meldin chronicles her emotions at each stage of her odyssey - the recurrent cycles of denial, anxiety, and despair; the conflicting feelings engendered by her physicians, surgeons, and the treatment "establishment" in general; her struggle between resignation and emergent hopefulness. Unique to Meldin's account is her ongoing juxtaposition of the different dimensions of "having cancer." Simply and gracefully, she chronicles the everyday dimension of cancer, with its obligation to proceed maturely and dispassionately with medical and surgical care, to meet one's professional responsibilities, to maintain the appearances that allow one to carry on with one's life. Meldin excels at showing how even the most mundane experiences of everyday life - conversations with friends and colleagues, the selection of clothes, a trip to the hairdresser - became saturated with her illness, with her sense of herself as a cancer patient.

From the earliest times, people have striven to turn their houses into homes through the use of decoration and furnishings, stimulating in turn a major commercial sector dedicated to offering the products and services essential to feed the ever-changing dictates of domestic fashion. Whilst there is plentiful evidence to show that these phenomena can be traced to medieval times, it is arguable that the eighteenth century witnessed the birth of a widespread and sophisticated consumer society. With a comparatively wealthy and socially mobile society, eighteenth-century Britain proved to be a fertile ground for ideas of home improvement and beautification, which were to persist to the present day. Turning Houses into Homes not only maps the history, changes, development and structure of the retail furnishing industry in Britain over three centuries, but also examines the relationships between the retailer and the consumer, looking at how retailers helped stimulate and shape the demand of their customers. Whilst work has been done on specific aspects of the home, very little has been written on the interaction between the retailer and consumer, and the pressures brought to bear on them by issues such as gender, education, status, symbolism, taste, decoration, hygiene, comfort and entertainment. As such, this book offers a valuable conjunction of retail history and consumption practices, which are examined through a multi-disciplinary approach to explore both their intimate connections and their wider roles in society.

"Competition Policy in East Asia "draws together a collection of papers on competition policy that were presented at the Twenty-Eighth Conference of the Pacific Area Forum on Trade and Development (PAFTAD), held in Manila on 16-18 September 2002. It seeks to clarify the issues and provide a framework for understanding competition policy, looking in depth at a number of regulated sectors for additional perspectives
Until two or three decades ago, competition and consumer protection policies were the preserve of the major developed economies like the United States, the United Kingdom and some European countries. Now competition issues are at the top of the international agenda as globalization spreads and as the operations of the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and other organizations have brought about a realization that regulatory reform - and in many economies the creation for the first time of regulatory instruments for competition and consumer protection - is an imperative.

Small Is Beautiful is Oxford-trained economist E. F. Schumacher's classic call for the end of excessive consumption. Schumacher inspired such movements as "Buy Locally" and "Fair Trade," while voicing strong opposition to "casino capitalism" and wasteful corporate behemoths. Named one of the Times Literary Supplement's 100 Most Influential Books Since World War II, Small Is Beautiful presents eminently logical arguments for building our economies around the needs of communities, not corporations.

Since achieving independence in 1960, Nigeria has suffered through a civil war, the overthrow of elected governments in repeated military coups, and severe economic crises. This study looks at the country's economic development under these conditions and in light of Nigeria's status as a Third World nation with an economy largely dependent on foreign capital and international markets. Focusing on state economic policy, Ohiorhenuan assesses Nigeria's development as a dependent capitalist economy under military rule and identifies both the factors that promote this type of development and those that constrain it. After describing the country's current economic state, Ohiorhenuan discusses the relationship between economic dependency and capitalist development in Nigeria and then considers the economic policies of successive military regimes. Specific topics include the military's capital accumulation program and management of the economy, the restructuring of property rights, the critical role of Nigeria's oil surplus, and the government's attempts to control the organized working class. In a study of two types of collaboration between the state and transnational capital, Ohiorhenuan explores the limitations on direct governmental accumulation of capital. This systematic and incisive examination of Nigeria's political economy is a significant contribution to the understanding of Third World development processes. This book is a useful resource for policy research, studies or classes dealing with modern Africa, with Third World development, and international political economy.

Market Analysis for Real Estate is a comprehensive introduction to how real estate markets work and the analytical tools and techniques that can be used to identify and interpret market signals. The markets for space and varied property assets, including residential, office, retail, and industrial, are presented, analyzed, and integrated into a complete understanding of the role of real estate markets within the workings of contemporary urban economies. Unlike other books on market analysis, the economic and financial theory in this book is rigorous and well integrated with the specifics of the real estate market. Furthermore, it is thoroughly explained as it assumes no previous coursework in economics or finance on the part of the reader. The theoretical discussion is backed up with numerous real estate case study examples and problems, which are presented throughout the text to assist both student and teacher.

Including discussion questions, exercises, several web links, and online slides, this textbook is suitable for use on a variety of degree programs in real estate, finance, business, planning, and economics at undergraduate and MSc/MBA level. It is also a useful primer for professionals in these disciplines.

Table of Contents

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Market Analysis In Perspective 2. Real Estate Economics PART B: METROPOLITAN GROWTH ANALYSIS 3. Metropolitan Growth Patterns 4. Analyzing Metropolitan Economies PART C: ANALYZING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE MARKETS 5. Residential Real Estate Markets 6. Macroeconomic Analysis of Residential Real Estate Markets: Accounting Techniques 7. Macroeconomic Analysis of Residential Real Estate Markets: The Basics of the Econometric Approach 8. Macroeconomic Analysis of Residential Real Estate Markets: Applying the Econometric Approach 9. Analyzing Residential Projects: A Micro Perspective 10. Analysis of Residential Real Estate Markets: An Example PART D: ANALYZING THE MARKET FOR RETAIL SPACE 11. Retail Markets and Retail Market Studies 12. Analyzing the Market for Retail Space 13. Analyzing the Market for Retail Space: Synthesis and Market Studies PART E: OFFICE MARKET ANALYSIS 14. The Market for Office Space 15. Office Market Analysis: A Macro Perspective 16. Micro Analysis of Office Markets 17. Office Market Analysis: Synthesis and Market Studies PART F: INDUSTRIAL MARKET ANALYSIS 18. Industrial Space Market PART G: DATA SOURCES 19. Data Sources for Real Estate Market Analysis

Huang examines a recurring pattern of rapid economic growth in East Asia from 1951 to the present and explores how far a single East Asian Growth model can be said to exist. Assessing the various theories put forward to explain the phenomenon and supported by the most comprehensive data, the book finds that methods of institutional enhancement were at the core of the growth. This institutional enhancement affected state structure and functions, economic policy, corporate arrangements, social structure and relations, individual behaviour, and domestic and international interaction. Each of these elements was a critical aspect of the growth system that defined and propelled the rapid growth.

In the second half of the twentieth century, 20 percent (10,000) of all retail druggists were Rexall druggists. Now there are none, and this book explains why! The Rexall Story: A History of Genius and Neglect shows how a brilliant and successful business/pharmacy venture was allowed to fail through carelessness and an inattention to the original formula of the company. From the celebrated genius of Louis Liggettwho started United Drug in 1903to the business's demise nearly 75 years later, this significant text will provide you with new insight into the pharmacy industry. With The Rexall Story, pharmacists, pharmacy and business educators, and historians alike can see how Louis Liggett single-handedly transformed the retail drug business using innovative business practices and policies. Author Mickey C. Smith, editor of the Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Economics and principal author and editor of the seminal book Pharmaceutical Marketing: Principles, Environment and Practices, uses his expertise to explain how Louis Liggett's techniques were so successful in the industry. This book explores in detail his communication and merchandising skills, his principles in doing business, and his revolutionary techniques for keep his business prosperous. Using internal documents, photographs, and direct quotes from radio promotions, and the recollections of former Rexall employees, this book chronicles Rexall's story, including: the beginnings of Rexallits origins and expansion, International Rexall Clubs, and the unparalleled efforts of Liggett and his franchisees the Dear Pardner letters (1903-1923)unprecedented in Big Business even today, these were personal letters between Liggett and his people the Rexall familyconversations and correspondence with former Rexallites, capturing how the ret

Based on case-study research in four low income sub-Saharan African countries (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi) this book brings together the micro-level realities of gaining a living in rural areas with the macro-level that seek to secure rapid poverty reduction in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of halving global poverty by the year 2015.
The starting point is the livelihoods approach to poverty reduction that providesa powerful framework within which micro-level experiences of poverty and vulnerability can be connected to the policy contexts that either block or facilitate people's own efforts to escape from poverty. Initial chapters provide evidence concerning the multiple and diverse character of rural livelihoods. The book then goues on to examine the institutional context of livelihoods, including decentralisation, taxation, markets, land tenure and agricultural research. The natural resource dimensions of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, small-scale irrigation and community-based natural resource management policies are then analysed. The concluding chapters consider micro-macro linkages, including linking micro-level poverty traps to Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; incorporating rural poverty measurement in such strategies; and tracing macro-micro links.
This book exposes the gap that occurs between the rhetoric of poverty reduction strategies in capital cities and the practice of public sector delivery in rural areas. It will be essential reading for advanced students and researchers in the fields of rural development, rural livelihoods, poverty reduction strategies and Sub-Saharan Africa development as well as advisors andpractitioners in international organizations.

Fair pricing is an issue that affects us all, whether we?re consumers or merchants. Throughout her career, Sarah Maxwell has seen how pricing practices?across a variety of different areas, from mobile phones and airline tickets to prescription drugs and gasoline?impact our everyday lives. Now, with "The Price Is Wrong, " Maxwell shares her deepest insights on this issue and examines both the psychological and sociological basis of fair pricing.

The highly praised Western, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, has been used in many game-theory courses over the years and has also found its way into leading journals of this field. Using the rich material offered by this movie, alongside other elements from popular culture, literature and history, this book furthers this exploration into a fascinating area of economics. In his series of Schumpeter lectures, Manfred J. Holler uses his analysis of Sergio Leone's movie as a starting point to argue that combinations of desires, secrets and second-mover advantages trigger conflicts but also allow for conflict resolution. Many people and organizations have a desire for secrecy, and this is often motivated by a desire to create a second-mover advantage, and by undercutting the second-mover advantage of others. This book demonstrates that the interaction of these three ingredients account for a large share of social problems and failures in politics and business but, somewhat paradoxically, can also help to overcome some of the problems that result by applying one or two of them in isolation. This book has been written for curious readers who want to see the world from a different perspective and who like simple mathematics alongside story telling. Its accessible approach means that it will be of use to students and academics alike, especially all those interested in decision making, game theory, and market entry.

Investment is the engine of growth. In consequence, the social welfare of the populace depends on the expectations of uncertain profitability as understood by the agents of a wealthy few who decide upon levels of investment. As private wealth is intimately tied to the investment process, the importance of wealth concentration goes far beyond considerations of equity. In recent years, private economic power has become increasingly concentrated as more of the population has become dependent upon an elite pursuing private ends. In this context, this book examines the role of capital accumulation in various historical contexts. Over seventy years ago, Michal Kalecki derived the mathematical relationship between government deficits, the external trade account and free cash-defined as the gross profit over and above that portion ploughed back into new investment. Since then, the free cash literature has remained largely within an industrial organizational context where free cash theory has helped to explain mergers. In contrast, this book, revisits Kalecki's free cash construction at the macro and global level and explores the various causes and effects of free cash on the economy. As part of this examination, the author highlights the historical uses of free cash in imperialist adventures, mergers and speculative endeavours. In addition to developing a new relative valuation measure of capital accumulation, he also utilizes a neo-Kaleckian model to help explain the U.S. slowdown in investment since the late 1960s, the increasing inequality of wealth and income and the recent speculative episodes associated with the spillage of free cash. Finally, based on these models the book argues for heightened taxes on the wealthy and an increased role for government investment in health care and energy. Free Cash, Capital Accumulation and Inequality offers an explanation as to how wealth and income inequalities have fashioned, and been fashioned by, various historical episodes right up to the present. It will be of great interest to those studying and researching in the field of economic analysis.

This book is unique among modern contributions to behavioral economics in presenting a grand synthesis between the kind of behavioral economics popularized by Richard Thaler, earlier approaches such as those of the 1978 Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary economics from Veblen and Marshall through to neo-Schumpeterian thinking. The synthesis employs a complex adaptive systems approach to how people think, the lifestyles they build, and how new production technologies and products are gradually adopted and produce changes. Using a huge range of examples, it takes behavioral economics from its recent focus on 'nudging' consumers, to the behavior of firms and other organizations, the challenges of achieving structural change and transitioning to environmentally sustainable lifestyles, and instability of the financial system. This book will be of great interest to academics and graduate students who seek a broader view of what behavioral economics is and what it might become.

This book tells the story of what might have been considered an unlikely source of dynamic change in Russia - formerly state-owned manufacturing enterprises and their managers. Based on interviews conducted over a six-year span with managers at 47 manufacturing, light industry, consumer durable, and food processing firms in four Russian cities, the study documents the real world challenge of turning hidebound, often dysfunctional manufacturing operations into thriving companies. With analytical rigor and theoretical creativity, this work will dispel some common misconceptions about the Russian economy and make a contribution to the literature about management, company strategies, and corporate governance.

Local industrial clusters, such as Silicon Valley in the United States, have become an important subject of scholarly inquiry in recent years. This book offers a unifying view by capturing the general characteristics and prerequisites of local industrial clusters both on a theoretical as well as an empirical level. The book establishes a mathematical model to analyse the dynamics of clustering and the conditions that are to be satisfied if a local industrial cluster is to evolve. This model allows predictions about the spatial distribution of firms to be deducted, which are empirically tested in the book. This thorough methodology allows the author to postulate upon whether the number of local clusters that emerge in an industry is random, or whether it is predetermined. An impressive scholarly exercise, this book also contains important policy lessons. As such, Local Industrial Clusters will be a valuable read for policy-makers as well as academics.