"U.S. International CompetitivenesS" challenges the common assertions concerning causes of America's growing trade deficit. The authors' unique empirical analysis of industry specific trade flows using numerous explanatory variables provides a vigorous test of the view that deficit growth is primarily due to unfair foreign trade practices, overzealous antitrust laws, slack U.S. management, and other microeconomic factors. Their conclusions on the actual culprits offer a sobering reassessment of current and proposed trade policies. American and foreign public policy makers, as well as trade and industrial organization scholars, will find this volume to be enlightening and provocative reading.

The first two chapters establish the parameters and theoretical background for the study. The authors then review the microeconomic explanations for sudden trade deficit growth, identify industry characteristics included in the study, and specify the model to be tested. Turning to an examination of the empirical results, they initially look at whether changes in industry characteristics over time could have increased the deficit. They then highlight microeconomic explanations for changes in the U.S. trade balance. Concluding chapters present detailed case studies of particular industries as well as the policy implications to be drawn from the study.

If people could change their competencies and characteristics at will, personal development would be a relatively simple matter. However, there are many reasons why people consciously or unconsciously tend to resist change. The purpose of this book is to make you aware of techniques for overcoming resistance to change and meaningfully influence the change process in others. Knowledge of these techniques will allow you to formulate and execute truly effective personnel planning and development. An individual's behavior is a function of their innate capacity, their level of awareness, their motivation, and their competence to execute their work responsibilities. Behavior is profoundly influenced by each of these factors. Positively impacting an individual is essentially a matter of altering one or more of these factors that are an impediment to behavior change.