Recommending Books for Purchase (Bulletin 49 - September 2019): Edward Elgar

Price : £105

Entrepreneurship in emerging economies and developing countries presents us with a unique set of working attitudes, modes of thinking, social practices and processes. This book explores these characteristics', focusing on the conceptualization of entrepreneurship 'in-between'. It highlights top-down, bottom-up and hybrid initiatives as well as driving forces for entrepreneurial activities, presenting the diversity, nuances and multiplicity of facets of relevant but unexplored contexts that we need in order to expand our dominant and traditional understandings of entrepreneurship.This book examines entrepreneurship as a contextualized phenomenon from different theoretical and empirical perspectives, gathering a group of researchers with different nationalities, backgrounds and contexts to shed light on how societies with alternative paths of development trigger different entrepreneurial activities and practices. It covers geographical contexts from five continents in a novel and multifaceted analysis.Including case studies, literature reviews and discourse analysis, this book will be a valuable resource for academics and PhD students as well as programme directors in entrepreneurship, development studies and economic geography, and policymakers working with local and regional development and entrepreneurship.

Price : £415

For this comprehensive collection, the editor has brought together key readings on the subject of the law and economics of intellectual property rights - patents, copyrights and trademarks. It provides a judicious selection of the most important published research on this crucial topic, drawing equally from the law and economics literature. It thus brings together frequently cited classic articles that are rarely encountered in a single published source. The articles have been selected on the basis of three primary criteria: their continuing influence in legal and economic discussions; their longevity (important in a field where the volume of published work is very large and growing very quickly); and their relevance to contemporary theoretical and policy debates. The chosen writings delve deeply into theory, empirics, and institutional detail, ranging from Edwin Mansfield's early, influential study on patents and imitation costs, to very recent work on the relationship between copyright law and the first amendment. This collection makes an indispensable desk reference for scholars of intellectual property rights.

Price : £128

This highly innovative and intriguing book applies principles of microeconomics to unusual settings to inspire students, teachers and scholars alike in the 'dismal science'. Leading experts show how economics reaches into the strangest of places and throws light onto the occasionally dark side of human nature. 'Sins and Needles' examines the economics of drug addiction, prohibition and liberalization; 'Guns and Roses' looks at the contribution economists can make to understanding crime as well as marriage and divorce; 'Body and Soul' investigates the economics of pornography, prostitution, suicide and religion; 'Conception and Rejection' explores the controversial economics of assisted reproduction and abortion; and 'Fun and Games' considers the economics of sport, gambling and music. Not only does Economics Uncut illustrate how economics can be used to promote our understanding of a broad range of human behaviour, but it also draws upon research conducted in other disciplines from the social sciences. As such, this fascinating and highly accessible book will be of great interest to academics, students and researchers in economics, criminology, sociology, and psychology alike

Price : £90

Governing beyond the nation state in multi-level governance systems is a key concern in Europe, and this book goes beyond the usual approach of merely describing characteristics and features in its in-depth exploration of EU governance. The contributors illustrate that multi-level governance is a phenomenon perceived differently all over Europe. They observe distinct variations not only in the real-life impact of EU governance but also in different national research approaches, and showcase systematic empirical analyses of pertinent research projects across Europe. Recent advances in EU governance research form the basis for suggestions on how future research agendas could and should be directed. This book will prove a fascinating read for academics, researchers and students with an interest in comparative governance, EU studies, and the social sciences.

Price : £425

Globalization and Labour Markets is an authoritative two-volume collection which will prove an invaluable source of reference to students and scholars in the field of labour markets in the new global economy.Volume I features articles on the Stolper-Samuelson theorem and trade and wages whilst volume II focuses on labour market microstructure and adjustment, trade and employment, migration and labour market adjustment and foreign direct investment and labour markets.

Price : £80

By examining the evolution of industrial relations institutions in the emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Turkey, the authors in this book assess the contribution of these institutions to inclusive development. Industrial Relations in Emerging Economies uses real-world examples to assess the relevance of the conceptual frameworks used to examine employment relations. The chapters focus on the evolution of industrial relations institutions and the role that these have played in periods of economic and political transition. They demonstrate that rather than acting as a constraint on development, trade unions can contribute to stability, security and equity. The contribution of industrial relations institutions to inclusive development nonetheless remains the subject of debate, viewed by some as increasingly irrelevant to the vast numbers of workers in the informal economy. The authors here, however, reveal a continuing demand for independent collective interest representation in labour relations, whether in the informal economy or in rapidly industrializing districts.This book will prove an interesting and stimulating read for students, academics and researchers in the fields of human resources, industrial relations, sociology and labour economics in addition to trade union researchers and policy-makers.

Price : £385

There is a broad range of literature on the economics of insurance and risk management. This timely publication contains recent theoretical contributions to the economics of insurance and presents empirical tests and applications of the theory to many different insurance markets. It also offers important insights into the factors influencing corporate risk management decisions, and the theoretical underpinnings for why corporations with well-diversified shareholders would reduce risk. This two-volume set will be an essential resource to everyone with an interest in these important subjects.

Price : £100

This book, compiled from the 2nd Global Report of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) on Decentralization and Local Democracy, analyzes the architecture of fiscal decentralization in one hundred and ten countries as well as in major metropolitan areas. In the majority of these countries, local authorities are taking on more and more responsibilities for public investment and the provision of services that are essential for both economic development and the well being of their citizens. If increasing fiscal decentralization has been a global trend in recent decades, there are significant variations across and within regions and countries. Local budgets make up on average 25% of public expenditure in the countries of the European Union but less than 5% in many developing countries. Decentralization in terms of revenue and expenditure autonomy has also increased, however this has been uneven across countries and has seen greater advances in expenditure than in revenues, where sources remain limited and uncertain, especially for small and middle size cities. With accelerating urbanization and important shifts in the global context (climate change, increasing risk of natural disaster, migration, and demographic changes among others), current funding levels are insufficient for local governments to respond to the urbanization of poverty, growing investment requirements and other pressing needs. The economic and financial crisis that began in 2008 only worsened the situation. This report, offered as part of UCLG's ongoing commitment to deepen understanding of the level of government closest to citizens, identifies universal challenges facing local government finance, as well as those more regional and country specific. Some of the most common are inadequate sources of revenue, unpredictable transfers and grants, excessive higher-level budget controls, and unfunded mandates. In addition to analyzing these challenges and opportunities, the Report proposes recommendations to strengthen the fiscal role and performance of local governments around the world. About UCLG: Founded in May 2004, United Cities and Local Governments is the united voice and world advocate of democratic local self-government. Based in Barcelona, UCLG is the largest local government organization in the world; representing over half the world's population, the cities and association members of UCLG are present in 140 UN Member States across seven world regions - Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East and West Asia, Latin America and North America. Over 1000 cities are direct members of United Cities and Local Governments, as well as 112 national associations which represent all the cities and local governments in a single country.

Price : £88

Here the example of the Russian oil industry in the context of transition from a planned to a market economy is used to develop a three-stage framework for organisational transformation.Four longitudinal case studies of Russian oil companies are drawn upon to explain the process of organisational transformation. The book highlights how and why this process differs between companies within the same industry, explores the complexity of the change process and discusses the importance of the top management team. The links between organisational learning, dynamic capabilities and the implementation of change are analysed. An interesting insight into the constraints and enablers of organisational change is also provided. The framework developed from this study can be successfully applied to other organisations wishing to bring about organisational change.Integrating several perspectives, including a resource-based view, organisational learning, dynamic capabilities and top management team theory, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of business and management, international business and organisational behaviour.

Price : £490

The economics literature on pricing and pricing tactics has made huge progress in the last few decades mostly due to the influence of the asymmetric information and game theory revolutions in microeconomic theory. This authoritative two volume collection brings together some classic contributions which predate these revolutions, and older and newer papers which have employed these modern techniques to further our understanding of how pricing works in real world settings. Pricing Tactics, Strategies, and Outcomes approaches the subject mainly from the theoretical perspective, but includes also some important empirical papers. Important topics covered include entry deterrence, reputation formation, product line pricing, collusive behavior, tying and bundling, leasing, and sales and couponing strategies. The book should prove a useful reference tool for marketing students and faculty interested in the literature on pricing.

Price : £81

Taming the Regulatory State incisively analyses the regulatory top-down regimes that are currently dominant and in crisis. Taking a critical perspective, the book offers an account of the inherent vulnerability of the regulatory state caused by one-sided economic thinking and the predominance of governing through hard regulation. Regulatory governance is inclined to eliminate transparency and downgrades the importance of social forces. One striking case that exposes these underlying tensions is the activity of the state-run international investment funds. This volume sets the Norwegian Pension Fund - Global (formerly the Norwegian Petroleum Fund) into this context and shows how the attempt to regulate through ethical guidelines is an illuminating example of an effort, however imperfect, to revive politics and ethics in areas where the market focus usually obscures other considerations. This state-of-the-art book will be invaluable for students and scholars of political science and political economy and will also provide an engaging read for civil servants and policymakers.

Price : £88

Tax policy questions may relate to specific problems, concerning perhaps the revenue implications of a particular tax, or they may involve an extensive analysis of the cost and redistributive effects of many taxes and transfer payments. This book is concerned with the ways in which tax policy design can be enhanced by the use of a behavioural tax microsimulation model capable of evaluating the effects of planned or actual tax reforms. An advantage of such a large-scale tax simulation model, which reflects the heterogeneity of the population and captures the details of the tax structure, is that it can examine detailed practical policy questions and can provide direct inputs into policy debates. After introducing behavioural models, the authors discuss the role of means testing, several hypothetical policy reforms, actual and proposed reforms and recent modelling developments.Tax Policy Design and Behavioural Microsimulation Modelling will be of interest to academics and researchers of economics, econometrics and public finance. It will also be useful reading for policymakers responsible for the formulation of taxation.

Price : £370

The Economics of Contracts provides a guided tour to the leading ideas in contract theory. It assembles some of the foundational writings on contracting under limited and asymmetric information, incentives and mechanism design. It contains, in particular, the key contributions of five recent Nobel Prize winners in economics and brings together the most important articles that have followed these path-breaking works.

Price : £100

The delinquent payment of child support by non-custodial to custodial parents is a major problem throughout the United States. To many observers, the problem is one of 'deadbeat dads' - men who simply will not make the required payments. The solution has been to enforce payment by the imposition of increasingly stringent civil and criminal penalties. Despite these efforts, the percentage of single mothers receiving child support has changed very little over the past twenty-five years. The Law and Economics of Child Support Payments investigates why this is, and approaches the payment of child support as an economic problem.To understand the issues involved, leading lawyers and economists examine various facets of the child support system from a law and economics perspective. They consider the incentives faced by both custodial and non-custodial parents, and search for policy actions that are more incentive-compatible for all participants. The assumptions underlying current child support guidelines are discussed, as are the ways in which child support payments affect family structure, teenage delinquency and income disparities between parents.This comprehensive, provocative volume will be of considerable interest to policymakers, lawyers and parent advocacy groups, as well as to students of this timely issue.

Price : £100

Traditional knowledge protection methods are becoming increasingly out-dated in the face of modern challenges. Focusing on the protection of traditional knowledge and related genetic resources, this book is the first of its kind to amalgamate a novel theoretical framework with the practical applications of the combined theories of Rawls and Coase.The Protection of Traditional Knowledge on Genetic Resources analyses various means of protection for traditional knowledge that cohere with Rawls' and Coase's specific objectives regarding fairness and efficiency. It utilizes flexibilities provided by binding international conventions in the field in order to propose alternative methods to protect different forms of traditional knowledge-based innovation. Frantzeska Papadopoulou reaches the conclusion that property, liability and reward systems are forms of protection that fulfil the fairness and efficiency criteria whilst remaining compliant with the general international legal framework.This book is ideal for intellectual property law and development academics and policymakers, especially those working on intellectual property rights (IPRs), as it proposes a novel methodological framework for the evaluation of new as well as existing IPRs.