'This book represents an important next step in the new institutional economics. Using this perspective, it undertakes a thorough re-examination of the problems of development.' – Barry R. Weingast, Stanford University, US 'Institutions, Economic Performance and the Visible Hand is a wide ranging, well-written, and provocative contribution to the study of political and economic organization. Ashok Chakravarti advances arguments and interpretations that are both interesting and, often, controversial. Although I find myself "arguing" with many of them, this is one of the many virtues of the book. I recommend the book to others who have an interest in institutional economics – why it is important, where it has been, and where it is going.' – Oliver E. Williamson, Nobel Laureate in Economics, University of California, Berkeley, US 'This is an ambitious and wide-ranging book, which seeks to overthrow the minimalist view of the role of institutions in economic systems contained in the standard economic model, and instead advocates a more active institution-building effort to promote the development of poor countries. This important contribution is to review and consolidate the themes and issues that emerge from a very large literature on the subject of institutions and economic development, and to coherently formulate hypotheses relating institutions to economic performance. This should be useful to a wide range of scholars.' – John Toye, University of Oxford, UK This timely study convincingly argues that it is not resources but the institutions which govern the interaction and decision-making of economic and political agents, that are the key factor in determining the economic performance of nations. The book challenges the conventional wisdom on the determinants of economic performance and provides an alternative vision of the functioning of an economic system. The author provides a structured survey which critically evaluates the theory and evidence of neoclassical approaches to growth and development. He then skillfully integrates insights from the old and new institutional economics into an original and comprehensive vision of the relationship between institutions, growth and economic development. Institutions, Economic Performance and the Visible Hand will be of special interest to academics, financial analysts and commentators, staff of international development agencies and NGOs, researchers and post-graduate students.

This book combines overviews of the nature and causes of inter-group violence in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa with a collection of country case studies. Both the overview chapter and the case studies trace how economic policy initiatives, and consequent changes in the roles and statuses of various groups, shape conflict or cooperation.

In this volume, leading modern economic historians show how analysis of past experiences contributes to a better understanding of present-day economic conditions; they offer important insights into major challenges that will occupy the attention of policy makers in the coming decades. The seventeen essays are organised around three major themes, the first of which is the changing constellation of forces sustaining long-run economic growth in market economies. The second major theme concerns the contemporary challenges posed by transitions in economic and political regimes, and by ideologies that represent legacies from past economic conditions that still affect policy responses to new 'crises'. The third theme is modern economic growth's diverse implications for human economic welfare - in terms of economic security, nutritional and health status, and old age support - and the institutional mechanisms communities have developed to cope with the risks that individuals are exposed to by the concomitants of rising prosperity.

Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals with ethical questions specific to a professional, disciplinary, or practical field. There is ample literature available on ethics but there is scarcity of literature as how to apply the principles of ethics in solving the problems of contemporary world. The main objective of the book is how to apply principles and theories of ethics in day-to-day life in our ordinary business of life. There are numerous dimensions of ethics but it is not possible to discuss all of them. Some important subsets of applied ethics are discussed in the book. First, what are the principles of ethics and how ethics is associated with religion, law, science and technology? Second, the present world is facing grave issues such as climate change, population explosion, Corruption and violence, globalisation problems etc. How these issues can be resolved ethically. Third, all the countries of the world are engaged in rapid economic development of their economies. How this can be done ethically. The main aim behind this book is that the Individuals, Societies, Corporations, Countries and the entire world should be run on ethical lines. This alone will endure happiness and well-being of all.

Explains the transitions in twentieth-century industrial leadership in terms of changing business investment strategies and organizational structures.

South Asia has become a major center of attention on the world stage with the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan since 9/11, the ongoing concern over Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan, and India's emergence as a regional economic power. In addition, the age-old problems of South Asia - mass poverty, poor infrastructure, misgovernance, rampant corruption, political uncertainty, and regional wars - add to the increased interest in the region. Incorporating the most current information available, the expert international contributors to this handbook examine the economies and geo-political developments of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. They focus on three core areas of importance: trade and development in the post-WTO era of globalization; macroeconomic adjustment and economic growth; and poverty, governance, the war on terror, and social indicators. With its cutting edge analysis, the handbook is an essential reference for all students, researchers, and practitioners dealing with the region.

Knowledge, Groupware, and the Internet details the convergence of modern knowledge management theory and emerging computer technologies, and discusses how they collectively enable business change and enhance an organization's ability to create and share knowledge. This compendium of authoritative articles explains the relationship between knowledge management and two major technologies enabling it: Groupware and the Internet. These critical technologies help an organization evolve from individual to group knowledge, quickly make tacit knowledge explicit, and enable people to use and apply this knowledge. Knowledge, Groupware and the Internet helps readers understand how to unite the people and technologies that define effective knowledge management.

An analytical framework for explaining the ways in which institutions and institutional change affect the performance of economies is developed in this analysis of economic structures.