Bücher der Reihe Contributions to Economics

This edited volume explores the concept of institutional inertia and its relationship to economic growth and development. Including insights from experts across disciplines, chapters identify the types, causes and effects¿both positive and negative¿of institutional inertia. By questioning the types of institutional inertia that improve economic performance and impact the effectiveness of the state, as well as studying their role in the dynamics of institutional change, the volume attempts to trace and understand the different evolutionary paths of societies. Bridging important research gaps, this volume will be of use to students, researchers, and practitioners of institutional and evolutionary economics, development economics, management, and organizational theory.

This book examines the impact of artificial intelligence on competition and antitrust in today's global digital economy. It scrutinizes the economic and legal ramifications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), addressing the challenges it presents to competition and the law.Beginning with an analysis of AI's developments across various economic sectors, the book highlights the need for updated legislation. It focuses on the digital economy, emphasizing digital platforms' role in shaping competition. Econometric investigations and a novel index assess competition's influence on foreign direct investment and multinational enterprises. Comparing competition practices across jurisdictions like the EU, US, Germany, and China, the book uncovers commonalities and differences in competition law principles. It also explores various theories on competition and competition law, seeking convergence or divergence.This book is an essential resource for scholars, legal professionals,policymakers, and anyone seeking a better understanding of how AI is reshaping competition and antitrust in the digital age.

As the first academic monograph that a Chinese scholar discusses the histories of thoughts and ideas related to the development of digital economics, this book aims to make research from the perspective of the history of ideas and discuss the ideas influencing the development of digital economics and the evolution of related theories and thoughts with the methodology of interdisciplinary research.The human society is in the stage of major historic transition and enters the digital world with the main goal of developing the artificial world. In this world, the development of digital economics is significantly characterized by the deep interaction between the real and the virtual worlds, while the key triggering this paradigm reform is the evolution of ideas since the modern times. While involving the field of computer, these thoughts are also related to the fields of philosophy, ethics, communication and economics. Therefore, the results of the research on the history of ideas related to digital economics are required to really understand the depth of this discipline. If computationalism is the most important paradigm evolution of natural science, the most important paradigm evolution of social science is interdisciplinary complex science. In the meantime, this book is the most significant in understanding the nature of paradigm evolution related to the development of digital economics from the perspective of complex science and interdisciplinary systematic researches.Digital economics is in the foundation-laying phase, while this book mainly aims to historically narrate the thoughts of this discipline and hopes that readers can understand the influence of ideas in the old era on shaping the disciplines in the new era while exploring this new discipline. The construction of digital economics is a process of evolution. This book will be helpful to understand the underlying logic of the ideas constructed by the thinkers in different fields.

Impact Assessment (IA) is introduced in this book, with a guide to the process, scope, content, and management of IA for the governments of developing economies. In doing so, evidence-based policy making is taken into full consideration.  After the principles of IA are set forth, its procedures are described,  illustrated by typical cases from the United States and Japan. Then an explanation follows of the components of IA such as necessity, alternatives, and assessment of cost and benefit, with a description of competition assessment. In developing economies,  it is not effective to simply import a system from developed countries directly into developing countries, especially for economic regulation and in consideration of compliance and competition issues. Thus the book provides recommendations on how to appropriately modify developed countries' systems for countries that are still developing. The book concludes by taking up several issues surrounding IA, especially nudge theory and public involvement.

Taking a multidimensional approach, this book sheds light on the evolution of organizational studies in a structured and systematic way, against the background of economic and social changes in recent decades. By doing so, the book focuses on the plurality of organizing models as a central concept. This plurality is important to the survival of the firm in response to the growing complexity of the economic, social, and technological innovation that has arisen as a result of globalization. The book goes beyond the traditional approach to the study of organizations, of a structural and functionalistic type. It investigates the role of cultures and the ethical, symbolic, and value dimensions in the redefinition dynamics of strategic assets, as well as the search for new governance models in innovative organizations. Further, it discusses the role of leadership, in relation to the development of professional groups and the skills necessary for the management of endo-organizational, inter-organizational, and trade union negotiation processes. Finally, the book analyzes the economic, social, and cultural change in societies and discusses how companies and organizations of all types can develop cultures of innovation that may lead to socially inclusive governance.This book will appeal to students, researchers, and scholars of economics, business, and the social sciences, as well as professionals and practitioners interested in a better understanding of how organizations function in today¿s globalized world.

Energy policies play a pivotal part in helping countries achieve their sustainable development goals. Further, energy is one of the critical raw materials in companies' production processes. Therefore, ensuring a steady energy supply is essential to increasing production; otherwise, countries will inevitably slide into recession. In this context, countries should select their energy policies on the basis of a comprehensive analysis. In order to achieve this goal, many different factors must be considered at the same time.The aim of this book is to determine the right energy policies for the sustainable economic development of countries. In this framework, effective strategies for different types of energy will be presented and vital issues such as determining the right locations for nuclear power plants, providing optimal government incentives to increase clean energy investments, and determining appropriate energy policies to reduce energy dependence will be examined. Thus, country-specific optimal energy policies will be outlined, contributing to the achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals (SDG). 

This book is a compass for resource rich-developing countries, taking Mongolia as a case study. Policy aspects of the development of the mining sector in developing countries such as Mongolia and its impact on the economy and society are reviewed. The book deals with specific industry policies and challenges identified by policy makers, its characteristics and policy recommendations moving forward with an emphasis on the importance of evidence-based policy making (EBPM). It begins with the country's development strategy and the role of the mining industry, highlighting the fact that major strategic and policy documents still suffer from ambiguity and clear guidance as well as gaps in policy directions. The book also highlights the need for policy makers to improve transparency initiatives. Authors emphasize transparency or lack thereof in mining contracts, taxation, trading, and marketing and provide specific policy recommendations and alternative policy actions. The macroeconomic and social impact of the mining sector and the role of foreign direct investment is also discussed. Particularly, utilizing in-house economic analytical tools, the role and impact of resource revenue management policy in Mongolia is evaluated. Further, the impact of mining projects on the livelihood of local households as well as the importance of obtaining a social license to operate is discussed.This monograph is recommended for readers who want an in-depth comprehensive understanding of the mining sector, EBPM, and key lessons learned in managing natural resources in Mongolia.

This book evaluates the uneven propagation of technological revolutions, investigating the roots of this phenomenon in the absorptive capabilities that are built by countries and regions at the periphery. To understand this global process, this book looks to two dimensions: time and geography. Temporally, the book follows the sequence of technological revolutions in the last 250 years. With regard to geography, the book studies five different regions at the periphery¿China, India, Africa, Russia and Latin Americäto understand how they differ in the institutional processes that shape their absorptive capabilities. Focusing on each technological revolution and its impact on those five peripheric regions, the chapters illustrate how each region coped with each shock wave emanating from the center. Providing a truly global outlook of a complex system with a dynamic nature, this book will be of interest to researchers and students of development economics, the economics of innovation, evolutionary economics, and the economics of science and technology.

This book focuses on input trade liberalization in China and discusses the underlying causes and profound effects of Chinese enterprises facing import liberalization of intermediate input. The content of this book includes ten chapters. The analysis of this book mainly uses academic research, with policy study for a few chapters. Most chapters in this book apply the standard method of contemporary economic systems, integrating into the most advanced economic theories of international trade. The author uses theoretical models to obtain predictions which receive empirical support and carries out strict empirical research using data of China's manufacturing enterprises and China's customs to analyze the causes which affect Chinese enterprises facing import liberalization of intermediate input after Chinäs reform and opening-up.The suggested readership would be the public who are willing to understand the issues closely related to Chinäs input trade liberalization and opening-up policy, and basic knowledge in economics would be necessary in understanding the academic research part of the book. Meanwhile, this book is also specifically compelling to business persons and policy makers in that it enables deeper understanding on issues about outward foreign investment of enterprises and Chinäs opening-up policy and facilitates their decision-making process.

This book focuses on China's fast-growing outward foreign direct investment (ODI) and discusses the underlying causes and profound effects of Chinese enterprises' "e;going global."e; The book includes eight chapters to analyze the basic characteristics of China's ODI manufacturing enterprises, examine the relationship between enterprise productivity and ODI, investigate the differences between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises in factor market, enterprise ownership and investment, analyze the overall effect of the foreign direct investment (FDI) and thereby the China-US bilateral investment treaties (BIT) on Chinese manufacturing sector in terms of productivity and profitability of the firms. The last chapter provides an overview of China's three stages of economic reform and opening-up policy in the past four decades, and analyzes the reasons for China's realization of the splendid economic achievements within such a short time and the main driving forces of China's incremental international trade in different stages, and discusses the future tasks that would promote the country into a new stage of all-round opening-up.The book aims to illustrate the evolution of China's opening-up design during the past decades and discuss several most important measures to build an all-around opening-up strategy. Based on these profound analyses, the book provides further policy implication for the sustainable development of China's opening-up.

In light of the pickup of inflation at the end of 2021 and monetary policy shifts by the world's major central banks, this book examines interrelated issues in the normalization of monetary policy. It covers topics including the role of technological innovations such as derivatives and cryptocurrencies in monetary and financial management, the role of monetary policy in financial crises (especially public debt), and the major repricing needed for central banks and the global economy. In addition, the book discusses the problem of how flexible money should be and the importance of predictive tools for these decisions, with attention to the advances of languages for scientific research, including those on the workings of the economy. The work addresses the geopolitical and social challenges that have arisen as a result of the invasiveness of monetary policy in its various manifestations in the context of major leading currencies. It is aimed at scholars and students of monetary and financial economics.

This book is a collection of 20 chapters on chosen topics from cross-section and panel data econometrics. It explores both theoretical and practical aspects of selected cutting-edge techniques which are gaining popularity among applied econometricians, while following the motto of ¿keeping things simple¿. Each chapter gives a basic introduction to one such method, directs readers to supplementary references, and shows an application. The book takes into account that¿A: The field of econometrics is evolving very fast and leading textbooks are trying to cover some of the recent developments in revised editions. This book offers basic introduction to state-of-the-art techniques and recent advances in econometric models with detailed applications from various developing and developed countries. B: An applied researcher or practitioner may prefer reference books with a simple introduction to an advanced econometric method or model with no theorems but with a longer discussion on empirical application. Thus, an applied econometrics textbook covering these cutting-edge methods is highly warranted; a void this book attempts to fills.The book does not aim at providing a comprehensive coverage of econometric methods. The 20 chapters in this book represent only a sample of the important topics in modern econometrics, with special focus on econometrics of cross-section and panel data, while also recognizing that it is not possible to accommodate all types of models and methods even in these two categories. The book is unique as authors have also provided the theoretical background (if any) and brief literature review behind the empirical applications. It is a must-have resource for students and practitioners of modern econometrics.

Given the industrialized world¿s historical dependence on fossil fuel-based energy resources and the now-realized perils of moving beyond the earth¿s carbon budget, this book explores the myriad challenges of climate change and in reaching a low-carbon economy. Reconciling the medium-term competing, yet frequently complementary, needs for transition policies, the book provides guidelines for complex and often conflicting climate policy tasks. The book presents empirical trends in the use of carbon-emitting resources and evaluates market-driven short-termism and its adverse impact on resource use and the environment; it emphasizes a medium-term macroeconomic perspective for the transition. The authors attempt a paradigm shift towards a framework of sustainable macroeconomics. They survey relevant historical models, conduct empirical and numerical analyses ofthe climate change-relevant dynamic models, provide empirical illustrations, and evaluate diverse policy options and implementations together with their historical evolution. New analytical issues are also considered, e.g., strategic behavior in the energy and resource sectors, energy competition and the dynamics of market shares in new energy technology, and supporting policies for dealing with the tipping points encountered in climate change. The authors suggest a multitude of market-based strategies and public fiscal, monetary, and financial policies, and longer-run planning for resource extraction -all suitable for driving sustainable growth and a transformation of the energy sector. The book also examines the multiple delaying forces slowing the transition to a low-carbon economy; these typically arise from short-termism, lock-ins, irreversibility, leakages, non-cooperative games, and other political strategies. Thus, they explain the snail¿s pace evolution of current national and global climate policies. The book will appeal to scholars and students of economics and environmental science. It is also relevant for policymakers and practitioners in multilateral institutions, research institutions as well as governments and ministries of countries interested in alternative energy sources, climate economists, and those who study the implementation of sustainable and low carbon-based policies.

This edited volume discusses the biopolitics and shock economy of COVID-19, emphasizing medical perspectives and the socioeconomic dynamics of the pandemic and the ensuing institutional responses. Written by an international, multidisciplinary group of academic and professional experts, chapters embrace a wide range of topics such as: medical perspectives on COVID-19; application of geospatial technology; infectivity, immunogenicity, and disease as important factors for adoption of relevant biopolitical measures; shock economy; COVID-19-induced transaction costs; social support and resilience of inhabitants of marginalized areas; business resilience factors; entrepreneurship; and digital transformation. Jointly addressing global examples of biopolitical governance and overarching macroeconomic effects of the pandemic, this volume will be of interest to academics across disciplines as well as policymakers and practitioners on the ground.

This book advances the debate on socio-economic development and multinational corporations (MNCs). It provides an actor-centered perspective and develops the framework called 'Conflating Capitalisms' that allows for a better understanding of both MNC-induced institutional change in the host country and the subsequent impact on local development.The book uses the empirical case of Western MNCs in Latin America. It applies a sequential mixed-method design, including a large-scale elite survey on corporate behavior and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with local decision-makers on the institutionalization of German dual vocational training (DVT) in Brazil.The book presents strong evidence for both behavioral contradiction in the host country - with MNCs showing alien-to-the-system behavior - and subsequent actor-induced institutional change, with varied developmental impact. Additionally, the book offers novel insights into MNCs' handling of missing complementary institutions and the institutionalization process of coordinated practices in Latin America.This book appeals to scholars, students, and practitioners who are interested in advancing the field of development and MNCs.

Forecasting from multi-equation models has very rarely been the focus in econometric literature. In response, this book presents a range of methodologies to approach this complex field and offers readers essential information on forecasting from multi-equation econometric micromodels.In the twentieth century, significant interest in econometric macromodels emerged. These multi-equation models are mostly systems of interdependent equations, most often used to describe the national economies of various countries. The book analyzes econometric forecasting procedures and illustrates them with empirical examples that are based on real economic (mostly business-derived) data. The procedure of forecast building from systems of interdependent equations is presented for two categories of econometric models: models with a feedback effect and models with closed-loop links between interdependent variables. The forecasts obtained via this technique are compared with the results derived from reduced-form equations of the respective econometric model. The author also generalizes the rules of the reduced-recursive (helical, iterative) procedure application, against the backdrop of the proposed method of forecast building from reduced-form equations of systems of interdependent equations. Given its scope, the book will appeal not only to PhD students and researchers, but also undergraduate students and academics in general.

Digital healthcare is heterogeneous along the entire treatment pathway, ranging from monitoring applications and artificial-intelligence-based diagnostics, to support for virtual reality surgery. Since the introduction of the Digital Health Act in Germany in early 2020, there has been a push toward digital innovative solutions, especially in the outpatient sector.This book analyzes current digital health law from an economic perspective, combining theory with real-world applications. It examines both the incentives and market access pathways for digital solutions and the price effects brought about by the new regulatory framework in Germany. Further, it discusses the difficulties in pricing due to the monopolistic BfArM register and negotiations with the association of all German health insurance companies. The book addresses a wide range of topics, including incentives for innovation, specifics of digital health applications, reimbursement and financing options for digital health solutions. Lastly, it presents an outlook for the future and a comparison between Germany and other countries, namely the USA and Japan. Given its scope, this book will appeal to scholars of health economics, healthcare management and public health, as well as practitioners and professionals in the public health sector.

This book examines the development of world trade during the COVID-19 pandemic, also taking international trade between the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation into account as a case study. Using an advanced method of artificial neural networks, it evaluates a long time series and predicts the development of trade between the two countries. The book further analyzes the specifications of export items on both sides and the dependence of the Czech Republic on Russia in terms of raw materials, which is not sustainable. It discusses the need for a political and business consensus, as well as a long-term investment plan to address this issue. Finally, it sheds light on the Czech companies actively operating in Russia, especially in the engineering, automotive, energy, and food industry. The book predicts the future bilateral trade relations between the two countries and the expected decrease in the demand on the side of Russian customers.The book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of economics and finance in general, macro- and microeconomics, statistics, and trade analytics in particular, as well as professionals and international trade companies interested in a better understanding of world trade developments and the future trade scenarios between the Czech Republic and Russia.

This book sheds new light on the evolution and transformation of polytheistic religions. By applying economic models to the study of religious history and by viewing religious events as the result of rational choices under given environmental constraints, it offers a political economy perspective for the study of Indo-European polytheism. The book formally models the rivalry or competition among multiple gods in a polytheistic system and the monotheistic solution to this competition. Presenting case studies on the transformation and demise of various polytheistic religions, it highlights the pivotal role of the priestly class in driving religious change and suggests a joint explanation for the demise of Greco-Roman religion and the resilience of Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. It will appeal to scholars of the economics of religion and religious history and to anyone seeking new insights into the birth and death of religions, and the birth of monotheism in particular.

This volume illustrates the relationship between environmental factors and economic development of countries from various angles. Global warming has become a problem that threatens the whole world, especially in recent years. It is known that the main reason for this is carbon emissions. On the other hand, carbon emissions generally consist of fossil fuel-based energy consumption. This situation creates very serious environmental problems. Because of this problem, the concept of carbon zero has become very popular, especially in recent years. Many countries take some actions to minimize carbon emissions. Especially in the coming years, carbon emissions will become a competitive factor for countries and businesses. In this respect, countries with low carbon emissions will be preferred more in foreign trade. In addition, businesses that do not generate carbon emissions in the production process will also gain a significant competitive advantage in international trade. The contributions take a multidimensional outlook to energy investments and offer solutions for decision-making for energy projects in risky business ecosystems.

This book proposes a new approach to economics, starting from the commons and based on the Economy of Francesco (EoF), a worldwide movement of young people who aim to change the current economic models and working towards a fair, sustainable, and inclusive economic system. EoF was convened by Pope Francis and is inspired by the example of St. Francis of Assisi, featuring Franciscan economic roots and institutions, as well as theories of the social sciences.The authors raise and answer several important questions throughout the volume, such as: What if the economic courses taught in the universities across the globe focused their attention on the topics of the commons rather than on private goods? What if social businesses, rather than being considered as a hybrid form of businesses, became the normal approach, and ethical and green finance ruled over the standard financial sector? Is it possible to move away from the primacy of the consumers to the preeminence of ethical consumers who express their preferences for an inclusive, sustainable, and workers-friendly economic system with their daily choices? Using a unique approach, the book includes the contributions of prominent scholars which are integrated and discussed by young international scholars, providing a fresh analysis with a glance of hope for the future. The book is a must-read for students, scholars, and researchers of economics and related disciplines interested in alternatives to the current economic mainstream in general, and the Economy of Francesco in particular.