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This book, a special publication in the Series, is a comprehensive exploration of business adaptation and evolution in times of global uncertainty. Compiled from the finest papers presented at the 16th Annual Euromed Academy of Business (EMAB) Conference on business transformation in uncertain global environments, this volume delves into the intricate interplay between businesses and the challenges posed by an uncertain global landscape. The book spotlights organizational responses to changes, complexity, and critical events. Drawing inspiration from the conference theme, the chapters present an understanding that crises are not mere obstacles but rather catalysts for transformation and evolution in organizational development, industries, and markets. Navigating beyond the acknowledgment of crises as transformative agents, contributors examine the intricate mechanisms, characteristics, effects, and motivations driving change. Recognizing the diverse landscape of organizations, industries, and markets, the book offers scientific insights into the adaptability of organizations in turbulent and critical conditions. From Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), family enterprises, and start-ups, chapters encompass a spectrum of organizations, contributing to a nuanced understanding of adaptability. In line with previous volumes, the book provides descriptive and prescriptive research, offering solid empirical and conceptual scientific accounts. With a commitment to advancing knowledge, it is an essential resource for researchers in management, strategy, marketing, and economics/finance, and provides theoretical elucidations and practicable insights for executives and industries alike.

This book features a selection of papers presented at the 15th International Conference “Economies of the Balkan and Eastern European Countries” (EBEEC), held at the University of the Aegean in Chios, Greece, May 12-14, 2023. The EBEEC conference serves as an annual meeting of policy makers from Eastern European and Balkan countries as well as scientists. More than 300 researchers and students attended the conference and presented their work in parallel sessions.This volume deals with various aspects of economic growth, prosperity and (environmental, social and economic) sustainability of countries in the region in the context of globalization and digitalization. It also examines topics such as consumer behavior towards new products and services, human capital, teleworking, the food market, international trade and foreign direct investment. In turn, the book proposes frameworks and solutions to help countries deal with and manage the complex local and global environment.

The China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative by China. This project has attracted much of the focus and attention owing to its geostrategic significance where it connects China with Pakistan through the strategic port of Gwader and through a network of road and rail connection, henceforth improving China's and Pakistan's outreach in the Asian, African and European markets. This study takes a new direction and examines the development of CPEC projects across Pakistan by choosing six projects in both rural and urban areas and their impact on the daily lives of people as reflected in three crucial Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encapsulated by the United Nations—good health and wellbeing, inclusive and equitable quality education, and decent work and economic growth (SDGs 3, 4, and 8, respectively). This is a new approach used to study the impact of the CPEC beyond geopolitics and for the common people in Pakistan who are directly or indirectly affected by various CPEC projects. This is under studied aspect of the literature on CPEC and this monograph adequately fills the gap in literature. The study takes a deep dive into 6 CPEC projects i.e., Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, Orange Line Metro Train, Lahore, Rasahkai Special Economic Zone, Peshawar-D.I.Khan Motorway, Kohala Hydro Power Project and Neelum-Jehlum Power project to understand how these projects have affected the lives of common people through their impact on SDGs 3,4 and 8. For the first time people's centric approach has been adopted to evaluate the development impacts of the CPEC.

This book examines human capital development in the Middle East. It focuses on the investment in human capabilities, namely education and health, the two most critical components of growth and development. The book assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare sector, with particular attention paid to effectiveness of public health policies and services, health expenditure, mortality rates, and psychological effects of the pandemic on the wider society. It also evaluates the pandemic effects on the education sector, more specifically medical education, physical education, emotional effects on students and teachers, method of communications, learning and teaching, and the extent to which digital readiness has minimized these effects. The book reveals the severity of the pandemic on human capabilities in terms of loss of lives, illness, vaccinations, knowledge acquisitions, skills development, and productivity, while providing new insights for governments to deal with similar crises in the future. It uses a variety of research methods and quantitative and qualitative techniques, country case studies, and primary data collected through survey questionnaires, interviews, and official reports to analyse the impact of the pandemic on health and education. The analyses are supported by statistical data and illustrated by tables and figures. Readers, students, researchers, industry practitioners and policy makers will benefit from the new insights offered by a diverse group of 40 professors, researchers, and industry experts from across the Middle East and beyond.

This book assesses the architecture of performance measurement systems (PMS) in emerging countries, utilizing a mix of theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, with Bangladesh as a case context. It examines the evolution and improvement of performance measurement over time with the introduction of new tools, such as multiple dimensional measures and the balanced scorecard (BSC). The book explores the historical and cultural roots of PMS within the context of developing countries and its latest developments in the context of sustainability practices and sustainable development. Additionally, this book provides empirical evidence from the banking sector in Bangladesh, highlighting the factors driving firms to adopt new PMS. This book is an invaluable resource for researchers and policymakers interested in performance measurement systems in developing countries, offering a foundation for future research and policy initiatives.

This book broadens the reader's knowledge of several important issues having to do with the economy of Indonesia and its surrounding regions, to which Professor Iwan Jaya Azis has made significant contributions in the last 40 years. The book is divided into three parts, the first of which contains several chapters describing fundamental methods in regional economics, development economics, macroeconomics, and finance. These methods are crucial in understanding the political economy of Indonesia and the neighboring regions. Among the techniques discussed are social accounting matrix (SAM) analysis, computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling, and agent-based modeling (ABM) approaches. The second part is on several important issues related to the Indonesian economy. The topics covered are urbanization, resource booms, manufacturing, and micro and small enterprises. The book's third part deals with the economies of several countries in the neighboring Southeast Asian region, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Focusing on these developing problems and growing troubles, this book mainly discusses economic growth issues related to demographic transition, as well as livelihood issues derived from them and closely related to policy logic. It aims to make theoretical analysis and provide necessary international experience and lessons and put forward targeted policy advice. This book proposes a three-pronged pattern of competition policy, industrial policy, and social policy to achieve productivity improvement and innovation momentum; gives full play to China's super-large market advantages, attractiveness and negotiating position; and promotes each other through domestic and international dual cycles to achieve a higher level of development.

This book aims to reveal the dynamic mechanism of China's economic system innovation. It measures the efficiency of China's economic growth under the New Normal with the tools of DEA, SFA, and PCA. The book analyzes the contribution of capital, labor, and productivity to China's economic growth by Solow residual value method and the power source of China's economic development under the New Normal. In this book, it adopts the vertical integration of logical thinking, combined with the horizontal diversification of topics, to show a brand-new research method.

​This edited book examines the private higher education (PHE) sector in African countries. Reports suggest that private institutions across the continent outnumber their public counterparts, yet there has been little scholarly investigation into this emerging phenomenon. The book therefore seeks to document, map and analyse key trends and contemporary themes in the PHE sector, as well as chart historical developments, policy and regulatory frameworks. As a whole, it provides the reader with in-depth knowledge, rich perspectives and robust analyses from leading authorities in the field. Contributions from all sub-regions combine thematic issues with shaping discourse on the topic, and the discussions are undertaken in the context of global perspectives. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers, postgraduate students, policy makers, analysts and development partners interested in African higher education and PHE in particular.

This book reviews China's strategic pathway over the last 1000 years and considers its prospects for ascending to high-income status by the end of the 21st century. It analyzes why, although China's chances of joining the global core are sound, they are not outstanding; in addition, it faces mounting challenges, internal and external alike. The argument is presented in the framework of dynamic-strategy theory, which is expounded here in novel form. This exposition includes a wide ranging survey of global history, with a focus on the development of the industrialisation paths of the major economies of today, including a detailed study of Japan's long-run strategic pathway. The book's closing section presents a scenario-based discussion of China's potential place in the world in 2100. The analysis implies that China's zenith is likely to be reached slightly before mid-century, after which its relative economic scale will likely decline. Beyond that generalfinding, the scenarios investigate the wide range of plausible outcomes that China may experience: a range that the author contends is much wider for China than for nations under-pinned by less complex political-economies. Given its scope, the book will appeal to scholars of history, economics, geopolitics and sinology, and to anyone interested in learning about China's economic prospects at a time of increasingly heated ideological and empirical debates.

This book presents a holistic picture of Nigeria's financial services landscape. This includes identifying service providers and regulatory bodies, understanding consumer behaviour, and examining the unique challenges faced by Nigerian financial institutions. The book presents up-to-date research on recent developments and regulatory changes within Nigeria's financial sector, as well as future considerations for how financial services and financial inclusion can play a crucial role in the country's sustainable economic growth. Combining academic analysis with practical insights, the book takes readers through Nigeria's key financial services providers, regulators, consumers, marketing strategies and challenges. A core focus throughout is on financial inclusion and the opportunities associated with reaching financially underserved or excluded populations, demonstrating how increasing financial access at a country-wide level aligns with global goals of reducing inequalities and promoting growth. It will have interdisciplinary appeal to scholars, students and professionals working in finance, economics, business, public policy and development studies.

This book is concerned with the varying responses of South American countries to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since Beijing launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, 3/4 of countries in the world have engaged with China's arrangement of promoting global physical and digital connectivity. This still leaves a quarter of them that have refused China's offer so far or withdrawn. How do we account for why countries chose to join the BRI while others do not? Research on South American countries'responses to the BRI is scant, but the topic is pertinent. While the great-power competition and systemic rivalry have spoiled the appetite of European countries to intensify their ties with China, many developing countries seem to be rather interested. This book will interest scholars of international political economy, geopolitics, foreign policy and international development.

This book analyzes consumption patterns in Asian countries that are at different stages of economic development and highlights the similarities and disparities of consumption patterns across countries using a system-wide framework. In a departure from previous studies in the literature which mainly present only single-country analysis, this book aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of cross-country consumption patterns considering several Asian countries, using the most recent consumption expenditure data for aggregate commodity groups. In comparing consumption patterns across countries, the book use unit-free measurements such as budget shares and changes in logarithms of price and quantities, thus avoiding problems associated with exchange rate conversions. The book also analyses the dynamic behaviour in the consumption patterns of the Asian consumers. The findings of this book will be invaluable to researchers in development economics as well as policymakers in the formulation of fiscal policy or other types of economic control.

This edited collection examines the impact of new technologies and new managerial and policy perspectives on entrepreneurial development in Southern Africa, paying particular attention to small and medium sized enterprises, which contribute significantly to GDP and employment, but often find it difficult to survive beyond the first five years. Chapters are divided in two parts, the first covering technological perspectives and the second managerial perspectives. Africa's cultural and geographic diversity is taken into account, with authors from Ghana, Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe providing regional case studies and the editors synthesising these discussions in a concluding chapter that touches on sustainability and development to working lives and livelihoods across the region. Exploring critical issues of entrepreneurial human capital development, innovation, technology, legislative frameworks and marketing strategies, this book will be of great interest to researchers, students and policymakers.

This book delves into China's transition to mid-to-high-end industries amid a new wave of global industrial revolution. It explores the fundamental principles and current dynamics of industrial upgrading, addressing topics such as industrial policies, managing overcapacity, and the removal of inefficient enterprises, all viewed through historical experiences, objective analyses, and systemic considerations. Based on the in-depth analysis of China's advantages, challenges and strategic choices, the book concludes that upgrading is a must way-to go for China, involving pivotal areas such as structural upgrading, value chain optimization, product space expanding, quality enhancing, platform economy and sharing economy developing, as well as the intersection of finance with industrial upgrading.

This book takes stock of and analyses the direct and indirect effects of the war in Ukraine, the policy response to the shock across countries, as well as the potential medium-term economic and social implications and policy challenges. The last decade most Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies have been on a convergence path towards the EU average according to the main economic indicators. In 2022, however, the terrible war in Ukraine had major spillovers to the rest of the world, with the CEE economies being among the most exposed. The millions of refugees, the disruptions to energy supply, trade and supply chains, the surge in inflation, the tightening of global financial conditions, and elevated uncertainty created a radically new economic and social environment in these countries. The volume covers the economic effects of these challenges, the policy options available, and also those related to the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine, including the potential role of the CEE countries. Based on data and evidence-supported policy analysis, each chapter studies the impact of the shock on a particular area of the economy and makes general and country-specific policy recommendations. This makes this book a must-read for students, scholars, and researchers of economics and neighboring disciplines, as well as policy-makers interested in a better understading of the direct and indirect effects of the war in Ukraine on the CEE countries. The book is a sequel to the volume Emerging European Economies after the Pandemic, (Springer Nature, January 2022). Chapter'Economic Growth & Resilience'is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book aims to present the observation and Interpretation for China's economic growth since Reform and Opening-up from a Chinese economist's view. The book is divided into 5 sections, including the research of traditional socialist economic structure, China's transformation from planned economy to market economy, reform of Chinese industrial economy, economic growth and political economy. Key topics are covered over the past 40 years including strategies for economic transformation, dual-track pricing, industrial transformation and enterprise reform, capital formation and economic growth, structural changes and productivity growth, macroeconomics, fiscal relations between central and local governments, and the political economy of growth.

This book presents an overview of the development of China-Europe express train in the broader context of BRI. It analyzes the benefits to the regions along the route from the safe, smooth and stable operation of the train in recent years, involving the strong impetus for building a new pattern of dual cycle development and driving the recovery of the economy in the post-pandemic era. Based on in-depth case studies of the operations in many regions, this book proposes measures in order to promote the high-quality development of China-Europe train: to improve infrastructure and enhance port capacity; to unify international standards and improve the efficiency of train customs clearance; to open up the European market and actively organize the return source of goods; to standardize government administrative intervention according to market orientation; to strengthen the construction of digital infrastructure with the focus on connectivity; to cultivate international logistics talentsand build a high-quality China-Europe express train talent team.

This book focuses on the political economy behind innovation in China's new industrial sectors, particularly the effects of policies and government regulation in the absence of the rule of law. In its analysis, the book aims to elucidate the mechanisms that generate innovation from multiple perspectives while utilizing insights from political science and law. The analysis in this book focuses on the following three points. First, by examining Guizhou Province's Big-data industry promotion policy,'import substitution digitization'policy, and government intellectual property strategy, we seek to empirically clarify the extent to which Chinese government industrial policy has stimulated innovation. Next, we examine in detail the issues surrounding the'rule of law'in China regarding introducing anti-monopoly laws for digital platform companies and developing the intellectual property court system. Third, it focuses on the role played by local governments in industrial policy, including the impact of industrial guidance funds on the efficiency of the regional financial sector and the impact of local bond issuance on the effectiveness of resource allocation among regions.

This book provides unique insight into economic development within the ASEAN region and its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. With a particular focus on Indonesia, it highlights the historic importance of manufacturing within the region and how the sector remains vital, despite the Asian financial crisis, and central to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The growing influence of digital technologies, including remote work, online services, and digital marketplaces, are highlighted, particularly in relation to economic mitigation and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Broader issues, such as FDI, human development, regional integration, R&D spillovers, labour productivity, and bilateral trade, are also discussed.This book highlights how ASEAN economies can be strengthened by innovation, trade, and increased productivity. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in development and international economics.

This book discusses the role played by powerful global institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, multinational corporations, and the international credit rating agencies in keeping Africa marginalised in the world economy. The book focuses on the intrusive roles of these institutions as enablers and beneficiaries of capital outflows and financial subordination in Africa. Diverging from the official narrative that touts China and the other emerging economies as global reformers that are poised to partner Africa in its fight against financial subjugation, the book instead argues that, like the Western powers, the emerging economies are benefiting prodigiously from a rigged global financial system that keeps Africa as a net creditor to the rest of the world. The book draws its theoretical framework from the repressed heterodox theories including dependency, core-periphery, world systems and Marxist theories as well as the decolonial approach. It concludes with a call for a decolonial African agency that should champion an epistemic rebellion against the neo-liberal and neo-classic economic traditions that have been historically deployed to justify Africa's subordinated position in the global economic governance. This book comes at moment in time when Africa is ready to become a Rule Maker not a Rule Taker. The analysis Dr. Moyo presents having been in the front line of public policy and international negotiations demonstrate the need for Africa to re-write the rules to foster our own Transformation. Jason Rosario Braganza, Executive Director, African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)

This volume examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market and the business environment in the European Union (EU), with a specific focus on Romania, the least developed country in the EU. The book emphasizes the need to rethink recovery models and suggests a new normal based on the pillars of economic, climatic, and social resilience. Is proposed the redefinition the policies'mix that will allow fundamental changes in development, focused also on social and societal profit, the redefinition of productivity and environmental performance of businesses, and the rebalancing of work and leisure life. The COVID-19 crisis not only accelerated the digital transformation of society but also reconfigured the coordinates of economic development by prioritizing sustainable development for all, based on green jobs as a starting point for business innovation and decent jobs for active social protection. Following this approach, the contributions discuss selected issues with importance to the development of society in the post-pandemic world. The book is of interest to students, scholars and researchers in economics, business, management and political science, as well as to policy makers and practitioners, for a better understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market and the business environment in European Union.