Capitalism at the Crossroads: The Unlimited Business Opportunities in Solving the World's Most Difficult Problems
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  • Capitalism and the New World Economy
  • A Classic
  • What Capitalism Could Accomplish
  • Partner with Prahalad, Valuable Distinct Contribution
  • Much Assailed Capitalism Is Probably the Only Answer
Capitalism at the Crossroads: The Unlimited Business Opportunities in Solving the World's Most Difficult Problems
Stuart L. Hart
Manufacturer: Wharton School Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0131439871

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Capitalism and the New World Economy.......2006-06-05

Stuart Hart is an author, instructor, researcher, and lecturer who has written many books and essays on strategic management and the problems/challenges of globalism in the world economy. His consulting services have been utilized by many large companies including DuPont, Hewlett- Packard, and Proctor and Gamble and he has helped these and other companies like them to develop a more Earth- friendly, poverty- reducing approach to solving the world's problems while still maintaining enough economic momentum to stabilize or even improve the bottom line.

The primary focus of this book is the important task that businesses face in the twenty- first century; namely, the task of expanding the world economy, helping third world nations emerge from poverty, and improving the environment. To many, this idea of companies helping other nations, promoting recycling and environmentally sound business practices, and making a profit seems to be one big contradiction. When most people think of business, we think of the bottom- line goal of earning a profit by whatever means necessary; everything else be damned. But like Hart points out, the reality of environmental issues is too important and too critical for business to ignore. And if the right steps are taken, businesses can not only improve the world and its people, they can also reap profits and other rewards in the process. Thus, not only is it the right direction to take morally, it is also the right direction to take financially and if companies move quickly they can establish themselves as leaders in the global marketplace and enjoy the many benefits that their initiative will bring.

Globalism has been one of the most heated topics in economic discussion groups in the past ten to fifteen years. Proponents of globalism feel that it is the best way to spread prosperity all over the world and eradicate a large number of the world's poor. Opponents, however, have been very vocal in their opposition to globalism, citing many key areas where they feel the earth and its people are worse off when large companies expand to other nations. These activists feel that globalism depletes the world's resources at a faster rate; leads to deployment of "sweatshops" and other inhumane treatment of workers; and does little if anything to alleviate the problems of economic distress, inadequate health care, and the like. But like Hart demonstrates in this book, the pro- globalists and the anti- globalists can and must work together to solve these problems. And he feels that private businesses can make this happen by utilizing present technologies that will produce more abundant goods and services, improve standards of living, and leave the environment unaffected and possibly even better than it was before. Hart is a strong believer that much good can be accomplished if companies will simply change their strategy and embrace the idea of global environmentalism and responsibility. New growth areas exist all over the planet and by integrating some of the new technologies with profitable solutions, companies can make money and make a name for themselves as corporate citizens on a world- wide scale.

Much of what this book talks about seems reasonable now that I have finished it, but I admit that I was a little skeptical at first. How, I wondered, could a company implement all of these changes, pay good wages to foreign workers, protect the environment, and still make a profit? It seems like a very expensive proposition but like the author demonstrates, it really isn't a far fetched idea at all. We have to remember that much of the population of the world lives in conditions that are almost completely devoid of any use of modern technologies. Introducing these technologies can improve productivity drastically- so much so, in fact, that it will easily negate the initial expense of establishing the technology in the first place. One example stated in the book is that of Grameen Phone and Grameen Telecom- two businesses that helped establish a cellular phone network in Bangladesh. Money was loaned to women living in the poverty- stricken rural villages so that they could become private entrepreneurs to sell mobile phone service. The loan money was used to purchase a cell phone and a solar recharging unit and the women were then trained and sent out to sell this service. This business venture has proven to be a great success, profitable in many ways. It has raised many people out of poverty, extended modern technology to people who don't normally have this luxury, and protected the environment through the inclusion of solar charging units. All of this was possible simply because a company was willing to take a chance, grant loans, and extend a useful service to a class of people who would never be able to afford cellular phone service using existing business models.

Most of the information presented in this book deals with spreading economic success to the billions of people in the world who occupy the bottom levels of the economic pyramid but what the author talks about can easily apply to other situations as well. Corporate stewardship and environmental responsibility are admirable goals for a company of any size regardless of whether its customers are economically well- off or financially strapped. Hart concentrates mostly on the problems of the third world because it is here that most opportunity exists and where most of the challenges lie. But much of what he talks about could be applied to anyone, including those at the top of the economic pyramid who consume a large amount of resources with little regard for economic or environmental consequences.

I like the way Hart writes this book. It is well- organized with boldface text to break up different topics/subtopics and with notes at the end of each chapter. I also admire the sense of optimism. Hart is convinced that this approach is not only the right thing to do, it is imperative that corporations take action immediately and if they do so and do it right, they will easily reap the benefits. The old ideas that profit is the number one priority, that humans are disposable components of any business, and that the environment is the concern of governments have all become outdated in the modern world economy.

Overall, Capitalism at the Crossroads is a very good book about business and its critical role in shaping the world economy. Conventional wisdom about what works and what doesn't needs to be tossed aside in favor of (as the author refers to them) "disruptive technologies"- business models that go completely against the established way of doing things and present a fresh perspective tailored to the needs of specific people and cultures that protects the environment and still earns a profit. All of this is possible, and Hart feels it is very important that these large, multi- national corporations wake up and adapt to the new world economy. It is not only economically profitable, it is a necessary part of economic sustainability and world stability.

The bottom line of this book could be summed up as follows: Companies that help other people and protect the environment will be rewarded in many ways, including bottom- line profit, improved living conditions, and a better environment for all. Capitalism is at an important crossroad and the path taken needs to be the one that promotes responsible corporate growth for the good of all.

5 out of 5 stars A Classic.......2006-01-31

The book starts with a overview of the dominant position that is occupied by multinationals in today's global economy. Going by the definition of the term, 60000 multinationals produce a quarter of the global output of products and services. Yet they are owned by less that 1 percent of the worlds population and employ about 1 percent of the world's employable workforce. Meanwhile many of these companies in their race for short term earnings have sacrificed sustainable methods of production. In other words they have done irreparable damage to the earth's environment and created social tensions in many countries. In other words, the pursuit of economic gains is at loggerheads with local cultures and environmental interests.

Then comes the interesting hypothesis termed "The Great trade-off illusion". Earlier companies believed that a certain amount of pollution for example was inevitable and any efforts for its reduction will incur expenses for treatment. This is called "end of the pipeline approach" for treating pollutants. Similarly, large companies serving the top 800 million population of the earth's population adopted similar business models and products across countries and cultures. Two thirds of the population was ignored since it was perceived that this huge segment just cannot afford the goods and services offered by the multinationals.

The author offers a radical approach and introduces the concept of "Triple Bottom-line". How can companies win by offering goods and services that are culturally appropriate, environmentally sustainable and economically profitable. This is not wish or ivory tower theory, but a necessity and practically feasible path argues the author.

To serve the base of the pyramid (BOP) population, companies need to adopt disruptive technologies, incubate them in the BOP markets with appropriate functionality and price points. This also needs innovative business models. One should not look at what is bad ( corruption) or what is missing ( western style institutions) in the BOP segment, but understand and serve their needs through innovative products and services through appropriate business processes.

This is essentially a combination of Prof. Clayton Christensen's disruptive innovations ( The Innovator's Dilemma) and the concept of BOP ( The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid - C.K. Prahalad ).

In my opinion the main take away in terms of an excellent framework for business strategy is the concept of "Sustainable Value Portfolio". Defining the Organization's internal capabilities and external constituencies on the horizontal axis, and managing today's business and tomorrow's business opportunity on the vertical axis, we get four quadrants on which companies can operate. Companies typically operate only on the quadrant of internal capabilities and today's business. This is an approach of incremental improvements and greening. The other quadrant below the horizontal axis is the concept of "extended supplier responsibility" or Product Stewardship taking full responsibility for the product including its recycling, in close interaction with existing customers.

To win in tomorrows world, companies need to operate in and fully leverage on internal capabilities to introduce successful disruptive technologies that can cater to the needs of the un-served four billion population( that will grow to about 8 billion by 2050), or B24B, in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. Companies that understand all the four quadrants well and progressively plan their product portfolio are the winners of tomorrow.

Take the automobile industry for example. The author clearly brings out that till the 1970's this industry produced vehicles that polluted the planet with total disregard to fuel efficiencies. Then the focus shifted to emission norms and recycling of used automobiles. A huge opportunity awaits this sector in exploiting disruptive technologies like hydrogen fuel cells and simultaneously use such technologies to offer low cost transportation in countries like India and China.

The book then gets into a detailed discussion on the BOP realities and the right business models to serve this huge market.

A classic by any account, I personally rate it as one amongst the top 10 business books on my bookshelf. One can feel the author's sense of commitment, deep understanding of and a passion for the topic in every page of the book.

5 out of 5 stars What Capitalism Could Accomplish.......2006-01-16

This interesting and provocative book synthesizes several of the most influential ideas in modern business and distills a new idea: that disruptive innovation at the bottom of the pyramid will solve the crises of environmental pollution, business stagnation and international terrorism at the top. No one can accuse author Stuart L. Hart of thinking small or of lacking imagination. His big ideas are all in place. The only missing element, as he freely admits, is one small detail: how. Capitalism must take a new course, and it's pretty clear what the new course must be, but Hart presents only a vague notion of how businesspeople are to go about turning his vision into reality. We recommend that business leaders read this book anyway, because it will stimulate your thinking about what might be possible. Maybe you'll be the one to figure out how to make the difference.

5 out of 5 stars Partner with Prahalad, Valuable Distinct Contribution.......2005-12-09

Edited to respect new information I did not have before, and thank the person making the comment. Also adding hot links.

The author, who gives full credit to C.K. Prahalad, has been a co-author with Prahalad and they are both credited with this brilliant vision for a new kind of moral capitalism that addresses the needs of the five billion poor.

This book should be viewed as a valuable distinct contribution in its own right, read read with Prahalad's book as well as a third book from Wharton, The Next Global Stage: The Challenges and Opportunities in Our Borderless World As I edit this, I am also remined of Paul Hawkin's Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, and the forthcoming book by Medard Gabel, Seven Billion Billionaires, with a preview here at Where to find 4 billion new customers: expanding the world's marketplace; Smart companies looking for new growth opportunities should consider broadening ... consultant.: An article from: The Futurist

It also complements Yale Dean Garten's book, The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda For Business Leaders which calls on business to be more responsible about the state of the world. All of these books contrast remarkably with William Greider's The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy, Clyde Prestowitz's Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions and and John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

The math is quite clear. Business had been focused on high profit margins from the top one billion, with disposable incomes on the order of $20K or so. The bottom of the pyramid, five billion people, with disposable incomes on average of no more than $10 a year, represent a four trillion dollar marketplace.

Where business has gone wrong is in being bureaucratic, immoral, corrupt, and focused on outputs for profit rather than listening for solutions that can be profitable (with low profit margins, very high volume, and transformative effect).

I believe that these two individuals could one day win the Nobel Peace Prize for their work, which could literally save the world. As Jonathan Schell tells us in The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People there are not enough guns on the planet to keep these four billion dispossesed from impacting on us negatively. We can help them create indigenous stabilizing wealth in their home countries, or we can die with them as we all suffer the end of cheap oil, the end of free water, and the rise of pandemic disease.

This author is an extraordinary talent, equal to Prahalad. It merits comment that Wharton appears to have displaced Yale as a phenomenal publishing house. For me to find three world-class books on this topic, and for all of them to be from Wharton, is noteworthy.

5 out of 5 stars Much Assailed Capitalism Is Probably the Only Answer.......2005-11-22

We live in a time when the very concept of Capitalism has come under attack from nearly every corner: the religious zeelots who think that only the study of God (THEIR God) should be done, the far left who believe that the Government should do everything, and on and on. Each can present stories of things that Government/Charity/Education or whatever has done better on some task. And they have - developing the Internet, wiping out smallpox - to name just two.

What capitalism brings is innovation into areas where Government would get all kinds of opposition from the various wings. Of one thing you can be sure, the future will not be like the past. We can't say just what problems the future holds, but innovation funded by people who have this idea about how they can get rich will be the answer. Yes, as this author says, it must be sustainable, it must be eco-sensitive.

We are running out of oil, to be sustainable will require a lot of innovation. We must be eco-sensitive, otherwise we all live in a cess pool. No one but capitalism can pull this off.
Justice in a Global Economy: Strategies for Home, Community, and World
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    Justice in a Global Economy: Strategies for Home, Community, and World

    Manufacturer: Westminster John Knox Press
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    Book Description

    "Your well-paying computer job has been outsourced to India; you are unable to pay your health insurance premiums; you discover that 80 percent of the food you eat is genetically modified, that all of your elected politicians are millionaires, and that corporate advertising is inundating your kids' schools. As an American you might have experienced one or all of these negative effects of economic globalization. The situation is considerably worse for two-thirds of the people in the world. . . . [They] lack basic necessities such as suitable housing, clean water, food, health care, and education. Although poverty is an age-old problem, in many places economic globalization has exacerbated, not alleviated, it."
    —from the introduction

    Today's complex social and economic problems leave many people in the affluent world feeling either overwhelmed or ambivalent. Even the small percentage of us who have examined the ethics behind our financial decisions and overcome the often-deterring factors of self-interest rarely know what to do to make any difference. By providing tools for examination and concrete actions for individuals, communities, and society at large, Justice in a Global Economy guides its readers through many of today's complex societal issues, including land use, immigration, corporate accountability, and environmental and economic justice. Beginning with a basic introduction to the impact of economic globalization, these ethicists and theologians provide both critical assessments of the current political-economic structures and examples of people and communities who are actively working to transform society. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and reflection.
    Strategic Capitalism
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      Strategic Capitalism
      Kent E. Calder
      Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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      ASIN: 0691044759

      Book Description

      Was Japan's economic miracle generated primarily by the Japanese state or by the nation's dynamic private sector? In addressing this question, Kent Calder's richly detailed study offers a distinctive reinterpretation of Japanese government-business relations. Calder challenges popular opinion to demonstrate how Japanese private enterprise has complemented the state in achieving the national purpose of industrial transformation. Drawing on previously unexamined Japanese sources, he clearly shows the difficulties experienced by the government in picking potential industrial winners, together with its successes at the constructive but more limited tasks of providing public infrastructure, encouraging technological borrowing across industries, and promoting mixed public-private enterprises. While outlining the limits of Japanese government efforts to organize and transform economic life, Calder also highlights the important contributions of stable private sector partnerships between banking and industry: often relegating the state to a reactive brokerage role, keiretsu, or industrial groups, and Japan's long-term credit banks have fostered key infant sectors such as automobiles and electronics and have also systematically restructured declining industries. Strategic Capitalism is a book for all those interested in the formation of industrial policy, market-oriented yet public-spirited alternatives to bureaucratic guidance, and the true origins of Japan's global competitiveness.
      Adventures in capitalism. (Hawaii Strategic Development Corp.): An article from: Hawaii Business
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        Adventures in capitalism. (Hawaii Strategic Development Corp.): An article from: Hawaii Business
        Alex Salkever
        Manufacturer: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
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        Binding: Digital

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        ASIN: B00093M826
        Release Date: 2005-07-28

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        This digital document is an article from Hawaii Business, published by Hawaii Business Publishing Co. on June 1, 1995. The length of the article is 1880 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

        Citation Details
        Title: Adventures in capitalism. (Hawaii Strategic Development Corp.)
        Author: Alex Salkever
        Publication: Hawaii Business (Magazine/Journal)
        Date: June 1, 1995
        Publisher: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
        Volume: v40 Issue: n12 Page: p39(5)

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        Alliance Capitalism and Corporate Management: Entrepreneurial Cooperation in Knowledge Based Economies (New Horizons in International Business)
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          Alliance Capitalism and Corporate Management: Entrepreneurial Cooperation in Knowledge Based Economies (New Horizons in International Business)

          Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
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          Binding: Hardcover

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          ASIN: 1840648392

          Book Description

          As national economies become more closely linked, the value of more active corporate and policy level cooperation is becoming increasingly recognized. This book promotes the concept of alliance capitalism - a spirit of collegial entrepreneurship - as a means to facilitate more harmonious development in the international economy.

          The authors examine balances between the competitive and cooperative activities of firms and governments in major industrialized countries from perspectives of efficiency and social justice. They advocate cooperation to overcome internationalized market failures and policy failures, and to reduce imbalances in the spread of gains from global commerce. This advocacy is based especially on comparisons between corporate and policy level activities in the USA and the EU, and between the USA and the EU. The potential advantages of strengthening cooperation are stressed with emphasis on imperatives being set by continuing technological advances.

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          Alliance Capitalism and Global Business (Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy, 7)
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            Alliance Capitalism and Global Business (Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy, 7)
            John Dunning
            Manufacturer: Routledge
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            Placing the evolution of alliance capitalism in the context of the globalizing economy, John Dunning explores the consequences of alliance capitalism for the economic jurisdiction of firms, markets and nation states, its impact on the structural organization of firms and the domestic policies of national governments. Other key issues explored include global restructuring and alliance capitalism; trade and integration; re-evaluation of Foreign Direct Investment; competitiveness and cooperation; and spatial dimensions of globalization. The volume also compares US and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in Europe and theorizes future developments in global business.

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            Alliance Capitalism: The Social Organization of Japanese Business
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • A network analysis of the horizontal keiretsu
            • Very Insightful Book
            Alliance Capitalism: The Social Organization of Japanese Business
            Michael L. Gerlach
            Manufacturer: Univ of California Pr
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            5 out of 5 stars A network analysis of the horizontal keiretsu.......2003-04-23

            There has been the deluge of books and articles on Japanese keiretsu. But this book published a decade ago (1992) is still one of the best. There are so many good enough accounts on the vertical keiretsu appeared in the Toyota¡¯s value chain. But not so, when it comes to the horizontal keiretzu. There is no shortage of materials but most of them are no more than anecdotal case studies or, at best, cursory impressions. I can¡¯t capture why they form such a long-term ties based on what interest at all, for example. The advantage of vertical keiretsu is obvious and well described. But what is the economic foundation of horizontal keiretsu? Is it mere social club of economic elites? Nobody could think so. The network structure (or network form) of horizontal keiretsu is well documented, such as main bank, cross shareholding, sacho-kai, and the preferential trading. But those are merely links forming the network. The network is more than the sum of links. It¡¯s the linkage of links and it has contents. Links reproduce itself for something flows between nodes. This book plugs the gap systematic explanation of horizontal keiretsu with network analysis. In doing so, the author mobilizes not only qualitative data from interviews and business history but also extensive quantitative data to generalize his remarks to level of the population of the Japanese businesses. The author begins with describing the network structure of keiretsu from chapter 3 to 4. Then the remaining chapters deal with how the network formed and how it operates in real business environment. Namely, those chapters deal with the contents of network. Now you might retort ¡®what¡¯s the difference from other materials? This book would supply better and well-organized illustration of keiretsu. But aren¡¯t those features common in other works?¡¯
            Maybe. But the most inspiring piece lies in the use of image. Keiretsu is the interfirm network and it¡¯s not unique on Japan but the ubiquitous phenomenon all over the world. Usually, they use the image of coalition, as it has developed in the game theory. The interfirm network, however more stable it is than arm¡¯s length trading, is usually depicted with the image of coalition. The coalition, particularly in the form of game theory, is relatively fluid relationship. The coalition comes and goes according to the logic of strategic self-interest. This is the reality of business such as strategic alliance. Yesterday¡¯s foe could be today¡¯s friend. For example, Apple shook hands with IBM to make PowerPC. But such an image doesn¡¯t fit into the long-term relationship of horizontal keiretsu over more than a generation. Affiliation in a keiretsu group is considered as permanent one. Instead, Gerlach uses the metaphor of alliance to illustrate the features of Japanese keiretsu. The image of alliance comes from anthropological fieldworks. It suggests long-term social relationship that links kinship groups over generations. The self-interest is also the driving-force in the kinship alliance. Kinship groups establish the long-term ties with other kinship groups through swapping women. Through this tie, they exchange resources like calling on in times of need or for protection of one¡¯s own group. Those are valuable resources in primitive societies, with no doubt, and this relationship is long-term by nature. But in such a relationship, self-interest is tempered by the central role played by group history.
            Horizontal keiretsu emerged from the self-interest of member firms to stabilize the flow of resources. So at the center of group have lain the bank and sogo shosha. During the early postwar period, the capital and raw materials were scarce and most needed resources to be secured, and that, affiliation in the group opens doors to trade with other group members, and with the trading partners those firms have. But once the network is put into action, it takes the life of its own: It was instutionalized in the routine of business. Just as firms seek to position themselves advantageously in their industry and in the broader business community, so too do groups as a whole. Keiretsu network, for instance, expands itself with new memberships. Most of expansion has involved the firms that compete against firms in other keiretsu. Keiretsu compete against keiretsu for positioning in the business community. By expanding to include group-level representation in a broad variety of fields, the group simultaneously preempts market opportunities, enhances its prestige in the larger business community, and diversifies risk across a spectrum of industries. The power and prestige of the group make the individual member firm more appealing to prospective business partners and improves its status in the larger business community. The fortunes of group and companies are in this way intertwined. In other words, affiliation in group translates into marrying with the group. The individual firms act as if they are the members of the clan. This kind of interfirm network could be facilitated for the unique Japanese business history. 3 out of outstanding 6 (now 4) groups are ex-zaibatsu (industrial group). And some influences in early postwar period are crucial in forming the keiretsu.
            But this is the problem of this book: no convincing explanation about why such alliance is found only in Japan? This book offers good enough description of the phenomenon. I can¡¯t help asking ¡®Is this enough explanation?¡¯ Unfortunately I don¡¯t think so. If you have this kind of question, I recommend, Ulrike Schaede¡¯s ¡®Cooperative Capitalism¡¯. This book has a very long-term standpoint from Tokugawa period to the present. This book is not about keiretsu. But you could understand the institutional background of Japanese business.

            5 out of 5 stars Very Insightful Book.......1999-11-08

            This is the most insightful book I have ever seen on the subject of Japanese business. The author clearly knows his subject
            Changing Capitalisms?: Internationalism, Institutional Change, and Systems of Economic Organization
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Changing Capitalisms?: Internationalism, Institutional Change, and Systems of Economic Organization

              Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

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              ASIN: 0199275637

              Book Description

              An increasing number of studies in the last decade or so have emphasized the viability and persistence of distinctive systems of economic coordination and control in developed market economies. Over more or less the same period, the revival of institutional economics and evolutionary approaches to understanding the firm has focused attention on how firms create distinctive capabilities through establishing routines that coordinate complementary activities and skills for particular strategic purposes. For much of the 1990s these two strands of research remained distinct. Those focusing on the institutional frameworks of market economies were primarily concerned with identifying complementarities between institutional arrangements that explained coherence and continuity. On the other hand, those focusing on the dynamics of firm behaviour studied how firms develop new capacities and are able to learn new ways of doing things. This book aims to bring together these approaches. It consists of a set of theoretically motivated and empirically informed chapters from a range of internationally known contributors to these debates. In their chapters, the authors show how institutions and firms evolve. Ideas of path dependency and complementarity of institutions are subjected to critical scrutiny both by reference to their own internal logic and to empirical examples. Varieties of institutional integration, the surprising maintenance of 'deviant' or alternative traditions and processes, and the existence of unpredictable yet consequential policy options that can lead to breaks in path dependency are scrutinized with particular reference to how national and international firms may relate to institutions at various levels as a diverse arena of potential resources rather than as a singular and determinant constraining force. The book provides a set of theoretical and empirical challenges for researchers concerned with the relationship between national institutional contexts and firm dynamics. For those involved in teaching or studying at doctoral, Masters and higher level undergraduate courses, the book provides a structured entry into the debates about how institutions and firms are changing in the contemporary era.
              Competitive success in an age of alliance capitalism: how do firm-specific factors affect behavior in strategic alliances?: An article from: Advances in Competitiveness Research
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Competitive success in an age of alliance capitalism: how do firm-specific factors affect behavior in strategic alliances?: An article from: Advances in Competitiveness Research
                Henry Adobor
                Manufacturer: American Society for Competitiveness
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Digital

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                ASIN: B0009FOUHK
                Release Date: 2005-07-30

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                This digital document is an article from Advances in Competitiveness Research, published by American Society for Competitiveness on January 1, 2002. The length of the article is 8875 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                Citation Details
                Title: Competitive success in an age of alliance capitalism: how do firm-specific factors affect behavior in strategic alliances?
                Author: Henry Adobor
                Publication: Advances in Competitiveness Research (Refereed)
                Date: January 1, 2002
                Publisher: American Society for Competitiveness
                Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Page: 71(29)

                Distributed by Thomson Gale
                Creating Capitalism: Transitions and Growth in Post-Soviet Europe
                Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                • Great contrast with DeSoto
                Creating Capitalism: Transitions and Growth in Post-Soviet Europe
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                ASIN: 1840647337

                Book Description

                Employing historical analysis and building on growth theory and modern political economy, Dillon and Wykoff explain Soviet disintegration and analyze efforts to create capitalism in newly independent states. They show how five fundamental economic reforms generate growth, and use an original model to test the connections between reforms, elections and economic performance.

                Customer Reviews:

                5 out of 5 stars Great contrast with DeSoto.......2003-06-14

                By way of contrast with "The Mystery of Capitalism" by DeSoto, this book (read May 28) on this same topic is reviews events after the collapse of communism in Russia and details the movement toward capitalism. It looks at seven eastern European countries. It looks like it offers a more balanced view than the DeSoto book. There are good sections on the issue of property (p. 41) and how those issues are being fought over. In Russia, for example, they go over the various groups that have grabbed the property - ex- communists, mafias, etc.

                Patient ants will eventually enjoy higher standards of living than impatient crickets. Optimum levels of consumption are below the maximum - must save for the future. Topics: why private markets work, growth models.

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