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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Ahuja Vinod; ; |
| Abstract: | A large body of empirical literature highlights the need for stakeholder participation within the context of policy change and democratic governance. This makes intuitive sense and may appear to be a straightforward process of managing conflicting interests, building consensus, and lining up support. The reality, however, is often much more complicated and conflictive, even where there is general agreement on the policy objectives. The present paper examines these issues in the context of participatory policy development for the delivery of veterinary services by para-professionals in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It illustrates the challenges inherent in the politics of participatory policy processes and the potential of ‘agenda hijack’ by influential partners, resulting in missed learning opportunities. It also offers insights on practical steps to counter these dangers, as potential lessons for practitioners and project managers engaged in participatory policy reform processes. |
| Date: | 2008–05–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iim:iimawp:2008-05-02&r=cwa |
| By: | Pillai N., Vijayamohanan |
| Abstract: | This brief note was prepared for the State Planning Board of Kerala in India in response to a question on how to double Kerala’s net state domestic product in three years and on its implications for investment and its financing. We show that this ambition lies in the realm of impossibles. |
| Keywords: | Kerala; State income; Growth; Investment; Financing |
| JEL: | E0 E6 |
| Date: | 2008–05–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:8876&r=cwa |
| By: | S. Bhaduri; H. Worch |
| Abstract: | The theoretical literature identifies three important entrepreneurial dimensions, namely discovering new opportunities, responsiveness to uncertainty, and coordination of a firm. In the empirical literature, past experience has been identified as having an important influence on organizational behavior. This literature, however, focuses predominantly on the impact of experience on new opportunities using a resource-based view and human capital perspective. In contrast, we draw upon the cognitive science literature to argue that past experience shapes an entrepreneur’s cognitive frame, and, hence, influences entrepreneurship in a more holistic manner. We provide econometric evidence of the impact of past experience on all three entrepreneurial dimensions from the small scale Indian pharmaceutical enterprises. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship, Past experience, Cognition, Informatione and knowledge, India pharmaceutical industry Length 42 pages |
| JEL: | D83 L26 M10 |
| Date: | 2008–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esi:evopap:2008-04&r=cwa |
| By: | Pillai N., Vijayamohanan |
| Abstract: | It goes without saying that the problems confronting the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) in India are just internal to them, and hence what the system requires is not any market-oriented restructuring, but an essence-specific reform that can remove the impediments that stand in the way of the SEBs’ improved performance. It is in this light that we propose some viable measures of reform meant for the Kerala power sector, covering all the stages of its functioning. Since the problems haunting the power sector start from the very first stage of capacity expansion planning itself, we suggest, to start with, a simple method of electricity demand projection for Kerala and discuss its implications. Then we discuss in detail some viable measures of reform for the Kerala power sector for its efficient functioning in the execution of expansion plans and operational performance. |
| Keywords: | Power sector reforms; Kerala; inefficiency; demand projection |
| JEL: | L94 L98 Q4 |
| Date: | 2008–05–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:8869&r=cwa |
| By: | JANJHJI, NOOR ZAMAN; MEMON, NOOR AHMED |
| Abstract: | This paper highlights and demonstrates the technical and economical impact of technical textiles in the industrially developed countries and their future contribution to the development of economics of newly developing countries, such as China, South East Asia, and North Africa etc. Pakistan still lags behind in technical textile products as neither the government nor the textile industry has made any serious efforts towards synchronizing textile products with the emerging needs of the world market by developing higher value-added products. Although the textile sector is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, the Government as well as the textile industry has kept their focus on conventional textiles, ignoring technical textiles and knowledge-based products. A special focus is placed on the application of technical textiles related automotive, medical, construction/civil engineering and sportswear’s fields. |
| JEL: | F2 E3 C2 |
| Date: | 2007–09–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:8886&r=cwa |
| By: | Bosker, Maarten; Buringh, Eltjo; van Zanden, Jan Luiten |
| Abstract: | On the basis of a large (new) dataset of cities in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in the millennium between 800 and 1800, we try to provide an answer to the question why, during this millennium, the urban center of gravity moved from Iraq (or more generally the Arab world) to Western Europe and to the shores of the Atlantic (during the 17th and 18th century) in particular. We study the characteristics of the European and Arab urban systems involved, amongst others focusing on the interaction between cities, and explain why one system was much more dynamic in the long run than the other. Also we assess the importance of various geographical, religious and institutional factors as the driving forces of urban expansion. Overall, we provide a better understanding of the dynamics of urban growth in the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution and an answer to the question why London, an economic backwater in 800, was able to overtake Baghdad, in 800 the thriving capital of the Abbasid caliphate, as the largest city in this part of the world. |
| Keywords: | long term urban development; Arab world; economic history; Europe |
| JEL: | N10 N90 R11 |
| Date: | 2008–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6833&r=cwa |