The Evolution of Household Technology and Consumer Behavior, 1800-2000

The Evolution of Household Technology and Consumer Behavior, 1800-2000 PDF Author: Julia Sophie Woersdorfer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351789082
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Book Description
The increasing division and specialization of labor between the market and the nonmarket sector is a central stylized fact of long-run economic development. Over time, a large share of activities which had formerly been carried out by the private household itself has become replaced by market alternatives, raising at the same time the demand for consumer goods. The neoclassical economic framework of household production theory relates the increasing demand for household technology to rising wages and opportunity costs of time: the higher the wage rate, the more costly it is to spend time in unpaid housework activities. Consumer products are thus purchased to make household production processes more efficient and to substitute capital goods for the household’s time (time substitution hypothesis). Although this hypothesis sounds plausible at first sight, it cannot capture the essential phenomena underlying the complex process of the mechanization of the home over the past 200 years. Its major weakness lies in the treatment of consumer preferences, whose explanatory potential is explicitly factored out. Using the washing of clothes as a microcosm of household economics, this book examines long-term changes in cleanliness consumption patterns from the perspective of an evolutionary economic, psychologically informed consumer theory. Woersdorfer shows how the historical evolution of cleanliness consumption over the past 200 years is the result of the interplay of supply and demand side factors, namely, technical change in washing technology on one side and motivational driving forces and consumer learning capabilities on the other. Hence, not changing relative prices but innate consumer needs and consumer learning processes, leading to a growing understanding of how to satisfy those needs, are the essential driving forces behind the rising technological endowment of the home and the corresponding demand for household appliances. The Evolution of Household Technology and Consumer Behavior, 1800–2000 will be of interest to researchers in the field of evolutionary economics, history of technology, economic history, innovation economics and sociology.

The Evolution of Household Technology and Consumer Behaviour, 1800-2000

The Evolution of Household Technology and Consumer Behaviour, 1800-2000 PDF Author: Julia Sophie Woersdorfer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781848935952
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
How has the washing machine changed the way we spend money? Using the washing of clothes as a microcosm of household economics Worsdorfer examines the evolution of technology and practice over a period of growing industrialization. This new evolutionary account of consumer behaviour marks a move towards a more individualistic approach to economics.

Corporate Power and Regulation

Corporate Power and Regulation PDF Author: Sandra Eckert
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030054632
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
​“A novel, insightful and provocative foray into the abilities, capacities and limits of corporate power on the one hand and public power and capacities on the other hand. Eckert offers new and refine insights on core issues in the theories of public and private interest regulation.”—David Levi Faur, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel “This impressive book breaks important ground in the regulatory governance literature by bringing in a fresh corporate perspective. Based on a set of fascinating case studies of European regulation, Eckert compellingly unpacks key facets of corporate power. A must-read for regulation scholars who often neglect the targets of regulation!”—Burkard Eberlein, York University, Canada “This book offers systematic and empirically fascinating insights into the regulatory power of corporations which unfolds outside the traditional political arenas. Its policy effects have important implications for the target groups of regulation, the general public, and the democratic political process as such. The conceptualization and use of rich empirical sources make for a compelling read.”—Adrienne Héritier, European University Institute, Italy This book takes a fresh look at corporate power in the regulatory process. It examines how corporations seek to prevent, shape, make or revoke regulation. The central argument is that in doing so, corporations utilise distinct power resources as experts, innovators and operators. By re-emphasising the proactive role of business, the book complements our acquired knowledge of policymakers’ capacity to put pressure on, or delegate power to private actors. Empirically, the book covers European consumer and environmental policies, and conducts case studies on the chemical, paper, home appliance, ICT and electricity industries. A separate chapter is dedicated to the assumption that Brexit will lead to an unprecedented result of EU regulation being lifted, and how this could put corporate power in regulation at risk. This book provides a new perspective on the policy implications of corporate power to scholars, students and practitioners alike.

Aid for Trade at a Glance 2019 Economic Diversification and Empowerment

Aid for Trade at a Glance 2019 Economic Diversification and Empowerment PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264429514
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 532

Book Description
This edition analyses how trade can contribute to economic diversification and empowerment, with a focus on eliminating extreme poverty, particularly through the effective participation of women and youth. It shows how aid for trade can contribute to that objective by addressing supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure constraints, including for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises notably in rural areas.

The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business

The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business PDF Author: Teresa da Silva Lopes
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315277794
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 782

Book Description
The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business draws together a wide array of state-of-the-art research on multinational enterprises. The volume aims to deepen our historical understanding of how firms and entrepreneurs contributed to transformative processes of globalization. This book explores how global business facilitated the mechanisms of cross-border interactions that affected individuals, organizations, industries, national economies and international relations. The 37 chapters span the Middle Ages to the present day, analyzing the emergence of institutions and actors alongside key contextual factors for global business development. Contributors examine business as a central actor in globalization, covering myriad entrepreneurs, organizational forms and key industrial sectors. Taking a historical view, the chapters highlight the intertwined and evolving nature of economic, political, social, technological and environmental patterns and relationships. They explore dynamic change as well as lasting continuities, both of which often only become visible – and can only be fully understood – when analyzed in the long run. With dedicated chapters on challenges such as political risk, sustainability and economic growth, this prestigious collection provides a one-stop shop for a key business discipline. Chapter 31 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Macroeconomic Measurement Versus Macroeconomic Theory

Macroeconomic Measurement Versus Macroeconomic Theory PDF Author: Merijn Knibbe
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351136690
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 264

Book Description
Ideally, scientific theory and scientific measurement should develop in tandem, but in recent years this has not been the case in economics. There used to be a time when leading economists, or their students, established or led statistical offices and took care that the measurements were consistent with the theory (and vice versa). Not anymore. Macroeconomic theorists and macroeconomic statisticians do not even speak the same language any longer. They do use the same words, such as ‘consumption’, ‘investments’ or ‘unemployment’ but the meanings can often be different. This book maps the differences between macroeconomic theory and measurement and explores them in some detail while also tracking their intellectual, historical and, in some cases, ideological origins. It also explores the possible policy implications. In doing so, the book draws on two separate strands of literature which are seldom used in unison: macro-statistical manuals and theoretical macro-papers. By doing so, the book contributes to the effort to bridge the gap between them without compromising on the idea that a meaningful science of economics should, in the end, be based upon individual people and households and their social and cultural embedding instead of a ‘representative consumer’, or Robinson Crusoe figure. This work is essential reading for students, economists, statisticians, and professionals.

The Birth of Economics as a Social Science

The Birth of Economics as a Social Science PDF Author: Francesca Dal Degan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429524110
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 158

Book Description
Although considered a classic thinker, Sismondi is seldom discussed, at least in English. In this context, this volume offers a key reference work on the intellectual and economic contribution of Sismondi to the economic, political, and social sciences. The book explores his works in order to rediscover the direction of a viable path to individual and public happiness. Through examining Sismondi’s work, The Birth of Economics as a Social Science contributes to the current debate on the relationships between liberty, interpersonal relations, and wealth. Moreover, Dal Degan presents an analytical and historical example of the ways in which an author from the past attempted to connect these aspects in his scientific discourse. The first part of the book focuses on Sismondi’s political thought, paying particular attention to the different cultural and political traditions that pepper the author’s reflections on the conditions for liberty. The second part analyzes the epistemological view underlying how Sismondi’s historical method and multidisciplinary approach respond to the need to base economic discourse on a contextual and causal analysis that also addresses the historical and institutional structure of social organizations. Finally, the third part of the book is dedicated to Sismondi’s economic theory. This work brings the works of Sismondi to a wider readership. It will be of great interest to those studying and researching economic theory and the connections between economics and society, as well as the broader social sciences.

Aid for Trade at a Glance

Aid for Trade at a Glance PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Developed countries
Languages : en
Pages : 542

Book Description


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More PDF Author: Philip Coggan
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1782833390
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 485

Book Description
There are 17 ingredients in a typical tube of toothpaste, from titanium dioxide to xanthum gum, and that's not counting the tube. Everything had to come from somewhere and someone had to bring it all together. The humblest household product reveals a web of enterprise that stretches around the globe. More is the story of how we spun that web. It begins with the earliest glimmerings of long-distance trade - obsidian blades that made their way from what is now Turkey to the Iran-Iraq border 7,000 years before Christ - and ends with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. On such a grand scale, quirks of historical perspective leap out: futures contracts and commercial branding are among the many seemingly modern components of the global economy have existed since ancient times. Yet it was only in the 18th century that a cascade of innovations began to drive up prosperity in a lasting way around the world. To piece this fascinating saga together, Philip Coggan takes the reader inside medieval cottages and hi-tech hydroponic farms, prehistoric Chinese burial mounds and modern central banks. At every step of our journey, he finds that it was connections between people that created our wealth. Will the same openness continue to serve us in the 21st century?

People, Places and Business Cultures

People, Places and Business Cultures PDF Author: Paolo Di Martino
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1783272120
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Book Description
Inspired by the work and legacy of Francesca Carnevali, this collection brings together new research into nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and European economic history, socio-cultural history and business history. This collection brings together new research into nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and European economic history, socio-cultural history and business history. It is inspired by the work and legacy of Francesca Carnevali who, throughout her career, encouraged a lively dialogue between these different disciplines. The book offers innovative views and perspectives on key debates and emphasises the connections between economic environments and wider social and cultural elements. It also considers methodological issues and emerging approaches in economic history. Topics include banks and business finance in the nineteenth century, mass-market retailing and class demarcations, economic microhistory, and comparative history and capitalism. Economic, business, social and cultural historians alike will find it of interest. PAOLO DI MARTINO is Senior Lecturer in International Business History at the Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. ANDREW POPP is Professor of Business History at the University of Liverpool. PETER SCOTT is Professor of International Business History at the University of Reading's Henley Business School and Director of Henley's Centre for International Business History. CONTRIBUTORS: Andrea Colli, Paolo Di Martino, Leslie Hannah, Matthew Hilton, Ken Lipartito, Lucy Newton, Andrew Popp, Peter Scott, Anna Spadavecchia, James Walker, Chris Wickham