Markets are increasingly seen as vehicles to solve problems in developing countries. For example, improvements in market performance make potentially important contributions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Access of smallholders to well-functioning markets is increasingly expected to contribute to poverty alleviation and improvement of both food security and environmental sustainability. This book presents the views of leading experts on where we stand and where we are heading in the field of markets, marketing and developing countries. Twenty essays in this book describe the role of marketing in achieving development goals, the track record of past market policies, the current functioning of value chains, the roles that market institutions play to facilitate market access for smallholders, as well as the potential to add value to farm produce through certification schemes, new technologies or innovation systems. The book is published in honour of the retirement of Aad van Tilburg, one of the pioneers in the field of marketing in developing countries. Early on in his career Van Tilburg recognised that improvements in the functioning of markets and marketing can be key to economic development with special reference to the livelihood of small producers and other market actors in developing countries.

The authors go beyond the traditional presentation of economic principles, offering instead a series of applied methods for data collection and analysis. Drawing on extensive experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, they not only describe specific procedures, but also provide a wealth of illustrative research results. This book will be particularly useful to teaching professionals, development specialists, and applied researchers working in developing countries.

Markets in Third World countries are growing rapidly and in the next several decades will offer tremendous business opportunities. Firms aspiring to be a part of this growth must establish their presence in these markets today or lose the opportunity forever. Market Evolution in Developing Countries illustrates how these markets are likely to evolve as mass markets along the lines of advanced nations and examines conditions that affect this evolution. The author develops a model of market evolution based on a general overview of all evolving markets which is then applied and thoroughly discussed with reference to India, a burgeoning market of some 200 million people. Through a conceptual framework of market evolution, this groundbreaking book describes how markets at various stages of development offer different opportunities and thus require different strategies for success. Author Jain outlines strategic moves that American businesses may make to capitalize on such opportunities. He also covers information on policy initiatives developing countries themselves can take to help in the smooth evolution of their markets and specific steps leaders of these countries may take to enable greater growth in their markets. While Market Evolution in Developing Countries uses India as a case study, the strategies for doing business successfully there are equally relevant and easily adaptable for use in other developing countries. Some of the many topics addressed include India’s government and politics, corporate environment, international competitiveness, and changing market behavior, as well as U.S. direct investment in India, Indo-U.S. business relations, and political-legal differences between the U.S. and India. This informative guide also contains a brief historical overview of India, a profile of a middle-class Indian family, and a handy section of cultural tips and other advice for business persons traveling to India to help them cope with business negotiations there. In a readable style, this book provides comprehensive information for all business professionals interested in the vast opportunities available in many Third World countries. Market Evolution in Developing Countries is ideal for international business executives and consultants who wish to review opportunities in these countries and learn how to take advantage of them effectively. It is a basic resource on economic opportunities in developing countries.

The articles in this collection discuss the role of marketing in development, and include case studies from various developing countries. They consider state enterprises, marketing education, birth control and comparative marketing models.

Economic and social progress requires a diverse ecosystem of firms that play complementary roles. Making It Big: Why Developing Countries Need More Large Firms constitutes one of the most up-to-date assessments of how large firms are created in low- and middle-income countries and their role in development. It argues that large firms advance a range of development objectives in ways that other firms do not: large firms are more likely to innovate, export, and offer training and are more likely to adopt international standards of quality, among other contributions. Their particularities are closely associated with productivity advantages and translate into improved outcomes not only for their owners but also for their workers and for smaller enterprises in their value chains. The challenge for economic development, however, is that production does not reach economic scale in low- and middle-income countries. Why are large firms scarcer in developing countries? Drawing on a rare set of data from public and private sources, as well as proprietary data from the International Finance Corporation and case studies, this book shows that large firms are often born large—or with the attributes of largeness. In other words, what is distinct about them is often in place from day one of their operations. To fill the “missing top†? of the firm-size distribution with additional large firms, governments should support the creation of such firms by opening markets to greater competition. In low-income countries, this objective can be achieved through simple policy reorientation, such as breaking oligopolies, removing unnecessary restrictions to international trade and investment, and establishing strong rules to prevent the abuse of market power. Governments should also strive to ensure that private actors have the skills, technology, intelligence, infrastructure, and finance they need to create large ventures. Additionally, they should actively work to spread the benefits from production at scale across the largest possible number of market participants. This book seeks to bring frontier thinking and evidence on the role and origins of large firms to a wide range of readers, including academics, development practitioners and policy makers.