​The decision to diversify lies at the core of corporate strategy and is one of the most important decisions for top management. Matthias Knecht introduces a new perspective on corporate diversification that extends the academic discussion and reveals substantial new insights with regards to one of the most pressing questions in strategic management: what makes a diversification strategy successful? The author introduces the dynamism of industries as the dominant force in the firm’s environment that influences the organization on all levels. Due to strategic, organizational, and managerial similarities of businesses competing in similar dynamic environments, synergistic benefits and superior economic performance can be realized through the combination of dynamic-related businesses in the corporate portfolio. This study provides a quantitative, multidimensional operationalization of industry dynamism and an in-depth assessment of the dynamism of a wide range of industries. At the core of the study lies the investigation of the performance impact of dynamic-related diversification strategies. The results provide new insights into successful portfolio construction strategies in the face of today’s dynamic environments.

Export structure is less diversified in low-income countries (LICs) and especially small states that face resource constraints and small economic size. This paper explores the potential linkages between export structure and economic growth and its volatility in LICs and small states, using a range of indices of export concentration differing in the coverage of industries. The empirical analysis finds that export diversification may promote economic growth and reduce economic volatility in these countries. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that the economic benefits of export diversification differ by country size and income level—there are bigger benefits for relatively larger and poorer countries within the group of LICs and small states.

This book combines the human development approach and innovation economics in order to explore the effects that structural economic change has on human development. While economic diversification can provide valuable new social choices and capabilities, it also tends to lead to more complex decision processes and changes to the set of capabilities required by people to self-determine their future. Within this process of structural transformation, social networks are crucial for accessing information and social support, but networks can also be a root cause of exclusion and inequality reproduction. This implies the need to encourage innovation and economic diversification beyond production expansion, focusing on the promotion of human agency and social inclusion. This book provides such a modern perspective on development economics, emphasizing the role of social networks, economic diversity and entrepreneurship for social welfare. The author discusses how innovation, social networks, economic dynamics and human development are interlinked, and provides several practical examples of social and micro-entrepreneurship in contexts as diverse as Peruvian rural villages and Brazil’s urban areas. The interdisciplinary perspective put forward in this book illustrates theoretical and methodological methods of exploring the complexity of development in a practical and relevant way. It also provides useful information about structural factors which need to be considered by practitioners when designing pro-poor growth policies. Furthermore, the coverage of the core concepts of innovation, networks and development economics, enriched with multiple examples, makes it a valuable resource for scholars and advanced students of modern development economics.

Abstract: The economies of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are heavily reliant on oil. Greater economic diversification would reduce their exposure to volatility and uncertainty in the global oil market, help create jobs in the private sector, increase productivity and sustainable growth, and help create the non-oil economy that will be needed in the future when oil revenues start to dwindle. The GCC countries have followed many of the standard policies that are usually thought to promote more diversified economies, including reforms to improve the business climate, the development of domestic infrastructure, financial deepening, and improvements in education. Nevertheless, success to date has been limited. This paper argues that increased diversification will require realigning incentives for firms and workers in the economies—fixing these incentives is the “missing link” in the GCC countries’ diversification strategies. At present, producing non-tradables is less risky and more profitable for firms as they can benefit from the easy availability of low-wage foreign labor and the rapid growth in government spending, while the continued availability of high-paying and secure public sector jobs discourages nationals from pursuing entrepreneurship and private sector employment. Measures to begin to address these incentive issues could include limiting and reorienting government spending, strengthening private sector competition, providing guarantees and financial support for those firms engaged in export activity, and implementing labor market reforms to make nationals more competitive for private sector employment.

"This book examines the nature of the process of technological change in different sectors of various countries, analyzing the impact of innovation as well as research and development activities on different outcomes in different fields and assessing the design and impact of policies aimed at enhancing innovation in organizations"--Provided by publisher.

This title was first published in 2000: This text aims to be essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the microeconomic foundations behind the Latin American export boom, the ways in which government policies affecting exports may retard or promote economic growth, and the future prospects of the proposed Free Trade Association of the Americas. The authors conduct an econometric analysis which uses measures of export diversification, structural change in exports, and exports similarity which provide a basis for region-wide comparisons. The cases of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela are analyzed in particular detail. Cross-country analysis focuses on the potential role of export diversification in promoting economic growth, in the context of other important determinants of growth.