Comparing business regulation in 181 economies. Doing Business 2009 is the sixth in a series of annual reports comparing business regulations in 181 economies. Doing Business 2009 measures regulations affecting 10 areas of everyday business: Starting a business - steps, time, cost, and minimum...

Regulations affecting 10 areas of everyday business are measured: starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and closing a business. Doing Business 2008...

"This paper uses micro data from the Indonesian Census of Manufacturing to analyze the causal relationship between foreign ownership and plant productivity. To control for the possible endogeneity of the FDI decision, the difference in differences approach is combined with a matching technique....

"The authors examine the determinants of entry by foreign firms using information on 515 Chinese industries at the provincial level during 1998-2001. The analysis, rooted in the new economic geography, focuses on market and supplier access within and outside the province of entry, as well as...

This collection of case studies aims to contribute to the growing evidence on private sector engagement in the fight against HIV and AIDS and the challenges businesses are overcoming in this fight. By capturing the experiences of the local private sector, it seeks to foster a more active...

This report summarizes findings from an allocative efficiency and financial commitment analysis conducted for the Government of Zambia by the World Bank and the University of New South Wales. It uses Optima, a mathematical model of HIV transmission and disease progression. Optima is a...

Stakeholders' perceptions of opportunities and constraints to sustainable land management in Ethiopia was assessed through interviews and a review of secondary data. Stakeholders included farmers as well as representatives of development agencies, agricultural organizations, donors,...

The study's objective was to support the socio-economic development program of the Government of Orissa by helping to analyze and formulate practical strategies for strengthening an institutional and regulatory framework with respect to managing the environmental and social impacts of...

The last decade has witnessed expanded awareness among companies, especially multinational corporations, of their responsibilities toward the communities they impact, elaborated in the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and allied notions such as a Social License to Operate (SLTO)....