The decision to cooperate within R&D joint ventures is often based on `expert advice.' Such advice typically originates in a due diligence process, which assesses the R&D joint venture's profitability, for example, by appraising the achievability of synergies. We show that if the experts who...

Firms sign an integration contract with the purpose of increasing their expected profits from trade and competition with third parties. Gains depend on how the contract improves the partners' production function (e.g. better synergies, organization, etc.), and how it increases their power in the...

This paper examines the determinants of economic growth, income inequality, and their relationship in the context of education inequality. The econometrics indicate that a higher level of human capital and the relative dispersion of human capital have a disequalizing relationship with income...

When estimating regional inequality, many economists use inequality indices weighted by the regions' shares in the national population. Although this approach is widespread, its adequacy has not received attention in the regional science literature. This paper proves that such approach is...

A positive economic growth is one crucial macroeconomic objective of every nation. Many countries have formed regional as well as international trading blocs in an attempt to enhance economic growth and maximise welfare of each member state, the AFTZ member states are not an exception. This...

Preface Over the last decade and a half the global economic order has been undergoing major changes. While this may be thought to reflect the results of a multilateral and participatory process involving debate and negotiations, in reality it has been mostly driven by the economic interests of...

The trade ties between Italy and Eritrea is important for both countries. This paper analyzes the extents and characteristics of regional trade relationship between Eritrea and Italy. Attention is given to the regions and products where there is high potential for export and import. Other...

Improvement in incomes distribution has been one of the major targets of Iranian policy makers; however, during 1991 to 2004, policy regimes have shifted frequently, and evaluation of the effect of policy regime shifts in Iran’s distributional changes due to these policy regime shifts could be...

We use US county level data (3,058 observations) from 1970 to 1998 to explore the relationship between economic growth and the extent of government employment at three levels: federal, state and local. We find that increases in federal, state and local government employments are all negatively...