It is generally assumed that competition increases welfare. The main idea behind this assumption is that competition in a market is the best incentive mechanism to produce efficient market outcomes. This is good for social welfare and therefore stimulating competition is welfare increasing. According …

One of the most significant changes with regard to the use of internet is the transformation of passive information users into active actors, who increasingly create the content of the ¨World Wide Web¨ (WWW) themselves. Along with these changes, the economic impact of established media declines and experts …

Essay based on a Presentation to International Stakeholder Forum, Convened by the Board of Directors of the Fair Labor Association, Washington D.C. June 26, 2009. There is much concern about the current crisis. Indeed the fall in consumption in developed countries is steep, anything between 15 to 25% …

The explicit attention to sustainability and related concepts within the context of housing and urban development dates back to the 70’s of the last century. Since then, a lot of efforts have been done to define the concept and to bring it into practice. This involved efforts from national to local governments, …

Romania, as a newcomer to the EU club, has to deal with child labour that constitutes a serious breach of human rights. The nature of child labour in Romania has specific features, which are common to features of child labour in other post communist countries. While in developing countries and in the …

In this chapter the autor explores the contours and possible effects of the WMO for the local government level. First she gives a short overview of the main features of the WMO (PAR. 2.5). Then she describes the challenges that local government is confronted with, especially the political decisions that …

In November 2006, SOMO published a report that criticised labour conditions in Nokia's factories in Asia. This report revealed conditions where workers work up to 72 hours a week with compulsory overtime, have insecure employment contracts and work in unsafe factories, where no or inadequate protection …

This article presents a social analysis and a spatial outline of this quarter. On the basis of two cross-sections it is possible to study the social and spatial effects of industrialisation on this neighbourhood. Petrus Regout founded glassworks and a pottery there in the 1830’s. The demographic pressure …

What would you do if you were unable to pay your rent and you were threatened with home-eviction? Would you ask you family or close friends for help, or would you prefer the professional help of a social worker? Or maybe both? What kind of support can family, friends, neighbors, offer in a situation …

In their postgraduate educational programs, residents are immersed in a complex workplace. To improve the quality of the training program, it is necessary to gain insight into the factors that influence the process of learning in the workplace. An exploratory study was carried out among 56 nursing home …