The definition and measurement of productivity in services raises important conceptual, methodological and strategic problems. This book aims to provide a critical review of the main debates on productivity in the domain of services. The first part examines the theoretical consequences of...

Economic Performance in the Americas compares the economic performances of Brazil, Mexico and the USA over the past half century. As with most other high and middle-income countries their economies are service-sector orientated and have been for several decades. This book encompasses all sectors...

This compilation of original essays by an international cast of top scholars addresses some of the major issues now facing postal and delivery services throughout the world. The European Commission and member states wrestle with the problem of how to implement the scheduled liberalization of...

Written by some of the most distinguished authors in the field, this book elucidates the critical and complex relationships between services, production and innovation. The authors discuss the limitations of current theories to explain service productivity and innovation, and call for a...

Problems arise if budgets for services are held constant whilst prices rise. Education, cultural activities and health services are under constant budgetary pressure. The authors argue that the price of commodities is linked to demand and price increases would therefore seem to threaten the very...

This book provides one of the first interdisciplinary reviews of the relationship between services, globalisation and trade liberalisation as we enter the twenty-first century. Written by academics and policymakers, it contains a detailed analysis of the characteristics of service trade and of...

Service activities are now acknowledged as key players in economic development, societal change and public policy worldwide. This exciting Handbook not only contributes to ongoing conceptual debates about the nature of service-led economies and societies; it also pushes back the frontiers of...

In this book Fai͏̈z Gallouj propounds a theoretical framework which describes and evaluates the main approaches to analysing and understanding innovation in services. He provides interesting and extensive empirical material on the nature and sources of innovation in various services sectors...

pt. I. Services and innovation : conceptual and analytical frameworks -- pt. II. The nature of innovation in services : sectoral analyses and case studies -- pt. III. Organisational and strategic patterns for service innovation -- pt. IV. Innovation in services and through services : impact...

Service innovation is a young but prolific research field, with a rapidly increasing number of publications being dedicated to the area. This title explores the most significant articles that helped build and develop this field from a theoretical, empirical and methodological perspective. In...