Costa Rica has been successful in attracting high-tech foreign direct investment (FDI). An aggressive FDI-assisted development strategy was pursued by the country in the 1980s as a response to the economic crisis; yet there are serious concerns about the effectiveness of such strategy from a...

This paper presents an analysis of the contribution of some institutional innovations to a more inclusive growth in the coffee and the palm oil sectors. The paper presents an historical approach, considering the concepts of growth and sustainable development, but specially the notion of...

The classic dual economy models of developing countries hold minimum wages (among other institutions) accountable for persistent dualism. They note that applying or enforcing minimum wage laws in only one sector of the economy will create wage differentials which will not be eroded with labor...

This paper investigates the effects of legal minimum wages on wages, employment, hours worked and monthly earnings among workers covered by minimum wage legislation as well as those for whom it does not apply (the uncovered sector) in Costa Rica. This country’s large uncovered sector and...

The small-scale pepper producers in the El Roble settlement Costa Rica face a monopsonistic market. Only one processing firm is buying the fresh pepper bunches. The processor has all bargaining power to decide on the price paid to the farmers and the quality selection criteria. The rejection...

Argentinien erlebte in der Jahren 2001 und 2002 die schwerste Wirtschaftskrise seiner jüngeren Geschichte. Doch auch diese schwere Krise war nur Teil eines Jahrzehnte alten Entwicklungsmusters. In seinem Verlauf führten chronische Inflation, Leistungsbilanzprobleme, Produktivitätsmängel und...

Technology transfer and the so-called productivity spillover-effects are important aspects of foreign direct investments regarding their contribution to the long-term development potential of the host countries.The effects of the foreign direct investments on the foreign and domestic companies...

Bis vor wenigen Jahren wurde die chinesische Automobilindustrie in internationalen Industriekreisen kaum wahrgenommen. Sie war klein, von preiswerten einheimischen Nutzfahrzeugen geprägt, rückständig und vom Rest der Welt isoliert. Heute wird China in zahlreichen Zeitungsartikeln als "Motor...