This paper argues that the future of composite indices of development such as the Human Development Index depends on how successfully they become operational and this is more likely to be possible at the country level for a variety of reasons. With this in mind the paper proposes a method and a...

This paper attempts to examine whether the structural adjustment programmes of the World Bank have improved the standards of living and human development indices in the treated countries. It appears that while during the adjustment period the average real per capita income has grown faster in...

This paper examines the components and structure of the UNDP's Human Development Index and briefly reviews the criticisms of this index in the literature. It suggests some improvements on the components of the index as well as proposing a different structure for the index itself. These result in...

This paper analyses the extent and dynamics of inequality amongst the provinces of Iran. It reviews theoretical propositions for possible convergence and divergence and argues that, while the evidence from the more developed countries supports the case of convergence, the empirical evidence for...

This paper analyses three aspects of the export supply response to structural adjustment programmes supported by the World Bank. First, have programmes improved programme countries' export performance relative to non-programme countries? Second, have programmes contributed to re-orientation of...

If, as some recent research seems to suggest, the economic performance of countries that comply with World Bank conditionality is significantly better than that of countries that do not comply, then an important topic for research is the identification of factors that increase the likelihood of...

This paper analyses the extent and dynamics of inequality amongst the provinces of Iran. It reviews various theoretical propositions for possible convergence and divergence and argues that while the evidence from the more developed countries supports the case of convergence the empirical...