Advances in the Economics of Information Systems provides a wide perspective on the issues related to applications of economics to information systems area. From grid computing to online auctions, the reader can find novel uses of economics tools in understanding concepts related to the use of technology at the firm level. IT professionals will also find rich analysis of problems at their agenda and benefit from the insights this reference field provides.

This book has been written for people who are just starting out as managers. It doesn’t include large sections on the various management theories – instead, it concentrates on how to manage. This means things like what to do, what to think about, and what to be aware of.

Each chapter includes some common questions and answers, and has a checklist to remind you of the main points. There are also mini case studies, in which you meet fictional characters, illustrating some points from the chapter – usually how not to do it! Lastly, at the end of each chapter you will find some discussion points, to help you apply what you have learned from the text to your own work situation.

I hope you will find the book useful, and that in time, it will help you become a good manager.

The business environment has changed. Sharper competition requires organizations to exhibit greater effectiveness in their operations and services and faster creation of new products and servicesall hallmarks of the knowledge economy. Up until now, most of the knowledge management literature has focused on technology, systems, or culture. This book moves to the next stage, to focus on the peoplethe knowledge workers themselves. Noted expert Karl Wiig synthesizes recent research findings in cognitive science and related fields to describe how people actually work. He focuses on how people learn, remember, make decisions, solve problems and actin general, how knowledge relates to work behavior. By understanding how people work, managers can improve effectiveness to gain competitive advantage.

For more than a century, anthropologists have studied the economic
lives and institutions of people around the world. The results of their
research and reflection on economy have generally stayed within the
discipline and have not been available in an accessible form to a
broader readership. This major reference book is intended to correct
this. This unique Handbook contains substantial and invaluable summary
discussions of work on economic processes and issues, and on the
relationship between economic and non-economic areas of life.
Furthermore it describes conceptual orientations that are important
among economic anthropologists, and presents summaries of key issues in
the anthropological study of economic life in different regions of the
world. Its scope and accessibility make it useful both to those who are
interested in a particular topic and to those who want to see the
breadth and fruitfulness of an anthropological study of economics.
Economists from a wide range of fields and perspectives - from
heterodox to classical, and from industrial economics to economic
psychology and sociology - will find much to engage them within this
exciting Handbook, as will anthropologists drawn to the significant
statements by senior figures in the field. Those involved in
development projects will find this an invaluable reference work with
which to gain greater understanding of and insight into the reasons for
people’s economic activities and decisions. The concise treatments of
topics will provide invaluable teaching aids and reference for further
reading by scholars at all levels of study.

This compelling book focuses on the global formation of the Internet system. It contests the common belief that the Internet’s adoption was inevitable and instead examines the social and economic processes that allowed to it to prevail over competing standards and methods for achieving a global information infrastructure. The author demonstrates how the current Internet system was not the only possible choice, nor the best data network in terms of technological and economic performance. It is therefore vital, he argues, to understand the way in which different political and economic interests have helped shaped the Internet and allowed it to overcome rival technologies. Issues of particular importance include the role of negotiations among different social groups in the design of the Internet as well as the influence of US promotion. The author also examines patterns of growth and pervasiveness of the Internet between different regions and countries, providing new evidence on the factors influencing the extent of the ‘digital divide’. Using econometric models, he goes on to identify the features of the co-evolution of the Internet and other sub-systems within countries, and highlights the most interesting features of their local and global interplay. Researchers and academics involved with science and technology policy, industrial and corporate change, and the information society will welcome this insightful, original and highly pertinent book. It will also be of value for anyone with an interest in how the backbone of the digital economy was formed.