Physica okt 2010 (242 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -After the dramatic failures of the dot coms in 2000 and 2001, many observers were quick to report on the death of electronic commerce. Investor confidence sagged, stock prices of technology firms in nearly all of the related sectors suffered. In reality, the picture is not nearly as dismal as the press would have us believe. E-commerce is not dead, but it has moved beyond its overhyped beginning stage. This book is an effort to sort through the hype, providing a realistic assessment of the state of electronic commerce today, and the important areas of opportunity and challenge for tomorrow. The book sees all kind of developments where e-business is becoming an integral part of 'traditional' business processes, with special emphasis on practical and policy importance. E-commerce scholars from a number of disciplines and countries contribute to assess the impact of the dot com bust and the current state of e-commerce. 296 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -It is a notorious fact that the evolution of civil-military relations and the security sector reform in South-East Europe has to deal with post-totalitarian and post-conflict challenges. The book examines these issues in the context of the adaptation to combating terrorism and the need to be effective in this struggle, while continuing the democratic reforms in the individual countries. A team of authors from all South-East European states, Western Europe and North America draws a complicated, yet logically evolving picture of the problems in the security sector reform field of the region, and proves the validity of the particular research area. This comprehensive study concludes that the security sector in the region is becoming increasingly mature, but also faces a variety of uncompleted tasks. 288 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The creation of a single monetary currency and a single monetary policy in the euro area has faced extraordinary challenges, among them the design of suitable monetary policy instruments. This book evaluates monetary policy instruments of the Eurosystem against a number of requirements. To do so, a theoretical model framework is developed which brings together the monetary policy activities of a central bank and the liquidity management of banks considering the main characteristics and institutional features of the euro area. 192 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - Print on Demand Titel. Neuware -After the dramatic failures of the dot coms in 2000 and 2001, many observers were quick to report on the death of electronic commerce. Investor confidence sagged, stock prices of technology firms in nearly all of the related sectors suffered. In reality, the picture is not nearly as dismal as the press would have us believe. E-commerce is not dead, but it has moved beyond its overhyped beginning stage. This book is an effort to sort through the hype, providing a realistic assessment of the state of electronic commerce today, and the important areas of opportunity and challenge for tomorrow. The book sees all kind of developments where e-business is becoming an integral part of ¿traditional¿ business processes, with special emphasis on practical and policy importance. E-commerce scholars from a number of disciplines and countries contribute to assess the impact of the dot com bust and the current state of e-commerce.Physica Verlag, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 296 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - Print on Demand Titel. Neuware -It is a notorious fact that the evolution of civil-military relations and the security sector reform in South-East Europe has to deal with post-totalitarian and post-conflict challenges. The book examines these issues in the context of the adaptation to combating terrorism and the need to be effective in this struggle, while continuing the democratic reforms in the individual countries. A team of authors from all South-East European states, Western Europe and North America draws a complicated, yet logically evolving picture of the problems in the security sector reform field of the region, and proves the validity of the particular research area. This comprehensive study concludes that the security sector in the region is becoming increasingly mature, but also faces a variety of uncompleted tasks.Physica Verlag, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 288 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - Print on Demand Titel. Neuware -The creation of a single monetary currency and a single monetary policy in the euro area has faced extraordinary challenges, among them the design of suitable monetary policy instruments. This book evaluates monetary policy instruments of the Eurosystem against a number of requirements. To do so, a theoretical model framework is developed which brings together the monetary policy activities of a central bank and the liquidity management of banks considering the main characteristics and institutional features of the euro area.Physica Verlag, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 192 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Methods used for regional development analysis are employed mainly to make forecasts and comparisons. Forecasting models of various types (e.g. econometric models) are usually used for forecasting. Recently, vector-autoregressive models (VAR) have become popular. These models were proposed by Sims in 1980. On the contrary, taxonomic methods (that are in the center of attention as far as the present publication is concerned) are most often employed to make comparisons. Linear ordering methods, including standard methods, are the most popular among ta- nomic methods. They are based on different distance and similarity measures, which leads to the fact that they do not always provide reliable information. When, for example, one construes the standard for a base year and then compares it with data for other years, it may turn out that the measure determined will have worse values than the standard for a real object (region, micro region) although this object is better from the standard. Hence, one must look for new methods employed in regional development analysis or improve hitherto existing ones in such a way so that information obtained re ects the reality to a larger extent. The main aim of the present publication is to work out methodological basis for regional development analysis based on vector calculus together with assumptions about computer system supporting the implementation of the method suggested. 184 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The book aims at surveying results in the application of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic to economics and engineering. New results include fuzzy non-linear regression, fully fuzzified linear programming, fuzzy multi-period control, fuzzy network analysis, each using an evolutionary algorithm; fuzzy queuing decision analysis using possibility theory; fuzzy differential equations; fuzzy difference equations; fuzzy partial differential equations; fuzzy eigenvalues based on an evolutionary algorithm; fuzzy hierarchical analysis using an evolutionary algorithm; fuzzy integral equations. Other important topics covered are fuzzy input-output analysis; fuzzy mathematics of finance; fuzzy PERT (project evaluation and review technique). No previous knowledge of fuzzy sets is needed. The mathematical background is assumed to be elementary calculus. 288 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book examines an integrated innovation environment. Coverage describes four market archetypes as well as the market outcome for each archetype. The book analyzes innovation dynamics, including commoditization, the constant innovation challenge and the sustainability of innovation along with cases including the iPod, Lego, Barbie, the browser wars and Google. 216 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Quantile regression has emerged as an essential statistical tool of contemporary empirical economics and biostatistics. Complementing classical least squares regression methods which are designed to estimate conditional mean models, quantile regression provides an ensemble of techniques for estimating families of conditional quantile models, thus offering a more complete view of the stochastic relationship among variables. This volume collects 12 outstanding empirical contributions in economics and offers an indispensable introduction to interpretation, implementation, and inference aspects of quantile regression. 332 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This fascinating book offers up a window on one of today's key areas relating to globalization. The matter in question is to what extent national competition policy has to be regarded as a factor of international competitiveness. Should national antitrust policy be given priority over international antitrust rules 288 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The book explores both theoretically and empirically the impacts of housing reforms on housing provision in the context of the transition from a centrally-planned to a market-based economy. Fifteen years after the overthrow of state socialism housing policy has lost its privileged status of a political priority as most politically emb- ded systems had favoured market-based solutions to housing problems. This dep- ture from state controlled housing policies with the aim of providing a dwelling for every family is significant, particularly in some post-socialist countries where no new housing policy has emerged. The transition process, embedded in the paradigm shift from central planning to markets, has triggered off turbulence and adjustments with tangible outcomes in post-socialist housing systems. What has changed and what new housing systems have emerged during this dramatic 'transition to markets and democracy' Are these systems more efficient and equitable These questions are the main focus of the book with an emphasis on diversity and change in housing reforms. The book supports the hypothesis that notions of convergence are not really appropriate to the conceptualisation of post-socialist housing systems. It argues that different housing policy choices are going to map out increasingly divergent s- nario for future development. 262 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book analyzes economic interdependence in the Euro Area. It offers expert estimates of the sign and size of economic spillovers. Moreover, the authors explore the impact of economic policy coordination on economic performance in the Euro Area. Among the many topics explored are the link between fiscal and monetary policies in the Euro Area and the coordination of fiscal policies and of structural reforms. 248 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The ability to manage knowledge is relevant for millions of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that operate in high-tech environments. They strongly depend on external knowledge about customers, technologies, and competitors because, as opposed to large companies, they have limited internal knowledge resources and little power to control their business environments. Present KM literature, however, mainly focuses on large companies and therefore does not explain, how SMEs, for example, can successfully apply groupware, data mining, semantic networks, and knowledge maps. This book addresses this problem by introducing the concept of knowledge integration (KI) that places emphasis on the identification, acquisition and use of external knowledge. Drawing from this theoretical basis, the book presents concepts and instruments specifically designed for SMEs, as well as examples of their implementation and use in practice. 216 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Emissions trading (ET) challenges business managers in an entirely new manner, changing the criteria by which environmental policy steers management decisions from hierarchical to monetary. The 24 contributions to this volume discuss ET theoretically and empirically in these broad topic areas: 1) Institutional design, decision making and innovation; 2) Investment and management strategies; 3) ET and business administration and 4) Effects of existing and emerging ET schemes. 416 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book reviews the contemporary issues in international monetary and financial economics (such as financial liberalisation, crisis, exchange rate determination, capital control, domestic capital market reform, etc.) in an emerging financial market such as Thailand from a welfare economic p- spective, highlighting the social welfare implications of these issues. This 3 book also suggests a normative social approach (as formalised in the new welfare economics paradigm) (see Islam 2001a,b for a discussion of this ; concept) for analysing and addressing these issues and formulating appr- riate policies. Undertaking the above tasks, the asymmetric information paradigm 3 and other elements of the new welfare economics paradigm are adapted in analysing the international financial issues of Thailand, their causes and economic and social welfare consequences. The last two decades have been a critical period for Thailand's dev- opment. From the mid-1980s to the beginning of the 1990s, the Thai economy performed remarkably well and was a showcase for the world economy. Having achieved a double-digit growth rate for a brief period, Thailand in the late 1980s was regarded as the fastest growing economy in the world by the World Bank and the IMF. With prospects of further rapid economic growth, the Thai government accepted Article VIII of the IMF, which required Thailand to liberalise and deregulate its financial system. 240 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -'Entrepreneurship that is something you learn in practice'. 'Entreprene- ship is learning by doing'. This is often heard when you tell others that you teach entrepreneurship, but maybe entrepreneurship is more 'doing by learning'. Nevertheless, in entrepreneurship practice and theory are int- woven. For this reason the Learning Cycle introduced by Kolb (1984) is an often used teaching approach. According to this Learning Cycle there are four phases ('cycle') that are connected: 1. Concrete experience ('doing', 'experiencing') 2. Reflection ('reflecting on the experience') 3. Conceptualization ('learning from the experience') 4. Experimentation ('bring what you learned into practice') In teaching you can enter this cycle at any stage, depending on the students. And that brings us to the different types of students. Based on Hills et al. (1998) a plethora of student groups can be distinguished (of course this list is not exhaustive), e.g: Ph.D. students, who do a doctoral programme in Entrepreneurship; the emphasis is on theory/science. DBA students, who do a doctoral programme that is, in comparison to the Ph.D. more practice oriented. MBA students, who take entrepreneurship as one of the courses in their programme. Most of the time MBA students are mature students, who after some work experience return to the university; the programme is practice oriented. 144 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Digital systems that bring together the computing capacity for processing large bodies of information with the human cognitive capability are called intelligent systems. Building these systems has become one of the great goals of modem technology. This goal has both intellectual and economic incentives. The need for such intelligent systems has become more intense in the face of the global connectivity of the internet. There has become an almost insatiable requirement for instantaneous information and decision brought about by this confluence of computing and communication. This requirement can only be satisfied by the construction of innovative intelligent systems. A second and perhaps an even more significant development is the great advances being made in genetics and related areas of biotechnology. Future developments in biotechnology may open the possibility for the development of a true human-silicon interaction at the micro level, neural and cellular, bringing about a need for 'intelligent' systems. What is needed to further the development of intelligent systems are tools to enable the representation of human cognition in a manner that allows formal manipulation. The idea of developing such an algebra goes back to Leibniz in the 17th century with his dream of a calculus ratiocinator. It wasn't until two hundred years later beginning with the work of Boole, Cantor and Frege that a formal mathematical logic for modeling human reasoning was developed. The introduction of the modem digital computer during the Second World War by von Neumann and others was a culmination of this intellectual trend. 292 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This ambitious exposition by Malik and Mordeson on the fuzzification of discrete structures not only supplies a solid basic text on this key topic, but also serves as a viable tool for learning basic fuzzy set concepts 'from the ground up' due to its unusual lucidity of exposition. While the entire presentation of this book is in a completely traditional setting, with all propositions and theorems provided totally rigorous proofs, the readability of the presentation is not compromised in any way; in fact, the many ex cellently chosen examples illustrate the often tricky concepts the authors address. The book's specific topics - including fuzzy versions of decision trees, networks, graphs, automata, etc. - are so well presented, that it is clear that even those researchers not primarily interested in these topics will, after a cursory reading, choose to return to a more in-depth viewing of its pages. Naturally, when I come across such a well-written book, I not only think of how much better I could have written my co-authored monographs, but naturally, how this work, as distant as it seems to be from my own area of interest, could nevertheless connect with such. Before presenting the briefest of some ideas in this direction, let me state that my interest in fuzzy set theory (FST) has been, since about 1975, in connecting aspects of FST directly with corresponding probability concepts. One chief vehicle in carrying this out involves the concept of random sets. 280 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -First of all, I would like to congratulate Gabriella Pasi and Gloria Bordogna for the work they accomplished in preparing this new book in the series 'Study in Fuzziness and Soft Computing'. 'Recent Issues on the Management of Fuzziness in Databases' is undoubtedly a token of their long-lasting and active involvement in the area of Fuzzy Information Retrieval and Fuzzy Database Systems. This book is really welcome in the area of fuzzy databases where they are not numerous although the first works at the crossroads of fuzzy sets and databases were initiated about twenty years ago by L. Zadeh. Only five books have been published since 1995, when the first volume dedicated to fuzzy databases published in the series 'Study in Fuzziness and Soft Computing' edited by J. Kacprzyk and myself appeared. Going beyond books strictly speaking, let us also mention the existence of review papers that are part of a couple of handbooks related to fuzzy sets published since 1998. The area known as fuzzy databases covers a bunch of topics among which: -flexible queries addressed to regular databases, -the extension of the notion of a functional dependency, -data mining and fuzzy summarization, -querying databases containing imperfect attribute values represented thanks to possibility distributions. 252 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Intelligent systems are now being used more commonly than in the past. These involve cognitive, evolving and artificial-life, robotic, and decision making systems, to name a few. Due to the tremendous speed of development, on both fundamental and technological levels, it is virtually impossible to offer an up-to-date, yet comprehensive overview of this field. Nevertheless, the need for a volume presenting recent developments and trends in this domain is huge, and the demand for such a volume is continually increasing in industrial and academic engineering 1 communities. Although there are a few volumes devoted to similar issues , none offer a comprehensive coverage of the field; moreover they risk rapidly becoming obsolete. The editors of this volume cannot pretend to fill such a large gap. However, it is the editors' intention to fill a significant part of this gap. A comprehensive coverage of the field should include topics such as neural networks, fuzzy systems, neuro-fuzzy systems, genetic algorithms, evolvable hardware, cellular automata-based systems, and various types of artificial life-system implementations, including autonomous robots. In this volume, we have focused on the first five topics listed above. The volume is composed of four parts, each part being divided into chapters, with the exception of part 4. In Part 1, the topics of 'Evolvable Hardware and GAs' are addressed. In Chapter 1, 'Automated Design Synthesis and Partitioning for Adaptive Reconfigurable Hardware', Ranga Vemuri and co-authors present state-of-the-art adaptive architectures, their classification, and their applications. 300 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Assessing the degree to which two objects, an object and a query, or two concepts are similar or compatible is a fundamental component of human reasoning and consequently is critical in the development of automated diagnosis, classification, information retrieval and decision systems. The assessment of similarity has played an important role in such diverse disciplines such as taxonomy, psychology, and the social sciences. Each discipline has proposed methods for quantifying similarity judgments suitable for its particular applications. This book presents a unified approach to quantifying similarity and compatibility within the framework of fuzzy set theory and examines the primary importance of these concepts in approximate reasoning. Examples of the application of similarity measures in various areas including expert systems, information retrieval, and intelligent database systems are provided. 224 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -When we learn from books or daily experience, we make associations and draw inferences on the basis of information that is insufficient for under standing. One example of insufficient information may be a small sample derived from observing experiments. With this perspective, the need for de veloping a better understanding of the behavior of a small sample presents a problem that is far beyond purely academic importance. During the past 15 years considerable progress has been achieved in the study of this issue in China. One distinguished result is the principle of in formation diffusion. According to this principle, it is possible to partly fill gaps caused by incomplete information by changing crisp observations into fuzzy sets so that one can improve the recognition of relationships between input and output. The principle of information diffusion has been proven suc cessful for the estimation of a probability density function. Many successful applications reflect the advantages of this new approach. It also supports an argument that fuzzy set theory can be used not only in 'soft' science where some subjective adjustment is necessary, but also in 'hard' science where all data are recorded. 396 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -How to draw plausible conclusions from uncertain and conflicting sources of evidence is one of the major intellectual challenges of Artificial Intelligence. It is a prerequisite of the smart technology needed to help humans cope with the information explosion of the modern world. In addition, computational modelling of uncertain reasoning is a key to understanding human rationality. Previous computational accounts of uncertain reasoning have fallen into two camps: purely symbolic and numeric. This book represents a major advance by presenting a unifying framework which unites these opposing camps. The Incidence Calculus can be viewed as both a symbolic and a numeric mechanism. Numeric values are assigned indirectly to evidence via the possible worlds in which that evidence is true. This facilitates purely symbolic reasoning using the possible worlds and numeric reasoning via the probabilities of those possible worlds. Moreover, the indirect assignment solves some difficult technical problems, like the combinat ion of dependent sources of evidcence, which had defeated earlier mechanisms. Weiru Liu generalises the Incidence Calculus and then compares it to a succes sion of earlier computational mechanisms for uncertain reasoning: Dempster-Shafer Theory, Assumption-Based Truth Maintenance, Probabilis tic Logic, Rough Sets, etc. She shows how each of them is represented and interpreted in Incidence Calculus. The consequence is a unified mechanism which includes both symbolic and numeric mechanisms as special cases. It provides a bridge between symbolic and numeric approaches, retaining the advantages of both and overcoming some of their disadvantages. 292 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Due to the characteristics of electricity, power markets rank among the most complex markets operated at present. The requirements of an environmentally sustainable, economically efficient, and secure energy supply have resulted in the emergence of several interrelated markets that have to be carefully engineered in order to ensure efficient market outcomes.This book presents an agent-based simulation model that facilitates electricity market research. Simulation outcomes from this model are validated against price data from German power markets. The results significantly contribute to existing research in agent-based simulation and electricity market modeling, and provide insights into the impact of the market structure and market design on electricity prices.The book addresses researchers, lecturers and students who are interested in applying agent-based simulation to power markets. It provides a thorough discussion of the methodology and helpful details for model implementation. 196 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -To say that Fuzzy Logic in Medicine, or FLM for short, is an important addi tion to the literature of fuzzy logic and its applications, is an understatement. Edited by two prominent informaticians, Professors S. Barro and R. Marin, it is one of the first books in its field. Between its covers, FLM presents authoritative expositions of a wide spectrum of medical and biological ap plications of fuzzy logic, ranging from image classification and diagnostics to anaesthesia control and risk assessment of heart diseases. As the editors note in the preface, recognition of the relevance of fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic to biological and medical systems has a long history. In this context, particularly worthy of note is the pioneering work of Profes sor Klaus Peter Adlassnig of the University of Vienna School of Medicine. However, it is only within the past decade that we began to see an accelerat ing growth in the visibility and importance of publications falling under the rubric of fuzzy logic in medicine and biology -a leading example of which is the Journal of the Biomedical Fuzzy Systems Association in Japan. Why did it take so long for this to happen First, a bit of history. 324 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -European higher education institutions are facing in these last years a number of relevant political and social changes that have asked for more transparency, accountability, comparability and legitimacy of degrees. In light of these new challenges, the great majority of universities have responded by implementing quality assurance processes, either through evaluation or through accreditation. This book collects the evaluation and accreditation experiences gathered by higher education institutions in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden. It provides a synthetic picture of the present state of quality assurance practices in Europe and offers a few lessons for a future European dimension of quality assurance. 172 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book contains the contributions presented at the international workshop 'The Dynamics of Complex Urban Systems: an interdisciplinary approach' held in Ascona, Switzerland in November 2004. Experts from several disciplines outline a conceptual framework for modeling and forecasting the dynamics of both growth-limited cities and megacities. Coverage reflects the various interdependencies between structural and social development. 504 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Japan's deepest recession since the Second World War has come to an end in 2000. Yet, the task of reforming Japan is far from completed. The current political drift has brought deregulation to a premature end putting the still vulnerable recovery at risk. What structural changes have already taken place What important reforms have to be undertaken in the future The contributions of the book shed light on the transitional path of the Japanese system amid rapid globalization. Can Japan Globalize covers a broad range of areas from macro- and micro-economic structures to political and social relations. 480 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The book provides an up-to-date analytical and empirical treatment of some important interactions between paid and unpaid labour and the social economy. The emphasis on the motivations for paid and unpaid labour, and on how these factors contribute to efficiently providing social services,gives a clear empirical counterpart to the concept of social economy.The book begins with a theoretical perspective on the development and characteristics of paid and unpaid labour in social services. Several empirical analyses, largely using novel data sets, are then provided about these phenomena in Italy, a country which has drawn broad international attention in this field, as well as in other European countries and in the US.Topics of particular interest include: preferences regarding and satisfaction with paid and unpaid labour; ownership structure and risk; ownership structure, remuneration and incentives for paid labour; characteristics of volunteer labour and its relationship with social capital endowment across Italian regions; and a comparative analysis of labour in the nonprofit sector across Europe. 262 pp. Englisch.…