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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2004

Masudul Alam Choudhury and Mohammad Ziaul Hoque

The theme of micro‐foundation of economic theory has not been adequately addressed. This is true even of those who pioneered the area of micro‐foundation of macro‐economics. The…

3465

Abstract

The theme of micro‐foundation of economic theory has not been adequately addressed. This is true even of those who pioneered the area of micro‐foundation of macro‐economics. The great missing link in economic theory, both of micro‐economics and macro‐economics, is the inability to methodologically integrate ethical and moral values through preference mapping. This missing methodology disables the study of institutions, policy formulation and normative statements of structural transformation. On the other hand, such issues are once again haunting the human race in the murky and troubled global relations today – from capitalism to war to governance. This paper addresses the preference mapping and embedding of ethical and moral issues as endogenous dynamics in economic theory. The approach is rigorous and methodological.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1979

Ghanshyam Mehta

In this article we shall argue that the Keynesian revolution was a revolution in the sense of Kuhn and that Kuhn's conceptual framework provides a better understanding of the…

Abstract

In this article we shall argue that the Keynesian revolution was a revolution in the sense of Kuhn and that Kuhn's conceptual framework provides a better understanding of the convulsive changes that took place in macro‐economics in the twenties and thirties than alternative growth of knowledge theories that are being discussed in the economics literature at the present time. In the last ten years or so economists have become increasingly interested in the various growth of knowledge theories that have been developed by philosophers of science such as Kuhn, Popper, Lakatos and others. This heightened interest on the part of economists is to be explained by the fact that these new theories are based on the actual behaviour of scientists. The new philosophers of science devote their attention not to “correct scientific method” but to the actual behaviour of scientists. It is because of this revolution in the historiography of science that economists have been able to relate these new theories to their own work and to the development of economic theories in the past.

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International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1980

L. Demery and M. Phelps

This note shows that much conventional macro‐economic literature uses two inconsistent definitions of equilibrium in the commodity market. Equilibrium is defined as income…

2025

Abstract

This note shows that much conventional macro‐economic literature uses two inconsistent definitions of equilibrium in the commodity market. Equilibrium is defined as income equalling expenditure when deriving the IS curve; but when overall equilibrium is treated the requirement for equilibrium is that planned supply equals planned demand. The note shows that these inconsistent definitions lead to a confusing and often erroneous exposition of disequilibrium behaviour.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1977

JEREMY BRAY

Keynes' criticisms of Tinbergen's pioneering econometric work are traced back to Keynes' concept of “inductive probability logic”. Induction had already been rejected by Popper as…

Abstract

Keynes' criticisms of Tinbergen's pioneering econometric work are traced back to Keynes' concept of “inductive probability logic”. Induction had already been rejected by Popper as the basis of scientific method. He argued that theories could be corroborated but not proved by the failure of attempts to falsify them by observation and experiment. Economic theory is proto‐theory, which is not fully falsifiable, but which yields falsifiable results if appropriate econometric methods, or a method‐theory is applied to it. A useful method‐theory needs to go beyond description and forecasting to policy optimisation.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2015

Sam Ho

Historically, the study of the world’s economy was classified into Micro-economics and Macro-economics. Perhaps, contemporary economists should learn from the universe which we…

Abstract

Purpose

Historically, the study of the world’s economy was classified into Micro-economics and Macro-economics. Perhaps, contemporary economists should learn from the universe which we are part of. Let us name this as “Uni-economics.” Many scientists have found that sunspots affect human behavior. Some research findings even relate the 11-year periodic cycle to war and peace of mankind. It is also widely known in the medical profession that sunspot radiation actually affects our human body. With all these evidence in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how sunspot activities can affect business growth since 1960s when the global economy was building up fast since the Second World War.

Design/methodology/approach

The econometrics methodology deployed is in three steps. First, time series techniques were deployed to track down the changes of Sunspot Counts over the last 48 years on the world’s four main financial indices, i.e., S & P, FTSE, Nikkei and HSI. Second, the long run function of a particular stock price index could be specified as a natural logarithm transformation function. Finally, Granger’s co-integration methodology is deployed to test the equilibrium relationships.

Findings

This paper has harnessed a set of system and process that can ensure the long-term productivity and business growth of firms in this contemporary business world. It is predicted with 80 percent confidence that the next property depression in some affluent cities will happen in 2014/2015, with the global financial tsunami coming in 2019.

Originality/value

More important is how organizations can make use of the trade-wind and avoid the counter-wind from the Uni-economics phenomena for their quality, productivity and business growth, in accordance to the Deming Cycle. As recalled from the previous two oil crisis (around 1975, 1986) and the two financial tsunami (1997 and 2008), 40-year-old organizations that can still survive today must have done something good, despite all these turmoil confronting them.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2009

Simon Forge

The purpose of the paper is to report on a novel approach to assessing long‐term policy and technology impacts. This approach combines a qualitative forecast with a tri‐level

1955

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to report on a novel approach to assessing long‐term policy and technology impacts. This approach combines a qualitative forecast with a tri‐level quantitative projection to provide a broadly socio‐economic analysis. It is aimed at forecasting problems, such as impact assessment for future policy formulation in the light of socio‐economic, technological and market developments.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a variety of research methods including scenario planning, and techniques taken from analysis of stochastic processes to identify and correlate behaviour, combined with the concepts meso‐economics, in order to produce more robust tri‐level quantitative estimations, driven by qualitative analysis.

Findings

The paper finds that it is possible to join micro‐economic behaviour to macro‐economic, using meso‐economics to attack what was previously seen as a difficult gap between the two. It also finds that quantitative forecasting, based on socio‐economic behaviour using the qualitative assessment from a scenario – i.e. from stories about the future – can form a basis for quantitative forecasting. Different scenarios may be linked to corresponding quantitative economic estimations using key indicator parameters at each economic level, those which are the most relevant to the scenarios, and so exploit statistical techniques across the three levels in a balanced fashion.

Originality/value

This paper summarises a novel approach, taking a fresh look at forecasting economic impacts assessments by shaping the quantitative form with a qualitative tool, while introducing the linking powers of meso‐economics. General economic theories in widespread use today seem to be weak when dealing with the non‐deterministic nature of real markets and economies and especially in linking micro‐economic parameters to macro‐economic. The approach attempts to resolve this dilemma. An example is presented of its use in a recent study.

Details

Foresight, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6689

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 1995

Amitava Ghosal

Explores how a cybernetic approach can help in comprehending problems in macro‐economics of the future for a megasystem like a large developing country, such as India. Some of the…

210

Abstract

Explores how a cybernetic approach can help in comprehending problems in macro‐economics of the future for a megasystem like a large developing country, such as India. Some of the principles evolved can also be applied more generally to other countries.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2001

Manea Maonescu

Economic cybernetics – a very important branch of cybernetics – has elaborated and founded concepts, models, techniques and methods for the investigation both qualitatively and…

683

Abstract

Economic cybernetics – a very important branch of cybernetics – has elaborated and founded concepts, models, techniques and methods for the investigation both qualitatively and quantitatively of the laws of optimal balanced and proportional growth of the components of the national economy system. At the same time, economic cybernetics performs the role of a “Dialog” between Microsystems and Macrosystems, thus allowing a better understanding and management of the economic mechanism as a whole. The economic approach of economic phenomena and processes of organising and managing economic systems, of achieving the unity between micro‐ and macro‐economics is an obvious reality, confirmed by the results obtained in economic practice. The application of the methods proper to economic cybernetics, in order to find solutions to problems concerning organisation and management of the economy, the design of economic growth trajectories, the achievement of a permanent dialogue between decision and its component of the management of society, is discussed.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 30 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1996

Glenn Bassett and Adrian Carr

Suggests that theories of organization structure since mid‐century have been dominated by a systems view that emphasizes macro‐economics. The potential for further contribution to…

8782

Abstract

Suggests that theories of organization structure since mid‐century have been dominated by a systems view that emphasizes macro‐economics. The potential for further contribution to theory at that level appears sharply limited. Role analysis and the theory of organization as interaction of internal and external roles offers opportunity for expanded depth of theoretical development in the domain of organization structure. Limited application of role analysis at the level of leadership that has progressed must now be carried down into the organization and over into the operating environment, to permit the established disciplines of individual differences, social psychology and psychodynamics to lead in revitalizing theory of organization structure.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1977

Harry G. Johnson

1976 was a double bicentennial year for American economists. On the one hand, it was the bicentennial year of the establishment of the United States of America as an independent…

Abstract

1976 was a double bicentennial year for American economists. On the one hand, it was the bicentennial year of the establishment of the United States of America as an independent, self‐governing country — an event that in recent years has become far more of a commonplace occurrence than it was in those revolutionary days two centuries ago. On the other hand it was the bicentennial of the publication of the first volume of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, the book that launched our discipline and gave it much of its pedagogic content and structure, at least until the Keynesian Revolution introduced the familiar textbook division between micro‐economics and macro‐economics. (1776, incidentally, was also the year of publication of Bentham's A Fragment on Government and Turgot's Six Edicts; not to speak of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a monumental scholarly work that probably should have received much more serious attention in the time of American bicentennary self‐congratulation and hoopla than it did.) The coincidence of the bicentennary of economics and of the United States naturally suggests combination of the two, in a discussion of what, if anything, are the distinctive and distinguishing characteristics of the American tradition in economics.

Details

Studies in Economics and Finance, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1086-7376

1 – 10 of 244