World Scientific Publishers

Burma or Myanmar?

The Struggle for National Identity

edited by Lowell Dittmer, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Dezember 2010 · 396 S. · Geb. · 9789814313643 · GBP £ 61,00

Burma, also known as Myanmar, strategically located between China and India, is one of the largest and most richly endowed states in Southeast Asia. Yet it remains both economically and politically underdeveloped. Why is this so? We argue that much of the reason has to do with an ongoing struggle for national identity. This struggle involves not only whether the state should be authoritarian or democratic, but how Burma’s myriad ethnic minorities should be accommodated within it, what external reference national reference groups the country should identify and align with, and how it should move forward. Written from a unique perspective, this book on Myanmar deviates from the traditional authoritarian versus democratic rhetoric. Although that is certainly part of the picture, this multifaceted analysis focuses rather on the issue of identity formation — an issue that has all too often failed to make the headlines. Much can be learned from Myanmar’s identity problems, making this book essential reading for all students and professionals interested in development studies or comparative politics. By whatever name, Burma is not only a fascinating country but one likely to play an increasingly vital role in Asia’s future.

Smaller Manufacurring Enterprices in an International Context

A Longitudinal Exploration

George Tesar, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, USA & Umeå University, Sweden, Hamid Moini, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, USA, John Kuada & Olav Jull Sørensen Aalborg University, Denmark

November · 2010 · 312 S. · Geb. · 9781848164956 · GBP £ 45,00

This book provides an overview of approaches to internationalization as experienced by smaller manufacturing enterprises over a relatively long period of time — the 35-year period from 1974 to 2009. The original research on which this study is based dates back to the mid-1970s, when academic interest in export studies, market entry modes, and internationalization approaches, among others, have their origins. With practical examples of companies from both inside and outside the USA, readers will be able to understand how smaller manufacturing enterprises approach the world of international commerce, how they prepare themselves for it, and what really draws them into the world of international commerce.