Review of Entrepreneurship Education in Europe, Middle East, North American Countries Compared to India

Measuring entrepreneurship education across national contexts is a relatively recent academic area. Scholarly study is vital for more multilevel entrepreneurship. Hitherto disciplines of psychology and economics have been dominating - so, to brace the framework at micro and macro level a balanced scholarship, based upon multiple frame ecology is needed. Hence an alternative viewpoint to research entrepreneurship education across national contexts is explored. Selected nations from global education and training scenario are analyzed in one framework. Construal limitations are identified by concentrating on one sample country. Limitations are explored using another framework. A balancing Funnel Model of Entrepreneurship Education Ecology is introduced to accommodate contrary findings of both frames. The model is put forward for further study. The chapter concludes by proposing further research avenues for mutual learning ecology by discussing the findings for comparison with India.

The Relation between Money and Happiness in MENA Countries

Even though economic growth plays very important role in development, governments stressed the importance of happiness now. The crucial question is that what exactly is the relationship between happiness and money? Or, what can determine happiness? In recent years, the human well-being of its people has been accepted as a new economic inequalities measure. Not only economic performance of the country but also social, political and cultural performance of the country has been accepted as an indicator of better life of the people. Questions which will be discussed are thinking whether or not economic growth plays a major role in happiness and how the relation between economic growth and happiness. The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the relationship between economic growth and happiness in the MENA Region using an empirical analysis.

Decentralization in European and MENA Countries

The question considered in this chapter is whether decentralization is likely to hurt or help national unity in “countries at risk.” We begin with a literature review, focusing on three particular questions: the size and number of nations; the determinants of decentralization; and, finally, and bearing most directly on our topic, the links between decentralization and political outcomes. We next set out in capsule form some of the very mixed stories of linkages between decentralization and national unity found in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, before considering more closely the ongoing discussions of secession in three European countries – Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom. We conclude that the impact of decentralization on national unity is so complex and context-sensitive that no general answers to our initial question emerge: in some instances, decentralization may be an inducement for regions to stay in a country; in others, however, it may prove to be only a way station on the road to the exit.

Policies of Science, Technology, and Industry in the MENA Countries and Their Impact on National Competitiveness

This chapter offers an overview about the role of science, technology and industrial policies in the MENA region. It analyses the theoretical foundations of these policies and their changes. In addition, an analysis about the determinants of the state of science, technology and innovation in the MENA countries become interesting and important to be explored. Thus, this chapter is an occasion to explore the role of the national system of innovation in these countries in facilitating the knowledge, skills and innovation process, and to offer some ideas regarding the weaknesses, limitations and constraints of these countries in these areas. The two main ideas of this chapter are: the development of innovation infrastructure and the role of institutions in pursuing these policies. Thus, undertaking a comparative analysis of the MENA countries in the areas of science, technology and innovation is the goal of this chapter.

Identifying Effective Talent Management Policies and Practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Talent management is an increasingly popular management approach and academic research field, yet it is understudied in non-western contexts. Understanding the issues of the management of talent is important in the context of the UAE, where talent shortages exist alongside high unemployment of Emirati nationals. Drawing on a larger study titled: ‘Movers and shakers of talent management in the UAE'', this chapter addresses this gap and generates recommendations for policy and decision making in UAE workplaces. We offer a foundation for evidence-based talent management for governmental policy makers and for organisations in the public and private sectors. Particularly, we suggest that focusing on empowerment and employment of Emirati talent is important but insufficient for organisations to tackle the complexity of talent. Legal and voluntary measures should focus on the current dynamics of talent locally and internationally in order to foresee the future of talent needs. This process is called future proofing, which can help organisations to prepare for future talent challenges.

Economic and Political Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in the MENA Region

This study examines the relationship between variables thought to have an effect on foreign trade investment (FDI) including volume of trade, GDP growth rate, trade credit risk and political stability. Specifically, this study is concerned with the 1981-2012 period in the MENA region, made up of the Middle East and North African countries of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Another objective of the study is to determine whether economic factors are more impactful than political factors on the FDI flow to MENA countries. In order to investigate long-term relationships between the variables, three cointegration analyses were used including Pedroni, Kao and Johansen, and Fisher. Coefficients were interpreted using the FMOLS and the DOLS methods. The Holtz-Eakin Causality Test was also applied. As a result of the analysis, volume of trade was found to be the most important factor determining FDI. Economic factors were found to be more influential for FDI than political factors.

Financial Market Regulations in a Globalized World

During the 2008 and 2011 crisis, the main crisis of globalization brought the financial markets to the attention of most critics for globalization. The high mobility of capital, non-regulated operations in the markets, the failures of big investment firms (e.g Lehman Brothers) etc. sparked opposition to financial markets and started discussions about regulation of these markets for achieving a healthier free market economy. In this chapter, we analyze the globalization process, particularly in the financial markets, as part of globalization overall. We try to determine the current structure and quality of financial markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We aim to discover what the main problems are and which reforms should be implemented to achieve a strong financial system in the MENA region. In addition, we analyze recent developments and regulations in the financial markets of the MENA countries. In last section, we propose some suggestions for improving and reaching a global quality level in the financial system of the MENA countries.

Health in MENA

This chapter argues that health is an essential pillar of growth, and that ensuring Universal Health Coverage is a key pre-requisite for equitable and inclusive development. MENA health systems are far from meeting this challenge, because of clear developmental failures and lack of political will, not to mention wars. At present, MENA health systems are fragmented, inefficient, and deficient, delivering often mediocre, urban centered, tertiary care. They exclude large swathes of the population, particularly the poor, resulting in persistent disparities and inequities. Because of privatization, the neglect of public health, and defective social protection, MENA citizens shoulder some of the highest financial burdens amongst developing regions, which worsen and deepen poverty. To meet its health challenges and achieve inclusive development, governments need to revamp their public health sectors, and play a more central role in protecting the poor and vulnerable. MENA must invest in health, equity and development.

Are Women in the MENA Region really that Different from Women in Europe?

This chapter compares women in the MENA region with women in Europe as to how globalization affects their conservatism, and, thereby, their labor market participation. Conservative values are defined as both religious values and socio-political attitudes. Using micro data from the World Values Survey 1981-2014 from 80 countries, we employ various indicators of globalization that reflect, first, international trade and, second, global flows of information. In pre-1994 Western Europe, economic globalization appears to weaken those conservative secular values that pertain to female employment, while all remaining secular-conservative values erode after 1994. The MENA region of today resembles pre-cold war Western Europe, with post-cold-war Western Europe possibly predicting changes to come in the MENA region. In the MENA region, women respond to intensifying economic globalization with deeper religiosity, possibly as form of self-protection. Global exchange of information, however, weakens all kinds of conservative values in general in either region.

Demographic Transition, Oil, and Institutions

We examine political and economic drivers of demographic transition and the moderating role of institutions, macroeconomic instability and oil rents dependency in the final effects of increasing working age population on economic development and internal conflict. Using panel data estimations for more than 100 countries from 1984 to 2012 we find that demographic transition may lead to demographic dividend only if the country enjoys good quality of economic and political institutions, a diversified economy and stable consumer prices. Otherwise demographic dividend is not guaranteed. By contrast, we may expect a demographic curse. These results have important policy implications for the case of Iran which is expecting a significant transition in its population age structure since 1990s. Future of Iran is highly dependent on the proper use of potential demographic rent which can turn against the political stability if the wrong policies and institutions are in place and country dependence on oil rents continues as before.