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This book describes Africa's position within the current industrial global setting and analyses the recent performance of African manufacturing relative to that of other developing regions. It points out the urgency of reconsidering current African industrial strategy and evolving a new strategy focused on building capabilities.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether female workers' years of education do mediate the influence of gender diversity on innovative capability of enterprises in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses three waves Nigeria Enterprise Surveys panel dataset collected in 2007, 2009 and 2014, for a sample of 1,566 enterprises to circumvent the problems associated with application of cross-sectional designs in mediation studies. The study applies Hicks and Tingley's (2011) two equations mediation analysis approach with robust standard error.FindingsThe results of the inferential analysis indicate that female workers' years of education mediate fully and positively the effect of gender diversity on innovative capability of enterprises in Nigeria.Research limitations/implicationsFor gender diversity to enhance the innovative capability of an enterprise, female workers must be empowered with higher levels of formal education.Practical implicationsFemale workers should be empowered with formal education in order to enhance the ability of firms to innovate. Gender diversity alone does not enhance the innovative capability of an enterprise without empowering female workers with formal education.Originality/valueAlthough past studies do provide substantial evidence on the positive relationship between gender diversity and the innovative capability of enterprises, the mediating effect of education on this relationship has been ignored. This is particularly relevant in a country such as Nigeria with low levels of innovation. Furthermore, despite the presumed positive effect of gender diversity on innovative capability, existing empirical research does not yield consistent findings to clearly resolve how or why gender diversity does affect the innovative capability of enterprises. This paper tests whether it could be the result of a mediating (intervening) variable.

"Governance is about governing, and governing is predominantly about making decisions. This might appear to be a truism but we assert that much of the governance literature in general, and the development of governance theory in particular, has lost perspective on what constitutes the core issue of democratic governance; governing. Equally important, governing frequently means making and enforcing unpopular decisions which require a solid institutional framework and a regulated process. Again, decision making is at the heart of governing and governance. It is generally acknowledged that governing contemporary society is a more challenging task compared to just a few decades ago as a result of increasing social complexity and globalization. Governments around the world address this complexity by engaging societal partners in the process of governing but this strategy has entailed complex contingencies related to the organization and management of collaborative forms of governance"--

PurposeExamining the impact of gender on various aspects of business performance has gained research and policy traction, although the empirical evidence remains inconclusive. This paper aims to focus on one type of business, namely, informal enterprises and one dimension of business performance, namely, product innovation, to better understand how product innovations affect employment in both female- and male-owned informal enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThis paper relies on a unique data set of 513 informal enterprises located in two urban centres in Ghana (Accra and Tema), covering the period between 2013 and 2015 and the Dose-Response Model to examine the effect of product innovations on employment in informal enterprises in urban Ghana.FindingsThe findings suggest that product innovation has considerable beneficial impacts on the creation of employment in informal enterprises. The results do not show systematic differences in the factors affecting product innovation in female- and male-owned enterprises. However, they suggest that although female-owned enterprises are less likely to introduce product innovations, they do sell more innovative products.Originality/valueThese findings support the view that innovation is "gendered", and therefore, requires a "gendered" policy lens.

"Providing nuanced insight into key areas of innovation studies, this erudite second edition acknowledges the significance of innovation within the informal economy. It contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on innovation indicators and measurement, exploring the nature and rate of recent developments within the field. The Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement showcases recent advancements within the field of innovation and provides an expansive commentary on contemporary issues such as the effect of the general definition of innovation on zero price products. Updated chapters emphasise rapid changes brought about by digital developments and provide a further examination of the influence of people on social and frugal innovation. This essential second edition will be valuable for university lecturers and academics of economics, public policy and innovation aspiring to update their course content. It will additionally be beneficial for those working in government departments pursuing more effective policy intervention"--

"Modern-day science is under great pressure. A potent mix of increasing expectations, limited resources, tensions between competition and cooperation, and the need for evidence-based funding is creating major change in how science is conducted and perceived. Amidst this 'perfect storm' is the allure of 'research excellence', a concept that drives decisions made by universities and funders, and defines scientists' research strategies and career trajectories.
But what is 'excellent' science? And how to recognise it? After decades of inquiry and debate there is still no satisfactory answer. Are we asking the wrong question? Is reality more complex, and 'excellence in science' more elusive, than many are willing to admit? And how should excellence be defined in different parts of the world, particularly in lower-income countries of the 'Global South' where science is expected to contribute to pressing development issues, despite often scarce resources? Many wonder whether the Global South is importing, with or without consenting, the flawed tools for research evaluation from North America and Europe that are not fit for purpose.
This book takes a critical view of these issues, touching on conceptual issues and practical problems that inevitably emerge when 'excellence' is at the center of science systems. Emerging from the capacity-building work of the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa, it speaks to scholars, as well as to managers and funders of research around the world. Confronting sticky problems and uncomfortable truths, the chapters contain insights and recommendations that point towards new solutions – both for the Global South and the Global North."