Bringing in the future : strategies for farsightedness and sustainability in developing countries / William Ascher.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ascher, William.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sustainable development--Developing countries.

Sustainable development.

Natural resources--Developing countries--Management.

Natural resources.

Economic forecasting--Developing countries.

Economic forecasting.

Developing countries--Economic conditions.

Developing countries.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (343 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Humans are plagued by shortsighted thinking, preferring to put off work on complex, deep-seated, or difficult problems in favor of quick-fix solutions to immediate needs. When short-term thinking is applied to economic development, especially in fragile nations, the results-corruption, waste, and faulty planning-are often disastrous. In Bringing in the Future, William Ascher draws on the latest research from psychology, economics, institutional design, and legal theory to suggest strategies to overcome powerful obstacles to long-term planning in developing countries. Drawing on cases from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Ascher applies strategies such as the creation and scheduling of tangible and intangible rewards, cognitive exercises to increase the understanding of longer-term consequences, self-restraint mechanisms to protect long-term commitments and enhance credibility, and restructuring policy-making processes to permit greater influence of long-term considerations. Featuring theoretically informed research findings and sound policy examples, this volume will assist policy makers, activists, and scholars seeking to understand how the vagaries of human behavior affect international development.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. The Challenge of Farsightedness

2. The Root Causes of Shortsightedness and Their Manifestations in Developing Countries

3. Gaining Traction to Overcome Obstacles to Farsightedness

4. Creating and Rescheduling Tangible Benefits and Costs

5. Creating and Rescheduling Social and Psychological Rewards

6. Realigning Performance Evaluation

7. Self-Restraint Instruments

8. Analytic Exercises

9. Deepening Problem Definitions

10. Design Dimensions of Communicating Farsighted Appeals

11. The Triple Appeal Principle

12. Managing Heuristics

13. Empowering and Insulating the Farsighted Leader

14. Structuring Decision-Making Processes

15. Conclusions

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [273]-297) and index.

ISBN:

9786612426094

9781282426092

1282426095

9780226029184

0226029182

OCLC:

464690524