Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

With the “discursive turn” has come a distrust – a complete rejection by some – of theories that seek deeper reasons for surface phenomena. Rong Chen argues that this distrust, with its accompanying overemphasis on specificity and fluidity of linguistic meaning and social values, is unwarranted and unhelpful. Drawing on insights from social theories and various strands of pragmatics, he proposes a motivation model of pragmatics (MMP), contending that language use can be adequately, coherently, and elegantly studied via the motivation behind it in its varied and dynamic contexts. The model, with its well-laid out components, is then applied to (im)politeness research, cross-cultural pragmatics, diachronic pragmatics, discourse and genre analysis, conversation analysis, identity construction, and the study of metaphor, sarcasm, parody, and lying. MMP is thus a framework aimed at accounting for fluidity with stable notions, specificity with general principles, and differences with similar underlying factors. As such, the book should appeal to students of pragmatics, (im)politeness, conversation analysis, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, communication, sociology, and psychology.

Pragmatics --- General semantics --- Language and languages --- Logic, Symbolic and mathematical --- Semantics (Philosophy) --- Philosophy

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Mobile technologies show great potential to accelerate internet access and usage, especially in developing countries. A better understanding of key drivers and main constraints for mobile internet access is the first prerequisite for governments to design targeted policy solutions. This study exploits a household survey that collects information on information and communications technology access and usage at the household and individual levels in 22 countries in the Global South. The study finds that in addition to infrastructure investment, which has been the main focus of many developing countries, other demand-side factors are of critical importance. Across the developing world, females, the elderly, those who live in rural areas, and those who have a relatively low level of income or education are less likely to adopt mobile internet. Social network effects are found to have a significant positive impact on the usage of mobile internet. Those who have more close friends using an online social network are more likely to adopt mobile internet. Individuals whose five closest friends are using an online social network (such as Facebook or Twitter) are 63.1 percent more likely to adopt it than those without any close friends using such online social network sites/apps. Across regions, although the factors affecting the adoption of mobile internet remain largely the same, the magnitudes of their impacts vary. In Asia, gender differences are negatively associated with mobile internet. In Africa, the impact of education level is more salient than in the other two regions, implying an urgent need to improve digital literacy.

Developing Economies --- Digital Divide --- Digital Gap --- ICT Economics --- Information and Communication Technologies --- Internet Access --- Internet Demand --- Mobile Broadband --- WDR Background Paper

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Advances in digital technology are expanding the boundaries of firms. Digital platform firms, which leverage a "platform" to create value through facilitating exchanges between two or more interdependent groups, are the new disrupters in the market. They exhibit distinct features such as scale without mass, positive network effects, accumulation of tremendous data, and a convoluted value creation process with user participation. Meanwhile, they bring more opportunities to traditional businesses by closely connecting suppliers and customers and reducing transaction frictions. Such a changing business landscape calls for adaptive policies and regulations. This policy paper lays out the key policy and regulatory issues around digital businesses. Competition laws need to be revisited to address the winner-take-all tendency of digital platform businesses. Tax systems should also be updated to close the loopholes available to digital platform businesses so that they pay their fair share to society. This paper also provides the first analysis of the World Bank's Digital Business Indicators initiative, which collects information on the existence and quality of regulations in broadband connectivity, digital payment, data privacy and security, as well as logistics, in 21 pilot countries. It aims to explore the possibilities for developing the regulatory and policy indicators that governments can work with to promote the digital economy.

Business Environment --- Competition Policy --- Connectivity --- Data Privacy --- Digital Business Indicators --- Digital Economy --- Information and Communication Technologies --- Information Technology --- Legal Regulation and Business Environment --- Logistics --- Private Sector Development --- Public Sector Development --- Regulation --- Taxation

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Despite the commitments of the development community toward broader access to finance, financial inclusion rates worldwide are rather unsatisfactory. To date, around two billion adults do not have access to basic financial services such as savings and checking accounts. Attempting to bridge such gap between policy objectives and outcomes, several economists have probed the determinants of financial inclusion. This paper contributes to the debate by investigating the role played by financial regulation. First, the paper proposes a broad index of regulatory quality for financial inclusion, emphasizing the role of nontraditional delivery models, for example, branchless banking, and actors, for example, nonbank lending institutions. Second, the paper tests the relationship between regulatory quality and financial inclusion outcomes. The analysis finds that in countries where regulatory quality is within the top quartile, individuals are 12.4 percent more likely to have an account at a financial institution with respect to bottom quartile countries.

Access to finance --- Banking --- Banks and banking reform --- Broad index --- Finance and financial sector development --- Financial inclusion --- Financial services --- Financial structures --- Rates --- Regulation --- Rural development --- Rural microfinance and smes

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This book is a state-of-the-art review on recent advances in flow cells for electrochemical energy systems. The book includes an introduction to flow cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, photocatalytic fuel cells, organic flow batteries, redox flow batteries, microfluidic flow cells, as well as electrolysis cells for CO2 and nitrogen reduction. The book provides an essential reference for professors, researchers, and policymakers globally in academia, industry, and government.

Fuel cells. --- Materials. --- Electric power production. --- Electric batteries. --- Sustainability. --- Fuel Cells. --- Electrical Power Engineering. --- Batteries. --- Sustainability science --- Human ecology --- Social ecology --- Batteries, Electric --- Batteries (Electricity) --- Cell, Voltaic --- Electrical batteries --- Electrochemical cells --- Galvanic batteries --- Voltaic cell --- Electric power supplies to apparatus --- Electrochemistry --- Thermopiles --- Electric power generation --- Electricity generation --- Power production, Electric --- Electric power systems --- Electrification --- Engineering --- Engineering materials --- Industrial materials --- Engineering design --- Manufacturing processes --- Direct energy conversion --- Electric batteries --- Electric power production from chemical action --- Materials