This book traces the growth of capitalism in South East Asia between 1870 and 1941, a crucial element in understanding contemporary economic and political developments in the region. It focuses on three questions. Why was indigenous capitalism so weak in colonial South East Asia? What were the institutional weaknesses in an otherwise dominant Chinese capitalist class, and why did it fail to transform itself into a modern industrial elite? What was the impact of western colonialism and Japanese economic penetration on South East Asia's prospects for achieving sustainable economic growth?

It is well known that Taiwan and South Korea, both former Japanese colonies, achieved rapid growth and industrialization after 1960. The performance of former European and American colonies (Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines) has been less impressive. Some scholars have attributed the difference to better infrastructure and greater access to education in Japan’s colonies. Anne Booth examines and critiques such arguments in this ambitious comparative study of economic development in East and Southeast Asia from the beginning of the twentieth century until the 1960s. Booth takes an in-depth look at the nature and consequences of colonial policies for a wide range of factors, including the growth of export-oriented agriculture and the development of manufacturing industry. She evaluates the impact of colonial policies on the growth and diversification of the market economy and on the welfare of indigenous populations. Indicators such as educational enrollments, infant mortality rates, and crude death rates are used to compare living standards across East and Southeast Asia in the 1930s. Her analysis of the impact that Japan’s Greater Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere and later invasion and conquest had on the region and the living standards of its people leads to a discussion of the painful and protracted transition to independence following Japan’s defeat. Throughout Booth emphasizes the great variety of economic and social policies pursued by the various colonial governments and the diversity of outcomes. Lucidly and accessibly written, Colonial Legacies offers a balanced and elegantly nuanced exploration of a complex historical reality. It will be a lasting contribution to scholarship on the modern economic history of East and Southeast Asia and of special interest to those concerned with the dynamics of development and the history of colonial regimes.

This book offers an original collection of international studies on indigenous entrepreneurship. Through these specific lenses, entrepreneurship greatly appears as a set of cultural values-based behaviours. Once more culture and human values are placed at the heart of entrepreneurship as an economic and social phenomenon.'. - Alain Fayolle, EM Lyon and CERAG Laboratory, France and Solvay Business School, Belgium. `A must-have for researchers of developmental economics, as well as for entrepreneurship scholars, this collection assembles studies of indigenous entrepreneurship from five continent.

The study aims at finding an explanation to the economic development of Southeast Asia. To achieve this end, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines have been chosen as the foci of the study. To explain the region's recent success, the study is guided by the hypothesis that overseas Chinese entrepreneurship, exercised by a group belonging to a discriminated ethnic minority, is an indispensable component of the capitalist development of Southeast Asia. Overseas Chinese businesses dominate nearly all branches of the economy of their respective countries of residence. On a regional scale, they are acknowledged to control two-thirds of the region's retail trade. The hypothesis of the study is validated by the empirical findings. Furthermore, the study has arrived at the conclusion that Southeast Asia is host to a type of entrepreneurship - Overseas Chinese entrepreneurship - that evolved and developed throughout the centuries and proven for its resiliency and risk-taking abilities. It did not create the boom in the region, however. Liberal government policies, the inflow of huge foreign capital, and the availability of cheap and skilled labor among the indigenous population are among the more crucial factors that facilitated this transformation.

This collection of essays explores the origins and roles of Southeast Asian business groups, especially as they developed during the 1970s and 1980s. An important contribution to studies of ethnic Chinese entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia. Includes a comprehensive introduction by the editor.

The publication started with a succinct and brief literature review of the different definitions of the term 'entrepreneurship'. After examining the different conceptual ideas of entrepreneurship, the ecological system of entrepreneurship was identified with a wide array and universe of stakeholders like the state, venture capitalists, non-profit organizations (NPOs), students, universities, instructors/trainers, educators, local communities, bureaucracy, and many other entities.In the East Asian region's desire to tap into entrepreneurship, the economies are also keen to tap on formerly marginalized groups to power up the entrepreneurship game like women, energetic youths and reskilled individuals. Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) teaches practical applied learning courses to students and arm them with the necessary skills to tackle the many challenges of being an entrepreneur.Both tangible and intangible barriers to entrepreneurship were discussed in the writing. One of the intangible barriers discussed was the element of mindset. In some of the case studies, it appeared fear of failure was a major mindset barrier to would-be entrepreneurs pursuing their business ideas to actualize them. Measures carried out to remove the stigmatization of failure are discussed in the volume.

This work scrutinizes the role of institutional change, with special reference to Southeast Asia. It suggests that the nature of institutional arrangements such as households, community groups, firms and formal governance systems can significantly affect human activity and economic success.

This book applies and develops the concept of “ersatz capitalism” in the analysis of industrial policy blockades to economic development in Malaysia and Indonesia. Drawing on insights from international political economy, development studies, industrial and innovation policy, and new institutionalism to refer to a specific type of capitalism, the book analyzes different paths and institutions of economic development within the entire East Asian region. Comprehensive theoretical insights are complemented by empirical case studies that relate to country and sectoral studies – the automotive and ICT industries – in Malaysia and Indonesia. Applying contemporary research on international political economy to refer to a specific type of capitalism, the author examines how conflicts of interest between factions of state apparatus, associations, and companies contribute to the failure of developmental policies. The unique combination of theory formation and empirical analysis provides a novel approach to international comparative research on capitalism. The book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of international political economy, development studies, new institutionalism, East Asian and Southeast Asian studies, and industrial and innovation policy.