Executive Overview Milton Friedman once argued that profits are the chief purpose of business. Profits do matter, but today we know more about how business contributes to society. Good firms bring innovation to the marketplace, which facilitates their growth. Innovative, growing firms generate economic growth and employment, which, in turn, greatly improves people’s lives. In this paper I argue...

  This paper aimed at estimation of the per capita consumption of electricity in residential sector based on economic indicators in Iran. The Genetic Algorithm Electricity Demand Model (GAEDM) was developed based on the past data using the genetic algorithm approach (GAA). The economic indicators used during the model development include: gross domestic product (GDP) in terms of per capita and ...

Export base theory, which posits that overall regional growth is a function of external sales of locally produced goods and services, dominates economic development practice. But the consumption base can also serve as a growth driver, especially in small towns and rural areas. Local investments may induce residents to divert expenditures into local purchases, attract new and footloose residents...