The International Journal of Business & Economic Development (IJBED), a scholarly and refereed journal that provides an authoritative source of information for academics, policy makers and professionals in the fields of business and economic development. IJBED promotes the advancement, understanding, and practice of business and economic development. Currently published two times per annum, the journal’s readership is to be found in both developed and developing countries, a fact that appears to be confirmed by the geographical spread of paper submissions. The Editors and Editorial Board of the IJBED work assiduously to champion original academic papers that demonstrate a soundness of method, and which they believe to be grounded in academic integrity.