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Project management has been practiced for thousands of years, but only recently have organizations begun to apply systematic management tools and techniques to manage complex projects. Today's approaches to project management can be traced directly to methodologies designed by the U.S. military and Department of Defense in the years after World War II. Subsequent advances in management information systems have helped to codify project management practices; most recently, the Internet has dramatically enhanced the ability of individuals, teams, and organizations to manage projects across continents and cultures in real time. The Story of Managing Projects showcases cutting-edge research conducted around the world on emerging practices in project management. Covering an enormous spectrum of subjects and industries—from an upgrade of the Greek railway system to infrastructure reconstruction in Kuwait—the authors explore the full range of inter-personal, technical, and organizational dynamics of project management, contributing new insights to its theory and application.

In this wide-ranging historical exploration of transformational leadership, Popper examines why followers are influenced by leaders and what psychological dynamics exist between leaders and their subordinates, and, in the process, redefines the phenomenon of leadership. Exploring the emotional connections that bind charismatic leaders and those who support them, he contends that this multifaceted relationship is based on reciprocal need. By focusing on prominent figures throughout history who have altered the lives of their followers in profound ways, Popper shows how these leaders reinvented and disseminated value systems, for good (e.g., Nelson Mandela), but often for ill (e.g., Hitler). Whether the influence of a charismatic leader is destructive and negative or constructive and positively transformative, this intriguing work argues that the reciprocal process that takes place between leader and follower, as well as key formative events in the lives of leaders, are surprisingly similar.Using such famous and infamous leaders as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Madela, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hitler, Charles Manson, and Jim Jones, Popper defines and explores three types of leader-follower relationships: Regressive relationships, which are characterized by mutual dependence; Symbolic relationships, which are rooted in symbolic meaning; Developmental-transformational relationships, which permit positive moral and emotional development.

Against a backdrop of corporate scandal, business leaders can no longer rely on the old-fashioned style of one-sided community relations programs to promote a good image. Nor can they expect preferential treatment just because they meet their tax obligations. Pressure from all sides is forcing corporate leaders to increase their investments in the communities they serve and redefining their relationships with key stakeholder groups, including employees, suppliers, governing boards, shareholders, and the press. Safeguarding the environment, supporting human rights, eliminating child labor, entering into partnerships with nonprofit organizations, solving community problems, opening up financial reports to scrutiny, consulting with community residents, and contributing to local charities are now essential elements of corporate character. Managing a Company in an Activist World takes the discussion of corporate citizenship to a new practical level, offering business leaders answers to such tough questions as: What do our stakeholders value most? How can we respond to a growing number of formal compliances and informal demands? How do we most effectively communicate our role as a good corporate citizen? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we shake off inertia, public skepticism, and short-term focus to make corporate citizenship a priority without sacrificing growth and profits? Illustrating the depth and breadth of the issues through a variety of in-depth examples—from Jesse Jackson's threatened boycott of Anheuser-Busch to rural Virginians'uprising against Disney's proposed theme park to energy giant BC Hydro's successful response to environmentalists'concerns—Burke demonstrates how community involvement can influence corporate strategy to everyone's net benefit. He goes on to outline specific strategies that corporate leaders can employ to shake off inertia, public skepticism, and short-term focus to make corporate citizenship a priority without sacrificing growth and profits.

Over 80% of the businesses in the United States are family-owned and managed. From the corner deli or barbershop to global empires in brewing, media, and cleaning products, family businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation and economic growth and that represents the hopes and dreams of millions for independence, self-sufficiency, and wealth. And yet the track record for entrepreneurial businesses is poor: over three-quarters will fail during the first five years and only 10% will survive a decade. Family business statistics show that fewer than one-third pass succesfully to a second generation, often the result of insufficient planning. Drawing from numerous in-depth examples (both positive and negative), Edward Hess offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of family business management and specific strategies to promote the health of the enteprise. A comprehensive guide, The Successful Family Business covers the spectrum of topics from creating a family values statement and code of conduct to resolving conflicts among siblings to managing transitions in leadership and the potential sale of the business. Other issues include: defining perks and benefits (for family and non-family members), working with the board of directors, and going public. Hess concludes with a series of operating rules that apply to every family business and a listing of practical references and resources.

At the outset of his second term, President Bush's proposal to partially privatize Social Security has touched off a debate of enormous proportion. Disentangling the rhetoric and hyperbole from fact is essential for anyone trying to evaluate the potential merits or pitfalls of the plan. Leonard and Mark Santow—a father-and-son team who integrate two different political viewpoints (fiscally conservative and socially liberal, respectively)—offer specific recommendations for improving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in socially responsible ways that relieve some of the stress on the middle class and promote upward mobility. Explaining sophisticated economic concepts in layman's terms, the Santows expose myths about how entitlement programs actually work, arguing, for example, that while the financial state of Social Security gets most of the press, Medicare and Medicaid are in much more serious trouble. They integrate conservative and liberal viewponts to propose a package of reforms that includes both tax cuts and increases and an overhaul of the government's economic forecasting system. Synthesizing mountains of data and explaining sophisticated economic concepts in layman's terms, the Santows expose myths about how entitlement programs actually work, arguing, for example, that while the financial state of Social Security gets most of the press, Medicare and Medicaid are in much more serious trouble. Moreover, they are highly critical of privatization plans, demonstrating that similar programs have failed in other countries and that such plans are programs are neither fiscally nor socially sound. If the American people value the common commitments that these programs embody, we will need to see them as a package, and fund them accordingly. In response to this challenge, the Santows integrate conservative and liberal viewpoints to propose a package of reforms that includes both tax cuts and increases and an overhaul of the government's economic forecasting system. Featuring a timeline of key events since Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935 and an appendix of data tables, the authors offer a primer for concerned citizens, policymakers, educators, students, and finance professionals—anyone with a stake in designing a system that pays for these essential programs in an equitable manner and contributes to our collective prosperity.

Against the all-too-familiar backdrop of corporate scandal and greed, Charles Watson provides what he calls a blueprint to help working men and women, from the tops of organizations to the bottoms, step forward and help restore and defend the integrity of business. Step by step, he outlines fifteen fundamental commandments of honest business—from put people first to be your own person—common-sensical approaches to making decisions, solving problems, and taking action in ways that deliver results without compromising on principles. Using dozens of compelling examples, from companies large and small, Watson demonstrates how honesty, integrity, and trust are at the root of such essential business concepts as creativity and innovation, risk taking, collaboration, attracting and retaining talented people, and anticipating and exceeding customer expectations. He also tackles such complex issues as how to prevent an ethical ego from becoming arrogant and how to stand your ground when faced with unethical competition, resistance from above or below, or the temptation to take the path of least resistance. Ultimately, he provides practical, not abstract or theoretical, recommendations for developing individuals and organizations that encourage authentic relationships, act in ways that society admires, and have the boldness to initiate action with conviction.Watson also tackles such complex issues as how to prevent an ethical ego from becoming arrogant and how to stand your ground when faced with unethical competition, resistance from above or below, or the temptation to take the path of least resistance. He reminds us that integrity is derived from the Latin integritas—oneness, a consistency of purpose, word, and deed. Applying this principle, he provides practical, not abstract or theoretical, recommendations for developing individuals and organizations that encourage authentic relationships, celebrate positive achievements, act in ways that society admires, and have the boldness to initiate action with conviction. Ultimately, Watson demonstrates that with courage and humility you can, indeed, do well by doing good—not only at work, but in all aspects of your life.

The process of producing goods and services is relatively easy to recognize as socially beneficial. But television ads? Telemarketers? Jingles? Junk mail? It is popular to view these commercial activities as inherently wasteful or manipulative, marginally informative or entertaining, at best. In Selling the Dream, John Hood takes the provocative stand that advertising images and sales pitches are actually part of the goods and services themselves, delivering an essential component of the consumer's experience. As such, they are inextricably linked to the basic tenets of the free-market system, and, in the boldest of terms, Hood argues that commercial communication is morally consistent with the principles of our democratic society, including freedom of choice, competition, and innovation. Tracing the history of advertising from Ancient Roman times to the present, he offers a colorful account of advertising in its cultural context and addresses such controversial issues as the promotion of harmful and immoral products (such as alcohol and tobacco), marketing to children, the role of advertising in service industries such as health care and education, and the impact of the Internet and other new media on the conduct of commerce. In the process, he offers a compelling perspective on advertising and its essential role in business, communication, and popular culture.

No one can deny that sports and business are two of the most potent forces in our culture today. Sport, play, and the terms and phrases that define them, are engrained in our collective psyche, influencing the ways in which we conduct business-as a game, with rules of engagement, tournaments of competition, the shame that accompanies defeat, and the bragging rights that accrue to the victor. The parallels are ubiquitous; as the NFL's Bill Parcells stated in a Harvard Business Review article, my guess is that the challenges I've faced are not all that different from the ones that executives deal with every day. People are people, and the keys to motivating them and getting them to perform to their full potential are pretty much the same whether they're playing on a football field or working in an office.From the Ballfield to the Boardroom draws from Brian Goff's expertise as a managerial economist to shed new light on the sports-business connection. Using dozens of examples from across the spectrum of professional and college sports, he analyzes the ways in which key decisions are made on the playing fields and locker rooms and applies these lessons to the corporate context. From the distinctive leadership styles of legendary coaches Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden, and Bobby Knight, among others, to such culturally significant developments as the racial integration of Major League Baseball and the meteoric rise of NASCAR, Goff draws from the world of sports to provide a solid foundation in the managerial arts, including: assessing risk and uncertainty, conducting market and competitive analysis, wooing customers, fostering an innovative culture, managing information and communication flows, and resolving labor disputes. The result is an incisive look at the sport of business, with practical insights for successful management at all levels of your organization.

In the 21st century, intangible resources such as knowledge and social capital have become as necessary to the modern economy as coal, diamonds, and oil were to the past. This shift from product-focused to service-focused economies necessitates a drastic re-thinking of the ways in which we support the mission and business of economic development on a global, regional, and national scale. In order to effect and sustain a positive change, innovation and knowledge networks need to be connected to every aspect of life, from the private and domestic, to the corporate and the global. This book integrates a wide variety of perspectives and treatises on mutually adaptive and complementary processes of knowledge generation, diffusion, and transfer within organizations and industry, addressing both the what and how to questions of knowledge management in a conceptual as well as an applied manner. It should be of strong interest to science and technology policy makers, research and development managers, business decision makers, and students of innovation and knowledge dynamics alike.

How did the alliance between labor and the Democratic Party develop after the First World War? What role does Evansville play in an examination of this alliance? What was the impact of the alliance on U.S politics and society? These are some of the questions that Samuel W. White tackles in his book Fragile Alliances: Labor and Politics in Evansville, Indiana, 1919-1955.Focusing on Evansville, Indiana, as a case study, White challenges traditional assumptions in the field, such as the following: labor has one political voice; labor is monolithic in electoral politics; the New Deal successfully reordered American society and politics. White examines the roles played by political repression, opposition by employers, and anticommunist forces within the community as well as the labor movement in undermining the labor-Democratic Party alliance in Evansville. He contends that by the 1950s, the impact of these forces blunted the potential of the labor movement and the Democratic Party to transform the political system by giving workers and their allies a permanent political space in electoral politics.How did the alliance between labor and the Democratic Party develop after the First World War? What role does Evansville play in an examination of this alliance? What was the impact of the alliance on U.S politics and society? These are some of the questions that White tackles in his book Fragile Alliances: Labor and Politics in Evansville, Indiana, 1919-1955. Focusing on Evansville, Indiana, as a case study, White challenges traditional assumptions in the field, such as the following: labor has one political voice; labor is monolithic in electoral politics; the New Deal successfully reordered American society and politics. White examines the roles played by political repression, opposition by employers, and anticommunist forces within the community as well as the labor movement in undermining the labor-Democratic Party alliance in Evansville. He contends that by the 1950s, the impact of these forces blunted the potential of the labor movement and the Democratic Party to transform the political system by giving workers and their allies a permanent political space in electoral politics.Much of the published literature on labor and politics in the U.S. is focused on national events and organizations that make labor appear as a monolith in electoral politics. White diverges from the national focus of the majority of this literature, instead looking at labor and politics at the local level. While much of the published literature argues that the alliance between labor and the Democratic Party in the 1930s was a formidable force that reordered American society and politics, White shows that in Evansville, the alliance was anything but that. Racked by political repression, opposition by employers, and anticommunist forces within the community and the labor movement itself, the alliance was remarkably fragile and incapable of sustaining the momentum it had established in the 1930s.

In The Manager as Change Leader, Ann Gilley examines the complexities of change from the manager's perspective, providing readers with the tools to help themselves, their employees, and their colleagues successfully engage in the change efforts that will propel their organizations into the future. In a challenge to traditional approaches—which presume that organizational change will occur once an initiative has been launched—Gilley focuses on the challenges that managers face when others resist change, before, during, and even after the process has been implemented. She explains that resistance to change is natural and inevitable, and offers practical approaches to overcoming organizational inertia, focusing on the specific skills in leadership, management, problem solving, communication, and personal relationships that contribute to successful change. Featuring a wide array of diagnostic and development tools, worksheets, and references, The Manager as Change Leader will become an indispensable resource for any manager faced with leading or navigating a change program, whether large scale or small.To say that businesses today must contend with constant change is an understatement. New technologies, new competitors, new markets, new products, new employees—if your company is not already anticipating their impact you've fallen behind the curve. And yet, as managers acknowledge, and even embrace, change as a reality of organizational life, the success rate of change efforts is perilously low. In The Manager as Change Leader, Ann Gilley examines the complexities of change from the manager's perspective, providing readers with the tools to help themselves, their employees, and their colleagues successfully engage in the change efforts that will propel their organizations into the future.

Budget deficits, gas prices, health care costs, social security, job security…. Anxiety over the economy pervades our daily lives—from reports on the early morning newscasts to gossip around the water cooler to dinner table debate. Yet most citizens are woefully ignorant when it comes to understanding how the economy works and how to interpret the impact of policies and business decisions. It's easy to slip into generalities: government spending is wasteful, taxes are too high, good-paying jobs are being shipped overseas, Americans don't save enough. Other issues become hijacked by political partisans to advance their agendas: trade must be fair!, tax cuts will pay for themselves!, there will be no money left in the social security till after the baby boomers loot it! In Smart Economics, Michael Walden provides an antidote: take 50 of today's top economic issues and explain their meaning, implications, and potential solutions in a logical, straightforward, commonsense, and non-partisan way. Has Government Spending Been Out of Control? Is Profit Bad? Walden applies basic economic concepts and logical argumentation to help readers get their bearings—to separate fact from fiction and ultimately make better economic decisions themselves. The result is an entertaining and highly informative introduction to economic principles and their influence on our behavior.In Smart Economics, Michael Walden provides an antidote: take 50 of today's top economic issues and explain their meaning, implications, and potential solutions in a logical, straightforward, commonsense, and non-partisan way. From Has Government Spending Been out of Control? to Is Profit Bad? to Why Are Pro Sports Stars Paid So Much? Walden demystifies the dismal science, using basic concepts and logical argumentation to help readers get their bearings—to separate fact from fiction and ultimately make better decisions, when it comes to spending, investing, saving, and voting. The result is an entertaining and informative introduction to economic principles and their influence on our behavior.

Finding the Best and Brightest proposes an approach to choosing leaders based on a set of criteria designed to align individual qualities with organizational or institutional goals. Peg Thoms challenges the popular trend in theory and practice toward transformational or visionary leadership, arguing instead that leadership must be developed in context; many organizations, for example, don't need visionaries as much as they need operational leaders, who get things done by focusing on present-day tasks, such as designing superior products and delivering exceptional customer service. This book provides guidance for how to recruit, select, and retain the right people for leadership positions at any level of the organization. Drawing from research conducted in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, Thoms features powerful examples of effective and ineffective leadership in a variety of situations, and sheds light on the complex relationships between leaders and those who follow them.We all choose our leaders. We hire them to run our companies. We vote them into office. We appoint them to committees. We decide to work for, serve, and follow them. In fact, all leadership is relative; by taking direction or orders, going to bat or war, marching behind, listening, and agreeing, we are choosing to allow another individual to lead us. Whether the stage is a corporation, a country, a club, a school, or any other organization, effective leaders matter. Yet despite such high-profile examples of leadership disasters—from the California recall of Gray Davis to the fall of such business titans as Ken Lay and Sam Waksal—we continue to choose, hire, and elect poor leaders.Finding the Best and Brightest explores this phenomenon in business, politics, and other sectors of society, and proposes an antidote—an approach to choosing leaders based on a set of criteria designed to align individual qualities with organizational or institutional goals. Peg Thoms challenges the popular trend toward transformational leadership, which focuses on identifying universal characteristics, arguing instead that leadership must be developed in context. Many organizations, for example, need operational leaders who can focus on present-day tasks, such as designing superior products and delivering exceptional customer service, and not inspirational or visionary leaders, whose otherwise admirable qualities might be ill-suited to the challenges at hand. Outlining six typical leadership search scenarios—from school principal to hospital CEO—Thoms shows readers how to identify the traits and behaviors that are most essential for the position and how to structure interviews and other search techniques to elicit the most informative responses and home in on the best candidates. She also reminds us that many organizations fail not because they can't find good leaders but because they can't keep them, and offers strategies to promote leadership development. Whether you are an executive giving the nod to a new department head, a concerned citizen casting your vote for a municipal councilman, a club member choosing a new president, or an aspiring leader deciding which offer will provide the greatest growth opportunities, Finding the Best and the Brightest offers fresh insights on the dynamic relationship between leaders and those who follow them.

Grantseeking has become an increasingly competitive process. Beginning grantwriters sometimes assemble a collection of facts and present that information to grantmakers, hoping to receive support. However, sponsors rarely award grant funding just because a grantseeker supports a specific cause or works for a specific organization. Grantseekers must persuade sponsors to invest in their projects and organization. Successful grantseekers know that persuasion, not information, attracts funding. Persuasive proposals present a seamless argument that stands the test of reason, addresses psychological concerns, and connects project ideas to the values of the sponsor.Models of Proposal Planning & Writing illustrates, in intimate detail previously unpublished, an integrated process of planning and writing persuasive proposals. The grantseeker will see the questions that the authors asked of themselves and those asked of sponsors before they developed a complete grant application. Grantseekers will read the actual proposals the authors submitted to private and public sponsors, including paragraph-by-paragraph analyses of the key features that made them persuasive. The authors provide the reader with a verbatim examination of reviewer comments and grant award notification letters they received back from the sponsors. As a whole, these annotated models serve as a springboard from which grantseekers can begin to develop their own fundable proposals.

Companies that have survived the perils of startup face an entirely new and different set of challenges as the firm prospers and grows. For owners, executives, managers, and employees alike, the evolution of an enterprise from entrepreneurship to maturity is aruduous and requires a talent for managing constant change, both in the marketplace and in the company itself. Setting your company on a trajectory of profitable growth—and getting past that crucial break—even point—requires fundamentally different strategies, skills, and techniques from what worked in startup mode. Any forewarning puts entrepreneurial leaders ahead in coping with the obstacles over the next hill. Leading Your Business to the Next Level provides that forewarning and offers practical management approaches that will make the growth journey less hazardous and more rewarding. Drawing from the authors'combined 70+ years of experience working in and consulting to high-growth organizations, the book provides a toolkit for navigating the transition from the chaos, intensity, and informality of the startup to the relative order of the more established firm. Through illustrative case examples and interactive elements, including checklists and diagnostics, they demonstrate how mastery of six core disciplines is the key to achieving and sustaining profitable growth: • enhancing customer loyalty; • dynamic planning and budgeting; • executing the business plan; • maximizing leadership effectiveness; • changing the emphasis from sales/revenue to margin/profit; • positioning human resource management as a strategic asset. In an environment where over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% within five years, Leading Your Businesss to the Next Level will help you and your organization make the critical transition from startup to mature and growing business.

No business operates in America today under purely market forces.Myriad rules and regulations govern every area of business conduct: from establishing the firm to ensuring protection of the environment to hiring and firing policies. More than half of all startups that fail in the first year do so not because they produce inferior products or neglect to analyze the competition, but because they do not understand the regulatory environment in which they operate. In What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Government, Wesley Truitt presents the most comprehensive overview of government regulation and its impact on business management to date. Covering all levels of regulation (federal, state, and local/municipal) and all stages in a firm's growth cycle (establishment, expansion, and liquidation), Truitt shows entrepreneurs and managers of established business alike how to navigate the minefield of rules and policies that oversee business activity.Drawing from a wide variety of primary data sources and his own extensive experience in the public and private sectors, Truitt clearly explains how government regulation of business has evolved and analyzes its positive and negative implications for management. Featuring descriptions of all the key agencies and summaries of major laws, Truitt offers practical guidance through a huge array of issues, including: intellectual property protection, legal incorporation, product safety and liability, taxes, mergers and acquisitions, employee benefit programs, divestiture, and much more. He identifies common pitfalls to avoid, ways to benefit through government assistance programs, and methods for influencing the policymaking process. Including practical checklists and extensive listings of informational resources, What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Government is an essential guide for any business competing in the not-so-free market.

The economy of any nation is an intricate web of relationships among the factors determining supply and demand—and everything that affects them, from inflation to taxes to the stock market. The study of business cycles attempts to explain why economies grow and contract, experiencing periods of prosperity and pain. Consistent with the popular conception of economics as the dismal science, economists secretly long for recessions (periods of negative growth) and depressions (severe contractions), not because they enjoy their devastating impact on human welfare, but because these downturns serve as excellent laboratories for observing what happens when markets break down. Despite over two centuries of debate, no one has yet definitively unlocked the secrets of economic downturns and how they might be prevented.In Recessions and Depressions Todd Knoop traces the evolution of business cycle theory, from the classical model, which preceded the Great Depression, through the ground-breaking ideas of John Maynard Keynes, Milton Friedman, and their followers. He examines the strengths and limitations of each approach, in terms of explaining the impact of such factors as government policy, money supply, labor productivity, and wages. In the process, he presents an accessible introduction to what makes the economy tick, and offers new insights into understanding such historic events as the Great Depression, as well as more recent ones, such as the Asian meltdown in the 1990s, the financial crises in Latin America, and the U.S. recession of 2001, from which the United States is still recovering. Knoop reminds us that economists'track record in forecasting business cycles leaves much to be desired, and the quest to fully understand what causes economic downturns—and their effects on individuals and families—continues.

In today's knowledge-based economy, service professionals, such as consultants, lawyers, accountants, architects, advertising agencies, IT specialists, and financial advisors, face a dazzling array of opportunities and challenges. In order to compete effectively, they need a disciplined approach for detecting market shifts, harnessing their competitive advantages, and developing service offerings that will attract the most profitable clients. Drawing from a five-year study covering thousands of firms, Suzanne Lowe presents the three building blocks of a market-driven infrastructure—looking out, digging deeper, and embedding innovation—and identifies eleven core skills that any service firm can apply to master the marketplace and achieve lasting competitive success.Integrating insights from the fields of marketing, service management, planning, and entrepreneurship, and showcasing the successful strategies of such firms as Towers Perrin, DDB Worldwide, and Egon Zehnder International, Lowe shows service professionals how to gather intelligence about their clients, competitors, and marketplace; promote a market-driven culture throughout the organization; and engage in continuous research and development to introduce new services. Mastering these skills will enable readers to be better prepared to face changes in the market, and make decisive, informed decisions about opportunities that will prove right in the long term.

What makes a great boss? Bosses don't become great because of their title, rank, degree of authority, office size, or benefits package. Great bosses aren't even necessarily great managers. Instead, they possess a set of core competencies that set them apart from mere managers. The skill set of great bosses entails five qualities: they do the right thing for the right reason; they never make the same mistake twice; they set their personal expectations higher than those of their bosses; they go to their bosses with action plans, not problems; and they follow up.If a boss has only one of these characteristics, he or she is probably very successful. But application of all five defines what it means to be a great boss, to be successful in good times and bad, through change and adversity, and to be recognized as such by the people you work for-as well as by the people who work for you.

Explains arbitrage, hedging, and speculation from the standpoint of a participant in the foreign exchange market—whether an individual trader or an institutional trader—who possesses analytical skill, economically sound judgment, and who has access to market data. In the foreign exchange market, arbitrage involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of a currency in different markets; the profit comes from the difference in the buying and selling prices. Hedging and speculation are opposing strategies for dealing with risk; hedging is a cover, and speculation is an assumption of risk. Authors also discuss futures, swaps, forward contracts, and other strategies. For financial scholars, students, analysts, and currency traders.

The age of the real-time supply chain has finally arrived. Thanks to an emerging technology construct—the Internet-based mega-portal—companies can now connect instantaneously with suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, customers, and alliance partners around the world. Online access to up-to-the-minute information enables companies to improve communication and project management across the entire supply chain, promote collaboration across departments, and enhance customer service and financial operations. The results are stunning; for example, a recent survey reports dramatic increases in revenues and customer retention and decreases in operating costs and product cycle times.Drawing from extensive primary research, this book presents detailed examples of how organizations as diverse as Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Dell, and the U.S. Department of Defense are creating information and communication hubs online and reaping the rewards. The authors explain the basic technical and organizational infrastructure necessary for launching a mega-portal and how its successful management can have profound impact on every area and function of the extended enterprise—from strategy to logistics, product development to customer service. As competition heats up from every direction, the ability to design and manage your supply chain with precision and speed becomes a business imperative. In Real Time offers a practical blueprint for building, implementing, and sustaining supply chains in today's rapidly changing environment.

Top financial scholars from around the world analyze regional economic issues in light of the recent Asian financial crisis. As a result of that crisis, and the ensuing reforms, corporations, governments, individual investors have pursued a variety of strategies to cope with the fast-changing economic situation. Each chapter treats a separate issue and offers policy recommendations. Among the theoretical and empirical analyses collected here are those relating to nonperforming loans, economic restructuring, bank forecasting, prediction of corporate failure, Islamic banking issues, new measurement of systematic risk of delisted stocks resuming trading operations, and the lead-lag relationship and pricing efficiency of regional stock exchanges.

More than half of all mergers and acquisitions fail to meet established objectives of value creation. This book is a practical guide to further ensure the successful outcome of business M&A activities. Gendron highlights the critical issues that have historically been the foundation of poorly executed business integration processes. How these key elements are handled can make or break the integration of an acquired company. They include understanding the purpose of the transaction, capturing the learning of preliminary due diligence review efforts, and managing the personal factors that affect all employees in the merger process, including those who work for the acquiring and acquired companies.Once these basic issues have been considered, the integration team should focus on culture, critical processes, and communications. This book provides executives involved with the integration process with the tools they need, including checklists and assessment tools to develop, plan, and execute a successful merger. Whether new to the M&A process or a seasoned pro, the executive charged with key M&A responsibilities will benefit from this book's straightforward examples and non-technical presentation of information.

The province of Québec has made remarkable progress in the past fifty years as it has emerged from its former status as a very poor relative of France to its current position of leadership in the new economy. This book shows how the provincial government, in partnership with private business, has led this province to a position of strength. Changing economic and social patterns, the increased speed of commercial interactions, and the inventive use of resources have characterized Québec's transformation and hold lessons for public-private partnership across cultures and industries. In addition, anyone interested in how change management theories are actually applied will find this a useful resource.

This book provides the context and tools to create knowledge via a proven process of inquiry, questions, and conversation. It introduces the theoretical background to explain why, as well as the practical hands-on skills and processes to demonstrate how, to surface tacit knowledge—that which we know but which we have not yet made explicit in conversation, e.g., background, education, and experience—and create new knowledge in collaboration with colleagues.In the information economy, knowledge is an asset and a currency. The creation of new knowledge, therefore, enhances an organization's position in the marketplace. How do we create new knowledge? We don't do it by learning what is already known. The learning organization is already passé. Instead, we do it by inquirinq, which is a method of bringing tacit knowledge to the forefront of awareneness. The inquiring organization surfaces tacit knowledge, which is what its employees bring to the table—their background, education, experience, character, and judgment—and transforms that knowledge into new, explicit knowledge that can be transferred from one employee to another through conversation. That is true knowledge creation, and this book provides the tools, skills, techniques, and processes for executives and professionals in any field to accomplish this task in today's fluid environment.

The contributors to this volume demonstrate the evolving ways in which impression management is conducted through the use of information technology. Whether consciously or unconsciously, individuals create and manage impressions of themselves when they use or interact with IT or in an IT environment. How? By managing the symbolism embedded in the technology. For example, technology is often the primary medium in interactions between a client and a work team, or virtual team, dedicated to servicing the needs of that client. The team itself may be geographically dispersed, lending a deeper layer to the management of impressions among members of the team via their use of technology, including e-mail, groupware, videoconferencing, and Intranet development.Researchers in the behavioral effects and consequences of information technology will find much of value here. This book is also of interest to information technology practitioners and professors alike who work with or study the broader organizational and individual signals, perceptions, and effects of IT-related decisions. Graduate students will find it appropriate as supplemental reading for courses on the organizational implications of IT, the behavioral effects of IT, the impact of IT on corporate strategy, and the impact of organizational design decisions.

The Red Scare at the FCC started when James Lawrence Fly led the agency in many important decisions that were inspired by the New Deal. These decisions outraged both the broadcasting industry and politically conservative legislators, causing them to accuse the FCC of Communist sympathies. This book analyzes the political transition taken by the FCC that turned it into an agency that fully participated in the Red Scare of the 1950s.This book analyzes many significant FCC cases and policies that have never been considered within the context of New Deal policymaking or its impact. This work is the first to look into the impact of the Red Scare on an executive agency. Its combination of new archival and behind-the- scenes information makes this book a great addition to the growing body of research on media history and regulation.

From direct foreign investment to the flow of capital, there are endless factors that affect the economies of the world's poorest countries. Knowledge of the struggles of these countries—also known as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—is essential to understanding the impact of globalization. This work provides a platform for grasping why developed countries are reaping the benefits of globalization while the LDCs are being left behind.Topical chapters seek to uncover the processes that LDCs should take to reverse their marginalization and build their economies so that they can receive the benefits of globalization. Subjects include: •The relationship between the World Trade Organization, World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund •Multilateral trade regimes •Tariff and non-tariff barriers in developed countries •Global Commodity Prices •Trends in Poverty and Human Development •Technology

Despite roughly thirty years of experience with growth management programs, which are basically land-use planning tools, most U.S. communities do not plan for how best to limit or manage rapid growth; in fact, most communities do not plan at all. In the absence of planning, land-use boards, regulators, and other governing bodies simply react to initiatives from the private sector. The result is predictably haphazard and does not allow communities to achieve such goals as protecting quality of life, attracting certain types of businesses while discouraging others, conserving wildlife or preserving open spaces, and so forth. In contrast, planning by managing growth can help a town or city achieve any number of goals. But it is a complex task. This book brings the benefit of state and local experiences with growth management to researchers, students, and particularly practitioners who seek guidance in these matters.Kelly provides a much-needed context from which any community can answer the following questions: Does growth management work? Is it appropriate for the community and the particular problems that it is trying to address? Is one type of growth management program more appropriate than another for our community? Will the program in question have undesirable (or desirable) side effects?What are the likely effects of adopting no growth management program at all?This work is invaluable for the citizen volunteers who sit on land-use boards, including planning and zoning commissions, conservation commissions, and inland wetlands agencies. In addition, it can aid mayors, city managers, and city councils in interviewing and selecting candidates for town planner.

Competitive advantage in today's complex and global marketplace is no longer created by the internal resources of a single organization or organizational group. Businesses must reach beyond the traditional boundaries of their organization, industry and market to form diverse networks that can create truly unique value.Japan is now in its longest recession of the post-World War II period. This failure stems from macroeconomic malfunctioning and—more important—from the country's cultural environment, which has been inhibiting domestic corporations'abilities to respond to dire socio-economic issues. As all traditional attempts to revitalize the economy have failed, creative ideas and purposeful interventions are necessary for survival. Past business assumptions must be discarded, the most important of which is the emphasis on insular business practices that focus on the internal environment of a single organization or corporate group. Unique value can no longer by created in a static and limited manner.To create unique value in the increasingly sophisticated, advanced and fragmented environment of the global marketplace, corporations are forming partnerships that cross all societal boundaries. The authors coin the term meso-organizations for such networks that go beyond the scope of traditional businesses and bring in individuals, organizations from different industries and not-for-profit organizations into their business processes, and that view their environments as extensions of themselves. This book pulls together and expands on various theories of networks and knowledge creation to present a framework that captures the complex nature of today's business domain and processes, and offers suggestions for wide-ranging collaboration.

Gainsharing and goalsharing, if carefully designed and administered, have great potential as compensation systems that align pay with the broader strategic objectives of the organization. To be successful over the long term, gainsharing and goalsharing require periodic review and adjustment to changing business conditions and continuing emphasis on mobilizing and involving employees. The authors share important insights from recent research (including two large-scale surveys of their own) on factors related to success and failure, and they provide highly useful information for anyone seeking to design and implement a gainsharing or goalsharing program, including managers, human resource professionals, and union officers.Scanlon, Modified Scanlon, Rucker, Improshare, and goalsharing plans are defined as group-based contingent compensation schemes that are often combined with an employee involvement component. Gainsharing programs have been adopted at an accelerating rate by American corporations in the last decade. Approximately 40% of Fortune 1,000 firms reported the use of gainsharing in the 1990s, and there is little doubt that more programs exist than ever before. According to most evaluations, gainsharing and goalsharing are considered to be particularly potent among the various types of recent innovative human resource programs. By taking a process-based approach that presents a step-by-step guide to the implementation of gainsharing from design to administration and long-term maintenance, this book provides readers with practical and hands-on advice and guidance on gainsharing and goalsharing.

The proverbial American dream of owning a home has become an all-too-real nightmare for a growing number of families. The most vulnerable segments of our society—including minorities, the elderly, and working families—are being victimized by financiers who lure them into commitments they cannot fulfill. Collectively known as predatory lending, these practices include offering higher interest rates than can be justified by the risk, high pre-payment penalties that lock families into exploitative loans, and monstrous balloon payments that often result in default and the loss of the home. The net result can be disastrous: damage to one's credit rating, bankruptcy, and even the loss of lifelong savings.Why the Poor Pay More is an incisive exposure of these practices: how they have evolved, why they have become so prevalent in recent years, and how their negative effects can be quantified. It features in-depth analysis from prominent scholars, legal experts, and community leaders, who shed new light on the social, political, and economic consequences of predatory lending. Why the Poor Pay More is much more than an indictment of these insidious discriminatory practices. It is a call to arms for anyone concerned about how the financial-political system can be corrupted to serve the needs of the wealthy. Highlighting community initiatives already underway to combat predatory lending and an extensive listing of practical resources, Why the Poor Pay More outlines active roles that individuals, advocacy groups, financial and legal service providers, and policymakers can play in reversing this destructive trend.

Youth policies in the United States-especially for economically and socially disadvantaged children-are often characterized as fragmented, inadequate, antiquated, misguided, and, at worst, negligent or even harmful. The primary systems mandated to serve youth often coexist as if in parallel universes, often at odds with each other regarding goals, priorities, and resources. To address these deep-seated problems and propose a dynamic alternative, Delgado applies extensive field research and insights from economics, urban studies, social work, and psychology, to introduce a new paradigm, social youth entrepreneurship. This approach to youth and community development integrates education, work experience, and counseling to create economic opportunities and prepare today's youth for tomorrow's challenges.A popular dictum states that our children are our future. Nevertheless, youth policies in the United States-especially for economically and socially disadvantaged children-are often characterized as fragmented, inadequate, antiquated, misguided, and, at worst, negligent or even harmful. The primary systems mandated to serve youth often coexist as if in parallel universes, often at odds with each other regarding goals, priorities, and resources. To address these deep-seated problems and propose a dynamic alternative, Delgado applies insights from a variety of fields, including economics, urban studies, social work, and psychology, to introduce a new paradigm, social youth entrepreneurship.Drawing from extensive field research, and showcasing the experiences of several innovative programs, including Food from the Hood in Los Angeles and Young Aspirations/Young Artists in New Orleans, Delgado outlines an approach to youth and community development that integrates education, work experience, and counseling. The positive results include motivating young people to sharpen their analytical and interpersonal skills, inspiring them to contribute to their communities, and preparing them to become productive members of the workforce. Meanwhile, Delgado offers practical recommendations for educators, community leaders, local businesses, and policymakers alike to support such programs.

This work supplies a concrete definition of Corporate Public Discourse, an idea that has always lacked true character. It explores how leading corporations use their own special language to define their cultures. The authors take this language, once considered a mere embellishment of speech, and use it to explore the inner workings of world-renowned organizations.This book bridges the gap between organizational studies and linguistics by analyzing the communications of today's top companies. The book describes a weekly Saturday morning meeting at Wal-Mart, evaluates IBM's commitment to success, and looks into the social role of high-caliber CEOs. Broken into seven parts, including management, media, and analysis, the study efficiently frames the importance of corporate communication.

For multinational corporations (MNCs), there is arguably no more important operational function that affects all areas of manufacturing, marketing, management, and finance as international transfer pricing—the practicing of supplying products or services across borders from one part of the organization to another. Its complexity is compounded by the impact of e-commerce, speeding the flow of goods and services; intangible assets, such as intellectual property, whose value is difficult to quantify; and the activites of policymakers around the world to update their tax laws and regulations, in efforts to close loopholes that have historically encouraged tax avoidance.In Critical Concerns in Transfer Pricing Policy and Practice, Wagdy Abdallah provides an in-depth overview of these recent trends and developments, and considers their implications for the management of MNCs. In particular, he discusses methods for pricing transferred goods and services in the e-commerce era and analyzes the most recent regulation reforms in such countries as Germany, Mexico, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands. Anticipating increased scrutiny of MNC transfer pricing practices from governments and other external stakeholders, Abdallah outlines a set of practical recommendations for creating a successful transfer pricing system that maximizes value for the company while remaining sensitive to local policies in all of the countries in which it operates.

Understanding environmental liability and disclosure is critical for firm management, investors, accountants and auditors. The U.S. Congress has been increasing the pressure on companies to disclose information on environmental liabilities for years. This study delves into the issue by examining the impact of environmental disclosure on financial performance. These insightful essays provide guidance by supplying the most current and concise research available on this important topic.Covering such topics as legislation, liability, and regulations, this work analyzes how environmental disclosure influences the financial statements and public accountability of companies, and ultimately drives organizational change. This book builds the framework necessary to comprehend the complexities of quantifying environmental liabilities and make well-informed decisions.

A popular maxim states that the only constant in business today is change. Whether the result of growth opportunities, new competition, technological advances or other internal and external factors, every business enterprise must manage change. Since the 1980s, companies have experimented with a method for driving change—High Performance Teams (HPTs), work teams that achieve a quantum leap in results in less than a year. Drawing from over 25 years of experience with HPTs, Marc Hanlan traces their history in a wide variety of industries, analyzes the key factors that contribute to success—or failure—and offers a comprehensive guide to building and managing them successfully.Featuring dozens of case examples and a detailed template for translating plans into action, High Performance Teams shows you how to: prepare the organization, select team leaders and members, set goals, accelerate development times, overcome obstacles, and measure results. Including an extensive bibliography and glossary of key terms and concepts, High Performance Teams will become an indispensable resource for business executives and owners, team leaders and members, and facilitators, trainers, consultants, and coaches. For shareholders, customers, and students of organizational behavior, High Performance Teams offers unique insight into the dynamics of breakthrough business performance.

Drawing on the experiences of companies leading the field in performance measurement, Milgate pinpoints the significant developments that will drive performance measurement into the millennium. This book discards passing trends and focuses on providing in-depth, international coverage of the issues that count. It analyzes and evaluates new and emerging trends, approaches, models, and methodologies. Milgate explains how these techniques and processes work in practice and how they can add clear, bottom-line benefits to your organization.In recent years, business performance measurement has altered beyond recognition. What used to guarantee success for leading companies now barely ensures average performance. Far too often, business performance measurement is a weakness, lacking focus and coherence. New sources of leverage have emerged and new approaches have been introduced. Only those companies that master the new techniques will reach the top of the league. To achieve a competitive edge, companies must reevaluate business performance, its measurement, and the final result. This book shows you how. Drawing on the experiences of companies leading the field in performance measurement, Milgate pinpoints the significant developments that will drive performance measurement into the millennium.This book discards passing trends and focuses on providing in-depth, international coverage of the issues that count. It analyzes and evaluates new and emerging trends, approaches, models, and methodologies. Milgate explains how these techniques and processes work in practice and how they can add clear, bottom-line benefits to your organization.

In the evolving environment of global financial markets, governments, corporations, individual investors, and their associated financial institutions must grapple with a host of thorny issues that affect emerging economies with particular force, as we saw during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Among the issues analyzed by some of the top financial scholars from around the world are covered arbitrage possibilities in the absense of hedging instruments; the effect of capital controls on capital flows; the potential impact of currency unification, as well as the possibilities for pegging currency in the context of floating foreign exchange regimes; regulatory reforms; and political risk analysis.

As technology comes to permeate every aspect of work, it liberates organizations and their employees from the physical boundaries of the workplace, and yet amplifies many of the interpersonal and cultural challenges inherent to corporate life. Drawing from an in-depth study of two dynamic organizations, along with extensive research on technology and organizational behavior, Nicole Ellison explores the subtle and powerful ways that distance working influences management effectiveness, worker productivity, and such intangible elements as social cohesion and trust.Featuring interviews with executives, managers, and employees, Telework and Social Change illuminates the ways in which access to always-on information and communications technologies-which allow people to work from virtually anywhere-influence their work styles, interactions with colleagues and supervisors, and the ways in which they define the boundaries between work and home. Offering insights for future research and practice, Telework and Social Change provides a multi-dimensional perspective on the evolving relationships among technology, geography, and the structural and cultural aspects of work in the digital age.

Business education programs should practice what they preach: applying the principles of strategic analysis to play to their strengths and develop distinctive offerings that attract the most profitable customers—in this case, students, faculty, local communities, and the institutions that support them financially. With the costs of private MBA programs skyrocketing, public universities, which generally operate out of the spotlight of the Harvards and Whartons, have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish themselves as centers of innovative, high-quality education. Mimi Wolverton and Larry Penley conducted extensive research to identify the qualities of those public institutions across the country—from the University of Washington to Georgia Tech—that have successfully established competitive advantages, generally through a combination of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities features 12 in-depth case studies by senior representatives of the respective institutions, detailing the process by which they developed and launched programs to raise their profiles and ultimately compete aggressively for talent and support. From developing strategic alliances with local businesses and complementary academic departments to establishing online and overseas courses to investing in state-of-the-art facilities, these schools are setting new standards for business education—and measuring the positive results, for example, in terms of increased funding, higher faculty research productivity, higher rankings, and greater student diversity. Wolverton and Penley frame the case studies by applying the concepts of strategy theory, drawing lessons that can be applied in other educational institutions, as well as for students of strategy and general readers interested in emerging trends in business education. The result is a fascinating peek behind the scenes at the most innovative MBA programs, as well as a rich canvas for observing the principles of strategic management in action.

Richard Holt draws on his extensive experience in discourse analysis and Web design to present a picture of the Internet as a potentially powerful tool of civic discourse in the third millennium. Beginning with background on two of the Internet's most prevalent communication forms, email discussion messages and Web pages/sites, the book introduces the concepts of monologism and dialogism. Holt advocates a method of discursive analysis called dual reading, in which Internet utterance is analyzed first monologically and then, dialogically. This method is demonstrated by analyzing email discussions that deal with such varied topics as media, espionage, sexual identity, presidential politics, hate speech, and hate crimes.This volume contains a multidisciplinary approach, involving a wide range of specializations, from computer science to philosophy. It will appeal to students, teachers, practitioners, and lay readers who are interested in Internet communication, politics, and popular culture. In contrast to many of the doom and gloom accounts of the deficiencies of the Internet, it offers a hopeful vision of the Internet as a means of civic discourse.

Few topics have inspired as much international furor and misinformation as the development and distribution of genetically altered foods. For thousands of years, farmers have bred crops for their resistance to disease, productivity, and nutritional value; and over the past century, scientists have used increasingly more sophisticated methods for modifying them at the genetic level. But only since the 1970s have advances in biotechnology (or gene-splicing to be more precise) upped the ante, with the promise of dramatically improved agricultural products—and public resistance far out of synch with the potential risks.In this provocative and meticulously researched book, Henry Miller and Gregory Conko trace the origins of gene-splicing, its applications, and the backlash from consumer groups and government agencies against so-called Frankenfoods—from America to Zimbabwe. They explain how a happy conspiracy of anti-technology activism, bureaucratic over-reach, and business lobbying has resulted in a regulatory framework in which there is an inverse relationship between the degree of product risk and degree of regulatory scrutiny. The net result, they argue, is a combination of public confusion, political manipulation, ill-conceived regulation (from such agencies as the USDA, EPA, and FDA), and ultimately, the obstruction of one of the safest and most promising technologies ever developed—with profoundly negative consequences for the environment and starving people around the world. The authors go on to suggest a way to emerge from this morass, proposing a variety of business and policy reforms that can unlock the potential of this cutting-edge science, while ensuring appropriate safeguards and moving environmentally friendly products into the hands of farmers and consumers. This book is guaranteed to fuel the ongoing debate over the future of biotech and its cultural, economic, and political implications.

The transition from socialist or communist economy to market economy in many countries has been dramatic, unpredictable, and mostly on the surface, observable in new consumption patterns or higher standards of living. But deeper change in the managerial mindset in these new market economies has been much slower and less evident. It is crucial to business success for foreign managers to understand their transition economy counterparts. This book examines the interactions that foreign and transition economy managers have in building business relationships, the influences behind those interactions, how the interactions themselves change over time, and how to manage the process of building relationships more smoothly.

Harrison analyzes how the U.S. research pharmaceutical industry, faced with domestic political opposition to the prices it charged for prescription drugs, chose to pursue its policy goal of greater appropriability of its intellectual property through the institutions of foreign economic policymaking.As Harrison explains, a new body of literature has developed to analyze the emergence of intellectual property as a major international trade issue. For many researchers, the inclusion of trade related intellectual property (TRIPS) into the Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and trade (GATT) negotiations marks an important demonstration of the political influence of U.S. knowledge-intensive industries. However, as he demonstrates, a more thorough specification of the domestic political environment reveals that the research pharmaceutical industry was incapable of achieving its domestic policy objectives at the same time that it is credited with immense international political power.By providing a theory of institutional choice, Harrison reconciles this incongruity. He explains the strategic choices of the research pharmaceutical industry as a function of the transaction costs associated with pursuing its policy objectives within a variety of institutional alternatives. He concludes that he internationalization of intellectual property rights was a result of the changing domestic political environment in which the research pharmaceutical industry found itself the loser in a series of domestic economic policy battles. A thoughtful analysis of particular important to scholars, researchers, and policy makers involved with international trade, intellectual property, the pharmaceutical industry, and public policy.

In today's knowledge-driven economy, the ability to share insight and know-how is essential for driving innovation and growth. In this groundbreaking volume, scholars from around the world demonstrate how communication and information technologies are enabling dynamic project design and management practices that challenge traditional concepts of time, space and behavior. Showcasing experiments in architecture, engineering, and construction design—employing technological infrastructures that link people and their ideas across physical, intellectual, and cultural boundaries—the authors consider such issues as the links between competence and innovation and between individual and collective knowledge. At the heart of their analysis is the realization that technological innovation is chiefly a social activity. The implications are profound for the practical management of complex design projects, experiments in distance learning and virtual teams, and emerging theoretical concepts of collaborative learning and innovation.

Usually associated with large bank failures, the phrase too big to fail, which is a particular form of government bailout, actually applies to a wide range of industries, as this volume makes clear. Examples range from Chrysler to Lockheed Aircraft and from New York City to Penn Central Railroad. Generally speaking, when a corporation, an organization, or an industry sector is considered by the government to be too important to the overall health of the economy, it will not be allowed to fail. Government bailouts are not new, nor are they limited to the United States. This book presents the views of academics, practitioners, and regulators from around the world (e.g., Australia, Hungary, Japan, Europe, and Latin America) on the implications and consequences of government bailouts.

The objective of Off-Balance Sheet Activities is to gain insights into, and propose meaningful solutions to, those issues raised by the current proliferation of off-balance sheet transactions. The book has its origins in a New York University conference that focused on this topic. Jointly undertaken by the Vincent C. Ross Institute of Accounting Research and New York University's Salomon Center for the study of Financial Institutions at the Stern School of Business, the conference brought together academic researchers and practitioners in the field of accounting and finance to address the issues with the broad-mindedness requisite of a group whose approaches to solutions are as different from each other as their respectively theoretical and applied approaches to the disciplines of finance and accounting.The essays are divided into two sections. The first covers issues surrounding OBS activities and banking and begins with a brief introduction that places the essays into context. OBS activities and the underinvestment problem, whether loan sales are really OBS, and money demand and OBS liquidity are examined in detail. Section two, which also begins with a brief introduction, focuses on issues of securitized assets and financing. A report on recognition and measurement issues in accounting for securitized assets is followed by three separate discussion essays. Other subjects covered include contract theoretic analysis of OBS financing, the use of OBS financing to circumvent financial covenant restrictions, and debt contracting and financial contracting. The latter two contributions are also followed by discussion essays. This unique collection of papers will prove to be an interesting and valuable tool for accounting and finance professionals as well as for academics involved in these fields. It will also be an important addition to public, college, and university libraries.

In the era of globalization, the role of multinational corporations (MNCs) is increasing in importance while the influence of nation-states is in a corresponding decline. Jain contends that this trend will benefit the cause of worldwide economic prosperity, which MNCs alone are positioned to deliver. The increasing availability of global capital, coupled with advances in computing and communications technology, has accelerated the process of doing business anywhere and everywhere. At the same time, barriers to foreign entities wishing to conduct business in Russia, China, India, Brazil, and Indonesia are falling away.As the process of globalization marches on, what can be done to ensure that material prosperity is the result? A Global Business Confederation, Jain argues, should be established to design rules that apply worldwide and that encourage MNCs to generate global economic prosperity in a manner responsive to cultural, social, and humanitarian concerns.

Evolving rapidly from a mass-produced product orientation to a flexible, solutions-oriented model, the changing manufacturing sector is poised to lead a global economic recovery. Truly an insider's guide to the future of this critical sector, this book provides policy recommendations based on a wealth of information.Despite the appearance of difficult economic times for U.S. manufacturing, that sector of the American economy is actually the most innovative and competitive in the world. Far from being confined to the tired stereotype of Industrial Age commodities, such as steel and mass-produced consumer products, U.S. manufacturing has long been an engine for growth. In the 1990s, this central role was strengthened as new technology development and application spurred higher levels of growth throughout the economy. In its present configuration, manufacturing includes such high-tech industries as fiberoptics and microchips. Globalization has accelerated the growth of the manufacturing sector by increasing competitive pressures to cut costs and develop new products faster, spreading out the fixed costs of R&D and investment.Truly an insider's guide to the future of this critical sector, this book provides policy recommendations based on a wealth of information. Evolving rapidly from a mass-produced product orientation to a flexible, solutions-oriented model, the changing manufacturing sector is poised to lead a global economic recovery. But it can do so only if the right policies are in place in the United States. To that end, the editors of this volume recommend fiscal and tort reform, higher educational achievement, and continued deregulation. At the international level, further trade liberalization and steps to reduce the trade deficit are recommended to ensure the staying power of U.S. competitiveness, particularly for technology-intensive industries.