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This section presents an introduction to a series of articles which deal with the study of accounting regulation. The various articles include assessments of the role of the state in regulating accounting and investigations into the process of setting accounting standards, as well as papers that develop a theoretical perspective on the need for regulation and others that report on empirical analyses of corporate behavior in the regulated environment.

Business schools have the responsibility to inspire professional culture in future managers. This means that they have to provide them not only with the expertise, knowledge and skills required in their field of specialization, but also with a sense of responsibility toward others and society at large. This need has been increasingly evident during the period of the global financial crisis, and a number of initiatives have been reported by business schools worldwide to address the issue. In this paper we examine the issue of professionalism in business management from two perspectives: business practice, and relation to ancient philosophy. Drawing from the literature, we propose a framework defining professionalism as composed of three patterns: (a) possession of a systematic body of knowledge, (b) commitment to a good broader than self-interest, and (c) an overall ethical character of the activity and ethical conduct. We show how these patterns are reflected to the expectations that corporations have from business practitioners. We further demonstrate that substantial elements of business professionalism are strongly related to core values and principles introduced in the social and political thought of ancient philosophers, and thus suggest that ancient philosophy could be used as a means for inspiring professionalism in business managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report on ongoing work in developing a usability/user-experience maturity model, in particular, the results of a workshop about this subject held at the Usability Professionals Association 2009 national conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore the process of appropriation attempting to broaden the set of topics considered significant on it. We present a model of appropriation derived from two studies conducted in the UK, Japan, South Korea and China. We describe our model based on a characterisation of elements supportive of appropriation in the context of use (discussed in terms of space/place, social practices and activity) and in the ICT itself (described in terms of meaning, relevance and triviality). We emphasise the pre-eminence of context in achieving the appropriation of ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the analysis, design and implementation of security facilities within the edutain@grid infrastructure, to support secure hosting of Real-Time On-line Interactive Applications (ROIA). The edutain@grid project aims to develop a novel, sophisticated and service-oriented Grid infrastructure which provides a generic, scalable, reliable and secure service infrastructure for ROIA. The class of applications that comprise ROIA have requirements that present obvious challenges to security infrastructure design and implementation. In particular, the requirement to maintain real-time interactivity, particularly within the virtual world subclass of ROIA, precludes a heavyweight solution for securing ROIA. The edutain@grid project is extending `business Grid΄ infrastructure that supports Service Level Agreements (SLA) for non-real-time data storage and processing. This infrastructure is based on GRIA and uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Web Services Security to secure web service interactions for the provision of data storage and processing. The edutain@grid project is also developing the Real-Time Framework (RTF), which provides communication and parallelisation functionality and API for application developers to create distributed ROIA that can be deployed to and hosted by instances of edutain@grid. The requirements, analysis, design and implementation of security facilities within RTF and the upper business layers of edutain@grid are presented below. We argue that the security facilities provide a suitable compromise between security and performance that will be attractive to the edutain@grid actors and stake holders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 53 of the book "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club," by Charles Dickens is presented. It relates the end of monkey business of Alfred Jingle, a strolling player and deceiver, and his wily servant Joe Trotter. It narrates their eventual change, with a great business in Gray's Inn Square.

This paper discusses the importance of innovation as a key component of business strategy in tourism, as well as determinants of innovation processes in the small and medium sized hotel industry in alpine tourism destinations of Europe. Initially, the paper delivers a literature overview on innovations as prerequisites for competitive advantages. Furthermore, the authors shed more light on the measurement of innovation in the tourism industry. The empirical study has been carried out in alpine tourism destinations focusing on the assessment of innovation activities in small and medium sized (SMEs) hotels. Diverse functional areas of hotels have been analysed and the results show rather low degrees of innovation in all areas of the hotel value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism product is a composite one with its production, distribution and marketing being configured along a value chain involving many activities which are vertically, horizontally and diagonally related and integrated in varying degrees. Both orthodox and non-orthodox economists agree that innovations will only be undertaken when there is a sufficiently high innovation dividend which pays for the added cost and risk of innovation. Thus profitability appears to be the strongest explanatory variable both behind investment and innovation. Based on the notion that expected profitability from innovation can serve as the primary independent variable determining innovation behaviour across different economic sectors and/or sub branches of tourism, the paper sets out to establish the innovation potential for each of the tourism value creating economic activities from the provision of information to prospective customers (tourists) in the sending region to post-trip (after sale) services. In addition to the usual profit-generating forces of costs and revenues, such dimensions as firm size and economics of scale, proximity to relevant science and technology (know-how for innovation) through human capital and forms of organisation (e.g., network-organisation and/or clusters) will equally be taken into consideration. This analysis will therefore help in pinpointing those areas of the tourism value chain where innovations are most likely to occur. The paper concludes with the presentation of a model aimed at empirically testing innovation behaviour across the tourism value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contributed volume is designed for junior college faculty, senior college faculty, and business trainers who wish to integrate new Internet technology for learning. Chapters are as follows: (1) "Preparing for Internet-Based Learning" (Deanie French); (2) "Learning To Learn in a WWW-Based Environment" (Betty Collis and Enrico Meeuwsen); (3) "Augmenting Traditional Teaching with Internet-Based Options" (Steve Bett, Deanie French, Gerald Farr, and Lori Hooks); (4) "Skills for Developing, Utilizing and Evaluating Internet-Based Learning" (Deanie French); (5) "Internet-Based Learning Tools: Examples of Use from Industry" (Dave Harris); (6) "Internet-Based Learning: What's in It for the Adult Learner?" (Barbara Lyman); (7) "Internet-Based Learning and the Virtual Classroom" (Deanie French, Sandy Ransom, and Steve Bett); (8) "Creating a Complete Learning Environment" (Dave Harris); (9) "Web-Related Assessment and Evaluation" (Charles Hale and Deanie French); and (10) "Perspectives on the Future of Internet-Based Learning" (Charles Johnson). Profiles of contributors, a glossary, index, and index of World Wide Web resources are also provided. (AEF)

A new multidisciplinary discourse approach is introduced to the study of racism. It is shown that elites play a primary role in the reproduction of ethnic dominance and racism in the popular cultures of Western societies. The subtle forms of elite racism demonstrated in politics, business, academia, education, and the media are discussed. Chapter 5 focuses on academic discourse, emphasizing that influential scholars play an increasingly powerful role as academic support for other elites. Chapter 6 discusses educational discourse. Along with the mass media, the system of formal education is among the most important institutions involved in the reproduction of contemporary society. The results of educational practices are embodied in what counts as official knowledge as well as in norms, values, and other social cognitive frameworks. The portrayal of minorities and Third World peoples in elementary, secondary, and higher education textbooks is frequently stereotypical and Eurocentrist, if not blatantly racist. An analysis of Dutch textbooks supports this opinion. Studies have confirmed that, throughout the Western world, instructional materials reproduce the ethnic status quo and actively contribute to legitimizing it. The system contributes to the special difficulties of minority and immigrant children. An appendix lists the Dutch social studies textbooks reviewed. (Contains 319 references.) (SLD)

The relationship between Information Technology and Business is something that has been growing over the years, materialized through investment increasing. IT investments typically have a negative connotation, as such companies have been seeking alternative models like Outsourcing, Managed Services or Cloud Computing. The aim of this paper is to inform a framework that aims to reconcile the benefits of IT Management Benefits who can give a different view of IT investments. On the other hand the advantage of having an Enterprise Architecture is to provide a guideline to the different projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation and competitive pressure force many SME organizations' to radically change business processes. Although this approach can provide significant benefits such as reducing costs or improving efficiency, there are substantial risks associated with it. Using simulation for modelling and analysis of business processes can reduce that risk and increase the chance for success. This paper exploits the potential of simulation to be used for modelling business processes and supports the case for a wider use of simulation techniques by the business community. Following a discussion on business process modelling methods and tools, the usability of simulation modelling for evaluating alternative business process strategies is explored by way of case study in the bus manufacturing domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British periodical press developed slowly and faltered under early official controls, but flourished when political conflict created opportunities for journalists and publishers. Political journalism rose and fell depending upon events, governmental policies, and publishers' courage; nonpolitical informative or ‘practical’ periodicals, on the other hand, gradually became a large and stable component of the press. From negligible beginnings, by 1695 hundreds of periodicals, with tens of thousands of issues and covering a wide range of subjects, had been published in Britain (see figure 25.1). No periodicals – defined loosely as numbered and/or dated series of pamphlets or sheets with uniform title and format – were published before 1620. (A possible exception was the weekly London bill of mortality, compiled by the parish clerks and printed as early as 1603–4, but it may have been published only in times of plague.) Several factors deterred the early appearance of periodicals. Most simply, someone had to conceive of them, and the idea was not obvious. For early publishers, prayer books, sermons, treatises and ballads were known texts for a known market; periodical publications, in contrast, require planning without knowing the text in advance. The concept, therefore, involved a leap of faith, as well as the financial risks of establishing networks of sources and distribution and an ongoing printing operation – an expensive undertaking for an untested market. The major barrier, however, seems to have been the hazardous implications of the subject for which the periodical was ideally suited – the news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that no newspaper or news bulletin would sell without stories and it is the reporter's job to find them. Much news can be anticipated and is the routine of daily life. These diary stories are tracked by the newsdesk and allocated to the reporter. The first thing a reporter needs to consider when finding a story is the market. Most national newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets these days have very clear ideas about exactly who their publication is aimed at. This is a little more difficult on the local scene, where the temptation is to aim at everybody in the geographic area. News is aimed at an audience, an audience that, in most cases, has to be persuaded to buy the product. Diary stories are notified to the newsdesk from a number of external sources and are entered in the diary. Advertisements often carry good stories, particularly for regional papers and radio stations. Public announcements from councils are also a good source of stories as they will often signal plans for major developments or changes.

Nonjournalistic business considerations that enter into management's judgments on critical issues are more diverse and infinitely more powerful. They entail relations with government, advertisers, audiences and elements in the media organization itself. The most often mentioned illustrations of journalistic courage involve the people at the top of organizations that have uncovered news that endangers the health or even the survival of the enterprise. A third of the publishers surveyed by Editor & Publisher report that their paper have had promotional tie-ins or revenue-sharing arrangements with people or institutions they cover in the news.

All over the world, micro-enterprise development initiatives are demonstrating that they are a viable response to poverty. This paper discusses a field study of 40 slum-dwellers, 17 of whom had taken out a loan for a micro-enterprise, conducted in Calcutta in 1995. This study helps demonstrate the crucial elements of the Grameen model of micro-lending. Findings show there is a significant difference in income of borrowers versus non-borrowers, and that micro-enterprises create a culture that has rippling effects on the community. Lessons learned are relevant for social workers promoting micro-enterprises for community economic development in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section concludes that the marginal theory of business conduct of the firm has not been shaken, discredited or disproved by the empirical tests discussed in the paper. Marginalism, as the logical process of finding a maximum, is clearly implied in the so-called economic principle--striving to achieve with given means a maximum of ends. The proposition that the firm will attempt to equate marginal cost and marginal revenue is logically implied in the assumption that the firm will attempt to maximize its profit or minimize its losses.

This document examines the current Canadian tax structure, legislation, sources of tax revenues, exemptions, deductions, and tax treaties with foreign countries. Part I reviews the sources of revenue and explains why the tax system is so complex. Among the reasons given for the complexity are that the system must spread the tax load over as many sources as possible and must serve specific objectives such as using gasoline taxes to maintain roads. Questions of who should pay taxes and who actually does pay taxes are briefly covered. Part I concludes with considerations of what the overall character of the tax system should be and discusses exemptions, business taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes. Part II provides a brief outline of the Canadian tax system at three levels of government as it existed at the end of 1977. The governmental levels are federal, provincial, and municipal. Federal tax is broken down into personal income tax and other taxes including sales, petroleum export, air transport, and excise taxes. Custom duties are also considered to be federal taxes. At the provincial level taxes are collected on items such as income, retail sales, gifts, gasoline, alcohol, and tobacco. Municipalities levy taxes against property, tenants, and businesses. They also collect special assessments and charges. In a concluding section tax treaties with other countries are discussed using the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention as an example. (BC)

This document describes the operation of public and private sector mechanisms which work to keep the Canadian economy stable. Part I discusses the many sources of instability in the Canadian economy. Instability is measured primarily in fluctuations in aggregate income or gross national product. Two important contributors to economic fluctuations are industrial economics and business inventory management. Another source of instability is the tendency of business capital investment to accelerate to high levels toward the end of the business cycle or to lag well behind demand requirements due to economic uncertainty. The increasing role of government in the economy and inflationary pressures in the industrial world have also increased economic instability. Part II discusses two main classes of economic stabilizers. These include automatic stabilizers that operate in the economy without any policy initiatives on the part of the government, and the three discretionary stabilizers of fiscal policy, monetary policy, and income policy. The pamphlet concludes with an appraisal of current problems in the application and effectiveness of stabilization policy. (RM)

This policy statement focuses on ways of overcoming unemployment and underemployment for groups (young, old, disadvantaged) that typically experience high or prolonged joblessness, and on increasing incentives for productive work. Recommendations resulting from the CED study focus on these areas: new and expanded use on a nationwide basis of private-sector programs that already work effectively and creation of a clearinghouse for disseminating information about successful and innovative programs; stronger organizational mechanisms to mobilize private sector involvement; increased incentives and reduced disincentives for private employment of the hard-to-employ; improved approaches to the problems of particular groups among the hard-to-employ; greater business use of alternatives to outright layoffs in recessions; and improved management and closer integration of government programs that facilitate the employment of the hard-to-employ, particularly the U.S. Employment Service and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). These recommendations are more fully discussed in chapters dealing with the following: dimensions and costs of unemployment, an integrated employment strategy, enlarging the private sector's role, expanding training and job opportunities for the hardest-to-employ, and more effective management of federally assisted employment and training programs. The appendix contains tables of labor force statistics. (TA)

The joint product of 18 contributors, this book evaluates the potential of the private sector for delivering a wide range of human services to alleviate social problems. It also assesses the effect of governmental programs and policies on nongovernmental organizations. Part 1 of the book presents a conceptual framework for making government programs more effective and for increasing private participation in meeting human needs. Part 2 describes innovative activities of businesses, labor unions, and neighborhood groups on behalf of those in need. Part 3 analyzes economic aspects of the private sector's ability to address social problems. Finally, the concluding part contains case studies of private sector initiatives in the areas of youth employment, health, education, foster care, housing, crime prevention, and transportation. (Author/MP)

Chapter 3 of the book "A Saga of Sea Eagles" by John A. Love is presented. It talks about the eagle as the king of birds, its majesty, strength and hunting prowess, its symbol of might and power and featuring on the national flags in the world. It talks about the eagle in the legions of Rome, the emblem of eagle taken from St John the Evangelist, Geraldus Cambrensis writing about Eagle of Snowdon, the symbols of eagle and serpent and the symbol used for business and products.

[War] … is a true chameleon … because it changes its nature a little in each concrete manifestation. Introduction What is war? Until relatively recently, the answer was coined almost invariably in Clausewitzian terms (von Clausewitz 1982): the continuation of politics by other (violent) means. Then, two new notions challenged – apparently with success – the Clausewitzian canon, at least in regard to civil wars. On the one hand, Mary Kaldor (2001) described contemporary civil conflicts as “new wars” that exhibited a distinct set of features – rent-seeking, strong links with criminal networks, violence against civilians, etc. War, thus, is not what it used to be. “Modern conflict … challenges the very distinction between war and peace. It takes place typically not between armies, or even between an army of a state and its armed opposition in some easily defined guerrilla movement. The forces of both government and opposition, from Cambodia to Colombia, blend into illicit business and organized crime” (Cairns, quoted in Azam 2002, 131). On the other hand, rational-choice theorists came to the conclusion that, as Keen (2000) has aptly put it, “war is the continuation of economy by other means.” Individuals join insurgent groups as maximizers of expected utility, and those (the groups) offer selective incentives to lure the military “work force” into them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter VI of the book "It Happened in Egypt" is presented. It explores the author's meeting with Sir Marcus Lark at the Semiramis Hotel. It says that Sir Marcus is a big man, about six foot and two inches tall with a big and mellow voice. It also says that he came to Egypt to meet Captain Fenton to finish their business.

Chapter 9 of the book "Cultures Merging: A Historical and Economic Critique of Culture," by Eric L. Jones is presented. It explores the different classes of society who are trade unionist at hearts and discusses how the series of occurring distortions, where groups of producers block trade and competition, affect them. It cites the move of cultural producers in the U.S. to provide the public protection against those who attempt to sway them. Also noted is the entertainment industry in the U.S.

This chapter considers the setting of the appropriate level of insurance in a broader context of business decisions, concerning also risk transfer through reinsurance, and the rate of return on capital required to ensure solvability. An approach based on the distribution of the single year loss and the basic problem of joint decisions on premiums and capital needed to ensure safety in terms of shareholder's choice of the level of expected rate of return and risk, are presented. This chapter also presents in more details the problem of decomposition of the whole-portfolio premium into individual risk premiums. The problem extended by allowing for reinsurance, where competitiveness is a result of simultaneous choice of the amount of capital and retention level is also discussed.

It is a sign of the complete transformation of British politics that we can claim to be the party of the economy and the Conservatives are the threat to it. Business has a responsibility to make profits, using the money invested by shareholders and making it grow. Profitable businesses create sustainable employment and the pursuit of profitability stimulates innovation and productivity. The challenge of globalisation needs a strong and vibrant trade union movement standing up for its members in a coherent and intelligent way. The partnership between us is essential and I intend to ensure that it remains positive and firm. Labour believes in strong trade unions that are representative of the diverse workforce and which play a positive role in securing the success of their workplaces. Labour wants to work in partnership with the trade union movement to help such unions grow. The making of the British Business Model Tony Blair – in his third successive elected term as prime minister – has made it clear that he would like to carry through an irreversible transformation of the British economy so that it can become one of the world's leading centres for successful private enterprise, wealth creation and investment in research and development and technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an examination of best-practice organizations, five stages common to successful KM implementation are identified. Together, they form the APQC Road Map to Knowledge Management Results. A quiz is provided to help an organization assess its current stage of KM development. Each stage is described and illustrated with examples from best-practice organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there is a growing recognition by researchers and practitioners about the importance of managing knowledge as a critical source for competitive advantage. Various assertions about competitiveness through knowledge management (KM) are consistent with results of empirical studies and lessons learned on the knowledge highways and byways. In spite of these macro-level contentions and success stories, there has been little investigation of a systematic means for studying connections between KM activity and competitiveness. This chapter advances a knowledge chain model that identifies and characterizes KM activities an organization can focus on to achieve competitiveness. The model is analogous to Porter's value chain and is grounded in a descriptive KM framework developed via a Delphi-study involving international KM experts. It is comprised of five primary activities that an organization's knowledge processors perform in manipulating knowledge resources, plus four secondary activities that support and guide their performance. Each activity is discussed in detail, including examples. Evidence is provided from the literature illustrating each activity's role in adding value to an organization to increase its competitiveness through improved productivity, agility, reputation, and innovation. In conclusion, we present some observations about avenues for future research to extend, test, and apply the model in business practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An expanded paradigm is needed to explain how competitive advantage is gained and held. Firms resorting to 'resource-based strategy' attempt to accumulate valuable technology assets and employ an aggressive intellectual property stance. However, winners in the global marketplace have been firms demonstrating timely responsiveness and rapid and flexible product innovation, along with the management capability to effectively coordinate and redeploy internal and external competences. This source of competitive advantage, 'dynamic capabilities', emphasizes two aspects. First, it refers to the shifting character of the environment; second, it emphasizes the key role of strategic management in appropriately adapting, integrating, and re-configuring internal and external organizational skills, resources, and functional competences toward a changing environment. Only recently have researchers begun to focus on the specifics of developing firm-specific capabilities and the manner in which competences are renewed to respond to shifts in the business environment. The dynamic capabilities approach provides a coherent framework to integrate existing conceptual and empirical knowledge, and facilitate prescription. This chapter argues that the competitive advantage of firms stems from dynamic capabilities rooted in high performance routines operating inside the firm, embedded in the firm's processes, and conditioned by its history. It offers dynamic capabilities as an emerging paradigm of the modem business firm that draws on multiple disciplines and advances, with the help of industry studies in the USA and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theses supported in this essay are that the world is to some extent constructed by each of us, that it can and ought to be constructed in a more benign way, that such construction will require more trust than most people are currently willing to grant, and that most of us will be better off if most of us can manage to be more trusting in spite of our doubts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on issues related to the sustainability challenge in the business sector. Sustainable business practices are gradually becoming more and more widespread. It is a trend that reflects changing social attitudes towards the responsibilities held by firms towards the societies in which they operate. Firms are expected to account explicitly for all aspects of their performance, not just their financial results, but also their social and ecological performance. Openness and transparency are the new keywords. This type of pressure is forcing an increasing number of firms to adopt sustainable business practices, which means establishing a systematic link between their financial profitability and their ecological and social performance.

This chapter examines the characteristics of those who formally involve themselves in the standard setting process of the Accounting Standards Board in Great Britain by making submissions regarding its proposals for accounting standards. The chapter contributes to a view of the public consultation that shapes accounting standards.

This chapter examines the development of standard on related party transactions in Great Britain. Related party transactions occur as part of the normal activities a company conducts and refers to those transactions that occur between entitles where a relationship of control or significant influence exists.

This chapter provides an analysis of the context within which accounting standard setters appear to operate. For this purpose, regulatory agency theory and practice has been utilized. The justifications for classifying accounting standard setting bodies as regulatory agencies are twofold and based on both structure and function.

This chapter examines an approach to international accounting regulation. It provided an attempt to evaluate the performance of different possible rules when the imperfect nature of the information possessed by the reporting firm prevents the possibility of having perfect information transmission in equilibrium.

Chapter 6 of the book "Selling and Negotiating Techniques" is presented. It explores various procedures that give an art of detailed negotiation of making up the final terms and conditions. It is stated that hard work and effort are essential factors to satisfy the needs of both parties. A negotiation must be treated with a complete process to make the deal a reality one.

In this article, the author aims to tell the inside story of business ethics in Europe in the last two decades of the century. In the process, the authors came across four questions: 1) Which target group or groups does business ethics in Europe envisage? 2) What exactly is the reception of the ethicists' endeavors among their academic peers, and what is it in the business world? 3) To what extent does the social and economic environment in Europe shape business ethics? and 4) Is it appropriate to present business ethics, first and foremost, as an academic discipline? The discussion of these questions lead to the tricky issues of 'Europe' as a shared experience and 'business ethics' as a social institution. The authors conclude that there is something like European business ethics in the traditional sense, but there is more. To elaborate business ethics at a specific level, we need conceptual instruments that, as yet, are only partly available. To determine which issues are in need of, and accessible to, moral coordination requires still a great deal of effort and cooperative exchange. To grasp the specificities of coordination issues and tradeoffs, attention should be given to what distinguishes the bearers of the European experience, and what unites them.

Chapter 6 of the book "Everyday Life: Inventions, 1999" is presented. It explores the inventions that contributed to business and industry. One of the earliest inventions that benefited business and industry was the elevator. It was developed in 1857 by Elisha Otis of Yonkers, New York. The escalator was another device that helped people move about buildings. It was invented by Jesse Reno in 1891. It details how the computer revolutionized business and industry.

Chapter 85 of book 8 of the book "Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life," by George Eliot is presented. It deals with the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism and self- interest, religion and hypocrisy, political reform, and education. It narrates the departure of banker Nicholas Bulstrode from Middlemarch because of business scandal.