Three decades ago competitiveness was unheard-of; today it has taken the world by storm. But what is it? And will it last? In Top Class Competitors Stéphane Garelli – professor at IMD business school where he is also head of the World Competitiveness Centre, professor at the University of Lausanne, and former managing director of the World Economic Forum – defines competitiveness as the ability of a nation, company or individual to manage a set of disparate competencies to achieve prosperity. For instance, along with traditional policies a nation must tackle education and security to sustain economic development. Companies must manage soft issues such as brands to beat the competition. And individuals must reinvent themselves to survive. These fields of research did not exist until recently – now, competitiveness makes the link. Top Class Competitors is a journey through the brave new world of competitiveness. What are its historical origins? How does it impact the management of a nation? How do companies thrive on it in an international environment? What is the impact on work structures and value systems? Above all, is there a competitiveness mindset? Exploring how competitiveness works, Stéphane Garelli shows why competitiveness is the most powerful tool available to unleash new levels of prosperity for nations, profit for companies and success for people.
The single biggest preoccupation of senior management of any listed company is its institutional investors. CEOs and CFOs on average spend around 40% of their time dealing with this group, and the implicit goal of most management teams is to maximise share price. Yet the true influences behind movements in share price are poorly understood, and thus many companies do not do a good job of managing their investors. Achieving Fair Value provides the appropriate strategy tools and techniques for management to ensure that their business is valued in a way that accurately reflects its fundamental, sustainable worth for the long term. It is a timely and practical contribution to a topic that should be high on the agenda of any senior management team.
Offering a deep insight into the venture capital deal-making process, Raising Venture Capital also provides valuable introduction to the subject. The book is practical in focus but based on sound academic theory, research and teaching materials gathered over the last 4 years at Tanaka Business School. Part one covers the history of the venture capital industry, shows why entrepreneurs need venture capital finance, and looks at how venture capitals raise and structure their funds. It also covers valuation methods for venture capital investments, and portfolio management. Part two illustrates how successful entrepreneurs raise finance from venture capitals, and gives details on how to approach venture capitals, how to choose the right venture capital firm, and how venture capitals and entrepreneurs work together after the deal is done. Part three gives a blow-by-blow account of the structure of a venture capital deal.
Global Corporate Finance, sixth edition provides students with the practical skills needed to understand global financial problems and techniques. Retains the user-friendly format of previous editions while offering expanded material on corporate finance and governance, international markets, global financial dynamics and strategies, and risk management techniques Each chapter begins with a real-world case study to be explained by theories and research findings presented throughout the chapter End-of-chapter mini-cases further reinforce students’ understanding of the material covered This edition is supported by a comprehensive Study Guide and an Instructor's Manual, available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/kim.
Why the luxury market's fate rests in Chinese wallets The media has negatively focused on the Chinese political administration clamping down on gifting. Observers have come to doubt the strength of Chinese consumption as the key driver for luxury. The Bling Dynasty illustrates how doubts about Chinese consumption are ill-founded and Chinese luxury demand is on the cusp of becoming dominant. This book contains the research and expert views companies need to understand and address the new challenges posed by this dominance. Each chapter brings a different perspective, covering complex aspects of luxury consumption, with illustrations and real-world examples that support the research. Readers will gain insights through interviews with brand executives, retailers, experts, and consumers. As an economic heavyweight, China is fast realizing its role in the luxury market. Chinese consumers should be accounting for more than a third of the global luxury market today, and half, if not more, in ten year's time. The Bling Dynasty runs counter to the conventional wisdom that expanding sectors become more global. Luxury is actually becoming over-dependent on Chinese sales. Readers will: Understand how Western brands developed in Asia and the challenges they are met with, notably ubiquity Learn why Chinese are purchasing luxury items abroad and what it means for the future of the sector Gain insights on why there are no Chinese luxury brands challenging Western models Realize that Chinese consumers are becoming similar to their American peers and that luxury competition goes way beyond pre-conceptions China's big spenders are increasingly mobile and this is affecting key markets. The Bling Dynasty provides new research and a comprehensive look at the booming business of luxury and the Chinese wallet.
Commodity Option Pricing: A Practitioner’s Guide covers commodity option pricing for quantitative analysts, traders or structurers in banks, hedge funds and commodity trading companies. Based on the author’s industry experience with commodity derivatives, this book provides a thorough and mathematical introduction to the various market conventions and models used in commodity option pricing. It introduces the various derivative products typically traded for commodities and describes how these models can be calibrated and used for pricing and risk management. The book has been developed with input from traders and examples using real world data, together with relevant up to date academic research. The book includes practical descriptions of market conventions and quote codes used in commodity markets alongside typical products seen in broker quotes and used in calibration. Also discussed are commodity models and their mathematical derivation and volatility surface modelling for traded commodity derivatives. Gold, silver and other precious metals are addressed, including gold forward and gold lease rates, as well as copper, aluminium and other base metals, crude oil and natural gas, refined energy and electricity. There are also sections on the products encountered in commodities such as crack spread and spark spread options and alternative commodities such as carbon emissions, weather derivatives, bandwidth and telecommunications trading, plastics and freight. Commodity Option Pricing is ideal for anyone working in commodities or aiming to make the transition into the area, as well as academics needing to familiarize themselves with the industry conventions of the commodity markets.
IT Compliance and Controls offers a structured architectural approach, a 'blueprint in effect,' for new and seasoned executives and business professionals alike to understand the world of compliance?from the perspective of what the problems are, where they come from, and how to position your company to deal with them today and into the future.
This is the second volume of six in Michael Allen’s e-Learning Library—a comprehensive collection of proven techniques for creating e-learning applications that achieve targeted behavioral outcomes through meaningful, memorable, and motivational learning experiences. This book examines common instructional design practices with a critical eye and recommends substituting success rather than tradition as a guide. Drawing from theory, research, and experience in learning and behavioral change, the author provides a framework for addressing a broader range of learner needs and achieving superior performance outcomes.
Evaluating Human Resources Programs is a groundbreaking book that offers readers a systematic method for enhancing the value and impact of HR and supporting its emerging role as a strategic organizational leader. It provides a practical framework for adjusting and realigning strategies across all types of HR programs. The authors outline a proven six-phase process that will maximize the likelihood of a successful HR program evaluation, including real-world techniques, strategies, and examples to illustrate their recommended steps and actions.
From William Horton – a world renowned expert with more than thirty-five years of hands-on experience creating networked-based educational systems – comes the next-step resource for e-learning training professionals. Like his best-selling book Designing Web-Based Training, this book is a comprehensive resource that provides practical guidance for making the thousand and one decisions needed to design effective e-learning. e-Learning by Design includes a systematic, flexible, and rapid design process covering every phase of designing e-learning. Free of academic jargon and confusing theory, this down-to-earth, hands-on book is filled with hundreds of real-world examples and case studies from dozens of fields. "Like the book's predecessor (Designing Web-based Training), it deserves four stars and is a must read for anyone not selling an expensive solution. – From Training Media Review, by Jon Aleckson, www.tmreview.com, 2007