This book, first published in 1941, is a comprehensive study on the native banks that linked small Chinese traders and the larger Chinese and foreign banks. It is based on extensive research in Tientsin and Peking, and a large number of interviews with native bankers, and the result is an exhaustive study on the practice.

To commemorate the millennium, the Journal of Accounting and Economics invited nine author-teams to write critical review papers on the major research areas in accounting. In addition, discussants were asked to write reviews of the critiques. The critiques and their reviews were presented at a conference sponsored by the Brattle Group and Irwin/McGraw-Hill in Rochester, NY in April 2000. The authors and discussants then had about ten months to revise their manuscripts before publication in volumes 31-32 of the Journal of Accounting and Economics.

The critiques and their reviews comprise a remarkable collection of papers. Not only were the leading researchers in the field contributors, but the scope and depth of their analyses is in general unparalleled. This volume provides the reader not just an up-to-date synopsis of the various accounting sub-fields, but also an in-depth analysis of the current controversies. Often critique authors and their discussants express widely divergent opinions. Such disagreement offers an encouraging signal that there remain many interesting, open research questions and that our prominent scholars find these issues exciting. It is hoped that this volume will contribute to further progress in accounting research.

Accessibly covers public financial management and accounting for non-specialists Covers latest developments in post-crisis public sector management Addition of material on developing countries and more global content Includes discussion questions and a wealth of case studies for seminar use Practice-focused and ideal for public sector managers in higher and further education

The current degradation of sovereign balance sheets raises very real concerns about how sovereign creditworthiness is measured by credit rating agencies. Given the disastrous economic and social effects of any downgrade, the book offers an alternative and calls for more transparency about the quantitative measures used in calibrating the rating process and how sovereign ratings are validated. It argues that oversight is required and procedures improved, including subjecting methodologies of assessing default to more standardization and monitoring. Sovereign Credit Rating explains the process of sovereign creditworthiness assessment and explores the consequences of possible inaccuracies in the process. Developing an innovative new methodology to assess ratings accuracy, it shows that the announcement of each rating action by the major credit rating agencies show alarming inconsistencies. Written by an internationally recognized author and professor, this unique book will be of interest to researchers and advanced students in corporate governance, accounting, public finance and regulation.

European venture capital (VC) funds have historically underperformed their US counterparts. This has resulted in reduced investment into European VC by the traditional institutional investors. This book investigates the factors that give rise to the performance difference. It is based on the author's research at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow which involved a qualitative study of some 64 VC firms in the UK, continental Europe and the US, supplemented by 40 interviews with other stakeholders, including limited partner investors, corporate venturers, entrepreneurs and advisors. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of the various structural, operational and wider environmental factors that impact on the performance difference between UK/European and US VC funds. The study is unique in that it provides, for the first time, a holistic and extensive analysis of the entire investment process from sourcing deals to exiting deals specifically contrasting Europe and the US in terms of the variables pertaining to the investment process and the impact on the fund performance. Factors impacting on the performance differential are structural, resulting from characteristics of the funds themselves, operational such as the investment practices of the VC firms which manage the funds and environmental such as culture and attitude to risk and the wider ecosystem in which the funds operate. These factors are set out clearly for the reader. The characteristics of the better performing funds in Europe and the US are also investigated. The book is aimed at academics who are researching venture capital fund performance and investment practices and also at practitioners, advisors and policymakers who want to learn about best VC investment practices. Whilst the book is focused on European and US VC investing, the best practices are also pertinent for VC firms and funds setting up in other geographies, particularly in emerging markets. To this end, best practice guidelines based on the research are included.

This book describes the functions frequently used in deep neural networks. For this purpose, 37 activation functions are explained both mathematically and visually, and given with their LaTeX implementations due to their common use in scientific articles.

The security criteria of the International Standards Organization (ISO) provides an excellent foundation for identifying and addressing business risks through a disciplined security management process. Using security standards ISO 17799 and ISO 27001 as a basis, How to Achieve 27001 Certification: An Example of Applied Compliance Management helps an organization align its security and organizational goals so it can generate effective security, compliance, and management programs. The authors offer insight from their own experiences, providing questions and answers to determine an organization's information security strengths and weaknesses with respect to the standard. They also present step-by-step information to help an organization plan an implementation, as well as prepare for certification and audit. Security is no longer a luxury for an organization, it is a legislative mandate. A formal methodology that helps an organization define and execute an ISMS is essential in order to perform and prove due diligence in upholding stakeholder interests and legislative compliance. Providing a good starting point for novices, as well as finely tuned nuances for seasoned security professionals, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved with meeting an organization's security, certification, and compliance needs.

This title was first published in 2001: Product and particularly customer profitability are black holes in most managers' understanding of their business. Identifying customer revenue is easy but identifying what they cost - so we can understand whether or not they are profitable - is difficult. In a world in which competition, regulation and the increasing use of the Internet put ever greater pressure on margins it is vitally important to understand both product- and customer-profitability. Activity Based Management (ABM) enables you to do this. This book explains the power of using ABM to increase the profitability of your business. It provides step-by-step guidance on basic principles, comparisons between traditional methods, definitions of processes, activities and cost-drivers as well as details of data collection techniques and implementation steps. Through the book's numerous detailed examples a logical picture builds up of how to obtain the benefits that ABM can deliver. On its own ABM will change management decision-making: by showing how ABM also supports other profit improvement initiatives such as Business Process Reengineering, Shareholder Value Added and Customer Relationship Management, managers will learn how they can use the best possible toolkit to put their business firmly on the road to leaps in profitability.

This book introduces corporate financial management, based on the basic capital budgeting framework and the time value of money. It focuses on theoretical formulations and correct application of financial techniques that will help improve managerial and financial decisions. Based on fundamental principles of accounting and finance like time value of money and after-tax cash flows, it introduces readers to real-world constraints and complexities in the two fields.Written in a simple and accessible manner, this book can be read by students of finance and accounting courses, business professionals and general public alike.

This expert guide walks you through the practice of cost segregation analysis, which enables property owners to defer taxes and benefit from "accelerated cost recovery" through depreciation deductions on assets that are properly identified and classified. A relatively new practice that evolved from various court decisions and Internal Revenue Service rulings, cost segregation can be applied to new buildings under construction, renovations of existing buildings, leasehold improvements, and purchased real estate - going back as far as 1987.

Cost segregation practice requires knowledge of both tax law and the construction process. In this book, the authors share their expertise in these areas with tax and accounting professionals, cost segregation consultants, facility owners, architects and general contractors - providing guidance on major aspects of a professional, defensible cost segregation study, including: The legal framework for cost segregation, as defined by the IRS, tax courts, and federal agenciesReview of key IRS cases, court rulings, and revenue proceduresClassification and depreciation methodsUnderstanding construction plans and specificationsProfessional takeoff and cost estimating proceduresOptimizing cost segregation in new construction - from design choices to proper project documentation

With a glossary of terms, sample cost segregation estimates for various building types, key information resources, and updates via a dedicated website, "The Practice of Cost Segregation Analysis" is a must-have resource.

Better analysis for more accurate international financial valuation International Financial Statement Analysis, 4th Edition provides the most up-to-date detail for the successful assessment of company performance and financial position regardless of country of origin. The seasoned experts at the CFA Institute offer readers a rich, clear reference, covering all aspects from financial reporting mechanics and standards to understanding income and balance sheets. Comprehensive guidance toward effective analysis techniques helps readers make real-world use of the knowledge presented, with this new third edition containing the most current standards and methods for the post-crisis world. Coverage includes the complete statement analysis process, plus information on income tax accounting, employee compensation, and the impact of foreign exchange rates on the statements of multinational corporations.

The book introduces pragmatic constructivism as a paradigm for understanding actors' construction of functioning practice and for developing methods and concepts for managing and observing that practice. The book explores, understands and theorises organisational practices as constructed through the activities of all organisational actors. Actors always act under presumptions of a specific actor-world-relation which they continuously construct, adjust and reconstruct in light of new experiences, contexts and communication. The outcome of the actor-world-relation is a reality construction. The reality construction may function successfully or it may be hampered by fictitious and illusionary elements, due to missing or faulty actor-world relations. The thesis is that four dimensions of reality - facts, possibilities, values and communication - must be integrated in the actor-world-relation if the construct is to form a successful basis for effective, functioning actions. Drawing on pragmatic constructivism, the book provides concepts and ideas for studies regarding actors and their use of management accounting models in their construction of organized reality. It concentrates on researching and conceptualizing what creates functioning reality construction. It develops concept and methods for understanding, analysing and managing the actors' reality constructions. It is intended for people who do research on or work actively with developing management accounting.

Since 2008, the world has experienced an enormous decrease of wealth. By many measures the impact of the crisis was severe. The fall in GDP, the collapse of world trade, the rise in unemployment, and the credit slump reached bigger proportions than in any other crisis since World War II. Although the economic figures seem to improve in some countries, the crisis continues being a challenging issue and is said to be one of the most important problems governments face today. The crisis has put public finances under ever increasing pressure, and governments have responded through austerity measures such as new fiscal rules and budgeting procedures and cutbacks of public spending. Public Management in Times of Austerity seeks to explore the austerity policies adopted by European governments and their consequences to public management. It asks how governments have implemented new rules leading to more stringency in public budgeting and financial management, and how they have cut back public expenditure. These questions are examined comparatively through case studies in different parts of Europe, and variations across countries are discussed and explained. Throughout the volume, the consequences of the crisis and austerity policies for public management are discussed. What is the relationship between crisis and decision-making in the public sector, and how does austerity affect public-sector organisation? As the previous crisis in the 1970s resulted in a major reform movement, which was later referred to as New Public Management, Public Management in Times of Austerity look to understand whether the current crisis also leads to a wave of public management reform, and if so what is the content of this?

Managerial cost accounting is the financial and managerial tool that is used to estimate the organizational cost of products and services in business and government. In recent decades, cost accounting in the United States and other advanced industrial countries has been dominated by discussions of Activity Based Costing or ABC. While ABC can be shown to produce a more accurate estimate of cost than older and more basic types of cost accounting, ABC is not used extensively in many governments. We argue that this recent focus on ABC has stifled examination and discussion of how government cost accounting is being used and how it could be used in practice. The study of cost accounting practice reveals an important and underexplored area of financial management in government. Given the scandals that cost accounting estimates can create and that different types of cost accounting can create different estimates of cost it may be reasonable to ask whether the cost accounting exercise is worth it? Cost Accounting in Government: Theory and Applications addresses these unusual and unusually important topics through a series of studies of different government cost accounting practices. The first section of the book presents two chapters on the history and basic elements of cost accounting. The second section of the book provides further discussion and case studies of actual cost accounting practices in the main areas that cost accounting has been used in government: benchmarking the performance of government services, rate setting, grant overhead cost recovery, and cost management. The last two chapters discuss cost accounting practices in Europe and the future of cost accounting. These cases span local and federal governments and provide a much needed context to the study of cost accounting in government. Aimed at academics, researchers and policy makers in the fields of Accounting, Public Administration, and Government Studies, Cost Accounting in Government: Theory and Applications seeks to address the practical and theoretical gap in government cost accounting research with case studies of different public agencies that are using cost accounting for different purposes. The case studies illustrate that different purposes for cost accounting create unique and interesting cost accounting practices. The case studies provide useful examples of actual cost accounting systems that can inform both research and instruction

"This is an impressive step in the development of company reporting. The proposed reporting system, based on business definition, business position, business reputation, and advanced cash flow, is actually a revelation. It shows a new way to expand today's business reporting systems, matching development trends in society. I see it as a welcome and even necessary step to bring company reporting in line with today's requirements."
--Pierre Berhin, international fund manager

"I just read Chapter Four . . . extremely interesting and very much in tune with the needs of companies today. Especially the parts about baseline reporting, business definition, and client relationships. It is amazing how many important international companies that I have done consulting for have such internal disasters going on and apply very little of the concepts that you speak of. I believe your book will be received very well and hopefully be placed on required reading lists for business students around the world."
--Christian G. Foucher, international business consultant performance management specialist

"A true enterprise risk management process. Not only should this book have an impact on how society and commerce look upon how we create, preserve, lose, or destroy value and how we account for our business activities, but also on the way we perceive and react to risks and opportunities. Through their teachings and business practices, the authors have significantly changed my own perception of the vast variety of factors and circumstances (risks) that may threaten the health and well-being of organizations."
--Per E. Aakenes, Chairman The Swedish Risk Management Association

"Accountingspecialists know that traditional accounting concepts are no longer adequate to describe today's companies, but for the most part they, and corporate managements themselves, have nothing to replace the current system. Now, along come Hans V. A. Johnsson and Per Erik Kihlstedt with Performance-Based Reporting, a clear and convincing description of why the old system can't work and what system can."
--Peter J. Wallison, Resident Fellow American Enterprise Institute

The successfully proven alternative system for relevant business reporting through performance management

Performance-Based Reporting shows businesses how traditional accounting fails to provide meaningful measures for performance and presents radically innovative and thoroughly tested methods for performance-oriented management, assessment, and reporting. Twenty-five years in the making, this helpful book also presents The Baseline Approach to management, assessment, and reporting--composed of eighty-percent accounting-free methods.

Performance-Based Reporting presents the culmination of intense experiments involving more than 1,500 businesses and over 4,000 executives. It definitively proves the need for new tools for realistic business planning and management in an unpredictable world. These tools already exist, and this helpful guide walks readers through the process of implementing them to help firms improve their ability to predict the direction they should take in the future.

For courses in introductory financial accounting. A student-centered approach to financial accounting Accounting is the language of business, and understanding the role accounting plays in business is critical to a student’s success in earning a business degree. Financial Accounting puts the focus on the purpose of Accounting in business. With student-friendly examples and streamlined chapters, the 12th Edition delivers a student-centric approach to learning financial accounting. Time-tested resources like the Turnkey Case Resources, help students grasp the practical concepts of accounting, so that they can put them into practice in their future business careers.  Also available with MyLab Accounting By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student.  Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab Accounting does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab Accounting, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.  If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab Accounting, search for: 0134833139 / 9780134833132 Financial Accounting Plus MyLab Accounting with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package, 12/e   Package consists of: 0134725980 / 9780134725987 Financial Accounting 0134727673 / 9780134727677 MyLab Accounting with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Financial Accounting 

Familiarise yourself with essential accounting and finance principles for business decision-making. Connect your learning with relevant examples from real world businesses. Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists 12th Edition by Peter Atrill and Eddie McLaney is a highly accessible introduction to the subject. It equips you with a solid foundation in the principles and practice of accounting and finance, thereby laying the groundwork necessary to make successful business decisions in your future career. Covering financial accounting, management accounting and financial management in a single text, you will discover what the major financial statements contain and why they are useful. You will also gain an appreciation of the key roles that accounting and finance play in business decision-making. This easy-to-follow textbook examines widely-used accounting techniques, considers important international financial standards and contains a range of relevant, real-world examples, many of which are new to this edition. Activities and exercises frequently appear throughout the book and provide opportunities to engage with the issues raised. Pair this text with MyLab (R)Accounting MyLab is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab Accounting personalises the learning experience and improves results for each student. MyLab (R)Accounting is not included with this title. If you would like to purchase both the physical textbook and MyLab Accounting (which also comes with the eBook), search for: 9781292334745 Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists 12th Edition 'MyLab via Bundle' which consists of: Print textbook eBook MyLab (R)Accounting Students, MyLab should only be purchased when required by an instructor. If MyLab is a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please check with your instructor for the correct ISBN. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

Organizations are networks of conversations. In this groundbreaking book for executives, managers, coaches and educators, follow a new manager in a large organization, as she transforms her conversational capabilities with the help of an executive coach into an effective, visionary leader. Conversational capability is one of, if not the most important capabilities an individual or organization can possess. It is also the most challenging to measure and improve. From spouses and children in morning routines to bosses, employees and coworkers at the workplace to clients, customers, suppliers, and so on, conversations either rule our days completely or simply serve as clear boundaries to their success or failure. Conversational competency is at the heart of leadership, coaching, mentoring and creating sustainable value. Conversation Innovation is a compelling and engaging text at the forefront of this critically important subject matter. It is suited for corporate, academic and executive coaching audiences.

Originally published in 1995, The Business of Higher Education focuses on innovation in student financial services. It looks at the area of banking function as a tool for colleges and universities, and how this can be used to meet the market demand for new services. It also addresses how this can be used to balance the financial aid budget. The book documents just how much each colleges and universities have changed over the last decade and how each has changed given that market forces increasingly shape institutional aspirations.

Financial globalization paired with the relaxation of constraints on capital flows between countries before the 2008 crisis, increased merger activities among the World's largest stock exchanges. The financial crisis of 2008 had a severe impact on the development of equity markets, corporate financial stability, and corporate governance, and a multi-step approach is needed to fully appreciate the causes and effects of this event. This book engages the separate strands of literature to advance a more holistic understanding of whether and how the national institutional environments in selected countries around the world has been changed after the crisis. Institutions and Accounting Practices after the Financial Crisis: International Perspective sets out a framework for the analysis of institutional environments and accounting practices in in selected countries around the world during the pre-crisis period, followed by an examination of the impact of the crisis. It scrutinizes the changing roles of debt and equity markets; the shift in accounting practices and capital financing choices due to the economic downturn; and the lessons that can be obtained from the financial crisis, while considering the institutional architecture of international business environments. This ongoing process of integration and globalization increases interdependence between world markets, and allows shocks to propagate across national and continental lines, making the understanding of international markets vitally important to American investors. Aimed at primarily researchers, academics and students in the fields of international accounting, management and finance, Institutions and Accounting Practices after the Financial Crisis: International Perspective will additionally be of value to practitioners and policy makers, supplying them with information regarding the changes in accounting practices and risk evaluation due to the crisis.

How can not-for-profit organizations be sure they play by the rules when the rules aren't clear?
Due to recent, very public accounting scandals and the resulting Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulations, public companies have strict guidance on financial governance and accounting, including the functions and responsibilities of audit committee members. Though not-for-profit organizations are subject to increased scrutiny, there has been no detailed guidance for their audit committees. This book fills the void and helps not-for-profit organizations answer these questions:
* In today's skeptical environment, how can responsible financial governance and reporting reassure wary donors and supporters, and perhaps give the organization a competitive advantage?
* How should the audit committee be structured?
* Which Sarbanes-Oxley requirements (if any) should the audit committee adopt?
* Which best practices best fit the organization's structure and financial reporting needs?

Complete with checklists, sample questions, and an index for quick reference, Not-for-Profit Audit Committee Best Practices covers:
* Different types and unique characteristics of not-for-profit organizations
* The audit committee's role in preventing and detecting fraud
* Important internal controls and the internal audit function
* The relationship of the audit committee and the independent auditor

This heads-up, hands-on guide helps audit committee members select and structure appropriate best practices and function in the most effective manner for their unique not-for-profit organizations. It's also a valuable reference for board members, managers, independent auditors, and advisors of not-for-profit organizations.

This monograph is an innovative endeavour in many ways. First, it brings to the fore the synergy between human evolution and economic and social progress. Second, it acknowledges the critical contributions from the routine adherence to contextual truth and contextual non-violence of humanity at large. Finally, it argues that the world is sliding towards evolutionary failure by not moving further forward in the adherence to the two core human values. For all those interested in development in a holistic sense, the book will inspire thinking and debate. Human evolution will go on - one way or the other - with or without adherence to truth and non-violence. The book stresses the time is now, to go for the best and eschew the worst.

This book is an oral history of the auditing profession in Britain from 1920s to the present day based on extended extracts from interviews with 77 past and present practitioners. Those interviewed ranged from a nonagenarian who qualified in the 1920s, to active contemporaries, from sole practitioners to the present day heads of the Big Five accounting firms. The often candid interviews uncover a surprising variety of experience and opinions and allow a group of often fascinating individuals to tell their own stories.

Originally published in 1997. This study investigates what the effects of real exchange rate volatility are on sectorial investment in the fixed and flexible exchange rate systems. It lays out the results of research into the effects of the levels and volatility of real exchange rates on investment in the manufacturing sectors of the countries in the European Monetary System as well as of the countries in the flexible exchange rate system, with data from between 1973 and 1993. Examining the differences between the two systems in the results this book also looks at exchange rate effects on interest rates at the time.