While there may be a consensus in the industry that hedge funds clones will bring better liquidity and lower fees, it is still debatable whether replication products should serve as a complement in the hedge fund allocation decision or as a replacement. This book offers the reader valuable insights into the thinking behind hedge fund replication.

Corporate Management in a Knowledge-Based Economy traces the evolution of corporate governance over time, with a particular focus on the changing nature of power. The control of scarce resources used in production materials, labour and capital has evolved considerably over the past centuries, with government, landowners, non-owner managers, and institutional investors acting as controlling powers at different points in time. In order to appropriately protect the various, and changing, stakeholders, the system of corporate governance has also developed over the years a process that continues to the present. In today's knowledge-based economy, with the rising importance of intangible assets, a new corporate management paradigm is needed. This book incorporates theoretical work as well as practical applications to analyse these developments and explore emerging trends of the 21st century. It examines how the pursuit of profit maximization has resulted in governance failures and it focuses on the prospective role of business ethics (once again in the spotlight following the credit crisis) in helping reform flawed governance structures. It argues that, in the long term, a system based on ethics can maximize social responsibility, customer satisfaction, human capital development and economic targets.

The third book in the Healthcare Payment Systems series, Prospective Payment Systems examines the various types of prospective payment systems (PPS) used by healthcare providers and third-party payers. Emphasizing the basic elements of PPS, it considers the many variations of payment for hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, long-term hospital care, and rehabilitation facilities along with other providers. The book describes the anatomy of PPS, including cost reports, adjudication features and processes, relative weights, and payment processes. It outlines the features and documentation requirements for Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs), the Medicare Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs), Medicare HHPPS, Medicare Skilled Nursing Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs), and private third-party payers. Provides a framework for understanding and analyzing the characteristics of any PPS Discusses Medicare prospective payment systems and approaches Includes specific references to helpful resources, both online and in print Facilitates a clear understanding of the complexities related to PPS-covering specific topics at a high level and revisiting similar topics to reinforce understanding Complete with a detailed listing of the acronyms most- commonly used in healthcare coding, billing, and reimbursement, the book includes a series of case studies that illustrate key concepts. It concludes with a discussion of the challenges with PPS-including compliance and overpayment issues-to provide you with the real-world understanding needed to make sense of any PPS.

Business is the language of numbers--but not everyone in businesses understands how to read the myriad of financial statements that are necessary. Author Norb Schwarz provides readers with accessible information to understanding financial statements such as annual reports; cash flow statements; income statements; balance sheets and so much more. Filled with accessible information including definition and explanations--this book is essential for all family businesses members who don't have a firm handle on these essential skills.

Risk analytics is developing rapidly, and analysts in the field need material that is theoretically sound as well as practical and straightforward. A one-stop resource for quantitative risk analysis, Practical Spreadsheet Risk Modeling for Management dispenses with the use of complex mathematics, concentrating on how powerful techniques and methods can be used correctly within a spreadsheet-based environment. Highlights Covers important topics for modern risk analysis, such as frequency-severity modeling and modeling of expert opinion Keeps mathematics to a minimum while covering fairly advanced topics through the use of powerful software tools Contains an unusually diverse selection of topics, including explicit treatment of frequency-severity modeling, copulas, parameter and model uncertainty, volatility modeling in time series, Markov chains, Bayesian modeling, stochastic dominance, and extended treatment of modeling expert opinion End-of-chapter exercises span eight application areas illustrating the broad application of risk analysis tools with the use of data from real-world examples and case studies This book is written for anyone interested in conducting applied risk analysis in business, engineering, environmental planning, public policy, medicine, or virtually any field amenable to spreadsheet modeling. The authors provide practical case studies along with detailed instruction and illustration of the features of ModelRisk (R), the most advanced risk modeling spreadsheet software currently available. If you intend to use spreadsheets for decision-supporting analysis, rather than merely as placeholders for numbers, then this is the resource for you.

Imagine yourself in your new job, doing your best to make a good impression-and your boss asks you to do something that doesn't feel right, like fudge a sales report, or lie to a customer. You have no idea how to handle the situation, and your boss is hovering. When you're caught off guard, under pressure from someone more powerful, it's easy to make a mistake. And having made one, it's easier to rationalize the next one. The Young Professional's Survival Guide shows how to avoid these traps in the first place, and how to work through them if you can't avoid them. Many of the problems that arise in the workplace are predictable. C. K. Gunsalus, a nationally recognized expert on professional ethics, uses short, pungent real-world examples to help people new to the work world recognize the situations that can lead to career-damaging missteps-and prevent them. Gunsalus offers questions to ask yourself (and others) to help you recognize trouble and temptation, sample scripts to use to avoid being pressured into doing something you'll regret, and guidance in handling disputes fairly and diplomatically. Most of all, she emphasizes, choose your mentors for their characters as well as their titles and talents. You can't control the people around you, but you can control what you do. Reliance on a few key habits and a professional persona, Gunsalus shows, can help you advance with class, even in what looks like a "casual" workplace.

For many entrepreneurs there is a mystique about finance -starting, growing and selling new ventures is tough enough. Yet with some focused financial knowledge you can run your company with less cash, grow it more quickly and make more money when it is sold. This book makes the dry world of finance easy to understand and relevant to entrepreneurs.

Just as Europe consists of countries with different languages, cultures, histories, wealth levels and systems of jurispridence, and exhibits a mosaic of different tastes and preferences, so do accounting's roles and functions differ widely across European countries. Differences in management accounting practices and control approaches abound. the question is no longer whether there is variety but its extent and explanation. In considering European variety in management accounting, it may be asked what trends if any are discernible in management accounting practices generally? What historical factors have conditioned management accounting wherever and in whatever form it exists? Are there links between management accounting research and practice? Are there competing theories within the field which are nation-specific? To what extent is the implementation of emergent cost-management approaches evident within companies? Such issues are explored in this book which also provides some basis for exploring national specifities in management accounting whilst offering room to ponder over its commonalities. Distinguished European commentators provide comprehensive analysis of past and existing management accounting practices and conceptual thinking. The contributors give a sense of whether modern management accounting approaches are evident in enterprises withing their nation and discuss findings of empirical investigations in constructing `country perspectives'. Each chapter successfully presents an informed overview of country features indicative of a rich and diverse European tapestry of management accounting thought and practice. Ultimately the book provides a useful starting point not only for making cross-national comparative observations but also for identifying opportunities and trends in management accounting systems changes.

Praise for Competing for Capital

"An indispensable guide for investor relations and communication counselors alike. With more individual investors in the market than ever before, this book makes navigating the new regulatory playing field much more possible--and makes clear the path to victory."
--Michael W. Robinson
Director, Levick Strategic Communications; Former Director of Public Affairs and Policy, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Director of Media Relations, NASD

"More than simply writing a textbook on IR, Bruce Marcus shares his wealth of experience and critical viewpoint with those seeking to understand a fast-changing profession."
--June Filingeri
President of Comm-Partners LLC, Investor Relations Consultant, and Educator

"Bruce Marcus puts some solid ground under the shifting landscape of being an investor relations professional. A must-read primer for public companies."
--Robert C. Roeper
Managing Director, VIMAC Ventures, LLC

"As the song lyrics go, 'everything old is new again, ' but this time with a vengeance. Disclosure has always been the touchstone of securities laws, but now more disclosure is required on a real-time basis with heightened accountability. Competing for Capital is a must-read for those in the securities industry, providing insights into securities markets, the information age and technology, and their impact on the job of investor relations professionals. Investors come in all shapes and sizes from around the globe, and investor relations personnel have their work cut out for them to provide clear, comprehensible, and comprehensive information, accessible to the novice and sophisticate alike. Competingfor Capital shows them the way."
--Donna L. Brooks, Esq.
Partner, Shipman & Goodwin, LLP

"Competing for Capital puts our recent turbulent financial marketplace in context, provides solid information for both new and experienced investor relations practitioners, and offers insights into the future of IR--all in Bruce Marcus's easy-reading style."
--Dixie Watterson
IR consultant, Communica Partners

"Competing for Capital aptly illustrates how investor relations has become a major corporate responsibility in generating trust, and how the profession must realize now more than ever that the needs of investors have changed because of technology, regulation, and globalization."
--Mark Kollar
Managing Director, Cubitt Jacobs & Prosek

Catastrophic risk is one of the most significant and challenging areas of corporate risk management. Analyze this risk for your company with Catastrophic Risk and make sure you have sufficient resources to absorb losses and avoid financial distress.

The first comprehensive volume to address this topic from a financial perspective, this book is a guide to the worst financial risks threatening companies and industries today. Author Eric Banks begins with a consideration of ?catastrophe? and its mplications, looks at the state of actuarial and financial modelling of catastrophe risks, and discusses the creation of a risk management framework that will enable the efficient and secure management of exposure. Catastrophic Risk is essential reading if you're a corporate treasurer, CFO, or insurance/financial risk manager responsible for corporate risk management. Order your copy today.

From an institutional perspective, the book carries out comparative analysis of 'the power of the purse.' It explores cross-national differences, their determinants and their impact on fiscal policy. The empirical analysis is based on a dataset of legislative budgeting in all 30 OECD countries, a broader 80-country dataset, and case study evidence.

• Best techniques for extending business credit
• Proven techniques to reduce unauthorized deductions and unearned discounts
• Latest Internet, electronic, and high-tech applications
• Practical real-life strategies to improve collections

Full of valuable tips, techniques, illustrative real-world examples, exhibits, and best practices, this handy and concise paperback will help you stay up to date on the newest thinking, strategies, developments, and technologies in credit, collections, and accounts receivable.

"This book is filled with wisdom, common sense, and practical solutions. Mary Schaeffer is right on when she states that credit is part science, part art, and part gut feel. I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the essentials of credit, collections, and accounts receivable."
–Vaughn P. Benjamin, Vice President, Media Credit Association
Magazine Publishers of America

"Mary Schaeffer has written an excellent book for the credit and collection professional. Every credit professional should read this book and keep a copy handy in their personal library."
–Tim Paulsen, Principal of T. R. Paulsen & Associates, author of Paid in Full
International Specialist in Creative Receivables Management

"Mary Schaeffer has taken a sometimes complex subject and reduced it to an easy- to -understand guidebook. This book should be in the reference library of every credit professional."
–H. Bruce Watson, Manager, Credit Services Group, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

"The Revolution in Corporate Finance" has established itself as a key text for students of corporate finance with wide use on a range of courses. Using seminal articles from the highly regarded "Bank of America Journal of Applied Corporate Finance," it gives students insight into the practical implications of the most recent theoretical advances in the field.

The extensively revised and updated fourth edition contains a significant amount of new material while retaining key original articles from previous editions. The new material highlights important recent developments whilst including two new sections devoted to international finance and international corporate governance. It offers, in one volume, coverage of the latest academic thinking, written by leading financial economists in a way that is accessible to students and corporate management.

Major contributions cover core topics such as:

Market efficiency
Real options
Capital structure
Corporate financing
Risk management
International finance
Corporate governance

With additional coverage of many other key areas, "The Revolution in Corporate Finance" will continue to be an indispensable and unique teaching and study resource.

The co-founder of EVA shows how to apply it in today's new economy
EVA-economic valued added-is a measure of the true financial performance of a company, and a strategy for creating corporate and shareholder wealth. It is also a method of changing corporate priorities and behavior throughout a company, right down to the "shop floor." In The EVA Challenge, the authors outline how to implement EVA-from training employees to answering the most frequently encountered implementation problems faced by companies.
This detailed "how-to" guide represents the second phase in the "EVA Revolution", showing executives around the world how to customize and implement EVA at their companies. Here, EVA converts learn how to work some "EVA magic" through company-specific initiatives and case study examples. Coverage includes completely new materials on "real options", leveraged stock options, and other concepts critical to corporations in both new and old economy industry sectors.

Writing spreadsheets, budgets and forecasts is an important part of many managers roles, but do you need help in understanding and presenting the information in a clear and concise way? This step-by-step guide shows you the advantages and potentials of using spreadsheets. After reading this book you'll be able to master company accounts; understand balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash flow systems; and learn to analyse and monitor your company's financial performance.

BRILLIANT OUTCOMES:
- How to save time and gain control of your business.
- Ability to understand, analyse and present financial information in a clear and concise way.

BRILLIANT FEATURES:
- Up-to-date examples and spreadsheets.
- On-line downloads of examples and spreadsheet models
- New 234mm X 156mm format to make

The Fast Forward MBA in Finance Second Edition–more necessary than ever!

Even Einstein might have had a hard time making sense of the numbers that come out of the typical accounting department. These critical financial figures of a business should be presented in rational, decision-friendly accounting reports to managers. Unfortunately, accounting reports generally fall short of this mark. That’s why managers rely on John Tracy and The Fast Forward MBA in Finance to help them understand all the accounting and financial information so critical to making sound business decisions.

In this robust update of the popular first edition, Tracy explores the natural starting point for managers–the financial statements–and reveals the essential meaning of each. The financial statement framework is then expanded and modified for the decision-making functions of business managers. Practical examples illustrate how to use management models for analyzing profit, cash flow, and capital investment, all of which are clearly explained with a tight focus on the information needs of individual managers.

The Fast Forward MBA–– the compact business companion you’ll use every day!

• Keep up with the newest ideas in business
• Brush up on the basics you can’t do without
• Find direct, practical answers to complicated problems

The investment management industry faces a number of well-publicised problems and difficulties. Charles Jackson shows how these all relate to the same underlying problem: that investors find investment skill very hard both to find and to put to work in a way that profits them.

Active Investment Management starts with the fundamentals of what active management is and why investors find it desirable. It goes on to show how these fundamentals have given rise to the industry’s problems, how these problems affect each other and how they can be resolved.

Written by a leading authority in the field, this book is an invaluable tool for the practitioner. It is broken down into five sections covering the whole spectrum of active investment management:

• asset classes and products
• balancing risk and return
• active product selection
• the nature of skill
• the price of skill

Active Investment Management concludes by projecting industry trends, and outlining the future developments in active investment management implied by those trends.

Gompers and Sahlman are two of the leading researchers and authorities in this field.

The Groundwork of Company Valuation for First-time Buyers and Sellers

A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company has helped thousands of first-time buyers and sellers realize a fair, substantiated value for small businesses. Now in its Second Edition, this book covers common valuation techniques and myths, tips for determining tangible and intangible values, sample balance sheets and income statements, and approaches to valuing start-up technology and dot-com businesses.

This nuts-and-bolts guide addresses publicly traded and privately held firms, including traditional brick-and-mortar companies and the intellectual property industry. With a clear, concise writing style, the author walks readers through common practices for valuing, from collecting data to arriving at a saleable figure for all types of businesses, including professional practice, manufacturing, wholesale distributors, and a variety of retail operations. This new edition features perspectives on nontraditional valuation practices, guidance for using an excess earnings method, and an abundance of case studies from actual companies.

In order to make the most profitable decisions, before putting a business on the market or making an offer to acquire one, every beginning business purchaser and seller should read A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company, Second Edition.

Accounting has a reputation as a technical and jargon-heavy subject, but there is no reason why those without formal training cannot master the basics of interpreting accounts and making good decisions. Accounting for Non-Accountants assumes no prior knowledge of the subject area and is designed to serve as an introductory text for managers and non-specialists who wish to gain an oversight of the accounting discipline. The book covers both financial and management accounting in sufficient detail to allow data to be interpreted but in a clear and accessible manner so the reader can quickly gain an understanding of the basic principles of the subject area. Now in its 12th edition, Accounting for Non-Accountants has been fully updated to the latest regulatory requirements including the UK GAAP framework, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Accounting Standards (IAS). The final chapter focuses on the impact of changes in the economic environment on businesses and there are introductions to areas including tax, transfer pricing and creative accounting. This practical guide includes review questions in each chapter, with answers and workings where appropriate, and is supported online by over 200 questions and a glossary to develop a firm understanding of all topics.

The book presents arguments that are critical of the Basel II Accord, particularly the advanced measurement approach to operational risk. It is argued that the advanced measurement approach is not viable in terms of costs and benefits and is likely to distract financial institutions from the real task of managing operational risk.

This book seeks to enhance understanding of the impacts of project setup and its implementation environment on project performance by leveraging information from the study of a rich set of European transport infrastructure project cases. It puts forward a system's view of project delivery and aims to serve as a strategic tool for decision makers and practitioners. The proposed approach is not limited to specific stakeholder views. On the contrary, it allows stakeholders to formulate their own strategies based on an holistic set of potential implementation scenarios. Furthermore, by including cases of projects that have been influenced by the recent financial crisis, the book aims to capitalise on experiences and provide guidelines as to the design and implementation of resilient projects delivered both through traditional as well as Public Private Partnership (PPP) models. Finally, the book proposes a new Transport Infrastructure Resilience Indicator and a corresponding project rating system that can be assessed with an eye to the future, ultimately aiming to support the successful delivery of transport infrastructure projects for all stakeholders involved.

Given the increased impact of non-market forces on business reputation, there has never been a greater need to grasp corporate social performance. This book demonstrates that a holistic perspective on corporate citizenship that accommodates the importance of profits and other time-honored social values is both desirable and possible.

Drawing on a wealth of practical experience, both in the construction industry and teaching students, Chris March presents this study of construction management and the major aspects of controlling the building process.

Covering the stages from the client's initiation, to the final handover of the building, March includes evidence from those currently working in the industry, and covers the key industry requirements: knowing that in today's market place, those entering the field must be aware of how projects are financed and controlled, and to financially run and maintain a building.

Finance and Control for Construction examines the various stages, from development, through the design, to procurement and post-contract processes, and culminates in a discourse on facilities management.

This book is written with a down-to-earth approach, with evidence supporting theories and principles, and is a book that students of construction management and related subjects need if they wish to succeed in the field.

Drawing on a wealth of practical experience, both in the construction industry and teaching students, Chris March presents this study of construction management and the major aspects of controlling the building process. Covering the stages from the client's initiation, to the final handover of the building, March includes evidence from those currently working in the industry, and covers the key industry requirements: knowing that in today's market place, those entering the field must be aware of how projects are financed and controlled, and to financially run and maintain a building. Finance and Control for Construction examines the various stages, from development, through the design, to procurement and post-contract processes, and culminates in a discourse on facilities management. This book is written with a down-to-earth approach, with evidence supporting theories and principles, and is a book that students of construction management and related subjects need if they wish to succeed in the field.