An in-depth guide to divestiture for financial and corporate planning executives, this volume offers comprehensive information about divestiture strategies, the rationale for divestiture, the effects on employees and other corporate stakeholders, and the internal management problems that can accompany divestiture proposal and implementation. In addition, the author offers full coverage of the various divestiture techniques including direct sale, spin-offs, employee stock option plans, and leveraged buy-outs. Schmidt demonstrates that divestiture is often the best solution for a corporation faced with the need to raise cash, dispose of properties that do not fit with the firM's overall strategic plan, or remain competitive in today's global markets.

This volume offers an in-depth guide to one technique-- divestiture--which is increasingly a component of financial restructuring plans. Written for the financial and corporate planning executives who must recommend or direct divestiture operations, the book offers comprehensive information about divestiture strategies, the rationale for divestiture, the effects on employees and other corporate stakeholders, and the internal management problems that can accompany divestiture proposal and implementation. In addition, the author offers full coverage of the various divestiture techniques including direct sale, spin-offs, Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs) and Leveraged Buy-Outs (LBOs). Schmidt demonstrates that divestiture is often the best solution for a corporation faced with the need to raise cash, dispose of properties that do not fit with the firM's overall strategic plan or show unsatisfactory returns, or remain competitive in today's global markets. His book will be an important resource for anyone involved in the divestiture decisionmaking process.

Schmidt begins by tracing the major acquisition and divestiture activity of the past 30 years. He identifies the business environmental changes and regulatory actions that have fueled the current high level of divestiture activity, examines the political environment of divestiture, and explores the relationship between international expansion and divestiture. Turning to a discussion of the divestiture decision itself, Schmidt addresses such issues as divestiture segment valuation, the effects of divestiture on resources, the managerial implications and the psychological effects of divestiture. Subsequent chapters analyze the considerations that must be taken into account in any divestiture decision and present specific divestiture techniques. In his concluding chapter, Schmidt looks at future trends in corporate divestiture.

This book offers fresh impulses from different industries on how to deal with innovation processes. Authors from different backgrounds, such as artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, medical technology and law, share their experiences with enabling and managing innovation. The ability of companies to innovate functions as a benchmark to attract investors long-term. While each company has different preconditions and environments to adapt to, the authors give guidance in the fields of digitalization, workspaces and business model innovation.

Assuming little or no background knowledge and using original examples and exercises (with answers supplied), Understanding Phonetics provides you with an accessible introduction to the basics of phonetics and a comprehensive analysis of traditional phonetic theory - the articulation and physical characteristics of speech sounds. Examples from a wide range of languages are presented throughout using symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet. To help you develop your skills in this alphabet, Understanding Phonetics includes ear-training exercises that are freely available online, along with audio files of authentic listening material, for you to download from www.routledge.com/cw/ashby. Understanding Phonetics outlines the production of consonants, vowels, phonation types, pitch and intonation, and aspects of connected speech. Reading through chapter by chapter, you will see your knowledge develop as you engage in the step-by-step phonetic study of a selected word. Understanding Phonetics is designed to be used not only as a class textbook but also for self-study. It can be read systematically or used for reference purposes.

This book presents selected papers on the factors that serve to influence an individual's capacity in financial decision-making. Initial chapters provide an overview of the cognitive factors affecting financial decisions and suggest a link between limited cognitive capacity and the need for financial education. The book then expands on these cognitive limitations to explore the tendency for overconfidence in decision-making and the interplay between rational and irrational factors. Later contributions show how credit card companies benefit from limitations in consumer financial literacy, how gender and cognition intersect to play an important role in financial decision-making, and how to improve financial capacity through financial literacy and education campaigns, including those addressing developed marketplaces. This comprehensive collection of papers will be of value to all readers who seek to better understand the multi-factorial and complex nature of personal financial management in today's economic climate.

This book is the first in a series on Chinese management based on the Global Chinese Management Conferences (from 2015 to 2017), an annual conference organized by the Sun Tzu Art of War Institute. The first volume is by FOO Check Teck, professor at Fudan and Hunan University and founding editor of Chinese Management Studies (SSCI), who encourages readers to broaden their minds to embrace the Universe as a Community. The book argues that the lives of all beings are worth preserving and urges the academic community to recognize the ideologies at heart of management and to see research as a deep, reflective thinking process that goes far beyond the testing of hypotheses - great works, lasting 2,500 years are the result of deep reflection upon experiences. It also calls for the re-framing of management integration of a variety of ideological strands, typically in topics in MBA or MPA programs: earnings, mobility of human capital, complex adaptive systems, HRM (in small high-tech firms), technology standardization, Xin (trust: labor relations), multi-leveling, re-forming (hospitals), He-Xie (doctoral work), upgrading (automobile industry). The major consequential consideration must be what it means for people.

This book presents research from leading researchers in the European banking field to explore three key areas of banking. In Bank Risk, Governance and Regulation, the authors conduct micro- and macro- level analysis of banking risks and their determinants. They explore areas such as credit quality, bank provisioning, deposit guarantee schemes, corporate governance and cost of capital. The book then goes on to analyse different aspects of the relationship between bank risk management, governance and performance. Lastly the book explores the regulation of systemic risks posed by banks, and examines the effects of novel regulatory sets on bank conduct and profitability. The research in this book focuses on aspects of the European banking system; however it also offers wider insight into the global banking space and offers comparisons to international banking systems. The study provides in-depth insight into many areas of bank risk, governance and regulation, before finally addressing the question: which banking strategies are actually feasible?

This book presents new methodologies for rating non-financial issuers and project ratings based on the BFO (Brusov-Filatova-Orekhova) theory of capital cost and structure, and its perpetuity limit (Modigliani-Miller theory), as well as modern investment models created by the authors. It first provides a critical analysis of the methodological and systemic shortcomings of the current credit ratings of non-financial issuers and project ratings. In order to increase the objectivity and accuracy of rating assessments, it then modifies the BFO theory for companies of arbitrary age as well as and the perpetuity limit (Modigliani-Miller theory) for rating needs. The authors also incorporate the financial indicators used in the rating methodology into both the BFO theory and the Modigliani-Miller theory. Within the framework of the modified BFO theory for rating needs, they then present a detailed study of the dependence of the weighted average cost of capital of WACC, used as the discount rate for discounting financial flows, on the financial ratios used in the rating, on the age of the company, on the leverage level and on the level of taxation for a wide range of values of equity cost and debt cost for companies of arbitrary age. This makes it possible to correctly assess of the discount rate, taking into account the values of financial ratios. The use of well-established corporate finance theories (BFO theory and its perpetuity limit) opens up new horizons in the rating industry, providing an opportunity to switch from mainly qualitative methods for determining the creditworthiness of issuers to mainly quantitative methods in rating, and as such improving the quality and accuracy of rating scores.

This textbook helps students truly understand how to apply the principles behind corporate finance in a real world context from both a firm and investor perspective. In its second edition, this text focuses on traditional theory applied to a holistic and realistic business case study, written as a novel set in current times so that all readers can relate. As such, this textbook offers readers both a quantitative and qualitative perspective on topics such as capital budgeting, time value of money, corporate risk, and capital structure. The sections are laid out to mirror the financial decision process, making it easier for readers to grasp the idea of the corporate financial life cycle. New topics such as socially responsible investing and private capital markets are also incorporated into this edition. Finally, PowerPoint slides, answer keys and data sets are available online for instructors.

This volume of Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics presents selected theoretical and empirical papers from the 25th Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES) Conference, held in Berlin, Germany, in May 2018. Covering diverse areas of business and management from different geographic regions, the book focuses on current topics such as consumer engagement, consumer loyalty, travel blogging, and AirBnB's marketing communication strategy, as well as healthcare project evaluation and Industry 4.0. It also includes related studies that analyze accounting and finance aspects like bank reliability and the bankruptcy risks of equity crowdfunding start-ups.

This book highlights research-based case studies in order to analyze the wealth created in the world's largest mergers and acquisitions (M&A). This book encourages cross fertilization in theory building and applied research by examining the links between M&A and wealth creation. Each chapter covers a specific case and offers a focused clinical examination of the entire lifecycle of M&A for each mega deal, exploring all aspects of the process. The success of M&A are analyzed through two main research approaches: event studies and financial performance analyses. The event studies examine the abnormal returns to the shareholders in the period surrounding the merger announcement. The financial performance studies examine the reported financial results of acquirers before and after the acquisition to see whether financial performance has improved after merger. The relation between method of payment, premium paid and stock returns are examined. The chapters also discuss synergies of the deal-cost and revenue synergies. Mergers and acquisitions represent a major force in modern financial and economic environment. Whether in times of boom or bust, M&As have emerged as a compelling strategy for growth. The biggest companies of modern day have all taken form through a series of restructuring activities like multiple mergers. Acquisitions continue to remain as the quickest route companies take to operate in new markets and to add new capabilities and resources. The cases covered in this book highlights high profile M&As and focuses on the wealth creation for shareholders of acquirer and target firms as a financial assessment of the merger's success. The book should be useful for finance professionals, corporate planners, strategists, and managers.

Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds: Building Blocks to Wealth offers a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature primarily on mutual funds but also discusses related investment vehicles, especially ETFs. In this edited volume, noted scholars and practitioners write chapters in their areas of expertise. It interweaves the contributions of multiple authors into an authoritative overview of important but selective topics. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of mutual funds and ETFs from experts from around the world. Based on research-based evidence, this is not intended to be a "how to " book; instead, it is a scholarly and in-depth approach to important investment subjects. Although the book places greater attention on these different types of investments in the United States, it also examines them in a global context. In today's financial environment, mutual funds and ETFs are dynamic areas that continue to evolve at a rapid pace. Because the flow of materials on the subject is voluminous, this book, by necessity, must be selective because it cannot cover every aspect of this field. However, readers can gain important insights about each investment vehicle including its structure and uses, performance and measurement. Beyond these core topics and issues, the book also examines the latest trends, cutting-edge developments, and real-world situations. Given its broad scope, this practical and comprehensive book should appeal to investors, investment professionals, academics, and others interested in mutual funds and ETFs. In particular, this book should help investors make key asset allocation decisions while capturing the benefits of a highly diversified, well-constructed, lower-cost portfolio of complementary strategies that enhance financial wealth.

This book focuses on political connections in the United States. It contributes to the literature on the link between politics and business, and on the impact of political connections on firm value, by considering industry-level regulation as a discriminating factor in the investigation of firm value creation. Overall, the findings are consistent with the view that industry-level regulation matters.

This book illustrates the EU-wide Solvency II framework for the insurance industry, which was implemented on January 1, 2016, after a long project phase. Analogous to the system for banks, it is based on three pillars and the authors analyze the complete framework pillar by pillar with a consistent data model for a non-life insurer, which was developed by the Research Group Financial & Actuarial Risk Management (FaRis) at the Institute for Insurance Studies of the TH Koeln - University of Applied Sciences. The book leverages the long-standing and close cooperation between the University of Limerick (Ireland) and the Institute for Insurance Studies at TH Koeln - University of Applied Sciences (Germany).

This volume presents current developments in the fields of banking and finance from an international perspective. Featuring contributions from the 2nd International Conference on Banking and Finance Perspectives (ICBFP), this volume serves as a valuable forum for discussing current issues and trends in the banking and financial sectors, especially in light of the global economic challenges triggered by financial institutions. Using the latest theoretical models, new perspectives are brought to topics such as e-finance and e-banking, Islamic banking, international cross-border regulatory cooperation, bank fraud, the global financial crisis, microfinance, and corporate control transactions. Offering an opportunity to explore the challenges of a rapidly changing industry, this volume will be of interest to academics, policy makers, and scholars in the fields of banking, insurance, and finance.

This book is one of the first to explore aviation and aircraft leasing and its values establishing it as a standalone investable asset class within the larger real assets industry. Airplanes are a crucial but capital-intensive component of the global economy. The author, as an academic, researcher, appraiser, advisor and businessperson in the industry, bridges a gap in the existing literature with his analysis of the underlying aviation asset class return and risk profile. The book describes the characteristics, dynamics and drivers of the global, Asia and China specific aviation and leasing landscapes. Recent effects of COVID-19 on aviation and an analysis of the drivers affecting cross border mergers and acquisitions in the industry are also investigated. The book includes 20+ years of empirical aircraft valuation evidence and analysis of its characteristics establishing the aircraft and sub-segments as asset classes. In addition, characteristic comparisons to other real asset subclasses and benchmarks are examined. This book will be of interest to academics, financiers, investors, industry participants and more general aviation enthusiasts.

It is not intuitive to accept that there exists a link between quantum physical systems and cognitive systems. However, recent research has shown that cognitive systems and collective (social) systems, including biology, exhibit uncertainty which can be successfully modelled with quantum probability. The use of such probability allows for the modelling of situations which typically violate the laws of classical probability. The Palgrave Handbook of Quantum Models in Social Science is is a unique volume that brings together contributions from leading experts on key topics in this new and emerging field. Completely self-contained, it begins with an introductory section which gathers all the fundamental notions required to be able to understand later chapters. The handbook then moves on to address some of the latest research and applications for quantum methods in social science disciplines, including economics, politics and psychology. It begins with the issue of how the quantum mechanical framework can be applied to economics. Chapters devoted to this topic range from how Fisher information can be argued to play a role in economics, to the foundations and application of quantum game theory. The handbook then progresses in considering how belief states can be updated with the theory of quantum measurements (and also with more general methods). The practical use of the Hilbert space (and Fock space) in decision theory is then introduced, and open quantum systems are also considered. The handbook also treats a model of neural oscillators that reproduces some of the features of quantum cognition. Other contributions delve into causal reasoning using quantum Bayes nets and the role of quantum probability in modelling so called affective evaluation. The handbook is rounded off with two chapters which discuss the grand challenges which lie ahead of us. How can the quantum formalism be justified in social science and is the traditional quantum formalism too restrictive? Finally, a question is posed: whether there is a necessary role for quantum mathematical models to go beyond physics. This book will bring the latest and most cutting edge research on quantum theory to social science disciplines. Students and researchers across the discipline, as well as those in the fields of physics and mathematics will welcome this important addition to the literature.

Where institutions and individuals averagely invest the majority of their assets in money-market and fixed-income instruments, interest rate risk management could be seen as the single most important global financial issue. However, the majority of the key techniques used by most investors were developed several decades ago, and the advantages of multi-factor models are not fully recognised by many researchers and practitioners. This book provides clear and practical insight into bond portfolios and portfolio management through key empirical analysis. The authors use extensive sets of empirical data to describe the value potentially added by more recent techniques to manage interest rate risk relative to traditional techniques and to present empirical evidence of such an added value. Beginning with a description of the simplest models and moving on to the most complex, the authors offer key recommendations for the future of rate risk management.

The industrial development of emerging markets has been a powerful driver for mergers and acquisitions. The contributions collected in this book assess major M&A deals in the largest emerging capital markets (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and their role in shareholder value creation in the markets' specific business environments. In addition, the book explores various dimensions of M&A deals in order to summarize the main trends in corporate control markets in the largest emerging countries, and how they differ from those in developed countries; to identify deal-performance relationships and the determinants of success or failure; to reveal the drivers for the premium in M&A deals; and to capture market responses to different M&A strategies. By doing so, the book makes a significant contribution to the literature, which has to date largely focused on developed markets.

This book expands on the literature on the characteristics of management boards by especially focusing on family-listed and family-controlled companies, as they are ideal for studying board heterogeneity. It uses specific multidimensional indices and in-depth econometric analysis to introduce new variables, such as international experience, that represent a source of competitive advantage for firms in today's globalized world. In addition, by examining the heterogeneity ratio and the representation of independent and family directors, the book demonstrates how family-controlled firms use independent directors to import their heterogeneous expertise. The book makes a threefold contribution: for regulators, it offers suggestions on improving the quality of reporting in family-controlled firms; for researchers, it demonstrates the importance of including directors' characteristics apart from the firm-specific factors in their analyses; and for practitioners, it shows that selecting directors with specific characteristics can have a substantial impact on firms' performance.

This book develops an interwoven framework for the strategic and financial valuation of digital business designs and platform companies which became game changers for a multitude of ecosystems in the 21st century. But, also incumbents of traditional industries are challenged by those digital natives and have therefore either to revitalize their business design or facing the risk to be marginalized. The business design twin of innovation is resilience to create lasting competitive advantage and capture value for the post-pandemic world of the 20s. The ultimate idea of the book rests on the hypothesis that only the combination of business design analytics - 10C Business Design and the 8 strategic levers of platform strength - with intense financial modeling - Reverse DCF - enables a true understanding of the competitive advantage and value of such business designs. Based on a tailored strategic-financial conceptual framework a set of high-profile, new case studies will highlight the working principles and application of the concept.

Nonprofit organizations face fierce competition for funding, especially during times of financial crisis. In order to effectively further their goals and make a long-term impact in the communities they serve, these organizations must remain financially viable and sustainable. This book equips students training to become better nonprofit leaders with the information and conceptual frameworks needed to ensure their organizations are financially sustainable. Using practical tips and illustrative case examples, it guides the reader to an understanding of the structures and processes of nonprofit organizations, and includes detailed coverage of financial analysis, budget management, cash flow, financial accountability and reporting, investing, fundraising, and organizational growth. This book is ideal for students, faculty, and practitioners in social service administration, human service leadership, public and community health, public administration, organization management, and health care administration and management.

This book is a guide to how financial steering is designed, measured and implemented with a special focus on the energy industry. The authors offer an overview of and practical insights into the links between financial steering and accounting, and the temporary cycles of investment, divestment, return and loss, market highs and lows that form the framework of the entire energy industry across all value chain stages. The faster and the larger the cash cycles of investments and their returns, the greater not only the value created, but also the potential loss if the financial steering is not properly designed and managed. Value and value generation require an understanding of how value is both defined and measured in both and how the business/project economics model of a company works - financial steering provides this. Further, the book also discusses accounting topics such as impairments, new IFRS standards and the impact of accounting on key performance indicators of financial steering, which are associated with these investment decision valuations. The combination of accounting with the cash flow perspective provides a complete understanding of selected practical topics of financial steering which are explained in detail in a large number of examples and case studies. The book is intended for a wide range of finance/controlling/treasury/accounting professionals and students. It is written in practical and simple terms to outline the financial steering concept and to bring it to life in daily work and in the decision making process for financial steering. All illustrated concepts are in the same manner relevant and applicable to all other asset-intense industry sectors and their financial steering processes.

Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure and Business Funding is ideal for scholars and practitioners who work in the field of public policy design and implementation, finance and banking, and economic development.