Management Information System

Throughout history human beings have formed communities spontaneously with residences constructed haphazardly. Today a new type of community is emerging--one planned from the start regarding housing location, style, and governance. These Community Associations (CAs) have increased in number from 500 in 1960 to 205,000 in 1998. This book explores the issues surrounding this housing innovation and provides a history of community associations and their membership organization, the Community Associations Institute (CAI).

The book explores the process of trial and error in the design of CAs and how the CAI was set up to help them work. It opens with a consideration of the economics of land, housing, and community associations; explores the social, intellectual, legal background for CAs; and surveys their development in the United States. After considering the FHA's role, the book focuses on the development of the CAI .

The Chinese triangle of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan constitutes one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy. Since the late 1970s, these three societies have experienced increasing economic integration; however, studies aimed at analyzing and explaining this integration have often overlooked the very important role social institutions have played in the shaping of this process. To fill this gap, this book adopts a systematic institutional approach designed to examine the different patterns of institutions in the three countries and to discuss how such social institutions as the economy, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora have exerted a profound impact on all three societies. The chapters, taken together, argue that different patterns of institutional configuration have led to divergent paths of development, and that this divergence will have significant implications on the prospects for Chinese national reunification in the twenty-first century.

The Introductory chapter provides a historical discussion on the origins and the transformation of the Chinese triangle during the second half of the twentieth century. The remainder of the volume is broken into four topics considered crucial for understanding the transformation of the Chinese triangle: economic transformation, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora. As globalization impacts the Chinese triangle, studies that consider the issues from the perspective of social institutions will be increasingly important to understanding the area as it develops in the world economy.

Essays dealing with economics in the public sector written for the professional, the student and the layman.

When you combine nature’s efficiency and the computer’s speed, the financial possibilities are almost limitless. Today’s traders and investment analysts require faster, sleeker weaponry in today’s ruthless financial marketplace. Battles are now waged at computer speed, with skirmishes lasting not days or weeks, but mere hours. In his series of influential articles, Richard Bauer has shown why these professionals must add new computerized decision-making tools to their arsenal if they are to succeed. In Genetic Algorithms and Investment Strategies, he uniquely focuses on the most powerful weapon of all, revealing how the speed, power, and flexibility of GAs can help them consistently devise winning investment strategies. The only book to demonstrate how GAs can work effectively in the world of finance, it first describes the biological and historical bases of GAs as well as other computerized approaches such as neural networks and chaos theory. It goes on to compare their uses, advantages, and overall superiority of GAs. In subsequently presenting a basic optimization problem, Genetic Algorithms and Investment Strategies outlines the essential steps involved in using a GA and shows how it mimics nature’s evolutionary process by moving quickly toward a near-optimal solution. Introduced to advanced variations of essential GA procedures, readers soon learn how GAs can be used to:

• Solve large, complex problems and smaller sets of problems
• Serve the needs of traders with widely different investment philosophies
• Develop sound market timing trading rules in the stock and bond markets
• Select profitable individual stocks and bonds
• Devise powerful portfolio management systems

This book presents a socio-economic analysis of the issues linking technological innovation in providing arsenic-safe drinking water in rural areas. It presents concrete field based experiences of experiments and case studies depicting the plight and sufferings of people due to failed technological deployment strategies over the past two decades in West Bengal, the most arsenic-exposed state in India and also the first to act for remediation of the crisis. One of the greatest challenges in arsenic-exposed zones is to provide sustainable access to reliably arsenic-safe free water. For nearly twenty years the Government of India and national water distribution institutions in collaboration with multi-lateral funding agencies have sought to pump in money, push technology collected through global tenders, and enlist the support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but their efforts have yielded little success. This book is the outcome of the authors' intensive fieldwork, guided by the conceptual framework of the latest literature on environmental economics and consumer behaviour. It presents a framework and estimates based on field level primary data. Secondary official source-based data are also collated from various scattered sources into a valuable, comprehensive collection. Lastly, the book includes a revealing analysis of factors affecting households' participation.

Digital Economy: Impacts, Influences and Challenges provides information about the socioeconomic aspects of the Digital Economy. This set of 18 essays covers the effects of Digital Economy on business transactions, technology and culture, as well as on education. It also covers various aspects of global production, trade, and investment and the effects of Internet. The chapters review best practices from concept to development, through implementation and evaluation. This book is one of the few books that looks at the digital economy from a socio economic angle, offering perspectives from scholars and practitioners of digital economics around the world.

Many people have great ideas. Without the necessary skills and means most never get to realize them. If they could cooperate with competent firms and entrepreneurs together both could achieve much and this is increasingly happening. Mechanisms are being established making a division of labour between inventors and implementers a reality. This is changing the nature of innovation from an internal R&D, or purely entrepreneurial attempt, to a more cooperative innovation. An Idea Economy emerges, where anyone has the possibility to profit from their ideas, and everyone will benefit from more and better innovation. This book presents us the emergence and structure of the Idea Economy by extending the seminal concepts of Entrepreneurial Society and Open Innovation. Part I describes the big picture on how innovation is evolving, where we are today, and what an Idea Economy will look like. Part II points the way forward, discussing in detail on how cooperation in the innovation process works, and why this is only recently becoming possible.

The most up-to-date guide on making the right capital restructuring moves

"The Art of Capital Restructuring" provides a fresh look at the current state of mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring around the world. The dynamic nature of M&As requires an evolving understanding of the field, and this book considers several different forms of physical restructuring such as divestitures as well as financial restructuring, which refers to alterations in the capital structure of the firm.

"The Art of Capital Restructuring" not only explains the financial aspects of these transactions but also examines legal, regulatory, tax, ethical, social, and behavioral considerations. In addition to this timely information, coverage also includes discussion of basic concepts, motives, strategies, and techniques as well as their application to increasingly complex, real-world situations.Emphasizes best practices that lead to M&A successContains important and relevant research studies based on recent developments in the fieldComprised of contributed chapters from both experienced professionals and academics, offering a variety of perspectives and a rich interplay of ideas

Skillfully blending theory with practice, this book will put you in a better position to make the right decisions with regard to capital restructuring in today's dynamic business world.

The main objective of this work is to provide a book with high quality content that becomes a reference and support for graduate course (Mental Health, Public Health and Epidemiology) and for research in the domain of health economics applied to mental health. Also this book might be useful for policymakers on formulating mental health policies. Key messages of this book are based on: a) mental illness represent a huge cost for society and for health care; b) health economics applied to mental health could help in the optimization of resource allocation for mental health care and for better decision making in terms of balancing costs and benefits; c) interventions and treatment should be also chosen in general medical practice and in public decision-policy according to cost-effectiveness, burden of disease and equity principles; d) quality of care is related with better outcomes, higher quality of life for clients, and with lower costs for society and health system (best value for money); e) it is possible to decrease the burden of mental disorders with cost-effective treatments. The book is divided in four main topics: 1. Introduction to Health Economics applied to Mental Health - this section is an overview of basic principles, concepts and methods used in Economics and Health Economics to enable students to make critical appraisal of Health Economics texts and also to design research studies in this topic. 2. Health Economics applied to the evaluation of quality and costs of Mental Health Services - this section presents results of Brazilian studies on the costs of mental health care (hospital, outpatient care, residential care, informal care), methods on the measurement of costs and it discusses issues related with public policies decisions and quality of mental health car in the low and middle income countries context. There is also an overview of quality indicators of mental health care and instruments to evaluate mental health services and costs.3. Health Economics applied to evaluate treatment of mental disorders - This section presents a review of cost-effectiveness of pharmacological treatments and other interventions applied for treating the most burdensome mental disorders such as depressive and anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, psychosis, alcohol and drug disorders, dementia, and hyper attention deficit disorders. 4. Health Economics, burden and indirect costs of mental disorders - This section highlights the social and economic burden caused by mental illness under societal perspective focusing on stigma, unemployment, indirect costs in the workplace (absenteeism and presenteeism), the relationship between poverty and mental disorders, global health and social determinants of mental health and on the costs of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, psychosis, alcohol and drug disorders). We present some instruments to measure indirect costs of mental disorders.

Money. Debt. Interest rates. Bankruptcy. Billionaires. Students may understand that money makes the world go 'round, but most are a little shaky when it comes to explaining how and why. Using an A-Z format and containing over 400 entries, this reference book provides an essential foundation of business and economic knowledge for middle-school, high-school, and community college students. Short features scattered throughout the text add interest and fun, while helping students understand how economics affects their daily lives. Best, the entries are written in a style ideal for students just beginning to learn how economies work and function. Teenagers spend over $100 billion annually in the U.S. and influence everything from clothing styles to music and movies to food and cell phones. Money for Minors will help them understand how their daily decisions have a huge impact on the economy. Special features will enable budding moguls to understand how they can become entrepreneurs and create economic value in various ways, evaluate offers from banks and credit card companies, read the business section of the newspaper, understand the importance of various government statistics, and more. And the book will not just prepare students for the higher-level economics courses they will take in high school and college--it will be a terrific guide for anyone doing research on everything from the Great Depression to credit card debt to real estate to inflation. Over 400 clearly written definitions will help students understand the essential concepts of economics and finance. In addition: -Short sidebars scattered throughout the text help students understand how economics affects their daily lives.Topics include reading stock quotes, icon economists like Alan Greenspan, monetary trivia, cool econ and monetary Websites, and the basics of entrepreneurship. -Six mini-lessons provide real-life applications of how the economy functions. Topics include The Federal Reserve System, Gross Domestic Product, Government Spending and Taxation, National Debt, Money, and The Business Cycle. Used as a stand-alone reference or in conjunction with an economics textbook, the definitions in the book will help students learn the language of economics--and help them understand the ways in which individuals, businesses, and government work together to form our $13 trillion economy.

Joint Industrial Councils: Inception, Adoption, and Utilization, 1917-1939 is a study of how a WWI proposal for "permanent improvement" in labor-management relations came about, why the target industries ignored it, and how it found a purpose in the second-tier industries, for which it was not originally intended. The press, social reformers, academics, and various business interests touted JICs as the beginning of worker control of industry, while skilled trade unions saw them as a plot to harm workers' interests. Their eventual modest use was directed to needs within individual industrial enterprises and not to more global missions, such as the remaking of British industry in general. But successful JICs undertook serious issues that management and unions needed to address, such as wage rates, retirement plans for workers, and safety-related concerns. Moreover, the level of labor-management understanding in JIC industries improved to the point that these industries suffered no strikes in the inter-war period; the conditions of employment for the workers improved; and productivity increased.

In today's business environment, companies either properly manage the complex world of legal and corporate risk or suffer the consequences. The wrong decision can kill a company-but how can those responsible for risk management keep on top of company needs? In this guide, author Bryan E. Hopkins discusses the numerous areas of legal and corporate risk that managers and their company counsels face. Hopkins provides agreements, forms and checklists needed to implement a sound legal risk management program and mitigate, shift and prevent legal and corporate risk through careful management. Managers and practitioners will also find practical and detailed information on how to identify legal risk and use legal and corporate risk management contracts and checklists. Written by an international lawyer and corporate counsel with decades of experience in risk management, Agreements, Forms and Checklists for Risk Managers seeks to help you deal with processes and procedures needed to protect any organization in today's complex and hostile business environment.

This book focuses on Renewable Energy (RE) governance - the institutions, plans, policies and stakeholders that are involved in RE implementation - and the complexities and challenges associated with this much discussed energy area. Whilst RE technologies have advanced and become cheaper, governance schemes rarely support those technologies in an efficient and cost-effective way. To illustrate the problem, global case-studies delicately demonstrate successes and failures of renewable energy governance. RE here is considered from a number of perspectives: as a regional geopolitical agent, as a tool to meet national RE targets and as a promoter of local development. The book considers daring insights on RE transitions, governmental policies as well as financial tools, such as Feed-in-Tariffs; along with their inefficiencies and costs. This comprehensive probing of RE concludes with a treatment of what we call the "Mega-What" question - who is benefitting the most from RE and how society can get the best deal? After reading this book, the reader will have been in contact with all aspects of RE governance and be closer to the pulse of RE mechanisms. The reader should also be able to contribute more critically to the dialogue about RE rather than just reinforce the well-worn adage that "RE is a good thing to happen".

This book focuses on Indian manufacturing industries and analyses the impact of inward foreign direct investment on the domestic sector on the one hand, and exports and outward foreign direct investment by Indian companies on the other. Although the emphasis is mostly general, specific industries, such as the automotive industry or the wind energy sector are also explored. The differences between low and high technology industries are also addressed. In terms of theoretical setting and analysis, the book draws both from international business and industrial organization literature. The various characteristics of Indian industries, such as the determinants and impacts of R&D, the effects of spillovers, the drivers of productivity and technical efficiency are thoroughly researched employing appropriate quantitative methodologies that are relevant to the specific domain and topic under investigation. The book also focuses on the bearing of policy on promoting manufacturing industries in India and is therefore of interest to researchers, industrialists and policy makers alike.

This painstakingly-researched book examines liberal predictions of the last generation to see what those predictions show about this important element of American political thought. The predictions do not fare well, for reasons that reveal crucial aspects of the thinking behind them. Writers forecast everything from the end of capitalism to twenty more Vietnams; some of the same people who now predict global warming were, in the 1970s, predicting global cooling; and many people expected the fall of the Shah would bring in an era of democracy in Iran. Academic researchers will find the book a unique examination of political theory; conservative readers will find it full of humorous debating points; and even liberals will be led to wonder what went wrong.

An investigation of American technical missions in foreign lands.

The introduction of new technology and technological services worldwide has ushered in a new wave of peer-to-peer and access-driven companies that are disrupting the most established business categories. The emergence of these new business models has upset the flow in contemporary society and transformed people's behavior towards sharing-based economies. Companies and entrepreneurs can see this significant change in people's behavior as both an opportunity and a threat. Sharing Economy and the Impact of Collaborative Consumption provides emerging research on the impact that the sharing services are having on society as well as the importance of the sharing economy development in the coming years, dealing with relevant issues such as regulations, the technological aspects involved in these platforms, the impact in the tourism sector, and consumer behavior in relation to these services. Multidisciplinary in nature, this publication establishes links between economics, finance, marketing, consumer behavior, and IT, and covers topics that include e-commerce, consumer behavior, and peer economy. It is ideally designed for researchers, students, business professionals, and entrepreneurs seeking current research on the impact that this industry has on various economic, marketing, and societal aspects of different countries.