The welfare state faces various challenges in Scandinavia and many European countries today, including a poor work environment in the public sector, a growing democracy deficit, and demographic obstacles. In this new book, Victor A. Pestoff argues that the state cannot resolve these challenges alone or together with the market, rather it requires the active participation of citizens and the third sector in order to overcome them and become more sustainable and flexible in the future. This book addresses the need for a more democratic architecture for the European welfare state, opening new perspectives for developing alternative channels for direct citizen participation at the sub-municipal level of governance. Pestoff finds that neither democratic theory nor welfare state theory devotes adequate attention to the contemporary role of the third sector as a service provider or to greater direct citizen participation in the provision of welfare services. He shifts the focus of analysis from the input to the output side of the political system and explores new ways to promote a greater role for the third sector and more citizen participation in the provision of universal, tax financed welfare services. Part 1 discusses social economy actors in Sweden and Scandinavia, both from a historical and future perspective. Part 2 explores major issues for the third sector and welfare state, including the allocation of an organization's surplus or profit, work environment and service quality in public services and the third sector, consumer perspectives on the social economy, democratizing medical and health care in Japan, and co-production of childcare services in eight European countries. Part 3 revisits the third sector and state in democratic theory and welfare theory, as well as recognizing major hurdles to the third sector and democratization of the welfare state. Part 4 concludes by summarizing the politics of participation in the welfare state.

This book examines the credit needs and the borrowing behaviour of rural households in China in recent years. It is based on in-depth analysis of the status of households' indebtedness and borrowing behaviour; the performance of Rural Credit Cooperatives (RCCs), as well as resources of informal finance. Before 2006, RCCs are virtually the only source of formal credit for rural households in China and were subject to a series of reforms from 1996 to 2003. The reforms aimed to transform RCCs into market-oriented institutions and, more importantly, help them meet the increasing demands of farmers for varied financial services, and thereby contribute effectively to economic transformation in rural China. Based on a micro-study of three villages, at different stages of development with dissimilar economic characteristics in Jiangxi province, this book investigates the sources of finance, formal and informal, in rural areas and the different types of credit that farmers require. It examines the patterns of credit required by rural households at different stages of agricultural processes, and the institutions from which they obtain loans. It demonstrates the importance of innovative institutional arrangements in rural China and new instruments that give farmers access to formal rural financial markets and enable them to utilize credit effectively, concluding that further reforms to RCCs are necessary for RCCs to be truly effective.

Since the early 1980s, the region has been central to thinking about the emerging character of the global economy. In fields as diverse as business management, industrial relations, economic geography, sociology, and planning, the regional scale has emerged as an organizing concept for interpretations of economic change. This book is both a critique of the "new regionalism" and a return to the "regional question," including all of its concerns with equity and uneven development. It will challenge researchers and students to consider the region as a central scale of action in the global economy. At the core of the book are case studies of two industries that rely on skilled, innovative, and flexible workers - the optics and imaging industry and the film and television industry. Combined with this is a discussion of the regions that constitute their production centers. The authors' intensive research on photonics and entertainment media firms, both large and small, leads them to question some basic assumptions behind the new regionalism and to develop an alternative framework for understanding regional economic development policy. Finally, there is a re-examination of what the regional question means for the concept of the learning region. This book draws on the rich contemporary literature on the region but also addresses theoretical questions that preceded "the new regionalism." It will contribute to teaching and research in a range of social science disciplines.

This book has papers presented in ICCBP 2021 in the area of Marketing, Finance and Accounting, OB and HRM, Operations and SCM, IT, Strategy, Entrepreneurship and case studies with respect to various functional activities. The conference provided a platform to practitioners, researchers and consultants and students to exchange their thoughts and contribute or share their views and expertise in formulation and implementation of various strategies during these uncertain times.The book will find some space in the minds of the stakeholders and provide some important strategies for the future.

Exam Board: Edexcel Level: AS/A-level Subject: Business Written by experienced author Mark Hage, this Student Guide for Business focuses on the key topics of business objectives and strategy, growth and managing change. The first section, Content Guidance, summarises content needed for the exams, with knowledge-check questions throughout. The second section, Questions and Answers, provides samples of different questions and student answers with examples of how many marks are available for each question. Students can: - Identify key content for the exams with our concise summary of topics - Find out what examiners are looking for with our Questions and Answers section - Test their knowledge with rapid-fire questions and answers - Avoid common pitfalls with clear definitions and exam tips throughout - Reinforce their learning with bullet-list summaries at the end of each section

Discover how to survive and thrive in an increasingly digital world Digital strategy should consist of more than just updating your business' desktop computers and buying the newest smartphones for your employees. It requires the reimagining of existing business processes and the implementation of the latest technologies into current business activity to enable new capabilities for your firm. In Decisively Digital: From Creating a Culture to Designing Strategy, digital strategy advisor and author Alexander Loth leverages his extensive experience working with Microsoft, CERN, and SAP to deliver a robust and accessible exploration of what it takes for a company to unlock the potential of new digital technologies. You'll discover how to: Utilize new technologies to establish a digital culture and realize the benefits of modern work for your employees Unleash the abilities that come with processing big data and taking advantage of data democracy, analytics, and cloud computing Implement artificial intelligence, blockchain, process automation, and IoT in a way that goes beyond the hype and delivers real business results Packed with interviews with industry leaders and real-world customer examples, Decisively Digital is ideal for CIOs, CDOs, and other executives and professionals who need to know how technology can improve their businesses and power results today and tomorrow.

Corporate governance initiatives have been developing at a rapid pace in the Commonwealth Caribbean through legislation, case law and codes. Commonwealth Caribbean Corporate Governance offers an overview of current practice and legal developments in corporate governance, highlighting the interpretation of the legislation through case law and the codes of corporate governance which have now been implemented. It also considers the challenges which emerging markets face in an attempt to adopt the corporate governance initiatives of developed markets. This text explores the emergence and development of corporate governance in the region from a range of angles, including the protection and empowerment of shareholders, the impact on government agencies, and the role and responsibilities of directors and officers in companies and in government agencies. Written by a panel of academics, legal practitioners and experts working in business, this book will be an invaluable resource for judges, lawyers, corporate executives and students of business, corporate law and corporate management.

In recent years there has been a growth in work on the organization of the firm. The same period has also seen a corresponding rise in literature dealing with the organization of the multinational firm, but the two literatures have developed quite separately, even though insights from each have much to offer the other. This unique collection of essays from respected academics aims to bridge this gap, addressing questions of the theory of the firm and international business. The material is presented in three sections: * The first section deals with theoretical issues underpinning multinational enterprise. These are the issues of information, re-engineering and change management and international trade. * The second section concentrates on the inter-firm relationships of multinationals, assessing the interplay of co-operation and adversarial behaviour. * The third section deals with applications of the principles presented in the first two sections. The applications concern the defence equipment industry, the world automobile industry and corporate governance under European Union Regulations. The Organisation of the Firm is aimed at researchers and students in the field of international business, and is likely to appeal to advanced undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as academics.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Corporate governance initiatives have been developing at a rapid pace in the Commonwealth Caribbean through legislation, case law and codes. Commonwealth Caribbean Corporate Governance offers an overview of current practice and legal developments in corporate governance, highlighting the interpretation of the legislation through case law and the codes of corporate governance which have now been implemented. It also considers the challenges which emerging markets face in an attempt to adopt the corporate governance initiatives of developed markets. This text explores the emergence and development of corporate governance in the region from a range of angles, including the protection and empowerment of shareholders, the impact on government agencies, and the role and responsibilities of directors and officers in companies and in government agencies. Written by a panel of academics, legal practitioners and experts working in business, this book will be an invaluable resource for judges, lawyers, corporate executives and students of business, corporate law and corporate management.

Sport Governance provides a comprehensive guide to the practical application of governance principles to amateur and professional sport organisations operating at the community, state/provincial, national, and international levels. It presents a balanced view between accepted practice and what contemporary research evidence tells us about a range of governance principles and practices. Organized in three parts, the text provides the reader with * an explanation of the concept of governance, key terms and definitions as well as the economic, political and social factors that impact on how the governance function is enacted within sport organisations * an understanding of the "mechanics" of governance - the elements of structure, process and performance that ensure the governance function is carried out within sport organisations * a discussion of a number of contextual issues in sport governance, including dual leadership, ethics, governance change and future governance challenges. Sport Governanceis essential reading for practitioners working and volunteering in the sport industry and upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in sport and leisure management programs.

This authoritative handbook surveys the full breadth and depth of SEA, bringing together a range of international perspectives and insights on the theoretical, methodological and institutional dimensions and practical issues of the field. It then subjects this conventional wisdom to a critical reappraisal, looks at the vast lessons of experience and offers new ideas and interpretations as to where the field is going. The volume is organized into six major sections, beginning with an introduction and overview of the development of the field and a framework for evaluating SEA good practice. Part I comprises a review of SEA frameworks in leading countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA), the European Union and developing regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America and Newly Independent States). Part II reviews SEA practice in several major sectors (energy, minerals, transport, water, development assistance and coastal zone management). Part III addresses the linkages between SEA and other comparable tools such as spatial planning and environmental management. Part IV probes key cross-cutting issues in SEA, including how to address cumulative and trans-boundary effects. Part V identifies ways and means of SEA process and capacity development, focusing on how to improve and upgrade the theory and practice of the field. Part VI examines the shift from conventional SEA towards more integrative approaches, drawing on experience and examples from a number of countries. Published with IAIA

As China moved from a planned to a market economy many people expected that China's political system would similarly move from authoritarianism to democracy. It is now clear, however, that political liberalisation does not necessarily follow economic liberalisation. This book explores this apparent contradiction, presenting many new perspectives and new thinking on the subject. It considers the path of transition in China historically, makes comparisons with other countries and examines how political culture and the political outlook in China are developing at present. A key feature of the book is the fact that most of the contributors are China-born, Western-trained scholars, who bring deep knowledge and well informed views to the study.

Corporate Governance and the Nuclear Industry explores the UK nuclear Legacy - governance issues associated with the decommissioning of a range of early-generation civil nuclear facilities. This book traces how we got here and the risks that have been taken, whilst presenting new research and thinking that is required to manage our nuclear Legacy. The book addresses a new analytical approach using notions of governance to review key historic events. This approach analyses these events using concepts of stakeholder control, accountability and regulation. Using these concepts and undertaking a more detailed analysis of the Legacy's current governance arrangements; the conventional public sector-based solutions that attempt to harness private sector expertise, this book will contrast these with government responses to determine the degree of control over the Legacy and any possible control issues. Corporate Governance and the Nuclear Industry concludes that we need to recognise the legacy's problems as exceptional rather than prosaic, and suggests that this requires exceptional governance solutions rather than the current form that is clearly failing.

A practical and inspirational guide to examining your career and deciding whether it truly makes you happy--this book will show you the steps it takes to find a job that truly makes you thrive.
The desire for fulfilling work is one of the great aspirations of our age. This book reveals explores the competing claims we face for money, status, and meaning in our lives. Drawing on wisdom from a variety of disciplines, cultural thinker Roman Krznaric sets out a practical guide to negotiating the labyrinth of choices, overcoming fear of change, and finding a career in which you thrive. Overturning a century of traditional thought about career change, Krznaric reveals just what it takes to find life-enhancing work.
The School of Life is dedicated to exploring life's big questions: How can we fulfill our potential? Can work be inspiring? Why does community matter? Can relationships last a lifetime? We don't have all the answers, but we will direct you toward a variety of useful ideas--from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts--that are guaranteed to stimulate, provoke, nourish, and console.

The asymmetry of responsibilities between management and corporate governance both for day-to-day operations and the board's monthly or quarterly review and evaluation remains an unresolved challenge. Expertise in the area of risk management is a fundamental requirement for effective corporate governance, if not by all, certainly by some board members. This means that along with board committees such as "compensation", "audit", "strategy" and several others, "risk management" committees must be established to monitor the likelihood of certain events that may cause the collapse of the firm. Risk Management and Corporate Governance allows academics and practitioners to assess the state of international research in risk management and corporate governance. The chapters overlay the areas of risk management and corporate governance on both financial and operating decisions of a firm while treating legal and political environments as externalities to decisions undertaken.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Faced with the challenge of developing effective customer service training? Not sure where to start? Whether you are a novice at the customer service game or an experienced facilitator, this book will make the development process fun and a whole lot easier. ""How to Get Customers Swearing by You, Not at You"" is an invaluable source of customer service material, tips and ideas all geared toward keeping the customers you worked so hard to get. This book is highly readable, the suggestions are easily adapted and the information is serious, yet presented in a lighthearted manner. Step by step, the 'Telephone Doctor' walks you through the process of creating a formal customer service training program: Analysis - Find out what your customers like and don't like; Design - Decide what topics you'll teach your employees so they know what they need to do to provide the service customers want; Delivery - Determine the best way to convey the information; and, Evaluation - Be sure what you teach them works. Topics include barriers to training, management involvement, content, budgets and costs, icebreakers, workbooks, role playing, lecturing, questions, problem attendees, classroom evaluations, testing and more. Throughout the book, the author offers short commentaries on aspects of training and customer service that will help you look at the subject in a fresh, new light. ""How to Get Customers Swearing by You, Not at You"" covers a lot of ground. But it is all common sense and will empower you to create your own customer service training program and make it as basic or elaborate as you wish.

Real-world communication strategies to help you break into the C-suite-and thrive when you arrive! With only 5.8% of CEO positions in the S&P 500 held by women, it's clear that there are more women who deserve a seat at the table than actually have one. In No Explanation Required!, Carol Sankar gives you the strategies you need to create the success you deserve-today. As founder of the global leadership firm, The Confidence Factor for Women, her goal is to ensure you deliver decisions and other communications with confidence-no "explanations" required! Loaded with real-life examples and backed by proprietary research, No Explanation Required! coaches you on how to speak up for yourself, stop debating your decisions, and eliminate "limiting" language. In example after example, it becomes clear how these too-frequent expressions ("I'm sorry," "Excuse me," "I'll get back to you") can strip you of your authority and credibility. With the tactics in No Explanation Required mastered, you'll be better equipped to stop explaining and start negotiating-for gender parity, better compensation, opportunities, and more.

Well-meaning Westerners want to find ways to help the less fortunate. Today, many are not just volunteering abroad and donating to international nonprofits but also advancing innovations and launching projects that aim to be socially transformative. However, often these activities are not efficient ways of helping others, and too many projects cause more harm than good. Reimagining Global Philanthropy shares the journey of a conservative banker and a progressive professor to find a better way forward. Kirk S. Bowman and Jon R. Wilcox explain the boom in the global compassion industry, revealing the incentives that produce inefficient practices and poor outcomes. Instead of supporting start-up projects with long-shot hopes for success, they argue, we can dramatically improve results by empowering local leaders. Applying lessons from the success of community banks, Bowman and Wilcox develop and implement a new model that significantly raises philanthropic efficacy. Their straightforward and rigorously tested approach calls for community members to take the lead while outside partners play a supporting role. Bowman and Wilcox recount how they tested the model in Brazil, demonstrating the value of giving people in marginalized communities the opportunity to innovate. In a time of widespread social reckoning, this book shows how global philanthropy can confront its blind spots and failures in order to achieve truly transformative outcomes. Readers can access five of the documentary films discussed in the book on a companion website. In addition to the films, chapter discussion questions and other supplemental materials are also available at the site.

This book charts the development of the First Vietnam War - the war between the Vietnamese Communists (the Viet Minh) and the French colonial power - considering especially how relations between the Viet Minh and the Chinese Communists had a profound impact on the course of the war. It shows how the Chinese provided finance, training and weapons to the Viet Minh, but how differences about strategy emerged, particularly when China became involved in the Korean War and the subsequent peace negotiations, when the need to placate the United States and to prevent US military involvement in Southeast Asia became a key concern for the Chinese. The book shows how the Viet Minh strategy of all-out war in the north and limited guerrilla warfare in the south developed from this situation, and how the war then unfolded.

A fully comprehensive resource for those wanting to know about the world of business management. Students and working professionals alike can enjoy quick and accessible definitions and the extensive cross-referencing system allows readers broader access to subject areas. This dictionary covers all the topics, issues and terms in the field, including: business economics, consumer behaviour, corporate strategy, financial management, human resource management, information technology, management accounting, marketing and organizational behaviour and work psychology.

Despite a clear and compelling need for an intelligence-led approach to security, operational, and reputational risks, the subject of corporate security intelligence remains poorly understood. An effective intelligence process can directly support and positively impact operational activity and associated decision-making and can even be used to drive the firm's business in key markets. Corporate Security Intelligence and Strategic Decision-Making outlines the basic theory and supplies practical solutions for implementing an effective intelligence process in any commercial organization. The main areas covered include how intelligence in the corporate security environment relates to strategic decision-making; the factors that drive the requirement for corporate security intelligence, as well as the main legislative and ethical imperatives; and how intelligence-led processes can not only prevent loss but also support business growth and revenue generation. Detailed topics include: Fundamental and theoretical ideas underlying intelligence work in the public and private sector The collection, validation, collation, and analysis of intelligence The effective and safe dissemination of intelligence material and the different reporting formats available The use of operational models to help guide structures, processes, and the deployment of resources How to implement an effective intelligence function in a corporate environment The topics include real-life examples of where intelligence has been used to support corporate operations and demonstrate how the theory applies to these practical examples, based on years of experience. While corporate security is the natural home of intelligence, the tools and techniques outlined are of course equally applicable for any decision-support process-making this book valuable reading for any leader.

Corporate governance has become a household term and investors across the world are demanding more transparency and accountability from controllers of listed corporations. The current resources boom that has been driven by soaring demand from China has brought China's listed resources companies into focus. Some of these companies are beginning to be known internationally, such as Sinopec, PetroChina, CNOOC (in the oil industry) and CHALCO (aluminium); but their governance structures are often not well known. This book explores the corporate governance of these listed companies. Compared with the governance of global companies, such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Shell, Shevron, the governance of China's resources companies has special characteristics. While the authors focus is on the governance of resources companies in China, this book also tackles contemporary issues of resource security and environmental change which are closely related to the depletion of the world's natural resources. Case studies of other international resources giants such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Shell and Chevron are provided to enhance our understanding of the differences that exist between them and Chinese resources companies. This book will be of interest to the business community and to those readers who are interested in China and its governance related issues.