The city of gold is in a death spiral.

Award-winning journalist, inner-city activist, and municipal civil servant Nickolaus Bauer takes a deep dive into how Africa’s economic hub has reached the brink of collapse and what it will take to rescue Joburg.

For local and international readers interested in tracking the collapse and possible resurrection of one of Africa’s greatest cities.

This book examines four aspects of Malaysian consumers' financial vulnerabilities. First, it discusses the issue of over-indebtedness due to excessive reliance on consumer financing. Second, the book investigates why Malaysians are ill-prepared for their golden years in terms of retirement planning and savings. Third, it delves into the problem of financial fraud victimisation among Malaysian consumers. Fourth, the book analyses the reasons why Malaysians are underinsured despite the distinct benefits of life insurance. Drawing on secondary data from government agencies such as Bank Negara Malaysia, Employees' Provident Fund, Royal Malaysian Police and the Department of Statistics Malaysia, each chapter presents statistical trends reflecting the four financial vulnerabilities. In-depth analyses of the literature reveal three broad psychological domains (cognition, motivation, and disposition) and specific psychological factors (e.g. over-confidence, self-control, social norms, and financial literacy) that significantly influence consumers' financial decisions. The four financial vulnerabilities investigated in this book directly address the strategic outcomes of the Malaysian National Strategy for Financial Literacy 2019-2023 (MNSFL), a five-year plan to elevate the financial literacy of Malaysians. Finally, the book presents strategic recommendations that are believed to be useful guidelines for relevant policymakers to promote positive financial behaviours and rational attitudes among consumers. It will be a useful resource for policymakers and researchers interested in economic psychology and behavioural finance.

This is the book that discusses the up-and-coming blockchain technology in a structured way from the conceptual, technological and business perspectives, thereby providing the integrated insight that is essential for truly understanding blockchain applications and their impact. While most people may know about blockchain from Bitcoin and news about its price in the financial markets, blockchain is a technology that increasingly permeates the way in which modern businesses operate. However, its dynamics and functioning remain obscure for most people. This book gives readers the tools to understand the full extent to which blockchain technology is or can be used in business. First, the book focuses on the functioning of blockchain systems, introducing basic concepts such as transactions, consensus mechanisms and smart contracts, as well as giving a smooth introduction to the basic features of cryptography that underpin blockchain technology, e.g., digital signatures and hashing. Then, the book focuses on specific blockchain platforms (Bitcoin, Ethereum, private blockchain platforms) currently used for the implementation of cryptocurrencies and other blockchain systems. Finally, it introduces a set of tools to understand and analyse the suitability of blockchain technology in different business scenarios from the software architecture, business model, and business operation perspectives. Examples and case studies of blockchain applications currently in production are discussed extensively across the book. This book targets students and educators with an interest in blockchain technology providing a one-stop shop to obtain a deep and complete insight in blockchain technology and its applicability in different business scenarios. The textbook is designed primarily for 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students in industrial engineering, business and management, and information systems. However, it can be adopted also in the computer science majors, since it does not strictly require any specific pre-requisite knowledge. At the graduate level, this book can be used in courses for industrial engineering, information systems and management students. Finally, the book is also of interest to practitioners, like business analysts, process analysts and information system architects, to understand the enabling and transformative potential of blockchain in a given business scenario.

A Road Map for Meeting the Challenge of the New Corporate Environment

"Boards today are striving to improve in a very dynamic environment. Based on years of hands-on experience and building on the breakthrough ideas of Boards at Work, Charan provides practical, actionable ideas to move boards to a higher level of performance--to make a step-change improvement in the quality of their governance. It's a must-read for new and experienced directors alike."
-John A. Krol, lead director, Tyco; director, MeadWestvaco and Ace Insurance; former CEO and chairman, DuPont; and NACD Director of the Year in 1998

"By detailing the evolution of board dynamics in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley environment and providing insight into new best practices, Ram Charan has developed a comprehensive guide to creating and maintaining a next-generation board. These pages will help every executive stay ahead of the curve--with winning strategies for prospective board members, as well as for executives trying to develop their boards and management teams."
-Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and CEO, Verizon

"For boards, this is it--the guide every director needs, from the world authority on how real boards work today."
-Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor at large, Fortune magazine; co-host, Fortune Boardroom Forum; and co-anchor, Wall Street Week with Fortune

"This excellent book will help countless managers and directors. A practical masterpiece!"
-Richard H. Brown, director, Home Depot and DuPont

"I offer high praise for Boards That Deliver, the latest creation from the fertile mind of Ram Charan! Timely, relevant, and succinct--this could be Charan's best work to date."
-William T. Solomon, chairman of the board, Austin Industries

ABC's of Relationship Selling 13e trains readers on a step-by-step selling process that is universal in nature. This edition presents the sales process or system in a logical sequence: from planning and the approach, to closing, to follow-up, for exceptional customer service. The goal of this text has always been to help ensure that students understand the order of steps within the selling process; to provide numerous examples of what should be in each step; and to show how steps within the selling process interact with one another.

This highly original and carefully researched work outlines the relationship between national and organizational culture, empirically investigates forms of organizational culture in Germany, and considers how economic performance and innovation are consequently affected. It charts the historical and intellectual origins of German national culture and presents a cultural account of the country's economic development, modes of commercial cooperation and current reform problems. Taking liberal political theory as its basis, the book identifies remainders of clan thinking and patronage - as well as pessimism and fear of modernity - as Germany's cultural burdens that hamper reform and innovation. Management and Organization in Germany suggests a combination of institutional and cultural approaches to Germany's modernization based on local but bold reform initiatives. This book combines history, political theory and administrative science and conveys management thinking and the current reform debates in Germany to a global readership.

1) This book provides a comprehensive understanding of gender diversity on boards in China and India. 2) This presents a crucial data based comparative analysis of women on boards in these two countries. 3) The volume will be of interest to departments of gender studies, China studies, India studies and business management across UK and USA.

The Seventeenth Edition of Purchasing and Supply Management provides a comprehensive introduction to the purchasing and supply chain management field, supported by over 45 case studies. Cases cover purchasing and supply chain issues in a variety of settings, from process industries to high tech manufacturing and services as well as public institutions. The text focuses on decision making throughout the supply chain. Based on the conviction that supply managers, in concert with suppliers and distributors, have to contribute to organizational goals and strategies, this edition continues to focus on how to make that mission a reality.

The next level of breakthrough thinking in organizational learning, leadership, and change Harvard professor Amy Edmondson shows how leaders can make organizational learning happen by building teams that learn. Based on years of research and case studies from Verizon, Bank of America, and Children's Hospital, Edmondson outlines the factors that typically prevent groups from learning, such as the fear of failure, groupthink, power structures, and information hording. She shows how leaders can control these factors by encouraging reflection, creating psychological safety, and overcoming defensive routines that inhibit the sharing of ideas, among others. Leaders can use practical management strategies to help organizations realize the benefits inherent in both success and failure.

A thought-provoking and startlingly insightful reworking of the science of prediction In Prediction Revisited: The Importance of Observation, a team of renowned experts in the field of data-driven investing delivers a ground-breaking reassessment of the delicate science of prediction for anyone who relies on data to contemplate the future. The book reveals why standard approaches to prediction based on classical statistics fail to address the complexities of social dynamics, and it provides an alternative method based on the intuitive notion of relevance. The authors describe, both conceptually and with mathematical precision, how relevance plays a central role in forming predictions from observed experience. Moreover, they propose a new and more nuanced measure of a prediction's reliability. Prediction Revisited also offers: Clarifications of commonly accepted but less commonly understood notions of statistics Insight into the efficacy of traditional prediction models in a variety of fields Colorful biographical sketches of some of the key prediction scientists throughout history Mutually supporting conceptual and mathematical descriptions of the key insights and methods discussed within With its strikingly fresh perspective grounded in scientific rigor, Prediction Revisited is sure to earn its place as an indispensable resource for data scientists, researchers, investors, and anyone else who aspires to predict the future from the data-driven lessons of the past.

'This book is an excellently constructed piece of legal writing which covers a topic of significant social and economic importance. It is a work of excellent analytical clarity and contains a vast amount of research and considerable detail. . . Academics in corporate law and corporate governance in addition to corporate social responsibility and company law generally will find much to interest them in this publication as will students who study in these areas, particularly postgraduates.' - John Quiggin, Journal of Business Law 'This is legal scholarship of the finest kind, concerned with an issue of supreme political, economic and social importance. Professor Keay takes the debate on the object of the modern public corporation by the scruff of its neck and skilfully navigates between the Scylla and Charybdis of the shareholder/stakeholder debate. This book, characterised by admirable analytical clarity and a huge amount of research, faithfully summarises the debate hitherto, and propels us to the next stage with a powerful argument, which challenges, effectively, both the stakeholder and shareholder theories.' -Harry Rajak, University of Sussex School of Law, UK The Corporate Objective addresses a question that has been subject to much debate: what should be the objective of public corporations? It examines the two dominant theories that address this issue, the shareholder primacy and stakeholder theories, and finds that both have serious shortcomings. The book goes on to develop a new theory, called the Entity Maximisation and Sustainability Model. Under this model, directors are to endeavor to increase the overall long-run market value of the corporation as an entity. At the same time as maximizing wealth, directors have to ensure that the corporation survives and is able to stay afloat and pursue the development of the corporation's position. Andrew Keay seeks to explain and justify the model and discusses how the model is enforced, how investors fit into the model, how directors are to act and how profits are to be allocated. Analyzing in depth the existing theories which seek to explain the corporate objective, this book will appeal to academics in corporate law and corporate governance as well as law, finance, business ethics, organizational behavior, management, economics, accounting and sociology. Postgraduate students in corporate law and corporate governance, directors, and government regulators will also find much to interest them in this study. Contents: Preface 1. Public Companies: Context, Theory and Objectives 2. Shareholder Primacy 3. Stakeholder Theory 4. An Entity Maximisation and Sustainability Model 5. The Enforcement of the Entity Maximisation and Sustainability Model 6. Investors 7. Managerial Discretion and Accountability 8. Allocation of Profits 9. Epilogue

The COVID-19 pandemic has had so many unprecedented consequences. The great global shift from office work to remote work is one such consequence, with which many information security professionals are struggling. Office workers have been hastily given equipment that has not been properly secured or must use personal devices to perform office work. The proliferation of videoconferencing has brought about new types of cyber-attacks. When the pandemic struck, many organizations found they had no, or old and unworkable, business continuity and disaster recovery plans. Business Recovery and Continuity in a Mega Disaster: Cybersecurity Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic reviews the COVID-19 pandemic and related information security issues. It then develops a series of lessons learned from this reviews and explains how organizations can prepare for the next global mega disaster. The following presents some of the key lessons learned: The lack of vetting for third party suppliers and vendors The lack of controls surrounding data privacy, especially as it relates to the personal identifiable information (PPI) data sets The intermingling of home and corporate networks The lack of a secure remote workforce The emergence of supply chain attacks (e.g., Solar Winds) To address the issues raised in these lessons learned, CISOs and their security teams must have tools and methodologies in place to address the following: The need for incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans The need for effective penetration testing The importance of threat hunting The need for endpoint security The need to use the SOAR model The importance of a zero-trust framework This book provides practical coverage of these topics to prepare information security professionals for any type of future disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the entire world to unprecedented and previously unimaginable levels. Many businesses, especially in the United States, were completely caught off guard, and they had no concrete plans put into place, from a cybersecurity standpoint, for how to deal with this mega disaster. This how-to book fully prepares CIOs, CISOs, and their teams for the next disaster, whether natural or manmade, with the various lessons that have been learned thus far from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why and how did South Korea become the world's top digital government leader? This book examines the Korean model and how it is different from the digital government models of the West, specifically of the United States and the UK. The book also looks at the successes and failures that South Korea has encountered during the process of helping developing nations set up digital governments. The book begins with the origins and historical development of digital governance. It examines digital government strategies and informatization policies in Korea's nation development and its promotion of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. The book explains that one of the key successes was the result of leadership and a strong pan-governmental propulsion system, namely ICT governance. The book also suggests a new digital government development model in response to rapid changes in the ICT environment, specifically in view of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is a useful reference for developing countries that are looking at developing their own national information master plan, including digital government.

The concept of Halal defines what adheres to Islamic law and is so comprehensive that it goes beyond food to include processes. The Halal industry has allowed many business firms a competitive advantage and is integral in its support for industries from food, tourism, banking and hospitality to medical. This book gives an overview of what Halal is in logistics and supply chain management, and discusses related issues and challenges in Southeast Asia. The book also examines Halal logistics and supply chain in reference to global trends and practices. It attempts to integrate theoretical and methodological aspects of Halal logistics and supply chain study in different geographical areas across industries. This will be a useful reference for those who wish to understand the Halal ecosystem and Halal logistics supply chain development.

This book examines the regulatory framework, regulatory objectives, regulatory logics, regulatory instruments, regulatory failures, and regulatory responses in China's financial market after the global financial crisis. The book provides an in-depth analysis of China's contemporary financial regulatory system, focusing on risks, regulation, and policies in practice. By drawing on public and private interest theories relating to financial regulation, the book contends that the controlled development of the banking sector, and the financial sector generally, has transformed China's banks into more market-oriented institutions and increased public sector growth. However, China's financial market and financial regulation have some inherent weaknesses and deficiencies. This book also offers insights into how this can be improved or adapted to minimize systemic risks in China's financial sector. This book tries to prove that financial regulation is not just a vehicle for maintaining efficient financial markets but a primary tool through which the Chinese government achieves its political and economic objectives. More fundamentally, according to the law and finance theory, strong market and vibrant judicial systems are needed to further modernize China's financial markets and market economy. The book will be a useful reference for anyone interested in learning from the Chinese experience.

M: Marketing 8e continues to emphasize that marketing adds value an essential theme woven throughout the print and digital elements through Connect. Marketing continues to evolve as industry strategies and communication are impacted by major factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, influencer marketing, social responsibility, sustainability, and ethical data collection. This edition explores specific marketing approaches by companies such as IKEA, DoorDash, Telsa, TikTok, Facebook, Hydroflask and Netflix. New innovative products and services, as well as employing new methods and channels are all explored to understand how to reach the customers of today -- especially with Gen Z changing the landscape of marketing. Throughout the chapters, M: Marketing 8e incorporates Adding Value, Ethical & Societal Dilemma and Social Marketing features into each chapter to reflect the ever-changing landscape. Between 73 new boxed inserts, 17 new chapter openers, new case analysis exercises, marketing analytics toolkit exercises, and new Application-Based Activities, there are plenty of examples and exercises. Keep your course current by subscribing to the Grewal Levy Marketing blog (grewallevymarketing.com), which brings current marketing issues to your class, complete with discussion questions.

China faces the problem of collaboration deficiency in local governance of metropolitan areas. With the evolution of regional spatial structure in China, this book is timely with its analysis on how China can approach current problems in China's regional governance through a holistic collaborative governance mechanism. The book applies the governance theory to the local government in metropolitan areas and explains how this approach may help to equalize regional public resources allocation. The author puts forth a convincing case for the use of holistic collaborative governance to better understand the problems of China's local government in metropolitan areas and to promote regional government collaboration. The book also looks at cross-jurisdiction collaboration organization, collaborative mechanism of local government, private sector and non-governmental organizations in public affairs (environmental protection, transportation, public health, water resources).

An industrial/organizational psychologist, consultant, and speaker, author Bruce Katcher combines his years of experience and insights with real stories from a range of other independent consultants to guide readers on their journey of growing a consulting practice--whether they're beginners just starting up or veterans looking for new ways to invigorate their businesses. In An Insider's Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice, you'll learn simple yet powerful strategies for success, including how to: identify a market and narrow your focus; make a smooth transition from employee to independent consultant; sell effectively even if you've never sold before; establish visibility through speaking, writing, and networking; set prices based on value; develop a marketing strategy and divide your time between marketing and delivering your services; and much more. With applicable data and tangible advice gleaned from the survey results of professionals in a diverse range of industries, you'll not only learn how to keep plenty of work in your pipeline--you'll be able to adapt your consulting practice to thrive in any market.

Navigate Inflation, Keep Valuable Customers, Increase Profits As you read this, inflation is steadily and (not so) slowly eating into your profit margins. Simultaneously, your sales teams are using discounts and rebates as crutches to help them close sales, even as this habit threatens the profitability of your business. In the newly revised second edition of Pricing with Confidence: Ten Rules for Increasing Profits and Staying Ahead of Inflation, world-renowned pricing consultants and thought leaders Reed K. Holden and Jeet Mukherjee deliver a compelling argument against the conventional view that there is a tension between revenue growth and profit growth. In the book, you'll learn how your firm can enjoy both even as it stays ahead of inflation. The authors also explore: The importance of a sound pricing strategy to protect profits How stellar analytics and quality metrics can help you set the perfect price Innovation as the life blood of organizational growth How to set sales team and customer expectations, keep valuable customers, and achieve value from technology Building your "selling backbone" to prepare for tough negotiations and draft profitable RFPs A can't-miss update to one of the most valuable pricing resources on the market today, Pricing with Confidence belongs in the libraries of pricing managers, executives, founders, entrepreneurs, independent professionals, and anyone else expected to help their organization grow revenues while simultaneously improving margins.

One of the world's premier business consultants and personal success experts, Brian Tracy has devoted more than 25 years to studying the most powerful time management practices used by the most successful people in every arena. Now, in "Time Power," Brian reveals his comprehensive system designed to help readers increase their productivity and income exponentially -- in just weeks

Filled with hundreds of powerful, proven tools and techniques, this book shows readers how to:

* gain two more productive hours each day

* make better decisions, faster

* set clear goals and focus on higher-value activities

* manage multitask jobs more efficiently

* overcome the people problems that can sap their time

* use the five tools and techniques that will make them more productive for the rest of their lives

* and much more

Overflowing with quick and effective time-saving strategies, Brian Tracy's "Time Power" lets readers in on the secrets to being more productive, earning more money, and getting more satisfaction from life.

"""Leadership development is self-development. The quest for leadership is first an inner quest to discover who you are. That is clearly the premise of this wonderful collection of developmental activities. They guide learners on that fascinating journey of self-awareness and self-confidence that can only come from experiencing something in themselves for themselves."

-- from the foreword by James M. Kouzes, co-author, The Leadership Challenge

When it comes to preparing a new generation of leaders, trainers have their work cut out for them. In addition to being a critical competency in itself, the task of leadership necessarily involves mastering a whole host of other skills . . . and it's up to you as a trainer to keep participants engaged and active throughout the learning process.

The Leadership Training Activity Book is a collection of engaging, sure-fire exercises based on the best, most up-to-date learning theory for preparing the leaders of tomorrow. The book features easily adaptable modules designed for beginning to advanced skill levels, short or long sessions, and large or small groups. You'll find the perfect training exercises to help new and experienced leaders improve their understanding of crucial topics such as:

trust * values * networking * conflict resolution * diversity * negotiation * listening skills * mentoring * vision * communication * and more

The Leadership Training Activity Book provides trainers with a wide range of activities to help teach and apply the most critical leadership competencies participants need, enabling you to develop and liberate the leadership qualities learners already have within themselves. It is a unique collection of proven exercises that will elicit the best from those who wish to lead."

"At some point in their careers, all managers face a frustrating and seemingly insurmountable challenge -- the highly intelligent, highly skilled direct report who is failing when he should be excelling. Often, this employee is destroying not only his own career, but also the morale of the rest of the team. While this behavior may initially seem willful, it is more than likely due to a lack of emotional intelligence -- the ability to comprehend one's emotions, empathize with the feelings of others, and interact with people in ways that promote congenial working relationships. More than any other trait, emotional intelligence is the one variable that can transform a mediocre employee into an exceptional one.

Managers now have a new and demanding role. They must become coaches who help their employees to develop emotional intelligence and the positive interpersonal relationships that result. And while this kind of corrective coaching may seem daunting and unpleasant to many managers, it is also achievable with the right tools.

In Coaching for Emotional Intelligence, Bob Wall offers coaching strategies that will enable every manager to elicit excellence by improving the negative behaviors and communications flaws that are undermining an employee's performance.

The book provides a structured format for formulating and delivering both praise and corrective feedback, as well as a step-by-step method and sample scripts for conducting a coaching session. Readers will:

Overcome the fear of coaching on sensitive, personal issues.

Learn the critical importance of praise--and how to give it.

Understand the influences that shaped the behaviors of the individual being coached.

Determine whether an employee is responding to corrective coaching, when to keep him -- and when to fire him.

Create an action plan for teaching employees to identify and alter unwanted behavior.

Master spontaneous coaching: delivering praise in 15-20 seconds -- and corrective feedback within 45 seconds.

Formulate structured conversations when corrective coaching isn't working.

Create successful, detailed, and clear personal, team, and work evaluations and mission statements.

The first book of its kind, Coaching for Emotional Intelligence is a thoughtful, realistic, and accessible guide that will change the way managers lead in the workplace -- and will ensure that their employees are reaching their full potential."