With the goal of perfecting the national governance system and raising the country's governance capability, this book systematically analyzes the characteristics and trajectory of China's economic expansion and structural adjustment, while also assessing a variety of short-term debt and long-term economic performance and financial risks. In addition to discussing the market-oriented reform process at the stage of economic development, institutional and structural characteristics, it presents research on the country as a whole, its residents, non-financial corporations, financial institutions and central banks, the central government, local government, and other external sectors. On the basis of extensive data, the book analyzes the national and sectoral balance sheets in China and explores a number of major issues the country is currently facing, such as sustainable development, government restructuring, local debt, welfare reform, openness and stability of the financial system, etc., as well as suitable policy measures and institutional arrangements for addressing them.

This book focuses on management challenges in different types of companies, ranging from small to large, from private to public and from service to manufacturing in the African context. With empirical data from countries as diverse as Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia, it discusses the increasing economic importance of the African continent, covering relevant topics on sustainability and environmental issues, exports, logistics, HR issues, innovation and financial reporting. Through different conceptual insights and empirical case studies, the research presented serves as a useful resource for academics, students, and policy-makers interested in in-depth studies on management challenges in Africa.

This book comprehensively investigates the challenges to Myanmar's access to the global market. Myanmar is a late entrant in the global trade and investment scenario after years of isolation. However, it has large untapped potentials for trade and investment in minerals, agro and forest based industries, other labour intensive industries, services like tourism, IT, etc. Different chapters of the book explore the implication of democratic transition of Myanmar, the progress of Myanmar's industry and infrastructure, its international linkages and feasible options for integrating more in regional economic groups and also analyses how far Myanmar could exploit the global value chain. Although a number of reports have discussed sector specific prospects of Myanmar, this book is an authoritative work on these aspects for policy planners, academicians, researchers as well as potential investors.

This book highlights the state-of-the-art tourism and hospitality industry in Southeast Asian countries, while also presenting future directions for the industry with an emphasis on decision-making models. It first elaborates on the significant role of the tourism and hospitality industry given the rapid socio-economic and cultural changes occurring in Southeast Asia, before providing perspectives on medical tourism, tourism for seniors and several other developments within the tourism and hospitality sector. Development of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry in Southeast Asia presents scholarly perspectives from researchers across the region and is geared towards world-wide readers in academia, as well as experts from the industry.

This proceedings volume explores the concept of civil society as an engine for economic and social well-being. Featuring contributions from the 2017 Griffiths School of Management and IT Annual Conference on Business, Entrepreneurship and Ethics (GMSAC) held in Oradea, Romania, this volume provides different perspectives, emerging studies and trends that are crucial to the further understanding of the interconnection of civil society, economic development and social stability. The enclosed contributions address key topics such as a) the ways in which national, regional and local governments are best equipped to support economic and social development, b) how government, business and non-profit sectors can support economic and social stability and c) the ways in which growing economies' active societies can strengthen civil society. Research and practice have proven that there is a great potential for civil society organizations to support socio-economic well-being, both directly and indirectly. As a result, the interplay between civil society, economics and social well-being is highly relevant to current business and economic research and is a topic of discussion by academics and practitioners in the government, business and non-profit sectors. This volume showcases some of the current research, cases and discussions in this area from an interdisciplinary, global perspective. Featuring contributions exploring timely subjects such as consumer behavior, the hospitality industry, education, corporate social responsibility (CSR), banking, health care, and semiotics, this book is appropriate for researchers, academics and policy makers in economic and social development, business ethics and sustainability.

This book represents a valuable contribution to the study of Asia-Latin America relations from the unprecedented collaboration of leading Latin American specialists of China, Japan, and Korea, representing views from their respective countries. The academic literature on this topic remains quite limited in spite of rapid expansion of the interregional trade and investment and active engagements to institutionalize relationships in recent years. Especially, the views from Asian academic researchers have not been expressed often. This book reveals why the partnership between the two geographically distant regions has gained more importance recently. The authors also discuss some tensions arising from the intensifying relationship, including the concentration in a few commodities of Latin American exports and the competition of Latin American industry with Asian exports, as well as geopolitical problems.

This edited collection explores the variations of mentoring in India in comparison to western models, providing rich contextual interpretation and paving the way for a greater understanding of mentoring as a phenomenon. With India having the world's largest youth population, its longstanding mentoring tradition is increasingly being replaced by emerging mentoring models in which younger generations are constantly exposed to both Indian and western influences. Paying particular attention to formal and informal mentoring models, the contributions cover the corporate sector, higher education, the developmental sector and venture capitalist-enabled entrepreneurial mentoring. Offering a uniquely non-western perspective, this innovative study also showcases both mentor and protege perceptions of mentoring, and will be of great appeal to both practitioners and scholars of leadership.

This book discusses the contemporary trade dynamics necessary for companies to grow competitively in the global marketplace, extending the conceptual and analytical foundations of international trade and economy in North America. This book examines the growth of international trade in North America during the pre-and post-North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and analyzes the complexities that occurred when the economic recession struck the global markets. It outlines applied tools and techniques for business projects to thrive in the competitive marketplace, and serves as a learning post and a think tank for students, researchers, and business managers operating in a global landscape.

Evaluating the ways in which we construe consumer choice, this book examines the psychology, methods and realities of the role it plays for today's consumer. Confronted by competing brands and products, services, and e-tailed opportunities that are but a click away, how does the consumer choose among them to achieve the particular array of goods to suit their lifestyle? Consumer researchers often seek to explain consumer choice by attributing it to beliefs, desires, attitudes, and intentions in the absence of any theoretical justification. Perspectives on Consumer Choice is the outcome of a research program that employs cognitive explanations in a responsible and disciplined way to genuinely elucidate consumer choice in social scientific terms. Employing a reasoned approach to understanding consumption, this book builds upon theoretical and empirical research in economic psychology, behavioral economics and philosophy as well as marketing and consumer research.

Behaviour change is hard, but O'Mara shows that by adopting strategies that are well-founded in the science of brain and behaviour individuals and organisations can adapt to the demands of the modern world. The brain matters in business. The problem is that our brains have many biases, heuristics and predilections that can distort behaviour and decision making. The good news is that we know more about how these work than ever before. O'Mara's starting point is that, as our behaviour arises from the structure and function of our brains, careful examination of a series of brain-based ('neurocognitive') analyses of common aspects of human behaviour relevant to business and management practice reveals lessons that can be used at work. He begins by looking at neuroplasticity and how it is enables a shift from a restrictive 'fixed mindset' to an enabling 'growth mindset'. He shows how this changing mindset approach - where the focus is on task and improvements based on effort - is scalable within organisations. Next, as the brain is a living organ like the heart and lungs, O'Mara shows how to keep it physically in the best possible shape before examining how we exercise control over our behaviour, build resilience and create positive brain states. He also considers the implications for business of our brains wiring for status and illustrates how research shows that it is possible to de-bias assumptions about gender and race - and the impact that this has on performance.

This book provides a systematic framework for effectively creating value through engineering in global business networks, and contributes to an increasingly important branch of engineering operations. By updating the traditional disciplines of engineering and operations management and addressing challenges and opportunities in building global network capabilities, this study offers a contemporary guide for developing effective industrial policies to enhance the global competitiveness of engineering sectors, which will be extremely useful to engineering companies and policy-makers. Themes discussed include main trends and driving forces, state-of-the-art knowledge in relevant subject areas, new technologies and leading practice. This timely book will help researchers, managers and students to gain an overall understanding of the pioneering research occurring in this field and it will enable companies to benefit from global engineering networks.

This book offers the first comprehensive exploration of frequent flyer programs. By combining academic research with extensive insights and examples from the actual business world, it explores the key drivers and strategies of airline loyalty marketing today in an unprecedented manner. Strategy in Airline Loyalty also explores how the programs have evolved over time from marketing programs to financial powerhouses, identifying both the catalysts for change, as well as the strategic options and underlying trade-offs available to airlines. Covering diverse angles ranging from behavioral economics, to accounting, and structural design, the book reviews every core aspect of frequent flyer programs and offers extensive frameworks and definitions. The book provides a useful and complete reference for researchers, and helps those interested in frequent flyer programs to develop a better understanding of their past, present and future.

This publication provides an unparalleled comparative analysis of two "hot topics" in the field of antitrust and unfair competition law with regard to a number of key countries. The first part of the book examines the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position and globalization in relation to two broad questions: first, whether there is consistency between the approaches of different jurisdictions to the notion of abuse, and, second, whether there are too many restrictions on legal rights and business opportunities resulting from the prohibition of abuse of dominance. The international report drafted by Professor Pinar Akman reveals that there are as many similarities as differences between the approaches of the twenty-one jurisdictions studied and presented in this book. This is an invitation to read the excellent international report as well as the reports on specific jurisdictions in order to grasp the variety of arguments and approaches of this antitrust area, which may, on the surface, appear alike. The second part gathers contributions on the question of protection and disclosure of trade secrets and know-how from various jurisdictions. The need for adequate protection of trade secrets has increased due to digitalization and the ease with which large volumes of misappropriated information can be reproduced. The comprehensive international report, prepared by Henrik Bengtsson, brings together these reflections by comparing various national positions. The book also discusses the resolutions passed by the General Assembly of the International League of Competition Law (LIDC) following a debate on each of these topics, and includes proposed solutions and recommendations.

This book offers a critical analysis of recent developments in the automotive industry of East-Central Europe (ECE). Economists, industry specialists and national governments have considered the rapid development of the automotive industry in ECE in the past twenty years an unqualified success. This rapid growth has been based on large inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Western Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea, and it significantly contributed to GDP growth, created thousands of new jobs, and completely transformed the previously existing automotive industry in the region. This volume offers an analysis that goes beyond uncritical celebratory accounts of this rapid growth. It is based on original, detailed firm-level research conducted by the author in Czechia and Slovakia between 2009 and 2015 that covered assembly firms and the networks of component suppliers. Theoretically and conceptually, the analysis will draw on the global production networks and global value chains perspectives. Drawing on the original empirical data and on additional available information, this volume concentrates on several important questions related to the development of the automotive industry in ECE in the 2000s:* The role of FDI in the rapid development of the automotive industry after 1990 and particularly in the 2000s.* The upgrading of the automotive industry in East-Central Europe through FDI* The position of ECE in the automotive industry research and development (R&D)* The effects of the 2008-2009 economic crisis in the automotive industry of ECE.* The role of state in the rapid development of the automotive industry in ECE in the 1990s and 2000s.* The effects of FDI on domestic firms in the form of linkages between foreign-owned and domestic firms and spillovers from foreign-owned to domestic firms.

This book explores challenges and approaches to the development, financial management and growth of Eastern European organizations, both public and private. Including papers derived from the 2015 Griffiths School of Management Annual Conference on Business, Entrepreneurship and Ethics (GSMAC), organized by Emanuel University of Oradea, the authors provide a variety of strategies for growth and development in areas such as IT, medical management, marketing, entrepreneurship and family business. Collectively, these contributions provide a problem-solving framework that tackles such questions as: How are the growth and financial models of organizations changing? How should leadership in organizations adapt in order to ensure sustainable growth? How should educational concepts and methods be improved to help the next generation in the new global business environment? The rapid evolution of technology and innovation has changed the face of the business environment. With new actors in the global marketplace and new means of production, marketing and finance, businesses-particularly those in emerging regions, such as Eastern Europe-are faced with the pressure to rethink their structures and models from within. In this new economic climate, common issues such as corruption, risk, and customer satisfaction need to be examined from a globalized perspective. The goal of the 2015 GSMAC conference and the resulting papers is to help organizations and institutions in Eastern Europe and other developing regions formulate strategies and policies to thrive in this environment and promote sustainable management practices.

This book provides a critical insight into sustainability and fashion in a retailing and marketing context. Examining a truly global industry, Sustainability in Fashion offers international application with a view to contextualising important developments within the industry. Contributors use their diverse backgrounds and expertise to provide a contemporary approach in examining key theoretical concepts, constructs and developments. Topics include consumer behaviour, communications, circular economy and supply chain management. The individual chapters focus on sustainability and provide a range of fashion sector examples from high street to luxury apparel.

This book explores the differences between Western and non-Western cultures to provide a more comprehensive understanding of psychological contract and its consequences on employees' behavioral, attitudinal, and cognitive outcomes. Further, it discusses the culturally-relevant elements of HR practices that affect employee expectations, job satisfaction, commitment, and motivation based on their perceptions of the level of fulfilment of their psychological contract. Integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods, it is the first book to examine the current state of the South Asian workforce and will advance research on industrial relations, employee relationship management, and corporate management of South Asian employees around the world.

This book focuses on topics such as the cultural specificity of Arab family businesses with regard to shaping their governance and management; the influence that specific values in the Arab world could exert on the management of family businesses; how spiritual and religious values influence business in Arab family firms; and the role of emotions in the management of family firms in the Arab World. Presenting a collection of contributions addressing management, finance, strategy and succession in Arab Family businesses, this book constitutes a novel and unique contribution to the research field of family businesses.

This book deals with problems related to the evaluation of customer satisfaction in very different contexts and ways. Often satisfaction about a product or service is investigated through suitable surveys which try to capture the satisfaction about several partial aspects which characterize the perceived quality of that product or service. This book presents a series of statistical techniques adopted to analyze data from real situations where customer satisfaction surveys were performed. The aim is to give a simple guide of the variety of analysis that can be performed when analyzing data from sample surveys: starting from latent variable models to heterogeneity in satisfaction and also introducing some testing methods for comparing different customers. The book also discusses the construction of composite indicators including different benchmarks of satisfaction. Finally, some rank-based procedures for analyzing survey data are also shown.

This proceedings volume brings together the results of a corporate discussion on research, academic teaching and education in the field of business and economics in the context of globalization. The contributions examine leadership and sustainability, quality and governance and the internationalization of higher education. With a particular focus on business education and business schools, the book discusses the labor market and modernization as well as contemporary trends and challenges. By including both academic papers and contributions from industry, it forges research links between academia, business and industry.

This book investigates how strategic marketing is influencing organizations' innovation performance. It presents a structured study conducted on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to identify the correlation between innovation and strategic marketing in both Indian manufacturing and service organizations. Strategic marketing, which achieves excellence in organizations, is at the heart of improving productivity, profitability and market sustainability, while also supplying organizations a much sought-after competitive advantage. It has been observed that strategic marketing can significantly help any manufacturing firm to attain the required level of growth, and can specifically be used by Indian firms as a means of deriving differential advantages. Indian organizations that pursue more traditional approaches to strategy are now feeling the intense market pressure to modify their policy with respect to quality. The result has been a shift to 'Strategy with Innovation'. As market competition has again increased, providing quality products and services alone is no longer sufficient; companies are additionally expected to provide products with a touch of innovation to attract customers. This calls for innovation in terms of products, processes, technologies, systems and practically every other area of an organization, which can only be achieved by combining strategies and innovation. This book identifies the variables of strategic marketing that can help companies significantly boost their innovation performance, making it a valuable resource for students, researchers, professionals and policymakers alike.

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive review of the latest research and development trends at the international level for modeling and optimization of the supplier selection process for different industrial sectors. It is targeted to serve two audiences: the MBA and PhD student interested in procurement, and the practitioner who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of procurement analysis with multi-criteria based decision tools to avoid upstream risks to get better supply chain visibility. The book is expected to serve as a ready reference for supplier selection criteria and various multi-criteria based supplier's evaluation methods for forward, reverse and mass customized supply chain. This book encompasses several criteria, methods for supplier selection in a systematic way based on extensive literature review from 1998 to 2012. It provides several case studies and some useful links which can serve as a starting point for interested researchers. In the appendix several computer code written in MatLab and VB.NET is also included for the interested reader. Lucid explosion of various techniques used to select and evaluate suppliers is one of the unique characteristic of this book. Moreover, this book gives in depth analysis of selection and evaluation of suppliers for traditional supply chain, closed loop supply chain, supply chain for customized product, green supply chain, sustainable supply chain and also depicts methods for supply base reduction and selection of large number of suppliers.

Contributing to academic discussions on entrepreneurship and gender in Africa, this book provides coverage of recent trends and an exploration of the evolution of female entrepreneurship over time. This innovative new text, written from an African woman's perspective, fills a gap in the current literature on this topic and places important focus on the role of female entrepreneurship in Africa's development as a continent. Focussing on key issues such as social feminism and the capability approach, the author addresses the possibility of a potential overlap between social entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship in Africa. Insightful accounts of women from countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Ghana, along with theoretical research into the further development and advancement of female entrepreneurs, make this book an important must-read for those interested in entrepreneurship and gender in Africa.

Srun shows how the psychology of luxury brands truly plays into high value customer motivations and unlocks the potential to understand their decision processes which are unlike that of any other customer. Selling to very wealthy, demanding customers - whether you're selling luxury products or high value bespoke professional services - is a very different process to selling anything else to anyone else. Francis Srun has twenty years experience in the luxury industry, based in France, Switzerland, China and Hong Kong, most recently with Maison Boucheron. The first step is learning how to physically embody "Luxury". You need to look, speak, and move "Luxury". The true luxury attitude is not submissive nor is it hauteur - it is gentle, generous and simply, truly human. Success comes from not just being professional but from building a genuinely luxury relationship with clients. To do that you need to truly understand your client. High value customers today are younger, international in outlook and residence, and increasingly from Asia. Their buying motivation is always about self-affirmation and pleasure and never about money. The luxury customer's decision process is unlike that of other customers. While emotion is important when selling anything to anyone - with luxury selling it is paramount. Srun shows how the psychology of Brand, Product, Place, Price and Time all play a role in customer's motivations. Finally this book guides you step by step with concrete examples and useful techniques through the seven steps of luxury selling: be prepared to sell, welcome appropriately, listen genuinely, propose and present with style, meet objections with persuasion rather than refutation, conclude sharply and finally gain loyalty for a long term relationship.