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A Building Information Modelling Maturity Model for Developing Countries (Routledge Research Collections for Construction in Developing Countries)
by Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa Wellington Didibhuku Thwala Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu Samuel Adekunle Obuks EjohwomuThis book provides a reference point for the development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) maturity in the developing country context. Developing countries have been observed to have low BIM maturity and are struggling to adopt the technology amidst no clearly defined pathways for achieving BIM capability maturity. The research presented in this book provides construction industry stakeholders in developing countries with a framework and nomological map to aid in the advancement of BIM implementation. This work provides a pathway for overcoming the challenges inhibiting BIM maturity in developing countries and ultimately its diffusion in order to harness the benefits. The authors provide critical theoretical insights on BIM maturity in the developing country context, a comparative analysis of BIM maturity in both developing and developed countries, and finally, a conceptualisation of BIM maturity for developing countries. The book is unique as its construct is rooted in the state-of-the-art information management standards in the digitalisation era in the construction industry (ISO 19650). The book delivers a theoretical reference point to the academic and research community and for the industry stakeholder, an essential guide to achieving BIM maturity at macro and micro levels.
A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market
by Jim RogersIf the twentieth century was the American century, then the twenty-first century belongs to China. Now the one and only Jim Rogers shows how any investor can get in on the ground floor of "the greatest economic boom since Englandâ ²s Industrial Revolution. " In this indispensable new book, one of the worldâ ²s most successful investors, Jim Rogers, brings his unerring investment acumen to bear on this huge and unruly land now being opened to the world and exploding in potential. Rogers didnâ ²t just...
A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market
by Jim RogersProfiting from China without getting burned is currently an obsession with the international investment community. The estimated size of the Chinese economy has just been revised upwards, making it the 4th largest in the world behind the US, Japan and Germany, and ahead of the UK but the idea that investing in China is a sure-fire, get-rich-quick investment story is dangerously misleading. * The author of the bestselling Investment Biker, Adventure Capitalist, and Hot Commodities, is providing a book that provides a window into what will soon be the most vital, most lucrative market of our time: China. * While the Chinese economy has had an annual average growth of 9.4 percent since 1978, and despite the ongoing speculation about China's future, its stock market is now emerging from a six-year low. * As the Chinese economy continues to lumber toward a free market system - and as the Chinese government inevitably unpegs its currency and opens its stock market to more foreign investment, Rogers foresees an abundance of opportunities for investors. * In this book, he shows readers not only how to take advantage of China's coming dominance - what, where, how, and when to buy - but how China will impact individual companies, markets, and economies around the world. * "Nobody with blue eyes has ever made money investing in China," the old saying goes. Jim Rogers aims to disprove this adage. Jim Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund and retired at age 37. Since then, he has served as a sometime professor of finance at Columbia University's business school, and as a media commentator. He appears twice a week on Fox Business News, and is the author of three immensely successful books.
A Business Guide for Beginners
by Des O'KeeffeMany, whether completing their education or looking for a change of career, will have started to consider entering the business world, whether taking up a career in industry, starting up their own business or studying business. In either case, the first barrier to overcome may be complete or partial lack of knowledge of what business is actually all about; its basic concepts and terminology.A Business Guide for Beginners addresses the needs of readers seeking to develop their practical knowledge of business: how it is organised and functions. This business primer also sets out to give those who decide to give business a go with ideas and, hopefully, motivations for approaching their ventures into the business world with recipes for success.
A Business Guide for Beginners: Venture into the business world with a recipe for success
by Des O’KeeffeAre you considering taking up a career in the business industry, maybe starting up your own business or studying business? If so, the first step in your journey is gaining the knowledge of what business is actually all about.?A Business Guide for Beginners is the only guide you’ll need to get to grips with the basics, with content including:•Broad introduction to the basics of business•Guides to the main functional areas of a company, including people management, operations and finance•Step by step guide to the practical stages of starting a business•Comparing different business strategies•Examining business ethics•A to Z of key business termsUsing this business ‘primer’ to guide your ideas, understand your motivations and structure your work, you'll build your own recipe for Business Success as you approach your first venture into the business world.
A Business History of India: Enterprise and the Emergence of Capitalism from 1700
by Tirthankar RoyIn recent decades, private investment has led an economic resurgence in India. But this is not the first time the region has witnessed impressive business growth. There have been many similar stories over the past 300 years. India’s economic history shows that capital was relatively expensive. How, then, did capitalism flourish in the region? How did companies and entrepreneurs deal with the shortage of key resources? Has there been a common pattern in responses to these issues over the centuries? Through detailed case studies of firms, entrepreneurs, and business commodities, Tirthankar Roy answers these questions. Roy bridges the approaches of business and economic history, illustrating the development of a distinctive regional capitalism. On each occasion of growth, connections with the global economy helped firms and entrepreneurs better manage risks. Making these deep connections between India’s economic past and present shows why history matters in its remaking of capitalism today.
A Business History of Latin America (Routledge International Studies in Business History)
by Marcelo Bucheli Andrea Lluch Martín Monsalve ZanattiThis edited volume constitutes the first available comprehensive business history of Latin America available in English. It offers a unique synthesis of the development of capitalism in Latin America that takes into consideration the complexities of each country, while simultaneously understanding broader commonalities. With chapters written by a group of internationally renowned senior scholars with a long trajectory in business historical research, the volume is divided into two major areas. First, the development of capitalism in some of the major economies of the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) through the lens of management strategic decisions and entrepreneurial activity. And second, the long-term evolution of factors affecting the region’s particular evolution of capitalism and business systems. They include the rise of environmentally sustainable businesses; the impact of crime on entrepreneurial activity; the evolution of family firms, the changing strategies of multinational corporations in the region; the evolution of business groups; the role of female entrepreneurs; and the challenges for conducting business in a region with poor infrastructure. This insightful collection serves both as a straightforward introduction for those looking for a broad understanding of the region and for those interested in conducting comparative studies between Latin America and other areas of the world. It will be of direct appeal to researchers and advanced students of business and economic history and international business in particular.
A Business History of Retail: From Trading Post to E-commerce in America and Canada (Routledge International Studies in Business History)
by Bettina LiverantAlthough transformations in retailing are of tremendous current interest, there is no single broad-ranging account of the evolution of retailing formats. A Business History of Retail fills this gap, providing a chronological presentation of changes in retail businesses and shopping experiences from pre-industrial times to the present. Retailing is explored as both an economic and a cultural phenomenon, tracing retail strategies and business operations as they are reconfigured by retailers adapting to changing conditions, new technologies, government policies, and evolving markets.Relationships between the makers, sellers, and buyers of goods are shaped and reshaped as retailers, large and small, respond to competition and pursue new opportunities. Areas of continuity are identified even as businesses grow and strategies evolve. After four centuries there are more retailers selling more merchandise in more ways to more customers.The mass consumption of goods and services is central to American and Canadian history and understanding consumer society requires understanding retailing. Combining original research with recent scholarship in business and social history, cultural theory, and readings in current retail business strategy, this study provides a valuable resource for students and scholars in a wide range of fields and will appeal to general readers with an interest in retail, shopping, and consumerism.
A Business History of Soy: Japan’s Modernization and the Rise of Soy as a Global Commodity (Routledge International Studies in Business History)
by Midori HiragaThis is a business history of soy that reveals how Japanese imperial and military institutions and financial-mercantile-industrial interests created a role for soy as a versatile raw material and global commodity beginning in the 19th century, even before the Western world recognized this “oilseed.” Originating in the rich food cultures of Asia, soy is praised as the “magic bean.” About 360 million tons are produced in the world today, and it is traded globally to become food, feed, and fuel. It is the second largest source of vegetable oil in the world, and soy meal is an essential feed without which the modern livestock industries could not exist. Its dominance today is often accounted for in terms of its versatile nature. This book, however, argues that soy was transformed into a versatile industrial raw material and global commodity through the political-economic strategies of state and business actors engaged in the development of the capitalist world-economy. By studying little-known Japanese historical documents and corporate records, and focusing on the less-researched vegetable oil and industrial uses of soy, this book provides a better understanding of how this traditional Asian food was transformed into a global commodity embedded in contradictions. Promoted as a healthy and sustainable food source, soy is also a destructive cash crop whose cultivation and use have played a significant role in the current climate crisis. Based on this case of soy, the book provides a structural understanding of broader food and agriculture systems in the history of capitalism, making it of interest to students at an advanced level, academics, and researchers in the fields of business history, corporate governance, Japanese business, as well as the political economy of food and agriculture.Chapters 2, 3, and the Conclusion of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
A Business History of the Bicycle Industry: Shaping Marketing Practices
by Carlo MariThrough a historical analysis of the bicycle industry, this book explores how the bicycle was developed, manufactured and marketed, from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the present day. The author highlights the contributions made by the bicycle industry to marketing as it is understood today, tracing key innovations in product development and marketing. Addressing a gap in the literature, this book provides an insightful history of marketing practice for one of the most important products of the twentieth century.
A Business History of the Swatch Group: The Rebirth of Swiss Watchmaking and the Globalization of the Luxury Industry
by Pierre-Yves DonzéThis book offers a detailed and full analysis of the strategy which enabled the Swatch Group to establish itself on the world market. In particular, it tackles the issues of production restructuring, with the opening of subsidiaries in Asia, and the implementation of a new marketing strategy, characterized by the move towards luxury.
A Business Leader’s Guide to Philosophy
by Lindsay DawsonThis book provides a unique introduction for business leaders to the philosophical lexicon of classical and contemporary ideas—for and against—that are relevant to business and those destined to lead it. Rather than presenting the reader with a ‘philosophy of leadership’ the author uses his experiences in academia and as a leader in business to illustrate the practical application of philosophical ideas and methodologies covering the art and science of being a business leader: motivating stakeholders to deliver the initial phase of a business plan for a new product or service; processing information (and risky ‘hidden-information’) that brings the company vision into reality; and ethically managing relationships to enhance the quality of decision-making and its outcomes. Creative aspiration, knowledge and ethical character are the three pillars of leadership. Within that construct, this book challenges leaders to seek their own path to self-development inspired by ideas that shape the ecology of capitalism and the opportunities it provides stakeholders to endow meaning and dignity to their lives through their participation in business.
A Business and Labour History of Britain
by Mike Richardson Peter NichollsBy bringing together and critically engaging with accounts of certain themes in business and labour history, and utilizing original research, this book aims to widen understanding of industrial society and provide a background to further study and research in the area management and labour relations history.
A Business of State: Commerce, Politics, and the Birth of the East India Company (Harvard historical studies #188)
by Rupali Mishra MishraAt the height of its power around 1800, the English East India Company controlled half of the world’s trade and deployed a vast network of political influencers at home and abroad. Yet the story of the Company’s beginnings in the early seventeenth century has remained largely untold. Rupali Mishra’s account of the East India Company’s formative years sheds new light on one of the most powerful corporations in the history of the world. From its birth in 1600, the East India Company lay at the heart of English political and economic life. The Company’s fortunes were determined by the leading figures of the Stuart era, from the monarch and his privy counselors to an extended cast of eminent courtiers and powerful merchants. Drawing on a host of overlooked and underutilized sources, Mishra reconstructs the inner life of the Company, laying bare the era’s fierce struggles to define the difference between public and private interests and the use and abuse of power. Unlike traditional accounts, which portray the Company as a private entity that came to assume the powers of a state, Mishra’s history makes clear that, from its inception, the East India Company was embedded within—and inseparable from—the state. A Business of State illuminates how the East India Company quickly came to inhabit such a unique role in England’s commercial and political ambitions. It also offers critical insights into the rise of the early modern English state and the expansion and development of its nascent empire.
A Buyer's Guide to Retail Mathematics
by Marla GreeneIn this book, you will learn the retail math skills needed to be a retail buyer, planner, or store line retailer. This includes the basic formulas that a buyer uses every day and how the formulas work together to maximize profitability. The book begins with the components buyers use for achieving gross margin and profit, followed by how pricing affects profitability, the inventory amounts necessary for buyers to achieve their planned sales, and the six-month planning process. A description of the buyer's job explains the variety of tasks a buyer is responsible for, including analyzing reports, working with vendors, the buying process, visualizing the presentation, competitive shopping, and more, to show you how critical the job is to a retailer. <p><p>The text has real-life mathematical examples for various retail channels: department stores, off-price retailers, mass-market retailers, fast-fashion retailers, and more. Interviews in every chapter with buyers in the industry highlight situations faced within the industry. Math problems reflect the retailing skills you will need for retailers' executive training programs. Case studies cover current industry issues and develop the critical thinking skills you will use as a buyer.
A Call to Action for HR: Building Your Workforce of One Capability
by Susan Cantrell David Y. SmithCompanies have excelled by treating customers as "markets of one," offering them personalized buying experiences. But in managing their own workers, most firms still use one-size-fits-all HR practices. A better approach, according to talent management experts Susan Cantrell and David Smith, is the "workforce of one"-a revolutionary new way to manage people. When HR practices are no longer generic but are instead highly nuanced and customized to every employee, an altogether new relationship emerges between an organization and its people. The reward? Lower employee turnover, greater productivity, and improved profit margins. This chapter is a call to action for HR professionals to develop their own workforce-of-one organizations. It provides a roadmap for those who want to get started on developing an altogether new mandate and set of skills to support a more individualized-but ultimately more effective-approach to managing people. The chapter concludes with a detailed quiz to help you determine if your organization has the capability to manage a workforce of one. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 8 of "Workforce of One: Revolutionizing Talent Management Through Customization."
A Canadian Bankclerk
by Douglas Lochhead John Preston BuschlenThe story herein told is true to life; true, the greater part of it, to my own life. Also, I am convinced that my experience in A Canadian Bank was but mildly exciting as compared with that of many others. My object in publishing "Evan Nelson's" history is to enlighten the public concerning life behind the wicket and thus pave the way for the legitimate organization of bankclerks into a fraternal association, for their financial and social (including moral) betterment. Bank officials, I trust, will see to it that my misrepresentations are exposed. To mothers of bankclerks who attach overmuch importance to the gentility of their Boy's avocation; to fathers who think that because the bank is rich its employees must necessarily become so in time; to friends who criticize the bankclerks of their acquaintance for not settling down--this story is addressed. To the men of our banks who are dissatisfied with the business they have chosen, or someone else has chosen for them; to Old Country clerks who come out to Canada under the impression that Five Dollars is as good as One Pound; to bank employees in the United States, and to office men everywhere--I am telling my tale. Finally, I appeal to "the girls we have known." Be sure you study the subject thoroughly before accusing that inscrutable, proud and procrastinating clerk of yours of inconstancy. (From the Prologue)
A Cannes Lions Jury Presents: The Art of Branded Entertainment
by Pj Pereira Monica Chun Jules Daly Richard Dias Samantha Glynne Carol Goll Gabor Harrach Marissa Nance Toan Nguyen Luciana Olivares Marcelo Páscoa Misha Sher Pelle Sjoenell Jason Xenopoulos Tomoya SuzukiA special, première release of this groundbreaking book on the art of advertising and brand management to coincide with the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.A collection of essays from jurors on the 2017 Lions Entertainment award. Drawing on years of experience and expertise, working for brands such as Mini, Coca-Cola, Lego, Google, Skype and Intel and for media and advertising giants such as Bartle Bogle Hegarty and MediaCom, the contributors provide a fun and far-reaching study of the evolution of branding and the future of advertising.Live television viewing is decreasing as audiences choose to stream television shows and films via catch-up, YouTube, Netflix, iTunes and other digital platforms. With that shift, intrusive commercial advertising breaks are quickly losing their power as the leading way in which brands communicate with viewers.For the past five years the Cannes Lions international Festival of Creativity has been grappling with how the entertainment and marketing worlds can collaborate in fresh and innovative ways, rather than unsophisticated product placement. In 2017 twenty specialist jurors considered a wide range of ideas submitted in the relatively uncharted category of branded entertainment, regarded by many as the future of advertising. For days they deliberated on what made an entry more or less successful. This book conveys their comprehensively debated conclusions in a series of stimulating essays authored by each juror.Contributors to The Art of Branded Entertainment: Monica Chun, President of PMK.BNC; Jules Daly, president of RSA Films; Ricardo Dias, CMO of Anheuser-Busch InBev's Grupo Modelo in Mexico; Samantha Glynne, Global Vice President of Branded Entertainment at TV production giant FremantleMedia; Carol Goll, ICM Partners Global Head of Branded Entertainment; Gabor Harrach, the New York-based film and TV producer and former Head of Entertainment Content at Red Bull Media House; Marissa Nance, Managing Director for Multicultural Content Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at Media Superpower OMD; Toan Nguyen, partner at Jung von Matt/SPORTS; Luciana Olivares, CCO of Latina Media in Peru; Marcelo Páscoa, Head of Global Brand Marketing at Burger King; PJ Pereira, Founder and Creative Chairman of Pereira O'Dell; Misha Sher, Vice-President at MediaCom Worldwide; Pelle Sjoenell, Bartle Bogle Hegarty's Global Chief Creative Officer; Tomoya Suzuki, CEO of Stories International; Jason Xenopoulos, Chief Vision Officer and Chief Creative Officer of VML.
A Capitalism for the People
by Luigi ZingalesBorn in Italy, University of Chicago economist Luigi Zingales witnessed firsthand the consequences of high inflation and unemployment#151;paired with rampant nepotism and cronyism#151;on a country’s economy. This experience profoundly shaped his professional interests, and in 1988 he arrived in the United States, armed with a political passion and the belief that economists should not merely interpret the world, but should change it for the better. In A Capitalism for the People, Zingales makes a forceful, philosophical, and at times personal argument that the roots of American capitalism are dying, and that the result is a drift toward the more corrupt systems found throughout Europe and much of the rest of the world. American capitalism, according to Zingales, grew in a unique incubator that provided it with a distinct flavor of competitiveness, a meritocratic nature that fostered trust in markets and a faith in mobility. Lately, however, that trust has been eroded by a betrayal of our pro-business elites, whose lobbying has come to dictate the market rather than be subject to it, and this betrayal has taken place with the complicity of our intellectual class. Because of this trend, much of the country is questioning#151;often with great anger#151;whether the system that has for so long buoyed their hopes has now betrayed them once and for all. What we are left with is either anti-market pitchfork populism or pro-business technocratic insularity. Neither of these options presents a way to preserve what the author calls #147;the lighthouse” of American capitalism. Zingales argues that the way forward is pro-market populism, a fostering of truly free and open competition for the good of the people#151;not for the good of big business. Drawing on the historical record of American populism at the turn of the twentieth century, Zingales illustrates how our current circumstances aren’t all that different. People in the middle and at the bottom are getting squeezed, while people at the top are only growing richer. The solutions now, as then, are reforms to economic policy that level the playing field. Reforms that may be anti-business (specifically anti-big business), but are squarely pro-market. The question is whether we can once again muster the courage to confront the powers that be.
A Capitalism for the People: Recapturing the Lost Genius of American Prosperity
by Luigi ZingalesBorn in Italy, University of Chicago economist Luigi Zingales witnessed firsthand the consequences of high inflation and unemployment--paired with rampant nepotism and cronyism--on a country’s economy. This experience profoundly shaped his professional interests, and in 1988 he arrived in the United States, armed with a political passion and the belief that economists should not merely interpret the world, but should change it for the better. In A Capitalism for the People, Zingales makes a forceful, philosophical, and at times personal argument that the roots of American capitalism are dying, and that the result is a drift toward the more corrupt systems found throughout Europe and much of the rest of the world. American capitalism, according to Zingales, grew in a unique incubator that provided it with a distinct flavor of competitiveness, a meritocratic nature that fostered trust in markets and a faith in mobility. Lately, however, that trust has been eroded by a betrayal of our pro-business elites, whose lobbying has come to dictate the market rather than be subject to it, and this betrayal has taken place with the complicity of our intellectual class. Because of this trend, much of the country is questioning--often with great anger--whether the system that has for so long buoyed their hopes has now betrayed them once and for all. What we are left with is either anti-market pitchfork populism or pro-business technocratic insularity. Neither of these options presents a way to preserve what the author calls "the lighthouse” of American capitalism. Zingales argues that the way forward is pro-market populism, a fostering of truly free and open competition for the good of the people--not for the good of big business. Drawing on the historical record of American populism at the turn of the twentieth century, Zingales illustrates how our current circumstances aren’t all that different. People in the middle and at the bottom are getting squeezed, while people at the top are only growing richer. The solutions now, as then, are reforms to economic policy that level the playing field. Reforms that may be anti-business (specifically anti-big business), but are squarely pro-market. The question is whether we can once again muster the courage to confront the powers that be.
A Capitalist In North Korea
by Felix AbtBusiness in North Korea: a paradoxical and fascinating situation is interpreted by a true insider. In 2002, the Swiss power company ABB appointed Felix Abt its country director for North Korea. The Swiss Entrepreneur lived and worked in North Korea for seven years, one of the few foreign businessmen there. After the experience, Abt felt compelled to write A Capitalist in North Korea to describe the multifaceted society he encountered. North Korea, at the time, was heavily sanctioned by the UN, which made it extremely difficult to do business. Yet, he discovered that it was a place where plastic surgery and South Korean TV dramas were wildly popular and where he rarely needed to walk more than a block to grab a quick hamburger. He was closely monitored, and once faced accusations of spying, yet he learned that young North Koreans are hopeful-signing up for business courses in anticipation of a brighter, more open, future. In A Capitalist in North Korea, Abt shares these and many other unusual facts and insights about one of the world's most secretive nations.
A Capitalist in North Korea
by Felix AbtBusiness in North Korea: a paradoxical and fascinating situation is interpreted by a true insider.In 2002, the Swiss power company ABB appointed Felix Abt its country director for North Korea. The Swiss Entrepreneur lived and worked in North Korea for seven years, one of the few foreign businessmen there. After the experience, Abt felt compelled to write A Capitalist in North Korea to describe the multifaceted society he encountered. North Korea, at the time, was heavily sanctioned by the UN, which made it extremely difficult to do business. Yet, he discovered that it was a place where plastic surgery and South Korean TV dramas were wildly popular and where he rarely needed to walk more than a block to grab a quick hamburger. He was closely monitored, and once faced accusations of spying, yet he learned that young North Koreans are hopeful-signing up for business courses in anticipation of a brighter, more open, future. In A Capitalist in North Korea, Abt shares these and many other unusual facts and insights about one of the world's most secretive nations.mes even for weeks if an urgent project needed to be finished." According to your experience, how well do you think the North Korean people would adapt to the capitalistic system?Since the Public Distribution System largely collapsed in the crisis years of the nineties, most people have survived with a host of mostly unofficial private business activities. So they have already gone through a capitalist apprenticeship of sorts. If more reforms accompanied with institution building are carried out even more people will get used to a market economy and to responsible capitalism.In your book, you wrote: "But when people became so keen on getting a USB to watch foreign movies, I stopped offering expensive presents and gave them those tiny electronics." In North Korea, watching foreign movies is strictly banned. However, in your description, the North Korean people appear to freely enjoy foreign culture and materials. What are your thought on the censorship and government control in North Korea?Despite censorship, many people have been watching foreign movies and materials. And they liked USB as these tiny electronics, unlike CDs and DVDs, would not get stuck in a DVD-player or a computer in case of a power cut and an inspection.In your book, you mentioned how you had comparably more opportunities to meet the 'regular people' in North Korea than other foreigners. Did it seem like they actually believe the government-sponsored propaganda? Did they have faith in 'North Korean communism' or 'Juche (self-reliance)' idea? There are still a lot of people believing in North Korea's ideology. On the other hand there has been a strong trend to consumerism particularly among the emerging middle class but also among the children of the elite which would rather embrace Deng Xiaoping's credo: "To get rich is glorious!"You spent substantial amount of time in North Korea and also visited the South as well. What seems to be the major difference between the citizens? What is the task to be tackled in order to reduce the cultural gap between the countries after reunification?When I worked on joint North-South business projects (sand, mining, dairy production, mineral water production on Mount Paekdu etc.) I could feel a strong cultural gap and mistrust. Both sides felt the other side wanted to cheat them, but the misunderstandings had much to do with a lack of knowledge of the other side's thinking and motivations. I as a non-Korean saw myself in a strange position of explaining North Koreans the intentions of South Koreans and vice versa. Unfortunately, this sort of business diplomacy fostering mutual understanding and capacity building came to a complete halt when Lee Myung-bak was elected president.
A Capitalist's Lament: How Wall Street is Fleecing You and Ruining America
by Leland FaustLeland Faust unmasks Wall Street's unsavory tactics in powerful detail by giving readers a high-level view of how the financial services industry misleads them, overcharges them, and exposes them to needless risk. He documents the financial industry's alluring come-ons, airbrushed risks, high-stakes gambling, half-truths, misleading statements, outlandish predictions, tricks to overcharge customers, bad deals, and outright fraud by the most prominent and renowned of Wall Street's players.A Capitalist's Lament is about what happens when financial firms and their employees forget whose interest they are supposed to protect. It shows how making foolish or wrong predictions is of no consequence to those who make them and how Wall Street luminaries with poor track records still garner celebrity status. Most of all, it spotlights how Wall Street manipulates the system and furthers its own interests at its customers' expense and puts us all at great risk. Here is what you need to know to protect yourself from "business as usual" and get ahead--instead of getting taken.
A Carbon Footprint Calculation Tool for Urban Development (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Roberto Álvarez-Fernández Alexandra Delgado-Jiménez Fernando Beltrán-CillerueloThis book introduces an indispensable tool: the carbon footprint calculator for urban planning. In the face of the escalating climate crisis, urban planning finds itself at a critical juncture. By considering the evolution of urban planning and its connections to environmental issues, the book sheds light on the urgent need to reimagine city planning within a climate-conscious framework. This book presents a meticulous assessment of future uses and activities that generate greenhouse gas emissions, along with an examination of land use changes that impact the carbon-absorbing capacity of the soil. Mitigation strategies, such as leveraging renewable energy sources for self-generation, are explored and quantified whenever possible. Carbon Footprint Planning explains the essential activities that must be included in urban planning instrument applications for approval, emphasizing the significance of integrating ordinary or simplified strategic environmental assessment procedures. By doing so, potential environmental impacts, specifically in relation to climate change, are effectively evaluated and addressed. With the aid of the carbon footprint calculator, decision-makers will gain the ability to select the path of least carbon emissions from a range of alternatives, unveiling aspects that contribute to significant emissions during the early stages of urban development, such as master planning. In essence, this book equips urban planners and environmental enthusiasts alike with the tools and insights needed to navigate urban growth amidst the climate crisis, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for our cities.
A Career Is a Promise: Finding Purpose, Success, and Fulfillment
by Robin LandaNo matter your field of interest, A Career is a Promise offers a proven framework for finding purpose, fulfillment, and success. Robin Landa, one of the world's leading experts on creativity and idea generation, reveals practical strategies that will help you identify a career worthy of your intelligence, aptitudes, and time. Much more than a how-to guide, the roadmaps, prompts, inner directed questions, and self-assessment tools will help you discover what most excites you professionally, how to set worthwhile career goals, find purpose in your career, achieve success, lead with compassion, find fulfillment, secure mentors and sponsors, and enhance your creative thinking to best compete in a global marketplace. Most of us don’t spend adequate time thinking about what ignites our souls and makes careers roar–well enough to forge a fruitful and satisfying career path. When you spend more than one third of your life working, your career should hold promise. A career is a promise you make to yourself.