Business & Personal Finance - Books

Is the PRGF Living Up to Expectations?

In late 1999 the IMF established the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) to integrate the objectives of poverty reduction and growth more fully into its operations for the poorest countries, and to base these operations on national poverty reduction strategies prepared by the country with broad participation of key stakeholders. A review of the program would be conducted two years later. This paper synthesizes two papers prepared by IMF staff: Review of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility: Issues and Options, and Review of the Key Features of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility: Staff Analyses. The paper draws on a broad range of internal and external views gathered between July 2001 and February 2002, including discussions at regional forums, meetings with donor government officials and representatives of civil society organizations, and comments of key officials in member countries with PRGF arrangements.

Software for People

Business & Personal Finance

The highly competitive and globalized software market is creating pressure on software companies. Given the current boundary conditions, it is critical to continuously increase time-to-market and reduce development costs. In parallel, driven by private life experiences with mobile computing devices, the World Wide Web and software-based services, peoples’ general expectations with regards to software are growing. They expect software that is simple and joyful to use. In the light of the changes that have taken place in recent years, software companies need to fundamentally reconsider the way they develop and deliver software to their customers. This book introduces fundamentals, trends and best practices in the software industry from a threefold perspective which equally takes into account design, management, and development of software. It demonstrates how cross-functional integration can be leveraged by software companies to successfully build software for people. Professionals from business and academia give an overview on state-of-the-art knowledge and report on key insights from their real-life experience. They provide guidance and hands-on recommendation on how to create winning products. This combined perspective fosters the transfer of knowledge between research and practice and offers a high practical value for both sides. The book targets both, practitioners and academics looking for successfully building software in the future. It is directed at Managing Directors of software companies, Software Project Managers, Product Managers and Designers, Software Developers as well as academics and students in the area of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), and Innovation Management.

Think Like Sherlock

Business & Personal Finance

Instantly have flashes of genius, solve mysteries, read people’s minds, and size up situations. Well, sort of...Sherlock Holmes, famous detective of 221 Baker Street, is one of literature’s most beloved figures. Why? Because he is able to unravel a complex story from simple observation, perception, creative thinking, and problem-solving. No book can make you Sherlock. But this book can teach you his most practical tactics and introduce you to the building blocks of what it takes to be a famous detective. Sharpen your judgment and instincts for better decisions.Think Like Sherlock is as close as you’ll get to thinking like a sleuth. There are references and case studies sprinkled throughout to illustrate just how you can improve your thinking habits to not only solve the mysteries in your life, but approach life with analysis, care, and creativity.You’ll find a plethora of techniques and illustrative examples. No other book provides you with such a clear blueprint of the skills you need to think with clarity and understand what really matters.Learn everyday deductive reasoning to decipher the events in your life.Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.Techniques from a wide range of disciplines to solve problems.•How to shift your perspective and open up a new world of thought.•The process of observation and deduction, and how to works on an everyday basis. •How altered states of consciousness contribute to clear thinking and how Einstein and Salvador Dali took advantage of this.How to systematically and consistently think outside the box.•Critical thinking and why you shouldn’t take things or people at face value.•How to invert, reverse, substitute, adapt, magnify, minimize, lateral, and distance (and more…) your thinking for flashes of genius.•Learn how to use reverse brainstorming and the Fishbone technique to solve the ‘crimes’ in your life.Sherlock sees the world for what it is, underneath the mask and facade - and so can you.

Los ministros del diablo

Business & Personal Finance

La Revolución de 1952 elevó al máximo dirigente sindical minero al rango de ministro de Estado. Pero el cambio semántico de "mineros" a "ministros" evoca también la subordinación de los mineros a la deidad diabólica del subsuelo, que los convierte en verdaderos ministros del diablo. Para ellos, la extracción minera es una actividad ritualizada, auténtica peregrinación y recorrido iniciático que fusiona el cristianismo sincrético de los Andes con antiguas prácticas chamánicas: poseído por la deidad diabólica de las velas, el propio minero se vuelve diablo y se une sexualmente a la mina para producir mineral. Este libro, resultado de una larga investigación de campo en las míticas minas de plata de Potosí, explora el sentido del trabajo extractivo para los mineros e indaga las articulaciones entre el universo religioso y otros parámetros de la experiencia minera (relaciones de trabajo, cambios tecnológicos, configuraciones identitarias y de género, así como las movilizaciones políticas) en un contexto en el que los poderes del diablo obrero dialogan en contrapunto con el mercado internacional de los metales.

Super Learning

Business & Personal Finance

Make learning: painless, exciting, habitual, and self-motivating. Absorb info like a human sponge.We’ve never been taught how to learn, and that’s a shame. This book is the key to reversing all the misconceptions you have and making learning fun again.Scientifically-proven, step-by-step methods for effective learning.Smart Learning is not a textbook - it’s a guidebook for your journeys in learning. It will show you the most effective methods, the pitfalls we must avoid, and the habits we must cultivate. This book is highly organized and addresses all phases of the learning process, from creating a positive environment, to the biological basis of memory, to learning theories, and more. It borrows from multiple scientific disciplines to present comprehensive techniques to simply learn more, faster.Master your approach and save countless hours.Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.Smarter, faster, and better ways to achieve expertise.•The physical and psychological pre-conditions to effective learning.•How our memory works and how to make it work for you.•The learning techniques that work - with evidence.•How to never need to cram again.•Why Einstein loved to play violin while working.•The learning mistakes you are probably committing right now.Outpace others, beat the competition, and get where you want to go in record time.

Teams

Business & Personal Finance

Teamarbeit ist heute ein gängiger Topos im Management und in anderen Bereichen des Lebens. Bis ins Private hinein spielt die Idee des Teams. Dabei haben Ansätze wie das gegenseitige Ergänzen, das Vermeiden von Fehlentscheidungen, die Nutzung von Synergieeffekten einen entscheidenden Anteil. Das war nicht immer so. Ursprünglich als tayloristische Arbeitsstruktur in den 1920er-Jahren u.a. bei Daimler Benz erprobt und in den folgenden Jahrzehnten mit stark autokratischer Führung weiter ausgebaut, erlebte die Methode nach dem 2. WK in den 1970er-Jahren einen neuen qualitativen Sprung. Später verschob sich der Schwerpunkt hin zur Mitbestimmung. Zu den Pionieren im deutschsprachigen Wirtschaftsraum gehörte Helmut L. Clemm. Helmut L. Clemm beschreibt im nachfolgenden Text das Wesentliche der Teamarbeit aus der Sicht des Praktikers für Praktiker. Dies war und ist auch ein wichtiges Anliegen der Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmethodik e.V.. Helmut Clemm sagt einmal, dass er nie diese Leistungshöhen im Betrieb ohne die GfA-Arbeit nicht hätte erreichen können. GfA- Arbeit bedeutete eine „ständige berufsbegleitende Weiterbildung an den Basics in Arbeitsmethodik und Führung im Projektmanagement und Teams – es war dieser menschenzentrierte Ansatz in der ansonsten so abstrakten Welt der Software- und Systeme. Alles wurde strukturiert und prozessorientiert. Durch die Redaktionsarbeit am „Der Arbeitsmethodiker“ arbeitet Clemm die relevante, auch internationale, Literatur durch und setzte sie in Beziehung zu seinen Erfahrungen.“ Davon profitierte auch die GfA. Helmut Clemm setzte dies in GfA-Abenden mit aktiven Mitgliedern und in Beiträgen um. Wenn eine Aufgabe im Bereich elektronischer Systeme besonders risikoreich aber von zentraler Bedeutung für den Konzern war, brachte Clemm sich ein. Im Konzern bekam er immer mehr Freiraum und konnte handeln wie ein Gründer eines Startup. Das Ergebnis war eine „diagonale“ Karriere vom Projektingenieur der Mikroelektronik durch alle Projekt- und Produktklassen der Softwaregebiete, durch mehrere sehr verschiedene Geschäftsgebiete bis zum Technikvorstand in mehreren Ländern. Seine Erkenntnis: Teamarbeit ist die Basis der Arbeit in den Büros und Labors bis hinauf zum Vorstand. Die Basics im Labor gelten bis hinauf zum Vorstand großer Unternehmen. Mit dem hier dargestellten WIR-Konzept konnte er unerreichbar geltende Erfolge verzeichnen. Auch die aktuellen Entwicklungen wie Homeoffice und Hybride wird in diesem Band berücksichtigt.

Informal Funds Transfer Systems: An Analysis of the Informal Hawala System

Business & Personal Finance

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been increased public interest in informal funds transfer (IFT) systems. This paper examines the informal hawala system, an IFT system found predominantly in the Middle East and South Asia. The paper examines the historical and socioeconomic context within which the hawala has evolved, the operational features that make it susceptible to potential financial abuse, the fiscal and monetary implications for hawala-remitting and hawala-recipient countries, and current regulatory and supervisory responses.

Samsung China: The Introduction of Color TV

Business & Personal Finance

Mr. Chung Yong, president of Samsung China Headquarters was considering a recent meeting with the marketing director who was responsible for developing a marketing strategy for the entire China market. The topic at the meeting was the marketing strategy for color TVs, which had been chosen as the flagship product for the China market. Samsung had to decide whether it should focus on the low or high-end market segment (or both), and whether to import or produce locally.

Ziran – Im Einklang mit dir selbst

Business & Personal Finance

In einer Welt voller Erwartungen, Druck und ständiger Ablenkungen wächst die Sehnsucht nach innerer Freiheit und einem Leben im Einklang mit sich selbst. Dieses Buch öffnet die Tür zu Ziran – einem uralten daoistischen Prinzip, das "von selbst so" bedeutet und den Weg zu Natürlichkeit, Authentizität und innerer Klarheit weist. Anhand von Inspiration aus Philosophie, Achtsamkeit und moderner Psychologie zeigt Zhao Jun, wie du die Kraft deiner Intuition wiederentdecken, gesellschaftliche Konditionierungen ablegen und deiner wahren Natur folgen kannst. Praktische Übungen, tiefgründige Impulse und alltagstaugliche Anleitungen begleiten dich dabei, Spontaneität nicht als Risiko, sondern als Quelle von Lebendigkeit und echter Freiheit zu erfahren. "Ziran – Im Einklang mit dir selbst" ist ein Wegweiser für alle, die den Mut haben, Masken fallen zu lassen und ein Leben voller Authentizität, Gelassenheit und innerem Frieden zu führen.

The Really Useful Literacy Book

Business & Personal Finance

Now in its third edition, The Really Useful Literacy Book is the definitive guide to the high quality teaching of literacy in your primary classroom. Written specifically for primary school teachers and student trainee teachers, this book offers inventive ideas for the classroom together with an accessible and informative summary of the theories that underpin them. It explores creative approaches to literacy teaching as well as offering a range of units on all areas – speaking, listening, reading and writing.While this book provides creative ideas that can be taken by teachers and developed for their own classrooms, it clearly explains the theoretical rationale for these ideas. It can also be used by school literacy leaders to develop whole school approaches and high quality teaching throughout the school. This accessible and engaging text will be an essential companion for all primary teachers, at any stage in their career, looking to motivate, engage and challenge their children in their literacy lessons.

Rougemont Fruit Nectar: Distributing in China

Business & Personal Finance

Gervais Lavoie, managing director of the Canadian-Chinese joint venture, Beijing Oasis High Nutrition Food Co., needs to decide what means of distribution is most appropriate for the company's newly-developed fruit nectars. The decision is complicated by the fact that different means of distribution have different implications for the ultimate pricing and promotion of the products.

Euro-Air (A)

Business & Personal Finance

A North America-based representative of a major European airline has just received a letter from an unhappy customer detailing a very large number of service problems. A quick check had revealed that this premium-paying customer's complaints were all valid. A meeting is planned with the customer. Before this, the airline representative must decide (A) what to say in response, and (B) what, if any, compensation should be offered. Internally, there was a need (C) to resolve what their organization should learn from this experience, both from a subsidiary and parent company perspective, and the implications on their participation in the "Crown Alliance". This case raises many important questions regarding service recovery, communications, and non-equity alliances.

Strategic Intelligence Pte. Limited (B)

Business & Personal Finance

Strategic Intelligence Pte. Limited is a Singapore-based research and media company. The newly appointed director of advisory services is considering the challenges in building the company's latest service offering. The company's strong emphasis on this new service is a departure from their previous strategy of attempting to develop its existing events, custom research and online information services in a relatively even manner. He needs to formulate a plan that will ensure the new service contributes about half of the company's revenue within the next year. This case may be used with Strategic Intelligence Pte. Limited (A), 9B01M032.

Vers une économie plurielle

Business & Personal Finance

Quel avenir se forge notre société ? Le chômage est-il incurable ? Les emplois « jeunes » du gouvernement socialiste sont-ils un nouveau cache-misère ? La réduction du temps de travail est-elle une action généreuse ou calamiteuse ? Faut-il écouter ceux qui ne jurent que par la libéralisation des échanges mondiaux, ou ceux qui ne croient plus qu’à la débrouille ? C’est pour donner du sens à « ce bruit et à cette fureur » du monde qu’il faut lire Guy Aznar, Alain Caillé, Jean-Louis Laville, Jacques Robin et Roger Sue. Pionniers, chacun à leur façon, de réflexions et de propositions novatrices sur le revenu minimum, sur le temps de travail et sur ces activités construisant une « économie solidaire », un « tiers secteur » ou un « secteur quaternaire », les auteurs proposent ici les lignes de force d’un projet économique et politique visant à dépasser la crise du salariat : ce qu’ils appellent « économie plurielle » est une façon de concevoir l’économie pour sortir du face-à-face entre l’État et le marché, afin d’agir concrètement sur le terrain économique, politique, associatif… Cet ensemble cohérent de propositions, déjà expérimentées, en France ou ailleurs, ne peut laisser personne indifférent. Ce livre en forme de débat - la démocratie se nourrit des différences - ouvre de nombreuses portes à ceux pour qui le capitalisme n’est pas un horizon indépassable.

Industry 4.0

Business & Personal Finance

Industry 4.0 is a challenge for today’s businesses. It’s a concept that encompasses the technological innovations of automation, control, and information technology, as it’s applied to manufacturing processes. It’s a new topic that recently emerged in academia and industry, with few books that target both management and engineering. This book will cover the new advances and the way to manage competitive organizations. The chapters will include terms of theory, evidence, and/or methodology, and significantly advance social scientific research.This book: Focuses on the latest and most recent research findings occurring on the topic of Industry 4.0 Presents the ways companies around the world are facing today's technological challenges Assists researchers and practitioners in selecting the correct options and strategies to manage competitive organizations Provides recent advances in international studies Encompasses the main technological innovations in the fields of automation, control, and information technology applied to the manufacturing processes Industry 4.0: Challenges, Trends, and Solutions in Manangment and Engineering is designed to increase the knowledge and effectiveness of all managers and engineers in all organizations and activity sectors Carolina Machado has been teaching in the Human Resources Management subjects since 1989 at University of Minho, Portugal. She has been an associate professor since 2004, with experience and research interest areas in the field of Human Resource Management, International Human Resource Management, Human Resource Management in SMEs, Training and Development, Emotional Intelligence, Management Change, Knowledge Management, and Management/HRM in the Digital Age. She is head of the Department of Management and head of the Human Resources Management Work Group at University of Minho, as well as chief editor of the International Journal of Applied Management Sciences and Engineering (IJAMSE). J. Paulo Davim is a professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He has more than 30 years of teaching and research experience in Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, and Industrial Engineering, with special emphasis in Machining & Tribology. He has also interest in Management, Engineering Education, and Higher Education for Sustainability. He has worked as evaluator of projects for ERC (European Research Council) and other international research agencies.

Great Wall Golf & Country Club

Business & Personal Finance

The newly hired director of human resources for a large golf and country club near Beijing, China has just presented her human resources plan to the company founder. At issue is whether this plan - in terms of recruiting, training and development, rewards and benefits - was directionally correct and implementable.

Business Intelligence and Data Mining

Business & Personal Finance

“This book is a splendid and valuable addition to this subject. The whole book is well written and I have no hesitation to recommend that this can be adapted as a textbook for graduate courses in Business Intelligence and Data Mining.” Dr. Edi Shivaji, Des Moines, Iowa “As a complete novice to this area just starting out on a MBA course I found the book incredibly useful and very easy to follow and understand. The concepts are clearly explained and make it an easy task to gain an understanding of the subject matter.” -- Mr. Craig Domoney, South Africa. Business Intelligence and Data Mining is a conversational and informative book in the exploding area of Business Analytics. Using this book, one can easily gain the intuition about the area, along with a solid toolset of major data mining techniques and platforms. This book can thus be gainfully used as a textbook for a college course. It is also short and accessible enough for a busy executive to become a quasi-expert in this area in a couple of hours. Every chapter begins with a case-let from the real world, and ends with a case study that runs across the chapters.

The Routledge Companion to Organizational Change

Business & Personal Finance

Organizations change. They grow, they adapt, they evolve. The effects of organizational change are important, varied and complex and analyzing and understanding them is vital for students, academics and researchers in all business schools. The Routledge Companion to Organizational Change offers a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the field. The volume brings together the very best contributors not only from the field of organizational change, but also from adjacent fields, such as strategy and leadership. These contributors offer fresh and challenging insights to the mainstream themes of this discipline. Surveying the state of the discipline and introducing new, cutting-edge themes, this book is a valuable reference source for students and academics in this area.

Tapie

Business & Personal Finance

En quelques années, Bernard Tapie est devenu un véritable phénomène de société. Il suscite la curiosité, l'enthousiasme ou l'agacement. Mais derrière l'image séduisante et dynamique du patron moderne du sauveur des entreprises du précurseur d'une nouvelle époque que nous montrent les médias, qui est vraiment Bernard Tapie ? Comment ce petit garçon pauvre, fils, d'un ajusteur de La Courneuve, qui racheta sa première entreprise avec... 1 F, est-il devenu le P-DG d'un empire de 42 sociétés qui réalise un chiffre d'affaires de 5,4 milliards de F ? Sans oublier le protecteur de l'Olympique de Marseille et de Bernard Hinault, ou l'animateur de télévision... Ce livre – première enquête de cette envergure qui lui est consacrée – en faisant parler Bernard Tapie, mais aussi sa femme, ses enfants, ses collaborateurs, ses banquiers, ses amis, ses ennemis, des sociologues, des patrons, tente de comprendre comment il s'est fait, comment il vit, comment il travaille, quelles sont ses techniques pour réussir et quelles motivations l'ont poussé à monter en haut de l'affiche. Objectivement, et en posant les questions qui intriguent tout le monde, l'auteur embrasse toute l'aventure Tapie, sans rien laisser dans l'ombre. Tiendra ? Tiendra pas ? Jusqu'où ira-t-il ? Quels sont ses rêves pour demain ? Voici Bernard Tapie tel qu'en lui-même, et, pourtant, c'est un homme inconnu que nous découvrons.

Uitblinkers

Business & Personal Finance

Uitblinkers zijn mensen die uitzonderlijke dingen doen: genieën, miljardairs, topsporters, rocksterren en beroemdheden. Maar waar hebben zij hun succes aan te danken? Niet zozeer aan een bijzonder brein of een verbluffend talent, zoals vaak wordt gedacht. Het bijzondere van uitblinkers blijkt vooral te zitten in wat ze meegemaakt hebben, hun cultuur, hun familie en alle eigenaardigheden waarmee ze in aanraking zijn gekomen. In deze fascinerende en vaak verrassende zoektocht naar de herkomst van succes laat Malcolm Gladwell zien wat iemand een uitblinker maakt, waarom sommige mensen succes hebben en andere niet. Hij onderzoekt waarin de carrière van Bill Gates en de prestaties van voetballers van wereldklasse overeenkomen; wat toppiloten en The Beatles gemeen hebben; waarom zoveel topadvocaten Joods zijn; waarom Aziaten goed zijn in wiskunde; en waarom het juist is om te zeggen dat de wiskundige die de stelling van Fermat oploste geen genie was. Briljant en vermakelijk, deze boeiende verhalen en voorbeelden blijven je bij en blijken keer op keer relevant.

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