2006-04-01,Kiymet Tunca Caliyurt and David Crowther,Globalization and Social Responsibility,Hardback,9781904303787,39.99,"Over the last decade the question of the relationship between organisations and society has been subject to much debate, often of a critical nature. The decade has seen protests concerning the actions of organisations, exposures of corporate exploitation and unfolding accounting scandals. At the same time ethical behaviour and a concern for the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance. The nature of corporate social responsibility is therefore a topical one for businesses and academics. There are however many different perspectives upon what is meant by corporate social responsibility and how this might be applied within organisations. This book explores some of these different perspectives based upon the experiences of different people in different parts of the world. There has been much written about globalisation – some of it positive and much of it negative. It is a subject which arouses definite opinions. Despite the fact that the word globalisation is part of the title of this book it is not our intention to contribute to this debate. Instead we use the word globalisation in its original sense to represent the ubiquity of the concern for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is the subject matter of this book. Specifically we are concerned with the social contract between an organisation and its stakeholders. It is apparent that any actions which an organisation undertakes will have an effect not just upon itself but also upon the external environment within which that organisation resides. In considering the effect of the organisation upon its external environment it must be recognised that this environment includes both the business environment in which the firm is operating, the local societal environment in which the organisation is located and the wider global environment. Effectively therefore there is a social contract between organizations and their stakeholders. Recognition of the rights of all stakeholders and the duty of a business to be accountable in this wider context therefore has been largely a relatively recent phenomenon. The economic view of accountability only to owners has only recently been subject to debate to any considerable extent. In the current environment there is a need to debate this issue and its implications. This book therefore recognises the international scope of the interest in corporate social responsibility both through the contributions made by the authors of the respective chapters, who come from various parts of the world, and also through the international importance of the perspectives offered by these contributors. In doing so the various authors demonstrate that corporations are a part of society just as much as each of us is as a individual. Furthermore they demonstrate that the issues and concerns are not local ones but are international is scope and concern us all. The contributions to this book provide a representation of the range of concern for this relationship and the range of topics which fall within the subject matter of CSR. Among the authors who have contributed to this book are representatives from every continent and from a wide range of disciplines. The topics which are considered in the various chapters are equally diverse. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2006-08-01,Daniel Stavárek & Stanislav Polouček,The Financial Sector in the Enlarging European Union,Hardback,9781847180209,39.99,"The present book is a collection of studies presented at the 10th International Conference on Finance and Banking which took place at Silesian University - School of Business Administration in Karviná, Czech Republic on October 19 - 20, 2005. All papers presented at the conference have been peer-reviewed and, consequently, the nine best papers that discuss issues corresponding with the book’s focus have been selected by the editors for publication in this book. In spite of the fact that the book is a collection of independent studies it represents a comprehensive and consistent work. All studies (book chapters) are tied together by common references. Through original research, the book will cover various aspects of financial and banking sectors in new EU-member countries, giving a comparison of their development to financial sectors of developed countries. Special attention is paid to prospective integration of the new EU-member countries to the European Economic and Monetary Union and the implications for national economic policies. Generally, the book we are offering gives very deep insight into the financial sector of new EU-member countries written by a very interesting group of authors. It combines young and promising economists with respected researchers living in new as well as in traditional EU countries and working in various ways with the financial sector. The book successfully pulls together theory and actual development of financial sectors in new EU-member countries. Moreover, a rich blend of applied theory and actual practice makes the book attractive for a wide spectrum of readers. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2007-09-01,"Cornelia Pop, Smaranda Cosma, Adina Negrusa, Claudiu Ionescu and Nicolae Marinescu",Romania as a Tourist Destination and the Romanian Hotel Industry,Hardback,9781847182685,34.99,"By the end of the 1970s Romania tourism was blooming and the hotel industry appeared to be strong and healithy... That bright period is still vivid in the minds of several generations of Romanians including the present politicians, whi believed that foreign tourist did not forgot their time spent in Romania, experiencing its bveautifl landscapes and Romanians traditional hospitality. In this respect, the book’s aim is to analyse the evolution of the Romanian tourism and hotel industry after 1990s until now. Does Romanian tourism reach the level of development from the golden age of 1970s? How well developed is the Romanian hotel industry? Has Romania managed to buid a country brand and differentiate with certain forms of tourism from other coutries competing in this area? By adressing and debating this issues the book Romania as a tourist destination and the Romanian hotel industry is must reading for practioners in the tourism business, like business managers, owners, consultants, corporate financiers, private investors and should also be of particular interest to academic community especially students in the business and tourism subject related areas. "," ""As one of the people who has edited this new book on Romanian tourism by Cornelia Pop, et. al., I have been most impressed with this volume. As a tourism researcher who specializes in rural, remote and non-pscychocentric destinations, I believe this book has done an incredible job of tracing the evolution of the tourism industry in Romania. It has presented historical, political, geographic, and economic factors that have ontributed to the slow development of tourism in this area of eastern Europe. The book is very well researched and documented. The depth of examples is extremely impressive. As one who has known Dr. Pop for several years, this volume is a reflection of her own qualities of perseverence and attention to detail. Clearly she is also surrounded by an excellent group of scholars. I am anticipating the publication of this volume and can assure you that it will instantly gain a place in our library"" —Dr. Mark J. Okrant, Professor of Geography & Tourism Development, Past President of the Travel & Tourism Research Association, Plymouth State University ""I found this book both interesting and informative. I believe it will create a lot of interest because of the timing of its publishing. This is a great case study that describes the evolution of the tourism industry in Romania at a time of great political, economic and social challenges. The mere fact that the author chronicles the transformation of the tourism industry before and after the country’s membership to the European Union sheds light on the forces at work that will continue to shape the country’s economy. The book allows the reader to visualize this evolution by the numerous examples and statistics that are available throughout the chapters. I was intrigued and impressed by the level of research that went into the development of this manuscript. The book is easy to read and follow. A typical textbook on this topic has a tendency to make the wrong assumption that the reader has a good foundation of the country’s tourism industry. This is not the case here. I teach a class on travel to new tourism destinations and this book will be appropriate to use as a required textbook. The students will have an opportunity to see for themselves the mechanics of tourism at a destination that is faced with unprecedented challenges because of all the changes that are affecting its people."" —Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, PhD, Professor and Chair, Indiana University Tourism, Conventions and Event Management Department ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2007-12-01,Maureen L. Mackenzie and Stuart L. Rosenberg,Emerging Business Theories for Educators and Practitioners,Hardback,9781847183675,39.99,"We believe that this book provides an excellent starting point for students to gain a greater appreciation of the range of issues that managers contend with in the business world. Each individual chapter offers valuable insight into a particular topic, yet in the aggregate, the book serves as a compendium for many of the emerging business theories. It is our hope that educators will find this book a valued tool as they help their students embrace the theoretical and to develop the applied. ","The book offers many benefits to management students and business practitioners. The content is topical and ground breaking, the text highly readable and engaging. The book provides the reader with a comprehensive discussion an important and interesting topics that anyone interested in the management discipline should know. -Brian Detlor, Ph. D., McMaster University The text will be particularly appropriate for business leaders, professionals and students alike and will be helpful for educators seeking a timely overview of the latest pressing business issues. -Dr. Kendra Albright, University of Sheffield It exposes the reader to some of the latest theoretical and applied issues facing managers in today's dynamic global business environment. Highly recommended for aspiring leaders who wish to better understand the opportunities and challenges facing the organisation of the future and gain an insight into the practical implications of recent theoretical advances in the field. -Dr. Ahmad Etbari, University of New Hampshire The editors have assembled a knowledgeable, clear and practical presentation of many of the complex areas of the field of management. This book is a welcome addition for teaching as it covers a wide range of theories and up-to-date practices from the world of business that can serve as a vital aid to instructors and lead to valuable insights for students. -Don Turnbull, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin. ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2007-12-01,Christine Geoffroy and Richard Sibley,"Going Abroad: Travel, Tourism, and Migration. Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Mobility",Hardback,9781847183941,34.99," Going Abroad is a book not only for scholars, academics and students who are interested in different approaches to mobility, but also for non-specialists who wish to explore and understand what lies behind the various forms of travel, tourism and migration that are central to today’s—and no doubt tomorrow’s—globalized world. If you are tempted by emigration, enjoy being a tourist, or just love the adventure of travel, real or imaginary, you can embark on a journey of discovery through time and across the continents to explore and reflect on diverse visions of mobility. The practical problems and the differing states of mind experienced by past and present emigrants to France, Spain, Morocco, Capri, Latin America, Canada and Australia, the impact of immigration on the host communities, and the reactions of turn-of-the-century French immigrants to Britain, offer contrasting and complementary perspectives. Along with the real and symbolic meanings of the apparently mundane act of crossing the Channel, stranger forms of travel are also explored: Filipino sailors who are neither at home nor abroad, backpacking across four continents, the real and the fantasized exotic in nineteenth-century orientalist art, and the sanitized utopias of today’s theme parks. Within an inter-disciplinary and a cross-cultural framework, the book explores the terminology, concepts and methodology of a subject which has become the focus of curricula in many academic courses. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-01-01,Ananda Das Gupta,Corporate Citizenship: Perspectives in the New Century,Hardback,9781847184351,29.99,"The international community has policy tools to influence business activity within and between nations, and to help ensure that globalization proceeds in a way that benefits all. These tools include legislation and regulatory frameworks, voluntary compliance with an agreed set of standards monitored by a third party, or self-regulation by businesses, often in conformance with voluntary codes of conduct. Balancing corporate investment with community investment is the way of the future. With growing public interest and concern regarding the sustainability of communities as globalization deepens, it will be necessary to show that the nations are working together to ensure that the activities of the business community make a positive contribution to the communities in which they do business. With all these points in the backdrop, the book aims at underlining the big-picture thinking on issues related to the roles that business can play in fostering a moral, equitable and ecologically sustainable world. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-01-01,"Gerd Grözinger, Wenzel Matiaske and C. Katharina Spieß ",Europe and its Regions: The Usage of European Regionalized Social Science Data,Hardback,9781847184344,39.99,"Europe is getting closer. So are European social sciences. However, this is easier done in theory development and central research questions. When it comes to data the mutual understanding is far from perfect, due to a lack of knowledge about the data bases of the respective countries and the EU in general. This is particularly true when it comes to the regional level. This volume will help to improve the insight into the rich stock of European datasets which cover any kind of regional information. Many institutions ranging from statistical offices to more academic research centres and commercial enterprises report their offerings with special emphasis on the regional level (e.g. European Community Household Panel, European Social Survey, Labour Force Survey). Central categories such as NUTS and LAU are explained and discussed. In addition, typical examples of socio-economic cross-border and multi-level studies highlight the power of a regionalized European perspective. Furthermore, information about special tools for such type of analysis is included in the volume. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-07-01,Niklas Swanström and Ryosei Kokubun ,Sino-Japanese Relations: The Need for Conflict Prevention and Management,Hardback,9781847186201,34.99,"Sino-Japanese relations are crucial for the entire East Asian region and beyond. With both countries among the five biggest economies in the world, and being highly interdependent, the bilateral relationship is of key importance not only for economic cooperation and prosperity in the region but in a larger global perspective. Moreover, Sino-Japanese political and military relations are central to the regional security of Northeast Asia. Any deterioration in relations has the potential to generate conflicts with far-reaching consequences. Accordingly, conflict prevention and conflict management in Sino-Japanese relations are of vital concern to the international community. In the past decade, however, the Sino-Japanese relationship has been increasingly marked by political strife and tension. While this has not escalated into military conflict and in spite of changes with the emergence of a new leader, Yasuo Fukuda, in Japan and a political reshuffle at the 17th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2007, future developments are difficult to predict. Historical grievances and differing interpretations thereof play a large role in sustaining political tensions, which are reinforced by mutually negative perceptions at a grassroots level and a noticeable lack of trust. Japan’s occupation of parts of China in the first half of the 20th century and according to Chinese a failure by Japan to issue an apology remain a key obstacle to any improvement in relations. Tensions over contemporary issues have strong historical linkages and it is clear that problematic political relations have sub-optimized the economic potential between the two countries as well as heightened suspicions of each other’s military ambitions. More positively, business communities in both China and Japan have been pro-active in advocating improved cooperation and also a large majority of the ruling elite are eager to improve relations. Given the complex history and current power relations between the two countries, cultivating such will by no means be an easy task. Nevertheless, the authors hope that this book will help further understanding of Sino-Japanese relations and so contribute towards the development of mutually advantageous relations – a necessity in today’s world order. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-09-01,David Crowther and Kiymet Tunca Caliyurt,Globalization and Social Responsibility,Paperback,9781847187628,19.99,"Over the last decade the question of the relationship between organisations and society has been subject to much debate, often of a critical nature. The decade has seen protests concerning the actions of organisations, exposures of corporate exploitation and unfolding accounting scandals. At the same time ethical behaviour and a concern for the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance. The nature of corporate social responsibility is therefore a topical one for businesses and academics. There are however many different perspectives upon what is meant by corporate social responsibility and how this might be applied within organisations. This book explores some of these different perspectives based upon the experiences of different people in different parts of the world. There has been much written about globalisation – some of it positive and much of it negative. It is a subject which arouses definite opinions. Despite the fact that the word globalisation is part of the title of this book it is not our intention to contribute to this debate. Instead we use the word globalisation in its original sense to represent the ubiquity of the concern for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is the subject matter of this book. Specifically we are concerned with the social contract between an organisation and its stakeholders. It is apparent that any actions which an organisation undertakes will have an effect not just upon itself but also upon the external environment within which that organisation resides. In considering the effect of the organisation upon its external environment it must be recognised that this environment includes both the business environment in which the firm is operating, the local societal environment in which the organisation is located and the wider global environment. Effectively therefore there is a social contract between organizations and their stakeholders. Recognition of the rights of all stakeholders and the duty of a business to be accountable in this wider context therefore has been largely a relatively recent phenomenon. The economic view of accountability only to owners has only recently been subject to debate to any considerable extent. In the current environment there is a need to debate this issue and its implications. This book therefore recognises the international scope of the interest in corporate social responsibility both through the contributions made by the authors of the respective chapters, who come from various parts of the world, and also through the international importance of the perspectives offered by these contributors. In doing so the various authors demonstrate that corporations are a part of society just as much as each of us is as a individual. Furthermore they demonstrate that the issues and concerns are not local ones but are international is scope and concern us all. The contributions to this book provide a representation of the range of concern for this relationship and the range of topics which fall within the subject matter of CSR. Among the authors who have contributed to this book are representatives from every continent and from a wide range of disciplines. The topics which are considered in the various chapters are equally diverse. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-12-01,Petr G. Chadraba and Reiner Springer,Business Strategies for Economies in Transition: Book of Readings on CEE Countries,Hardback,978-1-4438-0049-5,49.99,"The book of readings, Business Strategies for Economies in Transition, is a collection of papers describing various business issues as they occurred during the economic transitions in Central and Eastern European countries. The book’s sections are organized along the typical academic business disciplines – Marketing Management, Advertising, Finance and Banking and Human Resource Management. This organization allows professors from various disciplines to focus on articles within the area of their specific interest. The Maculan case is a multifaceted exercise. The scope is very broad, covering topics such as management, multi cultural environment, changing regulations, and corporate growth, to name a few. The accompanying Teaching Note gives some classroom guidance on how to approach this case. However, educators may find other issues in this case worth discussing with students. While the readings are from CEE countries, we feel that much of the material can and should be used when looking at other economies, be they in transition or in the process of economic development. There are many countries that are in one of these two stages. Many of the problems addressed in this book are relevant to developing economies. Any major change in the economic system, be that transition or development, impacts people. As such, the response of the population will directly influence the chance of a successful transformation. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2008-12-01,Daniel Stavárek and Stanislav Polouček,Consequences of the European Monetary Integration on Financial Systems,Hardback,978-1-4438-0068-6,39.99,"The volume consists of twelve chapters that represent updated and revised versions of papers presented at the 11th International Conference on Finance and Banking which took place at Silesian University - School of Business Administration in Karviná, Czech Republic on 17 – 18 October 2007. The chapters are arranged in three thematic parts focusing on exchange rates, financial markets and monetary policy. The purpose of the book is to identify effects of the European monetary integration in financial systems of original, new and potential euro area member countries. The book also aims to evaluate how different are the effects in countries at different stage of the integration process and how important are the implications for national economic policies. Although each chapter is originally an independent study all of them were selected by the editors in order to create consistent book offering a rich blend of well grounded theory, innovative empirical approaches, fresh ideas, and striking conclusions. Contributors include scholars, researchers, central bankers and financial practitioners from respected universities and financial institutions. “I highly recommend this book to everyone, economist or not, who want to better understand the enormous challenges that financial systems nowadays have to face, particularly in the context of the European monetary integration. One of the main advantages of this book is that it does not reflect the opinion of only one author, but instead, it presents the views of 23 authors, all academics and qualified researchers, working in well known universities and research institutions from different EU and non EU countries.” — Candida Ferreira, Associate Professor, School of Economics and Management, Technical University of Lisbon (ISEG-UTL) and Research Unit on Complexity and Economics (UECE) “Analyzing the consequences of the European monetary integration on financial systems is certainly a challenging task, but this book tackles it very successfully by presenting a rich collection of highly original studies on the most relevant issues: exchange rate convergence of euro-candidates, inflation targeting, portfolio choice, volatility, yield curve disturbances and many others, currently debated in finance, macroeconomics and political economy. The International Conference on Finance and Banking at Silesian University in Karviná is a well established scientific event where the hottest issues in the financial scenario are analyzed from an international perspective.” — Marco Mazzoli, Associate Professor of Monetary and International Economics, Director of CESPEM, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Italy ","“I highly recommend this book to everyone, economist or not, who want to better understand the enormous challenges that financial systems nowadays have to face, particularly in the context of the European monetary integration. One of the main advantages of this book is that it does not reflect the opinion of only one author, but instead, it presents the views of 23 authors, all academics and qualified researchers, working in well known universities and research institutions from different EU and non EU countries.” — Candida Ferreira, Associate Professor, School of Economics and Management, Technical University of Lisbon (ISEG-UTL) and Research Unit on Complexity and Economics (UECE) “Analyzing the consequences of the European monetary integration on financial systems is certainly a challenging task, but this book tackles it very successfully by presenting a rich collection of highly original studies on the most relevant issues: exchange rate convergence of euro-candidates, inflation targeting, portfolio choice, volatility, yield curve disturbances and many others, currently debated in finance, macroeconomics and political economy. The International Conference on Finance and Banking at Silesian University in Karviná is a well established scientific event where the hottest issues in the financial scenario are analyzed from an international perspective.” — Marco Mazzoli, Associate Professor of Monetary and International Economics, Director of CESPEM, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Italy ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-02-01,Darryl Reed and J. J. McMurtry,Co-operatives in a Global Economy: The Challenges of Co-operation Across Borders,Hardback,978-1-4438-0189-8,39.99,"In their efforts to internationalize in the emerging global economy, co-operatives not only face a variety of problems that are common to all firms, but encounter specific challenges due to their particular value commitments, forms of incorporation and organizational structures. These features of cooperatives are generally seen as a major source of competitive disadvantages and may cause significant trade-offs, forcing cooperatives to choose between living up to their principles of member ownership and control and remaining economically viable. Critics argue that such trade-offs signal the increasing irrelevance of cooperatives in a global economy. Advocates, however, counter that cooperatives may have unique competitive advantages which can be exploited in a global economy and that current trade-offs facing cooperatives can be overcome with the development of new international and transnational cooperative institutions and practices. Cooperatives, they claim, represent a much more sustainable and equitable form of production and may form the basis for viable, alternative approaches to development. This collection examines these debates about the roles of cooperatives in our increasingly global economy. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-06-01,Michele O’Dwyer,Marketing the SME: Innovation and Approach,Hardback,978-1-4438-0575-9,44.99,"Prior to the recent global economic downturn, Ireland witnessed a decade of unprecedented economic growth. Almost overnight, the country’s labour base was transformed from one where decades-long emigration was the norm to a new and dynamic paradigm incorporating net in-migration. A significant element in Ireland’s economic transformation involved innovative marketing strategies and the role of Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs). SME’s were major providers for new jobs and this research addresses the key determinants of their success. This volume investigates a wide range of sophisticated, diverse and market-efficient strategies as adopted by Ireland’s SME’s to ensure global success. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-07-01,Henry Langseth,European SME’s and Global Business: A Scandinavian Perspective,Hardback,978-1-4438-0983-2,34.99,"Globalisation has instigated huge changes in the competitive environment for business entrepreneurs, and both large and small firms now frequently operate in similar conditions. Most research studies in international business have tended to focus on the market growth and internationalisation of large-scale and multinational companies as opposed to the experiences of more small-scale enterprises. The research outlined in this volume is radical and different in this regard. Employing cases studies from a range of Norwegian-based SMEs (Small-to-Medium-based enterprises), this volume explores the diverse factors which influence the speed of entrepreneurial internationalisation and the significance of this development for both the entrepreneur and the government bodies which provide support to such businesses. Market advantage frequently accrues to those who enterprises who internationalise quickly and who are quicker than others to embrace both foreign markets and a more internationally-focussed signature brand or identity. This research outlined here is an important addition to the growing body of literature which analyses the forces influencing modern-day market internationalisation. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-07-01,Jagan Karade,Occupational Mobility among Scheduled Castes,Hardback,978-1-4438-0989-4,39.99,"The book discusses the educational achievements and occupational mobility among the Scheduled Castes in India, the group that is a large section of Indian population (called as Dalit), was deprived of their basic legitimate and human rights to live with dignity. The book shows that, the second generation of Scheduled Castes is highly mobile as compared to their fathers’ generation. It also attempts to measure the impact of Inclusive Policy provided by the Government of India. In this book, author found that, after the religious conversion under the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Mahars converted to Buddhism. Therefore, the Buddhist community is more aware about the occupational development as compared to other communities. Hence, the development of the Buddhists could be treated as an ideal model for all the Backward Classes in India. ","“In the present study, Dr. Karade has made a systematic attempt to establish an already acknowledged positive co-relation between education and occupational mobility. I am sure his present work would be well received by the researchers and readers in general as well.” - Dr. B.L. Mungekar, Member, Planning Commission, Govt. of India. “The work is completely ethnographic, which is invisible of Converted Buddhists. The present work is very important to all downtrodden people for their educational and occupational development.” - Dr. R.K. Kale, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. “The book has succeeded in understanding the social mobility of SCs by studying the occupational mobility through inter and intra-generational levels.” - Dr. Richard Pais, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore. ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-11-01,Karen Gough,Corporate Reputation and Competitive Advantage: The Case of SME’s in the Media Sector,Hardback,978-1-4438-1386-0,34.99,,,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-11-01,Jennifer Pike,Innovative Entrepreneurship: Key Factors in Product Development,Hardback,978-1-4438-1377-8,34.99,,,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-11-01,Ann Ledwith,Managing Innovation in SMEs: Product Development in Small Irish Electronics Firms,Hardback,978-1-4438-1375-4,44.99,"Innovating and developing new products is critical for the survival and growth of any small firm, but particularly for technology-based firms. This study of NPD at small Irish electronics firms makes two main contributions to knowledge. Firstly, the management of NPD at small firms is found to be different from that at large firms in several respects, including: NPD resources and expenditure, organising for NPD, NPD process proficiency, marketing and technical skills and proficiency, R&D/marketing integration, top management support, and, new product and market characteristics. These differences are shown to have implications for managers, policy makers and researchers. Secondly, this study provides a unique insight into the management of NPD in Irish firms and facilitates a comparison between NPD in Irish firms and those in other countries. Some of the key features of NPD in Ireland highlighted by this study are; NPD at large Irish electronics firms is mainly incremental, Irish firms are good at developing technically difficult new product but are slow to enter new markets, and, Irish electronics firms do not have well developed project management skills. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-11-01,Brian Healy,SME's and the Internationalization of Food Exports: Process and Procedure,Hardback,978-1-4438-1346-4,34.99,"Internationalization is a process in which specific attitudes or orientations are associated with successive stages in the evolution of international operations and is a key element of entrepreneurship. International retailing as a subject area is concerned with explaining the directional and motivational issues associated with the process in the retail industry. The Irish food industry’s role as an industry based on innovative and competitively priced products, produced using quality agricultural inputs through the application of the latest production, logistics and marketing technologies, means that even in the context of a likely decline in the volume of Irish primary agricultural production, the Irish food industry can be expected to continue to be an important contributor to Irish national income. By looking at the current business climate it is evident that internationalization is growing at a rapid rate. In today’s business environment an increasing number of firms realise that international expansion represents an opportunity to increase ones target market and also to achieve further growth. Internal and external factors may provide the firm with the reasons and opportunity and motive to go international. Internal factors provide the absolute advantage while external factors may provide the motives. This book identifies these factors associated with exporting foodstuffs into retail by conceptualising internationalization theory in a manner that accommodates the extra problems associated with the exportation of foodstuffs to retail. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-11-01,Jane Hession,Women in the Modern Workplace: Gender Barriers to Business Start-Ups,Hardback,978-1-4438-1385-3,34.99,"The primary focus of this research is to examine the process of venture creation among women in Ireland and the dynamics at play, which affect the nascent female entrepreneur as she embarks on this process. A fundamentally explorative study, this research addresses idea formulation, motivations for business start-up, the start -up process and the challenges or barriers explicit to the nascent female entrepreneur. This study examines three nascent female entrepreneurs who are in the process of business start- up in order to assess the barriers or challenges they have experienced or anticipate to encounter as they embark on this venture. The aim of this study is to propose a theory concerning the challenges and barriers that have the most significant effect on women wishing to enter the new venture forum. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-12-01,Sineád Hayes,Agile Development in the Irish Software Industry: Models for Change,Hardback,978-1-4438-0578-0,34.99,"This book is based on an innovative research study which devised a suitable change management framework for Irish software development companies seeking to make the transition from a more “traditional” software development process to one which is more agile and responsive. Utilising Kotter’s eight-step technique for organisational change as a basis, this research demonstrates how the incorporation of agile software techniques using the Scrum process effected successful changes within one of the world’s leading Electronic Design Automation (EDA) companies. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2009-12-01,Gregor Toohey,Experience and New Venture Performance: An Exploration of Founder Perceptions,Hardback,978-1-4438-1418-8,34.99,"Is an entrepreneur’s previous experience relevant in predicting the success or otherwise of a new business venture? Common sense would suggest that this undoubtedly be the case. Current research suggests otherwise, however. As elucidated in this volume, a business founder’s prior experience can have either a positive or a negative impact on the performance of any given start-up venture. This book aims to explore these inconsistencies through in-depth case studies of six diverse entrepreneurs. The research conclusions drawn during the course of this book differ significantly from much contemporary theory in the subject area that is entrepreneurial research. This book serves to shed new light on the importance of previous business-founder experience while also underlining the importance of context in the application of same within new business ventures. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-02-01,Gillian Horan,"""Show us what you’ve got"": Building and Managing Strong Brands in Ireland’s Service SMEs",Hardback,978-1-4438-1725-7,39.99,"Research has shown that entrepreneurship has a positive impact on productivity and competitiveness. In the face of the recent global downturn, the service sector remains a dominant force continuously creating a wealth of new jobs. Within this service sector, owners/managers are persistently building their brand and bringing positive branding experiences. This research addresses how owner/managers of Irish service small medium enterprises (SMEs) execute and manage brands. This is an area of study in its infancy and this book is a step towards providing evidence of the importance and relevance of branding to SMEs. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-04-01,Zarir Suntook,Learning Accountancy: The Novel Way,Hardback,978-1-4438-1948-0,39.99,"Libraries and bookshops around the world have displayed over the years numerous books on bookkeeping and accountancy. In the very first chapter of this book, therefore, the question is asked: why then write yet another book? The traditional approach has been to introduce double entry bookkeeping principles almost at the outset and then expound those principles with the help of examples. In this book, no mention is made of double entry until Chapter 5. The book starts by demonstrating in a clear and simple way the function of cash flow statements, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets. It then explains the crucial differences between cash flow on the one hand and profit and loss on the other. The reader is only then introduced to the logic and application of the rules of double entry. The book goes on to cover a wide range of topics, including, with numerous examples, financial accounting, management information and internal control systems in a typical accounts department. This book does not aim to produce ‘full-fledged accountants,’ but rather to help the layman and the aspiring student to gain a valuable insight into both the theory and practice of bookkeeping and accountancy. ","“A readable and no nonsense guide to accountancy and the accounting principles, written in a clear and understandable way. It would have been good to have had this book whilst I was training!” —Simon Robinson FCA DChA, Principal, Shipleys LLP “This new book, Learning Accountancy: The Novel Way by Zarir Suntook, is simply full of well explained examples that lead the reader easily into the basics of accountancy. As an interested novice with some responsibility for accounts, I find the description of a complete modern system presented in this way, very useful, and I particularly value the overall arrangement of topics which allows specific queries to be so readily accessed.” —Sir John Skehel, FRS, FmedSci; Former Director of The National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London “Learning Accountancy: The Novel Way is what it says it is and more. The simplification of accounting concepts is refreshing. Having personally persevered with texts which start with double-entry, this approach using simple examples starting with explanation of Cash flow, etc. is much appreciated. I look forward to publication and contemplate introducing this text as part of our course.” —Ed Robinson, Principal, Kensington College, Bloomsbury, London “This is an excellent introduction to the arcane mysteries of accountancy, especially because the author does not assume an unrealistic level of knowledge or experience on the reader’s part. He starts at the beginning and works methodically through both the academic principles and the nitty gritty of professional and commercial practice.” —Martin Frost, Senior Tax Manager, Shipleys LLP “This is a concise, practical approach on how to read, understand and produce a Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet and Management Accounts. The novelty is that, from the outset, it defuses any mystique perceived in the accountancy process, and enables the reader immediately to grasp the essentials.” —Jeremy Jacobs, Solicitor (retired) “A more logical way of learning book-keeping establishes the reasons for learning double entry before you have to master the principles. Recommended as an introduction to book-keeping not least because of its clear explanations.” —Sue Magee, The Book Bag, 2010 “. . . different from other books on the market. Zarir’s book demonstates in a clear and simple way the function of cash flow statements and profit and loss statements and balance sheets with numerous examples explaining the detail. The book goes on to cover a wide range of topics including financial accounting, management information and internal control systems in typical accounts department. . . . It is not intended to produce a fully fledged accountants but to help the layman or aspiring student or businessman gain a valuable insight into the theory and practice of book keeping and accountancy.” —Mr Brian Page, Mensa Magazine, January 2011 ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-04-01,Constantine N. Nana,Revisiting the Question of Imputation in Corporate Criminal Law,Hardback,978-1-4438-1919-0,44.99,"It is now trite knowledge that corporate criminal liability is laced with a large number of contradictions that seriously threaten its legitimacy. This book demonstrates that these contradictions may be avoided if courts consistently refer to an adequate mechanism of imputation. It proposes parameters for evaluating mechanisms of imputation and shows how an adequate mechanism may be determined. This distinctive book provides students and practitioners with an exposition of the current substantive and procedural corporate criminal law and considers other ways of regulating the activities of corporations than using the criminal law. It also addresses the distinction between internal knowledge and external knowledge with reference to pedigreed and non-pedigreed rules and shows how the concept of discursive dilemma may be employed to aggregate the acts and intents of agents for the purposes of imputing these acts and intents to accused corporations and holding them liable. This book is highly recommended for students of criminology, law and business. It should also be of interest to defence counsels, prosecutors and regulatory agencies that either represent and advise corporate defendants or seek to hold corporations accountable for the breach of criminal law standards. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-05-01,Charles V. Balch,Internet Survey Methodology,Hardback,978-1-4438-1982-4,34.99,"This book provides the understandings needed for researchers to develop scientifically validated internet survey methods. Except by chance, inaccurate data will provide results that have little or no validity or reliability. ‘Garbage In Garbage Out’ (GIGO) is a term commonly used in the computer industry to remind us that, if the data being analyzed are incorrect, the result will likewise be incorrect. While no survey design system can correct for improper sampling or poor item construction, it is essential to have a survey platform that allows for and supports best practices in presentation, sampling, data collection, and analysis—all as supported by research. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-05-01,Caroline Lipovsky,Negotiating Solidarity: A Social-Linguistic Approach to Job Interviews,Hardback,978-1-4438-1991-6,34.99,"Negotiating Solidarity: A Social-Linguistic Approach to Job Interviews explores the linguistic co-construction of self-presentation in job interviews. It shows how candidates construct their professional identities, and establish co-membership and build rapport with their interviewers. Specifically, it illustrates how candidates enact their professional expertise and put their qualities forward, and highlights the linguistic features that succeed (or fail) to make a good impression on interviewers. Using extracts from authentic job interviews, Lipovsky illustrates the influence of candidates’ communicative styles on the impression they make on their interviewers, and the part that candidates’ semantic and lexico-grammatical choices play in defining the personal affinity between interviewer and candidate, and consequently in the hiring decision. ","""...This is a very interesting and useful monograph. It is written in clear, accessible prose. Lipovsky compares her findings to those reported in the popular literature on job interviews, which aim to help jobseekers achieve success, and concludes with the hope that her book will contribute to this same enterprise. Negotiating Solidarity: A Social Linguistic Approach to Job Interviews is therefore an example of an academic book that will have a readership beyond academia. Within academic circles, it will be of interest to researchers working with systemic functional analysis, face, and politeness theories."" Laura Cullahan, The City College of the City University of New York in The Linguist List 22.2871, July 2011 ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-05-05,Diane Poulin and Sébastien Tran ,Information and Communication Technology and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: From Theory to Practice,Hardback,978-1-4438-1326-6,34.99,"The arrival of Information and Communication Technology may play a role in restoring competitiveness, since these technologies are also a factor in relaxing the constraints specific to SMEs. ICT makes a number of services possible in a large range of processes and transactions within and between companies. Internally, ICT applications can improve knowledge and information management practices; they can also allow more rapid and more reliable transactions between businesses (B2B) and between businesses and consumers (B2C). They are equally quite effective in improving external business communications and service quality for both new and existing clients. They also appear to be a source of competitive advantage for SMEs under certain conditions. Few studies have focused on the ways that SMEs can use ICT to improve and defend their competitive positions. This book provides a synthesis of the advantages of ICT for SMEs. Seven chapter illustrate the technologies used in such companies. Each of these chapters provides a theoretical and/or practical view of the way that SMEs can use ICT. This book is an indispensable reference for both academics and for practitioners. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-06-01,Raffaele Filieri,Overcoming Knowledge Sharing Barriers through Communities of Practice: Empirical Evidence from a Big Automotive Supplier,Hardback,978-1-4438-2069-1,34.99,"Managing knowledge for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and for accelerating innovations is widely recognized as a major source of sustained competitive advantage. The growing importance of knowledge sharing has fostered the development of a growing body of research in different disciplinary areas and in different sectors. The analyses of the barriers that obstruct knowledge flows are paramount for improving organizational performance. The researcher has analyzed the literature on this argument and he has found that knowledge sharing barriers can be grouped into three main macro-dimensions: socio-psychological, technological and organizational. The author has analyzed the predicting power of the barriers that make knowledge sharing ineffective and the subsequent relationship with new product development performance in a big automotive R & D supplier. Raffaele Filieri adopts both qualitative and quantitative methods in an innovative way. The regression analysis and the analysis of a firms’ proprietary process were used to measure the strength of knowledge sharing barriers on knowledge sharing efficacy and new product development performance. The social network analysis was used to map the intra-firm knowledge sharing network and to identify and to solve organizational problems. Through social network analysis, the researcher has obtained a better understanding of the informal work in the organization, showing how effectively engineers and scientists work, and how they structured their knowledge sharing networks. The recognition of a hidden network of collaboration has several implications; one of these is the creation of a community of practice for solving the problems previously identified. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-06-01,Tim Dare and W. Bradley Wendel,Professional Ethics and Personal Integrity,Hardback,978-1-4438-2128-5,44.99,"Professional roles are often thought to bring role-specific permissions and obligation, which may allow or require role-occupants to do things they would not be permitted or required to do outside their roles, and which as individuals they would rather not do. This feature of professional roles appears to bring them into conflict both with ‘ordinary’ or non-role morality, and with personal integrity which is often thought to demand some form of personal endorsement of one’s conduct. How are we to reconcile the demands of roles with ordinary morality and with personal integrity? This collection draws together a set of papers which explore these questions as they bear upon a number of different professional roles, including those of the lawyer, the judge and the politician, and from a variety of perspectives, including contemporary analytic moral theory, jurisprudence, psychoanalytic theory, virtue ethics, and contextualism, and, more broadly, from philosophy and legal academia and practice. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-07-01,A. V. S. Kamesh,Determinants of Productivity in Indian Science,Hardback,978-1-4438-2157-5,39.99,"This book is an organizational study of the social aspects of science in India focusing on the determinants of productivity of Indian scientists. The book describes the factors of productivity levels of organic chemists in India in the context of transformation from academic science to post-academic science, and more so, entrepreneurial science. This book considers new factors such as communication technology as an enabling tool to enhance the productivity levels of scientists, and indicates how the different access to the same could lead to/reinforce social inequality in the sphere of Indian science. The present empirical work is an outcome of a study of Indian scientists based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. This book provides an estimation of the relative contribution of determinants of productivity of organic chemists across different levels of organization in the Indian context, and examines their consequences upon the career pattern of scientists. The findings of this study are policy-oriented suggestions aimed at ensuring social equality among scientists in India. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-08-01,"Robert Crawford, Judith Smart and Kim Humphery",Consumer Australia: Historical Perspectives,Hardback,978-1-4438-2270-1,39.99,"Donald Horne’s The Lucky Country claimed that “Australia was one of the first nations to find part of the meaning of life in the purchase of consumer goods.” Significantly, similar views had been expressed in the late 18th century, where everyday life in the antipodean outpost of Empire was regarded as being pecuniary and acquisitive in nature. While references to Australia as a “consumer society” continue to be made, the question of how Australia came to be so has attracted less attention. The chapters in Consumer Australia actively redress this omission by examining the ways in which the processes of selling, buying, and exchanging have characterised the experiences of consumption in every day Australian life. Prepared by leading and emerging scholars, the chapters in this unique collection critically explore the different ways that Australians have consumed products, brands, and even consumption itself from the 19th century and through the 20th century. By charting the growth and development of consumption in Australia, Consumer Australia reveals how Australia came to be a “consumer society” and asks where it is headed. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-09-01,Yarma Velázquez Vargas,A Queer Eye for Capitalism: The Commodification of Sexuality in American Television,Hardback,978-1-4438-2279-4,34.99,"This study uses critical discourse analysis to conduct an examination of the reality television program Queer Eye. The goal is to help understand the manner in which the representations of queer culture in the show reinforce the binaries of sex, gender and sexuality. By investigating the evolution of Queer Eye this study provides insights into American popular culture’s understanding and depiction of sexual difference and evidences the strong link between these representations and the commercial interests of the producers. In the show Queer Eye, the male guests sell access to their lives for a makeover and in the process they are indoctrinated into new patterns of consumption. The identity of both the five main characters and the guest character is represented as a reflection of their aesthetic choices, and audiences are exposed to numerous product placements and advertising messages. In encouraging materialism, the show transforms the term queer into a commodity sign and redefines masculinity as represented through wealth and accumulation. Moreover, consistent with the stereotypical representation of gay males in American culture the queerness of the Fab is depicted as asexual and a form of aestheticism. ","“This volume is a must read for media scholars who seek to understand the commodification of masculinity and sexuality in the media.” —Youngrak Park, Columbus State University “This book addresses a matter of concern to all those who study queer representation in media. It makes a significant contribution to debates concerning the transformation of queer into a commodity and the representation of masculinity through wealth.” —Donna Marie Nudd, Florida State University ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-09-01,Niamh Desmond,Networking in Ireland’s Ethnic Enterprises: Entrepreneurship and Opportunity,Hardback,978-1-4438-2326-5,34.99,"Networking in Ireland’s Ethnic Enterprises: Entrepreneurship and Opportunity gives readers a thorough and up-to-date insight into the networking practices of ethnic entrepreneurs in Ireland. The book provides readers with a theoretical grounding in formal and informal networking and gives a comprehensive insight into research conducted on ethnic entrepreneurship in a number of countries. The book presents a solid grounding in the fundamentals of ethnic entrepreneurship, and gives readers relevant real life examples of how ethnic entrepreneurs in Ireland engage in networking. The book also highlights the motivations and challenges the featured ethnic entrepreneurs have encountered while setting up a business in their host country, Ireland. ","“...There is very little published on the topic of ethnic entrepreneurship in Ireland because the issue is relatively new to the country. Therefore any publication that sheds light on this area is warmly welcomed by a wide range of stakeholders. However, what makes Niamh’s work uniquely interesting is that the topic of networking within ethnic entrepreneurship, has an international appeal.” —Dr Thomas Cooney, Academic Director of the Institute of Minority Entrepreneurship, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland “This research makes a significant contribution to the area of entrepreneurship, specifically to networking practices of migrant entrepreneurs. It highlights the under-utilisation of informal networking in the Irish context, the poor involvement of formal networks and the reluctance of migrant entrepreneurs to participate in networking. The study is interesting as it explores networking in an Irish context, a relatively new phenomenon particularly in comparison to other countries such as Canada, Australia, the UK, Europe and the US.” —Tara Frawley, Lecturer in Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship, Department of Business, Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland “Networking in Ireland’s Ethnic Enterprises: Entrepreneurship and Opportunity contributes to the body of knowledge on networking practices in an Irish context and offers interesting insights into the importance of networking for businesses.” —Dr Natasha Evers, Lecturer in Marketing, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-10-01,Fredrick White,Community College Finance: An Analysis of Resource Development at Mississippi’s Community and Junior Colleges,Hardback,978-1-4438-2340-1,34.99,"This book explores resource development at Mississippi’s Community and Junior Colleges. It determines whether revenue generated from fundraising adequately serves the colleges’ needs. It looks at the various types of fundraising activities used to raise funds as well as the operational integration and organizational structure of resource development at Mississippi’s Community and Junior Colleges. Fundraising in a recession is not fun, but is necessary. As bad as this economic downturn has been for community and junior colleges in Mississippi, those who survive will have learned lessons that will prove invaluable later, whether times are good or times are bad. Community and junior colleges will have to compare strategies used by four year colleges for developing sufficient revenues from fundraising. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2010-10-01,Ronald Pierce-Lyons,The Home Entrepreneur Systems Model: A Grounded Theory of Home-based Business Needs and Practises,Hardback,978-1-4438-2371-5,39.99,"Written in plain English, this easy to read book chronicles a PhD student’s journey of exploration into the lives of everyday people who describe themselves as home-base business operators. It is a must-read for anyone wanting to experience a step by step account of a research project utilising Grounded Theory methodology. From an initial research question, it documents the research process through data collection and analysis to the findings which are presented in the form of a model. The Home Entrepreneur Systems model which emerged from this project considers home-based business as existing on physical, social, biological and psychological dimensions which interact with lifestyle needs of security, autonomy, balance, meaning and community. The model offers a systems approach to understanding human needs met through the operation of home business and introduces the concept of home entrepreneurship as a unique aspect of entrepreneurship theory. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-01-01,David Lea and Timothy Curtin,Land Law and Economic Development in Papua New Guinea,Hardback,978-1-4438-2651-8,39.99,"This book is devoted to an analysis of alternative land tenure systems in Papua New Guinea and offers a blend of philosophical, legal, sociological and economic approaches to this issue. The text is divided roughly into two sections. The first six chapters provide a religious, philosophical, historical, sociological and legal context in which to understand Melanesian culture and Melanesian customary land tenure, and its contemporary recognition within the country’s legal system. The early chapters review the historical approaches to customary land tenure from the pre-independence period up to and including the most recent amendments that deal with the incorporation of customary land owning groups. In these chapters we recommend that the present system be replaced with one that gives greater emphasis to formalized forms of private individual ownership and provides answers to various cultural, social and philosophical objections to such proposals. The latter section of the book demonstrates the economic advantages to be gained through the conversion of customary forms of individual land tenure to private ownership based on documented titling. The economic issues considered include the serious shortage of land for other than purely subsistence food production; the inadequacy of both food and cash crop production for export when based on customary land ownership; and the failure of the new Forestry Act to promote increased levels of sustainable production by Papua New Guineans themselves. The book concludes with examination of the scope for land registration in Papua New Guinea with reference to developments in Kenya that transformed customary ownership across much of the country into individual private ownership, and, in the Appendix, to the impact of the reversion from titled to customary land ownership across most of Zimbabwe after 2000. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-01-01,Ruhanita Maelah,Research in Management Accounting: Malaysian Environment,Hardback,978-1-4438-2584-9,39.99,"This book focuses on research in management accounting that uses Malaysia’s business environment as the scope of study. The motivation to embark on this publication was due to the recognition that although management accounting has received increasing interest from various organizations including government, businesses and educators, published documents that report findings from research in management accounting undertaken in Malaysia are still limited. The objective of this book is to address the gap by providing readers with five research oriented articles on management accounting issues, namely Performance Measurement Design in Service Organizations; Management Accounting and Control Systems in the Service Sector; Activity Based Costing; Intellectual Capital and Management Accounting Practices; and Customer Focused Manufacturing Strategy and Performance Measurement Systems. The articles are written by a pool of active researchers in the area of management accounting, and are expected to have high academic value. Each is complete with a literature review, methodology, data analysis and references. Even though this is the case, the articles have also been carefully chosen and edited for the general reader. This book is suitable as a reference for researchers, academics, managers, accountants, and policy makers. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-02-01,Julius Ary Mollet,Female Labour Force Participation and Economic Development in West Papua,Hardback,978-1-4438-2687-7,39.99,"This volume includes a considerable amount of material to provide a clear structure to a most wide-ranging and complex set of materials concerning female labour in West Papua. This is one of the most innovative and useful books published about the female labour supply in developing countries in recent years. This book provides an empirical analysis of indigenous and non-indigenous female labour and economic development in West Papua. Following a conceptual introduction, which critically examines the theoretical debates of female labour supply and economic development, the book is structured around four key issues of female labour which the author identifies as being the central determinants of female labour force participation and economic development. These key processes are: the women at work and development; determinants of female labour participation; employment patterns of indigenous and non-indigenous women in West Papua; time allocation of employed women and comparison of women’s employment before and after Special Autonomy for West Papua. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-02-01,Zarir Suntook,Learning Accountancy: The Novel Way,Paperback,978-1-4438-2675-4,19.99,"Libraries and bookshops around the world have displayed over the years numerous books on bookkeeping and accountancy. In the very first chapter of this book, therefore, the question is asked: why then write yet another book? The traditional approach has been to introduce double entry bookkeeping principles almost at the outset and then expound those principles with the help of examples. In this book, no mention is made of double entry until Chapter 5. The book starts by demonstrating in a clear and simple way the function of cash flow statements, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets. It then explains the crucial differences between cash flow on the one hand and profit and loss on the other. The reader is only then introduced to the logic and application of the rules of double entry. The book goes on to cover a wide range of topics, including, with numerous examples, financial accounting, management information and internal control systems in a typical accounts department. This book does not aim to produce ‘full-fledged accountants,’ but rather to help the layman and the aspiring student to gain a valuable insight into both the theory and practice of bookkeeping and accountancy. ","“A readable and no nonsense guide to accountancy and the accounting principles, written in a clear and understandable way. It would have been good to have had this book whilst I was training!” —Simon Robinson FCA DChA, Principal, Shipleys LLP “This new book, Learning Accountancy:The Novel Way by Zarir Suntook, is simply full of well explained examples that lead the reader easily into the basics of accountancy. As an interested novice with some responsibility for accounts, I find the description of a complete modern system presented in this way, very useful, and I particularly value the overall arrangement of topics which allows specific queries to be so readily accessed.” —Sir John Skehel, FRS, FmedSci; Former Director of The National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London “Learning Accountancy: The Novel Way is what it says it is and more. The simplification of accounting concepts is refreshing. Having personally persevered with texts which start with double-entry, this approach using simple examples starting with explanation of Cash flow, etc. is much appreciated. I look forward to publication and contemplate introducing this text as part of our course.” —Ed Robinson, Principal, Kensington College, Bloomsbury, London “This is an excellent introduction to the arcane mysteries of accountancy, especially because the author does not assume an unrealistic level of knowledge or experience on the reader’s part. He starts at the beginning and works methodically through both the academic principles and the nitty gritty of professional and commercial practice.” —Martin Frost, Senior Tax Manager, Shipleys LLP “This is a concise, practical approach on how to read, understand and produce a Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet and Management Accounts. The novelty is that, from the outset, it defuses any mystique perceived in the accountancy process, and enables the reader immediately to grasp the essentials.” —Jeremy Jacobs, Solicitor (retired) ""A more logical way of learning book-keeping establishes the reasons for learning double entrybefore you have to master the principles. Recommended as an introduction to book-keeping not least because of it's clear explanations."" Sue Magee, The Book Bag, 2010 ""...different from other books on the market. Zarir's book demonstates in a clear and simple way the function of cash flow statements and profit and loss statements and balance sheets with numerous examples explaining the detail. The book goes on to cover a wide range of topics including financial accounting, management information and internal control systems in typical accounts department. ...it is not intended to produce a fully fledged accountants but to help the layman or aspiring student or businessman gain a valuable insight into the theory and practice of book keeping and accountancy."" - Mr Brian Page, Mensa Magazine, January 2011 ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-02-01,Anastasios G. Karasavvoglou,The Economies of the Balkan and Eastern Europe Countries in the Changed World,Hardback,978-1-4438-2689-1,49.99,"The rapid changes in the economic and political climate of the Balkan and the Black Sea countries demand continuous adjustments in the mixture of the implemented economic policy in the area. Under this framework, there is a special interest to investigate the impact of the global economic reality in these economies, the importance of their integration in the European Union, as well as the foundation of various regional organizations that host many countries of the specific area. Taking into consideration the current developments within the European Union, the economic crisis that strikes the peripheral EU countries and the dispute over the credibility of the euro currency, economists need to enhance the effectiveness of regional development, to underline the value of FDI and entrepreneurship of the countries of the Balkan and the Black Sea, to assist the bank sector in order to support the level of productivity, to control the financial flows with the help of auditing structures and to exploit human recourses in order to achieve economical reforms in these countries. The current volume approaches, among others, the above matters and aspires to contribute to the further investigation of the possibilities and the perspectives of the economies of the region. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-02-01,Jamil Ammar,"Think Consumer: The Enforcement of the Trade Mark Quality Guarantee Revisited, A Legal and Economic Analysis",Hardback,978-1-4438-2686-0,39.99,"The availability of a wide range of branded products makes the selection of the right type of goods a difficult process. This is particularly true in the case of goods whose characteristics consumers do not have complete information about, which they can only learn about after purchasing (experiencing goods). A trade mark quality guarantee facilitates consumers’ choice by sending quality signals. It also enables a trader of branded goods to differentiate the quality of his goods from those of his competitors. Accordingly, trade mark protection is said to enhance economic efficiency, and thus the production of quality goods, and reduce consumer search costs. In order for this to work, however, among other conditions, the trader must maintain consistent quality over time and across consumers. Otherwise, trade mark protection will enhance artificial product differentiation, and thus distort competition. To date, despite its profound significance, the quality guarantee is seen as performing an economic function that trade mark law is ill equipped to deal with. As a result, this function is not enforced under trade mark law. Contrary to mainstream thinking, this book argues that the quality function of a trade mark should be recognised and enforced through trade mark law. What is at stake is far from insignificant: it is about bridging the ever increasing gap between the legal rationales for trade mark protection and the economic consequences of this protection in practice. The book is also about how consumers should shape their relationship with trade marks and what role law should play in constructing that relationship. By giving independent legal substance to the quality function, trade mark law encourages a trader to improve the quality of his goods instead of simply improving the persuasive or advertising value of the mark, which, in turn, enhances artificial product differentiation, increases rather than decreases consumer search costs, and distorts competition. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-03-01,Maria Nawojczyk,"Economy in Changing Society: Consumptions, Markets, Organizations and Social Policies",Hardback,978-1-4438-2699-0,44.99,"Economy is embedded in ongoing concrete social networks, and economic processes are increasingly international in character. Three interrelated processes are crucial for setting the frame of analysis for this book: globalisation, development of post-industrial societies, and transformation of European post-socialist countries. Within this framework the main issues are as follows: (1) Economies in transition: reliable patterns, imitation, local adaptation, cultural embeddedness; (2) Multiplicity of markets: commodification of life, new markets in old societies; (3) Economic behavior: households, micro-enterprises, local and global influences; (4) Contemporary polities, i.e. states, the European Union and global corporations. The stress will be placed on actors, relations and institutions as the driving forces of the above described processes. The authors of this collection, based on their empirical material, analyze very interesting socio-economic issues. These are: ethical consumption from the perspective of the moral economy and its connection to political institutions in Europe (and particularly in Hungary); the cultural context of consumption, both in the case of social networks in Bangladesh and of counterfeited goods on the Russian market; the new and old, individual and organizational actors in transition economies, for instance in Poland and Croatia; the new approach to corporations as global actors, stressing their social responsibility; the dynamics of managerial practices in the example of Russia; the influence of EU funds and policies on the Polish SMEs market; the cultural embeddedness of economic behavior, in the case of Poles working in the Scottish market and of entrepreneurs in Damascus; the retirement policy in the fast aging societies of Spain and Poland; and the emergence of the new markets, like that of health services, in Russia and that of the property market in Eastern and Central Europe. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-03-01,Marty Sanders,Looking at the Broad Picture: Smarter Software Development for Irish Companies,Hardback,978-1-4438-2397-5,39.99,"Companies change how they implement their processes and develop their products on a regular basis. It is not always easy for them to know what developmental changes are best, however. Looking at the Broad Picture: Smarter Software Development for Irish Companies is a story of how ten Irish software companies evolved in this regard during the last decade. Software, and how to manage it effectively, has now gone through several iterations. This volume describes some of these iterations and illustrates what happened to a range of Irish companies as they progressed from training to a newer way of doing business. Specific change-processes and the benefits of each are discussed here, along with suggested developments for the future. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-04-01,David Weir and Nabil Sultan,From Critique to Action: The Practical Ethics of the Organizational World,Hardback,978-1-4438-2839-0,44.99,"This book illustrates the application of ethical thinking to business, management and computing. The authors are not professional philosophers but lecturers, researchers and practitioners based at Liverpool Hope University (LHU) and other international institutes, who have a particular approach that will appeal to pedagogic and scholarly interests as well as to more general readers. Some of the authors are faculty colleagues at LHU, others are directly or indirectly connected with it through teaching and/or research cooperation. At LHU the ethical dimension runs through every aspect of its corporate life; it is embodied in its corporate mission statement that gives its teaching and research a special flavour, touching other people’s lives and professional practice. This book brings together some significant areas of leading edge research and scholarship in the context of engagement with communities of practice, locally, regionally and professionally, with international students, police, teachers, housing managers, ambulance workers, etc. Most of the chapters are based on the practical experience of the contributors but written in an accessible way. There is a strong intercultural and transnational flavour in this book. It is explicitly cross-disciplinary, and will appeal to readers from areas like organization analysis, computer studies and information systems as well as philosophy and ethics. ","“Containing a range of original and insightful inter-disciplinary chapters, Weir and Sultan’s From Critique to Action: The Practical Ethics of the Organizational World, provides a timely contribution to international debates about the extent to which organisational ethics can have global application. Covering the spectrum of industry, government, and military practice, the authors contributing to this volume eruditely explore discourses positioning high moral fortitude against pragmatic legal obligation. This important contribution is a must read for those concerned about the future of the planet, and interested in exploring the juxtaposition of humanity’s contribution to ethical decline alongside intense commitment to achieving sustainability.” —Prof. Kate Hutchings, Professor of HRM, Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Australia “Ethics has been covered in management, organisation and related areas, though albeit rather late. By it’s nature this is a critical issue, [and] this volume covers it from a critical perspective of a deeper level of a different order. It also has a multicultural and international orientation that is original as far as I know.” —Prof. John Burgoyne, Professor of Management Learning, Lancaster University Management School, UK “Superbly edited and engagingly written, From Critique to Action offers a new take on business ethics that is fresh and challenging. The book reveals the complexity and conundrums inherent in organizational ethics and demonstrates refreshingly the value of original ideas and deep research in guiding ethically sound practice.” —Prof. Charles Harvey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Newcastle University, UK “A fine exploration and many good answers on questions of ethics and management; a trend setting study on business ethics.” —Prof. Dr. Willem Mastenbroek, Department of Economics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Chief Editor of ManagementSite “This book is both timely and important. It manages to combine the rigours of good evidence based analysis with the practicalities of the real business world. It transcends national and cultural boundaries and gives us powerful insight into the dilemmas of the modern high speed data rich world in which we now all live.” —Margaret Exley, CBE, Chairman of Stonecourt Consulting “This excellent collection of readings adds considerably to our understanding of ethics, management, organizations and work. In particular the various chapters engage with the debate on ethics per se, offer excellent case examples of ethical dilemmas and provides insights into the objectionable underbelly of the global business environment. It should be on the reading lists of all programmes in business and ethics.” —Dr Steve McKenna, Associate Professor, Human Resource Management Director, Graduate Programs in HRM, School of Human Resource Management Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University, Toronto “This is a fascinating, and valuable exploration of ‘practical ethics’. Beyond the theoretical debate and abstract judgements that dominate this field, the contributors to this volume explore the ethical dilemmas that occur in our professional lives. While people-trafficking and money laundering face clear ethical challenges, here the lens is also pointed at, for example, performance targets for ambulance drivers, the branding of cities as ‘capitals of culture’, and attitudes of staff caring for the elderly. And can there be a universal ethic in a multicultural world? Managers and scholars will find these debates novel and engaging.” —David A. Buchanan, Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Cranfield, University School of Management “This book is a thoughtful treatment of ethics in a changing business world. Indeed, the book provides a unique perspective on integrating ethics and business. Various timely ethical business issues are addressed coherently, sensitizing executives to problematic practices and outlining possible paths to minimize the occurrence of ethical scandals and or the avoidance of questionable conduct. “Senior executives and managers, in general, will find the book useful and insightful. Researchers, too, will benefit from a current and comprehensive treatment of ethics in the business world and in scholarly conduct. This is a fascinating book which enhances our understanding of the necessity of ethical conduct and the centrality of ethics in the business world. It is a welcome addition to any library.” —Abbas J. Ali, PhD, Professor of Management and Director, School of International Management, Eberly college of Business, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania ""This is a book of its time. It addresses one of the most vital, yet under-researched elements of managment - the ethical issues and judgements of managerial practice. The authors address these questions head on, blending scholarly critique with issues of practical application. This is a brave book that uncovers many of the last taboos of management theory, critiquing dominant western thinking and 'its apprently ethics-free positivism', and offering an range of alternative interdisciplinary approaches that promise to stimulate scholars, teachers, and practitioners to reflect anew on the ethics of management."" — Prof. Sharon Turnbull, former Director of Research, The Leadership Trust Foundation ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-06-01,Ted Vickey,"Social Capital and the Role of LinkedIn to Form, Develop and Maintain Irish Entrepreneurial Business Networks",Hardback,978-1-4438-2904-5,34.99,"Online social networking services have eliminated the four walls of brick and mortar found in traditional networking and now provide global access in real time to entrepreneurs regardless of industry. This book presents a qualitative analysis of how Irish entrepreneurs use technology, such as LinkedIn, in the formation, development and maintenance of professional business networks and in so doing manage social capital. The objectives of this book are as follows: · Ascertain the perceived benefits of networking by Irish entrepreneurs; · Explore how Irish entrepreneurs form, maintain and develop their network and · Explore how Irish entrepreneurs use technology to manage social capital. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-06-01,Hiroyuki Nemoto,The Management of Intercultural Academic Interaction: Student Exchanges between Japanese and Australian Universities,Hardback,978-1-4438-2906-9,34.99,"As university student exchanges provide participants with increasing opportunities to involve themselves in different academic cultures, it has become crucial to gain a better understanding of cultural contact between academic systems and to recognise how exchange students with diverse academic backgrounds interact in a host academic context. This book provides insights into this research area by undertaking a one-academic-year ethnographic examination of six Japanese exchange students’ management of intercultural academic interaction at an Australian university, as well as analysing the impact of the structural arrangements of the student exchange program on their participation. In this book, the theory of language management is utilised alongside of the concept of legitimate peripheral participation and a socio-constructionist genre theory to investigate the cognitive and situated nature of the management processes. The theory of language-in-education planning is also applied to examine the policies and practices of student exchanges between Japanese home universities and an Australian host university. Focussing on Japanese exchange students’ responses to various academic tasks as well as on their everyday participation in class, the present study mainly analyses the students’ negotiation of norms, awareness and evaluations of contact situation phenomena, planning and implementation of management strategies, discontinuation of academic management, and the developmental processes of their academic participation. This study also investigates various types of tensions in structuring student exchanges among policies, practices, educational needs and goals of Japanese exchange students, their motivational investments, and accessibility of current exchange systems to the students. Based on the findings, this book provides important theoretical implications for sociolinguistic research and SLA studies by discussing the detailed mechanisms of academic management, and by reconsidering the importance of the integration of sociocultural perspectives into the cognitive processes of intercultural academic interaction. The theoretical inquiries which this study conducts will, furthermore, promote our understanding of linguistic minority exchange students’ management of participation in various academic contexts and suggest the ways home and host universities support these exchange students’ transition between the two different academic cultures. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-07-01,Erik Lövquist,Simulation-based Medical Training: A User-Centred Design Perspective,Hardback,978-1-4438-2946-5,34.99,"This volume explores the development process of a Virtual Reality (VR) and web-based medical training system from a user-centred perspective. It highlights the importance of user participation in this context by analysing two case studies concerned with the development of a VR and web-based medical training system for Spinal Anaesthesia. It illustrates the relationship between user participation and the development process of a VR and web-based medical training system. User groups, along with their input and degrees of participation and influence, are classified. It shows how a democratic arrangement between users and developers is beneficial and maybe even mandatory in order to utilise the users’ guidance efficiently. In this arrangement, the use of prototypes is instrumental in bridging the expertise and knowledge gap between users and developers. Reading this volume may aid other research teams developing VR and web-based medical training systems in deciding if, why and how to involve relevant user groups in the overall development process. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-09-01,Silva Larson,From Individual Wellbeing to Regional Priorities: Concepts and Measures to Assist Policy Makers,Hardback,978-1-4438-3175-8,34.99,"The understanding of subjective perceptions of wellbeing, that is, the perceived needs and current levels of satisfactions of people, could provide valuable information for policy and decision makers. It would allow for the mapping of the envisaged impacts of policy against things that people value and care about, thus providing information about the positive and negative potential of different policy options to impact upon human welfare. In this book, Dr Silva Larson takes us on a journey of explorations into the things that are important to people. She argues that an approach which takes into account both what people value most and how satisfied they are with the current state of affairs would assist decision makers with identifying perceived regional priorities. Further, she proposes and describes one such approach, that of using a quantitative composite value that combines both types of information, and demonstrates, using two shires in the Great Barrier Reef region of Australia as examples, how this can be done. The resulting “action lists” identify and quantify the unsatisfied needs of most importance to most people in the region, that is, factors that have high potential to improve the quality of life of residents, if restored. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-10-01,Francis O’ Donnell,Corporate Social Responsibility and Shell in Ireland: A Thin Veneer,Hardback,978-1-4438-3221-2,39.99,"Francis O’ Donnell is an ecologist and business graduate from the Republic of Ireland. His current area of interest is the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He considers culture a serious impediment to CSR’s potential to reduce social and environmental conflict in an Irish context. He is acutely aware that Multinational Corporations and national Governments often overlook stakeholder inclusiveness due to self interest. However, he argues that CSR offers those with business interests, social interests and environmental interests a space to come together and adopt better models to reduce conflict. His first book, Corporate Social Responsibility and Shell in Ireland: A Thin Veneer evaluates Shell’s stated commitments to society and the environment in Ireland. It also explores how weak regulation and political facilitation may have influenced Shell to act as poor corporate citizens there. He believes that the absence of proper frameworks to robustly evaluate an organisations commitment to wider society may result in some organisations adopting an à la carte attitude to CSR in general. He points to the lack of NGO’s in Ireland to monitor political processes and regulation. If the status quo remains, he believes that a platform currently exists whereby Multi National Corporations, especially those in the petrochemical industry, may perceive Ireland as a soft option to exploit business interests at the expense of key stakeholder groups and wider society as a whole. This book is useful in provoking discussion on these issues at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive levels. It can be used in courses on leadership, corporate responsibility, ethics, public policy, business and organizational behaviour. It is particularly suitable to classes which cover leadership, ethical decision-making, stakeholder engagement and change management. Key themes that emerge throughout the book include community engagement, the meaning of consultation with a community, the nature of leadership, the importance of planning, and ultimately the meaning of responsible behaviour in both a corporate and government context. The book deals with issues of relative power and accountability, and explores the boundaries of a company’s responsibilities to a community fractured by its presence. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-11-01,Harold Siow Song Teng,Government Policy and Critical Success Factors of Small Businesses in Singapore,Hardback,978-1-4438-3352-3,39.99,"One of the main economic players responsible for Singapore’s economic success is its small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs. Their overall success has helped propel the country and its people forward. From economic policies to politics, Singapore is a planned and regulated economy. Singapore’s economic success story is actually the result of a form of capitalism carefully calibrated and controlled by the government. An important element or aspect of good critical success factors (CSFs) emerges from the role being played by the government. The existence of good government or public policies that are pro-business is vital for the success of firms. Despite the fact that government policies and CSFs are widely studied in areas around the world including in Singapore, there is no comprehensive prediction model available to test if firms have potential to be successful or are more prone to failures. Much research investigates the non-financial factors contributing to success versus failure of small firms, but empirical tests of the predictability of these factors are less common. This book, which is primarily quantitative/ positivist in nature will attempt to fill this gap. ","“Harold Teng Siow Song’s fascinating book is an original contribution to the literature on the East Asian model of state-led economic development. Using Singapore as a case study, he convincingly shows that the conventional interpretation that the city-state’s phenomenal economic development due primarily to Western and Japanese MNCs and large government-linked companies is inadequate. Indeed, a key economic player responsible for Singapore’s economic success is its small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs. I strongly recommend this book to government officials, business people, scholars and students who are interested in a more comprehensive and balanced understanding of the East Asian model of economic development especially the nexus between the state and small business.” – Dr Lam Peng Er, Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-11-01,Suhaila AlHashemi and Richard Tzudiker,Workplace Emotions: Emotional Intelligence in Bahraini Management,Hardback,978-1-4438-3336-3,34.99,"When John Wilkinson accepts an invitation to help one of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s most successful companies, he does not expect a lesson from the Gulf Region’s leading expert in “emotional intelligence.” As his team works to upgrade the aluminum plant’s inspection process, John learns the value of emotional intelligence as he witnesses the first signs of cultural change in a corporation steeped in traditional management practices. This entertaining story introduces the reader to Dr Suhaila AlHashemi’s groundbreaking research correlating emotional intelligence and leadership styles in Bahrain. Question-and-answer dialog in the Socratic Method clearly explains concepts and conclusions applicable to business management around the globe. Together, our hero and readers learn the personal and social competencies that define emotional intelligence, the tools used to collect and analyze an individual’s EI quotient and management styles, and how EI can be channeled to improve personal and organizational performance. Workplace Emotions is the second in a series of business novels providing valuable insight into the Gulf business culture. A Cup of Coffee, by Dr Salem Al Ismaily with Richard Tzudiker, describes John Wilkinson’s entrepreneurial inroad into the Sultanate of Oman, and teaches how Arab culture and tradition influence management styles and business practices. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2011-12-01,Dinusha Dharmaratna,"Demand, Supply and Welfare Aspects of Pipe-borne Water in Sri Lanka",Hardback,978-1-4438-3384-4,39.99,"Water institutions establish the incentives, information, and compulsions that guide behaviour and influence economic outcomes. Water pricing policies that reflect the marginal cost of supply can bring about several positive benefits in the pipe-borne water sector including: 1) greater water use efficiency; 2) an increase in revenues that can be utilised to improve services; and 3) additional funds to enhance and expand the operation and maintenance of pipe-borne water supply systems. In order to design an appropriate pricing policy and bring about these positive changes, managers of pipe-borne water supply systems require an understanding of the determinants of water demand, supply and welfare changes. Further, the use of economic methodologies to estimate the effects of factors that influence pipe-borne water demand, supply and welfare in developing nations can assist water utility operators and policy makers to predict consumption responses to changes in water pricing. In turn, this provides important evidence for these decision makers to determine if price changes will result in higher revenues that can be used to fund critical infrastructure extension and maintenance. This is particularly important for developing nations where revenue constraints on water authorities can limit access to pipe-borne water supplies for large sections of the population. This book identifies under-pricing as the major problem faced by the Sri Lankan pipe-borne water sector. Recently, the water authority in Sri Lanka restructured its pricing strategy for pipe-borne water with the objectives of reducing water consumption and expanding the network. However, the success of the current pricing structure in achieving these objectives is uncertain. Therefore, to overcome the problems, this study examines the use of cost-reflective alternative pricing strategies for pipe-borne water distribution services. The book evaluates current and alternative pricing strategies for water against the criteria of efficiency and equity while maintaining the financial viability of the national water utility. In order to analyse the welfare impacts, understanding the demand for pipe-borne water by different user groups and the cost of pipe-borne water provision must be considered. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-01-01,"Joseph Callaghan, Austin Murphy, and Hong Qian",First International Conference on Credit Analysis and Risk Management,Hardback,978-1-4438-3467-4,49.99,"This book provides a summary of state-of-the-art methods and research in the analysis of credit. It thereby supplies very useful insights into this vital area of finance that has previously been insufficiently taught and researched in academia. The book, which includes an overview of processes that are utilized for estimating the probability of default and the loss given default for a wide array of debts, will be useful in evaluating individual loans and bonds as well as managing entire portfolios of such assets. Each of the chapters in the book is written by authors who presented and discussed their contemporary research and knowledge at the First International Conference on Credit Analysis and Risk Management that was held July 21–23, 2011 at Oakland University, Michigan, USA. This collection of writings by these experts in the field is uniquely designed to enhance the understanding of credit analysis in a fashion that permits a broad perspective on the science and art of credit analysis. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-01-01,Eric R. Severson,"Gift and Economy: Ethics, Hospitality and the Market",Hardback,978-1-4438-3383-7,39.99,"Is it possible to really give a gift? This may, at first glance, seem like a peripheral question for philosophy, which normally directs its attention to seemingly bigger questions. The dynamics of the gift move into philosophy from anthropology and sociology, but Jacques Derrida insists that this question belongs at the heart of philosophy. This volume takes up Derrida’s challenge to invest in the question of a gift, and the relationship between gift and economy. The powerful and corruptive forces of economy can wreak havoc on every effort to give or receive a pure gift. Each of the essays investigates some aspect of the gift, and the way economics relate to the sheer hospitality and generosity implied in the idea of giving. Is there a blessed economy? Must economics always operate in a sinister and exploitive fashion? What can be learned by the philosophical investigations related to this concept? There is something about the event or idea of the gift that cannot be entirely explained by the machinations of economy. In the giving of a gift something happens, if only unpredictably and rarely, that cannot be explained by the calculus that tracks the exchange of money, property, goods, debt and power. This excess that confounds the reduction of the gift to the dynamics of power and exchange is a source of creative fascination for a wide range of philosophers, including the collection of scholars who have contributed to this book. ","“Gift and Economy: Ethics, Hospitality and the Market is a timely intervention is what is proving to be a timeless debate in postmodern theory over the dynamics and aporetics of the gift. By re-examining the sources and extending the discussion to the question of the market capitalism in a series of incisive and well-argued studies, it sheds new and needed light on a central issue.” – John D. Caputo, Watson Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Syracuse University “There is a momentum that brings the question of the gift back around again and again. Gift and Economy is a volume that attends to this recurring mystery, which remains a truly fruitful question for philosophy and its boundary limit – theology.” – Richard Kearney, Charles B. Seelig Chair of Philosophy, Boston College “As the global economy continues to waste the life of the earth, the gift still surprises. So does this fetching collection, which draws the charismatic gift-concept into a lucid, variegated and accessible engagement of Christian priorities.” – Catherine Keller, Professor of Theology, Drew University, The Theological School; Author of Face of the Deep, and On the Mystery ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-02-01,Siope Vakataki ‘Ofa,Telecommunications Regulatory Reform in Small Island Developing States: The Impact of the WTO’s Telecommunications Commitment,Hardback,978-1-4438-3523-7,39.99,"This book adopts an approach of ‘mixed-method research’ with an in-depth qualitative comparative case study analysis triangulated by a quantitative statistical analysis. In particular, the book attempts to capture Small Island Developing States control variables in its empirical analysis, often omitted from telecommunications empirical studies due to limited data. Based on the smallest and most isolated small island states in the World, the research’s comparative case study analysis was conducted in five Pacific Island States (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu). The book documents the early account of domestic telecommunications policies in Pacific Island case studies deemed useful for future research. In addition, the book proposes concrete policy insights to Small Island Developing State governments, telecommunications operators, academics and relevant international institutions. The book attempts to link three different strands of academic literatures – namely ‘islandness’, ‘telecommunications policy reform’ and ‘international trade agreements (WTO)’ – through analyzing the political economy of telecommunications reform in an island economy context and the role of the fixed-rules of the World Trade Organization on the credibility of telecommunications reform. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-03-01,"Chris Perryer, Victor Egan and Brian Sheehan","Advances in Business in Asia: The Opportunities, Threats, and Future Trends of Businesses in China, India and the ASEAN Countries",Hardback,978-1-4438-3606-7,34.99,"Advances in Business in Asia examines current trends and issues facing organisations operating in a global business milieu. The book comes at a pivotal time when many businesses are emerging from the 2008 Gobal Financial Crisis, and are seeking a way forward in dealing with the opportunities and challenges presented by global capitalism in general, and China, India, and the ASEAN region specifically. The book is a compilation of selected papers presented at AFBE conferences. All contributions were double-blind peer reviewed prior to acceptance, and represent the contributions of eminent academics in their particular field of expertise. The Asian Forum on Business Education (AFBE) is a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to provide a forum of scholarly exchange in the areas of business, economics and management, with a particular focus on the Asia region. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-04-01,Tomas Davulis and Daiva Petrylaitė,Labour Regulation in the 21st Century: In Search of Flexibility and Security,Hardback,978-1-4438-3663-0,44.99,"The economic crisis has highlighted major shortcomings in the EU flexicurity strategy which, although suitable to tackle structural unemployment in a period of economic growth, it proved unable to stand the impact of the recession, which requires specific measures to maintain employment. Against this background, the authors of the present papers, which were presented at the International Scientific Conference “Labour Market of the 21st Century: Looking for Flexibility and Security”, on the occasion of the 370th Anniversary of the establishment of Vilnius University’s Faculty of Law, that took place on 12–14 May 2011, investigate the development of labour regulation in the 21st century, with particular reference to the relation between flexibility and security and to the need to strike a balance between these two elements. The contributions address the issue in a comparative and transnational perspective and provide some insights into the development of national models of flexibility and social security. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-04-01,José-Luis Álvarez-Galván,Outsourcing and Service Work in the New Economy: The Case of Call Centres in Mexico City,Hardback,978-1-4438-3738-5,39.99,"This book examines the impact of outsourcing on workers and their employment conditions in the new economy. To do so, the call centre industry in Mexico City is analysed through a large number of in-depth interviews with workers and managers, available statistics and visits to leading firms in the sector. The case of call centres is paradigmatic as it is often seen as a flag-ship industry of the new economy, rapidly growing and subject to high pressures for costs reduction. The Mexican experience is crucially relevant to understand employment conditions in a weak institutional setting where labour protection is low and business competition intense. Overall, outsourcing has gained popularity as a mechanism to deal with the uncertainty of increasingly challenging business environments. Nonetheless, the practice of outsourcing also raises important concerns. This book identifies those managerial practices which have a substantial impact on workers and their employment conditions such as: job designs; customer segmentation; non-standard contracts; intensified supervision; union avoidance; limited career opportunities; and strict social divisions in the workplace. These findings also suggest that a number of practices that were common in the ‘old’ economy are still dominant in the organisation of work in the twenty-first century. The book is a useful reference for scholars and students concerned with employment and labour studies, economic development, and globalisation. ","“Call center workers are the proletariat of the 21st century, and the rising countries of the global South are the economic epicenter of the 21st century. So, José-Luis Álvarez-Galván’s book could hardly be more timely, or more on target. Álvarez-Galván’s fascinating study introduces us to the invisible organizations, managers, and ‘infoproletarians’ who are creating the new world of commerce, information, and work.” – Chris Tilly, University of California Los Angeles “In the new global division of labour, the service sector and outsourcing have gone through dramatic changes: multi-employer workplaces have become one major mechanism to change capital-labour relations in favour of clients. The empirical analysis undertaken by Dr Álvarez-Galván for the case of call-centres in Mexico shows not only increasing segmentation and precarious labour conditions, but also increasing control of clients. The analysis allows for an interesting conceptual debate, and provides insight into new forms of collective responses by workers.” – Enrique Dussel Peters, National Autonomous University of Mexico “In Outsourcing and Service Work in the New Economy, José-Luis Álvarez-Galván gives original insight into the dynamics of the call centre industry, through detailed case studies of call centre subcontractors in Mexico City. This innovative study situates worker experiences within a sector in which day-to-day operational and management decisions are profoundly shaped by negotiations with client firms. Dr Álvarez-Galván sheds new light on how the responses of call centre managers to their clients affect worker experiences and working conditions, situated within the distinctive social and political institutions of Mexico.” – Virginia Doellgast, London School of Economics and Political Science ",Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2012-07-01,Robert Adam,"The Globalisation of Modern Architecture: The Impact of Politics, Economics and Social Change on Architecture and Urban Design since 1990",Hardback,978-1-4438-3905-1,44.99,"Taking the break-up of the Soviet Union and the entry of Russia, China and India into the global market as the start of a new era of globalisation, Robert Adam compares new developments in architecture and urban design with major shifts in the balance of power since 1990. Based on the principle that design unavoidably follows social change, politics and economics, this analysis casts a new light on recent architecture. Starting with the lead up to events in the 1990s, links are established between the global dominance of the North Atlantic economies, architectural style and a dramatic increase in international architectural practice. The widely-observed homogeneity of the global consumer economy is examined in relation to branding, tourism and international competition between cities, and parallels are drawn with universal architectural and urban types, iconic architecture and the rise of the star architect. Contrasting pressures to maintain differences are identified in the break-up of nation states, identity politics, targeted marketing and environmentalism, and these are related to attempts to reinforce local identity through architecture and urban design. Using social, political and economic change as a guide to new directions in architecture and urban design, the book ends by tracing the changes in global power revealed by the 2008 Western financial crash and its immediate impact on the built environment. By comparing past patterns of cultural influence, the book speculates on how architecture and urban design may come to reflect wider global trends. ",,Cambridge Scholars Publishing