The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.
(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)
Additional chapters on Austria, Belize, Ireland, South Africa, and Vietnam
The most comprehensive, authoritative text of its kind, the first edition of this invaluable reference guide has won a following among high-ranking military officials, influential corporate executives, and business school professors alike. This new edition, with its wealth of revised material and discussions of current hot topics, is proof that such a classic only gets better with time.
Customer Reviews:
Understanding.......2007-06-18
This is an excellent resource to assist those of us who live in the United States to better understand and relate to individuals from other countries. Behaviors are very often driven by culture. I use this with Homestay families when I place students from other countries in their homes.
A Quick Reference on Cross Cultural Sensitivities.......2007-05-19
I run leadership programs for high potential Fortune 500 women in NYC, Boston and NJ and I meet so many talented men and women from Eastern Europe, Europe, South America, Asia, South America and even Iceland. This book gives me a quick reference on business culture, mores, traditions and social culture. I know these get out of date quickly but it's sure better than not knowing and allows you to be more responsive.
Dubious advice at best.......2007-04-25
I lived in South East Asia for nearly 12 years including over 8 of them in Indonesia. From tiny villages in Java with just under 30 families to the skyscrapers of Jakarta, running industrial projects and developing business. I even gained a native level fluency of the language.
At no time during that entire period did I EVER find an Indonesian who would hesitate to tell me "no". They can say it, do say, and even have a few different words for it. The only time I've ever seen someone suck air between their teeth is when they've eaten something really hot.
It's naive to think a single book or individual can cover the customs of 60 countries. Having spent considerable time in one geographic region with my feet on the ground for years in nearly a dozen countries, I couldn't even begin to start to explain the cultural traits and habits of maybe four or five of those countries.
Find yourself a real cultural etiquette book that focuses on the specific country you want to visit, and forget this superficial treatment that looks like a rehash of every other general cultural etiquette book I've ever read.
Another inaccuracy .......2007-03-30
Perhaps many of the people who are rating the book so highly did not take the "cultural IQ" quizzes. I took the one for Spain, a country I have visited. The answers were correct in identifying the Prado as being in Madrid, but the last time I visited the Alhambra, it was in Granada, not Toledo (where the book puts it). That's quite a distance to move a major cultural landmark!
Kiss Bow or Shake Hands.......2007-01-12
Excellent reference book. Especially useful if you do international business of any kind.
Book Description
Now an insider takes you inside the incredible Disney service culture and presents simple, powerful concepts in a fun, memorable way.
Customer Reviews:
If only every company used these princples.......2007-01-15
I was in the process of introducing some new processes relating to dealing with our cusotmers, so I purchased this book. It is wonderful - and if you want a real treat attend the park after reading it. It will amaze you how this organization goes out of their way to EXCEED the customer's expectations. In the world today, it seems customer service is no longer a priority to some establishments.
This is a great book on customer service.......2007-01-10
I had read this book a few years ago and wanted to reread it. I realized I had given my last copy away to someone who really need it. They story is easy to follow and the lessons stay with you for a long time. If you work in customer service and really we all do, this is a great read.
Both Honest, and Dishonest, Just Like the Magic Kingdom.......2006-07-09
I can't give this book a one because it does summarize Disney's business morals well, BUT, it leaves out what is obvious, it's lack of respect for God. Disney, as this book shows, relies on pleasing the customer, not God. It's also helpful in that it does give some good business advice.
Here is a summary of the "keys" to the magic kingdom, so to speak (these are quotes):
1. competition is always who the customer compares you with
2. pay fantastic attention to detail
3. everyone walks the talk (every cast member [employee] is asked to help the guests [customers]
4. everything walks the talk [meaning all the products and scenery is to reflect Disney's care for the customer's happiness at Disney and with Disney]
5. customers are best heard through many ears [meaning through survey's and the letters they send to Disney]
6. reward, recognize, and celebrate [the employees if they do a good job, if not, lol, don't say anything (how nice)]
I have no clue where to put this since it wasn't one of the keys, but here it is:
-Always make eye contact and smile
-Exceed guest expectations and seek out guest contacts [whatever that means]
- Always give outstanding quality service
-Greet and welcome each guest
-Maintain a personal standard of quality in your work [and if it's personal it's automatically gonna be a good thing cuz...]
-go beyond the call of duty
-Demonstrate strong team initiative
-Communicate aggressively with guests and fellow cast members
-Preserve the magical guest experience [meaning?]
(And the above instructions are guidelines not rules the book says)
7. everyone makes a difference
This is a good book to read (tho not buy) to see how the how some secular business minds think and how it parallels the Bible's laws in some ways.
Seven Keys to Success.......2006-06-30
This is a fun book, easy to read, great ideas to make your business more successful and customer friendly. I would recommend it highly and it is a great tool for a staff training or retreat.
Customer Service 101: A Must Read for Your Staff.......2005-10-29
This is an excellent tool for managers. While a good manager knows the seven secrets, the presentation in this book reinforces what you know. The secrets are presented in a different format that makes you think of other ways to motivate your staff. What makes this book really stand out is it is an easy, interesting book to read. Most books of this type are presented in a boring, academic format...while this is presented through various characters...those we have in our workplaces. I would recommend this book for all managers...especially those first time managers.
Book Description
The world's most exciting, fastest-growing new market? It's where you least expect it: at the bottom of the pyramid. Collectively, the world's billions of poor people have immense entrepreneurial capabilities and buying power. You can learn how to serve them and help millions of the world's poorest people escape poverty.
It is being done-profitably. Whether you're a business leader or an anti-poverty activist, business guru Prahalad shows why you can't afford to ignore "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) markets.
In the book and accompanying CD videos, Prahalad presents...
Why what you know about BOP markets is wrong A world of surprises-from spending patterns to distribution and marketing
Unlocking the "poverty penalty"
The most enduring contributions your company can make Delivering dignity, empowerment, and choice-not just products
Corporations and BOP entrepreneurs Profiting together from an inclusive new capitalism
"C. K. Prahalad argues that companies must revolutionize how they dobusiness in developing countries if both sides of that economic equation areto prosper. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, his compelling new bookoffers an intriguing blueprint for how to fight poverty with profitability." Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect,Microsoft
"The Bottom of the Pyramid belongs at the top of the reading list forbusiness people, academics, and experts pursuing the elusive goal ofsustainable growth in the developing world. C. K. Prahalad writes withuncommon insight about consumer needs in poor societies andopportunities for the private sector to serve important public purposes whileenhancing its own bottom line. If you are looking for fresh thinking aboutemerging markets, your search is ended. This is the book for you." Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State
"Prahalad challenges readers to re-evaluate their pre-conceived notionsabout the commercial opportunities in serving the relatively poor nations ofthe world. The Bottom of the Pyramid highlights the way to commercialsuccess and societal improvement--but only if the developed worldreconceives the way it delivers products and services to the developingworld." Christopher Rodrigues, CEO, Visa International
"An important and insightful work showing persuasively how the privatesector can be put at the center of development, not just as a rhetoricalflourish but as a real engine of jobs and services for the poor." Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme
Customer Reviews:
Saving the World.......2007-10-02
The author loves his TLA's (3 letter acronyms)! I wish someone had told me how technical this book was; those with an MBA will get the most out of it. But I love Prahalad's outlook and creativity. Perhaps with a little advice I can take my ideas and come up with a formal business plan.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and anecdotal evidence is not proof.......2007-06-24
Last year this book became a best seller hit among the developmental community at Washington, D.C., to the point that all bookstores at Metro DC run out of it. With notorious and well publicized praising comments from Madeleine Albright, Bill Gates and the like, I bought it too, but just to discover all the frenzy was undeserved from the viewpoint of poverty eradication.
Undoubtedly Mr. Pralhad's research demonstrates there are plenty of opportunities to do good business among the poor at the BOP (bottom of the pyramid), for them to benefit from the products and services not available now, and for some of them to go out of poverty by becoming entrepreneurs (market penetration is always limited). I agree on these conclusions, as commented extensively by the previous reviewers, and without a doubt this book will become a reference in many Business Schools. But to assert that this strategy will eradicate poverty and bring development is plain sophistry. As Carl Sagan said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".
Why sophistry? Regarding the poverty eradication claimed by Mr. Prahalad I will try to highlight some of the main flaws in his rationale and lack of sufficient evidence:
1. Despite the consideration of several cases from around the Third-World, most of the discussion and arguments to build the framework are related to India, excessively. The conditions of the poor in Latin America are quite different, and often, they have better public services available to them. On the other hand, many African countries have worst conditions. So you can not reach valid conclusions based solely on a country with such unique cultural and ethnical conditions. For doing business the cases are fine, especially for India or China because they are such huge markets at the BOP.
2. Wealth creation is hugely overestimated. Poor entrepreneurs and their immediate family will undoubtedly benefit from these new economic activities, but the framework lacks an explanation about how these oases of welcomed capitalism will trickle-down to the rest of their neighbors and poor villages. The implicit assumption is that everybody at the BOP has to become an entrepreneur for this strategy to work, because by just having access to affordable consumer products it seems very unlikely that poverty will be eradicated. The proposed framework is just good for doing business and for the poor to have access to new services and products, but where is the sustainable "fishing industry" for the rest of the poor population? The cases are very unique, islands of excellence, and with limited potential for a population the huge size of the BOT to bail out of poverty in significant numbers.
3. The analysis lacks the historical, cultural, legal and socio-economical background for a given country or region, and this consideration is fundamental for a proper analysis on sustainable development. Even when Mr. Pralhalad correctly identifies lack of education, corruption and the size of the informal sector as barriers for development and doing business, he then oversimplifies a lot on how to overcome these key issues, and again, an isolated Indian case is used as the magic formula to solve the problem through information technology. In fact, at the end of Chapter 6, within the conclusions, he recognizes that the illustrations he provides "are but islands of excellence in a sea of deprivation and helplessness". As the development community knows well, these successful stories are very hard to replicate. In Latin America we have the outstanding cases of Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica. In Brazil, we have the cases of the Southern states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. All of them very developed as compared to their neighbors (in terms of income, education, health, etc.), but despite all efforts, no one has successfully reproduced these islands of excellence at a scale that makes a difference.
4. An example will help to understand how superficial the cases are from a point of view of development and poverty eradication. The Brazilian case of "Casas Bahia" lacks the consideration of the socio-economic environment of the country, especially the case omits to mention key characteristics of the financial and credit markets (for those interested in this particular case from the point of view of business, I recommend you read "Samuel Klein e Casas Bahia: Uma trajetoria de Sucesso", Novo Seculo, 2005, this is a real and really impressive business success story). Mr. Klein successfully, by trusting the poor, built an empire that today is still one of the few option many mid- and low-income families have to buy the first computer for their children going to college in Brazil. But, let's see why the market share for credit cards is only 4%, and why it is not a real threat for Casas Bahia own financial system as stated in the book, as well as why there is not much in here to help eradicat poverty in Brazil. Annual inflation today in Brazil is in the order of 3-4%, and the Brazilian currency, the "Real" have been steadily revaluating against the dollar for the last 3 years. However, interest rates in Brazil are sky-high, a legacy of the hyper-inflation times of twenty years ago. Interest rates for well-known international credit cards are 9-11% per month, which compounded translates to an annual rate close to 180%, regardless of whether you're poor or rich. Today retail chain stores of this type charge around 3% per month, embedded in the price of the consumer products, so the consumer doesn't know up-front the real price. This translates to a compounded rate of 43% per year. Often if you try to pay upfront, there is no discount. So where is the real benefit for the poor? Or are they just getting every day more indebted, and spending money on fat interests that they could have used to buy more or better food or better health services for their kids. I do not see where poverty eradication fits in this case. Obviously Brazil has a problem of lack of real competition in the capitalist sense; even the branches of American Banks doing business in Brazil charge these exorbitant rates. As a reference for the readers, you can buy a 30Gb iPod in Brazil for the "reasonable" amount of US$1,000, payable in 12 installments, and for the high price we also have to thank the federal government high taxes on almost everything. Coming back to the case, as an additional "benefit", you only can make the payments in person at stores of the retail chain, just to make sure the poor are tempted every month and come back for more when they are close to payback that debt. That's why there is a 77% of clients who make reapeat purchases as the book reports. Not surprisingly the case description mentions the criticism "that Casas Bahia simply exploits the poor and charges them exorbitant interest rates", but neglects to present a due explanation of why this is not truth, and simply disregards the cristicism.
5. Finally, Mr. Prahalad is extremely optimistic. At he end of Chapter 6 and in his own words: "I have no doubt that the elimination of poverty and deprivation is possible by 2020". This prophecy speaks by itself about the reliability of the analysis. And again, let's remember that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. All the book presents is anecdotal evidence, which is not proof as any scientist knows, and the framework presented has no predictive power, much less to assert that poverty will end by 2020.
Unquestionably an excellent business book, and a very innovative one, but just for that, business. That's why to me it only deserves 3 stars. On the other hand, not much value-added in there for doing real sustainable development across the board, as the author insinuates and some of the readers think, and certainly not much for real poverty eradication. For that outrageous addition to the book's title I took the other 2 stars. The "Erradicating poverty through profits" part of the book's title should be erased, so the book really deserves the 5 stars most reviewers gave to it (and as the previous reviewer rightly complained, the cases were really awfully edited for the paperback edition, even with repeated sentences). Definitely this book is not recommended if you are serious about new ideas for sustainable development. For a real book on that subject, read the recently publicated "The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It" by Paul Collier, though its scope refers mainly to very poor African countries, it is an example of a serious and proper approach to the problem of eradicating poverty. To understand the complexities of promoting development, you may also read "Making Globalization Work" by Joseph Stiglitz. These two books will clearly ilustrate why "The Fortune at the BOP" is not a book on development, and absolutely, no Nobel Prize is deserved.
Hardcover and tradepaperback are different!!!.......2007-04-13
Here is a note I sent to the editor after buying the tradepaperback version.
Your editorial staff has done something so dumb I am astounded! (Also really $%^& mad.) The hardcover and trade paperback versions of CK Prahalad - The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, are NOT the same. I assigned readings from this book to my class of 100 students. They went and bought the book and found that the case studies aren't there. On closer investigation I see that you shortened the case studies and renamed the chapters. Unfortunately the editing on the shortening is terrible and I simply can't ask my students to read such badly written material.
You did several things wrong
1) You sell two books with identical titles and covers, which have different content
2) You edited very very badly
3) You did this on an award winning book with high visibility
As far as I can tell there is no way for anyone to figure out that the content is different except in the very rare case that they own both versions.
This is a black mark on the Wharton name. What were you thinking?
-james
at last a pragmatic approach to develpment.......2007-01-09
Prahalad'book "the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid" demonstrates the importance to get the people we are "supposed" to help to get involved. The bottom up approach is in line with William Shaffeerly and David Bornstein books where the people are key to any lasting development. The top down approach a la Jeffrey Sacks are fine for the politicians but did not bring much results after all these years. It is time for a change in approach and the Nobel Price to Dr. M.Yunus is very encouraging.
Magical .......2006-08-29
FBP is an intriguing concept and the model can be scaled up or down in size in all parts of the world. The book serves as a wake up call to businessmen across the world.
Book Description
Case Studies in Finance links managerial decisions to capital markets and the expectations of investors. At the core of almost all of the cases is a valuation task that requires students to look to financial markets for guidance in resolving the case problem. The focus on value helps managers understand the impact of the firm on the world around it. These cases also invite students to apply modern information technology to the analysis of managerial decisions.
Customer Reviews:
for advanced level classes.......2007-07-31
This is a great book. However if you want to get the most out of it
1. You need to already know corporate finance- intermediate to advanced level.
2. This book has only cases. Only if they are discussed in a classroom setting, you would be able to learn something.
The extent to which you would learn would depend upon how well the Professor conducts the discussion in the class. I had a great Prof. for this class so I really applied whatever I learn over 3 semesters of finance.
WARNING-These are only cases, almost NO content.......2004-03-18
I bought this book to read outside of a class hoping to read through some really good case studies in finance, and hopefully apply several semesters worth of finance classes to some real world examples. However after receiving the book I realized that these were only cases, not case studies, meant to be discussed in a class. There is almost no content, and college professors would actually be better off building their own cases from current business publications.
Good Finance book.......2004-01-28
The cases in this book will make one think more than other books in this area.
Bravo to Bruner!.......2003-02-10
Case Studies in Finance and its instructors manual are absolutely the BEST of their kind in all the years I've been teaching finance and strategy. Bravo to Bruner! I've never seen an instructor's manual so complete. The At-a-Glance section has been very helpful when structuring a course design. Case Studies in Finance and its supplements are being used by the finance faculty at ESADE Business School, in Spain, as a guide to restructure their first year core finance course in the Full-Time MBA programme.
Excellent, made the subject practical.......1999-02-22
The book was excelleant, but I never knew if the answers I provided were correct, is there no model answers on the case studies that one could check one's answers against. I am a final year MBA student in South Africa with no real previous Finance experience and this book really assisted me in gaining a practical understanding. Please let me know about model answers
Book Description
As U.S. organizations continue to explore overseas business opportunities, they will be challenged to adapt to the new market's local characteristics, legislation, fiscal regime, sociopolitical environment and cultural system. Riding the Waves of Culture shows international managers how to build the skills, sensitivity, and cultural awareness needed to establish and sustain management effectiveness across cultural borders. This revised edition is updated with new research and statistics.
More than an encyclopedia of cultures and customs, this essential guide:
- Describes successful and failed cross-cultural business transactions of multinational organizations such as AT&T, Heineken, Motorola and Volvo
- Offers techniques managers can use to anticipate and mediate some of the difficult dilemmas of international management
- Uses country-by-country graphs, examples, and other comparisons to illustrate how different cultures regard and respond to various management approaches
- Includes a CD-ROM of graphs, charts, and exercises to help readers evaluate their effectiveness as a global manager
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding research results in clear & useful guide.......2007-09-19
I was surprised to have my horizons expanded greatly though I had initially expressed skepticism at another book on diversity. On the contrary, this one contains real, practical, appropriate cultural nuances and advice on particulars for many national and cultural traditions. I heartily suggest it as a cornerstone of a modern cultural analysis of the factors that can contribute to enhancing diversity. Even though a bit dated, their research still is valuable. I cannot wait for the next edition!
Essential reading for executives - and politicians.......2006-02-26
This book is deservedly already an international management classic, and should be required reading for anybody who needs to interact with other nationalities and cultures. Hofstede got there first with his classifications of cultural dimensions, but Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars' are arguably more compelling, and - more importantly - the book is both highly readable and replete with case studies. It gives American and Northern European business people insights into why their assumptions about what motivates people from other parts of the world are wrong, and why so many US-centered initiatives founder on the rocks of unrecognized cultural differences. Send a copy to the White House!
For Business Poeple and Managers.......2005-06-30
This is a shorter, and more condensed version of the authors' earlier book 'Building Cross Cultural Competence'. In this book, the authors' target managers and business people who are looking to understand cultural differences and how to deal with them in a variety of circumstances and situations. Each chapter begins with am introduction to one of the dimensions, a discussion of how the differences manifest themselves and concludes with 'tips' on how to deal, and how to do business, with the different culture explored in that chapter.
The authors use the same six dimensions of culture introduced in their earlier work (universalism vs. particularism; individualism vs communitarism; specificity vs. diffusion; achieved status vs. ascribed status; inner direction vs. outer direction; and sequential time vs. synchronous time), but they present these dimensions in a much more accessible and simple manner with more emphasis on what each dimension actually means for business people and how it affects business-related situations.
This book has become the reference for business people and managers in the area of culture. Simple and very well written without losing credibility; this is a book that will enlighten and guide any manager in dealing with people from other cultures. While in some ways it is a 'western-centric' book (targeted to Western - especially US - managers), it remains very useful for managers from other cultures since the authors have attempted to keep the examples and discussion culturally neutral.
A Great Introduction to Intercultural Understanding.......2004-05-03
At last from Europe, a clear, concise, readable explanation of the critical dimensions of international management. It places culture in a perspective that allows for applications internationally and within the diversity of single nations.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. is an international/intercultural human resource, management, and organization consultant and president of D.C.W Research Associates International in Kingwood, Texas, USA. He can be reached at dcwigg@earthlink.net
Riding the Waves of Culture.......2003-10-02
An excellent overview of culture and cultural differences. For a more specific look at Americans, read Working with Americans (Stewart-Allen/Denslow)
Book Description
International Financial Management combines the fundamental concepts of international finance with solid practical applications. This combination has made it the book of choice at a variety of institutions, including top business schools such as Wharton, Stanford, Northwestern, and INSEAD. Neither superficial nor overly theoretical, Eun and Resnick's approach offers a conceptually solid, yet still relevant, treatment of international financial topics that puts students on the right track to becoming effective global financial managers.
Customer Reviews:
Useless!!!.......2007-04-11
First and foremost, all the previous 7 reviews are not for this "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines". It's a shame that Amazon used the reviews for textbook itself without verifying the contents of the totally different "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines".
So disregard the previous 7 reviews and let's talk about this "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines".
This is supposed to be a companion book for a textbook published by McGraw-Hills Irvin, "International Financial Management" 3rd edition by Eun and Resnick.
However, this "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines" is useless!!! This is nothing but a bunch of glossary. And a half of the book is blank for writing notes. What a rip-off!!!
There's no outlines at all. No chapter summaries, no explanation of concepts. Totally useless.
I have used "Collins College Outlines" series (I rate them 3 stars) and "Barron's Business Reviews" series (I rate them 5 stars).
Never buy any of "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines" series.
Extra notes: textbook "International Financial Management" is now 4th edition. Another reason why this "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines" is useless.
Technical notes: "Cram 101 Textbook Outlines" is POD (Print on demand). No wonder quality of printing is inferior (Looks like a Xerox copy). And priced too high for this quality. For those who are not familiar with publishing industry--POD is used for ultra small quantity less than 100 copies. This is a telltale sign that book is not expected to sell minimum quantity (usually 3,000 copies) that commercial publisher is willing to commit to publish. Simply put, POD means inferior and overpriced books. A work of amateur.
The most disgusting textbook I ever read!.......2006-12-12
This is the most disgusting book I have ever read.
This not actually a textbook, but a bunch of statistical data. Authors even do not try to teach you, what they try is to make you familiar with techniques and tools used in the world. Yes, they do provide you with some simple examples, but do not teach you how to apply. They try to be concise, instead of being concise, they just ommit a lot of information and provide book references for you to search on your own.
If you want to get familiar with the most modern financial tools, you can buy it, but if your goal is to learn, get a profound understanding of concepts, train yourself, then look for another option.
The authors, from my point of view, just scholars, who do know a lot, but unfortunately, cannot teach and explain.
The book lacks exercises. There are some, but do not pretend to master swaps or hedging doing them. Book is just a statistical summary on current situation in financial markets, some theories, which of little value for a real job and that is all.
Do not pay for it, unless you are Warren Buffet. :))
Finance in Practice.......2006-11-10
The approach this book has on the International Finance topic is good. Some chapters have more theory than others which might be confusing for someone without a business background. However, the examples provided are excellent.
Boring.......2006-02-23
Wow...This book was boring and confusing. I got it for my international finance class and it is just really hard to follow. It was a waste of money.
Step-by-step guide from the master.......2002-03-10
This book set me up very nicely for a career in forex markets. Possibly the gentlest introduction to international finance, the book does not waste any time with implementation of the ideas, instead provides you with the requisite knowledge, and illustrative examples. I had the fortune of being taught the subject by the author (Dr. Eun), and so the book was fully utilized. However, other teachers would also find the book an ideal companion to course notes. In fact, the book is so well written, it seems like a tutorial. You cannot go wrong if you are using it for international finance courses. The book will also help you with preparation for the CFA charter examinations.
Book Description
Specific guidelines for making financial decisions in an international context
Learn how to make sound financial decisions in the multinational firm with Alan Shapiro's Eighth Edition of Multinational Financial Management. Shapiro provides a clear conceptual framework for analyzing key financial decisions in multinational firms-a framework that you can rely on throughout your career.
Keep up with current financial events around the globe.
The new Eighth Edition is thoroughly updated with enhanced discussions of the impact of China on the international financial system, current issues facing the euro, the debate over outsourcing, the political considerations underlying the debate over protectionism, the competitive devaluations during 2003, and more.
Make smart decisions.
Multinational Financial Management focuses on decision making in an international context. The text presents analytical techniques that translate the often vague rules of thumb used by international financial executives into specific decision criteria.
Learn how to take advantage of being multinational.
Too often companies focus on the threats and risks inherent in venturing abroad. In contrast, Alan Shapiro emphasizes the opportunities that are available to multinational firms, such as the ability to obtain a greater degree of international diversification and the ability to arbitrage between imperfect capital markets.
Examine real international financial problems.
Throughout the text, a variety of real-life cases and examples, including new mini-cases in most chapters, demonstrate how to use financial analysis and reasoning to solve real international financial problems.
Customer Reviews:
Verbose and Obtuse.......2006-11-14
I used this book for the first and last time in Autumn term 2006 with 28 foreign students in my Global Finance MBA course. When one wishes to make money by consistently reissuing new editions he has an obligation to update it at least minimally, (The Paul Samuelson Rule). In this case Greed is not good.
Hence, my exasperation when I open the 2006 edition of the book and on the first page learn that the currency of Belgium is the Belgian franc, the currency of Ireland is the pound,(Ireland's curency was never the pound; it was the punt) or that Germany still has the DM. Many of students lost points on a midterm because they thought the currency of Finland is is the markka. Shapiro in 2006 says so. On the next page he fails to mention Monaco; there are a lot of capital flows internationally through Monoco. And on that page Spain still has a peseta.Portugal has escudos.
The book also suffers from wordiness. I did like the key phrases section in each chapter; I thought at least that all key phrases would be included in the glossary but I could find all there. There is a certain obtuseness which I did find perplexed my students sometimes, who did not quite enjoy this book as I had hoped. We would not use it again.
I tried to contact the author by email with several queries but did not experience the courtesy of a reply.
Sometimes Wordy.......2005-08-21
This is one of the better books for a course in international finance. It has cases in the text, which allows the student to get the real world intuition of the topics that are being covered. This is not a text that only extends capital budgeting to an international setting, it also includes some concepts borrowed from international economics (e.g. purchasing power parity, interest rate parity, covered interest arbitrage, etc.). It also looks into some risk management practices that are relevant for multinational corporations. However, I feel that some topics could have been cut short and the author just wanted to add a few (hundred) more pages to the text.
Good Introduction to the Subject, in Some Parts too Brief.......2004-12-14
The book "Multinational Financial Management" is a good introduction to this rather complex subject. It is written well and contains a lot of examples and historical references. Some of the chapters in the second part are kept a tad too short though.
The book covers the main topics of international financial management, the environment of international financial management, foreign exchange and derivatives market and risk management, financing of multinational corporations, foreign investment analysis and multinational working capital management in 5 main sections.
I found most parts of the text to be very well readable and easy to understand. All concepts are backed up by examples and separate illustrations discussing a real event in more or less detail. This works especially well in the first chapters of the text covering the simpler concepts. Subjects like international monetary systems or country risk analysis (to just mention a few) are covered in great detail, and the required math, e.g. the formulas used for the parity conditions and the Fisher Effect, are illustrated with enough examples even for someone with little or no mathematical background.
The parts of the book covering derivatives is too short and the theory provided does not go deep enough in order to comprehend the more complex examples easily. Trying to figure out the mechanics of Kodak's Zero Coupon Australian Dollar Interest Rate/Currency Swap involving 11 parties, multiple swaps and currencies was no easy task after a mere 2 1/2 page theoretical introduction to currency swaps. There are better books for understanding currency swaps.
Other parts not covered deep enough were the chapters on international project and firm evaluation (covering subject like WACC and CAPM). With just this book, it is impossible to get an idea of the real meaning of these models and techniques. Too many details are omitted that should have been covered. Granted, these are more complex subjects, but maybe the author should have either keep the book focused on the main topics or split the content over two books.
Overall, the first part of the book is very useful, but the more complex subjects are not covered with the depth they require.
It does not get any better than this.......2003-12-01
This is a comprehensive and masterfully written book; all MBA students and anybody doing business in or curious about the global economy will benefit from reading this work. All the fundamental principles of the field are clearly described and extensive real-world examples and case studies are given in which principles are synthesized and analyzed to create a very understandable and thorough learning framework. The result is one of the best textbooks I have ever read. The complex subjects of exchange rates, international monetary system, currency forecasting, country risk, foreign exchange rates, currency futures and options, swaps and interest rate derivatives, translation and transaction exposure, measuring and managing economic exposure, corporate strategy and capital budgeting for the multinational corporation, and more are covered.
Quick shipping! great seller........2003-07-17
Quick shipping! great seller.
Customer Reviews:
Capitalism and the New World Economy.......2006-06-05
Stuart Hart is an author, instructor, researcher, and lecturer who has written many books and essays on strategic management and the problems/challenges of globalism in the world economy. His consulting services have been utilized by many large companies including DuPont, Hewlett- Packard, and Proctor and Gamble and he has helped these and other companies like them to develop a more Earth- friendly, poverty- reducing approach to solving the world's problems while still maintaining enough economic momentum to stabilize or even improve the bottom line.
The primary focus of this book is the important task that businesses face in the twenty- first century; namely, the task of expanding the world economy, helping third world nations emerge from poverty, and improving the environment. To many, this idea of companies helping other nations, promoting recycling and environmentally sound business practices, and making a profit seems to be one big contradiction. When most people think of business, we think of the bottom- line goal of earning a profit by whatever means necessary; everything else be damned. But like Hart points out, the reality of environmental issues is too important and too critical for business to ignore. And if the right steps are taken, businesses can not only improve the world and its people, they can also reap profits and other rewards in the process. Thus, not only is it the right direction to take morally, it is also the right direction to take financially and if companies move quickly they can establish themselves as leaders in the global marketplace and enjoy the many benefits that their initiative will bring.
Globalism has been one of the most heated topics in economic discussion groups in the past ten to fifteen years. Proponents of globalism feel that it is the best way to spread prosperity all over the world and eradicate a large number of the world's poor. Opponents, however, have been very vocal in their opposition to globalism, citing many key areas where they feel the earth and its people are worse off when large companies expand to other nations. These activists feel that globalism depletes the world's resources at a faster rate; leads to deployment of "sweatshops" and other inhumane treatment of workers; and does little if anything to alleviate the problems of economic distress, inadequate health care, and the like. But like Hart demonstrates in this book, the pro- globalists and the anti- globalists can and must work together to solve these problems. And he feels that private businesses can make this happen by utilizing present technologies that will produce more abundant goods and services, improve standards of living, and leave the environment unaffected and possibly even better than it was before. Hart is a strong believer that much good can be accomplished if companies will simply change their strategy and embrace the idea of global environmentalism and responsibility. New growth areas exist all over the planet and by integrating some of the new technologies with profitable solutions, companies can make money and make a name for themselves as corporate citizens on a world- wide scale.
Much of what this book talks about seems reasonable now that I have finished it, but I admit that I was a little skeptical at first. How, I wondered, could a company implement all of these changes, pay good wages to foreign workers, protect the environment, and still make a profit? It seems like a very expensive proposition but like the author demonstrates, it really isn't a far fetched idea at all. We have to remember that much of the population of the world lives in conditions that are almost completely devoid of any use of modern technologies. Introducing these technologies can improve productivity drastically- so much so, in fact, that it will easily negate the initial expense of establishing the technology in the first place. One example stated in the book is that of Grameen Phone and Grameen Telecom- two businesses that helped establish a cellular phone network in Bangladesh. Money was loaned to women living in the poverty- stricken rural villages so that they could become private entrepreneurs to sell mobile phone service. The loan money was used to purchase a cell phone and a solar recharging unit and the women were then trained and sent out to sell this service. This business venture has proven to be a great success, profitable in many ways. It has raised many people out of poverty, extended modern technology to people who don't normally have this luxury, and protected the environment through the inclusion of solar charging units. All of this was possible simply because a company was willing to take a chance, grant loans, and extend a useful service to a class of people who would never be able to afford cellular phone service using existing business models.
Most of the information presented in this book deals with spreading economic success to the billions of people in the world who occupy the bottom levels of the economic pyramid but what the author talks about can easily apply to other situations as well. Corporate stewardship and environmental responsibility are admirable goals for a company of any size regardless of whether its customers are economically well- off or financially strapped. Hart concentrates mostly on the problems of the third world because it is here that most opportunity exists and where most of the challenges lie. But much of what he talks about could be applied to anyone, including those at the top of the economic pyramid who consume a large amount of resources with little regard for economic or environmental consequences.
I like the way Hart writes this book. It is well- organized with boldface text to break up different topics/subtopics and with notes at the end of each chapter. I also admire the sense of optimism. Hart is convinced that this approach is not only the right thing to do, it is imperative that corporations take action immediately and if they do so and do it right, they will easily reap the benefits. The old ideas that profit is the number one priority, that humans are disposable components of any business, and that the environment is the concern of governments have all become outdated in the modern world economy.
Overall, Capitalism at the Crossroads is a very good book about business and its critical role in shaping the world economy. Conventional wisdom about what works and what doesn't needs to be tossed aside in favor of (as the author refers to them) "disruptive technologies"- business models that go completely against the established way of doing things and present a fresh perspective tailored to the needs of specific people and cultures that protects the environment and still earns a profit. All of this is possible, and Hart feels it is very important that these large, multi- national corporations wake up and adapt to the new world economy. It is not only economically profitable, it is a necessary part of economic sustainability and world stability.
The bottom line of this book could be summed up as follows: Companies that help other people and protect the environment will be rewarded in many ways, including bottom- line profit, improved living conditions, and a better environment for all. Capitalism is at an important crossroad and the path taken needs to be the one that promotes responsible corporate growth for the good of all.
A Classic.......2006-01-31
The book starts with a overview of the dominant position that is occupied by multinationals in today's global economy. Going by the definition of the term, 60000 multinationals produce a quarter of the global output of products and services. Yet they are owned by less that 1 percent of the worlds population and employ about 1 percent of the world's employable workforce. Meanwhile many of these companies in their race for short term earnings have sacrificed sustainable methods of production. In other words they have done irreparable damage to the earth's environment and created social tensions in many countries. In other words, the pursuit of economic gains is at loggerheads with local cultures and environmental interests.
Then comes the interesting hypothesis termed "The Great trade-off illusion". Earlier companies believed that a certain amount of pollution for example was inevitable and any efforts for its reduction will incur expenses for treatment. This is called "end of the pipeline approach" for treating pollutants. Similarly, large companies serving the top 800 million population of the earth's population adopted similar business models and products across countries and cultures. Two thirds of the population was ignored since it was perceived that this huge segment just cannot afford the goods and services offered by the multinationals.
The author offers a radical approach and introduces the concept of "Triple Bottom-line". How can companies win by offering goods and services that are culturally appropriate, environmentally sustainable and economically profitable. This is not wish or ivory tower theory, but a necessity and practically feasible path argues the author.
To serve the base of the pyramid (BOP) population, companies need to adopt disruptive technologies, incubate them in the BOP markets with appropriate functionality and price points. This also needs innovative business models. One should not look at what is bad ( corruption) or what is missing ( western style institutions) in the BOP segment, but understand and serve their needs through innovative products and services through appropriate business processes.
This is essentially a combination of Prof. Clayton Christensen's disruptive innovations ( The Innovator's Dilemma) and the concept of BOP ( The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid - C.K. Prahalad ).
In my opinion the main take away in terms of an excellent framework for business strategy is the concept of "Sustainable Value Portfolio". Defining the Organization's internal capabilities and external constituencies on the horizontal axis, and managing today's business and tomorrow's business opportunity on the vertical axis, we get four quadrants on which companies can operate. Companies typically operate only on the quadrant of internal capabilities and today's business. This is an approach of incremental improvements and greening. The other quadrant below the horizontal axis is the concept of "extended supplier responsibility" or Product Stewardship taking full responsibility for the product including its recycling, in close interaction with existing customers.
To win in tomorrows world, companies need to operate in and fully leverage on internal capabilities to introduce successful disruptive technologies that can cater to the needs of the un-served four billion population( that will grow to about 8 billion by 2050), or B24B, in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. Companies that understand all the four quadrants well and progressively plan their product portfolio are the winners of tomorrow.
Take the automobile industry for example. The author clearly brings out that till the 1970's this industry produced vehicles that polluted the planet with total disregard to fuel efficiencies. Then the focus shifted to emission norms and recycling of used automobiles. A huge opportunity awaits this sector in exploiting disruptive technologies like hydrogen fuel cells and simultaneously use such technologies to offer low cost transportation in countries like India and China.
The book then gets into a detailed discussion on the BOP realities and the right business models to serve this huge market.
A classic by any account, I personally rate it as one amongst the top 10 business books on my bookshelf. One can feel the author's sense of commitment, deep understanding of and a passion for the topic in every page of the book.
What Capitalism Could Accomplish.......2006-01-16
This interesting and provocative book synthesizes several of the most influential ideas in modern business and distills a new idea: that disruptive innovation at the bottom of the pyramid will solve the crises of environmental pollution, business stagnation and international terrorism at the top. No one can accuse author Stuart L. Hart of thinking small or of lacking imagination. His big ideas are all in place. The only missing element, as he freely admits, is one small detail: how. Capitalism must take a new course, and it's pretty clear what the new course must be, but Hart presents only a vague notion of how businesspeople are to go about turning his vision into reality. We recommend that business leaders read this book anyway, because it will stimulate your thinking about what might be possible. Maybe you'll be the one to figure out how to make the difference.
Partner with Prahalad, Valuable Distinct Contribution.......2005-12-09
Edited to respect new information I did not have before, and thank the person making the comment. Also adding hot links.
The author, who gives full credit to C.K. Prahalad, has been a co-author with Prahalad and they are both credited with this brilliant vision for a new kind of moral capitalism that addresses the needs of the five billion poor.
This book should be viewed as a valuable distinct contribution in its own right, read read with Prahalad's book as well as a third book from Wharton, The Next Global Stage: The Challenges and Opportunities in Our Borderless World As I edit this, I am also remined of Paul Hawkin's Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, and the forthcoming book by Medard Gabel, Seven Billion Billionaires, with a preview here at Where to find 4 billion new customers: expanding the world's marketplace; Smart companies looking for new growth opportunities should consider broadening ... consultant.: An article from: The Futurist
It also complements Yale Dean Garten's book, The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda For Business Leaders which calls on business to be more responsible about the state of the world. All of these books contrast remarkably with William Greider's The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy, Clyde Prestowitz's Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions and and John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
The math is quite clear. Business had been focused on high profit margins from the top one billion, with disposable incomes on the order of $20K or so. The bottom of the pyramid, five billion people, with disposable incomes on average of no more than $10 a year, represent a four trillion dollar marketplace.
Where business has gone wrong is in being bureaucratic, immoral, corrupt, and focused on outputs for profit rather than listening for solutions that can be profitable (with low profit margins, very high volume, and transformative effect).
I believe that these two individuals could one day win the Nobel Peace Prize for their work, which could literally save the world. As Jonathan Schell tells us in The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People there are not enough guns on the planet to keep these four billion dispossesed from impacting on us negatively. We can help them create indigenous stabilizing wealth in their home countries, or we can die with them as we all suffer the end of cheap oil, the end of free water, and the rise of pandemic disease.
This author is an extraordinary talent, equal to Prahalad. It merits comment that Wharton appears to have displaced Yale as a phenomenal publishing house. For me to find three world-class books on this topic, and for all of them to be from Wharton, is noteworthy.
Much Assailed Capitalism Is Probably the Only Answer.......2005-11-22
We live in a time when the very concept of Capitalism has come under attack from nearly every corner: the religious zeelots who think that only the study of God (THEIR God) should be done, the far left who believe that the Government should do everything, and on and on. Each can present stories of things that Government/Charity/Education or whatever has done better on some task. And they have - developing the Internet, wiping out smallpox - to name just two.
What capitalism brings is innovation into areas where Government would get all kinds of opposition from the various wings. Of one thing you can be sure, the future will not be like the past. We can't say just what problems the future holds, but innovation funded by people who have this idea about how they can get rich will be the answer. Yes, as this author says, it must be sustainable, it must be eco-sensitive.
We are running out of oil, to be sustainable will require a lot of innovation. We must be eco-sensitive, otherwise we all live in a cess pool. No one but capitalism can pull this off.
Book Description
The Ninth Edition of this market leader communicates the complexities of international finance clearly and authoritatively. The book features a streamlined presentation, expanded attention to emerging markets, several new chapters, and four new decision cases with an emerging-markets focus. An accompanying new Casebook by Michael Moffett includes in-depth decision cases keyed to the coverage in the Eiteman text. The authors have a knack for communicating the complexities of international finance to today's students in a manner that is clear and understandable. For anyone interested in business.
Customer Reviews:
Book Not worth the Money Paid.......2007-07-31
Too much money for a useless book!!!!
I strongly agree with the two reviews previous to mine. The book gets you interested at the begining, but let you down afterwards. It has little depth in the topics and many flaws when comes to explaining things. In exemple, the "Fisher Effect" was never explained, but all the book gives you is the formula. There is little explanation about the components and variables in the formulas. So, you have to rely heavily on your instructor.
There are almost no calculation examples and use of formulas. The teory in the book is not well explained either. So, you get more confused. That in my opinion is because the authors did not spend enough time to present the material clearly and the editors did not review and edit the book to increase the readability and comprehension. To illustrate what I am talking about, there is a lot of white space in the book (implies it lacks substance) and the text refers to graphs or charts shown in one/two pages before or after. Compared to other finance books I had in the past, this whole book looks like a compilation of bad summary sections.
In conclusion, it was not worth the money. It got me confused and wasted my time. In case you have to use it because it is mandatory, rely on your notes and instrutor's lectures.
Lacks cohesion.......2005-12-16
This book has cursory overview of everthing and lacks detail. Also, each chapter starts well to get you excited on what you are going to learn and at the end of each chapter, you can't really tell whether it addressed the topics in enough details to give you the necessary understanding.
Good, yet not good enough........2002-07-22
This book gives plenty of background into international finance. Unfortunately, it has some big flaws, in my opinion. First, there are not enough calculation examples. Second, there are too few questions at the end of each chapter. In addition, you must go to the author's website for the solution. Once you get there, you will be surprised to find out that the author has only solved maybe two out of eight problems. That's annoying. I do not recommend this book. Take a class from another professor who uses a different text book.
The International Financial Environment.......2000-01-20
Discuss the changing world attitude toward multinational corporations and identify the evidence cited which sheds new light on the old attitude that multinational companies crowd-out local firms.
The International Financial Environment.......2000-01-20
Discuss the changing world attitude toward multinational corporations and identify the evidence cited which sheds new light on the old attitude that multinational companies crowd-out local firms.
Book Description
Praise for INTERMARKET ANALYSIS
"John Murphy has done it again. He dissects the global relationships between equities, bonds, currencies, and commodities like no one else can, and lays out an irrefutable case for intermarket analysis in plain English. This book is a must-read for all serious traders."
–Louis B. Mendelsohn, creator of VantagePoint Intermarket Analysis software
"John Murphy’s Intermarket Analysis should be on the desk of every trader and investor if they want to be positioned in the right markets at the right time."
–Thom Hartle, President, Market Analytics, Inc. (www.thomhartle.com)
"This book is full of valuable information. As a daily practitioner of intermarket analysis, I thought I knew most aspects of this invaluable subject, but this book gave me several new ideas. I thoroughly recommend it for beginners and professionals."
–Martin Pring, President of Pring.com and editor of the Intermarket Review Newsletter
"Mr. Murphy’s Intermarket Analysis is truly the most efficient and unambiguous way to define economic and fundamental relationships as they unfold in the market. It cuts through all of the conflicting economic news/views expressed each day to provide a clear picture of the ‘here and now’ in the global marketplace."
–Dennis Hynes, Managing Director, R. W. Pressprich
"Master Murphy is back with the quintessential look at intermarket analysis. The complex relationships among financial instruments have never been more important, and this book brings it all into focus. This is an essential read for all investors."
–Andrew Bekoff, Technical Strategist, VDM NYSE Specialists
"John Murphy is a legend in technical analysis, and a master at explaining precisely how the major markets impact each other. This updated version provides even more lessons from the past, plus fresh insights on current market trends."
–Price Headley, BigTrends.com, author of Big Trends in Trading
Download Description
A complete guide to a profitable technical analysis technique
Intermarket Analysis updates John Murphy's groundbreaking work in this field. A leading educator and expert trader, Murphy walks the reader through his key tools to understanding global markets and shows investors where and how they can profit in any market-bull or bear. This comprehensive resource incorporates and reflects data from the past five years on the world markets and illustrates how this information interacts and ultimately influences one another.
John Murphy (Hackensack, NJ) is the Chief Technical Analyst for Stockcharts.com and President of MurphyMorris Money Management Co. He has over 30 years of market experience and is the author of several bestselling books, including The Visual Investor (0-471-14447-9).
Customer Reviews:
Very good info, a little repetitive.......2007-04-28
It's a small book (compared to Murphy's classic, Tech. Anal. of the Fin. Mrkts., which is a very good starter book of technical analysis). It has good info in it. The newer verions of his classic covers much of the same info, but this one goes into more depth. Murphy is easy to read. But the book seemed rather repetitive. Murphy should have spent some time telling us how to get all the comparative info at the best price. Then the book would more useful.
Worth Every Penny By A Factor Of 10.......2007-01-15
Probably the most bizarre thing about the stock market is it's explosive rallies and catastrophic crashes. Both occur with little warning and seemingly with little reason, but by studying intermarket analysis you quickly learn the relationship between currency trends, commodity prices, bond yields and their strong influence on the bond and stock markets. This book is one that every serious investor should own.
Review.......2007-01-09
Dear All,
Intermarket Analysis is good and comprehensive book. For a trader its treat to have this book.
A MUST READ FOR ANY SERIOUS INVESTOR/TRADER.......2006-08-13
Are you still trading with a narrow vision? We live in a world beyond our imagination. The impact of the Asian markets on the US, relationship between crude oil and transports, impact of Taiwanese semi-conductors on the $SOX, etc... All these are crucial information that can help anticipate market direction. I highly recommend this book to any serious investor/trader.
Traders Laboratory
www.TradersLaboratory.com
A must read for any serious investor.......2005-09-06
If you ever wondered why you zigged when the market zagged, this book is for you. Understand how to identify which market and/or sector is peaking and which will be growing
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