A new way to determine whether a business strategy will lead to profitability. This book teaches readers to understand profitability in a systematic way, equipping them to provide logically coherent answers to questions about whether a new venture will be profitable, if changes in business strategy will generate an increase in profits, or if “staying the course” will result in continued profitability. Unlike books by business gurus that offer one-size-fits-all advice, this book starts from the premise that you, the reader, are in the best position to make difficult judgments about your business. It shows how to turn these judgments into coherent analysis, presenting state-of-the art theory for understanding business strategy from an economic perspective. The basic building block is the value that is created when the buyer and seller make a deal. In simple terms, if a company is to be profitable, it must make a favorable deal with each and every customer. After setting out key principles and applying them to market situations, the book teaches readers to apply the analysis to their own businesses—in other words, to create their own business game, the main ingredients of which are people and the value that they can create. It addresses how to integrate strategic moves into the book's theory of value creation and competition in order to address the sustainability of a company's profits, the effectiveness of the “invisible hand,” and restrictions to competition. Optional appendixes explain the relevant mathematics.

This book discusses the payout phase of the old-age pension saving scheme, the so-called effective premium, and offers detailed actuarial models and analyses of five old-age pension saving products used in practice. These include the basic permanent monthly annuity, without any benefits for survivors, as well as products which, in addition, also include benefits for survivors or authorized persons in the event of the pensioner’s death. The purpose of the book is to point out the method of determining future old-age pensions from old-age pension savings, and to present the advantages and disadvantages of such a pension. The book also emphasizes the role of the profitability testing of the products and answers questions concerning the effectiveness of old-age pension savings and insurance. The book is primarily intended for students of actuarial and financial mathematics and future economists.

This comprehensive text provides a detailed review and analysis of the building-block theories in the macro-organizational behavior field. John Miner has identified the key theories that any student or scholar needs to understand to be considered literate in the discipline. Each chapter includes the background of the theorist represented, the context in which the theory arose, the initial and subsequent theoretical statements, research on the theory by the theory's author and others (including meta-analysis and reviews), and practical applications. Special features, including boxed summaries of each theory at the beginning of each chapter; two introductory chapters on the scientific method and the development of knowledge; and detailed, comprehensive references, help make this text especially useful for every student and scholar in the field.

Pump up your profits on eBay®! When many eBay® sellers run out of items to sell, they often head straight to the outlet malls looking for super sales, or go to trade shows, or shop online liquidation sites looking for larger quantities of items, sometimes purchasing pallets of product. Only then do they discover their problem: the items they just purchased are selling on eBay® for less than what they paid! Now they no longer have to repeat this pattern with costly hit-or-miss results. In this guide, an eBay® PowerSeller shares the proprietary product selection and evaluation methodology he has developed based on seven years of professional eBay® selling, instructing, and consulting. In eBay® Rescue Profit Maker, readers learn how to: • Determine what to sell • Determine the reputable product suppliers • Create enticing listings and use advanced listing techniques • “Spy” on their competition • Provide superior customer service • Expand and improve their customer base

Investors in stocks are faced with two major problems: How to find and interpret the most useful data from company accounts. How to whittle down the list of thousands of public companies into a smaller pool of candidates for further research. In Four Ways to Beat the Market, experienced financial journalist Algy Hall provides the solution to both problems and helps investors in their quest to pick winning shares. The answer lies in stock screens. Over a decade, the four stock screens described here outperformed the market by 242% to 388%. These stock screens are ridiculously powerful – but staggeringly simple. Algy starts with four strategies for equity investing: Quality, Value, Income and Momentum. He shows how to construct four stock screens and use data from company accounts, including common accounting ratios, to filter stocks on the criteria that each of these strategies is looking for. And once the shortlist of screened stocks is produced, Algy explains how to use that shortlist as a basis for further analysis and research, before making an investment. Along the way, Algy also reveals the logical and empirical basis behind Quality, Value, Income and Momentum strategies, to help investors understand why they work and give them the confidence that they will continue to work in the future. Many other hints, tricks and tactics for investors are revealed, to help investors spot the best stocks and avoid the duds. With Algy Hall as your guide, discover the surprising ideas and stories that lie behind these strategies, while building the necessary know-how to improve your investment returns.

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION THEORY Management and Organization Theory offers a summary and analysis of the 40 most popular, researched, and applied management and organization theories. This important resource includes key instruments used to measure variables in each theory and examines pertinent questions about the theory: strengths and weaknesses, practical applications, and the seminal articles published on each theory. "This is a remarkable book. Jeffrey Miles clearly explains and synthesizes 40 major theories of management and organization in an easily accessible and engaging style. Well researched, comprehensive in its coverage, thorough, balanced, and fair in its analyses of theories, the book is destined to be a major authoritative reference in the field. It is one of the most readable, informative, and useful books I have read. I strongly recommend it." —Shaker A. Zahra, department chair, Robert E. Buuck Chair, and professor, Strategic Management and Organizations Department, University of Minnesota "This book provides a terrific advantage to any student or manager seeking to grasp the fundamental concepts that explain organizations and the behavior of people within them." —Richard L. Daft, author, The Executive and the Elephant: A Leader's Guide to Building Inner Excellence; and the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Professor of Management, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University "An easy-to-read summary of some of the most critical theories in the field of management—theories that have implications not just for scholars, but for practicing managers as well." —Jay Barney, professor of management and human resources, and Chase Chair for Excellence in Corporate Strategy, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

CONTENTS: Preface. Kees van den Bos, Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki. Part I: Developing Theories of Fairness Motivation. Wanting is Believing: Understanding Psychological Processes in Organizational Justice by Examining Perceptions of Fairness. Steven L. Blader and D. Ramona Bobocel. The Battle Between Self-Interest and Fairness: Evidence from Ultimatum, Dictator, and Delta Games. Eric van Dijk and Ann Tenbrunsel. Images of Justice: Development of Justice Integration Theory. Stephen W. Gilliland and Layne Paddock. Interpersonal and Informational Justice: Identifying the Differential Antecedents of Interactional Justice Behaviors. Suzanne S. Masterson, Zinta S. Byrne, and Hua Mao. Part II: Applying Theories to Managerial Decisions. An Accessible Identity Approach to Understanding Fairness in Organizational Settings. Linda J. Skitka and Jesus Bravo. Self-Regulatory Identity Theory and Reactions Toward Fairness Enhancing Organizational Policies. Karl Aquino, Americus Reed II, Marcus M. Stewart, and Debra L. Shapiro. Why Managers Don't Always do the Right Thing When Delivering Bad News: The Roles of Empathy, Self-esteem, and Moral Development in Interactional Fairness. David L. Patient and Daniel P. Skarlicki. Corporate Champions: Coming to the Defense of Organizations. Carol T. Kulik. Part III: Commentary. Some Observations and Critical Thoughts About the Present State of Justice Theory and Research. Gerold Mikula. Information on Contributing Authors.