by Constance E. Bagley (2005)
This paper explores the value of actively managing the legal dimensions of business. It draws on the dynamic capabilities approach and postulates that "legal astuteness" defined here as the ability of the top management team to communicate effectively with counsel and to work together to solve complex problems is a valuable dynamic capability. This paper posits that law and the tools it offers are an enabling force legally astute management teams can use to manage the firm more effectively. In particular, it proposes that legally astute management teams can, inter alia, use formal contracts as complements to relational governance to define and strengthen relationships and reduce transaction costs; create options; protect and enhance the realizable value of knowledge assets and certain other resources - and convert regulatory constraints into opportunities.
Donna Gerson, David Gerson
A guide to professional etiquette counsels readers on how to forge successful, productive relationships with business associates, including such topics as handling conflicts, communicating effectively, and business entertaining.
Steve Weisman
The world of credit is fraught with peril. First, there's the enormous and growing risk of identity theft, which victimized nearly 10 million Americans in 2003 alone. But the quieter risks are just as real: inaccurate credit reports that drive up your interest rates or prevent you from getting loans, fine print in credit agreements that can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, 'credit repair' services that only make matters worse. In 25 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit, consumer finance expert and nationally syndicated radio host Steve Weisman tells you exactly what to watch out for, and how to keep credit disasters from happening to you. Writing in plain English, Weisman reveals how criminals gain access to your credit, bank, or brokerage accounts, open new accounts and take out loans in your name, and how to use the law, technology, and common sense to protect yourself. You'll learn how to recognize 'phishing' scams and dishonest credit counselors, how to understand and eliminate the hidden costs of credit, and much more. Weisman's checklists tell you what to do right now, before you're victimized. And if you've already been attacked, Weisman presents step-by-step techniques, form letters, and affidavits you can use to help restore your credit -- and your good name.
Ralph R. Roberts with Joe Kraynak
"This book is designed for realty investors who want to profit from buying below market, making cosmetic improvements to add value, and then quickly reselling. But real estate agents and home buyers should also study it because of the valuable insights offered by a longtime, very successful real estate broker. On my scale of one to 10, this superb book rates an off-the-chart 12." --Robert Bruss You've probably seen TV shows like Flip This House and Flip That House, in which Real estate investors buy, renovate, and sell a house in a matter of weeks for tens of thousands of dollars in profit. They make flipping houses look so easy that you want to jump out of your recliner (during the next commercial, of course), run down the street, find a house for sale, flip it for a 50 percent profit, and run back home to continue watching the show. I, Ralph Roberts, have flipped hundreds of houses, and it's never as easy as it looks on TV. People don't generally line up at your front door begging you to buy their house for 30-50 percent below market value. Renovation expenses always exceed estimates. And you can't always sell a house for what you think it's worth. Flipping houses for a profit requires time, money, and what I like to call sticktoitism--dogged determination in the face of overwhelming uncertainty. Not just another house flipping book You can find plenty of books about flipping houses that claim "anyone can do it" and make flipping look easy and risk-free. Flipping Houses For Dummies takes a different approach--honesty. We don't claim that flipping houses is "easy" or "simple" or "risk-free," because, quite frankly, it isn't. Flipping Houses For Dummies reveals the risks and rewards of flipping properties; helps you determine whether you have the time, energy, cash, and other resources to be successful; and then conveys the expert knowledge that those who wish to pursue house flipping need in order to minimize risk and maximize potential profits in a very competitive market. Did you know? Most books on flipping houses gloss over the key factors that that make or break the novice house flipper. These are the very items we focus on in Flipping Houses For Dummies. For example, did you know: You should secure financing before you look at houses. As a flipper, you want dontwanners--houses that the owners obviously don't want. You make your profit when you buy the property. You realize your profit when you sell. Always plan on earning at least 20 percent after your total investment--purchase price, repairs and renovations, real estate agent commissions, and holding costs (monthly mortgage payments, insurance, property taxes, and utilities). Working with a top-notch real estate agent can save you thousands of dollars more than what you pay in commissions. You should choose a limited geographical area to work and then become an expert on the houses and property values in that area. Your goal when renovating a home should be to bring the property up to market standards, not exceed them. A flipping book for real people Flipping Houses For Dummies speaks to the mom and pop investor, steering you clear of the gray areas, which tend to carry high-risks and low-returns, into safer, more potentially profitable areas. We encourage you invest in your comfort zone and take on bigger, riskier projects with higher profit potential only when you'r...
Mark H. Moore
A seminal figure in the field of public management, Mark Moore presents his summation of fifteen years of research, observation, and teaching about what public sector executives should do to improve the performance of public enterprises. Useful for both practicing public executives and those who teach them, this book explicates some of the richest of several hundred cases used at Harvard's Kennedy School and illuminates their broader lessons for government managers. Moore addresses four questions that have long bedeviled public administration: What should citizens and their representatives expect and demand from public executives? What sources can public managers consult to learn what is valuable for them to produce? How should public managers cope with inconsistent and fickle political mandates? How can public managers find room to innovate?