Since the emergence of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) in and around the 1900s, they have underpinned the trade, industrial and economic expansion of many economies of the world. These institutions were at the heart of the industrial revolutions of advanced economies of the early 1900s and the emergence of many Asian economies, such as China and India. In this book, we highlight the evolution of ECAs globally and in developing countries, outlining the significant changes that have occurred, and present case studies of selected ECAs to elicit differential experiences and lessons, which will constitute the guiding principles for the revival or creation of ECAs in developing countries. These principles are particularly imperative as governments in Africa and elsewhere have either most recently established or are contemplating the establishment of ECAs.

Digital innovation is significantly reshaping the financial services landscape, pioneering new avenues for sustainable access, distribution, and management of financial resources. A myriad of real-world applications, such as enabling digital supply chain finance across agricultural and fashion value chains, and leveraging digital currencies to fuel smart meters in schools in developing nations, are continually emerging. Moreover, the advent of digital investment marketplaces, crowdfunding platforms, token-based financing, new payment infrastructures, digital wallets for waste management, and blockchain-based autonomous decentralized organizations, among others, underline the expansive and inclusive capabilities of digital finance. The potential of digital innovation extends far beyond our current imaginings. In this vein, this book seeks to present visionary, yet practical, perspectives that employ innovative technologies to address overarching sustainability challenges. This is an open access book.

How can corporate power be effectively challenged when states struggle to regulate corporations, and companies wield stronger incentives and threats than citizens can exert on governments? Historically, industrial actions and labor movements have been the most effective forces against corporate dominance--but are they the only ones? What roles can other stakeholders beyond trade unions play? This book argues that curbing corporate power, preventing its abuses, and strengthening democracy require strategic people power. By collectively withdrawing cooperation and consent, civil society can disrupt and erode the pillars that sustain corporate influence. Drawing on nonviolent action theory and social movement research, this book expands the conversation on corporate social responsibility and corporate accountability. It explores how the strategic logic behind the civil rights movement, democracy campaigns, and anti-colonial struggles can guide modern efforts to hold multinational corporations accountable. This work is essential reading for scholars in corporate social responsibility, labor studies, sustainability, organizational studies, and collective action. It also offers valuable insights for activists, practitioners of nonviolent resistance, and anyone committed to corporate accountability and social justice. 

Despite the increase in research about workplace inclusion, the current literature is dominated by a negative focus on the barriers managers face as they attempt to hire people from disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities. This open access book offers a positive and practical guide to workplace inclusion that focuses on the opportunities and strategies for managers to succeed and to develop and capitalize on the strengths and resources of individuals. Unlike some works with a broader societal focus, this contributed volume puts the spotlight firmly on what happens inside workplaces and organizations. It shifts focus from a reactive view of organizations acting on external motivations and pressures towards a proactive view, based on internal motivation, opportunities, and untapped resources. Each chapter is written on a specific theme by a leading expert, digesting the theory and applying it to real-world cases. It will be of great interest to executive education and MBA students, as well as HR practitioners and policymakers.

This book examines the dynamic interplay among Technology, Infrastructure, Geopolitics, and Harnessed Talent (TIGHT), highlighting their critical roles in shaping today's global landscape. Offering a fresh perspective on globalization and competitiveness, it proposes clear and justified criteria for expanding the set of nations classified as emerging markets. Through detailed analysis of each TIGHT component, enriched by practical case studies, scenarios, and trend evaluations, the authors unpack the complexities and interconnectedness inherent in contemporary global interactions. This insightful approach is essential for strategic planning, risk management, fostering innovation, encouraging ethical decision-making, and proactively addressing future challenges. Arguing that the business world is complementing its traditional focus on profit and resource optimization with a growing emphasis on resilience and operational effectiveness, this book equips researchers, executives, and policymakers with valuable tools to critically assess global expansion strategies, identify risks, and maximize opportunities in a rapidly evolving world.

Can Cryptocurrencies and Crypto-protocols be rigorously analyzed? Over the past decade the world has witnessed the rapid rise of Cryptocurrencies and Crypto-assets. Yet many financial professionals and students still struggle to confidently engage with these emerging digital instruments. Drawing on deep experience, this book bridges that critical knowledge gap --demystifying the design, risks, and economics of Crypto-protocols and their Tokens. Inside, you'll discover: *    How blockchain ecosystem agents interact with Cryptocurrencies and Crypto-Tokens *    The mechanisms by which Tokens are created, exchanged, stored, and destroyed *    A stable taxonomy of Crypto-Tokens through a traditional finance lens *    How to analyze Token features relevant to valuation, inflation, and property rights *    The connection between Token design and financial or operational risks *    Real-world implementation in major Crypto-protocols *    A practical interpretation of decentralized finance (DeFi) Designed as both a textbook and a long-term professional reference, this book features over 200 original illustrations and hundreds of up-to-date references. Whether you're a financial advisor, quantitative analyst, auditor, venture capitalist, consultant, regulator, or legal professional, you'll find the principles, tools, and methodology you need for clear, explainable results. Unlock the world of Crypto with clarity and confidence.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping many areas of our private, social, and professional lives. Even though some coaches are reluctant to acknowledge this or actively resist this development, it will inevitably impact coaching as well. The real question is how this will happen -- and what possibilities we have to shape these upcoming developments in a humane and coaching-professional way. Will artificial intelligence eventually replace more and more coaches and essentially take over the coaching practice? Or are there ways to use it in a truly human-centered manner -- and what exactly are those possibilities?

This book serves as a comprehensive guide to learning various aspects of financial fraud, encompassing the related research, the current situation, potential causes, implementation process, detection methods, regulatory penalties and management challenges in publicly listed companies. In this book, readers learn about the fraudulent practices that may occur in corporate operations, the executing mechanisms, an identifying indicators framework, and diverse detection methods including qualitative and quantitative models. Quantitative models include discriminant analysis, econometric analysis, and machine learning (ML) models. This book highlights the application of ML algorithms to detect financial fraud detection and discusses their limitations, such as high false-positive costs, delayed detection, the demand for interdisciplinary expertise, dependency on specific application scenarios, and issues with fraud data quality. Each related chapter provides a structured overview of the problems addressed, the algorithms used, experimental result and comparisons. Additionally, this book examines the cost-benefit trade-offs faced by companies engaging in financial fraud, considering factors such as ethical dilemmas, opportunities, practical needs, exposure risks, and litigation costs. This book is written for financial regulation institutions, business leaders, auditors, academics, and anyone interested in financial fraud detection. It offers practical insights into effectively preventing and controlling financial fraud and an overview of the latest advancements in ML technologies. Through real-world case studies, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the financial fraud, how ML can be used to detect it, as well as its pitfalls and limitations. Overall, this book bridges the gap between theory and application, equipping readers to understand how to detect financial fraud with the power of accounting and ML in the modern business environment.

This book delves into the multifaceted realm of luxury, shedding light on the pivotal transformations across industries and markets. Set against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and dynamic landscape, chapters explore how luxury brands rise to the challenges of globalization, emerging markets, the rise of digital technology, and advanced manufacturing techniques. Moreover, authors explore the increasing pressure the industry faces to address societal issues such as sustainability, ethical labour practices, and diversity and inclusion.   Part of a two-volume collection, Volume 1 focuses on how luxury brands adapt to changing market conditions. It identifies and predicts changes in the industry, consumer behaviour, strategy and business models; and covers luxury brand evolution, trust and engagement, fashion influencers, slow and second-hand fashion, and e-marketing, to name a few. The second volume focuses on the contextual evolution of luxury brands, including the impact on the social and economic wellbeing of society.

This book addresses dark leadership and its toxic consequences for individuals and organisations. It explores how business transformation and organisational change can create dehumanising work environments, where performance is pushed beyond sustainable levels and leadership become rigid, exploitative, and harmful. Through a critical review, case studies, and real-world examples of dark leadership concept, the book examines dark leadership styles such as Narcissistic, Psychopathic, Machiavellian, Toxic, and Exploitative, and how these behaviours often emerge in both senior and middle management. It offers insight into the ways external pressures are internalised by leaders and translated into damaging expectations for individuals and teams. Chapters guide the reader through recognising the signs of dark leadership, understanding its psychological and organisational impact, and developing practical strategies for resistance, resilience, and change. This book is a valuable resource for leaders, consultants, students, and academics seeking to better understand the darker side of leadership and navigate complex, high-pressure organisational contexts with greater awareness and integrity.

This book provides an introduction to concepts in evolutionary theory, such as competition, variability, and adaptation, and how they can be applied to find solutions for real-world management problems. Although the book discusses theories in economics and biology, it is written in an accessible style for practitioners working in business and management. Topics covered include: core economic assumptions, the role of dialectics in building dynamic economic models, the history of evolutionary thought, the evolution of markets, and how resilient economies mirror biological ecosystems. The final chapter discusses the limitations of neoclassical economic models to account for real-world complexity. The book distinguishes itself from similar books in the market due to its brevity and its focus on usability, where others are theoretical but lack clear descriptions of applications. 

For centuries, negotiation has shaped the course of history--from the secret talks that ended wars to the quiet conversations that ignited revolutions. This book brings together leading international negotiation experts to delve into the strategies and tactics of the world's most influential negotiators, including Confucius, Nelson Mandela, Talleyrand, Henry Kissinger, and other equally impactful yet lesser-known figures. Each chapter unveils the critical strategies, mindsets, and pivotal moments behind these negotiators' successes, offering practical lessons and actionable takeaways for readers to apply in their own lives. Whether you're an emerging negotiator or a seasoned professional, this book challenges traditional views on influence, leadership, and negotiation, offering fresh insights and tools to enhance your skills. Discover how to negotiate with purpose, lead with influence, and use your negotiation expertise to shape a better world.

This book studies the space tourism value chain from the perspective of demand research of space tourism. It echoes the progress of tourism demand research by tourism experts, avoids the shortcomings that arise when general tourism research methods are applied to space tourism research, and constructs innovative demand research ideas for space tourism. In the book, ten questions and one suggestion are put forward for space tourism demand research as the main discussion content of each chapter. As a demand research monograph, tourism scholars, marketing scholars and economists can understand the content of this book very well. But for all those concerned with space tourism, this book can be read to review the general tourism theories. The book makes extensive use of systematic literature review methodology, which can be used as an effective reference for research. This book opens up new dimensions for demand studies in the context of space tourism.

This book delves into a comprehensive exploration of herding and market overreaction combining psychological insights to understand why investors follow the crowd and the investment tips of others. It delves into foundational theories of behavioral finance, examining cognitive biases and emotional factors that drive collective behavior in financial markets. Through detailed case studies, including the 1998 Long-Term Capital Management Collapse, the 2015 Chinese Stock Market Crash, and the 2021 Meme Stock Phenomenon, the book offers real-world examples of herding impacts. It discusses the role of social media and technology, such as AI and machine learning, in shaping investor behavior and provides a global perspective on market reactions across different cultures. Additionally, the book explores regulatory implications and future trends in behavioral finance, making it an essential resource for academics, finance professionals, and advanced students seeking to understand the psychological underpinnings of financial markets.

As more women take up corporate leadership positions, the idea that they lack confidence no longer holds up. And yet, as old stereotypes are challenged by new realities, some crucial misconceptions remain. Do women really lack confidence? Or are we more prone to think that others have less confidence in our abilities? Based on years of research and practice in leadership and psychotherapy, Professor Ginka Toegel critically examines how the "lack of confidence" myth took hold and argues that it deserves to be challenged. Research, in fact, does not consistently support the notion of significant gender differences in self-reported self-confidence. Instead, the author takes a fresh look at persistent myths in self-help literature, such as the ideas that women "don't ask," are "risk-averse," or are especially prone to "imposter syndrome", and provides both tools and evidence to empower women to challenge these outdated beliefs and take the next steps in their careers. Covering topics such as gaslighting, mastering challenging conversations, 'overconfidence,' benevolent sexism, motherhood, menopause, dealing with stress and anxiety, and micro-aggressions, all seen through the lens of confidence, this book gives you the tools and strategies to succeed throughout the entire length of your career. It is an indispensable guide for women who want to succeed, and the men who want to support them.