Profit centre management: panacea, placebo or poison?
Article Abstract:
The prognosis is mixed for applying the profit center management concept to traditional service sector businesses such as commercial banking. Profit and loss discipline, management by objectives, accountability, and meaningful budgets all sound appealing, but cost definition is not simple in a service organization. Internal transfer pricing would be required, and meaningful client account profitability data would need to be gathered. Management could lose flexibility as profit centers become entrenched. Sales staff could be burdened with extraneous data. Line managers might not be willing to choose investing their best staff to promising startup products when proven money earners are available. It is important, overall, that management not abdicate its prerogatives to a system of formulas in order to obtain better pricing and productivity.
Publication Name: International Management
Subject: Business, international
ISSN: 0020-7888
Year: 1987
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The demise of Hong Kong as a financial centre: a new role for Singapore or Taiwan?
Article Abstract:
The immanent change of Hong Kong's government in 1997 may not benefit Singapore and Taiwan if those countries fail to liberalize their economic policies. Unlike Hong Kong, both countries have relatively poor reputations due to their authoritarian governments and government interference with foreign economic interests, as well as small domestic markets. Both countries are attempting to diversify away from primary reliance on labour-intensive manufacturing by developing their service sectors. Singapore and Taiwan have had problems channeling domestic savings into local productive investment, however, and they are attempting to attract foreign investment, much of which formerly would have been attracted to Hong Kong, by deregulating their financial markets.
Publication Name: Multinational Business
Subject: Business, international
ISSN: 0300-3922
Year: 1989
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Centre of effort
Article Abstract:
The Greater Mekong Subregion, centered in Bangkok, has become a recognized locus for international investment, but not without some difficulty. Thailand has had to jostle to assume leadership of the area. The decision of General Motors Corp. to invest $750 million to base Opel manufacturing in Thailand in June 1996 was a testament to the ability of Thailand to offer businesses relative freedom, infrastructure and stability despite both Thai and regional economic worries.
Publication Name: Far Eastern Economic Review
Subject: Business, international
ISSN: 0014-7591
Year: 1996
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