Preface

In the aftermath of the 2008-09 global financial and economic crisis, businesses and firms today face a totally different landscape than their counterparts in the past decade or so. In addition to a global marketplace where competition is stiff, domestic and international businesses need to deal with the rise of China as the economic powerhouse, liberalizations of real and financial markets in the developing world including the transition economies, lingering fiscal problems amongst the high-income countries, the emergence of Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa as global market players, and the surge in the virtual communications across the globe.

Amidst this epoch of opportunity and turbulence, business firms need to equip themselves with new competencies that were never thought of before. For this reason, this book is timely as it introduces new insights into new problems in the aspects of performance and quality improvement, networking and logistics in the interconnected world, as well as developments in monetary and financial environment surrounding private enterprises today.

Along the line of achieving greater performance, quality, and efficiency, the question of sustainability, quality of life, and satisfaction of employees is not neglected and will be addressed in the first few chapters. In addition, whilst discussions are generally targeted to firms of all sizes, a chapter is devoted to challenges faced by small and medium enterprises. Subsequently, we shall look at new business paradigms in networks and logistics management. Finally, the money and finance section will bring to readers the developments in corporate capital structure, the features of stock market in one of the fastest growing emerging economies, and the case for a regional monetary integration in the emerging East Asia.

Readers shall find that reading this book ia an enlightening and pleasant experience, as the discussions are delivered in a clear, straightforward, and "no-frills" manner – suitable to academics and practitioners. If desired, the book can serve as an additional piece of reference for teaching and research in business and economics.

> **Chee-Heong Quah** and **Ong Lin Dar**  Department of Business Strategy and Policy, Faculty of Business and Accountancy Building, University of Malaya, Malaysia

**Section 1** 

**Performance and Quality** 

**as the Competitive Edge** 
