Since there are no limits on the number of non-performing asset management companies imposed by the Financial Firms Merger and Acquisition Act of 2000, total numbers of such companies has been increasing in resent years. Under the circumstances of keen competition and shrinking market, non-performing asset management companies are facing enormous challenges. For this study, experts were interviewed and literatures were reviewed, resulting in a key factor structure of Taiwan¡¦s non-performing asset management companies. Quantified data are gathered and analyzed via questionnaires and AHP methods, and the most important key factors applicable for Taiwan¡¦s non-performing asset management companies are derived. To the large-scale AMCs, the most important key factors are: impact from the overall economic or real estate market condition, assisting corporations in restructuring, employees¡¦ past job experiences, and the accurate estimation for investment return. To the medium-scale AMCs, the most important key factors are: employees¡¦ past job experiences, and bidding in conjunction with large-scale AMCs or foreign capital. To the small-scale AMCs, the most important key factor is the overall economic or real estate market condition.

A presente pesquisa, de caráter descritivo-exploratório, trata dos processos de gestão de viagens corporativas utilizados pelas empresas no Brasil. Foi efetuado um levantamento em dez empresas nacionais e multinacionais com presença no território brasileiro, que possuem uma área ou um profissional dedicado à atividade de administração das viagens efetuadas por seus funcionários ou prepostos em função de uma necessidade do negócio. Os processos foram mapeados e analisados sobre a ótica da propriedade de seus diversos componentes e sobre a participação de organizações externas à empresa na gestão dessas viagens corporativas. Evidenciou-se a existência de quatro modelos distintos de gestão, todos presentes no mercado brasileiro. Os modelos denominados comprador-gestor e apoio-serviços utilizam-se de recursos externos para gestão, diferindo entre si pela propriedade dos processos, no primeiro caso residentes nas áreas de compras e no segundo nas áreas de serviços. Os dois outros modelos propostos, autogestão e autosserviços, tem baixo grau de utilização de serviços de terceiros, e se diferenciam pela propriedade dos processos de gestão de viagens corporativas, no primeiro caso uma predominância de processos proprietários em compras e, no segundo, uma predominância de propriedade nas áreas de serviços. A influência da participação dos profissionais nas associações do mercado nos diferentes mapas também é discutida. São apresentadas também algumas variantes encontradas no mercado. A questão da desintermediação na venda dos serviços turísticos nesse mercado, e os efeitos que esse fenômeno causa na forma com que as empresas organizam seus processos de gestão de viagens corporativas também fazem parte desse estudo. O papel das Travel Management Companies (TMCs) nos processos de gestão de viagens é investigado. Observa-se e discute-se a entrada de algumas novas categorias de empresas nesse mercado, são avaliados o papel de cada uma e as possíveis implicações no desenho dos processos de gestão de viagens corporativas / This descriptive-exploratory research focus on the processes of corporate travel management used by companies in Brazil. Ten companies (Brazilian and multinational companies with branches in Brazil) were part of the study. All those organizations have an area or a professional dedicated to the activity of administration of the travels made by their employees or agents to fulfill a business need. The processes were mapped and analyzed on the optics of the ownership of its components and on the participation of external parts in the management of these corporate trips. It was evidenced the existence of four distinct models of management, all present in the Brazilian market. The buyer-manager model and the support-service models use many external resources on their management processes, and differs from each other as the first one shows the travel management processes mainly under ownership of the procurement areas as the second has most of the process under a service provider area. The other two proposed models, auto-management and auto-service have most of the processes being executed within the companies. The auto-management model with the travel management processes being owned by the procurement area and the second having a service area as main owner of the processes. The influence of the participation of the professionals in the market associations in the different maps is also discussed. Also presented are some variants found in the market. The issue of disintermediation in sales of tourist services in this market, and the effects that this phenomenon causes on the way companies organize their corporate travel management processes are also part of this study. The role of Travel Management Companies (TMCs) in travel management processes is also investigated. One of the main findings of the study was the participation of some new categories of companies in this market, the role of each one of those new players and the possible implications in the design of the corporate travel management processes is also discussed

Compliance requirements for companies are growing, especially in the fields of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) and data privacy. The phenomenon can be observed not only within the EU, but also many other areas of the world. Within the regulatory environment, fostering ESG practices has long since developed from a voluntary commitment to a “real” compliance issue which lawmakers are driving forward with serious sanctions and which courts are also shaping within the framework of the evolving laws. These laws are very complex, often unclear, and intrude deeply into the areas of risk analysis and risk management, which traditionally represent a core responsibility of companies. Many regulations emphasize development and implementation of internal processes within companies. This greatly reduces companies’ discretionary powers, since responsible use of leeway is a core area of entrepreneurial decision-making governed by the business judgment rule. Structurally, we are seeing increased legalization of risks, through which the legislator de facto takes away companies' leeway to make entrepreneurial decisions. Also, the threat of severe fines and uncertainty about the interpretation of legal terms makes it difficult for companies to decide what needs to be done to meet the laws’ requirements and to avoid risk. Looking at the char acter of the regulations, we see value-driven and symbolically-charged laws. However, these laws are anything but “dead letters” - they intervene deeply in companies’ risk management, aim at changing behavior, and have sharp “teeth” in the form of sanctions. The EU may be a particularly fertile source of symbolic legislation, which can serve to create political identity. Companies can, however, choose different ways to deal with these challenges, and they are free to find the right path. Even if lawmakers are increasingly intervening in the way companies carry out risk analyses and the priorities they set in that context, companies should defend their leeway and use it wisely. It is of utmost importance to know the real risks well and to use leeway responsibly. A diligent risk analysis, carefully aligned to a company’s circumstances and needs, is always a good starting point. Perfect knowledge of applicable laws and the company’s operations is a prerequisite for a professional risk assessment and building an effective Compliance Management System (CMS). There is always room for balanced decision-making regarding risk assessment and prioritization in accordance with the business judgment rule and entrepreneurial responsibility.

This thesis is a collection of three essays on hedge funds with contributions to the empirical understanding of their fees, and their voluntary disclosure of returns and assets under management, using a large consolidation of widely-employed publicly available hedge fund databases. First, time-series variation in reported fees is analysed using fund launches within hedge fund management companies, and conditioning fees at launch on fund family characteristics. Larger and better performing fund families launch high fee funds. Funds with high management fees at launch do not perform any differently from low fee funds, though funds with high incentive fees marginally outperform. An interval regression technique is proposed to overcome the discrete nature of reported fees. Secondly, the reliability of voluntary disclosures of financial information is analysed with a different measure of time-variation --- tracking changes to statements of historical performance recorded at different points in time. This uncovers evidence that historical returns are routinely revised. These revisions are not merely random or corrections of earlier mistakes; they are partly forecastable by fund characteristics. Moreover, funds that revise their performance histories, significantly and predictably underperform those that have never revised. Finally, the availability, and timing, of the selective disclosure of assets under management by funds is examined. More than a third of funds have asset records falling short of returns published. There is evidence of strategic disclosure by funds --- asset reporting drying up after times of fund stress, such as poor performance or outflows. Furthermore, investors should take heed of the greater propensity for shortfall funds to trigger fraud performance flags. These results suggest that unreliable disclosures: constitute a valuable source of information for current and potential investors; have implications for researchers; and, exhort market regulators to include assets, not just returns, in the debate around mandatory disclosure by financial institutions.

Структура магистерской диссертации включает в себя введение, три главы, заключение, список использованных источников. В первой главе рассмотрены теоретические основы функционирования биржевых паевых инвестиционных фондов и институциональные основы коллективного инвестирования. Во второй главе проведен анализ современного состояния российского рынка паевых инвестиционных фондов (ПИФов), в том числе показана деятельность управляющих компаний на данном рынке. В третьей главе показаны пути дальнейшего развития деятельности ПИФов в условиях макроэкономической неопределенности. В заключении сформированы основные выводы. / The structure of the master's thesis includes an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, and a list of sources used. The first chapter examines the theoretical foundations of the functioning of exchange-traded mutual funds and the institutional foundations of collective investment. The second chapter provides an analysis of the current state of the Russian market for mutual funds (MUIFs), including showing the activities of management companies in this market. The third chapter shows ways to further develop the activities of mutual funds in conditions of macroeconomic uncertainty. In conclusion, the main conclusions are drawn.

The relevance of this dissertation research is connected with insufficient development of theoretical, methodological and practical issues of accounting and control of payments for housing and communal services between the operating companies and their contractors, meanwhile, as this sphere of activity has high economic and social importance. The work examines the complex theoretical and methodological issues of accounting and analysis of payment transactions between management companies and contractors in the sphere of housing and communal services and developed recommendations for their improvement. The peculiarities of normative regulation of financial and economic activities of managing organizations that affect their methods of accounting, including tariff policy, payments to contractors, and improved methods of accounting and analytical support these processes. / Актуальность диссертационного исследования связана с недостаточной разработкой теоретических, методических и практических вопросов учета и контроля расчетов по жилищно-коммунальным услугам между управляющими компаниями и их контрагентами, между тем, как данная сфера деятельности имеет высокую экономическую и социальную значимость. В работе исследован комплекс теоретических и методических вопросов учета и анализа расчетных операций между управляющими компаниями и контрагентами в сфере жилищно-коммунального хозяйства и разработаны рекомендации по их совершенствованию. Выявлены особенности нормативного регулирования финансово-хозяйственной деятельности управляющих организаций, влияющих на методики их бухгалтерского учета, в том числе тарифной политики, расчетов с контрагентами, и совершенствование методов учетно-аналитического обеспечения данных процессов.

The theme of the master's thesis: automation of processes of management of residential complexes and business centers based on digital technologies. The relevance of this thesis is due to the increasing role of automation of information systems in all sectors, including in the field of management of residential buildings. The ability to implement developments on this subject can not only improve the efficient use of resources, but also qualitatively affect the lives of citizens. The purpose of the master's thesis is to develop a model of automation of projects of management of residential complexes and business centers based on digital technologies. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were performed: - studied the theoretical issues of automation in the management of real estate; - product requirements are formed from the point of view of the management company; - the analysis of the feasibility of product implementation for the management company; - estimated economic efficiency. The object of research is an automated control system of residential complexes and business centers. The subject of research is the management of residential buildings and business centers. / Актуальность данной диссертации обусловлена возрастающей ролью автоматизации информационных систем во всех отраслях, в том числе и в области управления жилыми зданиями. Возможность реализации наработок по данной тематике может способствовать не только повышению эффективного использования ресурсов, но и качественно повлиять на жизнь граждан. Целью магистерской диссертации является разработка модели автоматизации проектов управления жилыми комплексами и бизнес-центрами на основе цифровых технологий. Для выполнения этой цели были выполнены следующие задачи: - изучены теоретические вопросы автоматизации при управлении объектами недвижимости; - сформированы требования к продукту с точки зрения управляющей компании; - проведен анализ целесообразности внедрения продукта для управляющей компании; - оценена экономическая эффективность. Объект исследования – автоматизированная система управления жилыми комплексами и бизнес-центрами. Предмет исследования ‒ процессы управления жилыми домами и бизнес-центрами.

The asset management industry constitutes a vital part of the economy thanks to its financing role. The sector has profoundly changed since its establishment and, nowadays, changes in organization, investors’ behaviour and regulatory framework are deeply reshaping the industry. In this context, also the Italian market, which has traditionally been characterised by some distinguishing features, is being influenced by a series of modifications at both European and national level. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the Italian Asset Management industry’s structure and organisation, understand how it is evolving and grasp the factors that can affect its market to then draw implications influencing the business and operations of an asset servicer. This work divides the Italian Asset Management market into two parts, the Asset Managers segment, including collective management and discretionary mandates, and the Pension Schemes segment. These two composing parts are analysed from an Asset Servicer’s perspective, presenting data over the financial instruments they contain. The paper follows the Case Study approach employing mainly secondary quantitative data. In Italy, the distribution of Asset Management products as well as trading activities remain based on banking networks. In recent years, among collective management products, foreign-law mutual funds are the ones that grew the most. This, along with the fact that the asset servicers’ market is dominate by few specialized players operating on a global scale, puts the spotlight on asset servicers’ cross-border level of integration. Even tough discretionary mandates are struggling to recover and have grown at a slower pace, due to “MiFID II” upcoming rules, financial intermediaries will be encouraged to place these products on the market. Lastly, the Italian pension system is underdeveloped if compared to other European countries and few players own the majority of the complementary pension schemes market. The paper highlights how technology innovations, policies of the ruling governments, interest rates levels and national and communitarian regulation are the factors driving the asset management industry.