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Now students, instructors, and professionals everywhere can find clear, authoritative, explanations of more than 6,000 key business terms. Prepared by a noted encyclopedist, The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management covers a vast range of terminology from all areas of business including management, strategy, finance, human resources, economics, marketing, sales, insurance, and international business. The book explains accounting rules, legal terminology, slang and buzzwords, acronyms, management theories, historical figures, economic concepts, performance metrics, and more-all the crucial ideas that have transformed business practices and management science in the past 25 years. In addition to concise definitions, this indispensable reference includes longer entries for ideas needing more elaborate explanations, as well as a pronunciation guide for difficult words, special sections on usage, and a thesaurus of related words. While quick definitions abound online, The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management supplies the depth and clarity lacking in most "webinitions." And it includes thousands of technical terms omitted from even premier unabridged dictionaries. From Abilene paradox to zero-based budgeting, this is an essential resource for anyone serious about business.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

A A1 In life and marine insurance, rating given to person or property in perfect condition.   AAA Prime rating given to securities by Standard and Poor's.   AAP Affirmative Action Program   Abandonment 1. Final stage in a product life cycle when the decision is made to discontinue it. 2. Relinquishing a product to a third party with or without a settlement or compensation.   Abandonment option Choice of terminating an investment before its scheduled closing date.   ABB Activity-based budgeting   ABC Activity-based costing   ABC Audit Bureau of Circulation   Abilene paradox Th eory that some decisions ostensibly based on consensus are counterproductive because they are founded on misperceptions and poor communications. Proposed by Jerry Harvey, Professor Emeritus of Management, George Washington University, in 1974.   Abnormal return Rate of return for a risk greater than that required or expected by analysts.   Above-the-line 1. Entries in a profi t-andloss account that are within the ordinary activities of business. 2. Entries in a balance sheet dealing with revenue, as opposed to capital. Compare Below-the-line. 3. Advertising through television, radio, newspapers, and Internet.   Abreaction channel Mechanisms for employees to express dissatisfaction with their work or their superiors.   Absence culture Corporate culture in which absenteeism is condoned.   Absenteeism Unauthorized leave from work, especially repeatedly.   Absolute cost advantage Cost of producing AMA Dictionary of Business and Management.indb 1 01/02/13 3:14 PM A 2 Th e AMA Dictionary of Business and Management particular products as infl uenced by certain advantages, such as cheap labor or abundant natural resources.   Absolute cost barrier Built-in obstacle to entry into a new market, such as the advantage held by established or large fi rms.   Absolute market share Per capita income. See Relative share.   Absolute monopoly Severe form of monopoly in which production and distribution of a product or service is in the hands of a single corporation.   Absolute performance standard Th eoretical standard of performance, such as Zero defect, against which actual performance may be judged. Excerpted from The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management by George Thomas Kurian All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

The more than 6,000 terms defined in this new reference work, compiled by Kurian (president, Encyclopedia Society), cover areas of business such as finance, investments, banking, insurance, economics, marketing, and accounting. Short entries about notable individuals are also provided. Entries generally range in length from one sentence to three paragraphs and are clearly presented and easy to understand. Since this dictionary is recently published, users should expect to see buzzwords that might not have appeared in dictionaries printed before the 2008 housing crisis and resulting recession-these include terms such as CDO, subprime, and quantitative easing. Unfortunately, some equally significant terms, such as underwater mortgage, right to work, cloud computing, and TARP, are missing. Although billed as a comprehensive resource for "professionals, instructors and students," this dictionary will be most useful to readers without a background in business who need introductory information, as many definitions merely skim the surface of very complex subject matter. There is a wealth of similar dictionaries on the market; individuals will want to consider both print-based works such as the American Heritage Dictionary of Business Terms and Oxford Dictionary of Business and Management (both of these resources are close substitutes for the AMA title and are less expensive) as well as online glossaries offered by reputable sources such as the Financial Times and the Washington Post. VERDICT While this is a useful resource for users seeking basic, concise business definitions, many higher-quality alternatives exist both in print and online.-Jennifer Michaelson, Cleveland (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Kurian, a professional encyclopedist, offers a readable and useful dictionary of more than 6,000 key terms in the fields of business and management. The definitions are clear and concise, usually a single paragraph in length. But some longer entries are included for more complex terms. When a definition uses another term defined in the dictionary, the term appears in all caps. Numerous see also references are included. The dictionary is also available as an ebook. Other similar titles include, in print, Jonathan Law's A Dictionary of Business and Management (5th ed., 2009); David Statt's The Routledge Dictionary of Business Management (3rd ed., 2004); and David Scott's The American Heritage Dictionary of Business Terms (CH, Oct'09, 47-0646). Similar titles online include Allbusiness.com's "Business Glossary" (review of overall site, CH, Oct'10, 48-0966); BusinessDictionary.com (CH, Feb'09, 46-3017); and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary , now part of Cambridge Dictionaries Online (CH, Jun'07, 44-5382), but oriented toward students learning English. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers. D. G. Ernsthausen University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Booklist Review

From buzzwords to human resources terms, the authoritative and complete definitions in The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management demystify business and management terminology, making communication more concise and effective. Kurian, a noted encyclopedist, includes longer entries, mini profiles of historical business figures, a pronunciation guide, special sections on usage, and a thesaurus. Other topics covered include management principles, legal terminology, finance, banking, marketing, and much more. With 6,000 key terms, this dictionary is a great resource for instructors, business students, and players in today's business world.--Adams, Jennifer Copyright 2010 Booklist

Author notes provided by Syndetics

GEORGE THOMAS KURIAN is president of the Encyclopedia Society, an international group of encyclopedists and knowledge builders who have produced more than 61 encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, chronologies, and other reference works."