This exploratory issue paper begins with a statement by Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, which outlines what a well-functioning global financial system would achieve, followed by his dry statement that the current global financial system does none of these things. The paper...

In June 2004 the Committee published a revised framework for the international convergence of capital measurement and capital standards, known as Basel II. The proposal includes a formal capital charge against operational risk in the business activities of banks. The calculation of an...

All banks must hold capital equal to the minimum regulatory requirement. However, in many cases the level of regulatory capital diverges from the actual (economic) capital held by banks. A bank's actual capital is typically linked to a target credit rating, which is in turn determined by the...

This paper develops a framework for examining the impact of changes in the solvency standard of a bank (target credit rating) on the pricing of bank assets. We show that the decision of a bank to increase its solvency standard increases the price of bank assets to the extent that a bank prices...

Within the context of a banking institution, economic capital is a statistical measure of the amount of resources required to meet unexpected losses over a specified time period and specified level of certainty. The amount of economic capital held by banks is thus a function of their target...

In June 2004 the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision of the Bank for International Settlements issued its revised framework for the international convergence of capital measurement and capital standards. In developing the framework the Committee has sought to determine risk-sensitive capital...

The use of financial incentives in construction projects has been seen as a way to improve short term motivation, collaboration and reinforce long term commitment between project stakeholders. Yet, very little empirical research has been conducted into how financial incentives should be applied...

The use of appropriate financial incentives within construction projects can contribute to strong alignment of project stakeholder motivation with project goals. However, effective incentive system design can be a challenging task and takes skillful planning by client managers in the early...