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77-553: The understanding of risk, the methods of assessment and management, the descriptions of risk and even the definitions of risk differ in different practice areas ( business , economics , environment , finance , information technology , health , insurance , safety , security etc). This article provides links to more detailed articles on these areas. The international standard for risk management, ISO 31000 , provides principles and general guidelines on managing risks faced by organizations . The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) cites

154-562: A corporation or cooperative . Colloquially, the terms are used interchangeably. Corporations are distinct from with sole proprietors and partnerships . They are separate legal entities and provide limited liability for their owners and members. They are subject to corporate tax rates. They are also more complicated and expensive to set up, but offer more protection and benefits for the owners and members. Forms of business ownership vary by jurisdiction , but several common entities exist: Less common types of companies are: "Ltd after

231-436: A stock exchange which imposes listing requirements / Listing Rules as to the issued shares, the trading of shares and a future issue of shares to help bolster the reputation of the exchange or particular market of exchange. Private companies do not have publicly traded shares, and often contain restrictions on transfers of shares. In some jurisdictions, private companies have maximum numbers of shareholders. A parent company

308-783: A stock exchange , or in multiple other ways. Major stock exchanges include the Shanghai Stock Exchange , Singapore Exchange , Hong Kong Stock Exchange , New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ (the US), the London Stock Exchange (UK), the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan), and Bombay Stock Exchange (India). Most countries with capital markets have at least one. Businesses that have gone public are subject to regulations concerning their internal governance, such as how executive officers' compensation

385-399: A "process optimization process". It is argued that BPM enables organizations to be more efficient, effective and capable of change than a functionally focused, traditional hierarchical management approach. Most legal jurisdictions specify the forms of ownership that a business can take, creating a body of commercial law applicable to business. The major factors affecting how a business

462-489: A bid to attract business for their jurisdictions. Examples include " segregated portfolio companies " and restricted purpose companies. There are, however, many, many sub-categories of types of company that can be formed in various jurisdictions in the world. Companies are also sometimes distinguished into public companies and private companies for legal and regulatory purposes. Public companies are companies whose shares can be publicly traded, often (although not always) on

539-479: A business. Some businesses are subject to ongoing special regulation, for example, public utilities , investment securities, banking, insurance, broadcasting , aviation , and health care providers. Environmental regulations are also very complex and can affect many businesses. When businesses need to raise money (called capital ), they sometimes offer securities for sale. Capital may be raised through private means, by an initial public offering or IPO on

616-429: A company's prospects. In economics, as in finance, risk is often defined as quantifiable uncertainty about gains and losses. Environmental risk arises from environmental hazards or environmental issues . In the environmental context, risk is defined as "The chance of harmful effects to human health or to ecological systems". Environmental risk assessment aims to assess the effects of stressors, often chemicals, on

693-498: A company-type management system. Many state institutions and enterprises in China and Russia have transformed into joint-stock companies, with part of their shares being listed on public stock markets. Business process management (BPM) is a holistic management approach focused on aligning all aspects of an organization with the wants and needs of clients . BPM attempts to improve processes continuously. It can, therefore, be described as

770-518: A conceptual model of exposure: Evaluating hazard data Once a conceptual model of exposure is developed for a given hazard, measurements should be taken to determine the presence and quantity of the hazard. These measurements should be compared to appropriate reference levels to determine whether a hazard exists. For instance, if arsenic is detected in tap water from a given well, the detected concentrations should be compared with regulatory thresholds for allowable levels of arsenic in drinking water. If

847-404: A highly quantified way. The technique is usually referred to as probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). See WASH-1400 for an example of this approach. The incidence rate can also be reduced due to the provision of better occupational health and safety programmes. Security is freedom from, or resilience against, potential harm caused by others. A security risk is "any event that could result in

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924-399: A large organization or simply crossing the road. Intuitive risk management is addressed under the psychology of risk below. Risk management refers to a systematic approach to managing risks, and sometimes to the profession that does this. A general definition is that risk management consists of "coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to risk". ISO 31000 ,

1001-401: A number of natural carcinogens and chemical elements like radon and lead may turn up in health-critical concentrations in the natural environment: A physical hazard is a type of occupational hazard that involves environmental hazards that can cause harm with or without contact. Below is a list of examples: Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological substances that pose

1078-429: A pool of risks including market risk, credit risk, operational risk, interest rate risk, mortality risk, longevity risks, etc. The term "risk" has a long history in insurance and has acquired several specialised definitions, including "the subject-matter of an insurance contract", "an insured peril" as well as the more common "possibility of an event occurring which causes injury or loss". Occupational health and safety

1155-524: A process known as an initial public offering (IPO) means that part of the business will be owned by members of the public. This requires the organization as a distinct entity, to disclose information to the public, and adhering to a tighter set of laws and procedures. Most public entities are corporations that have sold shares, but increasingly there are also public LLC's that sell units (sometimes also called shares), and other more exotic entities as well, such as, for example, real estate investment trusts in

1232-564: A range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech , but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." The term developed from

1309-617: A simple summary, defining risk as "the possibility of something bad happening". The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 31073 provides basic vocabulary to develop common understanding on risk management concepts and terms across different applications. ISO 31073 defines risk as: effect of uncertainty on objectives Note 1: An effect is a deviation from the expected. It can be positive, negative or both, and can address, create or result in opportunities and threats . Note 2: Objectives can have different aspects and categories, and can be applied at different levels. Note 3: Risk

1386-894: A threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus, or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health. Biological hazards can also include substances harmful to animals. Examples of biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They may cause a myriad of diseases, from flu to more serious and potentially fatal diseases. Psychological hazards are aspects of work and work environments that can cause psychological harm or mental ill-health. These include factors such as stress, workplace bullying , fatigue, burnout, and violence, among others. These hazards can lead to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychological hazards can exist in any type of workplace, and their management

1463-447: A threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect human health. Examples include: Psychological hazards include but are not limited to stress, violence and other workplace stressors . Work is generally beneficial to mental health and personal wellbeing. It provides people with structure and purpose and

1540-521: A variety of hazards that may result in accidents causing harm to people, property and the environment. In the safety field, risk is typically defined as the "likelihood and severity of hazardous events". Safety risks are controlled using techniques of risk management. A high reliability organisation (HRO) involves complex operations in environments where catastrophic accidents could occur. Examples include aircraft carriers, air traffic control, aerospace and nuclear power stations. Some HROs manage risk in

1617-582: Is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment ". This may include the negotiation of wages , work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing, and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. Environmental hazards Environmental hazards are those hazards that affect biomes or ecosystems . Well known examples include oil spills , water pollution , slash and burn deforestation, air pollution , ground fissures , and build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide . Physical exposure to environmental hazards

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1694-473: Is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company. The subsidiary company can be allowed to maintain its own board of directors. The definition of a parent company differs by jurisdiction, with the definition normally being defined by way of laws dealing with companies in that jurisdiction. Accounting

1771-472: Is a crucial aspect of occupational health and safety. Environmental hazard identification is the first step in environmental risk assessment , which is the process of assessing the likelihood, or risk , of adverse effects resulting from a given environmental stressor . Hazard identification is the determination of whether, and under what conditions, a given environmental stressor has the potential to cause harm. In hazard identification, sources of data on

1848-589: Is a field that deals with the study of money and investments . It includes the dynamics of assets and liabilities over time under conditions of different degrees of uncertainty and risk. In the context of business and management , finance deals with the problems of ensuring that the firm can safely and profitably carry out its operational and financial objectives; i.e. that it: (1) has sufficient cash flow for ongoing and upcoming operational expenses, and (2) can service both maturing short-term debt repayments, and scheduled long-term debt payments. Finance also deals with

1925-494: Is a questionnaire screening tool, used to provide individuals with an evaluation of their health risks and quality of life. Health, safety, and environment (HSE) are separate practice areas; however, they are often linked. The reason is typically to do with organizational management structures; however, there are strong links among these disciplines. One of the strongest links is that a single risk event may have impacts in all three areas, albeit over differing timescales. For example,

2002-587: Is an organization of workers who have come together to achieve common goals such as protecting the integrity of its trade, improving safety standards, achieving higher pay and benefits such as health care and retirement, increasing the number of employees an employer assigns to complete the work, and better working conditions . The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members ( rank and file members) and negotiates labor contracts ( collective bargaining ) with employers. The most common purpose of these associations or unions

2079-414: Is an individual or collaborative undertaking planned to achieve a specific aim. Project risk is defined as, "an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives". Project risk management aims to increase the likelihood and impact of positive events and decrease the likelihood and impact of negative events in the project. Safety is concerned with

2156-854: Is capable of detecting). Chemical hazards are defined in the Globally Harmonized System and in the European Union chemical regulations. They are caused by chemical substances causing significant damage to the environment . The label is particularly applicable towards substances with aquatic toxicity . An example is zinc oxide , a common paint pigment, which is extremely toxic to aquatic life. Toxicity or other hazards do not imply an environmental hazard, because elimination by sunlight ( photolysis ), water ( hydrolysis ) or organisms (biological elimination) neutralizes many reactive or poisonous substances. Persistence towards these elimination mechanisms combined with toxicity gives

2233-476: Is concerned with occupational hazards experienced in the workplace. The Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) standard OHSAS 18001 in 1999 defined risk as the "combination of the likelihood and consequence(s) of a specified hazardous event occurring". In 2018 this was replaced by ISO 45001 "Occupational health and safety management systems", which use the ISO Guide 73 definition. A project

2310-419: Is crucial for all businesses to succeed as it helps companies adjust to a fast-moving business environment and the increasing demand for jobs. The term "Human Resource" was first coined by John R. Commons in his novel ' The Distribution of Wealth'. HR departments are relatively new as they began developing in the late 20th century. HR departments main goal is to maximize employee productivity and protecting

2387-648: Is determined, and when and how information is disclosed to shareholders and to the public. In the United States, these regulations are primarily implemented and enforced by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other western nations have comparable regulatory bodies. The regulations are implemented and enforced by the China Securities Regulation Commission (CSRC) in China. In Singapore,

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2464-566: Is for those who prefer an administrative role as it involves oversight of the entirety of the company. HRIS involves the storage and organization of employee data including full names, addresses, means of contact, and anything else required by that certain company. Some careers of those involved in the Human Resource field include enrollment specialists, HR analyst, recruiter, employment relations manager, etc. Many businesses have an Information technology (IT) department, which supports

2541-432: Is narrowly focused on computer security, information risks extend to other forms of information (paper, microfilm). Insurance is a risk treatment option which involves risk sharing. It can be considered as a form of contingent capital and is akin to purchasing an option in which the buyer pays a small premium to be protected from a potential large loss. Insurance risk is often taken by insurance companies, who then bear

2618-484: Is organized are usually: Many businesses are operated through a separate entity such as a corporation or a partnership (either formed with or without limited liability). Most legal jurisdictions allow people to organize such an entity by filing certain charter documents with the relevant Secretary of State or equivalent and complying with certain other ongoing obligations. The relationships and legal rights of shareholders , limited partners, or members are governed partly by

2695-674: Is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations . The modern field was established by the Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli in 1494. Accounting, which has been called the "language of business", measures the results of an organization's economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of users, including investors , creditors , management , and regulators . Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants . The terms "accounting" and "financial reporting" are often used as synonyms. Commerce

2772-428: Is the process of exchanging goods and services. It is not just a single activity, but a set of activities that includes trade (buying and selling goods and services) and auxiliary services or aids to trade, that includes communication and marketing, logistics, finance, banking, insurance, and legal services related to trade. Business is also defined as engaging in commerce, as these are done in all businesses. Finance

2849-472: Is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data. IT risk (or cyber risk) arises from the potential that a threat may exploit a vulnerability to breach security and cause harm. IT risk management applies risk management methods to IT to manage IT risks. Computer security is the protection of IT systems by managing IT risks. Information security is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. While IT risk

2926-435: Is usually expressed in terms of risk sources, potential events, their consequences and their likelihood. This definition was developed by an international committee representing over 30 countries and is based on the input of several thousand subject-matter experts. It was first adopted in 2002 for use in standards. Its complexity reflects the difficulty of satisfying fields that use the term risk, in different ways. Some restrict

3003-746: Is usually involuntary Environmental hazards can be categorized in many different ways. One of them is — chemical, physical, biological, and psychological. Chemical hazards are substances that can cause harm or damage to humans, animals, or the environment. They can be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, mists, dusts, fumes, and vapors. Exposure can occur through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or direct contact. Chemical hazards include substances such as pesticides, solvents, acids, bases, reactive metals, and poisonous gases. Exposure to these substances can result in health effects such as skin irritation, respiratory problems, organ damage, neurological effects, and cancer. Physical hazards are factors within

3080-515: The long term objective of maximizing the value of the business, while also balancing risk and profitability; this includes the interrelated questions of (1) capital investment , which businesses and projects to invest in; (2) capital structure , deciding on the mix of funding to be used; and (3) dividend policy , what to do with "excess" capital. Human resources can be defined as division of business that involves finding, screening, recruiting , and training job applicants. Human resources, or HR,

3157-477: The variance (or standard deviation) of asset prices. More recent risk measures include value at risk . Because investors are generally risk averse , investments with greater inherent risk must promise higher expected returns. Financial risk management uses financial instruments to manage exposure to risk. It includes the use of a hedge to offset risks by adopting a position in an opposing market or investment. In financial audit , audit risk refers to

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3234-825: The " canary in the coal mine " and reduce the cost to businesses of protecting their employees. Sales are activity related to selling or the number of goods or services sold in a given time period. Sales are often integrated with all lines of business and are key to a companies' success. The efficient and effective operation of a business , and study of this subject, is called management . The major branches of management are financial management , marketing management, human resource management , strategic management , production management , operations management , service management , and information technology management . Owners may manage their businesses themselves, or employ managers to do so for them. Whether they are owners or employees, managers administer three primary components of

3311-475: The Internet, venture capital, bank loans, and debentures. Businesses often have important " intellectual property " that needs protection from competitors for the company to stay profitable. This could require patents , copyrights , trademarks , or preservation of trade secrets . Most businesses have names, logos, and similar branding techniques that could benefit from trademarking. Patents and copyrights in

3388-628: The Latin corpus , meaning body, and the Maurya Empire in Iron-Age India accorded legal rights to business entities. In many countries, it is difficult to compile all the laws that can affect a business into a single reference source. Laws can govern the treatment of labour and employee relations, worker protection and safety , discrimination on the basis of age, gender, disability, race, and in some jurisdictions, sexual orientation, and

3465-650: The US, and unit trusts in the UK. A general partnership cannot "go public". A very detailed and well-established body of rules that evolved over a very long period of time applies to commercial transactions. The need to regulate trade and commerce and resolve business disputes helped shape the creation of law and courts. The Code of Hammurabi dates back to about 1772 BC for example and contains provisions that relate, among other matters, to shipping costs and dealings between merchants and brokers . The word "corporation" derives from

3542-689: The United States are largely governed by federal law, while trade secrets and trademarking are mostly a matter of state law. Because of the nature of intellectual property, a business needs protection in every jurisdiction in which they are concerned about competitors. Many countries are signatories to international treaties concerning intellectual property, and thus companies registered in these countries are subject to national laws bound by these treaties. In order to protect trade secrets, companies may require employees to sign noncompete clauses which will impose limitations on an employee's interactions with stakeholders, and competitors. A trade union (or labor union)

3619-502: The business needs, an adviser can decide what kind is proprietorship will be most suitable. General partners in a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), plus anyone who personally owns and operates a business without creating a separate legal entity, are personally liable for the debts and obligations of the business. Generally, corporations are required to pay tax just like "real" people. In some tax systems, this can give rise to so-called double taxation , because first

3696-455: The business's value: financial resources, capital (tangible resources), and human resources . These resources are administered in at least six functional areas: legal contracting, manufacturing or service production, marketing, accounting, financing, and human resources. In recent decades, states modeled some of their assets and enterprises after business enterprises. In 2003, for example, China modeled 80% of its state-owned enterprises on

3773-408: The charter documents and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where the entity is organized. Generally speaking, shareholders in a corporation, limited partners in a limited partnership, and members in a limited liability company are shielded from personal liability for the debts and obligations of the entity, which is legally treated as a separate "person". This means that unless there is misconduct,

3850-710: The common methods of management, the measurements of risk and even the definition of risk differ in different practice areas. This section provides links to more detailed articles on these areas. Business risks arise from uncertainty about the profit of a commercial business due to unwanted events such as changes in tastes, changing preferences of consumers, strikes, increased competition, changes in government policy, obsolescence etc. Business risks are controlled using techniques of risk management . In many cases they may be managed by intuitive steps to prevent or mitigate risks, by following regulations or standards of good practice, or by insurance . Enterprise risk management includes

3927-487: The company from any issues that may arise in the future. Some of the most common activities conducted by those working in HR include increasing innovation and creativity within a company, applying new approaches to work projects, and efficient training and communication with employees . Two of the most popular subdivisions of HR are Human Resource Management , HRM, and Human Resource Information Systems , or HRIS. The HRM route

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4004-483: The company's name signifies limited company, and PLC ( public limited company ) indicates that its shares are widely held." In legal parlance, the owners of a company are normally referred to as the "members". In a company limited or unlimited by shares (formed or incorporated with a share capital), this will be the shareholders . In a company limited by guarantee, this will be the guarantors. Some offshore jurisdictions have created special forms of offshore company in

4081-451: The compromise of organizational assets i.e. the unauthorized use, loss, damage, disclosure or modification of organizational assets for the profit, personal interest or political interests of individuals, groups or other entities." Security risk management involves protection of assets from harm caused by deliberate acts. Risk is ubiquitous in all areas of life and we all manage these risks, consciously or intuitively, whether we are managing

4158-432: The context of public health , risk assessment is the process of characterizing the nature and likelihood of a harmful effect to individuals or populations from certain human activities. Health risk assessment can be mostly qualitative or can include statistical estimates of probabilities for specific populations. A health risk assessment (also referred to as a health risk appraisal and health & well-being assessment)

4235-579: The corporation pays tax on the profit, and then when the corporation distributes its profits to its owners, individuals have to include dividends in their income when they complete their personal tax returns, at which point a second layer of income tax is imposed. In most countries, there are laws that treat small corporations differently from large ones. They may be exempt from certain legal filing requirements or labor laws, have simplified procedures in specialized areas, and have simplified, advantageous, or slightly different tax treatment. "Going public" through

4312-406: The detected levels are consistently lower than these limits, arsenic may not be a chemical of potential concern for the purposes of this risk assessment. When interpreting hazard data, risk assessors must consider the sensitivity of the instrument and method used to take these measurements, including any relevant detection limits (i.e., the lowest level of a given substance that an instrument or method

4389-539: The earliest use of the word in English (in the spelling of risque from its French original, 'risque') as of 1621, and the spelling as risk from 1655. While including several other definitions, the OED 3rd edition defines risk as: (Exposure to) the possibility of loss, injury, or other adverse or unwelcome circumstance; a chance or situation involving such a possibility. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives

4466-523: The environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. They include a wide range of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, radiation, and ergonomic hazards. Physical hazards may lead to injuries like burns, fractures, hearing loss, vision impairment, or other physical harm. They can be present in many work settings such as construction sites, manufacturing plants, and even office spaces. Biological hazards , also known as biohazards, are organic substances that pose

4543-671: The first stage of development of a potential new service or product. Research and development are very difficult to manage since the defining feature of the research is that the researchers do not know in advance exactly how to accomplish the desired result. Injuries cost businesses billions of dollars annually. Studies have shown how company acceptance and implementation of comprehensive safety and health management systems reduce incidents, insurance costs, and workers' compensation claims. New technologies, like wearable safety devices and available online safety training, continue to be developed to encourage employers to invest in protection beyond

4620-412: The importance of different adverse effects in a particular situation. The Society for Risk Analysis concludes that "experience has shown that to agree on one unified set of definitions is not realistic". The solution is "to allow for different perspectives on fundamental concepts and make a distinction between overall qualitative definitions and their associated measurements." The understanding of risk,

4697-419: The international standard for risk management, describes a risk management process that consists of the following elements: Business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services ). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." A business entity is not necessarily separate from

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4774-441: The local environment. Finance is concerned with money management and acquiring funds. Financial risk arises from uncertainty about financial returns. It includes market risk , credit risk , liquidity risk and operational risk . In finance, risk is the possibility that the actual return on an investment will be different from its expected return. This includes not only " downside risk " (returns below expectations, including

4851-469: The methods and processes used by organizations to manage risks and seize opportunities related to the achievement of their objectives. Economics is concerned with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Economic risk arises from uncertainty about economic outcomes. For example, economic risk may be the chance that macroeconomic conditions like exchange rates, government regulation, or political stability will affect an investment or

4928-566: The minimum wage, as well as unions , worker compensation, and working hours and leave. Some specialized businesses may also require licenses, either due to laws governing entry into certain trades, occupations or professions, that require special education or to raise revenue for local governments. Professions that require special licenses include law, medicine, piloting aircraft, selling liquor, radio broadcasting, selling investment securities, selling used cars, and roofing. Local jurisdictions may also require special licenses and taxes just to operate

5005-488: The original meaning which referred literally to going to a market to buy or sell goods or services. Marketing tactics include advertising as well as determining product pricing . With the rise in technology, marketing is further divided into a class called digital marketing . It is marketing products and services using digital technologies. Research and development refer to activities in connection with corporate or government innovation. Research and development constitute

5082-399: The owner and the creditors can hold the owner liable for debts the business has acquired. The taxation system for businesses is different from that of the corporates. A business structure does not allow for corporate tax rates. The proprietor is personally taxed on all income from the business. A distinction is made in law and public offices between the term business and a company such as

5159-399: The owner's own possessions are strongly protected in law if the business does not succeed. Where two or more individuals own a business together but have failed to organize a more specialized form of vehicle, they will be treated as a general partnership. The terms of a partnership are partly governed by a partnership agreement if one is created, and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where

5236-433: The partnership is located. No paperwork or filing is necessary to create a partnership, and without an agreement, the relationships and legal rights of the partners will be entirely governed by the law of the jurisdiction where the partnership is located. A single person who owns and runs a business is commonly known as a sole proprietor , whether that person owns it directly or through a formally organized entity. Depending on

5313-425: The possibility of losing some or all of the original investment) but also "upside risk" (returns that exceed expectations). In Knight's definition, risk is often defined as quantifiable uncertainty about gains and losses. This contrasts with Knightian uncertainty , which cannot be quantified. Financial risk modeling determines the aggregate risk in a financial portfolio. Modern portfolio theory measures risk using

5390-440: The potential that an audit report may fail to detect material misstatement either due to error or fraud. Health risks arise from disease and other biological hazards . Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease. It is a cornerstone of public health , and shapes policy decisions by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive healthcare . In

5467-440: The potential to cause adverse effects only if they come into contact with populations that may be harmed. For this reason, hazard identification includes the development of a conceptual model of exposure. Conceptual models communicate the pathway connecting sources of a given hazard to the potentially exposed population(s). The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry establishes five elements that should be included in

5544-944: The regulatory authority is the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and in Hong Kong, it is the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). The proliferation and increasing complexity of the laws governing business have forced increasing specialization in corporate law. It is not unheard of for certain kinds of corporate transactions to require a team of five to ten attorneys due to sprawling regulation. Commercial law spans general corporate law, employment and labor law , health-care law, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, tax law, employee benefit plans, food and drug regulation, intellectual property law on copyrights, patents, trademarks, telecommunications law, and financing. Other types of capital sourcing include crowdsourcing on

5621-463: The risks associated with prospective hazards are identified. For instance, if a site is known to be contaminated with a variety of industrial pollutants , hazard identification will determine which of these chemicals could result in adverse human health effects, and what effects they could cause. Risk assessors rely on both laboratory (e.g., toxicological) and epidemiological data to make these determinations. Conceptual model of exposure Hazards have

5698-484: The substance the ability to do damage in the long term. Also, the lack of immediate human toxicity does not mean the substance is environmentally nonhazardous. For example, tanker truck-sized spills of substances such as milk can cause a lot of damage in the local aquatic ecosystems: the added biological oxygen demand causes rapid eutrophication , leading to anoxic conditions in the water body. All hazards in this category are mainly anthropogenic although there exist

5775-422: The term to negative impacts ("downside risks"), while others also include positive impacts ("upside risks"). Some resolve these differences by arguing that the definition of risk is subjective. For example: No definition is advanced as the correct one, because there is no one definition that is suitable for all problems. Rather, the choice of definition is a political one, expressing someone's views regarding

5852-423: The uncontrolled release of radiation or a toxic chemical may have immediate short-term safety consequences, more protracted health impacts, and much longer-term environmental impacts . Events such as Chernobyl , for example, caused immediate deaths, and in the longer term, deaths from cancers, and left a lasting environmental impact leading to birth defects , impacts on wildlife, etc. Information technology (IT)

5929-494: The use of information technology and computer systems in support of enterprise goals. The role of a chief information officer is to lead this department. For example, Ford Motor Company in the United States employs "more than 3,000 team members with advanced computing, analytical and technical skills". Manufacturing is the production of merchandise for use or sale using labour and machines , tools , chemical and biological processing, or formulation. The term may refer to

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