This book offers a comprehensive coverage of the investor relations and financial communication profession. Suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as professional development training, it provides a solid foundation for anyone looking to start a career as an investor relations officer. The book is organized in five sections. The first section, Profession, describes jobs available in the investor relations and financial communication industry, providing details on key responsibilities, titles, and salaries, and defines the key players in the field. The second section, Disclosure, focuses on the financial and non-financial information that is the foundation of investor relations. The third section, Context, depicts the regulatory environment in which the industry professionals operate, the issues of corporate governance, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, shareholder activisn, and crisis management. The fourth part, Work, portrays day-to-day activities of the investor relations and financial communication professionals – from initial public offering to periodic reporting to performance evaluation. Finally, the last part, Transformation, reviews the varying landscape of investor relations and financial communication around the world and discusses the future of the profession.

Alexander V. Laskin, PhD, is Professor at Quinnipiac University, Connecticut, USA. He is author of more than 70 publications, focused primarily on investor relations, international communications, emerging technologies, and performance evaluation. His research was recognized with awards from the Association for Business Communication and the Institute for Public Relations. He is a Fulbright Specialist, Page Legacy Scholar, Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Plank Center Fellow, and the People???s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Faculty Fellow.

Part I Profession 1

1 Introduction to Investor Relations and Financial Communication 3

2 Investor Relations and Financial Communication Industry 24

3 Stockholders and Stakeholders 39

Part II Disclosure 61

4 Communicating Financial Information 63

5 Communicating Nonfinancial Information 81

Part III Context 93

6 Legal and Regulatory Environment of Investor Relations and Financial Communication 95

7 Corporate Governance, Environmental Sustainability, and Social Responsibility 107

8 Shareholder Activism and Crisis Management 121

Part IV Work 133

9 Main Activities and Publications in Investor Relations and Financial Communication 135

10 Going Public and Going Private 155

11 Measurement and Evaluation of Investor Relations and Financial Communication 169

Part V Transformation 179

12 Globalization of the Financial Markets and Regional Distinctions 181

13 The Future of Investor Relations and Financial Communication 189

Bibliography 200

Index 211