Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Reinforcement |
ReinforcementNoun1. A military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission; "they called for artillery support". 2. Information that makes more forcible or convincing; "his gestures provided eloquent reinforcement for his complaints". 3. (psychology) a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it. 4. A device designed to provide additional strength; "the cardboard backing was just a strengthener,"; "he used gummed reinforcements to hold the page in his notebook". 5. An act performed to strengthen approved behavior. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "reinforcement" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1602. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Building & Civil Engineering | Rods, bars or fabric, usually of steel, embedded in concrete for the purpose of resisting particular stresses. Source: European Union. (references) |
Chemical Industry | Any filler for plastics materials whose primary function is to strengthen the finished product; e. g. the use of rag fillers in compression mouldings. . Source: European Union. (references) |
Electrical Engineering | A material used to reinforce, strengthen, or give dimensional stability to another material such as the braid portion of a sheath constructed in layers. Source: European Union. (references) |
Food & Agriculture | A term embracing various measures for improving the percentage of desirable species in natural forest:a)in the tropics, generally by sowing or planting these in lines or strips or irregularly in gaps, either natural or resulting from exploitation; b)in temperate countries by widely-spaced interplantings. Source: European Union. (references) |
Mechanical Engineering | Any portion of a machine part intended to reinforce or stiffen that part, e. g. a rib, a tie bar, or a lining. Source: European Union. (references) |
Public Administration | Something designed to provide additional strength (as in a weak area) (gummed --s prevent paper from tearing). Source: European Union. (references) |
| The action of supporting the first man or men who go to a fire, by sending additional manpower, equipment and supplies to facilitate either fire suppression or mopping up. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In operant conditioning, reinforcement is the presentation of a stimulus contingent on a response which results in an increase in response strength (as evidenced by an increase in the frequency of response). This concept has been criticized as circular, since it appears to argue that response strength is increased by reinforcement while defining reinforcement as something which increases response strength. Non-circular definitions have been proposed; for example, reinforcement can be defined as consummatory behaviour contingent on a response. Reinforcement is the key concept and procedure in the experimental analysis of behavior.Whether the definition is circular or not, the study of reinforcement has produced strong, reproducible results. The effects of different schedules of reinforcement have been extensively studied. These schedules are:
Ratio schedules produce higher rates of responding than interval schedules, with variable ratio scales producing the highest rates of response. Variable ratio schedules produce the greatest resistance to extinction, which is the decline in response strength following the cessation of reinforcement.
- Continuous, in which a reinforcer is presented after every response,
- Fixed ratio, in which a reinforcer is presented after every nth response,
- Fixed interval, in which a reinforcer is presented after the passage of a specified length of time from the beginning of training or from the presentation of the last reinforcer, provided a response has been made during the period,
- Variable ratio, in which the number of responses between reinforcers varies, but on the average equals a predetermined number, and
- Variable interval, in which the time between reinforcers varies, but on the average equals a predetermined time.
Positive reinforcement is the contingent presentation of a stimulus following a response, resulting in an increased likelihood of the response occurring in the future. Negative reinforcement is the contingent withdrawal of a stimulus following a response, resulting in an increased likelihood of the response occurring in the future. Conditioned reinforcement is the presentation of a stimulus which has acquired reinforcing power through association with primary reinforcers (stimuli which are inherently reinforcing). Social reinforcement is a form of conditioned reinforcement in which the reinforcer involves some sort of interaction with others.
Successive approximation is the presentation of reinforcers after increasingly accurate productions of the desired response. In training rats or pigeons to depress a lever or peck a key, for example, reinforcement will initially be contingent on simply turning toward the lever or key. As training progresses, the response reinforced becomes progressively more like the response desired by the trainer.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Reinforcement."
Synonyms: ReinforcementSynonyms: reenforcement (n), reinforcer (n), reinforcing stimulus (n), reward (n), strengthener (n), support (n). (additional references) |
| Synonym by domain: follow-on (public administration, food & agriculture). |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Addition | Noun: addition, annexation, adjection; junction; superposition, superaddition, superjunction, superfetation; accession, reinforcement; increase; increment, supplement; accompaniment; interposition; insertion. |
Adjunct | Noun: adjunct; addition, additament; additum, affix, appelidage, annexe, annex; augment, augmentation; increment, reinforcement, supernumerary, accessory, item; garnish, sauce; accompaniment; adjective, addendum; complement, supplement; continuation. |
Materials | Materials; supplies, munition, fuel, grist, household stuff pabulum; (food); ammunition; (arms); contingents; relay, reinforcement, reenforcement; baggage; (personal property); means; calico, cambric, cashmere. |
Provision | Providing; Verb: purveyance; reinforcement, reenforcement; commissariat. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Title | ||
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Construction of Boulder Dam, Boulder City, Nevada--Steel bar reinforcement in intake towers. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Cutting metal reinforcement for screen door joints. Charles County, La Plata, Maryland. Screening demonstration. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
John Milton | What reinforcement we may gain from hope; If not, what resolution from despair. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | At the same time, he esteemed himself too weak when he deemed it necessary to obtain a reinforcement. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Patience and positive reinforcement are important. (references) | |
The behavioral component concurrently provides support and reinforcement of coping skills, yielding better long-term outcomes. (references) | ||
Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) Plus Vouchers is an intensive 24-week outpatient therapy for treatment of cocaine addiction. (references) | ||
Business | WAPDA and KESC are currently implementing projects that require reinforcement and augmentation of their transmission line network. (references) | |
Economic History | United Kingdom | The Royal Marines provide commando units for amphibious assault and for specialist reinforcement forces in and beyond the NATO area. (references) |
Morocco | This grant, for the reinforcement of the electricity transmission grid and interconnections, marks the first three-country commercial project under the USNAEP agreement. (references) | |
Bahrain | The transmission system development will involve the construction of three new 220KV substations at Hamad Town, Jasra and Alba industrial area as well as the reinforcement and expansion of three other stations at Umm Al Hassam, Isa Town and Hidd. (references) | |
Human Rights | Israel and the occupied territories | The PA security forces brought in between 400 and 500 reinforcement officers and deployed several armed personnel carriers. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Washington | 1789-1797 | A reinforcement of the existing provisions for discharging our public debt was mentioned in my address at the opening of the last session. |
Thomas Jefferson | 1801-1809 | Persuaded that it is our interest to maintain our peace with them on equal terms or not at all, I propose to send in due time a reinforcement into the Mediterranean unless previous information shall show it to be necessary. |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | While the judicial branch of our Government may require reinforcement, the budgets and payrolls of the other branches remain staggering. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Reinforcement" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Reinforcement" is used about 343 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 343 | 15,445 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "reinforcement": gummed reinforcement ♦ Reinforcement (Psychology) ♦ reinforcement bar ♦ reinforcement planting ♦ Reinforcement Schedule ♦ reinforcement troops. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "reinforcement": air-reinforcement. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "reinforcement"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | përforcuese, përforcime, përforcim (aggrandizement, amplification, confirmation, consolidation, enforcement, exaltation, gain, magnification), mbështetëse (backrest, bearer, bracket, buttress, console, crutch, prop, rack, rest, saddle, shore, stanchion, stand, support, supporter). (various references) | |
Arabic | تقوية (consolidation, encouragement, enforcement, intensification, motive, strengthening), تقو, تعميق, تعزيزات عسكرية, تعزيز (build up), تعزز (reinforce), إمدادات عسكرية, شىء مقو. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | втвърдяване (calcification, concretion, congealment, fixation, induration, rigescence, sclerosis, set), заякчаване, попълване (replacement, replenishment), подсилващ материал, подсилване (fortification, strengthening), подкрепление. (various references) | |
Chinese | 增强 (intensified, intensify, intensifying, Potentiate, Potentiated, Potentiating). (various references) | |
Czech | zpevnìní, zesílení (boost, intensification), posila (backup, comfort). (various references) | |
Danish | overhvaelving, hjaelpeplantning (enrichment, supplementing natural regeneration), forstærkning (amplification, brace, bracing, follow-up, gain, rib, stay, stiffening, strengthening, sturdy rib), armeringsjern (armoring, armouring, core crab, core grid, core iron, core rod, core wire), armering (arming, armor, armoring, armour, armouring, cable armor, cable armour, hanging), afstivning (brace, bracing, excavated wall, keying, keys, propping, retaining, shoring, stiffener, stiffening, strutting, supporting, wedging). (various references) | |
Dutch | wapening (armor, armoring, armouring, core crab, core grid, core iron, core rod, core wire), versterking (fortification), overdikte, draagconstructie (armoring, armouring, carrier elements, frame, side frame, skeleton, superstructure), bewapening (armor, armour, cable armor, cable armour), armatuur (armature, brace, cramp-iron). (various references) | |
Farsi | مدد (Help), تقویت (Abet, Amplification, Fortification, Fuel, Nutrition, Revival, Support). (various references) | |
Finnish | vahvistus (confirmation, sanction, strengthening). (various references) | |
French | renforcement. (various references) | |
German | Verstärkung (amplification, boost, boosting, concentration, deepening, fortification, gain, increase, intensification, re enforcement, recruitment, reinforcements, strengthener, strengthening), Versteifung (hardening, stiffener, stiffening, strengthening, strutting, tightening), Armierung (sheath). (various references) | |
Greek | ενίσχυση (amplification, amplifying, invigoration, relief). (various references) | |
Hebrew | ת'בורת (increase, supplement), חזוק (confirmation, consolidation, fortification, intensification, strengthening, support), "'בר" (amplification, enhancement, gain, intensification, strengthening), בצור (fortification, fortified, fortifying, redoubt, strengthening). (various references) | |
Hungarian | megerősítés (affirmation, belaying, establishment, piling, ratification, succour). (various references) | |
Indonesian | penguatan (reinforcing), penguat (intensifier, something that reinforces, strengthener, tonic). (various references) | |
Italian | rinforzo (enhancement, strengthening). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 補強 (compensation), 補強 (compensation), 救援 (relief, rescue), 救援 (relief, rescue), 援軍 , 増援 , 応援 (aid, assistance, help, rooting), 応援 (aid, assistance, barracking, cheering, help, rooting, support). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ぞうえ" (landscape gardening), おうえ" (aid, assistance, barracking, cheering, chrome yellow, help, rooting, support), きゅうえ" (baseball all-star game, courtship, eternity, old acquaintance, old grudge, old relationship, relief, rescue, suspending performance), ほきょう (compensation), え"ぐ". (various references) | |
Korean | 증강 (Augmenting). (various references) | |
Manx | niartaghey (affirm, affirmation, brace, building up, cement, confirm, confirmation, consolidate, consolidation, documentation, extend, fortification, fortify, intensify, invigorate, nerve, reinforce, stiffen, strengthen), aaniartaghey (boost, reaffirm, reaffirmation, reassure, refresh, reinforce, reinvigoration). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | einforcementray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | reforço (draught, fish, fortification, intensification, rib, shroud), armadura (armature, brace, fittings, harness, mail, plate). (various references) | |
Romanian | armare (armament, cocking, outfit), întãrire (bracing, concretion, hardening, induration, intensification, intension, munition, protection, recruitment, strengthening). (various references) | |
Russian | усиление (aggrandizement, amplification, exasperation, intensification, magnification, strengthening). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | pojačanje (amplification, succor, succour). (various references) | |
Spanish | refuerzo (backing), reforzamiento. (various references) | |
Swedish | förstärkning (amplification, exaggeration, gain, strengthening), armering (armament, Armor, armour). (various references) | |
Thai | การสนับสนุน (input, sanction). (various references) | |
Turkish | takviye (backing, consolidation, fortification, fortifier, recruitment, strengthening, support), güçlendirme (fortification, recruitment, strengthening), destek (aid, anchorage, assistance, backing, backup, bolster, booster, brace, bracer, bracket, buttress, contribution, cooperation, corbel, countenance, crutch, endorsement, friend, indorsement, mounting, pillar, pit prop, prop, relief, rest, rider, second, shore, shot, sponsorship, spur, staff, stake, stanchion, stand by, stay, stiffening, strut, support, supporter, supporting, sustenance, truss, underlay, upholder). (various references) | |
Turkmen | berkitme (reinforced). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | компенсація (amends, atonement, balancing, compensation, consideration, offset, quits, recompense, recoupment, remuneration, reparation, requital, set off), повернення (backsliding, comeback, reappearance, recurrence, redemption, regress, reimbursement, restitution, resumption, retrieval, return). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | sự tăng cường, sự củng cố. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Old English | 450-1100 | ecan, eacan, eacian. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "reinforcement": reinforcements. (additional references) | |
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"Reinforcement" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: reinforcment, reinforement. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "reinforcement" (pronounced rē'unfô"rsmunt) |
| 9 | -n f ô" r s m u n t | enforcement. |
| 7 | -ô" r s m u n t | endorsement. |
| 5 | -s m u n t | announcement, advancement, assessment, basement, bemusement, commencement, impressment, debasement, disbursement, displacement, embarrassment, emplacement, enhancement, enticement, harassment, inducement, outplacement, placement, pronouncement, reassessment, reimbursement, replacement. |
| 4 | -m u n t | aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, allotment, amazement, amendment, amusement, annulment, antigovernment, apartment, appeasement, appointment, apportionment, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, accompaniment, accomplishment, abandonment, abatement, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adjournment, adjustment, adornment, advertisement, advisement, assignment, assortment, astonishment, atonement, attachment, attainment, banishment, battlement, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, bombardment, claimant, Clement, commandment, commitment, compartment, complement, comportment, concealment, condiment, confinement, consignment, containment, contentment, copayment, curtailment, impairment, impeachment, impediment, implement, impoundment, impoverishment, imprisonment, improvement, debarment, deferment, department, deployment, deportment, derailment, detachment, determent, detriment, development, diminishment, disagreement, disappointment, disarmament, disbarment, discernment, discouragement, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, disinvestment, dismantlement, dismemberment, divestment, dormant, easement, element, embankment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, employment, empowerment, enactment, encampment, enchantment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endowment, engagement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enlistment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, entitlement, entombment, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, escapement, escarpment, establishment, estrangement, excitement, excrement, experiment, extinguishment, figment, filament, formant, fragment, fulfillment, garment, garnishment, government, incitement, inclement, increment, indictment, informant, infotainment, infringement, installment, instrument, integument, internment, intersegment, investment, involvement, judgement, judgment, ligament, maltreatment, management, measurement, micromanagement, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, misstatement, mistreatment, moment, monument, movement, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nourishment, ointment, ornament, orpiment, overpayment, overstatement, parchment, parliament, pavement, payment, pigment, postponement, postretirement, predicament, prejudgment, prepayment, presentment, procurement, punishment, puzzlement, readjustment, realignment, reappointment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassignment, recruitment, redeployment, redevelopment, reemployment, reenactment, refinement, refreshment, refurbishment, regiment, reinstatement, reinvestment, repayment, replenishment, requirement, resentment, resettlement, restatement, retirement, retrenchment, rudiment, sacrament, sediment, segment, sentiment, settlement, shipment, statement, supplement, temperament, tenement, testament, tournament, treatment, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, understatement, unemployment, vehement, wonderment. |
| 3 | -u n t | agent, ambient, ambivalent, ancient, antecedent, antidepressant, antioxidant, apparent, applicant, ardent, argent, arrant, arrogant, absent, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accelerant, accident, aberrant, abhorrent, abortifacient, accountant, adherent, adjacent, adjutant, adolescent, afferent, affiant, affluent, ascendant, aspirant, assailant, assistant, astringent, attendant, belligerent, beneficent, benevolent, blatant, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, clairvoyant, client, coefficient, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, combatant, competent, complacent, complainant, complaisant, compliant, component, concomitant, concurrent, confident, confluent, consequent, consistent, consonant, constant, constituent, consultant, contaminant, contestant, continent, contingent, convalescent, convenient, convent, convergent, conversant, coolant, corespondent, cormorant, correspondent, Courant, covenant, Crescent, crosscurrent, current, ignorant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impatient, impertinent, important, impotent, imprudent, inadvertent, incandescent, decadent, decedent, decent, declarant, decongestant, defendant, defiant, deficient, defoliant, delinquent, deodorant, dependent, depressant, descendant, descendent, despondent, detergent, determinant, deterrent, deviant, different, diligent, discordant, disinfectant, disobedient, dispersant, dissident, dissonant, distant, divalent, divergent, docent, dominant, ebullient, efferent, effervescent, efficient, effluent, elegant, elephant, eloquent, emergent, emigrant, eminent, entrant, equivalent, errant, esculent, evanescent, evident, excellent, exigent, existent, exorbitant, expectant, expectorant, expedient, exponent, extant, extravagant, exuberant, exultant, Fabricant, fervent, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, fluorescent, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, gallant, giant, grandiloquent, grandparent, hesitant, hydrant, incessant, incident, incipient, incoherent, incompetent, inconsistent, incontinent, inconvenient, incumbent, indecent, independent, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, indulgent, inefficient, infant, infrequent, ingredient, inhabitant, inhalant, inherent, innocent, inpatient, insignificant, insistent, insolent, insolvent, instant, insufficient, insurgent, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, intermittent, intolerant, intransigent, invariant, iridescent, irrelevant, irreverent, irritant, itinerant, jubilant, latent, leant, lenient, lieutenant, litigant, lubricant, lucent, luminescent, luxuriant, magnificent, malevolent, malignant, merchant, migrant, militant, miscreant, monovalent, mordant, mutant, nascent, negligent, noncombatant, nonexistent, nonresident, nonviolent, nutrient, obedient, observant, obsolescent, occupant, odorant, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, operant, opponent, opulent, outpatient, overconfident, oxidant, pageant, parent, participant, patent, patient, peasant, penchant, pendant, penitent, pennant, percipient, permanent, persistent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, piquant, pleasant, pliant, poignant, pollutant, potent, preadolescent, precedent, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prescient, present, prevalent, proficient, prominent, propellant, proponent, protestant, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, pursuant, quadrant, quiescent, quotient, radiant, rampant, reagent, recalcitrant, recent, recipient, recombinant, recurrent, redundant, refrigerant, Regent, registrant, relevant, reliant, reluctant, reminiscent, remnant, repellent, repentant, repugnant, resident, resilient, resistant, resonant, resplendent, respondent, resultant, resurgent, retardant, reticent, reverent, rodent, ruminant, salient, seafront, sealant, semipermanent, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, sufficient, supergiant, superintendent, supplicant, suppressant, surfactant, talent, tangent, tenant, tetravalent, tolerant, torrent, transcendent, transient, translucent, transparent, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, tumescent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, unimportant, unpleasant, unrepentant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-e-e-e-f-i-m-n-n-o-r-r-t" | |
-2 letters: enforcement. | |
-3 letters: centromere, conferment, interferon, refinement. | |
-4 letters: contemner, cornermen, fermenter, fermentor, ferrocene, increment, inference, interfere, mentioner, merocrine, nemertine, nonmetric, orienteer, reconfirm, reenforce, refection, reinforce, rencontre. | |
-5 letters: cementer, cerement, conferee, confiner, confrere, cretonne, ectomere, eminence, enceinte, enforcer, erection, fomenter, foretime, frenetic, frontier, incenter, infecter, infector, informer, intercom, internee, meteoric, neotenic, neoteric, noncrime, recenter, referent, reinfect. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-e-e-e-f-i-m-n-n-o-r-r-t" | |
+1 letter: reinforcements. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Photo Album 6. Quotations: Familiar 7. Quotations: Fiction 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Quotations: Speeches 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Translations: Ancient 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
