The book reviews the design of information systems which support corporate governance and strategic management in accordance with modern requirements arising from the trend of economic globalization, consolidation of businesses and increased competition. It describes the basic approaches, methods and models employed in informational support of corporate governance and strategic management, and the information systems used to implement these methods and models in practice.

This book is intended for managers of enterprises and organizations, employees, financial and economic services and units of information technology, and management professionals and students of economic institutions.

Performance measurement is one of the main issues in managerial decision-making. Credit ratings hold a specific place as an assessment tool. As an integral characteristic of fi nancial risks, they provide unifi cation and borrowing costs reduction as well as disclosure of an independent opinion. They can underpin regulatory actions and counterparties’ internal risk-management systems.

This monograph reveals the perception of ratings which has been established in the recent years. The focus is on studies about comparing rating scales, default probability modeling and constructing rating models, including topics on internal and external ratings for fi nancial institutions.

The book is based on research in these fi elds carried out by the author and his colleagues in the past ten years as well as on the experience in teaching master’s degree students at the Higher School of Economics and other universities. It sheds light on the contemporary trends in the research agenda and can be applied to develop a full-fledged master’s course. This book aims at a wide audience of professionals and can be practically applied by regulators and commercial banks.