Finance is a multidimensional field, and various authors and experts have provided different definitions of finance based on their perspectives and areas of expertise. Here are some definitions of finance by different authors:
Ezra Solomon:
"Finance is that administrative area or set of administrative functions in an organization which relate with the arrangement of cash and credit, so that the organization may have the means to carry out its objective as satisfactorily as possible."
Brigham and Ehrhardt:
"Finance is concerned with cash. It is so because cash is the lifeblood of any business. A business firm needs cash for a variety of purposes: to pay its bills, to pay salaries, to purchase inventory, and to acquire assets."
Richard A. Brealey and Stewart C. Myers:
"Finance is about making investment and financing decisions about future assets. More broadly, finance is about the time and money value of money."
Arthur J. Keown and John D. Martin:
"Finance is the study of how individuals, institutions, governments, and businesses acquire, allocate, and use resources over time."
Henry B. Reiling and Keith C. Brown:
"Finance is the study of the allocation of resources over time under conditions of uncertainty."
Robert C. Merton:
"Finance is a science in the sense that we are studying processes of valuing, analyzing and managing risk, especially in the presence of uncertainty."
James C. Van Horne and John M. Wachowicz Jr.:
"Finance is that part of economics concerned with resource allocation as well as resource management, acquisition and investment."
Warren Buffett:
"The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. You need a temperament that neither derives great pleasure from being with the crowd or against the crowd."
John Maynard Keynes:
"The importance of money, credit, and finance has passed largely unperceived, though it is here that we can most readily discover the clue to the practical justification for the assumption of competing interests as the characteristic and natural unit of economic activity."
These definitions reflect the diverse perspectives on finance, including its role in resource allocation, the time value of money, investment and financing decisions, and the importance of cash flow and credit management in achieving organizational objectives. The specific emphasis may vary depending on the author's background and focus within the field of finance.
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