Enterprises that use various media to announce, offer, or promote goods, services, or ideas to create a demand for them.

The American Automobile Association (AAA; pronounced “triple A”) was created at a meeting of nine automobile clubs in Chicago in 1902, with about fifteen hundred members—at a time when Americans relied much more on horses than on automobiles for transportation and when there were no roads for motorized vehicles.

The demand for audited financial records in American business emerged as early as 1628, when the Massachusetts Bay Company was chartered as a joint-stock company to finance the Pilgrims bound for New England.

American depository receipts (ADRs) are certificates issued by a U.S. bank or brokerage firm, representing foreign shares held by the institution. One ADR may represent one share, a portion of a foreign share, or a bundle of shares of a foreign corporation.

The United States–Canada Auto Pact (1965), formally entitled the Agreement Concerning Automotive Products between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States, was a bilateral agreement liberalizing trade in automobiles and original equipment (OEM) parts.

Automatic or built-in stabilizers are government programs and policies that cushion the impact of a change in spending in the economy.

Along with bookkeeping, FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING, and MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING, auditing is one of the branches of accountancy. Auditing - the process of examining the books and records of a business, agency, or organization to determine the accuracy of the accounts contained therein - verifies that the accounting system accurately represents and reports the transactions that have occurred over the past year.

Attitude, interests, opinions (AIO) statements are a type of market research survey designed to learn about consumers’ attitudes, interests, and opinions. AIO statements are one method of developing psychographic profiles of market segments. The survey technique involves creating a series of statements with which respondents are asked to agree or disagree.

The attention, interest, desire, action (AIDA) concept, first proposed by E. K. Strong in the 1930s, explains the process that individuals go through when making a purchase decision. The AIDA concept is a tool managers consider when designing their marketing strategies.

Assets are revenue-generating resources owned by every firm. It is impossible for a firm to earn (generate) revenues without owning and using its assets.

An assessment center is a tool or a service used in HUMAN RESOURCES management and designed to assist in career choice and development. In large organizations, assessment centers are part of a human resources department and are used to select new personnel, evaluate performance, and assist in internal promotion decisions.

Assembly plants are factories located all over the world that bring together materials and machines to produce PRODUCTs. They are typically located where there is access to large numbers of low-cost workers.

An assembly line is a manufacturing system where specialized workers focus on repetitive tasks, adding efficiency to the PRODUCTION of a PRODUCT. An assembly line is likely to be composed of numerous subassembly lines, taking raw materials and making parts and components, which are then used in producing the final product.

Arbitration is a method of business dispute settlement involving neutral “arbitrators.”

Arbitrage - the practice of buying a product at a low price in one market and selling it at a higher price in another market - is as old as trade. A basic business maxim is: “Buy low and sell high.”

Antitrust law is the set of legal rules used to help promote competition in the economy.

An annuity is a stream of equal payments (or receipts) of money over regular intervals of time. The most popular annuities are car payments and house payments.

The annual report is a collection of a firm’s financial statements and other financial information, published yearly.

An amortized loan is one in which the principal and interest are repaid over time via a series of equal payments made over regular intervals of time.

Amortization is an accounting term used in three circumstances. Its most common use refers to the amortization of a loan or mortgage.

Enacted in 1992, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. These rights are similar to those provided by the Equal Rights Act (1964).

The American Stock Exchange (AMEX), a self-regulating organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is the second largest stock exchange in the United States.

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the leading quality-improvement organization in the United States.

Founded in 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA), the leading organization representing medical doctors in the United States, is a powerful force influencing health-care policy and spending in the country.