Bøger udgivet af North American Business Press

One of the valuable lessons we have learned in the past few decades is that having satisfied employees is not inconsistent with enjoying high profits. In fact it may be argued, as employee satisfaction increases, so does customer satisfaction and profit. Like pursuing quality initiatives, where managers see up-front cost looming large, encouraging dedication and loyalty amongst your employees may require an initial investment, but the benefits for the business in the longer term will more than pay for costs. This book may be misinterpreted by some as a relinquishment of business authority by managers to employees who will act in self-serving ways. That is wrong. I do not recommend that the employees run the company, only that they should be integrated into the business organization as more than labor contributors. There are many different management styles that give rise to differing corporate cultures, all along the spectrum from highly autocratic (..."you're not paid to think, just do exactly as I say!") to completely consensual (..."we can't come to a decision unless we are all in agreement"). And, each of these cultures can result in successful businesses. However, the most successful outcomes are probably the result of some softening and consolidation of these cultures, where employees have an opportunity to voice their opinions and have input before final decisions are made by managers. As we will see, employees want to be a part of the decision-making process. While they don't need to have their opinions acted upon in every case, they need to be a valued part of the process. When I started to write, I envisioned a series of essays I would give to my adult children as a guide through their work lives. Then I came to my senses and realized that they wouldn't pay any more attention to this advice than they have paid to any other advice I've given to them. I take comfort that 6 this doesn't diminish the value of the advice, but rather speaks to the state of nature that is parenthood. Thus, the book format was conceived, but it has a new dimension and another dilemma. As a treatise for my children, it would be written from the perspective of the employee. However, the concepts of employee satisfaction relate to the cooperative efforts of employees and employers. Since we shouldn't consider employee satisfaction from a unilateral perspective, we must develop a framework where employees and their employers form a relationship. Furthermore, that relationship should transcend the structure of two groups (managers vs. employees) who have a coexistence that is sometimes uneasy, to a truly synergistic combination of interests and skills that add up to a total enterprise that is greater than the sum of the parts.

Often, economics is regarded as a collection of notional theories distanced far from the real world. Yet, economists maintain that theories are the foundation for predictions about what to expect in the real world. The disconnection seems particularly strong among undergraduate students immediately after taking principles of microeconomics and principles of macroeconomics. As freshman and sophomore students with no experience with the real world, they simply do not comprehend how economics can possibly be used. Later as seniors who major in business, they might have rare glimpses of economics as useful in making business decisions and crafting business strategies. After graduation and amidst their experience with business practice, they might finally see that economic principles underlie business analysis, business decisions, and business strategies. Frequently, business analysis is reductionism of complex matters into simple constituents that are studied through the lens of economic principles. In the same way, business decisions are practical applications of economic principles, and business strategies are informed by economic principles. Accordingly, managerial economics is essentially economics applied by managers, directors, and executives in their roles as decision makers and strategists. Accordingly, the focus of managerial economics should be on what managers, directors, and executives need to know and will use in business practice. Circumscribing managerial economics in this way, a lot of economics is not applied in business practice and can be left outside the limits of need to know. However, a lot of economics lies within the boundaries of use in business practice and need to know. Economics for managers, directors, and executives is centered on bringing economic principles to bear on business practices and business strategies. Of course, decisions are made and strategies are crafted within an organization, perhaps a business firm, nonprofit organization, or government agency. Regardless, organizations face countless problems requiring decisions or strategies to accomplish some mission or to achieve some objective subject to constraints, competitive or otherwise. Certain economic principles guide and lead to decisions and strategies that minimize exposure to adverse effects on organizational performance or that maximize favorable effects on organizational performance. Principles, practices, and strategies have purpose in their application to solving problems, minimizing threats, and realizing opportunities. Economics for Executives has purposeful intent. It is meant to develop comprehension of and comfort in application of economics actually used in business practice. Moreover, it is meant to address the economics that managers, directors, and executives really need to know for meaningful careers in business. Of course, this intent leaves out theories, abstractions, concepts, and constructs that might have significance and importance in other contexts such as public policy but not for business practice.

Nowadays, in order not to fail and lose the bearings in vast ocean of market economy and to advance at full speed according to its present goals, an excellent entrepreneur must have many capabilities, especially the capability to make the right decision about business strategies and correct judgment of the economic situation of market economy. And he must have a strategic vision that has the whole world in view. The series of strategic thoughts in The Art of War is quite helpful in improving an entrepreneur's quality and his ability to make strategic decisions and the capability of management, among which the strategic thinking is a valuable classic for the entrepreneurs to carefully study and follow and also the magic key to the success of enterprise. Only by carefully studying and practicing the strategic thoughts in the book can we really improve ourselves and realize its value. In order to help the readers and the entrepreneurs who aim to show their talents in enterprise management to better understand the position and function of The Art of War in enterprise management and to flexibly apply it, this book presents the original text of The Art of War. Nevertheless, The Art of War is an integral organic strategy, only on the basis of which can one, combining the practice of enterprise management to learn from application and apply from learning, digest it and improve his strategic thinking in actual enterprise management. The purpose of learning is to use and the purpose of use is to better serve the development of productivity, the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the building of an innovation-oriented country.

Integrity is important to me, so essential to my life that I decided to write my own prefatory comments rather than ask someone else. I was blessed with a mother and father of integrity in the sense of honesty and trustworthiness. Throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, my understanding of integrity was limited to this selfsame sense of fair dealing with people. After taking my doctorate in economics at the University of Virginia, I began a career in academics, eventually a fifteen-year stint as a business school dean at three different universities. In 1971, I began a robust management consulting practice alongside my academic career. Consulting reshaped my understanding and sense of integrity. Working with companies to improve productivity, cost, and profit as well as to facilitate strategic planning, I became concerned about organizational integrity, actually appalled at lapses in organizational integrity that I observed. This concern led to more thinking about integrity itself. First, I realized that integrity comes from the same Latin root as "integer," meaning a whole number. I then realized that integrity implies parts that must join, combine, and unite to make the whole. Next, I realized that organizational integrity joins, combines, and unites persons of integrity. In other words, organizational integrity is based on personal integrity. Finally, I realized that my understanding of integrity was too narrow, too limited. Honesty and trustworthiness are not integrity. The characteristics of honesty and trustworthiness are outward signs of integrity. When a person has integrity, he or she is honest and trustworthy.

The textbook contains thirteen chapters, each of which attempts to synthesize the research on a particular prominent theme in business anthropology. Further, we have tried to ensure that pioneering and key works are referenced, but space limitations prevent us from being able to adopt an all-inclusive approach. This is not intended to slight any researcher whose publication may be omitted. Indeed, some of our own close colleagues are included in this very company. However, an exhaustive review of all literature in the field is beyond the scope of this slender volume. Students are encouraged to work with the endnotes for each chapter, in searching out additional references. We hope that the text provides an adequate start in this direction.

Cultural Learning in Healthcare: Recognizing and Navigating Differences addresses a variety of issues concerning health disparities, diversity, and cultural needs by introducing readers to a wide range of topics starting with a general understanding of cultural learning, barriers to access of healthcare services, exploring social determinants of health, differences between ethnicity, race, and cultural, health literacy; diving into health disparities stemming from geography, sexual orientation, and the elderly; and wrapping up with a look at quality, ethics, workforce challenges, research considerations, and drivers for change.

T h e U n i t e d S tat e s has the most prosperous economy in the world, but American cities are not equal. Our cities are very diverse in terms of income levels, amenities, business climate, quality of life, and many other factors. This book analyzes economic differences between US cities and asks the questions, "To what extent can government improve a local economy?" and "Should government step back and let free market forces grow the economy?" For centuries scholars like Adam Smith and John M. Keynes have argued about the place of government in capitalist economies. Their theories, and the theories of others, have led to a vast array of economic development policies, practices, and programs employed at every level of government. This book explores the theoretical perspectives driving economic development policy, then examines current economic development practices, and finally, empirically evaluates the impact of the practices. The empirical data, cases studies, and anecdotes presented in the book consistently support the idea that cities where market principles are applied are the most prosperous. These Market Cities serve as examples of how to improve a local economy through the power of free enterprise.

Domestic private enterprises have dramatically re-emerged in China's unique transition from a planned to a market-oriented economy, where the private sector plays an increasingly important role. The development of Chinese private enterprises differs from what standard property rights theory describes, particularly in the early stages of development. This gives rise to a concern that standard property rights theory may not be sufficient to explain the success of Chinese private enterprises. The core argument of this book is that family businesses, which are now the major form of corporate governance among Chinese private enterprises, have become dominant not only due to an improvement in the economic environment, but also because of the tendency for family trust to replace government trust.

Many violent events in history occurred despite the best advice and the best intentions of political, religious and economic experts of the time. The words that often rang out were that a general war or global economic upheaval could not happen because capable leadership, sound business logic and forces of common sense would keep minds cool and temper the actions of even the most radical of regimes. Calamities of the past could not be repeated. Skillful leaders would avoid it. This thinking, for instance, was reflected in the editorials and mindsets of those who led the major nations of the world into a global abyss that would dwarf any other previous human tragedy. It was all about leadership. Leaders failed to learn from what took place in earlier periods. They believed they had little in common with challenges faced by others in another age. There was little the "sleeping giants" of history could teach them. Modern leaders felt the secrets of the Caesars, Napoleons and Lincolns as to how to lead had little relevance for today. Their lessons were buried with them. They were wrong. We have much to learn. If we do not, we will replicate history in all its tragedy and misery. People repeat the past. Leaders duplicate the errors of those who came before them, if they do not discover their secrets and lessons of leadership and apply them to their daily life. This work is about individuals who faced incredible tests. They demonstrated leadership and life skills as useful today as they were when confronted with the perils of wars, civil strife, natural disasters and economic and social upheavals.

Editors: Robert J. Manley John F. Manley Deepa Sharma Carlos Trejo-Pech Richard Bernato As the title implies, this book is about leadership and globalization. Ed Lyons, in the chapter "Leadership in Business," states that leadership is a complex topic by itself: "Leadership may not be easily defined, but you know it when either you see or do not see it." That complexity and richness of multicultural leadership becomes more profound when leadership is addressed from a global perspective, as in this book. Furthermore, it could be said that the very conception of this book is global. The plan for the book was devised by scholars from different nationalities and cultures for students equally diverse. Researchers and business leaders from the USA, Mexico, and India devised the plan for this book during an international research conference in Udaipur, India. They visualized the implementation of a university level course taught by volunteer scholars that would enable students from these three countries to learn from their readings and discussions with one another using the Internet. The book is the product of the efforts of twenty professors that embraced the idea of an international learning community. The chapters in the book are similar to the main reading material of the course that students attended on line. Fifty students from different majors at Iona College (New York, EU), Dowling College (New York, EU), Universidad Panamericana (Guadalajara, Mexico), and Shri M. D. Shah Mahila College of Arts and Commerce (Mumbai, India) participated in the course during spring 2010. The last chapter, by Thomas Franza, technology leader of this course, describes the technology requirements to implement such a course. As this group of students benefited from the exchange of multiple cultural and professional perspectives by reading these articles, the publication of this book would allow this benefit to be extended to others in different contexts. Even though the book is comprised of chapters that were conceived independently of each other, the reader will note a natural interconnection of themes and multiple viewpoints. It seems that a collective inaudible conversation exists within the minds of people that have leadership responsibilities in different disciplines. This internal conversation is captured in unique and surprising ways within this book. The first chapter, by Robert Manley, establishes the basis or background on leadership, which is then extended in other chapters to different contexts, sectors, or functional areas of the firm. Manley introduces the topic to the reader by discussing from the perspectives of traditional (e.g. Sun-tzu and Machiavelli) and modern thinkers (e.g. Drucker), the values that make leaders succeed or fail.

There are experts on real estate, witchcraft, serial killers and terrorism. Personal service experts teach us how to exercise, manage our time, organize our closets, control our dog and talk to our children. Cable television orchestrates an endless parade of talking heads willing to pontificate on any subject while Craigslist and a variety of other web sites render access to expert advice that is only a mouse click away. The provision of expert witnesses for litigation is a burgeoning industry. If the price is right, litigants in civil trials can always find "hired guns" willing to advocate the opposite side of any argument. Despite being on the losing side half the time, expert witnesses have little trouble finding work. Some people, such as football coaches riding a winning streak, can find themselves elevated from the rank of "expert" to the lofty realms of "genius." With refreshing candor New York Giants coach Jim Fassel reminded the sports media: "there are no geniuses in our business, we're all PE majors coaching PE majors." This book is a critique of experts; not expert bakers, personal trainers or even trial lawyers and physicians whose clients in their private dealings bear the benefits and costs of their advice. Rather, it is a critique of big picture experts who dispense expertise on behalf of the multitudes. Specifically, these are the experts whose bad advice can have dire consequences for shareholders, employees, consumers, patients, taxpayers, students, soldiers and citizens. Because so many experts are affiliated and/or produced by universities, higher education is subjected to particular scrutiny. I take a decidedly pro-market stance throughout the book but also advocate on behalf of other bottom-up processes. This is not a book on epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of human knowledge, nor is it a polemic against government, despite the fact that experts employed in the public sector number among the most dangerous practitioners of misguided expertise. The danger derives not from the public sector per se, but from the ability of the expert to marshal the top-down legal authority and resources of government in the practice of their specialty. "Government" is an amorphous institutional construct; I take the position that one must be a person in order to be an expert.

The economic context of this text is presented at the level of an introductory micro-economics course. Some calculus is presented in footnotes in a few chapters, except for Chapter IX where it is used for the development of the concepts of market power. Since elementary calculus is required in the undergraduate curriculum for both economics and business students, this mathematical and associated graphical analysis is appropriate for this exploration. Those wishing to avoid this mathematics, however, should still benefit from the material of pages 1 - 6, and 22 - 30 of Chapter IX, where mathematical expositions are not present. It should be recognized that the mathematical sophistication utilized in this text does not exceed that usually found in intermediate microeconomics texts. Of course not all of modern ethical philosophy as it applies to economics and business decisions could be included in any single text. In particular, I have not included the considerably important explorations of the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen because his work is largely focused on the public policy implications of economics rather than the foundations of individual decision making. The latter is the subject of this text although public policy implications are also partly reviewed. Perhaps a more extensive analysis can be authored in the future so that disappointed instructors can be better served.

If you are a: Front-Line Manager, Supervisor, Department Head, Foreman, Section Leader, Group Leader, Team Leader, Project Leader, Sergeant, Squad Leader, Teacher/Educator, Coordinator, or Senior Professional then you are a First Line Leader. You are your organization's first line of offense and defense. So what do First Line Leaders typically do? They make short-term decisions that directly impact and guide the performance of team members or subordinates. For instance, a sergeant drills his squad ahead of deployment; a store department head coordinates shift schedules; and a teacher guides a student's daily work activity. First Line Leaders provide direction or coaching to non-supervisory personnel and typically provide performance assessment and recognition of team members. You and your organization may not recognize, respect, and appreciate your significant role as a First Line Leader, and when your significance is not recognized, utilized, and reinforced -- you become a sleeping giant. It's time to ask the difficult question: Am I a sleeping giant? Organizations tolerate sleeping giants because training and development of giants requires attention, effort and money. Has your organization under-trained and under-developed you? Is your organization being shortsighted about your potential to contribute? A "yes" answer to either question is the sound of being subdued and lulled to sleep. If this is the case, you and your organization are in trouble! Sleeping giants -- THIS IS YOUR WAKE-UP CALL! Waking-up means there is a new awareness that you need to be both an effective manager and an effective leader. Do you know what "effective" truly means? Giants are looked up to because they stand out. But standing out for being an eyesore is vastly different to standing out for inspirational management and leadership.

The new text book presented to the readers - Enterprise Strategy: New Horizon, is designed for America readers on the enterprise strategy management in updated content in English. The text book is for the people in different fields such as business, education, academy, publishing etc., who are seeking a comprehensive and deep understanding of China, knowing China and studying Chinese enterprise strategy management. The book applies the popular and simple language, the typical and vivid Chinese cases to illustrate in system the basic theory and basic method of modern enterprise strategy management overview, strategy factors, strategy content, strategy nature, strategy core, strategy thinking, strategy types, strategy format, strategy principle, strategy establishment, strategy implementation, strategy assessment, strategy control and strategy change etc. At the same time, the book also makes deep research on the frontier issue in the enterprise strategy management field - red ocean strategy and blue ocean strategy.

In this book we survey issues impacting the economic and human development of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). SSA makes up a substantial portion of the continent of Africa. Africa, which covers almost 12 million square miles of territory (22% of the earth's total landmass), is the second largest of the earth's seven continents. Africa is believed to be the region where the human race evolved, and subsequent out migration(s) populated the other regions of the world.

Why become a business anthropologist? You will not see many want ads designed for this career. Too ready an answer obscures important questions. How do you get to be a business anthropologist? Moreover, how would you like such a job if you got it? How would you feel about the impact of your efforts? Is this really a job or more of a career path that leads into various fields of inquiry? If these questions interest you, this book is for you. Its chapters have much to offer about both the challenges and contributions of business anthropology.

This book is written for Westerners who are curious enough to penetrate the exotic mystery of modern China, even though I know it is impossible for Westerners ever fully to do so. At a time when overly broad stereotypes about the Chinese abound in the West, Redneck in Red China is designed to help the Western reader to ameliorate the untoward effects of these over-generalizations. The reader will discover that not all Chinese eat cats and dogs, and most Chinese love Americans; some students even wear American flag T-shirts. At a time when geopolitical tensions between the superpowers dominate the headlines, I think it would be useful for Americans to be able to better understand those with whom we are competing.

Experiential Civic Learning-Construction of Models & Assessment is a compact but all-inclusive essential resource guide for faculty, departments, and administrators who wish to partake in this curricula initiative and address the challenge of producing a more skilled, ethical, and civically engaged student citizen. This book provides the background literature, rationale, practicalities, guidance, and new resources for all the phases of this learning initiative: the different modalities of experiential learning; funding and grants; considerations, construction and implementation of a single and departmental civic engagement series of courses; new rubrics to create a formal/direct and informal/indirect assessment plan; relating scores to grades; closing the learning-assessment loop.

This book is designed as a short primer for the executive who wishes to learn some- thing about marketing to be able to succeed in his or her organization. This book contains twelve chapters to help the executive succeed better by understanding the main concepts of marketing.

A Functional Approach to Marketing Research is intended for business owners, decision makers and managers who want to conduct marketing research but believe it is cost prohibitive. The book demonstrates how to get the appropriate information in a cost effective manner. The fundamental theme suggests that undertaking a specific and applied marketing research agenda does not have to be cost prohibitive or complicated. Often, the marketing research professionals imply that to undertake meaningful research activity, it requires specialized training and software. Any firm can perform accurate and meaningful research without engaging in high level statistical analysis, sophisticated surveys, or an expensive paid staff. The aim of this book is to give readers the confidence to start thinking about marketing research in a context most favorable to their current situation and to not be intimidated by the apparent complexity and perceived costs.

Fundamentals of Accounting Information Systems: An Internal Control Approach introduces students to the foundations of accounting information systems: how data flows through various accounting subsystems and the manner in which it is processed and converted into output for users. Written in an informal and conversational style, this textbook emphasizes the role of internal controls in accounting information systems alongside discussions of business process data flows. Examples and illustrations deal with entities of various sizes and in different industries, including not-for-profit and government organizations. The connection between basic business processes and accounting information systems is explored in computerized and semi-computerized environments. The textbook begins with overviews of internal control concepts, flowcharting, and business processes. Later chapters focus on specific business processes and the way data moves in and between them. These business process chapters include a capstone assignment, created so students will draw on the core questions in each chapter and apply them in a new situation.

This textbook is written to provide the basics of managerial accounting to individuals studying to become small business owners or managers rather than for people planning to work as accountants or managers in large corporations. The book will cover the main points of managerial accounting from a unique position of being able to trace the development of the concepts with the same companies, rather than changing companies and information for every new concept. This tracing will be accomplished by the use of four trial balances presented in Appendix A. These trial balances will be used for exercises and problems in most chapters and they are unique in that the trial balances represent four different business types and the concepts are discussed for the four business types. These business types are: a manufacturing firm; a merchandising firm, a service ompany (in this case a hospital)and an agricultural production company (in this case a cattle ranch). Through the use of these trial balances the students will see how the concepts can be applied to different businesses. It is intended that the text provide information on how the concept can be applied to different business types so that students will have background on whatever type of business they end up being employed in or owning.