Business strategy Books

Book SynopsisNearly 70 per cent of employees in the UK aren't performing at their full potential. At the roots of this problem are the policies and systems built to 'manage' these employees, which were designed for a different era - the industrial economy. In the tradition of Jim Collins' bestselling Good to Great, in Under New Management David Burkus, psychologist, professor of management at the College of Business at Oral Roberts University and author of The Myth of Creativity, shines a light on the companies that are experimenting with new and different models and policies for leading teams and managing people. From Amazon to Virgin, Volkswagen to Whole Foods, these companies have developed a new set of best practices that may look counter-intuitive, but have become an integral part of what makes them so high-performing, and that have established employee engagement and customer loyalty. The purpose of this book and its research is to challenge you and your company on whether the time has come to re-examine some of the most fundamental concepts in management today. The business of business is all about change and keeping up with the latest trends. Here's your chance to see for yourself what kinds of management changes you should be thinking of.

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Book SynopsisToday's business landscape is changing in fundamental ways: Natural resources are growing ever more scarce and expensive. Technology and changing consumer expectations are making transparency a fact of life. The rise of emerging economies creates vast market opportunities for companies - and better living standards for hundreds of millions. In "Sustainable Excellence", Aron Cramer and Zachary Karabell tell the stories of the companies who are transforming themselves by responding to these paradigm shifts and in the process shaping the future. From their work with these Global 1000 companies, Cramer and Karabell know firsthand how business can successfully grapple with big-picture issues like resource scarcity, supply chain complexities, and the diverse expectations of government and the public. In "Sustainable Excellence", they tell the story of how Coca-Cola and Greenpeace collaborated on a refrigerator that fights climate change. They show how companies like Best Buy and Nike are transforming the very products they sell to deliver more value to consumers with less waste. They recount how GE and Google created an innovative partnership that is developing "smart grids" that radically reduce energy use. And they show how business leaders like Starbucks' founder and CEO Howard Schultz put sustainable excellence at the centre of his company's business strategy.Trade Review“Sustainable Excellence provides an insightful window into the intersection of business and environment. Companies that take to heart the lessons Aron Cramer and Zach Karabell provide will be well positioned as natural resource constraints reshape the business landscape.” —Mark Tercek, president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy“Essential reading for any business aiming to understand how they can turn sustainability into opportunity.” —Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine and author of The Long Tail and Free“The Must-Read Book.” —Alice Korngold, Fast Company.com“A smart, readable, and provocative book that argues that business success in the long run will be earned by companies that ‘integrate consideration of society and the environment into their DNA.' ... This book gives us a reason for optimism, as well as a framework to understand the dramatic changes reshaping the corporate world.” —Marc Gunther, contributing writer to Fortune magazine and author of Faith and Fortune“A compelling case for why a focus on sustainability ... is now a form of enlightened self-interest for businesses. ... An increasing vigilance by the business and investor community could play a big role in striking a new balance. Sustainable Excellence represents a major--and much needed--step in that direction.” —AOL's Daily Finance

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Book SynopsisWhen Peter Drucker wrote Concept of the Corporation in 1946, he revealed what made the large American corporation tick. Similarly, The Art of Japanese Management by Richard Pascale in 1981 explained the unique practices developed by the Japanese to bring that country's economy out of the ashes. The emerging Chinese juggernauts-the Alibabas, Lenovos, and Haiers-need similar revelation since they are a different breed in their own right. Little is understood about them, how they work, and what makes them such potentially imposing competitors.Now, based on unprecedented access to the people who have created and grown the great private companies of China-the "General Electrics and Sonys" of that country, Michael Useem, Harbir Singh, Peter Cappelli and Neng Liang bring to life the distinctive practices of Chinese business leaders as they invent their own way forward to create world-class companies, and provide a comprehensive look at the leaders and businesses that are the future of the Chinese economy-and major competition to Western companies.Chinese companies are emerging on the global stage as never before, and their leadership lessons are invaluable in understanding and coping with their growing commercial presence worldwide. Company managers everywhere will want to understand China's distinct way of doing business if they are to compete against the companies that already dominate the domestic Chinese market and are coming to the fore in foreign markets, including the U.S.

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