Book Description

This outstanding work reveals how boards governing 21st-century organizations can change their practices and align their principles to successfully govern the organization of the new economy. The authors propose that judging a board's effectiveness should be done not in a "shareholder" context but in a "stakeholder" context instead. They couch their reforms in a framework that focuses on what determines effective governance behavior: information, knowledge, power, and rewards.They argue it is behavior, not practices that count, and look at boards from a group and an organizational perspective. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A must read for board directors
This is a must read for every board director. Newly-electeds will find a treasure trove of important material; experienced directors will find data to either support or challenge their beliefs on corporate governance.

Bruce R. Ellig
Corporate Vice President HR (retired)
Pfizer, Inc.

Best Source for Corporate Board Effectiveness
In my role advising mid- and senior-level management of Fortune 100 companies, I found this book by Conger, Lawler and Finegold to be of immediate value.

"Corporate Boards: New Strategies for Adding Value at the Top" is positioned towards people who are perhaps on boards or who are executives dealing with boards. The authors are extremely credible, having dealt with and advised senior leadership from nearly every Fortune 100 company.

This book really brings together in one source all you need to know about building a more effective board - it is filled with real and practical guidelines and actionable how-tos. At the same time, it challenges the current governance approaches, arguing that despite all the "best practices" available, we still have a relatively simplistic understanding of how to build a great board. This book gives the reader more sophisticated insights into what it takes to have an effective board.

The authors also raise a number of issues that are critical given today's environment. For example, are boards solely responsible to shareholders or are there other, equally critical groups to which boards need to be accountable? Finally, the authors discuss the implications of the Internet for the boardroom.

In short, I strongly recommend this book, particularly for those who deal with senior leadership, corporate boards and governance issues.

I really wish I had read this first.
We picked up this book after our first board actually became a liability! It was only after the failure of original the board (which failed for exactly the reasons the book outlined as primary reasons boards fail!) that this book was recommended to us. The five founders all read it and discussed it.

Since we were in the midst of a reorg, it was exceedingly helpful in reshaping the new board into a more effective and cohesive part of the company. We did a much better job of first creating the criteria to evaluate candidates and a lot of the politics went out of the process.

I don't agree with all of the authors assertions about what a strong board can do for a company. I still think much of that is up to the people doing the actual work. However, since a board is a critical element of any modern company, read this first and do it right the first time.

Excellent resource for both CEOs and Board members
Insightful and immediately useful. Having served in many of the roles that the book touches upon--CEO, Board Member, Chairman--I find that unlike other business strategy books, authors Conger, Lawler and Finegold provide a straightforward and powerful vision by which today's board can function much more effectively. If my own experience in using this resource within the boards I am involved in is any indication, any board that reads this book and implements its teachings will improve its effectiveness immensely.

I particularly like the balanced view of the legal responsibilities of today's board versus their leadership "voice" for the various stakeholders.

Coporate Boards
I am not a businessman, so I haven't read too many books on management, but I certainly am glad I read this one. I'm a scientist in the process of putting together a small biotech company. I have recently been turning to friends in the coporate wold as well as those still in B-school for advice about business structuring. When I asked about developing an effective board, one of them recommended this book by Conger, Lawler, and Finegold....what a education. The book deals with the basics of board structure, but then goes beyond using thier extensive database to craft an in-depth analysis of the inner-psychology behind these fundamental corporate entities. Putting together a solid board of directors has been one of the toughest hurdles for me, and this book has and will continue to be a wonderful resource for me. ... Read more

Book Description

* The first full examination of the competence perspective.
* Addresses contemporary organizational and competitive issues.
* Offers well-defined, carefully interrelated and fundamental strategic management concepts. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

EXCELLENT CHOICE BUT...
Robin Cohn explains in a simple and easy way how to manage a crisis; She mostly writes about "what not to do" in a crisis and "what to do" to prevent a crisis... I was expecting a couple of guidelines of "what to do" during a crisis and I din't get to much of that.
The cases explained in the book are excellent examples and Cohn does a great job on relating every thing she says with an example.
The book would have been even better if some international crisis examples have been mentioned; This would have been extremely useful for Latin American PR Consultants.
I recommend this book to every crisis Manager because of the examples and case studies that Cohn writes about..

PR Crisis Practice Turns Peril Into Opportunity
This is the best book I have read on how to prepare for and handle public relations crises. It is incredibly up-to-date and timely, featuring material in its introduction about the public relations aspects of the currently occurring recall of Firestone tires being used on Ford Explorer vehicles.

Business has become one of the favorite whipping boys in the media to provide temporary diversion from the usual stream of personal scandals, talk show confessions, and entertainment releases. Do a good job, and you will seldom appear. Be remotely connected to something harmful, controversial, or threatening, and the world is at your door. Ms. Cohn does a very effective job of explaining why this is, and how you can influence it.

The book is organized around 7 deadly sins in a public relations crisis. These sins are really mindsets that are mistaken and will usually prove harmful:

It will never happen here (chances are it will)

I don't care how it looks (the more you ignore it, the worse you make things, up until the day that everyone involved is fired)

Let them eat cake (describing things inaccurately just draws more wrath and personal jeopardy)

It's not our fault (customers and the public aren't looking to find out who's at fault, they want to know who's going to take responsibility for solving the problem so they can feel confident again)

Just say "No comment!" (people will assume you are hiding something and more negative attention will come your way)

Just numbers on a balance sheet (the source of all the damaging material will probably come from current and former employees -- good internal communication and behavior are most critical)

React first, think later (you can step into a mess from which you cannot extract yourself, like quicksand)

These sins and the stallbusting solutions for them are detailed in each fascinating chapter. These sections are enlivened by a wide variety of former crises handled unsuccessfully (such as the Exxon Valdez) and successfully (such as J&J's Tylenol recall). Almost all of them will be familiar in general, but you will get added detail to help you understand why a company did or did not do well.

Ms. Cohn herself is very experienced in this area and draws on personal examples in many cases, especially the crash of an Air Florida jet in Washington, D.C.

The basic lessons revolve around the concept of establishing crisis scenarios and practicing how to handle those scenarios before they occur. You also get directions for how to do the practice so it will be relevant and realistic. This benefits of this type of simulation training are also spelled out well in The Art of the Long View, which you may wish to read as well.

The book is filled with an enormous quantity of do's and don't's. I found it hard to keep track of them all as I went along. I was pleased to see many of the concepts behind them summarized on pages 329 and 330. You might find it easier to absorb the material in the book if you began by reading the introduction, then went to these two pages, and returned to the beginning of the book.

The management process described here would work well in any problem-solving environment. Although the author does not make that point, you should be sensitive to it. You have a lot more to gain by studying this book closely than you realize, and broadening its application. Stalled thinking is also a problem in other critical areas of a company.

Remember that an ounce of prevention can often be worth much more than a pound of cure! ... Read more

Book Description

Effective Management combines the solid academic presentation of a textbook with the most extensive multimedia learning package available. Williams presents management as it is practiced today through a unique story-telling approach and organization that explains management theory in terms any learner can understand. Integrated throughout the text is "Experiencing Management," an award-winning collection of on-line modules that reinforce key concepts. In addition, a rich learning support package includes a Study Aid audio CD, a multimedia CD-ROM, and InfoTrac College Edition, creating the most extensive student learning package available. ... Read more

Book Description

"Wharton on Making Decisions provides a unique blend of theory and practical experience.The authors’ insights are at many times humorous, always instructive, and definitely thought provoking.This book should be recommended reading for decision makers in today’s fast-moving world where alternative choices are increasing in number, complexity, and importance."–Arthur D. Collins Jr., President and COO, Medtronic, Inc.

"This is a superb book that provides valuable insights for managers at all levels.No matter how many critical decisions we make, it is useful to be reminded of the intricacies of the process.Wharton on Making Decisions does just that."–Rakesh Gangwal, President and CEO, U.S. Airways

"Wharton on Making Decisions takes a thorough look at the hard and soft sides of decision making–the intuitive as well as the analytical.With the frenetic pace and complexities of decision making today, this is reading that no manager should miss."–Robert S. Morrison, Chairman, President, and CEO, The Quaker Oats Company

"The depth and breadth of the Wharton collection will help establish the case for the decision sciences to become a new major field of undergraduate and graduate studies at many universities (including my own at Harvard).Thanks, Wharton!" –Howard Raiffa, Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Managerial Economics Emeritus, Harvard Business School

"As managers, we would be pretty disappointed if someone could give us our batting average on the decisions we make.I have no doubt this book can improve your average."–Jean-Pierre Rosso, Chairman, CNH Global N.V.

"Wharton on Making Decisions offers penetrating insight into the art and science of decision making.Relevant to both business and personal life, it’s a must read for any decision maker."–Alfred P. West Jr., Chairman and CEO, SEI Investments ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tools and perspectives that can improve decision making
Both editors are Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, which is one of the highest-ranked business schools in the world. Stephen J. Hoch is Professor of Marketing, while Howard C. Kunreuther is Professor of Decision Sciences and Public Policy and Management. Robert E. Gunther serves as coordinating writer. The book is split up in 4 parts, with each part consisting 3-to-5 standalone chapters.

Chapter 1 - A Complex Web of Decisions serves as an introduction to the book, explaining that we make a wide range of decisions every day. It starts with a very strong point: "Most of us do not make great decisions, and few of us are aware of this fact." However, through the different chapters in this book the editors hope to improve our awareness of the intricacies of the decision-making process. "We examine how people should make decisions according to the models, how they actually behave, and how they can improve their decision making."

The set-up of the book is that we look at decision making from various levels, from an individual/detailed level to a very broad level. In Part I - Personal Decision Making, consisting of 3 chapters, the authors look at individual decision making. These decisions are often influenced by emotions, intuitions, and a focus on present versus future consequences. "How do these factors influence decision making? How can we use these personal assets and foibles to make better decisions?" Understanding these factors should allow us to improve our personal decision making.

The second part, Managerial Decision Making, consisting of 4 chapters, focuses on the managerial decision-making process. "We may be more concerned in this role with using models to set up decision processes in our organization, balancing speed and reflection, dealing with complexity and reframing questions to break out of traditional mind-sets." This part provides us with a variety of tools and perspectives that can help our decision making with an interesting chapter on the differences in Eastern and Western decision making, but also a very strong one on framing of decisions.

Part III - Multiparty Decision Making moves from a single manager to the next level of complexity - interactions among several managers in negotiations across multiple periods. It discusses critical issues at this level. This part, in particular, shines new light on a number of decision making issues. It provides a link with game theory (the field of strategy making), reputation, negotiations, and the impact of modern communications technologies on negotiations.

The final and broadest perspective is discussed in Part IV - Impact of Decision Making on Society. Decisions on this level involve a mix of personal and collective values and reflect quirks in how we prepare for high-impact, low-risk events. And there are some amazing conclusions in this part, whereby we sometimes follow the crowd in the wrong direction and the different approaches between our public and private decisions.

Although this book is named 'Wharton on Making Decisions', there are various chapters by specialists from other academic institutions. Each chapter is an excellent piece of work and can be read on a stand-alone basis. However, as a collection it enables us to improve our understanding of the decision making process on different levels, which should enable us to make better decisions, which, in turn, should result in outstanding outcomes. The insights are based on the latest research in this field (this book was initially published in 2001). Please note that the book is written in somewhat academical language.

Great Book!
Informative---covers just about every area of decision sciences.
Very readable with solid examples and great insight into the theory as well as the the subtleties and nuances of making better decisions. Academically oriented, but with strong practical applications.

Highly Recommended!
Stephen J. Hoch and Howard C. Kunreuther present a series of articles about making decisions written by professors at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. The articles describe how decisions are made using an ideal scenario, and then offer practical suggestions on how to make better business decisions. The book is designed to help top executives and managers use the latest methods of analysis and reasoning in decision making. Some may find this approach overly academic - in that many of the research findings are based on social laboratory experiments, statistical analysis and modeling - but if you've been making decisions based on guts, glory and a coin toss, the latest scholarship does offer some stronger strategies. We [...] found several in this solid book that will be of great help to managers dealing with employees, executives formulating strategy and finance or compliance officers weighing corporate risks.
... Read more

Book Description

The competitive landscape in Asia is undergoing a sea change. Companies are finally breaking the bonds imposed by the 1997 financial crisis. The engine of growth is shifting from exports to Asian market demand. China's rapid development is redrawing the Asian playing field. National fiefdoms are succumbing to cross-border competition. Together, these forces are signaling the emergence of a fundamentally new competitive game-and there will be no going back.

International business expert Peter J. Williamson argues that competing in this rapidly evolving arena will require a very different kind of company. In this book, he identifies the key challenges that will distinguish the winners in tomorrow's Asia and explores the fundamental changes-in business models, mind-sets, organizational structures, and management processes-that will be required to meet those challenges.

Asian companies will need to leverage the strengths of their local heritage into the future by building distinctive, new strategies around them. Western multinationals will need to fundamentally reassess the approaches that have won them a share of Asia's rapid growth over the last two decades.

Laying out strategies for creating a new and distinctive breed of Asian corporation, Winning in Asia provides a blueprint for reshaping the future of Asian competition. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A fantastic work on turning your passion into profit!
What a surprise! I stumbled across this one and devoured it. Reiman closed his ad agency and opened the first ideation, where his only product his ideas---which he sells for $450,000 each! This is truly a mind expanding work. I particularly loved the concept of being sure I get paid--and paid well---for what I create. I've helped several people become millionaires, but lost money in the process because I didn't honor my own ideas. Reiman doesn't make that mistake. His excitement for living, his boldness for thinking out of the box, is contagious and refreshing. This is a guy who is truly a creative genius. Had I known about him when I wrote my book on P.T. Barnum, "There's a Customer Born Every Minute," I would have included Joey Reiman in it. That's a high compliment and this book is terrific. It's one of the few I'll re-read.

Some great ideas in midst of ego-centric anecdotes
Where's the editor when you need one?

This book could have been organized better. Like... major transitions buried deep in paragraphs. Were the sub-heads put there for decoration? The egotistical patty-pat-pat's could have been edited out more. And, where's the meat?

The concept of the book is great, the author is experienced, but the book falls somewhat flat.

This book is like Doug Hall's "Jump Start Your Brain" but minus a lot of its content.

Still, there are some great ideas here. You should buy this book for its references and a few of its ideas. It's an easy read -- and that reflects it's lightness on detail.

One thing I thought was important is the concept of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on the 3 areas of creativity: the expert, the domain, the judges.

Most books discuss how to improve the individual -- the expert. But there are 2 other important areas. The domain is the marketplace... with its competitors, etc. This would be the source of ideas and demand for ideas. The judges are the rewarders of new ideas. In some cases this might be the users who will purchase your product. In other cases it might be the companies that purchase your ideas. They provide value and rewards to the idea generator. We must evaluate and improve all three of these areas. Or, select those areas were there's a good match of all three.

Thankfully, Csikszentmihalyi's books are referenced and discussed. This book also discusses other references as well.

After reading the book I believe the author is a sincere and knowledgeable person. But I believe the purpose of this book was to sell his idea-generating company. Given that off-the-mark main direction, it is no wonder there were so many self-congradulatory anecdotes. The purpose of the book should be to explain his major techniques, and the by-product, or secondary objective, should be to sell his company.

Overall recommendation: buy it to fill out your creativity library. Otherwise, there are better books on this subject.

John Dunbar

Forget the book, just engage Brighthouse
Reiman is a terrific visionary, but this is an absolutely mediocre book with little in terms of substance. The material is indeed scattered. The earlier review by John Dunbar is spot on with charges that a) the book is badly organized; b) the book is edited very poorly.

The mismash arises from the fact that the book draws on unrelated areas as wide as organizational psychology in a creative firm, patent law(?), vignettes of the author's experiences, references to other people's ideas, and even (literally) food that is good for your brain(?)

The problem is that insight is lacking in the book. All the vignettes lack the 'so what' factor. He basically writes: this happens, and then it was a success. But he omits the thinking why it was a success. A typical example follows: "...Young and Tender chicken TV commercial... client wants to drive home brand-name ... idea that came up was - take a dozen 11 mth old babies and make them dance to funky chicken. Nothing is more young and tender than adorable babies". Sure I agree, but there is never an attempt to bridge that extra gap to the insightful stuff...

The only decent themes (and noted by other reviewers too) that this book actually carries through are:
1) That ideas are valuable, and one should charge as much as possible. Interestingly, this is a self-justifying comment, and the tone of the whole book is certainly very 'self-congratulatory'.
2) His reference to Csikszentmihalyi's triangle and that "C showed us that creativity is inseparable from domain."

At the end of the day, why not just read "Flow" and "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Save the pennies and engage Brighthouse instead.

Idea should have its price.
This book is good for people who are working in the creative business of all sorts. Be it advertising, design, marketing, PR or even media, and all the wanna-bes of course. Or simply put, this book is dedicated to all thinkers.

Since the author has advertising background, I think advertising people will find it more relevant. But in fact the points provided from the book can be applied to many different areas.

All along, most buyers, especially clients, may think ideas are cheap or should be free. That's why they are so called very demanding and request again and again the provider to submit lots of alternatives and revisions for them to choose and approve before they commit to pay. This is so wrong, right? If you feel it strongly, this book is for you.

Let's say the ideas you come up were always good and doable. But the most important thing here still is how to get them sold, not to mention in a good price. Inside the book you can find useful tips, inspirations and advises.

It'll be a lot better if the author can provide more insights and clues on how to generate more big ideas and how to protect good ideas from being killed.

"The Privilege...to Be Who You Are"
This is one of the most entertaining books I have read in recent years. Reiman is widely (and justly) renowned for his creative mind. Literally, he thinks for a living. And is paid handsomely for his creative talent. This is an immensely personal book. He reviews his career, a career during which he prospered as the head of his own advertising agency and then sold it to his associates inorder to "solo" (as Harriet Rubin would describe it), freeing himself from organizational limits to concentrate on what he does best. "My occupation is thinker and that's who I am, employed at that. Frankly, I can't wait until I get my new passport application. I'll get a kick out of writing 'Thinker' in the occupation section. After all, if I'm right, thinkers will be going places in the next century."

If you think about it, think carefully about it, this is an intriguing idea: Come up with terrific ideas and sell them for enormous sums of money. (That in itself is a terrific idea.) In reality, obviously, there are very few people who have the talent to "think for a living" as Reiman does. However, and this is the single greatest value of the book, literally everyone CAN learn from Reiman how to think more creatively in his or her career situation...and to think more creatively about how to improve that situation. Moreover, Reiman has some excellent insights into how to improve one's mental and spiritual health. His values are unashamedly old-fashioned. He seems totally committed to his marriage and parenthood. He seems to have a deep and abiding faith in God. He clearly agrees with Joseph Campbell who once said that "The privilege of a lifetime is to be who you are."

For the sake of discussion, let's assume that you are unwilling and/or unable to make a total commitment to thinking as an occupation. I mean full-time occupation. Nevertheless, Reiman explains how his own experiences can help you to increase and enhance your creative (as opposed to analytical) skills, how to apply them more effectively to the personal as well as professional responsibilities entrusted to your care. Reiman observes, "As intellectual capital becomes of greater value to humankind than concrete capital, the world will experience dramatic changes....The measurement of success will be based on one's ability to create from within one's mind rather than outside. Idea rich will take the place of asset rich." I presume to add that ideas are now (or will soon become) the most valuable of assets. That is what "I-commerce" is really all about and it has only begun to have an impact.

Here is a brief, revealing excerpt from the final chapter: "I hope this book, in some small way, plays a role in helping to create the environment in which compassion and prayer, wisdom and kindness, humility and grace become the most powerful, unstoppable big ideas for the next century. If they do, thinking for a living, in the broadest sense of thinking for a rich life, will enrich us all." ... Read more

Book Description

What are the secrets of successful teams? Why do some teams achieve remarkable success while others fail or are consigned to mediocrity? To find the answers, Carl E. Larson and Frank M. J. LaFasto conducted a three-year study of teams and team achievement. Interviewing a wide range of teams, including the space shuttle Challenger investigation team, executive management teams and a championship football team, Larson and LaFasto discovered a surprising consistency in the characteristics of effective teams.

In Teamwork, they explore the eight properties of successful teams: a clear, elevating goal; a results-driven structure; competent team members; unified commitment; collaborative climate; standards of excellence; external support and recognition; and principled leadership. A final chapter examines the priority of the steps that lead to the building of a high performance team. The authors strive to make the concepts concrete, coupling solid theory with straightforward, practical advice on how to apply it and with lively, fascinating anecdotes.

The volume will appeal to practitioners, scholars, and advanced students in the areas of organization studies and management, as well as interpersonal communication.

"We believe it is an important book that will be very useful to the sport psychology community. Its brief and readable nature makes it an ideal supplementary text for courses in the social psychology of sport or sport-related group dynamics. It could also be used in research methods courses to provide insight into qualitative data collection procedures. In addition, coaches and mental skills consultants will find much valuable information here about the evaluation and enhancement of team functioning. Finally, researchers will be intrigued by Larson and LaFasto's eight-category framework and their brief description of a rating-scale instrument designed to assess these dimensions of team effectiveness. Given this diversity of potential uses, we urge our colleagues to examine Teamwork for themselves."
--The Sport Psychologist

"(A) superb effort conducted by the authors. . . . A must read."
--HR Planning Newsletter

"Teamwork attempts an ambitious goal in a small number of pages and succeeds quite well. . . . The authors have useful and interesting things to say--things that fit well with what other studies and authors have concluded and with what the teams they studied experienced and concluded. A prime audience for this book would be managers and team members with a modest 'academic bent' who want guidance on how to make their teams work more effectively and who are willing to listen to the reasons why the authors make their suggestions and how they reach their conclusions. Students and academics who are looking for a wise and balanced attempt to capture what we seem to be learning about what works in groups should also find this refreshingly short volume valuable."
--Journal of Management

"Larson and LaFasto provide a brief, efficient, and well-focused checklist of principles for managing group processes. The authors report on the results of a relatively systematic, 3-year program on in-depth interviews with participants from 'successful teams'--e.g., a Mount Everest expedition; DeBakey-Cooley cardiac surgery teams; a Notre Dame championship football team; several business executive and project management teams; Presidential cabinets; and disaster response teams--to come up with some '. . . distinguishing features of effectively functioning teams. . . .' Practicing managers should have no difficulty identifying with anecdotes described in this book. A list of characteristics parallels the chapter outlines of this good organizational behavior textbook written from a management process perspective. . . . It is hard to imagine a more efficient way to capture the fundamentals than the way Larson and LaFasto have done it. Newly appointed supervisors without a formal organizational behavior and management process course--and any practicing manager who could use a quick brushup--will find this guidebook useful."
--Human Resource Planning

"Teamwork [is] one of the best and most concise handbooks on team management around. No one interested in teamwork should miss reading this guide."
--The Learning Edge ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Rational Approach to Teamwork
There's an enormous amount of reading material on teams and teamwork and this book is one of the best.Its highly rational approach condenses studies of high performing teams.The authors found eight common characteristics and explain in enough detail why they are important.They include excerpts from the leaders and teams they have studied.They also state that the two most common reasons for team failure are politics and personal agendas.They include a quote from Duke Drake: "The minute the politicians take over and start worrying about what's in it for me, you're dead in the water."

Teams are the only way to address our increasingly interrelated and complex problems.In practice teamwork is rare and the reason may be that many managers advance due to their political ability.I doubt that upper managers will ever be able to truly give up the skills that brought them there.

A enjoyable and useful book
These authors studied all different sorts of teams (everything from a Mount Everest expedition and a Notre Dame championship football teams to the group that invented Chicken McNuggets) in order to determine what they had in common. The book is highly readable and describes eight common principles that could be implemented to improve the function of any team. It is also full of interesting comments and stories from the study. I highly recommend the book for any team member (not only managers) since the book also clearly describes how the individal can influence the success of the entire team.

Top-shelf book on teams. A foundation text.
Larson and LaFasto put their outstanding research into easy-to-understand language. The book is foundation reading for executives and team members who want to understand the key variables that spell success for teams. Andit's an easy-reading 138 pages presented so anyone (5th grade readinglevel!) can understand their findings. I know the authors, and have theutmost respect for their scientific methodology and experience. We use thematching team/ leadership assessment and training program to help clientorganizations plan, build, and fix their teams. Really an excellent reader,and a foundation of our consulting practice. ... Read more

Book Description

Risk and uncertainty are key features of most business and government problems and need to be understood for rational decisions to be made. This book concerns itself with the quantification of risk, the modelling of identified risks and how to make decisions from those models. Following on from the success of the previous edition of this clearly written and highly regarded book, this edition is extensively revised and updated and will provide an invaluable practical guide for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Quantitative risk analysis (QRA) using Monte Carlo simulation offers a powerful and precise method for dealing with the uncertainty and variability of a problem. By providing the building blocks the author guides the reader through the necessary steps to produce an accurate risk analysis model and offers general and specific techniques to cope with most modelling problems. A wide range of solved problems is used to illustrate these techniques and how they can be used together to solve otherwise complex problems. Reviews of the first edition "It identifies the various facets of risk analysis and provides a valuable reference to the concepts and techniques employed." Project, 1997 "It clearly explains many essential aspects of quantitative risk analysis … provides valuable techniques and sound professional advice." Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Vol. 12, 1999 "The book offers a powerful method for dealing with risk and uncertainty." Zentralblatt für Mathematik, Band 908, 1999 ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A great primer and reference text for simulation modelling
Whether you are attempting Monte Carlo simulation for the first time or have plenty of practical experience, Vose's book is the best text available.

Vose has done a great job providing a brief but solid introduction to probability and statistics. It also serves as a great practical reference for the details and applications of all of the commonly used probability distribution functions.

He expertly summarizes each of the main steps a modeller will face in developing a model, providing very practical examples with helpful figures illustrating exactly how to implement the example in a spreadsheet.

The introduction could be improved by describing the context of his book, largerly directed towards cost analysis of projects, in the very broad field of Quantiative Risk Analysis. If I could add a section to the book, I would devote a chapter to common errors committed by the novice modeller. Minor criticisms aside, I do not hesitate in recommending this book as a reference for experts. I think it provides the fastest route up the learning curve for the novice modeller.

Highly Recommended!
The only "user friendly" text on this topic of which I am aware. The book is written in concise and understandable language and contains numerous examples, spreadsheets, charts and formulae that are essential to anyone that desires a working knowledge of risk analysis. Minor errors in the content detract little from the value of this work

Best Book for Quantitative Risk Analysis
I believe that this book is the best of many Risk Analysis books. The book's structure, starting from fundamental topics and guiding to advanced topics, is excellent. So, I translated this book into Japanese! You will make the best use of the book with Excel add-in Monte Carlo simulation software like @Risk and Crystal ball that you can get its trial version from the vendor's site(free!). But, the value of this book is not decreased with its sophistitated notation even if you don't have such software. You can enjoy the logic of Quantitative Risk Analysis. Now, the author is preparing his original software. I hope it will be as valuable as this book.

1st edition more useful to a practitioner than the 2nd
Unlike in the first edition, the author seems to have tried his best to eliminate any reference to any simulation software in the second edition. Result: it now reads like any academic simulation text, only less. The first edition wasn't broke. Why fix it? Bring back the classic Vose!

Rigouros, clear and practical
This book gives a deep insight into the state of the art and recent developments of quantitative risk analysis using simulation methods. Describes topics such as second order risk analysis I never heard about before. I used the knowledge drawn from this book to write some technical papers (published on peer-reviewed journals and seminars proceedings). Specialized software, such as @-risk and crystal ball is not strictly needed to carry out the risk-analysis systems suggested by the author (but pretty advanced skills with excel or use of math softwares are required). The specific subject of the book is risk modelling by Monte Carlo Simulation and Bayesan analysis; it does not deal with fuzzy models or other uncertainty-propagation methods. I highly reccomend this book to anyone interested into the specific subject. ... Read more

Book Description

A Primer for Management, provides an introduction to the functions of management in a brief format and an appealing price. At approximately 300 pages, Primer is a straightforward text that allows you to provide additional enrichment through your own material or the many supplemental offerings from South-Western. Whether used in an Introductory course or recommended as a refresher to MBA's, A Primer for Management presents the essential concepts to understanding the functions of management in a clear and concise prose. ... Read more

Book Description

Fully integrated with the personal computer, this easy-to-use book provides readers with the skills to necessary to apply the techniques of quantitative analysis in all kinds of organizational decision-making situations. It covers every major topic in the quantitative analysis/management science field, showing how each technique works, discussing the assumptions and limitations of the models, and illustrating the real-world usefulness of each technique with many applications and case studies in both profit-making and nonprofit organizations. A FREE CD-ROM readers can use to solve the examples presented in the book is conveniently packaged with the book providing Excel QM, Crystal Ball, TreePlan, QM for Windows and data files for examples.Probability Concepts and Applications, Decision Theory, Decision Trees with Utility Theory, Forecasting, Inventory Control Models, Linear Programming Models, Linear Programming: The Simplex Method. Transportation and Assignment Models, Integer Programming, Goal Programming, Non Linear Programming, and Branch and Bound Models, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Network Models, Project Management, Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models, Simulation Modeling, Markov Analysis, Using QM for Windows, Using Excel OM.Appropriate for business managers and analysts. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A book for graduates--Not undergrads
After the first week of our class falling behind, my professor mentioned to our class that this book was the wrong format for undergrads. So this book is only good as the teacher and the students. It's easy to read, but hard to understand. And, the CD-ROM was not user-friendly enough, but had an awesome integration into MS Excel. I aced all of my math classes in college (undergrad), but this class...I'm not gonna to ace. But if you aced all math classes and you're using this book for a grad class, then go for it. Otherwise, find another book.

Great Book
I had one of the worst instructors on the planet this semester. I literally had to teach myself this entire course.
This book made it so much easier. Great diagrams, simple explanations. I ended up with an A.

Easy to follow
This book is easy to follow and the included cd makes solving the problems easy. It also has online links for each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical 'how-to'book describes all the key operations of ARIS Toolset - the market leading Business Process Modelling Tool. Using lots of screen shots and plenty of practical examples, Rob Davis shows how ARIS can be used to model 'your' business processes.Based on his experience of using ARIS in British Telecommunications plc, the author describes practical ways of using ARIS Toolset:- Explaining the models and techniques that will enable new users to start modelling quickly and effectively.- Introducing tips and short cuts which make using the tool much easier.- Giving insights into the ARIS concepts.- Explaining the rationale behind alternative ways of using the tool, their benefits and the trade-offs involved.- Tackling issues found in real projects (e.g. complex model structures, handling variety, etc), as opposed to the simple examples given in many books.In addition to describing how to use the tool, Rob Davis discusses how to create standards for using ARIS as well as giving guidance on how to use ARIS for process capture and design.Business Process Modelling with ARIS is a 'must have'for every user of ARIS. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent reference for ARIS
This is an excellent reference book on ARIS. It is really a "must have" for anyone learning and using ARIS. It is well written and well structured. The only reason I've rated it at 4 stars is because it is based on Release 5 of ARIS. An updated edition would be great.

Best book written about Aris
This book explains quite good how to use Aris in practice. However it's quite heavy to read through. There could be more pictures and charts to get things clearer and easier to understand. But still absolutely the best book about Aris. ... Read more

Book Description

THE HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PAPERBACK SERIES is designed to bring today's managers and professionals the fundamental information they need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world.Here are the landmark ideas that have established the Harvard Business Review as required reading for ambitious business people in organizations around the globe.

Harvard Business Review on Managing Uncertainty presents leading-edge ideas to help managers make strategic decisions in an increasingly uncertain world.Includes the landmark piece "Competing for the Future" by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An useful survey on strategies under uncertainty
Why shoudn't we read the original books on the subject, the uncertainty ? If we are managers under pressure and without sufficient time, a similar collection is really useful. Of course, some auctors should be considered in total(Hamel & Prahalad), but this book offers a good insight on the matter. And some explications about companies strategies (competition based on the innovation rythm, for instance, in the last article) ... Read more

Book Description

So, you've empowered your teams to make the decisions that lead to success. But how do you measure their progress and keep them accountable? This book outlines a field-tested measurement system that can be customized to fit any team. It's a system that involves every team member as it factors in customer concerns, organizational strategy, and other big-picture issues critical to success. Case studies of teams that have used this approach--including the winners of Xerox's coveted X-Award--illustrate how the system actually works. And the automated measurement system on the free CD-ROM helps you design your own system with confidence. ... Read more

Book Description

Heraclitus lived 2,500 years ago, but his adages, including "You can’t step in the same river twice" and "Dogs bark at what they don’t understand," remain surprisingly relevant today. Expect the Unexpected or You Won’t Find It uses 30 of Heraclitus’s epigrams to unleash creativity. Treating each saying as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, author Roger von Oech supplies anecdotes, riddles, questions, and hidden jokes designed to topple old modes of thought and fire the imagination. Reversing expectations, turning change to advantage, creating powerful metaphors — these concepts derived from Heraclitus can help anyone searching for new approaches to problem solving. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

New Windows and Mirrors to Stimulate Your Mind
I have long been a fan of Roger von Oech's work on creativity (see A Whack on the Side of the Head and the Creative Whack Pack card deck). I found this book to be a pleasant and valuable addition to my resources for stimulating my thinking in new ways.

The book's core are 30 epigrams ("a terse, witty, and often paradoxical saying") of the 125 that have come down to us in the quotations of other authors from Heraclitus, as written 2500 years ago. Mr. von Oech has taken the traditional translation and updated it into more conceptual English in many cases, which makes the material more accessible. "All things happen according to the logos" (from Heraclitus by T. M. Robinson, University of Toronto Press, 1987) becomes "The cosmos speaks in patterns." Each epigram begins with an imaginative line drawing to give you an initial impression of the concept. Mr. von Oech goes on to provide some key subpoints in a brief essay, some examples of the concepts and subpoints in action, and occasionally gives you puzzles and brain teasers to play with (the answers are at the end of the book).

The longer the section, the better I liked it. So I left the book wishing it had been longer. That's my usual test of how helpful a book was to me. While many of these epigrams meant nothing to me on first reading them, Mr. von Oech's explanations soon made each an old and valuable friend.

Mr. von Oech suggests three ways to use the book. First, you can read it from start to finish as a creativity workbook. Second, you can take one epigram a day and make it the focus of a meditation for that day. You can repeat the list at the end of 30 days ("You can't step into the same river twice" so you should get new insights each time). Third, you can use the book as an oracle. When you have a question, randomly pick an epigram (there's a random number table in the book to help you do this) and apply it to the problem. I would like to suggest a fourth application, as well. You could use the epigrams to stimulate group creativity in problem-solving situations involving others.

Space does not permit (nor would fairness allow) publishing all the epigrams here, but let me share the ones that had the most impact on me.

"That which opposes produces a benefit."

"A wonderful harmony is created when you join together the seemingly unconnected."

"I searched into myself."

"Many fail to grasp what's right in the palm of the hand."

"Things love to conceal their true nature."

"Those who approach life like a child playing a game, moving and pushing pieces, possess the power of kings."

"Sea water is both pure and polluted: for fish it's drinkable and life-giving; for humans undrinkable and destructive."

"It is disease that makes health pleasant, hunger that makes fullness good, and weariness that makes rest sweet."

"The way up and the way down are one and the same."

"A thing rests by changing."

"Donkeys prefer garbage to gold."

"Every walking animal is driven to its purpose with a whack."

"Your character is your destiny."

"The Sun is new each day."

The summary combines all thirty epigrams into a brief essay. I encourage you to take one of the epigrams above and apply it today. If it helps you, go on to use another one tomorrow. If that is working, order this book and keep using other epigrams daily until the book arrives. Then, see how Mr. von Oech's thoughtful ideas about the epigrams expand your thinking even further!

Be prepared to find diamonds in your coal mine!

Stoking the creative juices within...
A number of years ago, I read Roger von Oech's A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD. It was fairly early in my career, when the mold is still unformed but the message was poignant. Recently, when I ran across EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED and saw von Oech was the author, I decided to pick it up and renew myself to von Oech's teachings. What a breath of fresh air he offers with EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

von Oech draws heavily upon the ancient wisdom of Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher. Heraclitus, like Parmenides, postulated a model of nature and the universe which created the foundation for all other speculation on physics and metaphysics. The ideas that the universe is in constant change and there is an underlying order or reason to this change-the Logos-form the essential foundation of the primary Heraclitean view. Everytime one walks into a science, economics, or political science course, at most any level, significantly all the teachings originate with Heraclitus's speculations on change and the Logos.
Despite this and the fact the ancient Greeks considered Heraclitus one of their principal philosophers, precious little remains of his writings. The passages remaining are tremendously obtuse, not because they are quoted out of context, but because Heraclitus deliberately cultivated an obscure writing style (one that makes one THINK!). However, thanks to von Oech's passion for all that is Heraclitus and his teachings, we are presented with many the ancient 'riddles' and a modern day correlation and translation of each. von Oech recalls being struck with "the Heraclitean bug" while studying in Germany many years ago. Now, he has written a book in which he brilliantly and entertainingly examines concepts such as symbol, paradox, and ambiguity in relation to creative thought.

At the beginning of EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, von Oech provides the reader with 30 creative insights to consider and explore our creative psyches. von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams, provides his interpretation along with examples, parables, and questions-the kind that make you go "Hmmm"- all the while stoking the creative being within. von Oech does not attempt to inform the reader that his interpretation is the correct one; to the contrary, he implores the reader to step outside the boundries of conventional thought to find the "correct" answer.

As he was in A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD, von Oech is immensely entertaining. He is an individual who has spent his career assisting others to think creatively. As a byproduct of this career, von Oech has proven himself to be a prodigous creative thinker in his own right. Those in the 'concrete' professions-attorneys, consultants, accountants-will find this book extremely insightful. Thinking in the abstract is incongruent with the 'concrete' professions (I know, I'm one of them). As such, having the fodder to stoke the creative juices, particularly when problem-solving, is a boon to any professional.

At it's small physical size and only 190-odd pages, this book is perfect to keep handy at your desk or any place one engages in thought. I plan to keep it nearby just to refer to when a problem presents itself in an ostensibly unsolvable manner.

Highly recommended.

Philosophy as if it Matters
I was first tempted to give this book only one star for disparaging the notion of "pure philosophy." But then I began to question what the purpose of philosophy was. Who has done philosophy more of a disservice, Von Oech, who sees the creative potential in Heraclitus and passes it on to willing readers, or the academics, who have purified and rarefied philosophy into something quite unrecognizable to the ancient Greeks? That was the easiest question I've had to answer in quite a while. Von Oech gets what the pointy-headed pettifoggers of academe do not: philosophy is only effective as it relates to the world. It is not a mere matter of linguistics nor an interpretation by each textual reader, but rather a force guiding humans towards creativity through its answers to our everyday questions. There was a time in the past when philosophers wrote for the educated public. Nowadays, philosophers write for other philosophers, substituting rhetoric and wordplay for creativity. The loser is our culture, which depends upon philosophy as a lynchpin.

Von Oech's fascination with Heraclitus goes back to 1971 while studying in Germany. Picking up a book of Heraclitus' epigrams, Von Oech became instantly hooked when he read "the way up and the way down are one and the same." He writes that this caused him to spend the next several weeks trying to figure out its meaning. Since then, he says, he's wanted to put out a "creativity tool" based on the works of Heraclitus.

And what a creativity tool he has created. His grasp of Heraclitus is firm and, moreover, he is able to apply each epigram he examines to the problems of thinking and creativity in the workplace. The reader will also notice a warmth coming through: a deep love of the subject and philosophy in general, something we do not always get from our academics, as anyone who had to sit through Philosophy 101 with a boring pedant will tell you. And Von Oech will succeed in doing what our friends in the ivory tower have failed to do, and that is to instill a love of wisdom in the heads of his students. For that, Roger von Oech, I salute you.

Expand Your Mind
"Expect the Unexpected or You Won't Find It" is a collection of thirty of Heraclitus' epigrams along with an examination of some of their different facets. Heraclitus was a Greek scholar who answered many of life's questions with comments that were purposely designed to be obscure. This forced the recipient to think creatively to find their answer. Many of them contain internal paradoxes and so part of the creative process is figuring out the paradox and how it applies to your situation.

As Roger von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams he includes some of the ways that they can be interpreted, ways that they have been interpreted in the past, anecdotes, jokes, and riddles that illustrate the epigram and other ways of illuminating just how deep these pieces of wisdom are. Does he give a complete explanation of how they can be interpreted? No, because that is part of the design of these epigrams, they can be applied to different circumstances and product different but still correct answers. His illustrations are there to open your mind to the creative possibilities that lie hidden within just a few wise words.

Some of these I have heard in the past such as "You can't step into the same river twice". Others are less common but just as full of wisdom such as "On a circle, an end point can also be a beginning point". If you want a book that expands your creative mind and also shows you how to break out of old patterns of thinking in any situation, then this is the book for you. Well written and sure to point the reader to new directions of thinking, it is a highly recommended read.

Bravo
I'm the author of "Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity) and Cracking Creativity (Secrets of Creative Genius) snd have long admired Roger's work in the field of creativity. Once again he's delivered an excellent book. Bravo Roger!!!!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Art of the Advantage brings to life the centuries-old thirty-six Chinese stratagems and explains how they can be applied to corporate or personal strategy. Author Kaihan Krippendorf shows how in using Chinese philosophy, companies can create unfamiliar, cutting-edge corporate strategies that are often unfamiliar to Western companies allowing them to take their western competitors unaware and make them more competitive. Throughout the book, Krippendorf uses ten case studies from the worlds top business schools to illustrate his points. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

An excellent book that ties Eastern Philosophy to Business
I have long been interested in Taoism and Eastern Thought and enjoy reading books that present the concepts clearly. As a strategist, I have found most books that attempt to apply Eastern Thought to business to be either poorly written or with little practical application. I found this book to be concise, practical and an enjoyable read.

Each of the 36 Stratagems are easy to understand. The author provides both business and historical case studies as examples of how each stratagem were applied in the past. An appendix is included that is meant to help brainstorm ways to apply the stratagems in business.

The only downside to the book is that you could argue many of the business cases were selected to "fit" with each stratagem, meaning the companies did not consciously set out to use various stratagems. I would say that it speaks to the unwillingness of Western companies to learn and apply eastern business strategies. Also, it would have been nice if there were cases featuring Asian businesses that applied the principles in the book. However, this does not take away from the book's value.

Again, an excellent read strategists, managers, entrepreneurs or anyone interested in Eastern Philosophy.

Improving the quality of management strategic decisions
As a senior consultant for an strategic consulting firm, it is critical to generate optimal solutions to business issues. The "Art of the Advantage" offers practical ways to generate creative options to tackle business issues. I have applied the book principles to several business situations and was impressed with the results. I strongly recommend this book to any senior manager who is looking for practical ways to improve their strategic thinking.

The new "Art of War"
This book should be the new method used by all leaders and managers to look at difficult strategy decisions. It is a great book. It gave me new creative structures with which to attack our management issues. We have already used the principles at our company and found three new successful paths to explore which we did see previously. I highly recommend it to all managers and students of strategy.

The Third School of Strategy
With his book Kaihan reveals what will become the Third School of Strategy, and the most groundbreaking work since Porter's creation of the Second School. What makes the Stratagems a fantastic "compass" in the strategy-making road is the fact that they are intuitive, and for that reason have been used unknowingly by thousands of successful companies for centuries.
As I was reading the book, I couldn't help but to think of how this patterns apply further beyond the business world into life, and the many historical examples of the Stratagems in action... This is a book to read, keep as reference, read again, give to friends, co-workers, employees, and excercise it constantly in daily life, until our second-nature become as clear, simple and practical as Kaihan artistically articulates the Stratagems in this book.

A thoughtful and insightful look at an age old question
One would think business strategies we observe are often new and innovative -- but as the author shows many of the games being played in the marketplace today are versions of strategies discovered and explained many years ago. History's lesson is that there is much to be learned from the ancient writers -- and the author has done a wonderful job at sharing the pearls of wisdom from the 36 strategems. ... Read more

Book Description

Is there anything more important to the success of a project than making good decisions? This skill is certainly at or near the top of the list. Yet, few of us have had formal training in decision making. Decision analysis is the discipline that helps people choose wisely under conditions of uncertainty. This book introduces risk and decision analysis applied to project management. Probability is the language of uncertainty. Fortunately, a few basic concepts in probability and statistics go a long way toward making better decisions. The evaluation calculations are straightforward, and many everyday problems can be solved with a handheld calculator. Schuyler also explains and demystifies key concepts and techniques, including expected value, optimal decision policy, decision trees, the value of information, Monte Carlo simulation, probabilistic techniques, modeling techniques, judgments and biases, utility and multi-criteria decisions, and stochastic variance.

Some of Schuyler’s tried-and-true tips include:

-The single-point estimate is almost always wrong, so that it is always better to express judgments as ranges. A probability distribution completely expresses someone’s judgment about the likelihood of values within the range.

-We often need a single-value cost or other assessment, and the expected value (mean) of the distribution is the only unbiased predictor. Expected value is the probability-weighted average, and this statistical idea is the cornerstone of decision analysis.

-Some decisions are easy, perhaps aided by quick decision tree calculations on the back of an envelope. Decision dilemmas typically involve risky outcomes, many factors, and the best alternatives having comparable value. We only need analysis sufficient to confidently identify the best alternative. As soon as you know what to do, stop the analysis!

-Be alert to ways to beneficially change project risks. We can often eliminate, avoid, transfer, or mitigate threats in some way. Get to know the people who make their living helping managers sidestep risk. They include insurance agents, partners, turnkey contractors, accountants, trainers, and safety personnel. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

For Educated & Experienced Readers
Comprehensive and well-written treatment of a difficult subject. The book is aimed at project managers but readers who have college-level math and/or project experience in business can learn from this book. As a project manager, I learned where my skills were weak and needed strengthening, amoung other things. More importantly, I picked up techniques and methods to use on the job.
One short-coming of the book is the dearth of references. One would expect many more references for such an multidimensional subject.

boring...
It is a snooze feast. Even if you do risk management the book reads like qua