Book Description

Richard Schonberger, in his fourth and most important book yet, introduces a powerful new concept: that the many links between and within the four main business functions -- design, operations, accounting, and marketing -- form a continuous "chain of customers" that extends to those who buy the product or service. Everyone has a customer -- the next department, office, shop, or person -- at the hundreds of pioneering companies Schonberger has studied throughout the world.

Schonberger demonstrates the universality of customer wants: Both the next and final customers want ever better quality, quicker response, greater flexibility, and lower cost. This condition provides a common strategy and calls for common methods to be used across the organization. Every employee is a data gatherer and analyst, unearthing more and better ways to provide for these customers' wants -- before the competition does so.

As the new thinking and methods permeate every comer of the firm, they topple departmental walls and adjust gang-like mind-sets and "them-versus-us" attitudes. Performance is no longer measured by internal costs but by improvement as seen by the next customer; direct control of causes generally replaces after-the-fact control of costs. Design is brought out of isolation. Finally, with the rest of the firm reoriented toward customer service, marketing escapes from a "negative" mode -- covering up for failures -- to a positive one -- crowing about the firm's competence and ability to improve.

With the close attention to detail for which he has become famous, Schonberger constructs a blueprint for unifying corporate functions, brilliantly describing the new microcosms that will make up the company of the 1990s -- focused teams of multi-skilled, involved employees arranged according to the way the work flows or the service is provided -- that compose the chain of customers. Aetna, for example, is organizing customer-focused teams that cut across underwriting and the administrative functions. At Hewlett-Packard, teams of marketing, manufacturing, and R&D people have already gone through several iterations of "activity-based costing", which provides product designers with previously unavailable data for shaving costs throughout product life cycles. And at Du Pont, even production people on the factory floor are involved in assessing competitors' product quality and probable costs and methods. Through these and hundreds of other real company examples, Schonberger shows how the customer-driven chain of action leads directly to the kinds of bottom-line performance that have been so elusive to executives who manage at a distance "by the numbers" -- namely, higher profits, greater security, and gains in market share at the expense of the laggard competion. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by a seasoned expert on international business development, this marvelous guide distills a librarys worth of essential knowledge into a single, practical volume. It allows readers to quickly acquaint themselves with nineteen foreign lands and learn the finer points of conducting business within each distinctive culture. Newly updated to address recent economic, political, and regulatory developments—and including a new chapter on the spread and use of technology in the region—this book covers the following topics regarding each country:

• Geography
• Corporate Structures
• History
• Negotiation
• Political Structure
• Conducting Business in Social Settings
• Economy
• Dress Codes
• Social Customs
• Useful Phrases
• Work Schedules
• Major Holidays
• Making Contacts
• Helpful Phone Numbers
• Meeting People
• Useful Addresses

Reviews (2)

Biased and Trite
This work denotes nothing of true insight or interest. I was amazed at the general obviousness of this text, along with the manicured "perspective", that was nothing but book read.
I suspect Ms. Dunung has never even been to Asia, for, as a business man myself who has been working there for many decades, I see no hard earned knowledge or awareness in her assuptions.

If you're doing business in Asia, this books IS valuable.
Covers nineteen countries, providing background including history, economy, political structure, social customers and etiquette, and business practices. An impressive wealth of information including such unexpected tidbits as an appendix giving brief discussions of all major Asian religions, climate conditions, the number of computers per 1,000 people expected by 2000, and numerous key organizations, telephone numbers and addresses. If you're interested in traveling and doing business in Asia this book is an excellent value. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder. ... Read more

Book Description

International trade is packed with opportunities--and loaded with perils. Now businesspeople can successfully navigate the highly complicated, potentially risky exporting arena with this easy-to-read, step-by-step manual.

The Ultimate Guide to Export Management covers all the fundamental skills and knowledge needed, including how to:

* Meet international customer service demands, including 3 key steps to resolving problems with customers
* Negotiate competitive shipping rates with freight forwarders
* Choose between air and ocean carriers
* Prepare quality export documentation, the backbone of global trade
* Master the art of export packing, and reduce loss up to 70%
* Acquire insurance to cover political risk and export credit exposures
* Use Internet technology to gain a competitive advantage
* Ship painlessly all over the globe--and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fresh Perspectives on a Complicated Subject
This is an absolutely first-rate collection of20 separate but inter-related essays in which their authors explain how and why brands are "the new wealth creators." They were edited by Hart and Murphy who co-authored a brief Foreword in which theycorrectly suggest that brands "are now centre stage: they drive major mergers, and acquisitions; they appear frequently in the balance sheets of their owners; they have vexed legislators involved in updating archaic trademark law; their application now extends to organisations who a few years ago would never have considered themselves as `brands' (charities, utilities, sport's associations, cities, etc.); and they have changed irrevocably the way in which major companies organise and run their businesses." It remains for each reader to determine which essays are of greatest interest and potential value. My personal favorites are Murphy's "What Is Branding" which provides a basic but precise introductory briefing on the subject. He concludes by noting that branding is a creative process. "It uses research techniques and the skills of a number of specialists. But in the end it is about creating distinctness -- in a consumer-relevant fashion." I also admire Fogg's analysis of "Brands as Intellectual Property." (Those who share have a special interest in this subject are urged to check out Lessig's Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace.) Carratu's essay follows, probing even further into "Commercial Counterfeiting" which is, he concludes, "a profitable and growing activity that poses a serious threat to manufacturers of branded products. It is frequently very well funded and organised and is prevalent throughout the world....[Fortunately], brand owners are becoming more vigilant, but the battle has yet to be won." Tragos has much of value to say about "International Branding" as do Andrew about "Brand Revitalisation and Extension" and Hart about "The Future for Brands." For executive-level managers who are either directly or indirectly involved with marketing (in general) and branding (in particular), this really is a "must read." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

vERY FINE BOOK FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGERS
I'D RATE IT A 6 OUT OF 5!

Very fine business book for international managers!
I'D RATE IT A 6 OUT OF 5! ... Read more

Book Description

The globalisation of many industries has created a unique opportunity to interact with a client on a coordinated global basis. Traditional markets are saturated, industries have consolidated, customer bases are shrinking, and purchasing processes are changing. Many companies are faced with handling large global customers, and this requires special expertise, systems and organizational alignment to ensure a long-term supplier-buyer relationship.

The practice of global account management (GAM) requires the development of a new structure, which is needed to support the global account manager. Companies are struggling with the components of this new structure as well as with GAM’s role providing additional value for the global account, which could not be provided effectively at the local level. Supported by case studies and interviews, this book examines the key aspects of developing and managing global customers. ... Read more

Book Description

An enclyclopedic view of doing business with Korea. Contains the how-to, where-to and who-with information needed to operate internationally. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very in depth look at Cross Cultural Marketing
I have found this book to be very helpful in my research of Cross-Cultural Marketing.It is laid out in a logical order, and as it progresses it looks at every aspect in fine detail.The book is filled with both general knowledge and covers a variety of basic business aspects as well as giving many examples of good and bad marketing.I found many of the examples very amusing, and would leave a normal person wondering why would a large business employ such bad strategy as not to take local culture into account.This book gives ideas on different countries; western europe, eastern europe, Japan, India, and many different Asian countries.It is less developed for African marketing, while it does have some examples, it is also a less developed economy than the others.
Regardless if you are a student or a business person I think this book would be a great resource when studing marketing abroad.It has so many examples of the blunders and the sucesses. ... Read more

Book Description

Recognized as the oldest military treatise of all time, Sun Tzu's Art of War has been studied by world leaders, military strategists and business executives all over the world. It is chockfull of practical tips on how ancient generals could win battles in defense of their territories or capture those of others. By drawing inspiration from Sun Tzu's tested strategies and applying them to various aspects of business and management, Khoo Kheng-Hor has managed to translate what is a complicated treatise into readable prose. With this series of books, you will find surviving and thriving in the cut-and-thrust of today's competitive and often combative workplace so much easier. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Superb critique of the new imperialism
Alam's brilliant and original book studies the growing polarisation between the economically advanced and lagging countries since 1760. He marshals extensive cross-country evidence and concludes, "The results showed a strong positive correlation between sovereignty and industrialisation."

As he writes, "Sovereignty did matter! Countries which had it would grow faster than countries which did not. The logic of it is simple. Colonization of lagging countries led, via forced integration, to the loss of manufactures, a shrinking comparative advantage in primary production, and the displacement of indigenous capital, skills and enterprises; it also led to monopolization and direct appropriation of their resources. Only sovereign lagging countries - free to structure their integration into the world economy - could avoid or minimize the adverse consequences of integration. Ergo, loss of sovereignty retarded economic growth. ... Countries will structure their international relations to develop manufactures and indigenous capital, enterprises and technological capabilities; they will impose at the outset, or gradually, policies that regulate the entry of imports and foreign capital, labor and enterprises. ... These asymmetries ensure that loss of sovereignty will produce lower levels of industrialisation, lower levels of productivity in the subsistence sector, lower levels of human capital, lower rates of taxation and public expenditure and, finally, lower growth rates of per capita income."

Countries winning their independence after 1945 achieved substantial increases in their manufacturing industry. 1980 saw the imperial counterattack; the international financial institutions, egged on by the key capitalist states, attacked the lagging countries and reimposed dependency. The Soviet Union's demise orphaned the lagging countries; they lost the most powerful counterweight to the USA.

World Bank and IMF policy packages are identical to the EU's demands: end fiscal deficits, privatise industries and services, open government contracts to foreign firms, end state subsidies, remove controls on capital accounts of the balance of payments, end barriers to foreign enterprises' entry.

Without economic sovereignty, all other forms of sovereignty are shadows. The economy is the root of sovereignty: without control over how we work and produce, we are slaves.

A Challenge to the Prevailing Economic Worldview
"Poverty from the Wealth of Nations" provides concrete evidence to support the argument that European imperialism devastated, rather than enhanced, the economic development of much of the rest of the world. The author, M. Shahid Alam, brings in the factors of sovereignty and racism to show that market mechanisms alone were not the only factors determining success or failure. Alam shows that the initial disparities between now advanced and now lagging countries were not as great as once supposed, and that the subsequent divergence was due more to exploitation and racist policies rather than to the innate qualities of particular peoples. In doing so, he challenges the prevailing, if unconscious, tenets of Eurocentric ideology.

The more sovereignty a state had, the more it was able to shape its economic policy to its own advantage. Sovereign countries usually did this by instituting protectionist measures to enable their nascent industries to establish themselves domestically and then get a foothold in the global market. Dependencies, quasi-colonies, and colonies were proportionally less and less able to do this, and were thrown into a vicious downward spiral.

Alam meticulously demonstrates the sovereignty differentials among these categories in terms of the countries' export orientation, industrialization, human capital, and growth rates. Non-sovereign countries' markets were forced open, providing a cheap source of raw materials to the imperial power, while cheaper manufactured imports prevented any domestic manufacturing sector from developing. Meanwhile, the colonial powers used their technological gains to create their own "import substitution" at home, improving their agricultural techniques and creating synthetic replacements for other primary goods (e.g., dyes), while denying these advances to the colonies, so that the colonies' range of potential exports progressively narrowed.

Infrastructure in colonies was designed with export in mind, causing markets for domestically produced goods to wither. Also, social policies were influenced to keep education, job advancement opportunities, and wages at a minimum, as this kept the prices of primary goods low as well, maximizing profits and savings for the colonial power. Over time, the cumulative effects of these phenomena brought about the extreme disparities in wealth between nations that we see today.

Alam's findings should be carefully examined by economists and other scholars who are willing to consider the possibility that our prevailing economic worldview is fundamentally flawed.

Globalization: What is New?
This is a very timely book. At a time when globalization is sweeping aside the sovereignty of developing countries and imposing free-trade regimes on their debt-ridden governments, this book provides a historical critique of these policies through a systematic examination of a similar globalization that swept across countries in Asia and Africa starting in the nineteenth century. It shows that the results of colonization and free trade were devastating for these economies. Thankfully, these results are established with a theoretical perspicacity and empirical rigor that are lacking in neo-Marxist critiques of the global economy. The strong parallels between quasi-colonialism and the IMF-WTO regime suggest that this new round of imperialism will also deepen global inequalities. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A solid step for global markets
The book gives to the reader all basic information to start to think in Global Terms. All steps to face the new markets are presented in a objective view. Even if you work in a local company the book can make you think about threats which may come from abroad. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not everyone embraces the "American Way." But as historian Walter LaFeber demonstrates in this highly original look at the effects of global capitalism, not everyone has a choice. Using powerful communications satellites in the 1980s and, later, unbridled capital, transnational corporations such as McDonald's and Nike and their media-mogul counterparts have infiltrated cultures from Paris to Beijing, understanding perfectly that what the world sees the world buys (in this case, Big Macs and anything plastered with a Nike swoosh). Of course, it helps when hoops legend Michael Jordan--the world's most idolized athlete--is pitching your products. His influence is pervasive: "McDonald's, blaring Michael Jordan's endorsement, operated in 103 nations and fed one percent of the world's population each day. 'Within the East Asian urban environment,' one historian of the firm notes, 'McDonald's fills a niche once occupied by the teahouse, the neighborhood shop, the street-side stall, and the park bench.'"

LaFeber transitions smoothly from Michael Jordan biography to socioeconomic commentary, first exploring Jordan as the great American hero, then turning a critical eye on Nike and its shoddy overseas labor practices. Jordan can certainly sell shoes, but at what cost? In the final chapter heading, LaFeber asks whether Michael Jordan is the "Greatest Endorser of the Twentieth Century" or "An Insidious Form of Imperialism." He presents evidence of both, but ultimately The New Global Capitalism becomes less about Jordan's marketing prowess than America's influence over the world's consumer habits, and, subsequently, the havoc that power can wreak. LaFeber's short (164 pages), lucid study gives readers a fresh perspective on the battle between capital and culture. Recommended. --Rob McDonald ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Complex theory EXTREMELY simple for Jordan fans
Those who want to know what the WTO and IMF protest are about can start with this book. Lafeber's book simplifies the key issues of global corporatism (not free trade; not merely capitalism but corporatism) while relating the rise of the US with the rise of basketball. A great intro book for basketball fans who claim to not understand or care about what is Globalization. They should, but LaFeber stops short of taking a stand on the issue himself. As a historian he merely reports what happened without predicting the future. Contrary to the anonymous reviewer who panned the book as "Liberal Junk," I felt LaFeber stayed extremely neutral- which is my major problem with the book. Remove the Michael Jordan biography, and this book says what Ben Barber's 'Jihad vs. McWorld' does in 1 chapter. Except Barber explains the WHY we should care; not just what's going on in this Corporate world as LeFeber.

There Is More To Michael Jordan Then Playing Basketball...
In Michael Jordan And The New Global Capitalism, Walter LaFaber uses his ability to research and write about something to express to the readers how important advertising is to any corporation or business. For the Nike Corporation, they partnered up with Michael Jordan and worked out a plan to advertise him and their products through worldwide telecommunications. When Michael Jordan won (which was something he did a lot), the Nike Corporation won too, because everyone wanted to be "like Mike," and the only way to be "like Mike" was to buy his footwear and apparel or other Nike footwear and apparel. This book is a good awakening to anyone interested in how our economy works for big businesses, and its also a good book for anyone interested in basketball and or Michael Jordan. This is a definite must read all in all, because even if you end up not liking this book, you will be better off having read it.

Good Enough
Lafeber really shows you how putting time and effort into something can really take you far in life. I found the book to be very fascinating because it gives all the history of how basketball got started and how MJ and Nike became such powerful household names. This book is a really good read for any MJ fan who wants to learn the whole history behind him. It shows you what global advertising can do to a persons popularity. The bottom line this book is filled with tons of very interesting facts and just tells a good story, so go pick it up as soon as you can.

Michael Jordan And The New Global Capitalism
I think this book is well written for many reasons. It shows all that Nike went through to get their company started. They changed their name from Tiger to Nike, changed their shoe styles, and became popular by signing Jordan to do their ads. The shoes, in fact, became so popular that teenagers in the early 1990's would steal or even kill for them.
Even though Jordan made a lot of money from Nike, he lost all of his privacy and the media turned against him. The book clearly shows the down side of too much publicity.

Keep looking
Sure, this book is about the rise of transnational corporations and the influence cultural icons such as Michael Jordan have on it. However, LaFeber never gets into WHY this is the case. He throws around the same three points throughout the 164 pages of text, leaving the reader wondering how he could possibly write so much when he realistically has nothing to say. It is more filled with statistics and dates regarding Michael Jordan, the Bulls, and Nike, than what the title implies. The book is a good read for fans of MJ and Nike, but if you're looking for a sociological perspective on globalization, look elsewhere. ... Read more

Book Description

This book studies the systems regulating the relationships between the primary participants in a corporation - shareholders, officers, directors - and the state in the most important commercial regions of the world today.

The book focuses on presenting differences in a number of significant areas of corporate governance, specifically, the formal sources of law, and the approach as manifest in actual regulation. The book also explores the ways different systems interact by looking at ways corporations created in one state are recognized and permitted to function in other states.

Comparative Corporate Law studies the differences between systems to determine the extent to which those differences are superficial, thus masking a common core of norms, or evidence of the existence of incompatible views. The ultimate aim is to understand the ways in which systems adjust to the existence of other, sometimes competitive, systems of corporate governance.

In an era of global trade, the power of harmonization, emulation, penetration, convergence, and separation, is inseparably linked to the comparative study of governance systems. Backer provides the framework for that study with clarity and attention to detail.

A teacher's manual is forthcoming. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Perfect
Exciting, inspiring, motivating, encouraging, helpful, informative, clear, comprehensible, easy to read. Excellent book!!! Knowledge, experience, and passion towards discussed topics just shines through every page. Written in a easy to understand language, the book is a perfect aid to not only beginning exporters/importers, but also experienced ones. Lexicon doesn't belittle reader's mental abilities by chewing on every elementary detail; at the same time it doesn't bombard anybody by heavy concepts and trade jargon. Author uses great approach to delivering information - logical, clear and ordered.

The best ¿How-To¿ book I¿ve found on international sales
Mr. Foley takes it right from the start - from solid information on whether to even consider making international sales, all the way through to direct foreign investment. Along the way he provides detailed examples, reference materials, and a number of excellent resources that take the mystery out of international sales.

Perhaps most importantly, this is not a regurgitation of MBA material on the subject - Mr. Foley has directly relevant experience, having spearheaded international expansions earlier in his career and now advising companies on how to achieve their global potential.

This is an excellent reference that our company continues to use as we expand to new markets globally and work to increase our share in markets we're already addressing.

Excellent
This is an excellent source for everything from foreign market evaluation to the documentation for your first sale. Well written and enjoyable to read. While startng out in the game of global enterprise, I have a lot of questions. The questions are being answered, plus all the ones I didn't know I needed to ask. The book excites me to pursue the markets. Before hand I thought it would frighten or discourage me, reading about all the work and risk involved. It was encouraging to hear that international business is where to see the world and its cultures, not just a way to increase profits. I plan to use this book as the guide when our company goes global.

Global Entrepreneur Excellent Introduction to Global Arena
As a newcomer to the "world of global business," I was searching for one resource that would quickly build my understanding of the various aspects of the international arena. I was thrilled to discover The Global Entrepreneur, by James Foley. This book covers everything from basic definitions to the broad issues of "how," "why," and "when" to go global, while also providing solid information on specific topics such as logistics, marketing, relationship building, strategic planning, and using the internet.
And it accomplishes all this in an informal, easy to read and understand style. Mr. Foley writes in a conversational manner, taking information that could be quite dry and boring, and making it interesting and exciting. As an added benefit, the book also includes numerous other resources to enhance your research and exploration of the global arena.
The Global Entrepreneur offers a wealth of information and is a practical resource/reference book for anyone involved in, or becoming involved with, global business.

Great book, couldn't put it down.
James Foley has written an excellent book! Most books covering business topics are dry and boring. This book has kept me interested in the area of global business. Good explanations and it flows well from subject to subject. I'm an engineer and this has helped me understand our international dilemmas in our company as well as helping me in my travels and dealings with foreign suppliers. I got this book through my MBA class and was so impressed I went to one of Mr. Foley's lectures. A must for your collection! ... Read more