Book Description

In today's industrial manufacturing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is essential in order to cope with the challenges of more demanding global competition. New and more complex products must be introduced to markets faster than ever before. Companies form large collaborative networks, and the product process must flow flexibly across company borders. This first book on Product Lifecycle Management in English language is designed to introduce the reader to the basic terms and fundamentals of PLM and to give a solid foundation for starting a PLM development project. It gives ideas and examples how PLM can be utilized in various industries. In addition, it also offers an insight into how PLM can assist in creating new business opportunities and in making real eBusiness possible. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

PLM book review
This is excellent, seems to me that this is the first time when some one has put all the basics of PLM in one cover.

As I see it, the real PLM problem or challenge is really not the PLM software implementation project. The real issue is to know what to implement! The concept of PLM is still much fuzzier than f. ex. the area of ERPs.
In my company we discussed for ages about certain details of PLM, its contents and the selecting of the SW vendor. However the real big thing was that there were no clear goals for the whole PLM development project. I think we missed our opportunity here because all the discussions and the definitions of PLM were held in very different levels and everybody had very different understanding of PLM
within our organization.

We all should have read something like this before we launched our PLM initiative in our company. This book really gives you good and clear view into PLM. I recommend! ... Read more

Book Description

In January 1995 the first Complexity Seminar was held at the London School of Economics, in the UK. This was quite a momentous occasion as it proved to be the turning point for the series of seminars, which had started in December 1992. That seminar and those that followed it, had a profound effect on the research interests of Eve Mitleton-Kelly, the initiator and organiser of the series and editor of this volume, and thus laid the foundation for what became the LSE Complexity Research Programme, which proceeded to win several research awards for collaborative projects with companies. But the series also provided the material for this book. Earlier versions of the papers selected for this volume were first given at the LSE Complexity Seminar series.

The seminar series, focussed primarily on the application of the theories of complexity to organisations - an area of study which was quite new to UK businesses and academics; it slowly helped to disseminate these ideas and today, there is a proliferation of networks and seminar series throughout the UK on complexity; a strong and active academic community studying complexity in different disciplines and a growing number of organisations, experimenting with these revolutionary ideas and putting them into practice.

The 14 international authors in this volume reflect this interest in 10 chapters that range from the very practical application of the theory to more philosophical reflections on its nature and applicability. They do not all agree with each other, but since diversity and variety is at the heart of complexity they each provide a strand of an intertwined whole, which will enrich and deepen our understanding. In an environment of increasing uncertainty and ambiguity it is necessary to learn how to hold, in tension, disparate or even contradictory views, without undue stress. The world is not a simple dyadic black or white entity, but a rich multi-coloured and many-hued ensemble, each strand or perspective contributing to an intricate and inter-related n-dimensional whole. ... Read more

Book Description

Developed by industry guru and mega best-selling author Eli Goldratt,Viable Visionis a proven strategic plan and approach that lays out the steps to transform an organization’s current total sales into net profits within 4 years. This book explains the Viable Vision concept and provides readers the proven frame of reference and roadmap for achieving exponential growth in profits, without relying on minor miracles such as a new product breakthrough.

Supported by significant testing and proven results in real companies, it is now conceivable that even large companies can grow profits at double digit rates. Concisely packed with the proven principles of 25 years of scientific research and real-life application, readers will learn about the holistic implementation of constraints management in strategic planning, operations, supply chain/logistics, sales and marketing, project management, technology, metrics and finance. Whether or not you are one of the millions of people who have read "The Goal" or other fine books on the Theory of Constraints, you will gain enormous benefits from reading this book.Viable Visionis a must read for anyone interested in rapidly increasing their company's net profits. ... Read more

Book Description

Seasoned motivators Ken Blanchard and Don Shula share five proven secrets to helping others excel. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hits the Spot!
What makes this book so effective is that the advice offered is not only solid, but it can be applied immeditely. It's a "hands on" doer's guide. The strength Ken Blanchard brings is his strong Christian influence. Shula's credentials consist of his long term track record as an NFL coach. In this book Shula describes how he leads by example and thorough preparation.

One place this book separtes itself from books of this genre is that it emphasizes "follow through" as contrasted with goal-setting. That's an action focus. It puts the spotlight on doing something.

A Coaching Legend's Leadership Lessons
Don Shula, the National Football League's all-time winningest coach, teamed up with Ken Blanchard, the internationally known and multiple award-winning author, educator, and management and leadership consultant, and together they co-wrote an outstanding book about leaders getting the best performance from the individuals and organizations they are privileged to lead. Whether you are responsible for the performance of multiple organizations, or for just one other individual, the leadership wisdom and insights in this book can help you maximize your coaching and leadership effectiveness.

The winning combination of the two separately distinguished leaders in their respective fields, and the complementary structure of the book were brilliant. Organized around the acronym C.O.A.C.H., the five coaching "secrets" that Shula had practiced and Blanchard has been teaching for over 30 years, the book alternated synergistic passages from Shula then Blanchard to explore and explain the acronym in theory and practice from the football gridiron to modern business situations, and ultimately to the game of life.

Here's how Shula and Blanchard define and think about the acronym C.O.A.C.H.:

Conviction-Driven: Effective leaders stand for something.

Overlearning: Effective leaders help their teams achieve practice perfection.

Audible-Ready: Effective leaders, and the people and teams they coach, are ready to change their game plan when the situation demands it.

Consistency: Effective leaders are predictable in their response to performance.

Honesty-Based: Effective leaders have high integrity and are clear and straightforward in their interactions with others.

Conviction-Driven: "Someone has said that a river without banks is a puddle. When I apply that saying to human interactions, it reminds me of the job of a coach. Like those river-banks, a good coach provides the direction and concentration for performers' energies, helping channel all their efforts toward a single desired outcome. Without that critical influence, the best achievements of the most talented performers can lack the momentum and drive that make a group of individuals into champions."

Overlearning: "To me a game doesn't end when the clock finally runs out. It ends on Monday, after we've analyzed every play and learned all we cana from it...Failure is successfully finding out what you don't want to repeat...Learning is defined as a change in behavior. You haven't learned a thing until you can take action and use it."

Audible-Ready: "Preparation means everything to me. I'm passionate about my players being ready for anything. Now, part of being ready is being able to shift your game plan at will. I see myself as a battlefield commander who has the guts to make the right moves to win. I want to be prepared with a plan - and then to expect the unexpected and be ready to change this plan. I must preserve the right to change - even to change at the last moment - as circumstances demand...Audibles aren't surprises - just new ways of doing what you already know how to do. Business people need to learn to call audibles, because in today's world, nothing stays the same."

Consistency: "Your team will soon learn what your standards are and perform accordingly. I not only insist on practice perfection, I'm there to see that it takes place. I don't miss practices. I need to be out there smelling out whatever isn't working. Even the slightest deviation from perfection needs to be noticed and corrected on the spot. Correcting and redirecting performance is strategically important - it's where we outstrip the competition. Some coaches will let little things go. Right there is where the difference is made. To me, it's not a matter of how many times we've done it or how late it is or how tired the players are. We'll do it until we get it right. Then we won't deviate from it in the game. I'd rather throw out a play or formation during practice than find out it can't be done correctly in the ball game. We seldom try anything on game day that we haven't been able to perfect in practice. If I'm asking our players to do something they can't do, I want to know about it now."

Honesty-Based: "I have a straight-up approach. I don't know how to go around corners or how to finesse. My players know this and they expect candor from me. Congruence is important to me. What you see with Don Shula is what you get. I don't play games. Effective coaches confront their people, praise them sincerely, redirect or reprimand them without apology, and above all are honest with them. Integrity pays, and integrity means being honest with yourself and others. This is a key ingredient in my coaching philosophy."

In his introduction to the book, Blanchard stated that he is on a search for simple truths to help leaders and managers be their best. With Shula's proven long-term coaching effectiveness as the foundation for this book, Blanchard has found and shared many simple leadership truths and complexities. This book would be a welcome addition to anyone's coaching or leadership collection.

Worthwhile Addition to Management Library
It is tempting to use all sorts of analogies with respect to business. Two of the most obvious are Warfare and Football (sailing is one of my additional favorites). Given that Football is itself metaphorical with respect to War, you can naturally expect to sole-source your analogies.

Coaching is a necessary aspect of personnel management (and one might wonder whether expecting a single manager to be coach, strategist, and resource manager should yield any better results than NFL coaches who have tried to run the whole show). Who better to address this essential aspect of management than a successful professional football coach?

While it's a little bit trite, the "COACH" acronym is actually fairly useful. Unfortunately, in practice, remaining Conviction-driven can be very difficult, particularly in that most managers will not have the luxury of complete buy-in to the corporate vision. Overlearning also seems to be disposed of in the "Fast Company" environment. Just as the salary cap has accelerated the ROI demands in the NFL, managers also have less time to develop and train employees. There's less time for practice when the game is always on. Correspondingly, Audible-Ready (adaptable) is even more critical in this economy. From my (brief) experience, the last two items (Consistency & Honesty) are the most critical with regard to personnel management.

The football stories throughout this book are worthwhile, and interesting just as a history (in the absence of a really good Shula biography). In any case, it's nice to have this book around to pick up now and then for ideas.

GREAT BOOK
This is a must buy for every coaches library. Coach Shula explores all of the areas a coach is confronted with. He gives the reader his philosophy on coaching and relates it to life's teachings.

Excellent use of examples.
Of the 1000's of books written on leadership in the past 100 years, this one presents a very real picture of world we live in. Too many of the books I've read lately give us the magic formulas to follow, some leading us through a veritable mathematical maze to tell us what kind of leader we are. "Principle-Centered Leadership" by Covey and "The Platinum Rule" fall into this category. What Blanchard and Shula have done, and done quite successfully is to integrate theory with actual examples. While I don't agree with everything that Shula has done, I do applaud his efforts. I do absolutely believe in his philosophy of "Lead by example," and the necessity of developing trust. Both Shula and Blanchard emphasize this aspect of leadership as critical. There are too many so-called leaders in the corporate world who do not lead by example. They are quite willing to demand of you what they are unwilling to do themselves. On top of the quality of the reading, the book is very easy to read. I hi ... Read more

Book Description

This book retains the pedagogical strengths that made the previous editions so popular, including the use of real data in the examples. Topics include nonparametric statistics, a section on p-values in hypothetical testing, coverage of residual analysis, and more material on quality control and experiment design. Provides chapter introductions, including interesting historical information ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Outstanding Reference Source for Industrial and Quality Mgrs
A must have for the industrial engineer and quality professional. Montgomery and Hines present an excellent piece that is well organized, comprehensive and stocked full of real world examples. A must have for your reference books and library. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Consulting Drivel
Imagine this: a consultant that sells project management offices writing a book to tell us about how great they are. Kind of like a 1990s stock analyst boasting about how great a telecom company's stock is just after his buddy in the investmant bank did the IPO.

This book is nothing more than a white paper selling PMOs. The findings paint a rosy picture for project managers, but it does not actually approach strategy credibly from a VP's point-of view, let alone that of a CEO (i.e. the people who develop strategies).

Furthermore, this book has no substance nor credible analysis behind its findings. Just because a company puts credence behind its PMO does not make it "strategic," regardless of where it's located in the corporate hierarchy. Strategy is the material of Michael Porter, Clay Christensen, Peter Drucker, Dave Teece, etc., and they're not talking about PMOs. The material presented in the book may be of some interest for rank-and-file project managers, but it's definitely not a book about developing and executing strategy.

The Strategic Project Office - A Guide to Organizational Per
I thought I had a pretty complete library on Project Management and the PMO. However, this is the most authoritive volume I have encountered. There are step by step instructions and direction on establishing a PMO and best practices within that organization. There are also many of the pitfalls and minefields associated with starting this type of office. The chapters are easy to read, and concise. The information is well organized and presented best suited to a mid-level professional involved in PMO or Project Management activities.
I wholeheartedly recomend this to those who have never setup a PMO or best practices organization. Those who have much experience in this fields may be looking for other specialized topics. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What Management Is, by former Harvard Business Review editors Joan Magretta and Nan Stone, identifies management as the driving force behind key innovations of the past century and presents a jargon-free look at the way its core principles work. Designed to promote "managerial literacy" up and down the business food chain, as well as among those who simply "want better communities and a better world for our children," the book uses concrete examples to explain fundamental concepts and practices like value creation, the 80-20 rule, and decision analysis in a way that sheds light on them for the uninitiated while providing needed perspective for the more experienced. "Think of this book as everything you wanted to know about management but were afraid to ask," Magretta and Stone write. A comprehensive exploration of the overall process rather than a traditional how-to, in its first section What Management Is examines why and how people work together; the second section shows how ideas are translated into action. With case studies ranging from Old Economy stalwarts like Ford to New Economy upstarts like Dell, along with pioneering nonprofits such as the Nature Conservancy and India's Aravind Eye Hospital, the authors explicitly lay out the basics along with a framework for employing them in a wide variety of situations. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Big Picture - Clear & Lucid
You are new to the game of management and you want an overview of its elements, read this book. You are an experienced business practitioner and you want to play the game with greater skill and dexterity, read this book. You are an employee, or work in a non-profit organisation and you want to grasp what management entails, please read this book. You are a MONK, and you want to understand this great body of knowledge than man engage in day in and day out, seek out and delve into this book. Once in a while a book comes along that is not a fad and is here to stay and remain a classic, this one fits the bill. Well done to the authors. They have really thought hard to make the ideas simple. Its simply effective! Get it before your competition does.

Valuable concepts for all employees
The big-picture, management concepts discussed in this book impact all employees in every type of organization. After reading and understanding this book, an employee should be able to work smarter, gain insights for how their organization could function more effectively, and enhance their knowledge of the reasoning behind management decisions made in the past.

This book is essentially a summary of the management concepts taught in an MBA program. It is an easy read, and the ideas are so well explained that it is accessible to a wide audience. It is targeted for the general population since many people do not understand or appreciate the function of management and the impact it has. In particular, the application of management concepts in non-profit organizations will be an ever-growing trend over the next several decades.

While the seasoned manager will be knowledgeable of the concepts discussed in this book, it will serve as a handy reference summary, and has a useful list of additional books and articles for each chapter. They may also pick up a few new insights, such as the historical development of different concepts (many management concepts are very recent).

I'll read this book a second time!
This book really delivers: it's a good introduction for new managers, and a great refresher for experienced managers. It provides a superb overview of what is entailed in being a "general manager."

friendly and jargon-free
The book is about the management basics that aren't always obvious. It offers a concise synthesis of important ideas and practices:
- value creation
- business models
- competitive strategy
- the 80-20 rule
- performance metrics
- decision analysis.

With various remarkable examples it shows that the value creation is the managers' chief responsibility in the modern world. It also shows that the managers shouldn't overlook the rest of practices to be successful.

The book is amazingly friendly and jargon-free.

I would also recommend "How to Survive the E-Business Downturn" by Colin Barrow and "Leading the Revolution" by Gary Hamel in addition to this book.

Distillation of good concepts
As I hold a PhD in Organization and Management, all these rules, caveats, and plain common sense are distilled into quite an entertaining read on a long flight or sitting in a airport. Hmmm . . . her first case study with the on-line tracking mechanism sounded like a good idea, but apparently it got canned when it worked too well and cost UPS and FedEx too much money due to their delivery mistakes. So it goes. However, eBay has bought PayPal and they are offering essentially the same deal: If your item paid at an eBay auction whether via bank account or CC (physical merchandise only), is not what was represented or arrives late, you get the transaction revoked, your money is returned, and the seller has to deal with the problem and the buyer is absolved. They charge agout 1% of the value for the insurance. eBay is the best of the best and even though the authors have used big names of corporate America, the lessons learned can be applied to almost any business. Recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Managerial Economics develops simple, practical tools and concepts for business students as well as practicing managers. Presenting the essentials of managerial economics in an accessible style, this book uniquely integrates the discipline to other managerial functions -- including accounting, finance, human resource management, and marketing. Managerial Economics teaches students how to make better business decisions, not how to build models.

Each chapter is centered around a real world business case study and develops this issue's relevant managerial economics principles in a straightforward manner. Examples of the major cases included in the text are: Coca Cola's vertical structure and pricing, Breakeven at the Asian Wall Street Journal, Fujitsu, Texas Instruments, and the DRAM industry, Qwest's 230% excess capacity, Northwest Airlines' pricing strategy, Airbus' organizational architecture, Microsoft vs. AOL in Internet service, and Amazon's vertical integration into warehousing. The discussions are reinforced with numerous supplementary cases, including Echo Bay Mines (Canada) and the Brisbane Concrete Cartel. Each chapter includes fifteen review questions to underscore basic principles, as well as over ten discussion questions to apply and expand upon these principles to recent business problems.

This second edition also emphasizes the economic principles of the "new economy," particularly scalability and network effects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

To Business Leaders: This is the Managerial Economics book
As an undergraduate Economics minor, general manager of a software company, and current MBA candidate, I consider Png's Managerial Economics work an essential addition to any business leader's library - especially anyone required to make key, informed decisions in the presence of scarce resources.

Dr. Png's Managerial Economics is head and shoulders above comparable managerial economics texts due to Png's use of relevant, real-world examples that drive home the course fundamentals. Dr. Png's content combines the science of Economics with the tenets of business strategy, providing the student with the key perspective needed to make intelligent business decisions in today's ever-changing business environment.

Instead of plodding over-explanation or over-simplification like many comparable texts, Dr. Png's work delivers the course concepts with informed clarity. Instead of feeling stupefied or unworthy after reading each chapter of the text, I increasingly gained a sense of knowledge and understanding as I progressed. This is the great difference between Dr. Png's work and the other comparable texts I have used: instead of feeling mystified, I finished the book with a higher degree of workable, usable economic know-how, that I have already incorporated into my every-day decision making

I highly recommend Dr. Png's Managerial Economics (2nd. Ed.) text to any student of business or anyone simply interested in keeping current with cutting-edge economic thought.

Using this text in an undergraduate course.
I have used this book on several times, teaching an undergraduate managerial econ. course with 25-35 students. The overall reaction was good, most students understood the contents and felt that the text concentrated on usable tools, not just abstract economic models. The book may need supplementation for some types of students, something that allows them to do their own empirical or quasi empirical applicatons of some of the tools (e.g., a demand study using Excel).

If you were ask to choose 1 book for your business desk?
Let's say that you are not an economist, you are just a business man as I am, when you are ask about microecomics maybe you can still recall something from the university days... but what if you are ask about a soundly pricing policy? usage of elasticities? cost curves? marginal cost/revenues? Do you still feel comfortable with what you recall from university? Maybe not, like me. If you are wondering about having a single book of microeconomics, this book is the one you are looking for (it is also great for MBAs). ... Read more

Book Description

Around the globe, companies are increasingly turning to Microsoft's Axapta to coordinate vital supply chain activities, whether internally or with key business partners. Managing Your Supply Chain Using Microsoft Axapta provides detailed yet understandable guidelines for implementing Axapta in distribution or manufacturing environments, and for single- or multisite operations. More than 50 in-depth case studies illustrate how Axapta provides invaluable help in e-commerce integration, relationship management, business analytics, and more.

Book Description

Of organizations that seek strategic change, 70% fail. In Leading Strategic Change,now in paperback, leading consultants J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen examine the core problem: organizations fail to change because individuals fail to change. Black and Gregersen identify the "brain barriers" that keep strategic change from success--failure to see, failure to move, and failure to finish--and offer a start-to-finish strategy for helping others change how they view their goals and the steps they must take to achieve them. This book systematically shows you how to implement the single change that makes all the others possible: redirecting individuals' ideas and expectations to be aligned with the new direction of the company.

Reviews (8)

Narrow Focus
Interesting, but the focus on the organization is missing. We should not confuse management development with organization development (or vice versa).

Great book, plus...
This is a great book. I recommend it in addition to "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler.

Black & Gregersen focus on the management development level. Beitler focuses on the organization development level.

They make a great combo!

Charles "Chuck" Lowell

Very good book!
Stewart Black and Hal Gregersen do a great job with this book. I recommend this book to my clients, in addition to my own book.

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

Good book, plus...
This is a very good book. I also recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler.

A must read for anyone trying to create lasting change!
This book is a refreshing new way to look at leading change. It focuses on the real and often overlooked barriers to change and re-draws our maps of the change process. It gets right at the heart of leading people through change by addressing the fundamental barriers people face when confronted with change. Black and Gregersen provide a model that is simple, practical, and rings true. I use it in my organization change work and I highly recommend it. Any leader trying to lead his/her organization into the future will benefit from reading this book! ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes the grounded theory approach for organization and management researchers needing to fully understand the possibilities and challenges of this method. It brings together the broadly dispersed discussions of grounded theory's logic and practices, restoring the grounded theory style of qualitative research for students and teachers of organization and management. This book is particularly useful for graduate students involved in quantitative studies of organizational and managerial life, and for academics teaching research methods courses in management and organization studies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A masterful job of explaining grounded theory
Karen Locke manages, in a little over 100 pages, to simultaneously explain grounded theory, document its roots, show the conditions under which it can be used, and still maintain a critical stance toward it! She includes an extensive discussion of Barry Turner's work on disaster; an account of Glaser & Straus's procedure called 'coding,' unpacks the various varieties of grounded theory (there's not just one!), and shows great familiarity with the French influences on American social science in the past several decades.

Although she doesn't say it, her discussion implies that grounded theory is best learned from a mentor, when a novice is in an apprentice's role. My impression from some purported 'grounded theory' papers I've read in the past few years is that some junior scholars invoke it as a way of avoiding the hard work of doing what Glaser & Straus (& their followers) showed is really required to achieve a scholarly product. Some young scholars I've spoken with see it as a short cut, rather than as a serious & rigorous method in its own right. Locke does a great job of indicating how time consuming serious grounded theory work can be.

This is a great book for people just starting to think about doing grounded theory building. ... Read more

Book Description

Developments in IT and e-commerce, large-scale mergers and acquisitions, andincreased outsourcing all suggest that operational risk exposures are substantialand growing. In recent years, bankers and financial professions have recognizedthe crucial and growing importance of operational risk management, and thefield is currently undergoing a surge of innovation and development. In thisauthoritative, up-to-date book, Operational Risk, leading operational riskmanagement expert Carol Alexander brings together contributions from theworld's leading experts to identify today's best practices for measuring andmanaging operational risks, and assessing them in the broader context of allrisk. ... Read more

Book Description

Measuring human behavior in the workplace has long been a difficult task.Converting human behavior measures into dollars has generally been limited to rare and specialized studies.In this book best-selling author Dennis Kravetz shows how anyone, by gathering easily available information, can set up metrics to measure human capital.Once established, these metrics enable individuals to calculate the dollar value of planned or completed people management changes.

Measuring Human Capital is loaded with case studies that document the amount of money that can be gained by improving people management practices.Readers can see the dollar value, for example, of management coaching, reducing bureaucracy, and implementing better selection procedures.The dollars quickly get into the millions.

In this book readers are provided with easy-to-use equations that enable them to calculate the dollar value of any human capital changes that they care to assess.Dennis Kravetz presents studies done with 600+ organizations showing that many billions of dollars are waiting for the those organizations who manage people effectively.

Measuring Human Capital melds together the best of behavioral science, finance, and business pragmatics to show how to measure human capital in the workplace.This book tackles the "holy grail" of human capital measurement, converting workplace behavior into dollars.Readers are shown the limitations of current measurement programs, how to set up highly effective new metrics that are updated through performance appraisals and employee surveys, and how to turn changes on those metrics into dollars gained (or lost).Every manager, executive, human resources professional, training professional, consultant and student of human behavior or business will want to buy this book to see how they can implement breakthrough measurement practices. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terrific new work
Every once in a while a book comes along that really impresses you and influence. Measuring Human Capital is just such a book. I really liked the science that the author brings to a warm and fuzzy area--measuring humans in the workplace. I never realized what can be done--imagine being able to use equations to see the exact dollar value of changing bureaucracy or having a more competent workforce. Even better yet the equations require only basic math to solve. Anyone can gather the data and easily do the calculations.

Most of the books that I have seen on human capital require that specialized studies be done to come up with any numbers. Or they apply only to evaluating training courses or other limited applications. Not Kravetz and this book. He shows you how you can set up metrics to be used for a determing the dollar value of many human capital issues--training, selection, management style, culture, just to name a few. And you can update the metrics every time you do a performance appraisal or an employee survey.

What I particularly like about this book are the case studies. They are from real corporations and are very easy to follow. At my company we are very rapidly moving ahead to apply the key metrics that are mentioned in this book. And we have managers from many disciplines (engineering, R&D, finance) who are using the metrics and loving it. They are saying only wonderful things about the metrics and the equations for calculating the dollar value of human performance. I never thought I would here these people say such words but they see how many dollars are at stake and are going for it.

The book is strong throughout, as I should have known from Kravetz' other writings. You can skip over some of the sections on developing the metrics if you just want to use the equations, however I would recommend reading this material because all users should be familiar with it. As the author points out, you have to develop the metrics only once but they must be done in a certain way to calculate the dollar value of human performance. You need to read these chapters to understand how to set up the metrics.

Kravetz is right--there is a gold mine underneath the board room table that senior managers are not using. If only we could get all managers to read this book and implement. They would see that there are millions of dollars to be made from better people management activities. This is a great book that is destined to be read and used by many people. ... Read more

Book Description

If you work in a business, a nonprofit organization, or for the government, chances are you’ve considered getting a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree. If you want to get ahead in your organization or just do a better job, obtaining an MBA is one of the best ways to do just that. But is it the degree that makes a difference, or is there something else at work here? Although that piece of paper with your name and the words “Masters of Business Administration” mean a lot, what’s even more important are the things that you learn during the course of your MBA studies.

The Complete MBA for Dummies is full of useful information, tips, and checklists that you can use to lead, manage, or participate— at a high level of competence —in any business. And if you already have your MBA, you’ll find that this book is a handy refresher and reference that can be used wherever you go.

Written in a fun, easy-to-access format, The Complete MBA for Dummi es presents and explains the very same information that you would encounter in a typical MBA program in any high-quality business school today. Whether it’s strategic planning, management, accounting, finance, marketing, negotiation, or any other core MBA topic, you’ll find it here. For a fraction of the amount you would pay to get your MBA, this book provides you with an easily understandable road map to today’s most innovative and effective business techniques and strategies, including how to:

• Motivate employees and build great teams
• Understand financial fundamentals
• Create effective marketing plans
• Come out ahead in negotiations
• Examine management trends
• Make the Internet work for you
• Apply effective risk management techniques in business

Reviews (8)

SmallBizBargains.com gives it a moderate thumbs up.
As mentioned in other reviews, this is not the reference that will substitute for doing an MBA program. However, for those of us that need a quick reference to a variety of topics, this book fits the bill. We at SmallBizBargains.com often refer to it when giving simple advice for basic business issues. It definitely covers a broad range of topics - from Accounting and Finance to Marketing, and even Negotiation Skills. Again, not for the advanced academic, but a good resource for a lot of basic information.

Does not cover basic cocepts from an MBA program
I have an MBA and I was looking for a basic reference book that would cover some of the information that I had learned. This book does not cover two of the most basic concepts that every student learns during their MBA program: NPV & IRR (net present value and internal rate of return)

I recommend "the complete idiot's guide to MBA basics." That book covers more of the calculations that one learns during an MBA program.

Another thing to note: the above-mentioned books should only be used as a quick reference book. If you really need to understand a concept, then you need to find a subject matter book for that topic. For example, there is no way to truly understand the 5 p's of marketing by reading 3 to 5 pages. You need to grab a marketing textbook and read couple of chapters that cover the 5 p's of marketing. Then, you can use "idiots" or "dummies" books as a reference guide.

Great business resource - One of the best!
I suspect that trying to jam everything you ever wanted to know about business but were afraid to ask is a difficult task, even when you've been given 400 or so pages to complete your task. One thing I know for sure, the authors of The Complete MBA for Dummies have done a far better job completing this task than any other business book I've ever read (and I've read a LOT of business books!). Kathleen Allen and Peter Economy really know their stuff, and it shows loud and clear on every page of this extremely well-written and comprehensive book. While the tone is humorous (fun, actually), it never veers onto the thin ice of sillyness that plagues other books of this type.

If it's covered in a typical MBA program, you'll find the topic you're looking for here: dealing with change, information technology, global business, strategic planning, management, leadership, motivating employees, recruiting and retaining high quality employees, building teams, accounting, finance, marketing, negotiation and much, much more. Lots more interesting (and up to date) than any textbook you'd ever buy in an MBA program, and far less cost. This book packs a heck of a bang for the 16 or 17 bucks you'll pay to buy it.

Highly recommended.

Agree with other about being over-rated
I find that there are some good points to be made within the book, but the overall rating is only about a 3.5 (I gave them the benefit of doubt with the 4 stars)

The only truly good information came in at the sales and marketing, but I have yet to see the idea of the customer is the boss in any business course (I have three degrees in business related fields). And I have never seen any manager or executive with this philosophy. Even here in the book I think they could have done this simple idea more justice.

I also have to say that I have read about 20 of the "For Dummies" books, and this one is in the bottom few for quality.

Does not Live Up to the 5-STAR Rating
This Book is overly rated with 5 stars. So far, I have read the 10-day MBA, this book and the Idiot equivalent. I read these introductory books because of my job and before going into more advance books. I have found this book less useful than the ten-day MBA and the Idiot equivalent. Moreover, I believed that some of the chapters are long-winded. I will only give it 3 stars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anyone who has sat through a psychology course has seen Abraham H. Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a pyramid capped by the highest human need of all, the need for, what Maslow famously termed, self-actualization. Since his death in 1970, Maslow's voluminous writings have made him one of the most influential thinkers in counseling psychology. He is a revered father figure to the human potential movement. But few know him as a brilliantly insightful analyst of how to lead people and make organizations more productive. Maslow on Management should change that.

In 1962, Maslow spent the summer at an electronics factory that was one of the first to try giving workers a say in organizing production. He watched and kept a journal, later published under the intimidating title Eupsychian Management. The book, which had been long out of print, has been republished with extensive commentaries as Maslow on Management.

Some of Maslow on Management is, as Warren Bennis writes in the foreword, "hilariously innocent." Reflecting on the power of well-managed workplaces to unleash creativity, Maslow suggests that the U.S. economy would benefit "if we kept all the factories running at full blast and simply gave things away." Yet his deeper point--that good management leads to good psychological health--is startlingly advanced for 1962, when the business world was still widely thought of as nurturing nothing more than soulless conformity. He was surprisingly prescient, too, in warning that participatory management taken to excess becomes sloppy and weak. While encouraging open communication, an effective leader "should have the power and the ability to keep his mouth shut," Maslow writes. He advises that gentle, permissive management is fine if workers share democratic values, but if not, "break their backs immediately."

Full of rambling, half-finished thoughts and provocative speculations, Maslow on Management is no nine-step plan for building winning work teams. But anyone seriously interested in understanding management will find the book useful as a fascinating reflection of a brilliant mind thinking deeply about the nature and purpose of work. --Barry Mitzman ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A TRUE CLASSIC, AS RELEVANT AS EVER
One of the world's most renowned experts on human behaviour and motivation, Abraham Maslow is most famous for his perspectives on the "hierarchy of human needs" and self-actualization. This book updates the original edition published in 1963, entitled Eupsychian Management. It demonstrates how even today Maslow's seminal concepts of human behaviour are still playing out in the business world. This book offers new generations of managers insights into Maslow's influential theories which have emerged in modern business, approaches such as continuous improvement, enlightened management, Theory X, and empowerment. Maslow's work has powerfully affected managerial theory, organizational development, education, health care, and science as well as psychology.

A true classic, Maslow on Management is still as important as when it first appeared and thus essential reading for all managers.

The late Abraham Maslow is the most widely known expert on human behaviour and motivation. He is often referred to as the father of humanistic psychology, a body of knowledge and theories separate from the behaviorist and Freudian movements. His books are acknowledged as standards in psychology literature worldwide.

Deborah C. Stephens and Gary Heil are co-founders of The Center of Innovative Leadership. Deborah Stephens is an author, educator, and management consultant in the areas of customer service, leadership, and organizational development. She is co-author of One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time with Gary Heil.

Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan is currently Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management.

A TRUE CLASSIC, AS RELEVANT AS EVER¿
One of the world's most renowned experts on human behaviour and motivation, Abraham Maslow is most famous for his perspectives on the "hierarchy of human needs" and self-actualization. This book updates the original edition published in 1963, entitled Eupsychian Management. It demonstrates how even today Maslow's seminal concepts of human behaviour are still playing out in the business world. This book offers new generations of managers insights into Maslow's influential theories which have emerged in modern business, approaches such as continuous improvement, enlightened management, Theory X, and empowerment. Maslow's work has powerfully affected managerial theory, organizational development, education, health care, and science as well as psychology.

A true classic, Maslow on Management is still as important as when it first appeared and thus essential reading for all managers.

The late Abraham Maslow is the most widely known expert on human behaviour and motivation. He is often referred to as the father of humanistic psychology, a body of knowledge and theories separate from the behaviorist and Freudian movements. His books are acknowledged as standards in psychology literature worldwide.

Deborah C. Stephens and Gary Heil are co-founders of The Center of Innovative Leadership. Deborah Stephens is an author, educator, and management consultant in the areas of customer service, leadership, and organizational development. She is co-author of One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time with Gary Heil.

Insights lost in Maslow's ramblings.
Without the commentary, you would be hard pressed to pick out Maslow's insights in this stream-of-conscience puffery.

To save you the cost of this book, his main thesis is "A musician must make music, and an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization...
It refers to a man's desire for self-fulfillment, namely to the tendency for him to become in actuality what he is potentially:
to become everything that one is capable of becoming"

Maslows version of management makes sense!
Anyone whom has taken a psychology course in college has come across Maslow and his hierarchy of needs, i.e., a groundbreaking form of psychology, which puts the individuals, needs in focus. This book, i.e., Maslow on Management by Abraham Harold Maslow, et al take this ingenious, fascinating and brilliant concept and applies it to the business world; and to my surprise (this idea, concept and theory that was created by a psychologist) actually works and makes perfect sense, e.g., a person will be more dedicated, diligent and hardworking if they, i.e., the person in question whom performs, executes and carries out the task, will do this in a better manner if they find the job to meaningful, fulfilling and ultimately satisfying. Overall, I would have to conclude and finish this review by stating the following; today's managers that have not heard or paid close attention to the theories created by Malsow should read, study and educate themselves by buying this book, i.e., Maslow on Management by Abraham Harold Maslow, et al; since it will lead to a better working, performing and a company filled with happier and more content workers.

Great
This is a very accessible book of brilliant ideas about management, and human nature in general. U. S. Grant once said, "the best man for the job doesn't go after the job, he waits to be called." This book affirms what I've long thought, that people like Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon, who were desperate to be president, so that they lied and cheated, etc., to get that power, are the LAST people who SHOULD be President (or CEO or whatever). Those who WANT the power are psychologically sick in some way. And Clinton and Nixon should have both gone to prison. They both broke the law. Psychopaths LOVE having power, and both Nixon and Clinton displayed strong psychopathic characteristics. This book gives one some faith in human nature because it shows that the best way to motivate humans is to NURTURE them and give them FREEDOM. That if allowed, they will be GOOD and PRODUCTIVE. There is a worthwhile insight on almost every page of this book. And Maslow had an IQ of 195. So he was no idiot. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent corporate scandals have brought attention to business ethics, yet there are few books available that cover an important aspect of this topic. In this timely study of organizational ethics and stakeholder theory — which holds that business is beholden not only to shareholders but also to customers, employees, suppliers, management, and the community — Robert Phillips challenges the idea that the theory has no "moral underpinnings" and suggests useful ways to define which groups are or are not legitimate stakeholders. This study is based on the work of John Rawls, the most widely cited moral and political philosopher of the 20th century. ... Read more