Reviews (1)

A must for police leaders
This book is a great tool for police leaders to use in the development of their skills. EVryone should have one on their office bookshelf. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

As the title says! - & excellent non-option context chapters
Having read a large number of stocks and trading psychology books and trading stocks/CFDs and moving on to Options I bought and read this and Michael Thomsetts 'Getting started in Options' book. Choose this one. Its an easy read style, clear text and graphs and makes it all understandable. As a bonus, the best thing is for new traders are the excellent chapters on Psychology and Technical Analysis which could stand alone as mini-guide on these subjects.(Intermediate/advanced traders could skip them but they are a useful reminder). There are a couple of references to his software but that is fine (in fact while this is a book review I have also benefitted from his course and using the software). At the end is also a good 'Putting it all together' section to actually DO the option trading as well as a useful strategy summary. I am now successfully trading options, initiated to a large to degree by this book.

Best book to start in options trading!
I read dozens books about options. I only came across four, which have a real practical value about real options trading. This one - "Options made easy" - the first one. It's a very good introduction to option theory and practical approach of trading. Three others - "Options Workbook" by Tony Saliba, "Volatility" by Natenberg and "Options: Perceptions and Deceptions" by Cottle. All other books so far - theoretical garbage by people who want to make money by only selling books and useless services, but not trading options!

The Definitive Options Book
Having decided to trade options I read every book available on the subject and viewed a number of videos. When I finally caught up with Guy Cohen's's book I thought I do not need another book on this subject, wrong. I quickly realised that the title "options made Easy" was correct it was by far the easiest book to understand the different strategies available with the potential risks & rewards of each trade, His trading symbols are unique.

When I sent a query to Guy's website I was astonished to get an answer in hours, very impressive.

If you want a thorough grounding in options in an easy to understand format I thoroughly recommend this book

The best book about options!
This is the best book I've read about options. It explains an EASY way to understanding the concepts of options, strategies, technical analysis and trading psychology, as the title says. It also explains the particular risk profile charts for every options strategy the book teaches. It guides you on about what criteria to use when screening stocks for particular options strategies. The technical analysis section offers an in depth and EASY way to spot chart patterns and gives you information on other indicators to monitor that can confirm the patterns. Everything in the book is explained clearly and understandably and at the end of each chapter there is a summary. Most importantly it talks about the investor psychology, which I think is the most important part of the equation. The best knowledge won't help if you don't have the right mind setting. Buy this book first, and then buy the other books you are considering about options.

The best book I've read about options
This is the best book I've read about options. It explains an EASY way to understanding the concepts of options, strategies, technical analysis and trading psychology, as the title says. It also explains the particular risk profile charts for every options strategy the book teaches. It guides you on about what criteria to use when screening stocks for particular options strategies. The technical analysis section offers an in depth and EASY way to spot chart patterns and gives you information on other indicators to monitor that can confirm the patterns. Everything in the book is explained clearly and understandably and at the end of each chapter there is a summary. Most importantly it talks about the investor psychology, which I think is the most important part of the equation. The best knowledge won't help if you don't have the right mind setting. Buy this book first, and then buy the other books you are considering about options. ... Read more

Book Description

Lively and clearly written, this comprehensive and innovative work provides a multi-disciplinary and contemporary introduction to organization theory. Offering an even-handed, balanced appreciation of different perspectives, its approach is pluralist, reflecting the diverse nature of organizational theory as a field of study influenced by thinkers from a variety of disciplines. Readers are encouraged to `adopt' these perspectives to expand their own views on the subject and to enhance their understanding. This book also introduces the multi-perspective approach, explores the ways in which organizations are analyzed, and covers topics of central importance in organizational theory, including decision-making, power, conflict, control, and change within organizations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Doctoral research material
Hatch writes in a consise and informative manner. It is not the type of writing that you wonder what you just read. Her writing holds the reader's interest by keeping her style uncomplicated in word and thought. The breath of orgainzational information is outstanding and the depth of each topic seems to be at a level to keep you reading but not overloaded and bored. Highly recommended for org research.

How to look at organizations?
The book is an academic level state-of-the-art of organization theory. Definitely the best contemporary book in the field - suitable for all the students, but also for academics and practitioners. It covers both historical and current issues. Though pretty comprehesive, still comprehendable. In lay man language Hatch writes about most difficult issues of organization theory - structure, environment, culture, etc. are all covered, usually with some alternative perspectives (e.g. 'organizational culture' is described also from postmodern and symbolic perspectives, current books and papers are referred etc.).

Very interesting, i have learned a lot!
Very interesting, i have learned a lot

Excellent!
This is a wonderful textbook and much more than a textboo ... Read more

Reviews (1)

90's Update to a Classic Procedure
Freund & Wilson have taken a classical statistical procedure and breathed new life into it. Covering the basics at an understandable level, the text covers all current and traditional topic areas. From Multipe Regression to PCA regression with a tinge of Ridge Regression. Traditional trouble areas are adequately dealt with. The novice reader will have no trouble in getting up to speed and not have any of the formula hemmoraging normally associated with MRA. For you mathematicians take a break and go do a derivative elsewhere. A Dummies book for the rest of us. 5 stars and 6 bottles of beer for this one. Good job fellas! ... Read more

Book Description

Hailed by Time magazine as the "leading evangelist of quality," Philip Crosby has emerged as one of the century's greatest management thinkers. Now, in this autobiography, the person most responsible for the quality revolution in American business shares the ideas and insights he's gathered over the course of an eventful, forty-year career. A talented storyteller, Crosby recounts his years as vice president of ITT, his working relationship with the legAndary Harold Geneen, and the launch--and re-launch--of his own consulting practice. Quality and Me is an intimate, informative portrait of the man who changed the way quality management is practiced today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another entertaining and educational book from Phil Crosby
Philip Crosby uses his life story to entertain and educate the reader.His "lessons learned" throughout the book are simple, practical and should be paid attention to.I enjoyed 'Quality & Me'very muchas well as learning valuable lessons to assist my own evolving life. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces readers to a wide range of knowledge management (KM) tools, techniques and terminology for enhancing innovation, communication and dedication among individuals and workgroups. The focus is on real-world business examples using commonly available technologies.
The book is set out in a clear and straightforward way, with definitions highlighted, brief case studies included that illustrate key points, dialogue sections that probe for practical applications, and written exercises. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions, review questions, and a vocabulary review. An Online Instructor's Guide is available.

* Easy to read, user-friendly introduction to knowledge management
* Full of practical applications for business professionals
* An Online Instructor's Guide is available, with power point slides, case studies, exercises and review questions ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Book!
This book was my first introduction to Knowledge Management. Truthfully, I could not be more pleased! I'm a Director of Sales for a leading insurance company and am responsible for 250 offices across the Northeast U.S. Our organization has struggled for many years with the very issues addressed in this text and I found the insight gained to be invaluable.

It is easy to see that the authors, Groff and Jones, are experienced management professionals. They adeptly and expertly framed the content in an enjoyable and easy to understand manner that is directly applicable in multiple business scenarios. In fact, I utilized several of concepts from the text in developing our annual business plan. Through these initiatives, we expect to improve efficiency and overall productivity resulting in increased profitability for the business unit.

Without a doubt, this text is a tool that will assist my organization in maximizing results in today's quickly changing business environment.

understandable and valuable
KM in Business is written in such a manner that it is understandable for even a computer novice such as myself. The applications for small Mom & Pop operations as well as large firms makes it a must have for any business owner. It deserves a place in business classes at college or high school. As an owner of two retail businesses, I find it invaluable.

Knowledge Management Textbook Suitable for Business Studies
This is a Knowledge Management Book that covers the foundational components of KM and is laid out in a textbook format. This is a real find for any instructor wishing to add Knowledge Management discussion to an existing business course, or is looking for a text for a KM course. I believe this book would fill either role, and at 29.95 using it as a supplemental text is not unreasonable. Another plus for this book is the instructor's guide that is available from the publisher.

As someone that has taught in the college and business environments, I believe this book is a strong resource for both. I've also searched the web for this title and found that Connecticut Southern State University has adopted this book for a Library Sciences course.

Finally! A textbook for teaching basic KM.
Ideal for untroducing the principles of Knowledge Management to college students or for corporate KM training programs. Complex concepts like systems thinking, attention management, trust building and social networking are explored in the practical context of real world business issues.

A logically organized and easy to read gateway to the exciting new business concept sweeping the nation! ... Read more

Book Description

The Fourth Edition offers a comprehensive treatment of theentire subject of personnel law that reflects the author's personal experienceas both a practicing lawyer and personnel director. Written in simple languagethat bridges the gap between law and human relations management, the newedition explores the legal considerations that occur when an employer-employeerelationship is established, and focuses on permissible activities in handlingpersonnel problems, when to seek legal counsel, and how to stay out of court. Offers new case law where the legal principles havebeen changed by the courts. Covers all the new statutes. Continues to findan economical way for the Epersonnel function to live with its lawpartner,<70> whose principles are laid down by legislation and interpretedby the courts.An excellent resource for those in the personnel/human resources field. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

do NOT use this as a textbook
The very first sentence of the Prologue of this book contains a grammatical error (it should be "principles," not "principals") and I am sorry to say that things don't get much better. I purchased this book as a text for an Employment Law class and it was terrible; I quit using it halfway through the course and recommended the instructor find another text. The author seems to think he's the most credible person in the world but, as someone who is also a human resources practitioner, I can assert from experience that many of his opinions (several of which are presented as "facts") are wrong. He clearly doesn't even understand what the field of human resources IS, and in many cases I found his tone very offensive.

In addition to using more current information, Sovereign would be well-advised to better consider his audience and to research the field of human resources in general. I would suggest he start with professional organizations such as SHRM or ASTD; the advice and information on their web sites is far superior to anything in this text.

Hodgepodge of mismatched topics
Sovereign seems to skip around often in a half-hearted effort at being comprehensive. The cases are not very recent, despite the publication date, and the book has a definite lack of flow. It is almost as if the author threw together several mismatched segments and forgot to edit it for comprehension and cohesiveness.

Adequate on the law; suffers from poor editing
I have to use this book as the text for a class I teach in Employment Law (i.e., non-collective-bargaining law) to students matriculating to a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources. The text adequately surveys the law, but suffers from terrible proofing and editing; it also needs an update, because the 1994 edition obviously was not written any later than early 1993, based on the omission of certain important U.S. Supreme Court cases from 1994 and since. The book also suffers from an extremely strong pro-management tone; a more balanced approach would serve the untutored reader better. There are better books, such as the ABA Guide, which I commend to potential readers of this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Rather than present decision making strictly as a quantitative science, this text views it as a multidimensional process involving values, psychology, sociology, social psychology, and politics. Using a process model—a focus on the process of a decision rather than the outcome—the book presents a variety of perspectives useful for making and evaluating decisions in all kinds of organizations.

Reviews (3)

A good overview of decision theory
I purchased this book to help me finish an project for my MBA. It has been extremely helpful in providing a clear synopsis of current research on decision theory. It is well-written and covers both quantitative and qualitative models.

The best part of the book are the case studies in the final chapters that cover The Cuban Missle Crisis, the Chrysler bailout, and EuroDisney. These are excellent applications and make the theory understandable.

One failing of this book has been that it does not go into game theory methods. It simply lumps them into quantitative methods and dismisses them as overly simplistic. I think that some treatment is necessary since they are such a buzz-word in the business world.

A Winner for Those Interested In Decision Making
I teach a decision making course for undergraduates. After searching numerious books for my class, I came across The Managerial Decision Making Process. While other books outlined the various models used in decision making, this was the only book that detailed the human considerations we bring to the process. Regardless of the decision making model we use, there are underlying behaviors we must be aware of if we are to make quality decisions. Harrison effectively presents numerous aspects of the process including input from the fields of psychology and sociology and the impact of political power.

This was the most comprehensive and thought provoking book on decision making I have read. Of the three books assigned to this course, this is the one students preferred.

No library should be without it.......
Harrison has, undoubtedly, the definitive collection of theory, philosophy, and case examples around this most simple and difficult of tasks -- the decision, and does so in a scholarly and yet no-nonsense way. It is a book which certainly no business library should be without ... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Superb Text About Organizational Theory & Design
Amongst several Organizational Theory textbooks, this book stands unique. It is very comprehensive, profound, and detailed while being simple, exciting, highly organized, and not wordy. The language of the book is conversational and it helps you "digest" the theoritical concept very quickly depending on a wonderful set of examples and real-life profiles. This text was definitely helpful to me in develpoing a very clear understanding of organizational design, stucture and culture through an excellent coverage of up-to-date topics and well-refined treatment of textual presentation. I advise every management reader to enrich his/her personal business library by acquiring this book. It is really awesome!

Very Comprehensive Treatment of Org Theory/Design
I teach an undergraduate class in "Organizations & Technology" at the University of Phoenix (Southern California campuses) and we use the Garth R. Jones book as our textbook. I have found the book to be so comprehensive and well-organized that I am able to link the organization and content of my lectures directly to the textbook. I find that I cannot do this with many textbooks.

I am most anxious to obtain the "instructor's version" of the text and the accompanying videotapes. (These are mentioned in the preface.)

A Good Review of Organizational Theory
Jones' text on organizational theory provides the casual reader with a good review of the main currents of thought on that subject. The layout of the material helps readers identify key points easily.

This reader found the surprising number of grammar errors, particularly split infinitives, distracting.

This is a question!
Does anyone know if this book was co-written with Rob Goffy ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Book Description

How do firms like Hewlett-Packard, DuPont, Dow Chemical, IBM, and Texas Instruments routinely convert the ideas of their employees into profits that sustain the corporation?

How can buyers and sellers calculate the assets of the acquired firm in a merger or acquisition?

How can an organization affect the firm's stock price using the leverage of intellectual assets?

Identifying a firm's assets, especially its intellectual assets-the proprietary knowledge expressed as a recipe, formula, trade secret, invention, program, or process-has become critical to a company's overall vision and strategic plan and essential in such transactions as stock offerings or mergers. In the era of the knowledge-based company, where the firm's genius and future lies in its ideas, a firm's collective know-how has become a measurable commodity-and as much a part of its bottom line as the condition of its cash investments, plant, and equipment. Extracting and measuring the real value of knowledge is essential for any corporate head who knows how high the stakes have become for corporate survival in the information age-where the innovative idea is as good as, if not better than, gold! Value-Driven Intellectual Capital is a corporate and financial executives' handbook to the new world of intangible assets-what they are and how to convert them into cash or strategic position. Written by one of the seminal thinkers in the field, and the key organizer of the ICM Gathering, a group of leading-edge knowledge-based companies, Value-Driven Intellectual Capital explains the new, boundary-expanding world of intellectual assets-where translating an innovative idea into bottom-line profits involves a tightly focused strategy with clear directives for making it happen. A blueprint for turning corporate knowledge, know-how, and intellectual property into a sustainable competitive weapon that will build a firm's reputation and market share, this practical, insightful book outlines:
* Basic concepts underlying IC (intellectual capital) and corporate value creation
* The linkage between IC, business strategy, and profits
* The different kinds of value-including qualitative and quantitative -firms realize from their IC
* Activities required to produce the value firms desire from their IC
* Methods for calculating the dollar value of companies-for market capitalization and mergers or acquisitions
* An economic model of an IC company

The book's appendix is a valuable distillation for corporate and financial executives, managers, researchers, and analysts of IC's basic working concepts and definitions, including the principles underlying value creation and value extraction, the concepts and strategies used by successful companies, the sources of value for knowledge companies, and the mechanisms used to convert that value into real profits. And since it is managerial talent that turns intellectual property into business assets, the book provides an arsenal of key concepts, methods, and processes for aligning with and using intellectual property as an active element of a firm's business strategies. It concludes with a discussion of how value is extracted from human capital, focusing on its elusive magnetic core: creativity and productivity. In an era in which firms are increasingly accountable to shareholders and success is judged solely by stock price, knowing how to measure and extract the value of a firm's intellectual assets has become one of the most critical and essential skills needed by CEOs today. Reflecting the most innovative thinking from some of the most sophisticated firms in the world, Sullivan's Value-Driven Intellectual Capital is a manifesto, a clarion call to excellence for any corporate or financial executive, merger and acquisition partner or investor who understands how much future corporate survival and success depends on the simple enduring genius of a good idea and the need to convert those ideas into corporate value.

Visit our Web site at: www.wiley.com/ ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An Excellent Teaching Tool within the Corporate Setting
An important story to tell. Pat's new book is both an eye catcher and recipe for success. "Value Driven" takes the subject matter out the hypothetical and moves it into the real world where the bottom line counts. This is definitely suggested reading for any business manager charged with the responsibility extracting maximum value from the firms intellectual assets or more broadly, intellectual capital.

Written in a down-to-earth fashion, this is the first book of its kind to outline a roll-up-the-sleeves systematic approach to choosing the best options to leverage the firm's intangibles. Dr. Sullivan draws from his own experience as a leading consultant on the subject as well as that of companies who are recognized leaders in intellectual asset management.

As a practitioner, I will use this book within my own firm to help guide our business leaders as they wrestle with how to better manage their IA portfolios in order to achieve maximum shareholder value. A daunting task viewed by many, managing intangibles is made workable, providing a disciplined and systematic approach is adopted as Sullivan describes in his book.

Outstanding and thought provoking
I found this book to be extremely valuable in thinking about intangible assets in a new light. The use of charts and diagrams was especially helpful for me to grasp the value extraction concepts. This book will be valuable for anyone trying to realize value from the intellectual capital within their organization.

Non-Quantitiative & of Limited Value
For individuals actually interested in quantitative measurements of intellectual property value, this book is largely a waste of time. The text is full of a lot of business school "value creation" idealism and has little practical value in my opinion. Indeed, for those really interested in valuing intellectual property and intangible assets, see the associated book by Gordon V. Smith and Russell L. Parr. This text has everything you are looking for and this book is unnecessary.

Good quick Introduction
This book has its good points and its bad points. The good thing is that it is very well written, concise and easy to read. It brings important points to light and is a good start at dealing with a large complex issue. The bad aspect is that the book tends to rely on the experience of the author in developing the models that are at the heart of the book, rather on validated and tested truths.

A good place to start....

An invaluable introduction to IC Management
"In 1999, CEO Magazine and Arthur Andersen hosted a roundtable luncheon for CEOs interested in discussing intellectual capital (IC) and its impact on the firm as we know it. The luncheon drew 17 CEOs representing both manufacturing and service industry companies. All were intrigued by the potential hidden value that the intellectual capital perspective suggests lies untapped within their businesses, but none knew what kinds of value they could obtain from their company's intangible assets or how they might go about it. They just knew that there was hidden value in their companies and that it was somehow wrapped up in the thoughts, skills, innovations, and abilities of their employees. They wanted to learn more about this value: how to harness it, direct it, and extract value from it. This book is written for those CEOs and for anyone else who wants to know how to extract the hidden value that resides within the firm's intellectual capital. As of this writing dozens of firms actively engage in extracting value from their IC. The people directing the activities for these firms have formed a community (called the ICM Gathering) to share their ideas and success stories. With the expectation of a very few proprietary bits of information that could be useful to competitors, these firms are willing to share their knowledge, and this book draws heavily on their experiences. The purpose of this book is to help businesses profit from one of their most important assets, their intellectual capital" (from the Introduction pp.3-4).

In this context, Patrick H. Sullivan divides his book into three major parts as follows:

I. The Relationship Between Intellectual Capital and Corporate Value (Chapters 1-4). In this part, he basically:

* defines and discusses intellectual capital and its importance, and outlines some of the basic concepts underlying corporate value.

* describes a three-dimensional IC framework that reveals the IC aspect of the firm, and outlines the four key elements of the IC framework.

* discusses the kinds of value that intellectual capital provides to the firm, including direct and indirect, offensive and defensive, and internal and external value.

* discusses the ways managers may determine which activities are required to produce the firm's anticipated IC value.

II. Valuing Knowledge Companies (Chapters 5-7). In this part, he basically:

* discusses the concepts that underlie determining the amount of value that intellectual capital has for an organization.

* discusses the quantitative value of knowledge companies in two different kinds of situations: the value as a going concern (the stock market value), and the value in a merger or acquisition scenario.

* discusses the following questions: When determining how much to pay for a knowledge company being acquired, how does the potential purchaser make the calculation? Is the frame of reference an accounting or financial one? Or is it an intellectual capital one?

III. Managing Intellectual Capital (Chapters 8-12). In this part, he basically:

* describes the key elements involved in extracting value from intellectual property, including key decisions and decision-making processes, including who is involved, what information is needed by the decision-makers, what work processes are necessary to provide this information, what databases are needed to store the information, and how each decision will be implemented.

* discusses the similarities and the differences between intellectual property and intellectual asset and the implications this has for the intellectual capital management process.

* describes the relationship between knowledge, knowledge types, and intellectual capital, and introduces the relationship between knowledge and profits, the concept of value creation and value extraction.

* discusses management of the firm's core human capital and how they may be best employed.

* identifies the steps required of companies that want to implement and intellectual capital management capability.

In addition to these three parts, to reinforce the reader's knowledge, he discusses basic intelectual capital management (ICM) concepts and definitions, and provides a brief overview of the evolution of ICM as a working discipline in the appendix.

I highly recommend this invaluable study to all executives and HR practitioners. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great distilled thinking, well reasoned with many examples.
Knowledge Focus Managers in some of the fastest growing and most proftable businesses focus on knowledge, see theie business from a knowledge perspective, and act as if there intangible assets are real. (p x) So many companies have intangibles exceeding the value of their tangible assets, eg Telstra 90% intangible. This can be tracked by the share price v book value. But what of the businesses that do not have a share price eg private businesses, public sector organisations etc. Intangible Assets Sveiby identifies three major classes of intangible assets:Employee competence, Internal structures, whereby competence may be transferred from employee to employee, and External structure, including goodwill, relationships with customers. Sveiby considers the management of the intangible assets critical in managing the business, where the intangible assets are significant. He suggests using indicators of movement over time, rather than absolute values of the intangibles. Suggested indicators are classified into three types:I ndicators of growth/renewal;Indicators of efficiency;Indicators of stability. Measurement of employee performance is split between the professionals (eg doctors, engineers, accountants), and the support staff. There is a continual blurring of this distinction. The real difference is the professionals are revenue generators, and the support staff are not. But the support staff do contribute significantly to the creation of value in the business through their impact on internal and external structures. Suggested indicators are provided for each type of intangible and for each indicator. To many to list. Read it and see. A few to tease you with: %big customers,age structure, devoted customer ratio, frequency of repeat orders) The arguments Sveiby uses are based on his observations, and logic that makes his conclusions all the more powerful.

The Practicality of Knowledge
Book Review - Joe Pulichino, Doctoral Student, Pepperdine University; President, Athena Learning Group

The New Organization Wealth - Managing and Measuring Knowledge-Based Assets is quite a practical book for managers seeking to get theirs arms around those intangible corporate assets that cannot be easily measured. It's also valuable for those in the fields of knowledge management and corporate education who are wrestling with ways to facilitate the development and productivity of their organization's human competencies.

Although Sveiby's argument that intangible assets can account for the difference between a company's market capitalization and its net book value may not seem so persuasive since the dot.com collapse, his categorization of those assets as "employee competence", "internal structure", and "external structure" is useful as a way of thinking about the character and value of knowledge in an organization. Much more so than the vague catch-all asset of "good-will", knowledge, though also intangible, is an asset that can be created, managed, and measured, and can serve as the focal point for developing a strategic business model. Sveiby demonstrates this through a wide range of case studies.

Especially useful is his "radical notion" that "information is meaningless and of low value". When we consider how much money and human resources are expended on technologies that collect, store, and retrieve information, this will be an uncomfortable notion for many. However, Sveiby, supported by Michael Polanyi's theory of tacit knowledge (The Tacit Dimension, 1967), makes clear that information does play a role in knowledge creation and transfer. As a means of broadcasting articulated knowledge, information provides raw material, the stuff out of which people create knowledge through their interaction with it and with each other. Knowledge thus created is called competency by Sveiby and is defined as the "capacity to act".

Sveiby then introduces the subject of managing intangible assets by making useful distinctions between the roles of professionals and mangers in the "knowledge organization". He discusses how their competencies are best managed and transferred so that the flow of knowledge through the organization (its internal structure) leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness in managing the flow of knowledge in customer and supplier relationships (its external structure). His model leaves business managers with a choice between a knowledge-focused strategy, which "earns increasing returns primarily from intangible assets", and an information-focused strategy, which "earns increasing returns from adapting to information technology".

To account for it all, Sveiby lays out a non-financial system for measuring intangible assets. While providing some thoughtful perspectives on how one might do this, it is not clear that in the end these forms of measurement have the same utility and precision that financial measurements do. It is fair to say, however, that these types of measures, which include surveys, indices, ratios, and rates of changes, do offer indicators that can help to monitor actions that will develop, maintain, and grow these assets.

In the final paragraph of the book, Sveiby admits, "I do not believe that the information in a book such as this can really change anything", and in saying so remains true to his thesis: "The only valuable knowledge is that which equips us for action and that kind of knowledge is learned the hard way - by doing." He invites his readers to experiment with the information in his book and by doing so turn it into knowledge. The practicality of The New Organization Wealth - Managing and Measuring Knowledge-Based Assets is therefore dependent on what the reader does with the information it contains.

Insightful!
Business is business, they say, but the knowledge management business is something else entirely. Author Karl Erik Sveiby earned his doctorate with a thesis that draws an interesting distinction between information and knowledge. This book owes a great deal to the research in that thesis, although some of the subtleties were probably lost in the translation after it was presented at Stockholm University. Dr. Sveiby offers managers a plausible structure for stratifying their employees. He provides a solid rationale to justify rationing resources and information. We [...] recommend this book to knowledge managers. Professionals who feel they are not receiving adequate support, information, or compensation from managers also will find succor in these theories.

Putting the knowledge economy on a sound business foundation
To this day, Sveiby's "New Organizational Wealth" stands apart in that the book remains one of the few to make a serious attempt to place the benefits of the somewhat nebulous concept of the knowledge economy on a sound economic and business foundation. (Paul Strassman takes a similar approach, but more towards the macroeconomic level, in his articles in Knowledge Management magazine.)

Readers of the "New Organizational Wealth" will likely want to visit Sveiby's web site to get access to some of the tools he has since developed to help implement systems to measure and improve upon a company's intangible assets.

A definitive book by the founder of the KM movement
KM is neither about databases nor about sentimentality. Karl-Erik was one of the first to link a new understanding of organisational life to the new trends seen on stock exchanges world wide. Before you start your KM initiative on shaky ground and huge IT investments - read this book & really understand the knowledge organisation. ... Read more

Book Description

Tom Chappell has created one of America's most extraordinary success stories by turning a mom-and-pop natural personal care products company started on a $5,000 loan into a nationally recognized brand with $28 million and counting in sales. Chappell achieved his rapid growth and profitability by "managing upside down" --focusing on social values and respect for the environment to increase customer satisfaction and the bottom line. Now, Chappell shares his straightforward and practical business advice in seven easy-to-follow steps. They show how anyone can:

 Manage for social aims and profit

Redefine leadership in a values-driven company

Develop a competitive advantage around shared values among customers, owners, employees, and communities

Businesses throughout America are already using Chappell's Seven Intentions and proving that pursuing a broader social mission can actually strengthen a company's financial performance. Managing Upside Down brings this important message to an even wider audience. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Clear directions for moving to values centered leadership
How many CEOs do you know who are willing to spell out the personal challenges leading them from the brink of selling their company to reinventing it? This book wrestles with the paradox and conflicts of leadership in a broad review of juggling the internal conflicts between one's business, making a profit, fostering a strong family while searching for meaning; an fate facing many business executives today. How not to cave in to profit as told from a profitable leader's actual life experience. Pathfinders rejoice! In this, Tom's second book, he relates anecdotes from the mind of an original entrepreneur - how to make qualitative decisions based on values, before there are any statistics on market and consumer demand. How fortunitous circumstance plus a little friendly advice can help a company relate its products directly to its mission and core values. The book's account of the SALTWATER INSTITUTE, to develop values centered leaders, provides a real-world example of what happens when he applies his own suggested principles on "venturing out". This book does the best job yet for a busy executive who wants to grasp the underlying characteristics of great people. The discussion of "destiny" is one of the first mainstream explanations related directly to its role in the success of established businesses or new ventures. The guidlines put forth in this book may well provide the foundation for sanity others are seeking as they plunge in a breakneck dive into leadership and reinvigorating their businesses.

Tom Chappell Should Be A World Role Model
Tom Chappell not only oversees a company that makes fabulous products, but he's written a book that should be the blueprint for world business. Doing what's right, and making money in the process. Not making money at any cost. His business advice is solid, and the autobiographical elements running through the book offer a rare insight to genius. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a comprehensive analysis of the present state of organization theory. The author traces the evolution and particularly the more recent history of the field, and its scope and content. He then considers the relevant literature organized by major issues and concepts. Jeffrey Pfeffer makes the point that the world of organizations the book surveys has changed in four important ways: the increasing externalization of the employment relation and the development of the "new employment contract;" the change in the size distribution of organizations, with a comparative growth in the proportion of smaller organizations; the increasing influence of external capital markets on organizational governance and decision making; and the increasing salary inequality within organizations in the U.S. compared both to the past and to other industrialized nations. These changes make it especially important to understand the organizations themselves. But the author raises the very real question of whether the field of organization studies has increased this understanding. The author is a major scholar in the field of organizations and his perspective should be of considerable interest to scholars and students in the field. ... Read more