In combining practice and theory, this textbook provides a management perspective on the ‘business case’ for sustainability. Drawing on examples from 20 frontrunner companies located in the Netherlands, it builds upon a unique research project in which CEOs and middle-managers gave access not only to their decision-making process, but also revealed how their perceptions shaped the transition process.This book identifies four different archetypes of business cases and related busine...

Given the urgency and immediacy of so many business problems and challenges, a solid grounding in the history and evolution of business thinking will help managers separate fad from fact and apply the cumulative wisdom of the writers whose ideas have demonstrated profound and lasting impact. From Sun Tzu's timeless Art of War to the inventors of modern management in the 1920s-'40s to the books that have the captured the New Economy Zeitgeist, The Best Business Books Ever ...

The current global economic environment is defined by unprecedented uncertainty, a premium placed on knowledge, and the threat of future talent scarcity. Key to an organization's success under these conditions is its ability to strengthen the links between people and performance. Creating Healthy Organizations provides executives, managers, human resource professionals, and employees an action-oriented approach to forging these connections by creating and sustaining vibrant and pr...

Is your company's top talent jumping ship as good replacements become harder to get?If you need the best practices and ideas for winning the race for talent--but don't have time to find them--this book is for you. Here are 11 inspiring and useful perspectives, all in one place.This collection of HBR articles will help you:- Look for good people in all the right places- Interview more effectively- Make--and keep--compelling promises to candidates and ...

Two experts explain the consequences for the planet when corporations use sustainability as a business tool.McDonald's promises to use only beef, coffee, fish, chicken, and cooking oil obtained from sustainable sources. Coca-Cola promises to achieve water neutrality. Unilever seeks to achieve 100 percent sustainable agricultural sourcing by 2020. Walmart has pledged to become carbon neutral. Big-brand companies seem to be making commitments that go beyond the usual...

Imagine designing the best company on earth to work for . . .What would that company be like? How would you build and sustain it? As a leader, you need to know. In the past, businesses made people conform to the organization’s needs. But the old paradigm has shifted. Now leaders must transform their organizations so that they attract the right people, keep them, and inspire them to do their best work. How do you create a culture people want to belong to?In ...

"Business Schools Face Test of Faith." "Is It Time to Retrain B-Schools?" As these headlines make clear, business education is at a major crossroads.For decades, MBA graduates from top-tier schools set the standard for cutting-edge business knowledge and skills. Now the business world has changed, say the authors of Rethinking the MBA, and MBA programs must change with it. Increasingly, managers and recruiters are questioning conventional business education.Their concerns? ...

How should you grow your organization?It’s one of the most challenging questions an executive team faces-and the wrong answer can break your firm.The problem is most firms’ growth strategies emphasize just one type of growth-some focus on organic growth, others on M&A. When these strategies falter, the common response is simply to try harder-but firms falling into this implementation trap” usually end up losing out to a competitor whose approach is more in...

This book is primarily designed as a guide for the ambitious and committed organizational leaders who are seeking to improve the fortunes of an organization.If you are the kind of leader who dictates, delegates and sits back to deal with the consequences - read no further. If, on the other hand, you are the kind of leader who is prepared to lead, by example, from the front, become directly involved in tackling problems, will nurture the talents of employees, and personally ensure t...

The concept of sustainability has grown in recognition and importance. The pressure on companies to broaden their reporting and accountability from economic performance for shareholders, to sustainability performance for all stakeholders is leading to a change of mindset in consumer behaviour and corporate policies. How can we develop prosperity without compromising the life and needs of future generations? Sustainability in Project Management explores and identifies the questions surround...

As the world reels from the credit crunch and fall into recession of late 2008, the search is on for a better way to do business. In an increasingly knowledge driven economy, the importance of people's discretionary effort to business performance is key to success - or failure - but many businesses and managers do not understand the alchemy required to gain the extra few per cent from their human resources.This new guide lays out how and why companies should be doing more to improv...

Innovation is essential for businesses to survive in the long run, but there are no one-size-fits-all strategies for innovating successfully. A firm's specific business environment will determine what works and what does not work.Based on a global survey of innovative firms and on 50 in-depth case studies, Innovation Reinvented identifies six patterns or 'games' of innovation, each commanding best-of-class strategies and best practices. Examining recognized innovative comp...