This edited book responds to the need for a better understanding of how climate change affects North America and for the identification of processes, methods and tools that may help countries and communities to develop a more robust adaptive capacity. It showcases successful examples of how to manage the social, economic and environmental complexities posed by climate change. The book attempts to synthesize various branches of resilience and adaptation scholarship into a cohesive text that highlights field research and best practices that are shaping policy and practice in a wide geography from the coastal conditions of the Caribbean to the thawing landscape of the Arctic Circle.

Charming, charismatic, and delightful or manipulative, self-serving, and cunning? Psychopaths are both and that's exactly what makes them dangerous. Bestselling author of the international phenomenon Surrounded by Idiots, Thomas Erikson reveals how to identify the psychopaths in your life and combat their efforts to control and manipulate.

Using the same simple four-color system of behavior classification that made Surrounded by Idiots so popular, Surrounded by Psychopaths teaches readers how to deal with psychopaths in their lives by becoming aware of their own behavior and their weaknesses. Vivid example stories illustrate ways that psychopaths can take advantage of various behavior types, helping readers identify their own weaknesses and be proactive about protecting themselves. Erikson outlines some of the most common forms of manipulation used by psychopaths--and others--to influence those around them. Since manipulation can often be a feature of ordinary, non-psychopathic relationships, the book also includes practical methods and techniques to help readers confront controlling people and rehabilitate negative relationships into mutually respectful ones.

By understanding your behavior as well as the tendencies and strategies of psychopaths, Surrounded by Psychopaths will teach you to protect yourself from manipulative influence in your workplace, social life, and family.

People often believe that we can overcome the profound environmental and climate crises we face by smart systems, green innovations and more recycling. However, the quest for complex technological solutions, which rely on increasingly exotic and scarce materials, makes this unlikely. A best-seller in France, this English language edition introduces readers to an alternative perspective on how we should be marshalling our resources to preserve the planet and secure our future. Bihouix skilfully goes against the grain to argue that 'high' technology will not solve global problems and envisages a different approach to build a more resilient and sustainable society.

While it is possible for a company achieve short-term profit, it is much more difficult to sustain corporate success over time. This book is intended for those who run, or want to run, a business whatever its size or activity, with the objective of making it sustainable so that it will be a legacy for future generations. Indeed, the real purpose of corporate strategy is not only to make quick profits, but more importantly to create an organization that will endure. There is much to learn from the experience of established firms that have existed for a hundred years or more. They provide the material for this clear and concise book, which details the main elements of corporate strategy. Recognizing that each firm is unique, the book resists the temptation of quick fixes, instead offering lessons to be pondered and used on a case-by-case basis.

This authored monograph provides in-depth analysis and methods for aligning electricity demand of manufacturing systems to VRE supply. The book broaches both long-term system changes and real-time manufacturing execution and control, and the author presents a concept with different options for improved energy flexibility including battery, compressed air and embodied energy storage. The reader will also find a detailed application procedure as well as an implementation into a simulation prototype software. The book concludes with two case studies. The target audience primarily comprises research experts in the field of green manufacturing systems.

This volume explores the impact of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) on the environment of the Global South during this period of neoliberal globalization. Since the end of the 1970s, the role of TNCs in the global economy has developed significantly, and the subsequent changes to international institutions and the establishment of free trade zones have limited the effectiveness of environmental protections. Drawing together contributions from several continents, this important book examines the environmental consequences and crises resulting from these changes. It highlights the negative impact on the environment, ecosystems and ways of living for many people across the globe and shows how this is reflected in the struggle between corporate interests, social movements and human rights. Developing key themes around transnational extractive activity, especially mining and oil corporations; the impact of transnational capital on indigenous or traditional populations, and the role played by international institutions, Environmental Impacts of Transnational Corporations in the Global South is essential reading for all researchers and practitioners within the field.

This book discusses how systems thinking and approaches can aid management consultants in navigating the complexities of client advisory in current realities. It thereby brings to the forefront aspects of holism, flexibility and responsibility - the keys to success in today's world. Management consultants are called in to offer an independent expert view of an organisation/ a situation and are expected to address some of the most pressing problems businesses face. The client does not exist in a silo, but in a complex environment that lies at the intersection of a range of internal and external factors that are often unseen and unpredictable. The organisation itself presents an alien territory that the consultant is expected to acclimatise to within a very short period of time, and come up with solutions that "insiders" would not have been able to visualise. The book presents a range of ideas, concepts and reference cases that are relevant and topical for consultants in their daily work. It argues that systems thinking allows holism and flexibility in management consulting - while holism is about the ability to encompass the environmental and organisational complexity, flexibility is about the ability to think creatively and adopt different approaches to accommodate this complexity. With commentaries, case studies, conceptual models and perspectives that cut across multiple industries, sectors and countries, this book is a valuable resource for academics and professionals alike. The book's inner pages and its page on Springer.com contain additional comments providing perspectives of clients, industry experts and academia.

With current environmental, social and financial challenges facing society and the economy, there has been a rapid growth in interest in the role of social and sustainable enterprise. Accordingly, as government, industry and communities seek to find alternative ways to deliver product and services, this volume seeks to draw together contemporary entrepreneurial research which addresses current social and environmental issues, such as: social and community enterprise and entrepreneurship, including the tension between maintaining core social aims and continuing to prosper in a highly competitive and turbulent marketplace. Sustainable entrepreneurship and environmental impacts of enterprise, for example the pursuit of environmentally-responsible opportunities by mainstream enterprises, the creation of self-consciously 'eco-preneurial' ventures and more radical models that challenge prevailing assumptions about enterprise and growth; and ethics, enterprise and social responsibility, including the growth of ethical markets and the opportunities they create, such as providing services for disadvantaged groups or facilitating markets in fairly-traded goods and services.

The ability to influence and communicate effectively with both colleagues and external partners has become a crucial skill. Influencing is defined as the ability to affect others attitudes, beliefs and behaviours without using force or formal authority. It is widely recognized that the old command and control style of management has little relevance anymore. Since managing and leadership are essentially about achieving results through others, the most likely and effective way of doing this is through the ability to influence people. This book is about that ability, about the required skills, attitudes, tactics and techniques, and about influencing styles and processes.
The main focus of this book is to help you review and reflect upon how you perform as an influencer; to discuss and review skills, styles, approaches and techniques. Through their work the authors' have developed a model to make sense of the whole process, and it is around this model that they have built this book

Over the years, irresponsible business practices have resulted in industrial waste, which is negatively impacting the environment. As a result, it is imperative to develop new solutions to reverse the damage. Collective Creativity for Responsible and Sustainable Business Practice is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the elimination of environmental degradation through new discoveries and opportunities provided by collective creativity. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspective and topics, such as sustainable business model innovation, social marketing, and education and business co-operatives, this comprehensive and timely publication is an essential reference source for business leaders, managers, academics, and community leaders seeking current research on sustainable management practices. Topics Covered: Bisociation Civil Commons Cyber Security Creativity Educational and Business Co-operatives Polycentric and Creative Climate Change Governance Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) Sustainable Business Model Innovation

The links between a firm's competitiveness and the natural environment have been studied since the mid 90's. This volume explores, both theoretically and empirically, the relationships between environmental product innovation, green image and firm performance.

This book aims to examine sustainability and spirituality philosophically with ethics as the balancing force. The goal is to reveal the important intersection between sustainability and spirituality by using spirituality as the invisible guiding hand in the quest for sustainability. The editors and contributors examine old social and economics dilemmas from a new perspective in order to provide alternative approaches to economic and social development. The enclosed contributions cover a broad range of topics such as sustainable development and human happiness, contemporary spirituality, environmental ethics and responsibility, and corporate social responsibility. In addition, the title features real-world case studies and discussion questions that inspire self-reflection and theoretical and empirical deliberation in academic courses and business seminars. Contemporary approaches to economic and social development have failed to address humankind's abiding need for spiritual growth. For material development to be sustainable, spiritual advancement must be seen as an integral part of the human development algorithm. While the policy makers and governments can play their respective role, each one of us has to consciously adopt spirituality and sustainability as a way of life. This book will rely on the spiritual power of individuals to heal themselves and the environment. Featuring interdisciplinary perspectives in areas such as science, marine biology, environmental policy, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy, ecological economics, and ethics, this book will provide extensive insights into the complimentary fields of spirituality, sustainability and ethics.

The comprehensive guide to all the essential legal and business considerations to be taken into account in structuring and negotiating technology-driven corporate alliances. Readers are provided with a clear and concise introduction to the nature and scope of the legal rights relating to new technologies and a framework for evaluating prospective business partners and for identifying the key contracting issues. An indispensable resource for consummating licensing, research and development, manufacturing and distribution, and corporate partnering arrangements, as well as managing relationships with university researchers and raising capital for research activities.

Entrepreneurs, executives, technology managers, lawyers, accountants and researchers will benefit from the step-by-step approach to each technology-driven transaction, beginning with the description of the law of technology and intellectual property; continuing with the initial investigation of the technology which is to be the subject of the transaction and the general contractual components of any transaction; and ending with the essential elements of each relationship, including permitted uses of the technology, compensation, representations and warranties, covenants, closing conditions, indemnification, and the procedures for ensuring that the technology remain a valuable asset for each party. The book covers each of the stages involved in developing, manufacturing, licensing, distributing, and financing technology-based products and will serve as an invaluable and constant resource in making sure that all of the important issues have been considered before the deal is sealed.

Demands for sustainability policies have set new challenges for business both on the individual firm level and on the level of organized business interests. This edited volume brings together economic, social, environmental, and cultural dimensions of sustainability that comprise different challenges for business processes and activities. The aim is to develop an overarching framework to the study of sustainability and business and to advance an interdisciplinary analytical perspective. The book establishes a balanced account that equally represents business as problem causers as well as problem solvers, and therefore responds to the urgent need to investigate the intersection between sustainability issues and business participation.

Every day, at home and at work, we have to influence and persuade people. But it's not always easy. Change their Mind outlines the 6 steps you can follow to persuade anyone anytime. By understanding the person you're trying to persuade more deeply, you can build better relationships and get better outcomes. Based on insights from psychology, neuroscience and business research, this practical book will show you exactly what to do and how to do it well.

This book discusses the concepts of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) that are the core of various paradigms used in strategic management to understand competitive advantage as well as flexibility in organizational boundaries. It serves as a valuable reference resource in the area of VUCA markets. An increase in the levels and types of uncertainty has important implications potentially for the durability of a company's advantages, the way firms learn and adapt, approaches for managing innovation and knowledge, and the attractiveness of different strategies and organizational models. In today's world, strategic flexibility in VUCA is essential for business leaders to sustain market advantage and attain a clear vision amid the chaos. Business leaders who stay focused and are aware of external volatility as the prevalent characteristic are successful, while those who are not flexible in this VUCA world and lock themselves into fixed positions lose out. The book includes empirical and conceptual research papers along with case studies and models discussing strategies for emerging markets in volatile and uncertain environments. It also covers a variety of issues, including innovation, people and processes, financial management, and leadership and strategies in VUCA markets. Apart from research fraternity and academia, the contents of the book will be useful for practitioners as well as industry watchers.

The purpose of this contributed volume is to consider how global consumption patterns will develop in the next few decades, and what the consequences of that development will be for the economy, policymakers, and society at large. In the long run, the extent to which economic growth translates into better living conditions strongly depends on how rising affluence and new technologies shape consumer preferences. The ongoing rise in household income in developing countries raises some important questions: Will consumption patterns always continue to expand in the same manner as we have witnessed in the previous two centuries? If not, how might things evolve differently? And what implications would such changes hold for not only our understanding of consumption behavior but also our pursuit of more sustainable societies?

We live in unprecedented times. Climate change and ecosystem collapse are altering our world beyond recognition, and a growing global population is exacerbating the pressure on the resources that power our economies. How should the private sector respond to the new risks and uncertainties of our Crowded Planet? Frugal Value contests the notion that companies can rise to the great challenges of our time by adopting so-called 'sustainable business' practices. Instead, the acute ecological crisis requires an all-round rethink of what business does, and how it does it. This book explores what business responsibility looks like today, and how it could be put into practice through far-reaching changes to companies, ranging from new approaches to product design and business models to reconfiguration of operations and innovative ownership structures. Frugal Value provides practitioners and scholars with the perspective and tools they need to design companies that help drive the socio-economic changes so urgently required for a sustainable and just world.

"Negotiation is a key part of daily lives, but learning how to negotiate successfully is a valuable skill. The author provides a tool kit for negotiation, demonstrating new methods and giving practical advice"--

Do you need to deliver an effective service to challenging and unreasonable internal or external clients? Do you worry that you'll lose business or take a reputational hit if you don't do so well enough? This book introduces a valuable set of tools through which to build, maintain and manage your client-facing relationships.

In today's society, environmental concerns are at the forefront of entrepreneurial decision-making and planning. With increased attention on an organization's environmental impact, researchers and business leaders strive to provide the best methodologies and strategies for effective environmental reporting and accountability. Green Accounting Initiatives and Strategies for Sustainable Development presents the latest scholarly research on the economic, social, and environmental objectives essential to the planning and support of future organizations and communities. This publication is an essential reference source for academicians, researchers, advanced level students, and professionals interested in designing business models and financial plans with consideration for environmental and social liabilities. This publication features timely, research based chapters on economic, social, and environmental policies including, but not limited to, green performance measurement, triple bottom line reporting, sustainable societies, environmental protection, and risk and adaptive management.