Achieving true change and innovation depends on our ability to re-imagine and re-author the futures we want our organizations to have - and to open new perspectives and new ways of thinking, being and doing in the process. Narrative approaches and storytelling are powerful tools that can help us create a new future for branding and marketing, change, leadership, organizational learning and development. Gathering contributions by scholars and practitioners from various disciplines, this book provides a unique overview of an emerging field of practice in organizations and communities. Rooted in a narrative conceptual framework, the respective papers describe a broad range of trans-disciplinary applications, tools and methods for effectively working with stories.

Structural Revolution in International Business Architecture Volume 2 fills important gaps in the existing literature of management science by providing new and improved methods of optimal control system modeling. These research methods are applied in a variety of problems of management science and national economic management. Applications are on oil field development, energy system modeling, resource modeling, time varying control of dynamic system of national economy, and investment planning.

This book provides a knowledge-based view to the dynamic capabilities in an organization. The author integrates two existing views on gaining competitive advantage: the Knowledge View which suggests that the capability of organizations to learn faster than competitors is the only source of competitiveness; and the Dynamic Capability View which speculates that a firm's competitive advantage rests on dynamic capabilities which enable a firm to constantly renew the stock of ordinary organizational capabilities in accordance with the changes in the business environment. Using the IT sector in India as a case study, this book provides and tests a new framework--Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities-in the prediction of competitive advantage in organizations.

"The Passion and Discipline of Strategy" utilises the experiences of the best companies and leaders in emerging and mature markets to highlight the necessary linkage of passion and discipline in an effective strategy process. Passion motivates and maintains a manager's focus, whilst discipline is necessary to make passion productive and effective. Taken together, passion and discipline create a sequence of winning strategic moves, enabling a company to leverage passion, accurately develop a strategy hinge, select their own firm boundaries and a strategic goal, and decide on key elements of the business model.

This book explores the changing socio-economic and technological landscape of the 21 century and what it means. It adopts an industrial economic approach, whilst proposing a road map leading to the adoption of a 'societal market economy' model as an appealing and politically acceptable third-way between capitalism and socialism.

This book is about financial accounting and management control and how these two information systems are related as well as how their objectives conflict. At the most fundamental level, the objective of financial accounting is to provide owners and funders with comparable information on a company's value creation. The aim of management control, on the other hand, is to give the board, senior executives and employees unique information for strategy formulation and implementation. One often-mentioned negative effect is the risk of financial accounting affecting management control design and use, making it less relevant for decision-making at the company level. The book provides an analysis of the complex relationship between financial accounting and management control. The analysis is based on theoretical reasoning as well as several examples of how financial accounting standards affect not only the annual report but also the control system. An interesting, and perhaps unexpected conclusion is that management control seems to affect financial accounting almost as much as financial accounting affects management control. These complex relationships, which can influence the design and use of both financial accounting and management control, are discussed in detail in this book.

An organization's brand is its most distinctive feature - it is a mechanism for coordinating resources around its vision or mission. Organizations in the Face of Crisis offers a new and unique approach to the treatment of threats to an organization and its brand. In this volume, key concepts associated with crisis events are presented and analysed. Examination of ' brand trauma, ' the potentially debilitating effects of a crisis on an organization, reveals the pervasive nature of a crisis' effects and offers why these effects can haunt a brand and its stakeholders long after the crisis has passed. Tafoya also illustrates ways an organization's core network can be shaken by the emergence of a new network brought on by a crisis. This network, a 'stakeholder swarm', functions to meet its own needs often by challenging the make-up, control and flow of information, and even threatening the effected organization's very existence. Case studies and diagnostic tools are used to demonstrate the effects of a crisis on an organization and its brand, and to provide insight and strategies on managing the crisis at hand as well as the long-term effects that may be linked to the crisis and its occurrence. This volume will appeal to stakeholders on all sides of a crisis: from an organization's managers, employees, customers or clients and to diverse fields of study including law, medicine, religion, military, law enforcement and regulation.

Today, innovation is a key driver for performance and growth in business. It provides a strong competitive advantage and is one of the best ways to speed up the rate of change and adaptation to the global environment. Concurrently, the innovation topic is also regaining more and more visibility and interest among the academic communities worldwide.
However, some of the challenges of innovating are remarkably consistent and recent times have shown the emergence of new ways for stimulating and managing the innovation process, especially from an international perspective. Even if these processes are taking place in very different industries, there are many parallels in successfully managing them.
Thsi voluem explores these new routes and assesses their value both for markets and companies. More specifically, the book is organized around three themes:
- How to stimulate and nurture innovations
- How to commercialize innovations
- How to lead and manage the innovation process

In the rapidly changing business world, only a small percentage of firms are able to survive and prosper despite recessions, industrial evolutions and economic changes. An often-asked question is: What determines a firm's sustainable competitive advantage? One of the most popular competitive strategies is partnering with other firms. So: How do firms make intelligent and informed decisions when it comes to selecting business partners, to utilizing available resources and capabilities in partnerships, and to managing relations to maximize partnership benefits? This book studies 300 firms across various industries, providing readers with a comprehensive view of how firms develop sustainable competitive advantages by establishing business partnerships. Young academics and experienced researchers alike will find solid theoretical foundations and fresh business insights.

Towards a Sustainable University tackles the challenge of sustainability in universities. As educational, research centres, universities should deeply contribute to building a new paradigm based on sustainability. Research on sustainable issues and teaching 'more sustainability' should become goals for the future, yet universities are also a working environment and an organization in which sustainability can be experienced. This book shows how a sustainable university can shape future citizens and future managers following the sustainable paradigm.

Doing business in China requires attention to a broad range of issues. While many executives focus on local conditions, others train their eyes on regional and national developments. By painting a picture of the entire Chinese landscape, this book provides western corporate decision makers with tools for crafting a sustainable China business strategy. The comprehensive analyses presented herein will not only enable business executives to rationalize their China investment but also help them communicate their China business plan to stakeholders, building corporate consensus and support.

"China Investment Environment & Strategies" could be used to: Identify strategic options for the China market. Conduct comprehensive site selection analysis. Evaluate the viability of a China strategy. Convince skeptics of a China operation. Secure stakeholders' commitment to China business. Improve communications with Chinese partners and consumers.

Companies owned by Chinese in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S. capitalize on cultural and historical affinity with China to build successful businesses there. By understanding the rules of engagement that these overseas Chinese follow, the odds of success for western companies in the China market will be improved.

Passage of the European Data Protection Directive and other national laws have increased the need for companies and other entities to improve their data protection and privacy controls. Clients, stakeholders, and the public are clamoring for it. Klosek introduces the various legal means to protect personal data in the United States and the European Union, targeting her book at American and international businesses that may have difficulty complying with the European Directive. She explains its main elements and practical effects, presents primary components of national privacy laws abroad and in the United States, and gives advice on some steps companies can take to improve the level of protection they afford to the data they possess.

Klosek offers a comprehensive review of the American and European systems for providing protection to personal information in the Internet age. She explains the European Data Protection Directive, the national data protection laws of the fifteen countries of the European Union, and the laws and other initiatives for protecting individual personal data. She endeavors to discuss the protection of personal data in general but focuses on, and emphasizes, the protection of personal data within the context of the Internet. In doing so, she provides much useful, fascinating information on the obvious and non-obvious means of collecting and processing personal data through the Internet. Among its unusual features, the book helps United States corporate decision makers assess the effect data protection laws will have in Europe and the U.S., and how companies that are operating web sites that cross international boundaries can ensure they stay in compliance with data protection laws in countries in which their web sites may be accessible. The book is essential reading for corporate compliance executives, corporate communications and other top-level organizational administrators, particularly in Internet industries.

Capitalism is criticized as both the cause of, and the main barrier to, effective mitigation of climate change. Yet, from the earliest days of the international negotiations, states have agreed that technological innovation, believed to be a primary strength of capitalism, is crucial to prevention of a dangerous accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Nations prefer to rely on innovative technologies to reduce emissions than to use regulations to constrain markets and limit social choice. The contributors to this volume show that the strengths of the system that creates ever new consumer products and industrial processes actually prevent the generation of technological innovations that would most effectively mitigate climate change. Through comprehensive research of the US innovation system and how companies respond to its supporting institutions, they demonstrate that liberal capitalism's perceived strengths are also its weaknesses. They also show that current theories of technological innovation are incomplete and suggest the institutional changes needed to generate climate innovations.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of failure in business, management and consulting. It features contributions by experts from diverse fields, who share unique insights from their real-life experiences. Readers will find perspectives from leadership, project management, change management, innovation management, human resource management, counseling, restructuring, entrepreneurship and sports. Each chapter combines the latest empirical findings with relevant case studies, making for a unique book that offers a fascinating exploration of the largely unexplored area of setbacks, pitfalls, flops and disappointments in the business world.

This book argues that by integrating effective knowledge management (KM) with project management (PM), the overall project success rate can be improved significantly. It brings together the latest ideas and research on shared approaches to improve performance based on the research and experience of academics and practitioners. The structured collection of articles presents novel theoretical approaches and clear empirical evidence of the value of integrating the two distinct fields. It enables readers to better understand the need to merge KM with PM and appreciate the benefits. It also offers researchers an idea of what lies ahead and how to get there, and helps practitioners develop more suitable KM solutions for successful project outcomes.

Uncertainty in Entrepreneurial Decision Making fills an existing gap in understanding three key concepts of business management: entrepreneurship, uncertainty, and strategy. By extending the impact of uncertainty on entrepreneurship and the role of strategy in reducing uncertainty, Petrakis and Konstantakopoulou emphasize that uncertainty can be converted into creative advantage. Given that the business environment is changing both very quickly and very often, any wrong decisions taken can lead to devastation. This exciting new volume explains the reasons why we cannot see the complete the future and our position in it. This uncertainty affects entrepreneurship and how it can be turned into a competitive advantage for businesses sustainability.

This book examines the different ways companies can develop and design social innovation. Combining technological and social perspectives, the contributors present emerging research on social innovation from different sectors such as entrepreneurship, education and energy. Collectively, the authors demonstrate the ways in which social innovation can drive sustainability and development in regions around the world. All societies are characterized by their political, economic and social institutions, as well as by how they utilize technology. The social innovations with the highest importance are those which modify existing institutions or create new ones, and based on their magnitude, they can be considered as radical or incremental. For example, when Joseph Chamberlain encouraged workers to organize in order to achieve universal male suffrage in Great Britain in 1885, this was a considered a radical innovation for British society, which in turn changed its political framework. Social innovations may be based on intelligence and commitment, on technology or on social entrepreneurship in its most open forms. In addition, social innovations can be classified into those which correspond to an entire country or region, a field (e.g., education) or a sector (e.g., entrepreneurship, technology, social reform). Featuring contributions on topics such as agro-food, smart cities, higher education, gender equality and sports, this book is ideal for academics, students, scholars, professionals and policy makers in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and regional development.

This book addresses synergy management, which poses an important challenge for firms, advisors and practitioners involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Synergy plays a key role in M&A contexts, both in the decision-making process and, subsequently, in the integration phase. However, despite the fact that synergy value is commonly regarded as one of the key success factors in M&A, research shows that firms generally fail to achieve the expected synergy. The extant literature is characterized by a lack of comprehensive models of synergy management: the assessment of synergy value remains a "black box" for scholars and practitioners alike. The authors provide a comprehensive framework for synergy management by integrating findings from prior research and various disciplines. The framework highlights the main dimensions of synergy management in mergers and acquisitions, common pitfalls, and new models and tools for avoiding them. As such, the book enriches the M&A literature, offers new insights for scholars, and provides valuable guidelines for practitioners involved in synergy management.

This book covers cross-border strategies to understand and profit from intellectual property. It starts with a basic overview of IP before focusing specifically on international business contexts. The book then explores factors that affect IP-related business activities in different countries. Next, follows a discussion of the importance of managing IP valuation, people, and products, which leads into an examination of strategies for obtaining value from IP-related activities, including licensing. This edition updates the contents and adds new contemporary cases, such as internet-based crimes and trademarked sport brands. Readers will gain an understanding of the significance of IP to corporate success in the increasingly globalized world. With updated knowledge on deriving value from IP, this book will provide insights for practitioners to deal with cross-border issues of IP, and for scholars across disciplines to advance studies of cross-border issues and conflicts in IP.

This book identifies and discusses the main challenges facing digital business innovation and the emerging trends and practices that will define its future. The book is divided into three sections covering trends in digital systems, digital management, and digital innovation. The opening chapters consider the issues associated with machine intelligence, wearable technology, digital currencies, and distributed ledgers as their relevance for business grows. Furthermore, the strategic role of data visualization and trends in digital security are extensively discussed. The subsequent section on digital management focuses on the impact of neuroscience on the management of information systems, the role of IT ambidexterity in managing digital transformation, and the way in which IT alignment is being reconfigured by digital business. Finally, examples of digital innovation in practice at the global level are presented and reviewed. The book will appeal to both practitioners and academics. The text is supported by informative illustrations and case studies, so that practitioners can use the book as a toolbox that enables easy understanding and assists in exploiting business opportunities involving digital business innovation.

What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a cooperative strategy be established that advances the development of the multinational as a whole, or do mutual misunderstandings and the unintended consequences of strategic interaction among the players' lead instead to endemic conflict and disintegration?
This book tackles these novel and important questions through an empirical study of the strategic constitution of an 'actually existing' multinational. It does so by tracing the historical construction of the multinational corporation from the confluence of multiple formerly independent firms and analyzing the interacting web of strategies pursued by different actors within it. The analysis reveals how workers, unionists, subsidiary managers, and corporate executives pursue separate strategic games rooted in their local contexts, whose global outcome contrasts sharply with idealized views of the multinational as an integrated and coordinated organization.
By comparing these findings to those of the broader literature, the book proceeds to a theoretical examination of the challenges of managing the multinational, and the difficulties of resolving them through conventional organizational means. The authors propose new procedural solutions aimed at fostering mutual recognition and knowledge exchange within the multinational corporation, and explore how a multinational public may be created to press for the necessary reforms in corporate governance. As the success of such reforms is far from preordained, the book concludes with a seriesof alternative scenarios that illustrate the many obstacles to a smooth continuation of the globalization process.
This is an important and original study of significance for researchers, academics, and advanced students of international business, business strategy, comparative management and organizational studies.

"Success in Innovation" tackles its subject from a novel perspective: instead of focusing on factors for success, it specifically examines the factors for failure. Similar books often attempt to stimulate more effort on innovation with success stories and methods. But innovation is risky business and most innovative ideas fail. By understanding the typical pitfalls and hurdles in the process, and how to avoid or manage them, readers can significantly improve their chances of success.

"Success in Innovation" is broad in scope and useful to managers, consultants, entrepreneurs, tech start-ups - anyone with a stake in new and powerful ideas, products, businesses, or methods. This book helps readers work smarter, not simply more.
Provides guidelines for assessing innovative ideasIncludes methods for valuing innovationDiscusses the danger points in the innovation processExplains the planning and development processesIncludes innovation modelsDiscusses the methods for risk assessment

Systemic Entrepreneurship focuses on creating an awareness of systemic entrepreneurship and illustrates the fact that one needs to approach entrepreneurial support activities from many different angles.