Why are some organizations more creative than others? What sets innovative, high-performing organizations apart? Can creativity and innovation be learned and enhanced? The answer to the last question, say creativity experts Nancy Napier and Mikael Nilsson, is a resounding yes. And with general consensus that creativity and innovation drive business growth, fostering creativity couldn't be more important. In The Creative Discipline, Napier and Nilsson illustrate six key factors that power creative, high-achieving organizations, and they provide managers with guidelines for incorporating those factors into their own companies. Business people will learn how innovative organizations get superior results from employees not just through disciplined methods of thinking, but also through free-flowing work spaces and work practices that help supercharge the imagination. Combining research on creative organizations in several sectors, this book argues that innovative organizations known for doing things differently (and profitably) approach creativity and innovation in similar, disciplined ways, regardless of industry or field. That discipline fosters new ideas, solutions, and approaches, and it ensures that the flow of creativity is constant. The Creative Discipline demonstrates that: -Innovative, high-performing organizations have three disciplines in common: (1) "within discipline" mastery, (2) "out of discipline" thinking, and (3) a disciplined process that leads to innovation. -Innovative organizations also have three factors that strengthen the creative disciplines: faces (creative entrepreneurs, leaders, and teams); places (the physical and organizational infrastructure that is reflectedin offices, buildings, and location); and traces (elements that act as catalysts for creativity--the culture, networks, and policies that support creative and innovative endeavors). The book explains each factor for creative success in detail. Best, Napier and Nilsson show creativity and innovation at work in a range of sectors from sports to software to theater and contemporary circus. They also show how innovative practices in developed countries like the U.S. and Sweden compare to those in developing countries like Vietnam. Companies can learn to innovate and in the process reap benefits like higher sales and profits, greater productivity--while regaining a valuable element missing in so many workplaces: fun.

This volume is part of the ongoing collaboration between the RMC series and the Socio-Economic Institute for Firms and Organizations (ISEOR), a French intervention-research think tank co-directed by Henri Savall and Veronique Zardet. Building on an earlier collaboration on the ISEOR approach - Socio-Economic Intervention in Organizations: The Intervener-Researcher and the SEAM Approach to Organizational Analysis (IAP, 2007) - Buono and Savall bring together over 30 talented intervener-researchers to explore and examine the ongoing evolution of the Socio-Economic Approach to Management (SEAM). This volume revisits the application of SEAM in the context of intervention challenges in the wake of the recent economic crisis and the disruptivechange that has taken hold across the world. The basic foundation of SEAM - built on the idea of strategic patience, the need to undertake holistic intervention in organizations, and the challenge to get organizational members to listen to themselves (through what they refer to as the mirror effect) - has remained the same. In response to economic and organizational pressures in the current environment, however, there has been a concomitant emphasis on helping client organizations achieve short-term results while still maintaining focus on the long term. Many ideas that have become part of the current discourse within ISEOR today were not as explicitly addressed in the initial volume - from the destructive effect of the Taylorism-Fayolism-Weberism (TFW) virus, to the need to focus on ways to ensure the sustainability of a SEAM intervention, the growing importance of collaborative interactions between external and internal consultants, and the growing importance of cocreating knowledge with client firms and organizations.

Despite businesses often being based on creating desirable experiences, products and services for consumers, many fail to consider the end user in their planning and development processes. This book is here to change that. User experience research, also known as UX research, focuses on understanding user behaviours, needs and motivations through a range of observational techniques, task analysis and other methodologies. User Research is a practical guide that shows readers how to use the vast array of user research methods available. Written by one of the UK's leading UX research professionals, readers can benefit from in-depth knowledge that explores the fundamentals of user research. Covering all the key research methods including face-to-face user testing, card sorting, surveys, A/B testing and many more, the book gives expert insight into the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of each, while also providing guidance on how to interpret, analyze and share the data once it has been obtained. Now in its second edition, User Research provides a new chapter on research operations and infrastructure as well as new material on combining user research methodologies.

From mobile pioneer Gary Schwartz, the author of "The Impulse Economy," a short guide to the steps every company must take to connect with the mobile consumer
From Best Buy to Borders, retail stores are closing their doors forever. Increasingly consumers are looking to their mobile devices as the primary screen to find best products and the cheapest deals. The shop has lost its connection to this shopper. Gary Schwartz has been at the front lines of the mobile industry for over a decade, and this book is about what companies can do to build the mobile tools necessary to reestablish a relationship with their mobile shoppers. Rich with examples--from Amazon to Barnes & Noble to Google-- "Fast Shopper, Slow Store "provides a step-by-step approach to harnessing and executing the strategies necessary for companies to move into the mobile sphere . . . and see lasting, lucrative results.

In recent years there has been an enormous amount of research into the way companies raise finance from stock markets. There are many reasons for this interest in 'initial public offerings' (IPOs). "Going Public" is the first book to investigate the issues in a non-technical manner, drawing upon international evidence from private sector companies and privatizations. Building on the success of the first edition, this second edition of "Going Public" has been comprehensively revised and updated throughout.

This book explores a range of theories used to explain the phenomenon of innovation and learning in individual thought, organizations, industries, and economies. The author draws on insights and perspectives from management and organization studies, economics, and cognitive science, bringing these together in a unifying framework for an analysis of innovation systems and the management of learning.

Consumer behavior is becoming increasingly complex in the current global market. A broader understanding of the psychologically driven motivation of consumers and characteristics of the consumer decision-making process is vital for effective customer engagement. Utilizing Consumer Psychology in Business Strategy provides emerging research on consumer behavior and decision-making processes through the lens of business advancement and innovation. While highlighting topics such as brand personality, consumer perception, and marketing strategy, this publication explores various types of consumer behavior and methods to maximize benefits and efficiency. This book is an important resource for business administrators, managers, practitioners, academics, and students seeking emerging research on the consumer markets.

This contributed volume provides new approaches, fresh ideas, valuable insights, and latest research in leadership-from strategic business (model) innovation to system design and humanity-and is a knowledge source and inspirational guide for scientists and practitioners alike.A key theme is the provision of an integrated perspective on leadership in strategy and communication which allow (senior) leaders, managing di-rectors, project managers, and individuals to (1) better link strategic busi-ness innovation and leadership and (2) shift to the new human self-lead-ership paradigm and in particularly leadership advances that consider ideas from multiple disciplines and transgenerational views. That includes a new understanding about knowledge, learning and change and how leaders re-discover and develop their human abilities, which include intui-tion/strength, balance and clarity, projection-reflection, and wisdom.This volume also makes an important contribution to the evolving aca-demic domain by providing the latest insights on trauma research, DNA healing, system (re)design, and growth & abundance mindset in the ad-vanced co-creation age.

""There are never any shortcuts to success, but it is possible to follow the paths of those who have blazed a trail in their own fields of endeavor. Jan has created great success in the area of entrepreneurship.

If you wish to become an entrepreneur, you will find much in the pages of Jan's "Go Start Something" that will guide you to success. However, anyone can benefit from these 18 chapters of experience and learn from the examples Jan describes.

I believe the stories of succeeding against great odds, sacrificing personal comfort to put everything into your business, living according to your vision, putting in a full day's work day in and day out, and enjoying your life every moment can provide great inspiration. One of the most powerful forces in the world is the will of men and women who believe in themselves, who dare to hope and aim high, who go confidently after the things they want from life. Jan went after his dream and accomplished it, you can also achieve great success if you follow his Rules for Entrepreneurship. Go Start Something."" PROFESSOR JIM GIBBONS, PHD, Northwood University

In today's ultra-competitive global economy, intangibles are increasingly taking centre stage in firms' business strategies and investors' valuations. Physical and financial assets are becoming commodities, yielding at best a competitive return on investment. In their place, intangible assets such as patents, brands, unique business processes, breakthrough scientific discoveries and strategic alliances are what firms are using to create dominant market positions, control risk, generate abnormal profits, and achieve growth and wealth. The dramatic rise and fall of high-technology company valuations has brought the unusual economic characteristics of intangible assets into the public arena. The concurrent advantages and vulnerabilities of intangible-intensive companies has highlighted the importance of having an in-depth understanding of the economics of intangibles and developing tools to better manage and evaluate them. This reader provides that understanding by bringing together the best research and advocacy on intangibles.

There is significant research available on critical success and failure factors of Lean Six Sigma implementation in organizations, predominantly focusing on the technical side of this performance method. But many organisations have overlooked soft skill aspects and the responsibilities of the Executive Leadership of the organization to make deployment a success. Leading Lean Six Sigma: Research on Leadership for Operational Excellence Deployment assesses the impact of organizational leadership on the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in organisations. By identifying leadership as a critical success factor for Lean Six Sigma deployment in organizations, this book details what leadership traits are needed for a successful deployment, differentiating by industry sector, and presents a ground-breaking leadership dependency model. Alessandro Laureani and Jiju Antony's new research extends and refines the current understanding of Lean Six Sigma and leadership, identifying the traits a leader needs to display to increase the chances of successful deployment. This book offers new perspectives for researchers examining Leadership, Management and Operational Excellence, as well as presenting useful guidance for practitioners launching, managing or sustaining continuous improvement initiatives in their organisations.

Managing Knowledge in Strategic Alliances is a volume in the book series Research in Strategic Alliances that will focus on providing a robust and comprehensive forum for new scholarship in the field of strategic alliances. In particular, the books in the series will cover new views of interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and models, significant practical problems of alliance organization and management, and emerging areas of inquiry. The series will also include comprehensive empirical studies of selected segments of business, economic, industrial, government, and non-profit activities with wide prevalence of strategic alliances. Through the ongoing release of focused topical titles, this book series will seek to disseminate theoretical insights and practical management information that will enable interested professionals to gain a rigorous and comprehensive understanding of the field of strategic alliances. Managing Knowledge in Strategic Alliances contains contributions by leading scholars in the field of strategic alliance research. The 11 chapters in this volume cover a number of significant topics that speak to the critical issues in managing knowledge in strategic alliances. The chapter topics cover both the broader issues, such as managing uncertainty in alliances, collaborative know-how, novelty in interpartner knowledge, coopetition in knowledge integration, and dynamic knowledge capabilities, and the more focused problems of innovation and partner selection, partner responsiveness and knowledge in supply chain networks, the effect of knowledge flows on the decision to cooperate, and interpartner learning dynamics in an alliance constellation. The chapters include empirical as well as conceptual treatments of the selected topics, and collectively present a wide-ranging review of the noteworthy research perspectives on knowledge management in strategic alliances.

The application of holistic optimization methods in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry has improved customer service and business strategies within the field. By utilizing new technologies and optimization techniques, it is becoming easier to troubleshoot problematic areas within the travel industry. The Handbook of Research on Holistic Optimization Techniques in the Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel Industry features innovative technologies being utilized in the management of hotels and tourist attractions. Highlighting empirical research on the optimization of the travel and hospitality industry through the use of algorithms and information technology, this book is a critical reference source for managers, decision makers, executives, tourists, agents, researchers, economists, and hotel staff members.

Volume 40 of Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management offers several original scholarly contributions written by thought leaders in the field of human resources management. These chapters feature the latest research exploring emerging new areas of HRM management. Chapters include analysis of "other-rating" alternatives to traditional self-survey information gathering, how governance mechanisms might be utilized to help firms achieve a balance between alignment and disruption, multi-stakeholder approaches to constructive deviance in the workplace, and how thoughtfully constructed incentives can be used to improve other outcomes such as safety, quality, prosocial behaviors, and creativity.

Believe in climate change. Or don't. "It doesn't matter. "But you'd better understand this: the best route to rebuilding our economy, our cities, and our job markets, as well as assuring national security, is doing precisely what you would do if you were scared to death about climate change. Whether you're the head of a household or the CEO of a multinational corporation, embracing efficiency, innovation, renewables, carbon markets, and new technologies is the smartest decision you can make. It is the most profitable, too. And, oh yes, you'll help save the planet.
In "Climate Capitalism," L. Hunter Lovins, the coauthor of the bestselling "Natural Capitalism," and the sustainability expert Dr. Boyd Cohen prove that the future of capitalism in a recession-riddled, carbon-constrained world will be built on innovations that cutting-edge leaders are bringing to the market today. These companies are creating jobs and driving innovation.

Why and how has the Business Corporation come to exert such a powerful influence on American Society? The essays here take up this question, offering a fresh perspective on the ways in which the business corporation has assumed as enduring place in the modern capitalist economy, and how it has affected American society, culture and politics over the past two centuries. The authors challenge standard assumptions about the business corporation's emergence and performance in the United States over the past two centuries. Reviewing in depth the different theoretical and historiographical traditions that have treated the corporation, the volume seeks a new departure that can more fully explain this crucial institution of capitalism. Rejecting assertions that the corporation is dead, the essays show that in fact it has survived and even thrived down to the present in part because of the ways in which it has related to its social, political and cultural environment. In doing so, the book breaks with older explanations ground in technology and economics, and treats the corporation for the first time as a fully social institution. Drawing on a variety of social theories and approaches, the essays help to point the way toward future studies of this powerful and enduring institution, offering a new periodization and a new set of questions for scholars to explore. The range of essays engages the legal and political position of the corporation, the ways in which the corporation has been shaped by and shaped American culture, the controversies over corporate regulation and corporate power, and the efforts of minority and disadvantaged groups to gain access to the resources and opportunities that corporations control.

How do you connect with your members? How do you ensure that your association is at the center of members' online and offline conversations?

The twin forces of globalization and technology revolutionized how successful companies compete. Now they present a threat to associations, as well as an opportunity that they must embrace.

But associations cannot reinvent themselves based solely on new technology that simply enhances current offerings. Only a major, top-to-bottom transformation will catapult associations into a new, uncharted competitive space.

Associations will make the change or contend with irrelevance in the face of globalization, online communities, digital and social media, user-generated content and on-demand access to research and information.

They must discover what members want and then deliver it however and whenever they want it. That is not too much to ask in a borderless world powered by technology. It is not only possible, but easy. The competition has figured it out. Have you?

Alfred D. Chandler, Jr. was, by general consensus, the pre-eminent business historian of the twentieth century. Through a prodigious body of work, Chandler made the study of the evolution of business enterprise integral to the study of the evolution of economy and society. His work combined detailed historical investigations with grand sociological syntheses. As a result, Chandler's study of the modern business enterprise invited social scientists and business academics as well as historians to contribute to our understanding of a central institution of our time.
Chandler revealed how managerial activity was central to the functioning of successful industrial corporations, and hence to the performance of the economy as a whole. This book gathers together contributions from management scholars fundamentally influenced by the work of Chandler to discuss management innovation, the ways in which people who exercise strategic control over the allocation of resources put in place organizational structures that can enable an enterprise to prosper and grow. The volume offers a range of perspectives to examine the challenges that corporate management encounters.