Innovation involves a set of processes which support the production and transformation of knowledge into new processes, technologies and products, goods and services, and provide an organization with particular strengths and value relative to other firms. In such a view, innovation is a key source of customer benefits and sustainable competitive advantage. Technological, Managerial and Organizational Core Competencies: Dynamic Innovation and Sustainable Development investigates the impact of knowledge management, information systems, finance, organizational networks, internationalization, strategic management, marketing, entrepreneurship, and sustainability on an organization that pursues dynamic innovation and sustainable advantage. This book provides research and practice for graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as business firms with different technological, managerial, and organizational perspectives. Further Description from the Editors: This book represents the culmination of an international project to compile inter-disciplinary research that most contributes to innovation. More specifically, this book is about innovation in firms, industries, nations and society. It speaks to professionals and researchers who want to improve their understanding of dynamic innovation and sustainable development. The Editors goal is to foster cross-pollination among researchers. To this aim, the Editors have selected and assembled 35 chapters that illustrate multidisciplinary theoretical perspectives and empiric results on innovation and the roles of Sustainability, Organizational Networks, Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Management, R&D&T (Research, Development and Technology) Management, Marketing, Finance, Internationalization, and Information Systems in the organization that pursues dynamic innovation and sustainable development. Innovation involves processes, organizational elements (or resources ), and Organizational Abilities (OA) that support the production and transformation of knowledge into new knowledge, processes, structures, technologies and products, goods and services. At the firm and industry levels of analysis, innovation can provide organizations with strengths relative to other firms, clusters, and nations and it is a key source of customer benefits and sustainable development. At the collective and societal levels of analysis, innovation can provide humanity with economic, social and environmental wealth through sustainable development. The uniqueness of this book lies in the participants efforts to identify Organizations' Creative Areas (OCA) that can provide core competencies for the organization in pursuit of dynamic innovation and sustainable development. In this perspective, innovation is a dynamic system and it is contingent upon a set of core competencies that couple to each other. Therefore, changing of even one competence can affect the organization's ability to innovate. The book avoids the term competitive advantage and adopts a more fruitful perspective of sustainable development the process of achieving human development in an inclusive, connected, equitable, prudent, and secure manner . An inclusive perspective sees traditional competitive advantage as occupying one extreme, whereas truly sustainable development occupies the opposite extreme. Sustainable development must benefit not only the organization and its customers, but also the whole society and the future of humanity through sustainability . Most chapters of this book fall between these extremes.

An inside account of the multi-billion pound world of private equity and a masterclass on the art of deal-making. The Dealmaker is a frank and honest account of how a severely dyslexic child who struggled at school went on to graduate from Oxford and become a serial entrepreneur. It describes Guy Hand's career in private equity, first at Nomura and then as head of his own company, Terra Firma. It looks in detail at the huge deals that Terra Firma has done over the years, involving everything from cinema chains and pubs to waste management, aircraft leasing and green energy. And it offers a brutally honest appraisal of the deal that almost bankrupted him - the acquisition of multinational music recording and publishing company EMI in 2007, just as a global financial crash loomed on the horizon. Above all, he gives the reader a real sense of what it's like inside the secretive world of private equity, describing in frank detail the pressures and rewards involved. Insightful and page-turning, The Dealmaker will prove inspirational and essential reading for all those who want to understand how huge business negotiations are done, and what makes one of private equity's biggest players tick.

Business sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult amongst the demands of today's markets. By implementing new and dynamic practices, organizations can optimize their day-to-day operations and improve competitive advantage. Optimal Management Strategies in Small and Medium Enterprises is a key source on the latest innovations in enhancing all main management functions, such as working capital and marketing, and examines how to implement sustainable business management practices. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as human resources development, market orientation, and knowledge management, this book is ideally designed for business managers, professionals, graduate students, and researchers working in the field of smaller-scale business development initiatives.

In many discussions of globalization and growth, attention focuses on Asia, notably China, South Korea, and India. In contrast, 'Can Latin American Firms Compete?' looks at business developments in another key emerging market region, Latin America. It examines the success and failure that Latin American firms have met with, in their own markets and elsewhere in the world, the reasons behind these outcomes, and these firms' future prospects. Including contributions from leading international experts on business in Latin America, the book draws on concepts from organization theory, industrial organization, economics, marketing, sociology, and political science. It includes sections on broad themes of competitiveness in Latin America, micro-level strategies of firms in specific sectors, the competitiveness of firms in specific countries, and competing in emerging markets. Cases examined range in size and sector, and include some of the largest firms in Latin America, such as as Embraer in Brazil, Quinenco (Luksic) in Chile, Techint in Argentina, Grupo Carso in Mexico, Cisneros in Venezuela, and Grupo Empresarial Antioqueno in Colombia. This well-informed book will be essential reading for academics, policy-makers, and those with a serious interest in business development in Latin America.

Using interdisciplinary approaches to strategic management can strengthen the decision making process. Incorporating various methods will also encourage productivity, expand knowledge of participants, and increase technical proficiency. Analytical Approaches to Strategic Decision-Making: Interdisciplinary Considerations aims to integrate different techniques into the world s fast-changing and dynamic society to better equip all readers and practitioners with the most effective knowledge. Managers, CEOs, researchers, and academics in the fields of business and leadership will all benefit from this valuable resource through an enhanced understanding of best practices in decision-making and management."

Europe needs more innovative companies that grow quickly and end up big. This book examines SME growth, innovation and success, to suggest that fast growing firms could offer a major contribution to the recovery of a European economy. The contributors examine 11 case studies from Italian firms, breaking the book up into three parts: context, actors and strategy. The topics discussed include entrepreneurship and technological clusters, innovative start-ups and growth factors, and family firms as the incubators of new ventures. Students and scholars of entrepreneurship and other related disciplines will find this book to be of interest. It will also be of use to practitioners in the field, working with and alongside SMEs. Contributors include: S. Albertini, G. Antonelli, B. Balboni, A. Berni, S. Bonesso, G. Bortoluzzi, M. Brumana, D. Campagnolo, L. Cassia, A. Comacchio, S. Consiglio, F. Crisci, C.E. De Marco, C. Dossena, V. Finotto, A. Francesconi, D. Gamba, D. Giacomini, M. Gianecchini, P. Gubitta, M.P. Iacono, F. Izzo, G. Lauto, G. Magnani, M. Martine, B. Masiello, P.A.M. Mazzurana, T. Minola, C. Muzzi, A. Onetti, A. Piccaluga, A. Pisoni, D. Pittino, P. Pressiani, T. Pucci, M. Talaia, A. Tognazzo, A. Tracogna, F. Visintin, L. Zanni, A. Zucchella

Since the first edition of The Financial Times Guide to ETFs was published in 2009, the number of ETFs in issue has doubled and ETFs are now common both on investor platforms and increasingly amongst financial advisors. This massive increase in demand has highlighted an urgent debate - just how dangerous are ETFs and how much do investors and advisers understand about the structure of the index tracker? The second edition of this book attempts to answer this debate and is the indispensable bible on trackers for professional advisers and serious private investors. This new edition also features a chapter based around the theme of Due Diligence and a new chapter on How to use ETFs and Index Funds for theLong-term, as well as a new Jargon busting section and a-new appendix looking at new ideas beginning to emerge.

Blend practical aspects of starting a wellness center and take a journey of self-exploration with a guidebook that includes extensive resources to make your vision a reality.

Using the Five Element theory of traditional Chinese medicine as a framework, you'll explore the facets of starting a business by understanding water, wood, fire, earth and metal. The five elements are a great metaphor for creating a wellness center that is well rounded and holistic.

Discover how to determine if you are ready to start your own wellness center, how to find out what already exists and what your community needs, how to develop a clear vision and mission statement, and how to target your market and build valuable partnerships.

Fulfill your dream and participate in a new system where people work to create health and don't rely exclusively on medical doctors to ensure their well-being. Plot a path of action, perform a valuable service for your community, and achieve your dreams with "A Guide to Creating Your Wellness Center."

Innovation is seen as one of the main engines of economic growth. It is generally assumed to be gender neutral when, in fact, the gendered construction of innovation has been traditionally masculine. This Handbook explores the nexus between innovation and gender by providing a wide range of studies from different analytical and methodological perspectives and from various regional and industry contexts and draws implications for a gender-inclusive innovation policy. The multi-disciplinary group of contributors discuss topics such as gender and innovation in new and small businesses, and growth businesses; addressing innovation in different organizational contexts ranging from public sector health care to mining and forestry; researching gender in innovation policy and in design and materiality. This Handbook will be useful to researchers looking to understand parallels between research on gender and innovation on one hand, and research on gender and entrepreneurship or management on the other. It will also be invaluable to students looking for an overview of research in both areas. Contributors include: R. Aidis, G.A. Alsos, N. Amble, E. Andersson, L. Andersson, P. Axelsen, K.-E. Berglund, T. Bijedic, E. Boerjesson, S. Brink, K. Ehrnberger, K. Ettl, E. Fernandes, L. Foss, C. Henry, U. Hytti, S. Ilstedt, A. Isaksson, M. Johansson, A. Kovalainen, S. Kriwoluzky, T. Kvidal-Rovik, R. Leite, M. Lindberg, B. Ljunggren, E. Ljunggren, S. Martins, S. Poutanen, S.R. Sardeshmukh, R.M. Smith, L.K. Snerthammer, M. Tillmar, F. Welter

Design is increasingly recognized as an important source of competitive advantage and an important element in innovation and new product development. In this third volume of the International Perspectives on Business Innovation and Disruption book series, editors Robert DeFillippi, Alison Rieple and Patrik Wikstrom focus on the role of design innovation in transforming industry practice. With an international cast of scholars and practitioners, this book examines how design innovation impacts the creation of new business models, innovative forms of service delivery, multinational innovation practices, the role of aesthetics and psycho spatial dynamics in fostering innovation and the types of design capabilities found in the most innovative businesses worldwide. Split into five unique sections, many chapters focus upon design thinking and conceptualize design as a user-centered, empathic and participative practice that allows diverse stakeholders to creatively contribute to business innovation. This instructive and insightful volume will be an essential resource for practitioners and managers across all organization types, both in the public and private sector, who wish to transform the ways they do business, as well as for design, management and social science students and scholars. Contributors include: M. Aftab, L. Andrawes, H. Berthold, S. Chillas, H.-P. Daae, T. Fife, A. Garrett, J. Gloppen, J. Jenkins, K. Leigh, B. Lindquister, L.H. Malinin, J. Matthews, A. McMurray, A. Moorthy, M. Mortati, E. Nusem, M. Pironti, P. Pisano, A. Rieple, N. Russell, M. Soila-Wadman, K. Straker, L. Svengren Holm, B. Townley, B. Villari, A. Williams, C. Wrigley, L. Wynn, R. Young

A growing number of companies are opting to perform increasing types of professional services in foreign countries, creating, for some companies, unprecedented opportunities to reduce costs and nucleate strategic relationships, while, for others, representing a major threat to current prosperity. ""Outsourcing and Offshoring of Professional Services: Business Optimization in a Global Economy"" discusses the considerations and implications surrounding the outsourcing and offshoring of professional services, such as software development computer-aided design, and healthcare, from multiple global perspectives. This Premier Reference Source, offering industry professionals, policymakers, students, and educators with a balance between a broad overview and detailed analysis of offshore outsourcing, is an invaluable addition to academic, research, and corporate libraries.

This book offers fresh insights into innovation management and its prerequisites. Based on these insights, the authors present a new and proven innovation system, which is being used in practice and has the potential to significantly increase the ability of enterprises to innovate. Starting with the innovation dilemma that enterprises face, the book analyses the concept of innovation as it is (mis)understood in practice, and identifies the missing element in current innovation theories - the innovation gap. Further, it asks whether today's enterprises are well suited for innovation and then describes a solution to the problems identified. The book also introduces a new and important element of the revised innovation process called "Exploration". From leadership issues to building a strong innovation model, it offers state-of-the-art knowledge, which can significantly boost the chances of innovation succeeding in enterprises.

This volume presents selected articles from the 21st Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES) Conference, which was held in Budapest (Hungary) in 2017. The theoretical and empirical papers in this volume cover various areas of business, economics, and finance from a diverse range of regions. In particular, this volume focuses on the latest trends in consumer behavior, new questions in the development of organizational strategy, and the interaction of financial economics with industrial economics and policy.

This monograph provides theoretical and practical perspectives on competency management as a key resource for producing competitive products. The authors develop and substantiate a law of dependence between competencies and emergence of new markets, and describe the practical aspects of developing competencies in high-tech companies. Further, they develop economic and mathematical models for managing the competitive advantages of a company based on competencies. Using these models, they present a method for evaluating and ranking core competencies, as well as for multi-criteria ratings of human potential efficiency. The book also discusses the mechanisms of competitiveness management based on a conceptual model of a competence center network.

This book explores three interlinked themes: the models and nature of organizational change; the implementation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR); and the management of contemporary public sector organizations. The authors describe and evaluate a BPR programme in a major NHS teaching hospital - its successes and its shortcomings.

This book focuses on the theory and practice involved in the management of innovative activities that enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, industries and economies. It presents a multi-criteria approach to the problem of selecting effective innovative projects and innovative technologies that increase competitiveness in high-tech industries. Further, the book develops a mathematical risk assessment model, and proposes new approaches for systematically identifying and assessing the probability of risk emergence. Lastly, it demonstrates how simulation models can be used to assess the impact of innovative technologies on the competitiveness of high-tech products.

Managers and executives know the importance of integrating business strategy and IT strategy for competitive advantage. Via numerous real-world examples and anecdotes, this book investigates myriad issues regarding the application of business strategy and IT strategy. Specifically, it focuses on how business/IT alignment is assessed, the factors that aid or hinder its integration, a maturity assessment and way in which managers can implement strategic information systems within their firms using various constructs and models. Strategic Information Technology: Opportunities for Competitive Advantage provides managers with an understanding and appreciation for the development of business and information technologies strategies to yield competitive advantage.