How are multiculturalism, inequality and belonging understood in the day-to-day thinking and practices of local government? Examining original empirical data, this book explores how local government officers and politicians negotiate 'difficult subjects' linked with community cohesion policy: diversity, inequality, discrimination, extremism, migration, religion, class, power and change. The book argues that such work necessitates 'uncomfortable positions' when managing ethical, professional and political commitments. Based on first-hand experience of working in urban local government and extensive ethnographic, interview and documentary research, the book applies governmentality perspectives in a new way to consider how people working within government are subject to regimes of governmentality themselves, and demonstrates how power operates through emotions. Its exploration of how 'sociological imaginations' are applied beyond academia will be valuable to those arguing for the future of public services and building connections between the university and wider society, including scholars and students in sociology, social policy, social geography, urban studies and politics, and policy practitioners in local and central government. Winner of the BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize 2014

This book presents various methods for sustainability assessment of energy systems, under various different conditions and scenarios. It answers the questions of how to measure the sustainability of energy systems by adopting appropriate metrics and methods. This book provides readers with a comprehensive view of the frontiers of sustainability assessment methods for energy system analysis. It presents various methodologies, allowing readers to understand: the complete metrics for sustainability assessment; life cycle thinking for sustainability assessment of energy systems; and the advanced sustainability assessment methods for energy systems. This book is of interest to researchers, engineers, decision makers, and postgraduate students within the field of energy systems, sustainability, and decision analysis.

Dr. Williams contends that over the last 20 years a change has occurred in organizations that has created a syndrome of dysfunctions that are neither good for businesses nor for the people who work in them. Williams sees businesses as living entities, and argues that how they act and react will have an impact on their employees, and often a devastating impact. In much the same way as businesses make decisions, people make choices, and seldom are these decisions and choices congruent. Unless disparate self-interests and goals can be reconciled--unless a partnership can be restored between people and their organizations--not only will employees be damaged, but the success of their organization, upon which they depend for their livelihoods, will be jeopardized. How this dangerous situation came about, what it means, and how it can be remedied is the subjet of Dr. Williams' book. Research-based and always in touch with the realities of commerce, Dr. Williams will make business people aware that organizations and their people must become reunited, and then show them how it can be done.

Dr. Williams makes clear he is not simply speculating or theorizing. His goal is to make management aware of the dysfunctions that are damaging their organizations, and how these are reflected in the behaviors of their employees. When he calls for a focus on humanity, spirit, and context, Dr. Williams is actually offering a workable, real-world strategy to breathe new life into organizations of all kinds--a strategy he calls The Trinity Process. Its purpose: to help management restore the essential partnership between organizational entities and the people who make them succeed or fail. In Part One he shows what it means to be part of any organization and, with anecdotes and cases from his own research, helps readers grasp the dynamics of their own organizations. In Part Two he proposes new or reframed paradigms that provide an underpinning for the reestablishment of equality between organizations and their employees. Then, in Part Three he presents The Trinity Process itself. The result is a remarkably lucid, readable, engrossing exploration of organizational life today, important reading for decision makers in all types of organizations, public as well as private, and for academics concerned with how organizations behave.

This essential metaheuristics tutorial provides descriptions and practical applications in the area of business analytics. It addresses key problems in predictive and prescriptive analysis, while also illustrating how problems that arise in business analytics can be modelled and how metaheuristics can be used to find high-quality solutions. Readers will be introduced to decision-making problems for which metaheuristics offer the most effective solution technique. The book not only shows business problem modelling on a spreadsheet but also how to design and create a Visual Basic for Applications code. Extra Material can be downloaded at http://extras.springer.com/978-3-319-68117-7.

Develop the mindset and presence to successfully manage others for the first time. If you read nothing else on becoming a new manager, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you transition from being an outstanding individual contributor to becoming a great manager of others. This book will inspire you to: Develop your emotional intelligenceInfluence your colleagues through the science of persuasionAssess your team and enhance its performanceNetwork effectively to achieve business goals and for personal advancementNavigate relationships with employees, bosses, and peersGet support from aboveView the big picture in your decision makingBalance your team's work and personal life in a high-intensity workplace This collection of articles includes "Becoming the Boss," by Linda A. Hill; "Leading the Team You Inherit," by Michael D. Watkins; "Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves," by Carol A. Walker; "Managing the High-Intensity Workplace," by Erin Reid and Lakshmi Ramarajan; "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion," Robert B. Cialdini; "What Makes a Leader?" by Daniel Goleman; "The Authenticity Paradox," by Herminia Ibarra; "Managing Your Boss," by John J. Gabarro and John P. Kotter; "How Leaders Create and Use Networks," by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Lee Hunter; "Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?" by William Oncken, Jr., and Donald L. Wass; and BONUS ARTICLE: "How Managers Become Leaders," by Michael D. Watkins.

Knowledge management metrics are one of the weakest areas of practice in the field. Overwhelmingly, the literature that exists focuses on case studies and incidents of metrics, rather than approaching the concept holistically. Addressing this lack, expert authors Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Farah Gheriss and Denise Bedford come together to supply a fundamental discussion of measurement cultures and philosophy, types of metrics, and how to use metrics to grow an organization. They offer a guide for knowledge management professionals to report on progress against goals and targets in terms that are understandable and comparable to their organizational peers, enabling professionals from across businesses to communicate with metrics and engage in wider discussion about the process of achieving organizational visions. Providing practical guidance for identifying different types of measurements and metrics, as well as methods for defining and collection information about metrics, this is an essential book for knowledge management professionals and researchers on the path to improving metric literacy across their organizations.

Data and its processed state 'information' have become an indispensable resource for virtually all aspects of business, education, etc. Consequently, decisions regarding the handling of this data, transforming it into meaningful information, and ultimately arriving at the best course of action have taken on a new importance. This book highlights a selection of cutting-edge research on decision making presented at the 25th International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM 2019), held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Investment in any new project invariably carries risk but the construction industry is subject to more risk and uncertainty than perhaps any other industry. This guide for construction managers, project managers and quantity surveyors as well as for students shows how the risk management process improves decision-making. Managing Risk in Construction Projects offers practical guidance on identifying, assessing and managing risk and provides a sound basis for effective decision-making in conditions of uncertainty. The book focuses on theoretical aspects of risk management but also clarifies procedures for undertaking and utilising decisions. This blend of theory and practice is the real message of the book and, with a strong authorship team of practitioners and leading academics, the book provides an authoritative guide for practitioners having to manage real projects. It discusses a number of general concepts, including projects, project phases, and risk attitude before introducing various risk management techniques. This third edition has been extended to recognize the reality of multi-project or programme management and the risks in this context; to highlight the particular problems of risk in international joint ventures; and to provide more coverage of PFI and PPP. With case studies and examples of good practice, the book offers the distilled knowledge of over 100 man-years of experience in working on all aspects of project risk, giving sound practical guidance on identifying, assessing and managing risk.

... an impassioned work ... - Social and Environmental Accounting Journal Vol. 26 Issue 1 || Mr Waddell synthesizes the lessons from ... examples and provides guidance on how other organizations can move away from an adverserial approach and adopt the philosophy that "we're all in it together". - The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 29 September 2005 || By taking a stakeholder engagement and issue/opportunity-centric strategy, the book aims to make it easier to solve differences. It does so by identifying sources of tension and opportunity and describes the processes of building relationships that can produce mutual rewards. - Sustainability Radar, August 2005 || SLC is a brave and timely step forward, showing us that we can create solutions through enhanced engagement and the re-framing of issues for the common good. www.publish.csiro.au/ecos. Read the full review - ECOS: Australia's magazine on Sustainability - Sophie Constance || A readable book full of valuable insights. - Long Range Planning Vol. 39 (2006)

... an impassioned work ... - Social and Environmental Accounting Journal Vol. 26 Issue 1 || Mr Waddell synthesizes the lessons from ... examples and provides guidance on how other organizations can move away from an adverserial approach and adopt the philosophy that "we're all in it together". - The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 29 September 2005 || By taking a stakeholder engagement and issue/opportunity-centric strategy, the book aims to make it easier to solve differences. It does so by identifying sources of tension and opportunity and describes the processes of building relationships that can produce mutual rewards. - Sustainability Radar, August 2005 || SLC is a brave and timely step forward, showing us that we can create solutions through enhanced engagement and the re-framing of issues for the common good. www.publish.csiro.au/ecos. Read the full review - ECOS: Australia's magazine on Sustainability - Sophie Constance || A readable book full of valuable insights. - Long Range Planning Vol. 39 (2006)

Tap into the wisdom of experts to learn what every engineering manager should know. With 97 short and extremely useful tips for engineering managers, you'll discover new approaches to old problems, pick up road-tested best practices, and hone your management skills through sound advice. Managing people is hard, and the industry as a whole is bad at it. Many managers lack the experience, training, tools, texts, and frameworks to do it well. From mentoring interns to working in senior management, this book will take you through the stages of management and provide actionable advice on how to approach the obstacles you'll encounter as a technical manager. A few of the 97 things you should know: "Three Ways to Be the Manager Your Report Needs" by Duretti Hirpa "The First Two Questions to Ask When Your Team Is Struggling" by Cate Huston "Fire Them!" by Mike Fisher "The 5 Whys of Organizational Design" by Kellan Elliott-McCrea "Career Conversations" by Raquel Velez "Using 6-Page Documents to Close Decisions" by Ian Nowland "Ground Rules in Meetings" by Lara Hogan

This graduate-level textbook covers modelling, programming and analysis of stochastic computer simulation experiments, including the mathematical and statistical foundations of simulation and why it works. The book is rigorous and complete, but concise and accessible, providing all necessary background material. Object-oriented programming of simulations is illustrated in Python, while the majority of the book is programming language independent. In addition to covering the foundations of simulation and simulation programming for applications, the text prepares readers to use simulation in their research. A solutions manual for end-of-chapter exercises is available for instructors.

Focusing on modern business systems from within the modern Russian context, this book examines how companies can become leading competitors globally within their industries through new decision making processes. Whilst current practices support the sustainability of a business system in terms of maintaining normal functionality and the prevention of crises, there is a need to consider the goals of leading organizations with larger business systems and greater resources. These goals can be more global in their focus and envisage the creation or strengthening of competitive advantages. Contributors of this book explore large scale industries specializing in hi-tech spheres of economy and instigate innovative activity in the face of high-levels of competition. Specific industries analyzed in this content include digital medicine, energy efficiency and car manufacturers. Using models of optimization and a range of real-world case studies, the book provides tools, technological analysis and techniques for practitioners to use within their own decision-making practices. For scholars researching business management, leadership and decision-making, this book also offers a useful insight into how optimized decision-making processes can be applied to the modern business system.

Why is the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world? Why did Facebook succeed when other social networking sites failed? Did the surge in Iraq really lead to less violence? How much can CEO's impact the performance of their companies? And does higher pay incentivize people to work hard?
If you think the answers to these questions are a matter of common sense, think again. As sociologist and network science pioneer Duncan Watts explains in this provocative book, the explanations that we give for the outcomes that we observe in life--explanation that seem obvious once we know the answer--are less useful than they seem.
Drawing on the latest scientific research, along with a wealth of historical and contemporary examples, Watts shows how common sense reasoning and history conspire to mislead us into believing that we understand more about the world of human behavior than we do; and in turn, why attempts to predict, manage, or manipulate social and economic systems so often go awry.
It seems obvious, for example, that people respond to incentives; yet policy makers and managers alike frequently fail to anticipate how people will respond to the incentives they create. Social trends often seem to have been driven by certain influential people; yet marketers have been unable to identify these "influencers" in advance. And although successful products or companies always seem in retrospect to have succeeded because of their unique qualities, predicting the qualities of the next hit product or hot company is notoriously difficult even for experienced professionals.
Only by understanding how and when common sense fails, Watts argues, can we improve how we plan for the future, as well as understand the present--an argument that has important implications in politics, business, and marketing, as well as in science and everyday life.

This book will help you deal with the hundreds of decisions you are faced with every day. It will show you how:

• The mind processes information
• Biological, physiological, and psychological factors influence thinking
• To better prepare yourself to address probable influences on your decisions
• To unleash the creative potential in your mind

This book distills what behavioral science has discovered related to how people, especially those in business, make decisions. Making Better Business Decisions will enable decision-makers to:

• Recognize and focus on the truly important decisions that require critical thinking
• Analyze options more clearly and creatively
• Reduce decisional time and effort
• Improve judgement quality

Awareness and application of the material contained within will enable us not only to improve our own decisions, but will also provide the means for us to understand how and why others decide as they do.

Applying rational decisional techniques or intuition can most likely solve our everyday routine, repetitive, and minor problems. As decisions become more important and problems become more difficult, the energy required by critical thinking skills and creative problem solving can improve the quality of our thought processes and increase the likelihood of uncovering optimal solutions.

Colorfull provides a roadmap for creating a company culture that is truly inclusive, welcoming, and equitable. With actionable strategies supported by first-hand interviews with Fortune 500 CEOs and CHROs, Colorfull unlocks the secrets for creating workplaces that consistently attract, develop, and retain professionals of color. Rich in substance, candor, and reassurance, Colorfull cuts to the heart of why so many organizations struggle to make meaningful progress with DEI initiatives. Without blame or recrimination, the author articulates the unspoken fears that prevent most leaders from seeing the results they want-and need-in order to remain competitive in an evolving market. Colorfull shows leaders how to step outside comfort zones, lead DEI from the top down, and create corporate cultures that will truly attract and retain top talent of color. Any hiring manager, CEO, or DEI manager will benefit from the insights throughout, empowering them to bring truly transformative change to their organizations. This one-of-a-kind read is packed with real world scenarios, true stories from those who've tried, failed, tried again, and are still on the journey by using the leadership strategies presented here. Colorfull pulls back the curtain in a non-threatening, engaging way that makes success with DEI both accessible and attainable.

LEADING FROM PURPOSE IS TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP AT THE WORLD'S TOP COMPANIES 'I can't imagine leading Ben & Jerry's without it' Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry's 'Makes lives deeper, organisations stronger and society more cohesive.' Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever 'Purpose has really enhanced my impact as a leader.' Ralph Hamers, CEO of ING Bank 'My purpose has acted as a guiding light to help me centre and ground myself to lead effectively when it's needed most.' Loren Shuster, Chief People Officer at LEGO Drawing on ten years of experience working with more than 10,000 executives from companies around the world, Nick Craig takes you on a revelatory journey to understand your purpose, find clarity and focus and lead with inspiration. When uncovered, purpose becomes our most fundamental guiding principle. Explaining where true purpose lies and demystifying where it doesn't, Craig offers the methods through which anyone can find their purpose. He identifies three pathways that will assess where you are going with your purpose and where you should be going. In Leading from Purpose, Craig shares unique stories to show how top leaders are energized by their purpose, finding in it the confidence they need to properly evaluate high-stakes decisions and take the optimal action. Accessible, methodical and eminently practical, this book offers the comprehensive toolbox with which everyone - whether a c-suite executive or a behind-the-scenes office worker - can live out their purpose and achieve success on their own terms. With a foreword by Daring Greatly author Brene Brown.

< p=""> The book covers the domain of multi-criteria decision making, a topic which has gained significant attention of researchers and practitioners spanning a variety of disciplines for enhancing their decision making in real life situation. The topics in this volume help readers understand the techniques in the model building and analysis stage. The chapters cover a variety of techniques and their applications for interesting problems. This book will be of interest to readers in diverse disciplines such as engineering, business, management, humanities, psychology and law. ^

This book presents state-of-the-art research on responsible operations practices. The book identifies the challenges and opportunities arising from the shift towards responsible business operations and examines these issues through the lenses of operations management, emphasizing the supply chain transformations associated with these changes. Developing a responsible business model presents a great opportunity for firms to differentiate in the marketplace through innovative models and insights around responsible operations and supply chain management. To do so, companies in many industries are changing their practices around sourcing materials, supplier compliance around processes and labor, scientific and sustainable approaches to farming in emerging countries, managing counterfeiting risks, and public health management. Responsible Business Operations: Challenges and Opportunities is divided into three sections. Section 1 focuses on environmental responsibility for companies. It also explores alternative energy solutions for both the developed and developing world, as well as worldwide carbon footprint reduction efforts. Section 2 is dedicated to social responsibility, with chapters covering topics including improving agricultural food chains and humanitarian challenges for businesses. Finally Section 3 promotes ethical responsibility, analyzing ways to improve supplier compliance to product, process and ethical standards.

Growing tensions and disagreements over globalization, as well as the role of multinational enterprises in the global economy, and competition among countries, has made the challenge of managing reputation across national institutional environments increasingly complex. Global Aspects of Reputation and Strategic Management addresses these critical strategic issues by exploring how country-level factors influence reputation development and how reputation obtained in one context can be transferred to another. This volume of Research in Global Strategic Management addresses three broad themes - Managing a Global Reputation, National Context and Reputation, and Approaches to Reputation Measurement - and identifies opportunities for future research on global aspects of reputation and strategic management to inspire and strengthen this key area. The complexity resulting from this multi-level exploration of reputation makes illuminating reading for researchers and scholars in the areas of international business, strategy and management, as well as for practitioners wanting to develop and implement an international strategy.

Under the increasing influence of globalization, integration and technological progress, modern business systems have become highly complex in terms of their organization, strategies and management. Specifics of Decision Making in Modern Business Systems: Regularities and Tendencies concentrates on how this changing context of the modern business system affects the process of decision making within organizations and corporations. With a focus on the regularities and tendencies of decision making within modern Russian business systems, the numerous contributors provide alternative and innovative ways to optimize and develop the process of decision making within businesses globally. This includes the use of forecasting within the consumer market, a consideration of public-private partnerships, and the development of a cluster platform to unify large, medium and small businesses. Specifics of Decision Making in Modern Business Systems provides a useful insight into the optimization of decision making within businesses for researchers and practitioners working within information economy creation and development and management strategy.

Why do we make the decisions we do? And how can we understand what influences our decisions? Non-Corporeal Actant Theory explores decisions and outcomes through the perspective of values, beliefs, ideas, and concepts - all integral parts of our everyday lives and the actor-networks that we take part in as decision-makers. Connecting Values to Action: Non-Corporeal Actants and Choice brings together a cast of expert contributors to delve into this theory and its ramifications for our lives. With chapters that analyze decisions made by death-defying free climbers, indigenous people facing the loss of their culture, and corporates responding to the #MeToo movement, editor Christopher M. Hartt examines how decisions are affected by the widening range of actor-networks that come with social media and technological development. For anyone struggling to understand how a decision is made, Connecting Values to Action offers a pathway to finding the causes of that decision. Exploring the role of non-corporeal actants on the very real consequences of decisions, this is an unmissable book for students and researchers of management and decision-making.