The Declaration of Independence is a great document. In it are great words to live by. It was written by great people living in very difficult times. 235 odd years later, we are still living in very difficult times. However I do not believe that this country is being run by great people any longer. I do believe the founding fathers of this country had great insight, and perhaps could even foresee some of today's problems. The Declaration of Independence states that at times it is proper to dissolve a broken government and start over. I believe that time has come.....

One of the first books to probe the latest direction in computing technology, Thierauf's and Hoctor's innovative text explores ways in which smart business systems can help pick the best, most optimal or near-optimal solutions from among hundreds, even thousands of possibilities that threaten to swamp organizational decision makers daily. Authors make clear that while past information systems have focused on generating information that is helpful in the production of knowledge over time, smart business systems, utilizing optimizing techniques, can do it quickly, more efficiently, and in ways that can raise organizations to higher levels of competitiveness. Well-illustrated with examples and discussions of typical applications in such areas as strategic planning, marketing, manufacturing, and accounting, the book will help managers at all levels tie their organization's critical success factors into its key performance indicators and financial ratios. The result is a win-win situation within your company's complex of competing needs and goals, and a way to produce directly and immediately measurable benefits on the bottom line.

The book is designed for company managers and other decision makers and for information systems professionals. It provides understanding of one of the most important developments in systems-decision making, and how these smart business systems are constructed. It is also suitable in an academic environment, specifically in undergraduate and graduate courses that cover the fundamentals of smart business systems, and which give special emphasis to optimization models. The authors explain that enterprise resource planning and supply-chain management vendors include optimization algorithms in their products and that their book will make software optimization more accessible to developers of business systems. Although optimization is undoubtedly a complicated subject, Thierauf and Hoctor go a long way toward simplifying it. In doing so, they enhance its value as an important tool for decision makers in almost all organizational capacities.

Solve the world’s biggest problems and create a better future In Building Moonshots: 50+ Ways to To Turn Radical Ideas Into Reality, a team of expert innovation strategists delivers an exciting and insightful collection of strategies, techniques, and frameworks for scaling your next big, audacious idea into a concrete product or service. Each proven and tested strategy contained in the book has been categorized to make it easy to find and implement when you need it most. You’ll learn how and where to start, when to bet big, how to invest, when to play the long game, what to communicate, and much more. You’ll also find: Ways to go beyond white papers and vision statements to a place where your ideas become a tangible reality Strategies for creating a better future by transforming seemingly impossible ideas into concrete products Methods for bringing to life radical and innovative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges Destined to become the seminal, go-to source for visionaries, gamechangers, and leaders imagining the apparently impossible and determined to achieve it, Building Moonshots is a can’t-miss book for entrepreneurs, founders, product development heads, and other business leaders.

Capitalizing on what is arguably the most important social phenomenon of our time and place—the aging of America—this book shows organizations how to market specifically to baby boomers in their third act of life. The graying of America is undeniable, with an estimated 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day. But to dismiss the baby boomer generation as a group no longer worth marketing to would be foolish. According to the Census Bureau, in 2029—the year when the last boomer will have turned 65—there will still be more than 61 million boomers, roughly 17 percent of the projected population of the United States. Boomers will still be the wealthiest generation in the United States until at least 2030, according to the Deloitte Center for Financial Services, with their share of net household wealth to peak at 50.2 percent by 2020. Boomers 3.0: Marketing to Baby Boomers in Their Third Act of Life describes how to market to baby boomers from a cultural perspective, specifically addressing the demographic group of baby boomers in their later adulthood—a period that will continue for the next two to three decades. The author uses the term "3.0" to indicate the baby boomers' third phase of life and explains how this third act of life will differ from earlier periods; accordingly, organizations should take a different approach to marketing to them than in the past. This book offers a way to contextualize business objectives within a culturally based, forward-thinking framework that fully leverages the opportunities presented by what is perhaps the biggest and most affluent customer base in history. Readers will be able to use the strategies described to map territories to stake and mine in targeting boomers, create meaningful relationships with individuals in this group, and communicate effectively with boomers to offer them products and services.

Where Do Entrepreneurs Come From? Entrepreneurs are ordinary people, with a spirit of creativity. These people create commerce. When they are successful, they create JOBS. Every living person on this planet has the fibers of creativity, just like we all have muscle fibers. Every person on this planet has the capacity to be an entrepreneur. When we exercise our muscles, we get stronger, and if we don't, our muscles get weak, and atrophy. The same concept applies to our "business creation muscles." When we train our minds to create value, for the benefit of mankind, we become stronger entrepreneurs. When we fail to train our "business fibers," business stagnates, fewer jobs are created, and eventually, companies fold, and unemployment soars. At the time of this writing, most entrepreneurs emerge as a societal "aberration," because their Spirit is so strong, they are driven by clear purpose, a willingness to learn "whatever it takes," and overcome all environmental and psychological barriers. The thesis of this book is: In order to have a thriving capitalism tomorrow, we, as a nation, have an on-going vested interest in nurturing entrepreneurs today. The book is divided into 3 major sections. Section 1) Moving Our "Economic Mentality" From Employer-Reliance To Self-Reliance Section 2) Eliminating "Spirit Killers" & Replace Them With "Spirit Builders" Section 3) Prayerful Meditation To Build Your Personal Spirit, and Create The Conditions For Miracles To Manifest in Your Business This book is a unique approach to job creation. It is NOT about tax codes, economic policy, or regulations. It is about nurturing entrepreneurs at the grass roots level. This book will remind you that if you want a "dream job," you will need to create it for yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. If you own a business, if you want to start a business, or you are interested in education reform, you will find this book thought-provoking, insightful, and uniquely valuable.

A sneak peek at the future of the internet, from one of the web’s most prescient voices In The Future Internet: How the Metaverse, Web3, and NFTs Will Transform Business & Society, acclaimed futurist, author, and digital strategist Bernard Marr delivers a compelling and engaging discussion of the technologies driving the impending—and ongoing—transformation of the internet, including blockchain, augmented reality (AR), and more. In the book, you’ll explore the risks and opportunities presented by these game-changing techs and how they might impact you, your organisation, and community. The author explains how various sectors will be revolutionised by the future internet, as industries like sports, retail, energy, healthcare, education, and others feel the effects of paradigm-shifting developments in society and technology. He also discusses: Strategies for individuals seeking to leverage the coming changes in technology, employment, and culture The potential impact of the unprecedented combination of blockchain and AR technologies Techniques for getting in on the ground floor of a new internet that places a heavy premium on participation and immersive experiences An essential and incisive exploration of what our tomorrows might bring, The Future Internet is perfect for executives, managers, and other business leaders doing their best to get a head start on tomorrow’s digital economy.

The buying habits of baby boomers really do differ from those of their parents. The authors show how marketers can use each group's consumption patterns to reach both markets most effectively. Another insight: buying habits of these groups differ according to the product or service offered. By analyzing each cohort's buying habits in various purchasing situations, the book dramatizes the need for customized marketing strategies. Based on two national surveys conducted by the Center for Mature Studies, Georgia State University, the book will be essential for marketing professionals and their academic colleagues.

Moschis and his coauthors concentrate on food products, apparel, footwear, drugs and cosmetics, housing, technology products and telecommunications services, health care, travel and leisure, and financial and insurance services. They cover preferences for selected products and services, patronage habits, methods of purchasing, motives for preferences for specific brands and services and for payment methods, and reasons for buying direct. Each chapter addresses a specific product or service category and includes analyses of survey respondents by demographic and lifestyle characteristics and media use habits. The book concludes with a discussion of the implications of their research and the ways in which it will lead marketers to design more effective strategies, not only today but in the future.

In a world where your intellectual property is your most valuable asset, patents are becoming an essential tool for achieving and maintaining a competitive edge. With billions of dollars at stake, companies are defending their patents vigorously; high-profile cases, such as Microsoft's $900 million patent dispute settlement with Sun Microsystems, and Medtronic's acquisition of a competitor's entire patent portfolio for $1.35 billion, are cases in point. While most companies will not operate at this level, the strategic management of patents, and the costs of enforcing and defending them, are becomining critical business functions. In this accessible and practical guide, Henry Heines shows readers how to apply "due diligence," a common concept in corporate finance and investing, to analyze the costs and benefits of patent management, and to navigate through the legal and technical maze. With dozens of examples from many industries, he walks readers through the various ways in which technological advances can be presented as patentable inventions and in which the patents of competitors can be confronted and evaluated. He also offers guidance in managing a portfolio of patents and inventions, regardless of whether they make it to market as products. A glossary of terms and listing of resources will make this book a handy reference for anyone involved in product development, corporate strategy, or intellectual property.

This book contributes towards the integration of the R&D function with regard to societies, nations, industries and organizations, as well as to leaders within organizations. It covers the management aspects and approaches to R&D management and provides information on the major contexts of R&D such as in production, HR, marketing and finance – functions that are essential to attracting, developing and retaining scientific manpower. The book further elaborates on organizations’ human strategic prospectives. It also suggests various types of practices to help organizations achieve their objectives and analyzes how R&D can contribute to technology, innovation and science to improve organizations’ productivity. In closing, it discusses some of the challenges faced by developing countries and presents R&D management from a global perspective.

This book provides an in-depth study of Private International Law reasoning in the field of international sale of goods contracts. It connects the dots between European and Chinese law and offers an unprecedented transversal and comparative legal study on the matter. Its main purpose is to identify the consequences of European rules on Chinese companies and vice versa. The first part addresses the conflict of jurisdiction and conflict of law rules, while the second part discusses in detail the practical importance and the impact of arbitration, which is becoming more common thanks to its flexibility. The third part focuses on the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Unidroit Principles of International Commercial Contracts and carefully analyses their use. The final part examines contracts involving consumers.

This is a fully revised edition of the successful text, Introductory Mathematics for Economists. Updated throughout, it covers the essential mathematics required by students of economics and business. The emphasis is on applying mathematics rather than providing theorems, and a wide range of applications are covered with detailed answers provided for many of the exercises.
The book is structured, and the material deliberately selected, to increase in difficulty as the book progresses. Subjects covered include: algebra; linear equations, with immediate applications in simple economic models of markets and the national economy; natural generalizations of elementary matrix algebra and non-linear equations; applications in finance; the groundwork for calculus; profit maximization for a firm, simple inventory models, and other applications of marginal concepts; integration covering both standard analytical techniques and numerical methods; partial differentiation; linear programming; and dynamic relationships in continuous terms and in discrete terms. Three appendices provide extensive treatment of trigonometric functions, an introduction to set theory, and detailed answers to all exercises provided.

""Seizing the Future" is a brilliant and exuberant antidote to the pessi-mistic poison being peddled by fashionable declinists." --Ronald Bailey, author of ECO-SCAM " A] thoughtful argument of how the next generation will focus on massive industrialization, rather than create strictly an information-based economy." --Teresa McUsic, "Morning Star-Telegram" "Marked by verve, vision, and a thorough familiarity with the field, this book buoys the spirit, challenges conventional thinking, and arms the reader as do few comparable works in futuristics. Engagingly written, and free of both jargon and pretentiousness, it sets a high standard for twenty-first-century explorations." --Arthur B. Shostak

Leaders of all kinds, in all fields, need to be methodical and logical, but also strategic, innovative, and intuitive. Yet the two different styles require different modes of thinking, or what author Mary Lou Décosterd describes as shifts to right brain, or left brain, thinking. Those who operate in what she explains as the left brain mode develop strong logical, rational, and analytical abilities, but they may downplay the value of right brain thinking, which spurs intuition, subjectivity, and creativity. And those who operate primarily in the latter mode lose the value of the former. A leader who is habitually a right-brainer sees only the big picture, rather than its parts, is creative but not usually analytical, is an emotional far more than logical. So who is more effective? Veteran consultant Décosterd shows how those with maximum success are leaders who understand both styles and have the ability to switch between the two at certain key moments to broaden their overall effectiveness. In the language of leadership, this pragmatic guide provides an all-encompassing view of how to maximize brain power and get to next-level leadership impact. Through case examples, simple assessment and unique learning tools, this book takes the reader through a new process for examining his or her current leadership style and skill sets, and framing a plan for greater success. Décosterd explains how, through use of popular leader exemplars, leadership examples and concise steps and summaries, every person can, at virtually any stage of personal and professional accomplishment, become a more consummate leader.

The world of work wasn't always what it is today. Just a few thousand years ago, all the necessities for life could be collected in 15 hours a week, with the rest of the time set aside for leisure. How did we go from hunter-gatherer society to white-collar rat race? Today, many people work in jobs with titles that would have baffled our ancestors: creative director, logistics coordinator or social media curator. Based on his immensely popular Bartleby Economist column, Philip Coggan rewrites the rules of work to help ordinary workers get through the week, filled with such sage distillations as "80% of the time of 80% of people in meetings is wasted" and "Jargon abhors a vacuum". But this book is also designed to help managers by pointing out some of the obvious traps they fall into, like corporate waffle or the hierarchy of fleas. Incisive, original, and endlessly droll, this is the guide for beleaguered underlings and harried higher-ups alike. As Rousseau might have said: "Man was born free, but is everywhere stuck in a meeting."

This book examines sequential coalition formation in oligopolies. Coalitions refer to mergers and acquisitions, cartels, and associations. The principal aim is the prediction and explanation of the coalition structure - whether an industry will emerge as a monopoly, say, or as a collection of sub-coalitions.

In environments where decisions to form coalitions are made sequentially, the prediction and explanation of the equilibrium coalition structure can differ dramatically from the textbook simultaneous-move model. This difference derives from the knowledge effect, which is unique to the sequential-move models.

Accessible and engaging, this textbook introduces students to the field of personnel psychology, also known as industrial psychology. Based on their years of teaching in this area, Luong, Sprung, and Zickar survey core topics in the field, including job analysis, recruitment, selection, assessment, and performance evaluation. Throughout, they emphasize a psychological – rather than management – approach, explaining the key psychological principles that underpin human resources practices. Supported by plentiful examples, review questions, and discussion questions, this comprehensive overview shows how personnel psychologists endeavor toward a better workplace. Written in a clear and captivating style, this book introduces students to the most recent and pertinent scientific research in personnel psychology, and inspires future study in industrial-organizational psychology and related fields.

Farazmand and his contributors examine modern organization theory and behavior. They view organization in two ways: As an organization of society into public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and they examine the power structure and those power elites who determine policy choices and outcomes. They also look at organizing activity, such as creating institutional arrangements to perform certain functions or tasks, as well as organizational entities of all sizes. Using a balanced approach to analyze modern organizations' managerial expectations and individual/citizen expectations and demands, the book presents a succinct analysis of theoretical and conceptual perspectives on modern organizations, their management, and their interactions with other organizations in an environment that is becoming increasingly global and integrated worldwide. Although all organizations are covered, the emphasis is placed mainly on public organizations. The book also addresses key issues of organizational change, reform, and reorganization of governments in both theoretical and empirical ways. A key text and handbook for scholars, students, researchers, and practitioners of public administration and the management of nonprofit organizations.

This book provides a vivid examination of the issue of consumer inequality in America—one of society's most under-discussed and critical issues—through the evaluation of real-life cases, the trend of consumers suing companies for discrimination, and the application of novel frameworks to establish legitimate consumer equality. Everyone—regardless of race, gender, or other appearance-based factors—should receive equal access and equal treatment in businesses open to the public. Unfortunately, consumer equality has yet to be achieved. In fact, marketplace discrimination remains a pervasive problem in the United States, in spite of racial inroads on other fronts—employment and housing, for example. Consumer Equality: Race and the American Marketplace is the first book to elucidate how consumer discrimination remains an unresolved, pressing, and complex issue. Written by three well-established experts on consumer discrimination and business law who have presented their research and opinions to national and local media and as expert witnesses in court cases, this book examines the multilayered problem that results in citizens being suspected of committing a crime or detained by police or security personnel because of their ethno-racial background. This book could be considered required reading for representatives of large corporations, small businesses, and any organization interested in avoiding charges of marketplace discrimination as well as civil rights groups, community organizations, and organizations concerned about social justice.