The poignant rise and fall of an idealistic immigrant who, as CEO of a major conglomerate, tried to change the way America did business before he himself was swallowed up by corporate corruption. At 8 a.m. on February 3, 1975, Eli Black leapt to his death from the 44th floor of Manhattan's Pan Am building. The immigrant-turned-CEO of United Brands-formerly United Fruit, now Chiquita-Black seemed an embodiment of the American dream. United Brands was transformed under his leadership-from the "octopus," a nickname that captured the corrupt power the company had held over Latin American governments, to "the most socially conscious company in the hemisphere," according to a well-placed commentator. How did it all go wrong? Eli and the Octopus traces the rise and fall of an enigmatic business leader and his influence on the nascent project of corporate social responsibility. Born Menashe Elihu Blachowitz in Lublin, Poland, Black arrived in New York at the age of three and became a rabbi before entering the business world. Driven by the moral tenets of his faith, he charted a new course in industries known for poor treatment of workers, partnering with labor leaders like Cesar Chavez to improve conditions. But risky investments, economic recession, and a costly wave of natural disasters led Black away from the path of reform and toward corrupt backroom dealing. Now, two decades after Google's embrace of "Don't be evil" as its unofficial motto, debates about "ethical capitalism" are more heated than ever. Matt Garcia presents an unvarnished portrait of Black's complicated legacy. Exploring the limits of corporate social responsibility on American life, Eli and the Octopus offers pointed lessons for those who hope to do good while doing business.

This open access book reconstructs and examines a crucial episode of Anglo-Iberian diplomatic rivalry: the clash between the Portuguese-sponsored Jesuit missionaries and the English East India Company (EIC) at the Mughal court between 1580 and 1615. This 35-year period includes the launch of the first Jesuit mission to Akbar's court in 1580 and the preparation of the royal embassy led by Sir Thomas Roe to negotiate the concession of trading privileges to the EIC, and encompasses not only the extension of the conflict between the Iberian crowns and England into Asia, but also the consolidation of the Mughal Empire. The book examines the proselytizing and diplomatic activities of the Jesuit missionaries, the evolution of English diplomatic strategies concerning the Mughal Empire, and how the Mughal authorities instigated and exploited Anglo-Iberian rivalry in the pursuit of specific commercial, geopolitical, and ideological agendas.

Volume 26 of Studies in the Development of Accounting Thought was written by the late Professor Kevin Christopher Carduff, who taught at several institutions including Case Western Reserve University and the College of Charleston. Establishing a historical account explaining financial reporting's current form, Corporate Reporting examines the complete annual reports from 1902 to 2006 of The United States Steel Corporation - the first United States' company to attain the billion-dollar capitalization in U.S. markets. Studies in the Development of Accounting Thought informs readers of the historical foundations on which the profession is based, the historical antecedents of today's accounting institutions, the historical impact of accounting, as well as exploring the lives and works of pre-eminent individuals in the profession's history. The series focuses on bringing the past into today and using it to point towards the future. Topics featured include finding and utilizing archival materials; the growing importance of the Internet in historical research; the issues involved in writing to historical paradigms; and the pivotal influence and immediacy of oral history.

This work uses case studies to explore why large scale electronics failed to win a leadership position in the early computer industry and why IBM, a firm with a heritage in the business machines industry, succeeded. The cases cover both the US and the UK industry, focusing on electronics giants GE, RCA, English Electric, EMI and Ferranti.

H. Leslie Moody and Frances Johnson Moody never owned the company outright, but their dreams shaped North Carolina's Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc. and drove it forward to the satisfaction of an emerging, increasingly modern post-World War II America. Hyalyn's reputation for high quality led to its association with top designers like Michael and Rosemary Lax, Eva Zeisel, Georges Briard, Charles Leslie Fordyce, Herbert Cohen, Erwin Kalla, and Esta Brodey. Before moving to North Carolina in 1945, ceramic engineer and designer Less Moody prepared to organize and operate Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc. From Zanesville's Mosaic Tile Company, Ohio State University's ceramics department, Love Field Pottery, Abingdon Pottery, San Jose Potteries, and Rookwood Pottery, he gained expertise in clay formulation, glaze chemistry, product design, plant operation, project planning, advertising, and employee management. With the aid of investors, his dream came true when, in 1946, Hyalyn's first lamp bases and flower containers emerged from the shop's tunnel kiln. Thoroughly documented and illustrated with 425 images, hyalyn: America's Finest Porcelain is a complete history of Hyalyn Porcelain, Inc., and its successors, Hyalyn Cosco, Hyalyn, Ltd., and Vanguard Studios.

The Beatles. The Beach Boys. Blur, Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush and Coldplay. EMI was one of the big four record companies, with some of the biggest names in the history of recorded music on its roster. Dominating the music industry for over 100 years, by 2010 EMI Group had reported massive pre-tax losses. The group was divided up and sold in 2011. How could one of the greatest recording companies of the 20th century have ended like this? With interviews from insiders and music industry experts, Eamonn Forde pieces together the tragic end to a financial juggernaut and a cultural institution in forensic detail. The Final Days of EMI: Selling the Pig is the story of the British recording industry, laid bare in all its hubris and glory.

Lessons on product, quality, innovation, and longevity from the "First Family of Bourbon" The Big Man of Jim Beam delves into the life and times of legendary distiller F. Booker Noe III, grandson of Jim Beam and father of the bourbon boom. A true American original who left his mark on everything he did and everyone he met, this charismatic, opinionated man turned the Jim Beam company into the world's largest bourbon distillery and secured his product's place in the cultural psyche. This book tells his story, from growing up in the "First Family of Bourbon" to becoming master distiller, offering insights and guidance for creating brands and products that stand the test of time. His commitment to innovation and quality earned him legendary status and tremendous business growth; the discussion keys in on some of his most prized creations, including one of the first super-premium bourbons on the market, and the small batch collection that laid the groundwork for bourbon's modern resurgence. Jim Beam is a distinctly American brand that has tapped into the collective consciousness and leveraged vision into growth. This book tells the story of the man behind the brand, and his approach to his work, his product, his company, and his people. * Read colorful stories about growing up as "bourbon royalty" * Trace Booker's journey from apprentice to world's largest bourbon distiller * Learn how innovation and a commitment to quality delivers product longevity * Gain deep, personal insight on creating a brand that becomes a legend Booker was the sixth generation of the Beam family to make bourbon, and he grew an empire. Driven by commitment, vision, and a singular sort of ambition, his success offers many lessons to anyone in business. The Big Man of Jim Beam tells the story, and digs out the wisdom and insight from this legendary leader.

In 1962, Masahiro Shima founded Shima Seiki, with the aim of developing a fully automated seamless glove-knitting machine. Following this success, the company expanded into flat knitting machines. However, the age of the computer brought a whole new era for Shima Seiki. By committing to computerization in its mainstream products, Shima Seiki gradually began to stand apart from its competitors. Shima Seiki's focus on computer-aided knit design and programming, in fact led to a revolution in the fashion industry. Written by the inventor himself, this book looks at how Masahiro Shima developed both the technology and philosophy to enable his company to be market leaders in industrial knitting machines - and fundamentally change the fashion industry. This culminated in the launch of the company's Wholegarment knitting machine in 1995, which altered forever the way knitted garments are produced, and which today is used by fashion manufacturers across the world.

This study analyzes the influence of big business on the economic, political, and social structure of twentieth-century America. The author examines the development of a mass production and consumption economy and argues that the corporation became a key institutional force in the United States.

The disciplines of strategic intelligence at the governmental level and competitive business intelligence constitute accepted methods of decision-supporting to prevent mistakes and strategic surprise. This research discovered that many researchers in the intelligence field feel that intelligence methodology in both contexts has reached a "glass ceiling." Thus far, research has focused separately on national intelligence and intelligence in business, without any attempt to benchmark from one field to the other. This book shows that it is possible to use experience gained in the business field to improve intelligence practices in national security, and vice versa through mutual learning. The book's main innovation is its proposition that mutual learning can be employed in the context of a model distinguishes between concentrated and diffused surprises to provide a breakthrough in the intelligence field, thereby facilitating better prediction of the surprise development. We Never Expected That: A Comparative Study of Failures in National and Business Intelligence focuses on a comparison between how states, through their intelligence organizations, cope with strategic surprises and how business organizations deal with unexpected movement in their field. Based on this comparison, the author proposes a new model which can better address the challenge of avoiding strategic surprises. This book can contribute significantly to the study of intelligence, which will become more influential in the coming years.

Sneaker Wars is the fascinating true story of the enemy brothers behind Adidas and Puma, two of the biggest global brands of athletic footwear. Adi and Rudi Dassler started their shoe business in their mother's laundry room and achieved almost instantaneous success. But by the end of World War II a vicious feud had torn the Dasslers apart, dividing their company and their family and launching them down separate, often contentious paths. Out of the fires of their animosity, two rival sneaker brands were born, brands that would revolutionize the world of professional sports, sparking astonishing behind-the-scenes deals, fabulous ad campaigns, and multimillion-dollar contracts for pro athletes, from Joe Namath to Muhammad Ali to David Beckham.