This book provides an integrated overview of key trends in digital transformation, taking into consideration five interrelated dimensions: strategy and business models, society, organization, technology and regulation. As such, it provides a framework for the analysis of digital business transformation and its emerging factors, analyzing twenty-five key trends in terms of their future impact. On that basis, the book then delineates a new approach centered on the mutually accelerating links between multiple value creation spaces. It proposes a new mode of production - accelerated production of links (acceluction) - and analyzes it with respect to the still-dominant concept of lean production. Based on the results of the international CIGREF research program ISD, the book presents a valuable perspective of the expected impact of the abundance of networks and data as critical resources for enterprises beyond 2020.

Communicating with the Multicultural Consumer highlights demographic changes impacting the consumer marketplace in the United States. Growing multiculturalism creates both new opportunities for marketers as well as new challenges. With a balance of theoretical and practical perspectives, this text explores how to develop successful campaigns targeting Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Complete with current examples and case studies, it addresses the key issues that must be kept in mind when creating effective communications programs for ethnic consumers - from marketing mix elements to cultural norms and values. Communicating with the Multicultural Consumer is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in specialized courses dealing with ethnic advertising or marketing. It is also an effective supplementary text for introductory advertising, marketing or mass communication courses, and would be useful to advertising practitioners - whether on the client side or within the advertising agency.

This book presents latest research on the evolution of consumer services, as these services continue to become a larger part of the economy in the world. Four core focal points lead the central message of the book: first, theconvergence of back and front offices; second, placing the client as a fundamental input of services production and delivery process, and 'industrializing'thecustomers'roletocombineefficiencyand experience; third, the constitution and role of inputs necessary for the configuration, production and delivery of the service, with the crucial roleof 'operationalizing' thecustomers' experience; and fourth, the adoption of new technologies and the appropriate transfer of manufacturing managerial practices through service industrialization.

This is a special volume of articlesbased on solid research and analysis, including conceptualization of the important issues, as well as recommendations for managers. It presents case histories and managerial practices in some key sectors, such as financial services, health care, tourism/hospitality, entertainment and media, online services and home and personal services

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Sustainable Self-Governance in Businesses and Society offers a sound introduction to Stafford Beer's Viable System Model (VSM) and clarifies its relevance to support organisational sustainability and self-governance. While the VSM has been known since the early 1980s, it hasn't been always easy to understand and to apply. It explains the self-transformation methodology to analyse the way organisations manage (or not) their complexity and govern themselves. The work is supported by multiple examples of application in organisations of all scales - from small to multi-national corporations and from organised social networks to communities and national organisations. It clarifies the relevance of Beer's theory to support systemic learning and change in organisations, and to coach them to self-organise and self-govern. Readers interested in further understanding insights from complex systems and cybernetics theories for designing and transforming organisations will benefit from this book, as it works to offer very detailed insights on how to put the VSM theory into practice. It clarifies how it improves adaptive capabilities, agile and self-regulated structures, more capable of fully implementing corporate sustainability strategies and self-governing themselves. The chapters provide key reading for managers, consultants, practitioners, and post-graduate students working in organisational transformation, governance, and sustainability.

Written in a novel format, this book addresses the challenge of changing a "sick" culture. Some organizations wake up one day and realize they have become something they never intended. Their employees run scared. There is no innovation, only blind obedience. There are warlords within the ranks of management, and they fight over turf without considering the best interests of customers, their employees, or their organization as a whole. At the Charleston, SC, branch of Copper-Bottom Insurance, the wakeup call comes when an employee files a lawsuit against the company and its leaders. The Charleston division Vice President, Jack Simmons, is put on probation and given an ultimatum: "Change the culture!" Jack understands the "or be fired" implication all too well. He scrambles to find help and runs into an old friend, Don Spears, from Friedman Electronics. With Don's help, Jack begins the journey that will heal his organization. In the course of their first visit, Don and his Director of Continuous Improvement, Tim Stark, help Jack to make an important discovery: Copper-Bottom's executives are not showing their people respect. Don and Tim point to the following observations as proof. Copper-Bottom leaders are Using top-down, "command-and-control" leadership behaviors rather than recognizing their people as Subject Matter Experts and listening to them Issuing instructions to their people rather than observing then improving performance through coaching Keeping employees in the dark as to the impact their work has on the organization's mission Unaware of the obstacles in their people's paths; hence, never using the authority of their positions to remove those obstacles Staying in their offices, aloof to the difficulties their subordinates face As Don and Tim see it, Copper-Bottom's problems stem from the way its leaders lead. After the executive who precipitated the lawsuit is let go, the Friedman team begins the process of teaching Copper-Bottom's executives that a healthy culture begins at the leadership level. Don, Friedman's General Manager, states that cultures change when their leaders change. In short, leaders need to initiate the changes in the culture by first demonstrating the desired behavior. So begins the process of reeducating Copper-Bottom's leaders in the difference between managing and leading. In short order, Tim begins to work with Jack's leadership team while Don takes Jack to Friedman's Oakland facility. There Jack learns To first concentrate on surrounding himself with the right people The importance of top-down metrics to which leaders first hold themselves accountable Cascading their metrics (KPIs) down through their organization and using a dialog about them as a way of developing relationships of respect Although a long way from complete, by the end of Jack's six-month probation, Copper-Bottom has made significant strides and is well on its way to changing its culture. Jack will learn that he is not the only one to appreciate the new developments.

Business and Economics of Port Management is a comprehensive but concise textbook and reference for insights into the workings of port industry from the business and economics perspectives. The book examines port management from various entities which include the government, port operator, shipping line, logistics companies and other port service providers. It provides in-depth discussions on strategic issues, challenges and disruptions that are faced by this industry. Given the uniqueness of each port and international nature of the port business, the book comes with useful case studies and lessons from different port regions around the world. Key lessons on challenges and issues faced by port managers, developers and regulators are highlighted and discussed using a combination of professional insights and publicly available information sources. The aim is to illustrate the decision-making process with the purpose of contributing to better outcomes for the industry, government and the public at large. Anyone who is approaching the subject matter will gain utmost understanding of how ports are critical in the global economy and societal well-being.

This book is about the rise of data as a driver of innovation and economic growth. It charts the evolution of business data as a valuable resource and explores some of the key business, economic and social issues surrounding the data-driven revolution we are currently going through. Readers will gain an understanding of the historical underpinnings of the data business and why the collection and use of data has been driven by commercial needs. Readers will also gain insights into the rise of the modern data-driven technology giants, their business models and the reasons for their success. Alongside this, some of the key social issues including privacy are considered and the challenges these pose to policymakers and regulators. Finally, the impact of pervasive computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) is explored in the context of the new sources of data that are being generated. This book is useful for students and practitioners wanting to better understand the origins and drivers of the current technological revolution and the key role that data plays in innovation and business success.

Typically entrenched and systemic, healthcare problems require the sort of comprehensive solutions that can only be addressed by a change in culture and a shift in thinking. Organizations around the world are using Lean to redesign care and improve processes in a way that achieves and sustains meaningful results for patients, staff, physicians, and health systems. This book demonstrates how honest appraisal, intelligent planning, and vigilant follow-up have led to dramatic improvements in a variety of healthcare settings across the world. It teaches us how innovative organizations can find sustainable solutions to seemingly intractable problems by following a path guided by Lean Thinking. Lean methods may not solve every healthcare problem, but as these cases prove, changing a culture rather than personnel results in more effective sustainable change. This multi-authored book provides expert descriptions of Lean methods and their application in healthcare, written by the people who developed and tested the methods in healthcare settings. Each chapter brings together a description of the technique or approach, with examples of application in practice from the author's own practice. Authors use an engaging approach to their narrative, with examples from their personal experience or engagement being described to illustrate the practical application of theoretic approaches. In painting a picture of the environment in which these tools and techniques have been applied, readers will understand the transferability to their own workplace environment. This will be an opportunity to tell real stories of the application of Lean in healthcare and give readers the opportunity to learn from people from across the world, on subjects on which they are acknowledged topic experts, based on day-to-day Lean practice.

This interesting book offers an analysis of man-made catastrophes and asks why they continue to occur. 87 catastrophes or near-catastrophes, including high profile cases such as the Bhopal gas disaster, Grenfell Tower, Shoreham Air Show crash, Brumadinho dam collapse and Fukushima Daiichi, are described together with the reasons why they occurred and why over 50 different safety management approaches and techniques failed to prevent them. Featuring 63 eye opening stories from the author's own personal experience and over 200 pitfalls in safety management approaches, this title is illustrated by 24 hypothetical cases in which the reader is asked to consider the approach they would take. Safety management techniques discussed include operating practices, personnel selection and emergency response. Safety management approaches including safety governance in organisations, along with the role of government and local authorities using the instruments of the law are extensively discussed. The work concludes with imaginative and creative ways forward with the aim to make considerable progress and to potentially eliminate man-made catastrophes for good. This title will be an ideal read for safety managers and engineers, community leaders in civic duties or labour union roles and professionals tasked with stopping and mitigating the impacts of man-made catastrophes, along with non-technical readers who are curious and concerned.

Tightly written integration of recent scholarship, proven theories, and practice-based examples Increased use of world-wide contexts and examples, reflecting continuing development and dissemination of applications, and need for international appeal and awareness Two new chapters on innovation and bringing performance to governance

In-depth coverage of discrete-time theory and methodology. Numerous, fully worked out examples and exercises in every chapter. Mathematically rigorous and consistent yet bridging various basic and more advanced concepts. Judicious balance of financial theory, mathematical, and computational methods. Guide to Material.

Survival and thriving in today's business environment require companies to continuously strive for operational excellence at all levels of the organization. Simply working to maintain existing operations is not an adequate or sustainable business strategy, especially when competing in a global market. To remain relevant, companies must adopt a process control and continuous improvement mentality as an integral part of their daily work activities. These two operational disciplines form the foundation and stepping stones for manufacturing excellence. Processes must be stable, capable, and controlled as a prerequisite for sustainable improvement. Sustainable improvements must be strategic, continuous, and focused on process optimization. Modern-day manufacturing is rapidly changing in the face of technological, geopolitical, social, and environmental developments. These challenges are altering the way we think and act to transform raw materials into finished goods. Meeting these challenges requires particular attention to how we develop and engage people and apply technology for long-term sustainability and competitive advantage. This book takes you on a journey to explore the fundamental elements, management practices, improvement methods, and future direction of shop floor management. Part 1 of this five-part manuscript considers workplace culture, organizational structure, operational discipline, and employee accountability as the foundation for a robust manufacturing system. Part 2 studies the impact of process standardization, data analytics, information sharing, communication, and people on daily shop floor management. Once the management system has been adequately described, Part 3 concentrates on its effective execution, monitoring, and control with a deep look into the people, methods, machines, materials, and environment that make it possible. Like every good manufacturing text, efficiency and productivity are key topics. That's why Part 4 explores various methods, tools, and techniques associated with product and process development, productivity improvement, agile methods, shop floor optimization, and manufacturing excellence. The final section, Part 5, shifts focus to emerging technologies, engaging the reader to contemplate technology's impact on the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.

This book provides a theoretical and application-oriented analysis of deterministic scheduling problems in advanced planning and computer systems. The text examines scheduling problems across a range of parameters: job priority, release times, due dates, processing times, precedence constraints, resource usage and more, focusing on such topics as computer systems and supply chain management. Discussion includes single and parallel processors, flexible shops and manufacturing systems, and resource-constrained project scheduling. Many applications from industry and service operations management and case studies are described. The handbook will be useful to a broad audience, from researchers to practitioners, graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Under and post COVID-19 conditions, companies are adapting to smart ways of operating and managing logistics processes to counteract the negative implications of the pandemic. This book offers an analysis and guidance on how to manage these processes, including transport, inventory, operations and waste management, to meet the complex need of enterprises. This edited collection presents selected and key aspects of the implementation of logistics processes in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, enriched with empirical analyses and international examples. The book is a contribution to the considerations on the role and importance of logistics processes in the management of organisations in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reducing its negative socio-economic and technological effects. With contributions from global scholars, the book demonstrates the direction in which logistics processes should change so that they can take the form of "smart". Logistics, Transport and the COVID-19 Crisis will be directly relevant for researchers and academics across logistics, supply chain management, and transport management as well as risk management and related fields.

This book provides insights into contemporary issues and challenges in multi-criteria decision models. It is a useful guide for identifying, understanding and categorising multi-criteria decision models, and ultimately implementing the analysis for effective decision-making. The use of multi-criteria decision models in software reliability engineering is a relatively new field of study, and this book collects all the latest methodologies, tools and techniques in one single volume. It covers model selection, assessment, resource allocation, release management, up-grade planning, open-source systems, bug tracking system management and defect prediction. Multi-Criteria Decision Models in Software Reliability: Methods and Applications will cater to researchers, academicians, post-graduate students, software developers, software reliability engineers and IT managers.

This book sheds new light on the role businesses can play in contributing to sustainability objectives, and how governance actors can better encourage their contributions. Jean-Pierre Imbrogiano introduces and empirically investigates the concept of sustainability performance in businesses, which reveals how achieving social and environmental objectives is experienced within business organizations. He focuses on supply chain management as a key part in this process and looks at how this has evolved to become a vital sector in the global business landscape. He further considers the current practices of governance actors which aim to enable sustainability performance in businesses. Labelled as a 'sustainability service industry', these actors include international, national, and industry sustainability initiatives, sustainability standard setters, business consultancies and rating agencies, as well as sustainable supply chain managers in corporations. Overall, this book calls for a conceptual reorientation in business sustainability scholarship, and points towards a challenging agenda for change in the sustainability service industry. Understanding Sustainability Performance in Business Organizations will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainable business, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainable supply chain management, and sustainability governance.

The key to effective leadership is being fit for the challenge. Leadership is a perpetual boxing match in many respects in which preparation, stamina and skill are required. Only the strongest survive. Every decision and tollgate along the career journey is laden with risk. Those leaders who harness risk to their advantage will land the knockout punch in every fight. The only question is how many leaders will be fit enough for the challenge? The purpose of this book is to provide insight on how risk impacts every aspect of leadership, including the mundane, routine and nonglamorous aspects of leadership. This is important because often the small things can easily turn into big disruptors. Moreover, the end goal is to equip leaders with a journey map and quick guide to win in high-risk environments. Change is the new normal and only constant in today's world. As change increases, so will risk and its subsequent impacts on humanity. This includes leaders, organizations and customers. No one is exempt. In this book, readers learn how to: Determine which career battles to fight and which ones to avoid Prepare to fight the unavoidable challenges along the career journey Leverage risk to choose the right leaders for the team Leverage risk to invest time wisely and avoid wasting it Leverage risk to predict, identify and resolve leadership burnout Risk assess leadership credentials so only those that produce a return are added to the portfolio Risk assess performance outcomes so the path ahead is smooth sailing instead of a rough ride Leverage risk so high performance is a reality instead of a pipe dream Leverage risk to find the right leadership sponsor

The key to effective leadership is being fit for the challenge. Leadership is a perpetual boxing match in many respects in which preparation, stamina and skill are required. Only the strongest survive. Every decision and tollgate along the career journey is laden with risk. Those leaders who harness risk to their advantage will land the knockout punch in every fight. The only question is how many leaders will be fit enough for the challenge? The purpose of this book is to provide insight on how risk impacts every aspect of leadership, including the mundane, routine and nonglamorous aspects of leadership. This is important because often the small things can easily turn into big disruptors. Moreover, the end goal is to equip leaders with a journey map and quick guide to win in high-risk environments. Change is the new normal and only constant in today's world. As change increases, so will risk and its subsequent impacts on humanity. This includes leaders, organizations and customers. No one is exempt. In this book, readers learn how to: Determine which career battles to fight and which ones to avoid Prepare to fight the unavoidable challenges along the career journey Leverage risk to choose the right leaders for the team Leverage risk to invest time wisely and avoid wasting it Leverage risk to predict, identify and resolve leadership burnout Risk assess leadership credentials so only those that produce a return are added to the portfolio Risk assess performance outcomes so the path ahead is smooth sailing instead of a rough ride Leverage risk so high performance is a reality instead of a pipe dream Leverage risk to find the right leadership sponsor

This book covers the basic theory of how, what and when firms should produce to maximise profits. Based on the neoclassical theory of the firm presented in most general microeconomic textbooks, it extends the general treatment and focuses on the application of the theory to specific problems that the firm faces when making production decisions to maximise profits. Increasing level of government regulation and the use of specialised and often very expensive equipment in modern production motivates the following focus areas: 1) How to optimise production under restrictions., 2) Treatment of fixed inputs and the process of input fixation, 3) Optimisation of production over time, 4) Linear and Mixed Integer Programming as tools for optimisation in practice. This updated second edition includes a more comprehensive introduction to the theory of decision making under risk and uncertainty as well as a new chapter on how to use linear programming to generate the supply function of the firm.

Logistics refers to the processes that start with resources and their acquisition, storage, and transportation to their destination. The concept is crucial in business -- particularly for the manufacturing sector -- to understand, manage, and control how resources are handled and progress through the whole supply chain. Now, there is a strong trend to focus on sustainability and eco-friendly solutions in logistics. Processes based on both technology and management need innovations and detailed implementation steps to achieve a satisfactory level of sustainability. This book explores how and where innovations can be implemented to provide a wide approach to sustainability in logistics. It addresses the main challenges affecting modern and sustainable logistics and supply chains and is organized according to six main themes: supply chain management; information intelligent hubs (e.g. warehouse and cities); sustainable transportation; technology for logistics; reverse logistics; and city logistics. The key results presented are based on both extensive types of research and business cases. The overarching advanced logistics and supply chain concepts at the heart of this book contribute to a sustainable intelligent logistics and transport system by making it more efficient, reliable, environmentally friendly, and competitive. Essentially, this book presents the most current research related to sustainability in logistics activities and addresses the theoretical background of sustainability and its significance for logistics, the challenges in supply chains and transportation, and possible solutions for more sustainable logistics systems.

Unique selling point: A project management book that focuses on managing projects in business Core audience: Project and business managers Place in the market: Professional book that can be used for continuing education

There has been growing interest on business models among academics and practitioners in recent years, as business model describes how an organization creates, distributes and captures value and, therefore, can be considered the DNA of the organization. Recently, factors related to digital transformation, the vital role of sustainability and social aspects, along with an increasing globalization, have pushed towards radical transformations in business models. This book aims to further our knowledge on business model innovation in new contexts of analysis and with new perspectives of investigation. Insights from business model innovation are presented from studies focusing on start-ups, small businesses and large businesses to provide a bigger picture on new dynamics connected to digital transformation, sustainability, new global relationships. As such, the scope is on new ways to create value, new components and dynamics (such as digitalization and sustainability) concerning the key elements of the business model (value creation, value configuration and value capture), and new relationships between actors that may foster business model innovation. It represents a valuable resource for practitioners willing to innovate business models, academics aiming at finding new research lines, and students keen to learn more about business models.

* Offers a comprehensive overview of startups' actions during the covid-19 pandemic, and takes lessons for startups operating in times of crisis more generally * Each chapter contains real-life cases based on interviews with individuals from startups around the world * Online supplements include PowerPoint slides, student quizzes, mini case studies and answers to questions in the book

* Offers a comprehensive overview of startups' actions during the covid-19 pandemic, and takes lessons for startups operating in times of crisis more generally * Each chapter contains real-life cases based on interviews with individuals from startups around the world * Online supplements include PowerPoint slides, student quizzes, mini case studies and answers to questions in the book

Align IT projects strategically to achieve business goals and objectives Project management and leadership to seize opportunities and manage threats Build and follow a roadmap to implement strategic governance Assess and improve project management capabilities Includes templates and case studies