In recognition of Professor Ikujiro Nonaka's contribution to the field of Knowledge Management this book, forming part of "The Nonaka Series on Knowledge and Innovation" from Palgrave Macmillan, deals with a variety of aspects of the Knowledge Management (KM) theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm.
Through the apparent heterogeneity of interests and approaches to the subject matter, a common thread goes through Professor Nonaka's important contributions to the field through the foundation of a School of Knowledge Approach in management.
By engaging in discussion and criticism, and by building upon Nonaka's insight and pioneering thinking, the contributions of this book shed light on a number of knowledge and innovation-related key facets. In doing so, the contributors provide a review of the current state of the KM theory and take stock of its major strengths and shortcomings. They also explore new research ventures in the field and suggest critical issues for further thinking.

In recognition of Professor Ikujiro Nonaka's contribution to the field of Knowledge Management this book, forming part of The Nonaka Series on Knowledge and Innovation from Palgrave Macmillan, deals with a variety of aspects of the Knowledge Management (KM) theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm.

'Navigating paradigm changes is a critical element of business leadership: analog to digital; brand to retailer to consumer; reason to emotion; West to East. Anything that illuminates these powershifts is valuable for the fast-moving decision-maker, and in this respect Asian versus Western Management Thinking is a first-rate inquiry into cultural business behaviors. Insular frameworks of thinking and action matter less by the second. I'm an And/And practitioner and my experience of bridging business between East and West, and vice versa, suggests we need to know the human distinctions that matter and the harmonies that will matter even more. Between the covers of this book by Kimio Kase and colleagues, business moves forward.' Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Lovemarks Company 'Having lived and worked my entire life in various countries around the world, I agree with the authors' premise that Asians and Westerners often approach business problems from different angles. Rather than focusing on differences, I welcome the strength that comes from diversity. As my experience at Renault and Nissan has demonstrated, the richest solutions come when ideas are challenged or questioned by people who have a different perspective. This book illustrates the value of accepting diverging ideas as a fact of life that can be used to enhance the world in which we all live and work.' Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Renault-Nissan Alliance 'A most welcome addition to the unbalanced management literature about the 'analytical' West and the 'synthetic' East. For too long the field has been dominated by comparisons of cultural value systems which paradoxically tell us precious little about how habits of mind influence management thinking and practice in different parts of the world over time. At a time when the world's economic centre of gravity is visibly shifting to Asia, this really is a most timely book.' Nigel Holden, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for International Business at the University of Leeds, UK

'Navigating paradigm changes is a critical element of business leadership: analog to digital; brand to retailer to consumer; reason to emotion; West to East. Anything that illuminates these powershifts is valuable for the fast-moving decision-maker, and in this respect Asian versus Western Management Thinking is a first-rate inquiry into cultural business behaviors. Insular frameworks of thinking and action matter less by the second. I'm an And/And practitioner and my experience of bridging business between East and West, and vice versa, suggests we need to know the human distinctions that matter and the harmonies that will matter even more. Between the covers of this book by Kimio Kase and colleagues, business moves forward.' Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Lovemarks Company 'Having lived and worked my entire life in various countries around the world, I agree with the authors' premise that Asians and Westerners often approach business problems from different angles. Rather than focusing on differences, I welcome the strength that comes from diversity. As my experience at Renault and Nissan has demonstrated, the richest solutions come when ideas are challenged or questioned by people who have a different perspective. This book illustrates the value of accepting diverging ideas as a fact of life that can be used to enhance the world in which we all live and work.' Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Renault-Nissan Alliance 'A most welcome addition to the unbalanced management literature about the 'analytical' West and the 'synthetic' East. For too long the field has been dominated by comparisons of cultural value systems which paradoxically tell us precious little about how habits of mind influence management thinking and practice in different parts of the world over time. At a time when the world's economic centre of gravity is visibly shifting to Asia, this really is a most timely book.' Nigel Holden, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for International Business at the University of Leeds, UK

This book analyzes rapidly-growing world-class Spanish retail banks. It argues that their success is due to excellent management, clear-headed CEOs, the presence of a cluster of like-minded executives who complement each other and create a homogenous strategy pattern, and that IT systems and the regulatory environment have contributed greatly.

This book analyzes rapidly-growing world-class Spanish retail banks. It argues that their success is due to excellent management, clear-headed CEOs, the presence of a cluster of like-minded executives who complement each other and create a homogenous strategy pattern, and that IT systems and the regulatory environment have contributed greatly.

This book offers a meditation on the links between philosophy and its implementation, interpreting why and how a leader's "philosophy" strengthens his action predicated on the purposeful vision of life; and discusses the a hypothesis that performance control in management may be driven by transcendental and intrinsic motivations, contrasting with the traditional management control theory. It construes how Inamori's management philosophy disciplines accounting and finance management towards putting its basic tenets into practice. Examining, in particular, the history of Kyocera, the authors provide a contemplative look at a human centric philosophy, which will be of interest to scholars of management, corporate executives, and economists with a philosophical bent.

Transformational CEOs questions why some Japanese firms succeeded in the 1990s despite an economy that failed - regardless of the burst of the 'bubble' economy, a number of Japanese companies have maintained or extended their international leadership in particular sectors. The authors argue that whilst some of the reasons for successes are plain common sense - operational effectiveness and superior CEO leadership - some are Japan-specific and point to a break with traditional leadership rationale. Presenting four in-depth case studies, the book shows that newly appointed foreign managers and overseas trained Japanese managers have been instrumental in the success of these corporations and have re-written the rulebook on Japanese management. The behaviour patterns and cognitive processes of successful CEOs in Japanese companies - Nissan and Sony being the most well-known - are examined. From these studies, two different but equally successful leadership approaches have emerged: the Proto-Image of the Firm (PIF) and Profit-Arithmetic (PA). The first involves supporting a business decision by comparing business proposals with the CEO's image of the firm, whilst the second focuses on processing data and information through a mental model that enables identification of profit levers. Providing lessons in leadership, and concluding that transformational leadership requires a choice between two types of mindset (PIF and PA), this book will be invaluable to academics, business consultants, managers and executives with an interest in strategic management and leadership. Scholars of Asian studies will also find the book to be a fascinating read.

The sports business has become one of the fastest-growing industries in recent years. Sports organizations now have the potential to generate massive amounts of revenue through a variety of different channels, including broadcasting rights, advertising and branding. However, the rise of sports-related business has so far received relatively little attention from management scholars and social scientists. This book argues that we can no longer afford to ignore this important economic and social phenomenon. It presents a conceptual framework based on the concept of value creation to show how we can understand and explain the success and failure of sports organizations. Key concepts are illustrated with case studies of sporting organizations, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and the Americas Cup. Written by a team of authors from one of Spain's leading business schools, it provides a unique set of theoretical and practical insights for researchers and sports organization managers.

The sports business has become one of the fastest-growing industries in recent years. Sports organizations now have the potential to generate massive amounts of revenue through a variety of different channels, including broadcasting rights, advertising and branding. However, the rise of sports-related business has so far received relatively little attention from management scholars and social scientists. This book argues that we can no longer afford to ignore this important economic and social phenomenon. It presents a conceptual framework based on the concept of value creation to show how we can understand and explain the success and failure of sports organizations. Key concepts are illustrated with case studies of sporting organizations, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and the Americas Cup. Written by a team of authors from one of Spain's leading business schools, it provides a unique set of theoretical and practical insights for researchers and sports organization managers.