Economic and social change is accelerating under the twin impact of globalisation and the new information technologies. But how are these processes interrelated? Are they impelling us towards a common socio-economic future? What can governments do if they want to manage and steer the direction of development? This book addresses these questions with particular reference to the European Union, which has made the development of a socially cohesive, knowledge-based economy its central task for the present decade. It assesses both the challenges and the policy instruments that are being deployed, focussing in particular on the dynamics of the 'new economy'; the new organisational architectures associated with rapid innovation; the transformation of education and training; the implications for social cohesion and exclusion and the role of policy benchmarking in promoting policy learning and enhancing national performance. The European Challenge presents the most up-to-date research on the development of the knowledge-based economy and its social and policy implications. Its accessible and integrated treatment of the processes of economic, social and technological change make it an invaluable resource for those studying and researching in the fields of public and social policy, organisational and technological change and innovation. It is also highly relevant to policy-makers who need to understand and manage this change.

This exciting new textbook offers an accessible, business-focused overview of the key theoretical concepts underpinning modern data analytics. It provides engaging and practical advice on using the key software tools, including SAS Visual Analytics, R and DataRobot, that are used in organisations to help make effective data-driven decisions. Combining theory with hands-on practical examples, this essential text includes cutting edge coverage of new areas of interest including social media analytics, design thinking and the ethical implications of using big data. A wealth of learning features including exercises, cases, online resources and data sets help students to develop analytic problem-solving skills. With its management perspective on analytics and its coverage of a range of popular software tools, this is an ideal essential text for upper-level undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students. It is also ideal for practitioners wanting to understand the broader organisational context of big data analysis and to engage critically with the tools and techniques of business analytics. Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/business-analytics. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.