Reviews (4)

A sane approach to Shaping the Corporate Culture
Carter and Lorsch have noted that "around the world, scandals and company failures have provoked a storm of criticism and well-meaning reforms. In response, a variety of 'best practices' have emerged, but can such ad hoc adjustments fundamentally change the capacity of boards to provide good governance?"
Helpful Suggestions for Those Who Want to Improve Boards
Back to the Drawing Board will be of most value to those who have never sat on a Fortune 500 board or been present during the meetings of one.Much of the current concern about boards reflects a lack of understanding of how they operate.By reading this book, you will get a good sense of what the average and better boards are doing . . . and what their continuing problems are.A unique resource in the book is a survey of 150 CEOs around the world concerning their perceptions of how to improve boards.Although the total is too small to be statistically meaningful, the directional evidence will help many to see what the most glaring issues are. A strongly recommended revolutionary analysis
Back To The Drawing Board: Designing Corporate Boards For A Complex World addresses what expert professional consultant Colin B. Carter and Harvard Business School professor Jay W. Lorsch see as the greatest challenge facing corporate boards today -- that many national and international corporate boards are composed of member with limited knowledge of the companies they must be responsible for, and too little time to make even the most crucial decisions. Recommending a major corporate board of directors redesign based on experience and a "what works" approach, Back To The Drawing Board offers methodologies that can be customized for each unique corporate board of directors to the benefit and bottom-line profitability of the corporation and all who serve it. Back To The Drawing Board is a strongly recommended revolutionary analysis with emphasis on practical needs and reasonable expectations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Corporate Finance    6. Corporate governance    7. Directors of corporations    8. Leadership    9. Management - General    10. Business & Management   

Reviews (10)

Excellent information, eye-opening
Excellent job done by Mr. Utterback.
Read Clayton Christensen's Books Instead
This book covers much of the same ground that Clayton Christensen explored in his three revolutionary books: The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and Seeing What's Next. Truthfully, those books do a far superior job of explaining the dynamics of innovation in comparison to the performance of this book. Utterback does have very insightful comments on the standardization of product design, but outside of that section, the book is not particularly exemplary. For those interested in mastering the art of innovation, the game begins and ends with Clayton Christensen.

Scholarly analysis in an eminently readable enjoyable book
James Utterback has achieved the difficult goal of taking careful scholarship, drawing useful conclusions and presenting the whole package in a highly enjoyable book.He makes a major contribution by distinguishing between product innovation and process innovation and shows how and why the former is likely to come from outside the established industry players, while the latter is more likely to come from inside.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Management - General    6. Motivational    7. Structural Adjustment    8. Management & management techniques    9. Office systems & equipment    10. Research & development management   

Reviews (4)

Very good Book for a practitioner
I found the book very useful in practice. It gave you a lot of details.

Very poorly written
I found Arditti's writing to be simply attrocious.What the marketplace needs is a clear, concise guide to instrument structure and valuation, and Mr. Arditti writes in circles.As an example, his chapter on option pricing refers to "using the methods used previously in this chapter" without referring to how to apply these to the method just introduced.The method just introduced was explained using numbers that were presumably fabricated, but lord only knows, because the author can't be bothered to specify how his example was structured. He knows how to design derivatives and make them work
I am completely satisfied with this book. He knows how to design derivatives and make them work. This book does a remarkable job of explaining the theory and practice of derivative securities. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Derivative securities    6. Finance    7. Financial Markets    8. Investments    9. Investments & Securities - Futures    10. United States    11. Investment & securities   

Reviews (2)

The Art and Science of Effective Teamwork
This is one of the volumes in the new Harvard Business Essentials Series. Each offers authoritative answers to the most important questions concerning its specific subject. The material in this book is drawn from a variety of sources which include the Harvard Business School Press and the Harvard Business Review as well as Harvard ManageMentor�, an online service. I strongly recommend the official Harvard Business Essentials Web site (www.elearning.hbsp.org/businesstools) which offers free interactive versions of tools, checklists, and worksheets cited in this book and other books in the Essentials series. Each volume is indeed "a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience." And each is by intent and in execution solution-oriented. Although I think those who have only recently embarked on a business career will derive the greatest benefit, the material is well-worth a periodic review by senior-level executives.
A solid book about Teams
I enjoyed this book about teams, it provided very good overal information on all of the different stages teams go through from start to finish.The book also included things that must be done, and things to avoid.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Leadership    5. Management - General    6. Teams in the workplace    7. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

Great
The package came overseas to Japan in less time than expected. Great service!I was so excited to get the package of books before I had to leave for a business trip for a week. (If the books had come "on time," then I would have already left.)

Very good!!
Here we have a collection of several articles about balancing work and life. I liked the book because of that. You don't have to begin reading on page 1. Just see the index for an article of choice an begin reading there. The ideas the authors propose are written in an easy reading manner an are always backed on serious researches. I licked it a lot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Burn out (Psychology)    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business Life - General    5. Emotions    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Labor    8. Quality of life    9. Reference    10. Social Science    11. Social aspects    12. Sociology - General    13. Sociology Of Work And Leisure    14. Stress (Psychology)    15. Work    16. Work and family    17. Management & management techniques    18. Business Life    19. Human Resources   

Reviews (6)

You never stop learning
I checked this book out for a project I was doing in school on work stress.I never realized that the person who always seems to calm a situation down in the office could be holding in and dealing with so much.The peacekeeper of the group could actually need someone to vent on and some peace of mind themselves. It opened my eyes to a few things and the situation with "Harry" was a perfect example of an overworked person who has lost his job control.If you work in or have worked in any coporation or office job I recommend you read this book.

Compassionate research on the topic of compassion and pain
"Toxic emotions at work: how compassionate managers handle pain and conflict" is quite a remarkable book in the field organization and management research. First of all, it is as much a book for people in organizations as it is a book for people studying such organizations. And second, it is a book about the role and actions of heart in organizations, which speaks to your heart as well as about it. In this way, it is a groundbreaking piece of research in its form as well as in its content.

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Conflict management    5. Counseling of    6. Employees    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Executives    9. Human Resources & Personnel Management    10. Industrial & Organizational Psychology    11. Job stress    12. Organizational theory & behaviour    13. Personnel & human resources management   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Decision Making & Problem Solving    5. Development - Business Development    6. Employee Participation In Management    7. Employee motivation    8. Organization Development    9. Organizational effectiveness    10. Teams in the workplace    11. Business strategy    12. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (1)

Insightful, Eloquent, Practical,...and Convincing
This is one of the volumes in the new Harvard Business Essentials Series. Each offers authoritative answers to the most important questions concerning its specific subject. The material in this book is drawn from a variety of sources which include the Harvard Business School Press and the Harvard Business Review as well as Harvard ManageMentor�, an online service. I strongly recommend the official Harvard Business Essentials Web site (www.elearning.hbsp.org/businesstools) which offers free interactive versions of tools, checklists, and worksheets cited in this book and other books in the Essentials series. Each volume is indeed "a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience." And each is by intent and in execution solution-oriented. Although I think those who have only recently embarked on a business career will derive the greatest benefit, the material is well-worth a periodic review by senior-level executives.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Influence (Psychology)    5. Leadership    6. Management - General    7. Persuasion (Psychology)    8. Power (Social sciences)   

Reviews (10)

Working the Room
Wow! Nick Morgan hit the nail on the head with this book on "Audience-Centered Speaking." The book came highly recommended by some very credible and talented public speakers and it delivered as promised. The author states that the only reason to give a speech is to change the world by moving the audience to take action. He starts off with the history of speech, going all the way back to Ancient Greece and brings us through time to modern communication mediums (radio and television), which have permanently and profoundly changed our expectations of public speakers.
Working the Room
This should be a 'must' reading, studying, practicing, emulating, in short - the bible for those who do presentations.

A STIMULATING, INSIGHTFUL, VALUABLE BOOK!
The author introduces the idea of developing a kinesthetic connection with the audience by using opportunities for making intellectual, emotional, and even physical contact. The book provides specific strategies to help presenters prepare, rehearse, and master the art of giving speeches that challenge thinking and spark action. STERN'S MANAGEMENT REVIEW finds this a stimulating, insightful and valuable work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Communication - General    3. Business/Economics    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Linguistics    6. Public Speaking    7. Business communication & presentation    8. Management & management techniques   

Editorial Review

There was a time, not too long ago, when employees were encouraged to check their emotions at the corporate door. The workplace was considered a strictly professional environment, in which personal emotions had no place. Management theorists finally woke up to the realization that this practice didn't, in the long run, actually benefit the company. In Read more

Reviews (5)

Hollow summary full of fluff
I did not realize this was a summary when I purchased it. It is about 7 pages of overview which reads more like a "buy the book" pitch. I found very little meaningful info in this ebook and would have done as well to read "Mary had a little lamb". Maybe the full edition is better.

Explaining Workforce Alignment is no small challenge and Jon Katzenbach does a fine job meeting it!
Katzenbach defines the value of having higher-performing, energized workforces aligned with company goals. His real world success stories reinforce the elements of success and profitability and the power of buy-in from the employees. Inspiring for those executives who wish to take their businesses to the next level of superior performance.

Achieving and Then Sustaining an Emotional Balance
In the Preface, Katzenbach explains that "The central topic of this book -- energized workforces that deliver higher (peak) performance -- can bedefined as any group of employees whose emotional commitment enables themto make or deliver products or services that constitute a sustainablecompetitive advantage for their employer. By peak performance [italics] wemean the norm, better than expected, better than the competition, andbetter than similar workforces in other places." These clarifications areimportant, especially the reference to "sustainable", because Katzenbach isnot talking about the "hot groups" which Lipmen-Blumen and Leavitt analyzenor the types of groups which Bennis examines in Organizing Genius[italics]. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Employee motivation    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Personnel And Human Resources Management    8. Personnel management    9. Personnel & human resources management    10. Management    11. Human Resources   

Editorial Review

"Until a few years ago," notes journalist-consultant Udayan Gupta, "venture capitalists were hardly on anyone's radar screen."That's not the case these days, as financiers who used to work behind the scenes now regularly set markets afire with their public support of high-profile technology and Internet stocks. In Read more

Reviews (15)

A great way to learn the who and what of the VC industry
While this book was written at the height of the Internet boom and contains nothing but some intimations of the subsequent crash (some of the VCs stated that they suspected returns would turn negative sometime in the near term), it is a fascinating capturing of the history of the venture capital industry in the words of those that built it.It is not a book on how to become a VC or how to submit your b-plan in a way to attract VC money.If you want books on getting investment money, I recommend - The Venture Capital Cycle - by Paul Gompers or for angel money - Angel Investing - by Mark Van Osnabrugge.
AN INVALUABLE PEEP INTO THE WORLD OF VENTURE CAPITAL
Many of the yesteryear superstars from the boom hitech sector may have unceremoniously gone belly up, and VC is not exactly as "hot" as it was at the turn of the century, but turns out that circling overhead the dot-com carnage was an enthusiastic Gupta scribbling detailed notes of what was going on in the industry. He rounded up a flock of 35 leading venture cap investors, from early pioneers such as Eugene Kleiner and Arthur Rock to current industry stars Geoff Yang and John Doerr. Had them reveal a great deal of gripping skinny on their ventures, solid facts from actual deals they'd worked on. Organized the stash of all this collective wisdom into a neat little bound volume -- and voila - we have a ripper of a book! Questioning
I opened this book with anticipation that I would be presented with an insightful examination of how the greats of the venture capital world worked with thier investments. What I found was a one-sided exploration about why these folks were great but not any of the grit that they must have faced to become the success that they are. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Businessmen    5. Case studies    6. Corporate Finance    7. Economic History    8. Finance    9. Industries - General    10. Venture Capital    11. Ownership & organization of enterprises    12. USA    13. General Business   

Reviews (2)

A useful tool
Without having to dredge through a plethora of material to find what you're looking for, you can use it to quickly flick through for refence material, checklists and guides.
A useful tool
Acquiring required skills and tools to effectively manage or mitigate crises is essential to the success of modern organizations.`Harvard Business Review on Crisis Management' is a collection eight essayspresenting new ideas and concepts on how to manage, mitigate crises andother related key issues in a rapidly changing business environment. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Crisis management    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Executive Management    8. Industrial management    9. Management - General    10. Strategic Planning    11. Management & management techniques   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Executive ability    5. Government & Business    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Leadership    8. Personnel management    9. Psychological aspects    10. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (7)

An important Contrubtion
As an avid read of "leadership development" books, I found High Flyers very stimulating and thought-provoking.While I believe that talent is more than "the ability to learn", I do believe leaders who have this quality are best able to leverage their God-given talents and gifts whatever they are.The most important contribution of this for me was the emphasis on the power of experience and the ability to learn from it.With so much emphasis of leadership development being about acquring knowledge and skills, I felt McCall brought balance to this over-emphasis.

More about executives than leaders...
The author is a professor of management at USC, so his perspectives on leadership are limited to those qualities found in executives and in very large businesses that support the training of executives.The most helpful aspect of his book is that McCall urges large companies to develop systematic training for executive leaders, rather than leaving younger executives in a sink-or-swim situation.He also has a bias against ruthless, cut-throat competition and male testosterone-driven demonstrations of power and wealth that executives can get drawn into or promote. Decent book, especially if you are new to the field
This is a pretty good book for those new to the leadership literature.Its main point is that leaders are made, not born.I found it a little long for the point it was making, but thats probably because I've read other books in the area. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Executive Management    6. Executive ability    7. Executives    8. Leadership    9. Management - General    10. Training of    11. Organizational theory & behaviour    12. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (7)

Understand the Status Quo - then Blow it up!
One of the first steps I take in analyzing a company is to timeline its' industry. McGahan offers up a detailed model of the various stages and life cycles of industries. Within How Industries Evolve, McGahan identifies four models of industry evolution; progressive, creative, radical, and intermediating.
Academic but worth it
This book was written by a b-school professor based on many years of research.The framework takes a little while to absorb.We read and reread the book several times.Once we "got it," though, this really made a big difference in helping us understand how our business threatened larger firms.We made much better pricing decisions after reading it.

Even radical change takes a long time
The best aspect of this book is that it offers a detailed model for the stages of radical and intermediating change.It deals with the emergence, convergence, co-existence and eventual dominance of one industry over another.The book explains that each of these stages may take a long time on the order of decades.This provided us with a very helpful way of thinking about what is happening in our business. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic aspects    5. General    6. Industries    7. Leadership    8. Organizational change    9. Strategic Planning    10. Technological innovations    11. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (8)

What's good in it?
First of all, this book doesn't give the pleasure of good reading. C'mon, what kind of pleasure do you expect from a 500 pages book with very small fonts?
BEST ANALYSIS OF ACTIVITY BASED COSTING AND HOW TO GUIDE
Kaplan and Cooper have put together an outstanding guidebook for managers to follow in order to reap the most significant benefits from activity based costing and other cost management techniques.The great merit of this book is that it does not preach to the reader the latest management fad, but rather goes through a thorough analysis of budgeting processes, highlighting benefits and drawbacks of each.They do not claim ABC is the best approach, and even praise some simpler methods that are more adequate for certain companies.Instead, they point to the circumstances in which ABC can provide outstanding results to companies. The very best book on activity-based management.
I have read this book cover to cover and have re-read chapters.Kaplan ensures that you grasp the fundamental concepts by keeping things simple. He illustrates the concepts with easy to understand examples. I gained very little knowledge from the first 3 ABM books I read, but after reading "Cost and Effect," I felt that I had a good enough grasp of the fundamentals to actually implement a costing system. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Financial    2. Activity-based costing    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Case studies    7. Corporate Finance    8. Corporations    9. Employees    10. Finance    11. Management    12. Management Accounting    13. Rating    14. Cost accounting   

Reviews (5)

this is a book that revolutionized management accounting
Relevance lost of a book about the history of management accounting.The book is very well documented in that in times they were able to deduce different conclusions made by others. They start from the very beginning exploring as far back as the 18th century.They start out by discussing how textile mills started recording in their books accounting information.They begin from the very beginnings of accounting.Accounting emerged as a discipline in the early 18th century, but their underlying purpose in not for internal uses but it was created so that stakeholders can gauge the value of their investment in the firms that put out these financial statements.In the book there are a number of firms they highlight that made important contributions to management accounting.The first company they highlight is DuPont corporation in the nineteenth century.There is a theme to the development of management accounting.DuPont first staterted out as a manufacturer of gunpowder but went on to become bigger.The first companies that innovated their way of internal controls in management accounting grew out of a necessity.DuPont first came out with a measure of their business which was the return on investment measure.Because Dupont was becoming bigger and it needed to measure return on investment to measure the profitability of individual business units.It was a measuring rod to asses the different business activities of it business units.With this measure the managers of DuPont could make decisions such us which business units to invest on and do away with units that are performing poorly.