In Praise of Hard Industries

In Praise of Hard Industries PDF

Author: Eamonn Fingleton

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 9780395899687

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"In Praise of Hard Industries offers an authoritative and deeply disturbing counterargument to the many unexamined assumptions and glibly misstated facts that are driving our embrace of postindustrialism."--BOOK JACKET.

In Praise of Hard Industries

In Praise of Hard Industries PDF

Author: Eamonn Fingleton

Publisher: Orion

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 9780752813899

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Eamonn Fingleton argues that any country that adopts the new economy route at the expense of a manufacturing base risks economic enfeeblement. He looks at areas for the wellbeing of an advanced nation a range of jobs, strong exports and world beating wages.

In the Jaws of the Dragon

In the Jaws of the Dragon PDF

Author: Eamonn Fingleton

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2008-03-04

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 9781429974202

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In recent years, popular wisdom has held that opening American markets to Chinese goods was the best way to promote democracy in Beijing---that the Communist Party's grip would quickly weaken as increasingly affluent Chinese citizens embraced American values. That popular wisdom was wrong. As Eamonn Fingleton shows in this devastating book, instead of America changing China, China is changing America. Although this process of reverse convergence has been swept largely under the carpet by knee-jerk globalists in the American press, Americans will soon be hearing much more about it. Nowhere is the pattern more obvious than in business. Many top American corporations---Boeing, AT&T, the Detroit automobile companies, among them-openly collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party. In a stunning rejection of Western values, Yahoo! even provided the Chinese secret police with vital evidence that resulted in a ten-year jail sentence for one of its Chinese subscribers, a brave young dissident, under draconian censorship laws. Selling the American national interest short, countless other corporations abjectly do Beijing's lobbying in Congress. This book---the culmination of twenty years of study---also breaks new ground by revealing the secret behind China's phenomenal savings rate. Top leaders literally force the Chinese people to save through a highly counterintuitive---and, to ordinary citizens, virtually invisible---policy called suppressed consumption. This practice, which is to economics roughly what steroids are to sport, is fundamentally incompatible with Western ideas of fair global competition. It is reinforced by an Orwellian system of political control that, as Fingleton reveals, utilizes an ancient bureaucratic tool called selective enforcement---a form of blackmail that instills a silent reign of terror throughout Chinese society. Most worryingly, selective enforcement can readily be unleashed on any American corporation with interests in China---which is to say just about every member of the Fortune 500. While the Chinese people's rising affluence is, of course, an occasion for wholehearted rejoicing, Uncle Sam should give the Chinese power system a wide berth---lest he catch his coattails in the jaws of a dragon.

Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies

Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies PDF

Author: Nikos Mourkogiannis

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2014-12-16

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1466887443

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In Purpose, world-renowned thought leader Nikos Mourkogiannis turns the entire idea of leadership on its head and shows that the choice between values and success is no choice at all. Mourkogiannis argues that companies must satisfy the need for purpose--a set of values that defines an organization and inspires and motivates its employees. Rather than organization and structure, ideas are what cause companies to go from good to great. Drawing on examples from across multiple industries, Mourkogiannis demonstrates how a strong purpose is the essential first step toward lasting success.

Shut Up and Listen!

Shut Up and Listen! PDF

Author: Tilman Fertitta

Publisher: HarperCollins Leadership

Published: 2019-09-17

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1400213746

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Shut Up and Listen! is a true leadership roadmap to the summit of career success and satisfaction, featuring concise principles for entrepreneurs and business leaders at any level. Tilman Fertitta, also known as the Billion Dollar Buyer, started his hospitality empire thirty years ago with just one restaurant. Over the years, he’s stayed true to the principles that helped him build the largest single-shareholder company in America, with over $4 billion in revenue, including hundreds of restaurants (Landry’s Seafood, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Morton’s Steakhouse, Mastro’s, Rainforest Café, and over forty more restaurant concepts) and five Golden Nugget Casinos. He’s also sole owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. This book shares the key insights that made it all possible. In Shut Up and Listen!, Fertitta shares straight-talk “Tilmanisms” around six key action items that any entrepreneur can adopt today: Be the Bull No Spare Customers Change, Change, Change Know Your Numbers Follow the 95/5 Rule Take No Out of Your Vocabulary For aspiring entrepreneurs or people in business, this guide will help you take your company to the next level. When you put this book down, you’ll know what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong to operate your business, and if you’re just getting started, it will help set you up for success. A groundbreaking, no-holds-barred book, Shut Up and Listen! offers practical, hard-earned wisdom from one of the most successful business owners in the world.

Captive Audience

Captive Audience PDF

Author: Susan Crawford

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2013-01-08

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 0300167377

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Ten years ago, the United States stood at the forefront of the Internet revolution. With some of the fastest speeds and lowest prices in the world for high-speed Internet access, the nation was poised to be the global leader in the new knowledge-based economy. Today that global competitive advantage has all but vanished because of a series of government decisions and resulting monopolies that have allowed dozens of countries, including Japan and South Korea, to pass us in both speed and price of broadband. This steady slide backward not only deprives consumers of vital services needed in a competitive employment and business market—it also threatens the economic future of the nation. This important book by leading telecommunications policy expert Susan Crawford explores why Americans are now paying much more but getting much less when it comes to high-speed Internet access. Using the 2011 merger between Comcast and NBC Universal as a lens, Crawford examines how we have created the biggest monopoly since the breakup of Standard Oil a century ago. In the clearest terms, this book explores how telecommunications monopolies have affected the daily lives of consumers and America's global economic standing.

Thinking in New Boxes

Thinking in New Boxes PDF

Author: Luc De Brabandere

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2013-09-10

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0812992954

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When BIC, manufacturer of disposable ballpoint pens, wanted to grow, it looked for an idea beyond introducing new sizes and ink colors. Someone suggested lighters. LIGHTERS? With an idea that seemed crazy at first, that bright executive, instead of seeing BIC as a pen company—a business in the PEN “box”—figured out that there was growth to be found in the DISPOSABLE “box.” And he was right. Now there are disposable BIC lighters, razors, even phones. The company opened its door to a host of opportunities. IT INVENTED A NEW BOX. Your business can, too. And simply thinking “out of the box” is not the answer. True ingenuity needs structure, hard analysis, and bold brainstorming. It needs to start THINKING IN NEW BOXES —a revolutionary process for sustainable creativity from two strategic innovation experts from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). To make sense of the world, we all rely on assumptions, on models—on what Luc de Brabandere and Alan Iny call “boxes.” If we are unaware of our boxes, they can blind us to risks and opportunities. This innovative book challenges everything you thought you knew about business creativity by breaking creativity down into five steps: • Doubt everything. Challenge your current perspectives. • Probe the possible. Explore options around you. • Diverge. Generate many new and exciting ideas, even if they seem absurd. • Converge. Evaluate and select the ideas that will drive breakthrough results. • Reevaluate. Relentlessly. No idea is a good idea forever. And did we mention Reevaluate? Relentlessly. Creativity is paramount if you are to thrive in a time of accelerating change. Replete with practical and potent creativity tools, and featuring fascinating case studies from BIC to Ford to Trader Joe’s, Thinking in New Boxes will help you and your company overcome missed opportunities and stay ahead of the curve. This book isn’t a simpleminded checklist. This is Thinking in New Boxes. And it will be fun. (We promise.) Praise for Thinking in New Boxes “Excellent . . . While focusing on business creativity, the principles in this book apply anywhere change is needed and will be of interest to anyone seeking to reinvent herself.”—Blogcritics “Thinking in New Boxes is a five-step guide that leverages the authors’ deep understanding of human nature to enable readers to overcome their limitations and both imagine and create their own futures. This book is a must-read for people living and working in today’s competitive environment.”—Ray O. Johnson, Ph.D., chief technology officer, Lockheed Martin “Thinking In New Boxes discusses what I believe to be one of the fundamental shifts all companies/brands need to be thinking about: how to think creatively, in order to innovate and differentiate our brands. We need to thrive and lead in a world of accelerating change and this book challenges us to even greater creativity in our thinking. One of the best business books I’ve read in a long time.”—Jennifer Fox, CEO, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts “As impressive as teaching new tricks to old dogs, Thinking in New Boxes is both inspirational and practical—a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to sharpening one’s wits in order to harness creativity in the workplace.”—Peter Gelb, general manager, Metropolitan Opera

Lasting Value

Lasting Value PDF

Author: Joseph A. Maciariello

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13:

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In its 104-year history, Lincoln Electric Company has managed to sustain its status as the world's leader in welding technology despite intense domestic and foreign competition. The company's success can be attributed to founder James Lincoln, who began adopting principles of management that empowered workers and allowed the company to change rapidly to take advantage of new opportunities. This book shows you how to duplicate these pioneering ideas and follow the brilliance of the Lincoln management system. The results of this system include happier customers, more prosperous workers, and richly rewarded shareholders. Joseph Maciariello uncovers Lincoln's approach to management in a systematic manner and demonstrates why the company has been so effective for over a century. You'll discover how Lincoln employs a mutually reinforcing set of management systems that creates a boost in overall performance. When these systems are described and understood in their entirety, you'll see how the company's sustained success is due to its natural development of agility. You'll findout how this agility is connected to its executive leadership, management systems, and cultural environment. And you'll learn how to utilize these principles and techniques in your own company to obtain similar results. The management system detailed in this book has helped Lincoln Electric: * Obtain net sales of over $1.1 billion in 1998 * Grab 40% of the U.S. market for welding machines and products * Double the average return on stock- holder equity in the metals industry * Provide production workers with an average salary that is twice as much as the industry median By implementing this system, you can also experience these strong financial returns for shareholders, an increase in wages for workers, higher productivity, and much more! "Lasting Value is that rarest of books: a "why to" book, a "what to" book, and a "how to" book- its examples deal with manufacturing companies and blue-collar workers. But the lessons have particular force for the new job facing management: building organizations of knowledge workers who perform and who create lasting value." -Peter F. Drucker "In today's world of quarterly expectations and Wall Street's praise for major restructuring, Lasting Value successfully illustrates that long-term shareholder value can occur when corporations are truly customer and employee driven with the highest of motives." -Donald F. Hastings Chairman Emeritus, Lincoln Electric Company "Worthington was founded on the lifelong principles rooted in the Golden Rule and today it represents one of the strongest employee-employer partnerships in American business. We are proud of this important foundation for our company, as it has provided us with lasting value." -John H. McConnell Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Worthington Industries "This book should be on every manager's bookshelf and be required reading at everybusiness school." -F. Kenneth Iverson Chairman Emeritus, NUCOR Corporation "Joe Maciariello's in-depth description and detailed analysis of the Lincoln Electric Company will allow managers (and others) to revisit the powerful lessons this company has offered. Lasting Value is a valuable and practical contribution that should be welcomed by managers everywhere." -Christopher A. Bartlett Daewoo Professor of International Business and Chair, Program for Global Leadership Harvard University "Managers should consider the application of this novel approach to managing their companies. Lincoln Electric has used it successfully for almost 100 years." -Robert N. Anthony Walker Professor of Management Control, Emeritus The Harvard Business School

Managing When Times Are Tough

Managing When Times Are Tough PDF

Author: Theo J. van Dijk

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2010-02-09

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 0313381607

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A turnaround expert offers a practical management guide to surviving a recession or any other tough business environment, from an industry downturn to getting blindsided by competitors. Theo van Dijk has spent a lifetime getting companies out of difficulties. In Managing When Times Are Tough he shares his expertise, offering practical advice on honing management skills and employing simple techniques that are highly effective in helping companies weather nearly any storm. Urging managers to rediscover that business is a team sport, and he argues that the key to success in tough times is to ignore the "big gloom and doom picture" and concentrate on the issues a manager can and must control. In a text interspersed with anecdotes from his own experiences, van Dijk teaches managers and business owners how to concentrate on real cash flow, emphasize product differentiation, implement marketing tools without adding expense, and practice the technique of "inverse marketing." Stressing that management requires personal commitment and great attention to detail, he demonstrates a "lean and mean" approach, enforcing practical skills that will work now—and prepare the team for the opportunities to come.

The Stress Test Every Business Needs

The Stress Test Every Business Needs PDF

Author: Jeffrey R. Greene

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2018-09-05

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1119417945

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Future-proof your business today for stronger performance tomorrow The Stress Test Every Business Needs: A Capital Agenda for Confidently Facing Digital Disruption, Difficult Investors, Recessions and Geopolitical Threats provides a comprehensive approach to creating value and flexibility in an increasingly volatile business environment that presents both great risks and opportunities every day. The authors extend the banking “stress test” concept to a company’s Capital Agenda — how executives manage capital, execute transactions and apply corporate finance tools to strategic and operational decisions. Having a static Capital Agenda, however appropriate for your current market position, is not enough in today's uncertain world. Long-term success comes from building resilience into each element and in the way those elements interact. The book uses a broader definition of business stress that includes traditional macroeconomic and geopolitical risks, as well as technological disruption, hostile takeovers and activist shareholders. Companies that make poor strategic decisions or underperform operationally will likely find themselves facing great stress. And that stress is symmetric; threats come from downside risks and from missed opportunities. The chapters address the how and why of essential issues such as: Formulating corporate strategy in a digital world Pre-empting activist shareholders Restoring distressed companies to operational and financial health Ensuring effective collaboration among strategy, finance and operations Getting the most out of your advisors Proactively managing intrinsic value Rigorously allocating capital across the enterprise Acquiring and divesting for optimum value Syncing financing decisions with business strategy and capital market conditions Incorporating tax planning throughout the Capital Agenda Liberating excess cash with leading working capital management practices Aligning strategic goals and metrics to reach your company’s full potential Companies that develop strategy and set operational priorities with a balanced Capital Agenda are best positioned to control their own destiny. The Stress Test Every Business Needs provides a roadmap to future-proof your business today for stronger performance tomorrow.