Porter's Competitive Strategy has transformed the theory, practice, and teaching of business strategy throughout the world. Electrifying in its simplicity -- like all great breakthroughs -- Porter's analysis of industries captures the complexity of industry competition in five underlying forces. Porter introduces one of the most powerful competitive tools yet developed: his three generic strategies -- lowest cost, differentiation, and focus -- which bring structure to the task of strategic positioning. He shows how competitive advantage can be defined in terms of relative cost and relative prices, thus linking it directly to profitability, and presents a whole new perspective on how profit is created and divided. In the almost two decades since publication, Porter's framework for predicting competitor behavior has transformed the way in which companies look at their rivals and has given rise to the new discipline of competitor assessment. More than a million managers in both large and small companies, investment analysts, consultants, students, and scholars throughout the world have internalized Porter's ideas and applied them to assess industries, understand competitors,, and choose competitive positions. The ideas in the book address the underlying fundamentals of competition in a way that is independent of the specifics of the ways companies go about competing. Competitive Strategy has filled a void in management thinking. It provides an enduring foundation and grounding point on which all subsequent work can be built. By bringing a disciplined structure to the question of how firms achieve superior profitability, Porter's rich frameworks and deep insights comprise a sophisticated view of competition unsurpassed in the last quarter-century.

    The 11th edition of this text continues to build on four major marketing themes: building and managing profitable customer relationships, building and managing strong brands to create brand equity, harnessing new marketing technologies in the digital age, and marketing in a socially responsible way around the globe.

    Linking theory and practical technologies, the book develops traditional and alternative approaches to work design that can benefit both individuals and organizations.

    The authors detail the application, history, and controversies surrounding the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS), used to evaluate military needs and to choose among alternatives for meeting those needs.

    The aim of this seventh edition is to explain the principles involved in the design and evaluation of management and cost accounting information systems.

    The Theory of the Growth of the Firm is a rich and pioneering work that addresses these questions and laid the foundation for this approach often referred to as the resource based view of the firm. Edith Penrose analyzes managerial activities and decisions, organizational routines, and knowledge creation within the company and argues that they are critical to the ability of a firm to grow.

    

    However, the items and indicators remain the same as in the original ECERS-R.Designed for preschool, kindergarten, and child care classrooms serving children 21/2 through 5 years of age, this widely used program quality assessment instrument can be used by program directors for supervision and program improvement, by teaching staff for self-assessment, by agency staff for monitoring, and in teacher training programs. The established reliability and validity of the ECERS-R make it particularly useful for research and program evaluation.Convenient Organization in seven subscalesSpace and Furnishings Personal Care Routines Language-Reasoning Activities Interaction Program Structure Parents and Staff Each of the 43 items is expressed as a 7-point scale with indicators for 1 (inadequate), 3 (minimal), 5 (good), and 7 (excellent). Notes for clarification and sample questions are included to improve accuracy in scoring.An introductory section gives detailed information about the rationale for the ECERS-R, the process of revision, and the reliability and validity of the scale. Full instructions for administration and scoring, as well as an Expanded Scoresheet and Profile that may be photocopied, are included with the scale.

    The new edition of this acclaimed text offers practical guidance for those who practice media planning on a daily basis as well as those who must ultimately approve strategic media decisions.Full of current brand examples, the book is a 'must-read' for all who will be involved in the media decision process on both the agency and client side. Its easy-to-read style and logical format make it ideal for classroom adoption, and students will benefit from the down-to-earth approach and real-world business examples."Improvements for the Second Edition" include: new chapters on Understanding Media Costs, Media Effects and Trends, and How to Prepare a Media Plan; a new appendix on How the Advertising Business Is Organized; a thoroughly revised chapter on Evaluating an Advertising Media Plan; many new examples, illustrations, explanations, and exhibits; and, closer coordination of the content with the updated accompanying workbook, Advertising Media Workbook and Sourcebook, Second Edition.

    Recounts the life and work of a coal miner's son who became a corporate executive and an advocate of positive labor-management relations by developing Christian trust and responsiveness among workers and executives

    

    Brigham/Houston's FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 12E presents a solid, focused foundation in financial basics punctuated with timely actual examples, end-of-chapter applications, and Integrated Cases that make it easier to understand the how and why of corporate budgeting, financing, and working capital decision making. The book's presentation of Time Value of Money (TVM) is repositioned so readers can immediately begin using the concepts after learning them. THOMSON ONE-BUSINESS SCHOOL EDITION accompanies this edition, offering the same financial online database used by professionals on Wall Street every day. FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 12E also offers APLIA FOR FINANCE, the leading homework solution tool in educational publishing today. Trust the strengths in Brigham/Houston's market-leading FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 12E for the First in Finance time and time again.

    Illustrating the volume with various meeting models - including advisory groups, intergroup and intercultural meetings - John E Tropman examines a number of critical issues facing social workers including family and community violence, health care and homelessness. New to this Second Edition is a discussion of the relationship between meetings and missions, goals, and external and internal forces.