Business Books Research Articles

Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning: Concepts and Cases20121Michael Marquardt and Roland Yeo. Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning: Concepts and Cases. Stanford Business Books, May 16, 2012. 264 pages (hardcover), ISBN: ‐10: 0804774129; ‐13: 978‐0804774123 English

Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning: Concepts and Cases20121Michael Marquardt and Roland Yeo. <i>Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning: Concepts and Cases</i>. Stanford Business Books, May 16, 2012. 264 pages (hardcover), ISBN: ‐10: 0804774129; ‐13: 978‐0804774123 English

Social reading and the creation of customer loyalty clubs or communities to improve communication with our users and reduce costs in marketing and advertising

PurposeThe so‐called customer loyalty clubs or communities are a proven marketing strategy used by companies to create positive commercial and emotional relationships between companies and their actual or potential customers. In the world of libraries the use of social networks has become institutionalized as a communication tool, and alongside the library's website and its profiles on Facebook and Twitter, the library has reduced costs on marketing and advertising to a minimum. However, the use of the so‐called loyalty clubs and communities as well as social and collaborative reading is still not widespread in libraries worldwide. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines social or collaborative reading, a practice that has always existed, but it has become particularly relevant given the digitization of texts and the rising popularity of e‐readers. In essence, social reading consists of sharing recommendations, dates, notes and comments, and highlighting the important parts of books together with other people. What previously took place in meetings with friends or in public readings, can now be done at any time on the internet, and is extended to include readers that we do not know and perhaps even the author of the work. Not only is this a new reading experience, it is also a tool which can be used by the library to greatly increase loyalty.FindingsDespite the enormous potential of the practice of social reading at present, a serious problem has to be faced: the quagmire of closed and mutually incompatible devices, platforms and formats. Unfortunately, companies such as Amazon, Apple, and many others have decided to partition knowledge and deliberately limit the functions of their equipment to maintain control and attempt to monopolize the book business. Any technician with global management knowledge is aware of the benefits represented by the articulation and maintenance of one of these clubs for the purpose of expanding or diversifying the group of users who choose to make use of such services.Originality/valueThis paper highlights that fact that, without doubt, social networks can be an excellent alternative or an effective complement to traditional loyalty clubs, which in the area of libraries could be associated with the so‐called reading clubs of yesteryear. Moreover such clubs do not necessarily have to be replaced, because they can support their operation by maximizing their impact and minimizing costs. After all, a traditional loyalty club is no more than a social network that uses traditional communication media. Regardless of whether they are considered as an alternative or exclusively, the initial advantages offered by online social networks may be their lower overall cost, ease of management and high growth potential.

Research on the Import Activities of Firms 1960–2010

The article presents the findings of a comprehensive review of 321 import-related articles published in business journals and books during the period 1960–2010. Using a content analysis, the articles were assessed on four dimensions referring to the research design, scope of research, research methodology, and key thematic areas addressed. The assessment revealed that this body of research has advanced over time from an exploratory and descriptive phase into one that is characterized by greater maturity and sophistication. Based on input extracted from the articles reviewed, as well as from a survey conducted among prolific scholars in the field, various theoretical, methodological, and other guidelines for future research are provided.

Itinerant Booksellers: Necessary Evils to the Book Trade in Ghana?

Itinerant booksellers play very significant but less noticeable role in the book trade in Ghana and many developing economies. They are the mobile booksellers who carry their collections to the doorsteps of their consumers. This paper highlights the contributions of itinerant booksellers to book distribution in Ghana. The paper makes a case for and against itinerant bookselling in Ghana. First, the paper raises issues with the quality and content of some of the reading materials peddled by the itinerant booksellers and discusses their implications for copyright and book development. The paper then argues that in spite of their shortcomings, itinerant booksellers have the potential to assist in finding a lasting solution to the book distribution problems of the country, and, need to be encouraged and assisted by book industry players such as the Ghana Development Council, Ghana Book Publishers Association, and the Ghana Booksellers Association to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s book business.

The Children's Book Business: Lessons from the Long Eighteenth Century. Lissa Paul. New York and London: Routledge, 2011. xxvi+208 pages. £85.00; $125.00 (hardback).

<i>The Children's Book Business: Lessons from the Long Eighteenth Century</i>. Lissa Paul. New York and London: Routledge, 2011. xxvi+208 pages. £85.00; $125.00 (hardback).

Learning By Sampling on the Dependent Variable: Appreciative Inquiry as Organizational Search

Managers often sample on the dependent variable as they search for ways to improve their organizations. Many managers, consultants, and business books explicitly advocate various forms of sampling ...

Sleeping with Books

I grew up in a Victorian two-up, two-down terrace house in Limerick City, close to the river. Like most of the houses in the row, it had been extended at the back with the addition of a kitchenette and bathroom; as a result we had a dining room and a separate sitting room on the ground floor. The dining room at the back, overlooking a yard, was also a kind of sitting room where we could watch television in the evenings. By keeping the television in the rear dining room, my father ensured that the other sitting room, our so-called front room, was defended for the perusal of the printed and written word. As well as being the family house, 3 Osmington Terrace was also the base for Treaty Books, my father Paddy Lysaght’s book business. My brother Liam and I were often enlisted to unload books from the car; these had been bought at auction or from individuals in the Limerick and North Munster area. The books would be stacked in the front room before being sorted: items for the next catalogue were put on shelves throughout the house, and a residue was kept for the bookshop that my parents ran from a basement in the city center. There was one wall of bookshelves in the front room, and another in the back bedroom, which my brother and I shared when we were very young (Liam got his own bedroom later when the large bedroom at the front was divided). The biggest book space of all was in the attic, a surprising gift of the Victorian builders who had provided a third floor for those modest little townhouses. The attic was reached by a set of wooden steps leaning not far off the vertical; the timbers are there to this day with their worn steps, which have held the weight of many a visiting book dealer. When these dealers would visit, they were shown in to the front room on the ground floor, where there was a wall of books to view. After that, they were guided up into the attic. The front room and the attic were a public zone where business was done; the bedrooms and their books remained private. The attic had never been converted or extended by dormer windows. Its only view of the outside was a small skylight in the roof. Perhaps it was a bookman’s instincts that preserved this space for books without interference from light and

Book Review: The no asshole rule

CPNP members maintain a suggested reading list to provide information on peer recommended resources and convenient access to the highest quality neuropsychopharmacology publications. A reminder that if you shop with CPNP, by following the links below to Amazon, a small commission will be paid to CPNP which helps to financially support our mission to improve the minds and lives of individuals with psychiatric and/or neurologic disorders.You can help grow this list of resources by suggesting a book.Book: The No Asshole RuleWhen Robert Sutton's "No Asshole Rule" appeared in the Harvard Business Review, readers of this staid publication were amazed at the outpouring of support for this landmark essay. The idea was based on the notion, as adapted in hugely successful companies like Google and SAS, that employees with malicious intents or negative attitudes destroyed any sort of productive and pleasant working environment, and would hinder the entire operation's success.After almost 10 years in Academia, I have met a lot of people who have been a pleasure to work and collaborate with. However, there have been a few individuals which have made for a toxic environment and brought down the morale of the institution. So, how do you deal with these difficult individuals? Or how do you know if you are the difficult one? Well, Bob Sutton (whose setting is Academia) assists the reader in identifying who these individuals are, how to handle them, and how to avoid hiring them without legal ramifications. In a world where life is too short to work with people who are so toxic and detrimental, this book is a must read... especially for those in Academic settings.The No Asshole Rule was awarded a Quill Award as the Best Business Book of 2007. When Robert Sutton's "No Asshole Rule" appeared in the Harvard Business Review, readers of this staid publication were amazed at the outpouring of support for this landmark essay. The idea was based on the notion, as adapted in hugely successful companies like Google and SAS, that employees with malicious intents or negative attitudes destroyed any sort of productive and pleasant working environment, and would hinder the entire operation's success.Now using case studies from these and many more corporations that have had unquestioned success using variations of "The No Asshole Rule," Sutton's book aims to show managers that by hiring mean-spirited employees - regardless of talent - saps energy from everyone who must deal with said new hires.FEATURING A NEW CHAPTER ON THE RULE AND ITS SURPRISING IMPACT! In this new version of The No Asshole Rule, Bob Sutton provides an uproarious account of the world-wide reaction to his best-selling book. As he writes: "I didn't plan it. I never wanted it. I didn't believe it at first. And it still make me squirm." Sutton's talking about having been branded as "the asshole guy." But beyond the initial shock value of the provocative title, Sutton's epilogue goes on to detail the kind of impact this important book has had on corporate organizations and employees everywhere. His book has provided a major wake-up call to those individuals in the business world and beyond who somehow have lost sight that a little civility goes a long, long way when it comes to dealing with our fellow human beings - and leading an effective organization. This is one epilogue that is definitely worth reading.

Interview with Marshall Goldsmith

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide an interview with the million‐selling author, Marshall Goldsmith.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an interview with Marshall Goldsmith, who is author and editor of 31 books, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, MOJO, and the WSJ number one business book and winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year, What Got You Here Won't Get You There. His books have been translated into 28 languages, and have become bestsellers in eight countries.FindingsIn the interview, Marshall discusses his innovative approach to executive coaching; the impact of social media for leaders and chief executive officers; and his current research on employee engagement.Originality/valueThe paper highlights that the key figure in executive coaching, upon whom the success of the coaching hinges, is the client themselves.

Business Book Summaries

Business Book Summaries

An Industrial Organization Theory of Risk Sharing

Examining the global reinsurance market for catastrophic losses, we propose a new theory of optimal risk sharing that finds its inspiration in the economic theory of the firm. Our model offers a theoretical foundation for the vertical and horizontal tranching of insurance contracts (also known respectively as proportional and excess of loss reinsurance contracts). Using a two-factor production model popular in industrial economics, we show how reinsurance should be optimally layered (with attachment and detachment points) for a given book of business. This allows us to find the minimum insurance premium necessary to cover the cost of catastrophic events. We conclude with public policy implications by showing the conditions under which government intervention in the catastrophic loss insurance industry can reduce the cost to society of bearing risk and increase its welfare.

The Children's Book Business: Lessons from the Long Eighteenth Century (review)

article reviews the book The Children's Book Business: Lessons From the Long Eighteenth Century, by Lissa Paul.

Financial performance of health plans in Medicaid managed care.

This study assesses the financial performance of health plans that enroll Medicaid members across the key plan traits, specifically Medicaid dominant, publicly traded, and provider-sponsored. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) financial data, coupled with selected state financial data, were analyzed for 170 Medicaid health plans for 2009. A mean test compared the mean values for medical loss, administrative cost, and operating margin ratios across these plan traits. Medicaid dominant plans are plans with 75 percent of their total enrollment in the Medicaid line of business. Plans that are Medicaid dominant and publicly traded incurred a lower medical loss ratio and higher administrative cost ratio than multi-product and non-publicly traded plans. Medicaid dominant plans also earned a higher operating profit margin. Plans offering commercial and Medicare products are operating at a loss for their Medicaid line of business. Health plans that do not specialize in Medicaid are losing money. Higher medical cost rather than administrative cost is the underlying reason for this financial loss. Since Medicaid enrollees do not account for their primary book of business, these plans may not have invested in the medical management programs to reduce inappropriate emergency room use and avoid costly hospitalization.

Hitler’s European Publishing Ambitions: A Plea for an International Perspective

Abstract The Second World War has been studied intensively as far as humanitarian, military, political and social consequences for Germany and the rest of Europe are concerned. It is striking though, that we do not know much about international relationships in the book trade at that time. Research into Nazi-publishing companies and their policy is often nationally oriented, although there are reasons enough to explore the institutional ties between the various countries and their book markets. Germany sent ideas and experts to occupied countries in order to reform the book business there, while at the same time Belgian, French and Dutch publishers tried to enter the German market.

Anchoring and Exposing in the Third Place: Regular Identification at the Boundaries of Social Realms

Harry’s is my favourite bar in my neighbourhood. It is a small wine bar, owned by three men in their late thirties and targeted at people like them; my gentrifying inner city neighbourhood’s 20 to 40 something urban middle class. Harry’s has seats along the bar, booths inside, and a courtyard out the back. The seating arrangements mean that larger groups tend to gather outside, groups of two to four spread around the location, and people by themselves, or in groups of two, tend to sit at the bar. I usually sit at the bar....

Dig It: Looking for Fame in All the Wrong Places

The national book award for nonfiction was given in 2010 to Patti Smith for her book just kids. Since Patti Smith is a rock star as well as a poet and “punk icon,” her heartfelt remarks at the awards ceremony did more for the book business than any other tribute could have done. Smith told the assembled guests that as a young woman working at the Scribner Book Store, shelving books emblazoned with the National Book Award logo, she had dreamed of writing such a book herself. She concluded her acceptance speech with an impassioned defense of the printed book: “Please, no matter how we advance technologically, please never abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book” (“National Book Awards—2010”).

Why Bad is Good: Leveraging Common Organizational Shortcomings for Change?

This article discusses the plethora of business books on change and uses it to highlight the myriad of difficult people and situations one can encounter in the business or organizational context of working. This leads to the further reframing of difficult people and situations as motivators for learning. This idea is supported by managerial learning literature and medical literature on adversity.

The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade, 1450-1850, by James Raven

The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade, 1450-1850, by James Raven

The Impact of Health Care Reform on Employer Costs

The objective of this study was to learn if health care reform in Massachusetts lead to significant increases in diagnosis-specific short-term disability (STD) durations associated with specialist physician populations in short supply. We examined group STD claim durations for Massachusetts-resident claimants, from Liberty Mutual's book of business, whose conditions generally required consultation or treatment by specialist physicians. Two specialties in short supply in Massachusetts, neurology and oncology, showed a significant increase in duration during 2008 and 2009. Short-term disability durations for certain diagnoses associated with specialists in short supply have increased since the introduction of health care reform in Massachusetts. These increased durations will directly affect employer costs because short-term disability payments are generally borne by employers.

And then we come to the brand: academic insights from international bestsellers

PurposeThe literary world is an elitist enclave, where anti‐marketing rhetoric is regularly encountered. This paper aims to show that the book trade has always been hard‐nosed and commercially driven.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is less a review of the literature, or a theoretical treatise, than a selective revelation of the commercial realities of the book business.FindingsThe paper shows that the cultural industries in general and the book business in particular were crucibles of marketing practice long before learned scholars started taking notice. It highlights the importance of luck, perseverance and, not least, marketing nous in the “manufacture” of international bestsellers.Research limitations/implicationsBy highlighting humankind's deep‐seated love of narrative – its clear preference for fiction over fact – this paper suggests that marketing scholars should reconsider their preferred mode of research representation. Hard facts are all very well, but they are less palatable than good stories, well told.Originality/valueThe paper makes no claim to originality. It recovers what we already know but appear to have forgotten in our non‐stop pursuit of scientific respectability.