Chains of Opportunity


Book Description




Illusions of Opportunity


Book Description

Employees expect organizations to offer an equitable distribution of rewards in promotion, compensation, and job challenge to those who work hard. According to Sonia Ospina, the realities of the workplace confound that expectation, since organizational practices of labelling and ranking individuals create inequality. For this reason, Ospina suggests that an appreciation of how employees experience and resolve the contradiction between expectation and reality is prerequisite to understanding work attitudes in contemporary organizations.




The Psychology of Counterfactual Thinking


Book Description

This book provides a critical overview of significant developments in research and theory on counterfactual thinking that have emerged in recent years and spotlights exciting new directions for future research in this area. Key issues considered include the relations between counterfactual and casual reasoning, the functional bases of counterfactual thinking, the role of counterfactual thinking in the experience of emotion and the importance of counterfactual thinking in the context of crime and justice.







Opportunity Recognition


Book Description

The textbook contains a comprehensive presentation of tools that can be used to systematically generate innovative ideas for new business growth ("opportunities"). In practice, it can be observed that companies make considerable efforts to identify ideas for innovations that can decisively shape their industry. The reason for this is not least the knowledge that a missed wave of innovation can lead to major problems for the entire company. A central finding of business management research is that ideas for generating future growth opportunities are often not a product of chance, but the results of systematic analyses. The authors provide a structured and comprehensive overview of the most important tools for identifying new growth opportunities. They distinguish between company-related, market-related and environment-related approaches, incorporate numerous practical examples and provide application-oriented assistance with these tools. The second edition of the book incorporates the latest research findings, some examples have been updated and supplemented, and the book has been expanded to include practical application tasks for teaching and practical workshops.




Orchestrating Supply Chain Opportunities


Book Description

Efficient planning and superior execution against clear objectives is the way companies operate best. For many companies, the planning process is carefully orchestrated, objectives are set, budgets are negotiated, resources are allocated, and then it's up to the organization to execute. But what happens when the unexpected occurs? Say, an event occurs that throws the status quo into turmoil. What if your business declines by 40% in 1 month, what do you do? Conversely, what if your demand spikes by 50% in just a few months, what then? Suppose a natural disaster happens, or a new technology creates a significant, but unplanned opportunity? We call these events 'stretch opportunities'. This book will focus on strategic thinking and tactical examples of how best to prepare for such events. We will outline common themes across all such challenges. We will introduce three key management concepts: Flexibility, Agility and Real Options. We also include a specific chapter on how to structure supply chains to capitalize on stretch opportunities and we provide specific tactical frameworks to build in agility, flexibility and real options into a supply chain. We will end with a checklist that managers can use to ensure that the right questions are asked in developing supply chains so that the ability to "surge" at profitable opportunities is nourished.




Hearings


Book Description




Winning Market Leadership


Book Description

Strategic market planning in technology-intensive businesses is more complex and is less manageable than in most other organizations. The technology-driven business environment is intensely competitive, complex, and dynamic, and planning needs to be done quickly and often. Winning Market Leadership offers a refreshing new approach to strategic market planning in these very demanding technology-intensive markets. It provides a systematic and highly integrated process for evaluating market opportunities and for developing strategies to lead in chosen markets. Its proven, highly practical approach to strategic market planning has allowed leading companies worldwide to: plan faster, focus on cash-flow and profitability, create "living plans" that reflect changing market conditions and competitive dynamics, involve cross-functional teams effectively, and drive to "yes/no" decisions. The book resulted from project-based executive programs developed by the authors for corporate clients such as IBM, Nortel Networks, National Semiconductor, and General Electric. This strategic market planning process has been refined and tested with over a thousand managers and executives in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winning Market Leadership: Is targeted at managers in technology-intensive businesses such as computers, telecommunications, software, biotechnology, semiconductors, instruments, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Focuses on the key issues and tough choices faced by executives in very demanding technology-intensive markets. Outlines a clear 10-step process for building winning market plans, including: identifying opportunities, understanding the competition, managing critical relationships, understanding the profit dynamic, and more. Features examples from high-tech companies such as Intel, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Glaxo Wellcome, and General Electric. Includes "Key Questions for Executives and Managers" at the end of each chapter that help eliminate "blind spots" in the planning process. Winning Market Leadership is relevant to all executives and managers who play a significant role in developing cross-functional strategic market plans for their business: general managers; marketing managers; strategic planners; managers in business development, engineering, and R&D; and project team leaders.




Monopolistic and Unfair Trade Practices


Book Description

Sept. 3 hearing was held in Butte, Mont.; Sept 8 hearing was held in Casper, Wyo.; Sept. 11 hearing was held in Salt Lake City, Utah; Sept. 15 hearing was held in Kansas City, Mo.; Sept. 17 hearing was held in Omaha, Nebr.; Sept. 20 hearing was held in Minneapolis, Minn.; Sept. 23 hearing was held in Madison, Wis.; Sept. 27 hearing was held in South Bend, Ind.; Oct 8 hearing was held in Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Oct. 11 hearing was held in Houston, Tex.




Understanding Value Chains


Book Description

Understanding Value Chains first examines the process of the institutionalization of the main theoretical foundations of the global value chain since its conception in the academic field and, subsequently, in international organizations. The authors analyse the evolution of Mode 5 services jobs and salaries in the EU, assessing whether there are signs of functional upgrading and how it affects female jobs and the gender pay gap. The coffee global value chain is broken down into five segments: primary production, processing, trade, roasting, and marketing. An investigation of 34 Indonesian provinces was conducted in an effort to reformulate the policies relating to circular sustainable reverse logistics. Four new components: vision, mission, and managerial orientation; infrastructure capabilities; human resource and organizational commitment; and regulation are used to assess the readiness of each level of government. The authors discuss how, as the UK had no trade agreement with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries immediately after the referendum vote, this transition period presents an excellent opportunity to negotiate a new trade agreement. Value chain analysis is used to help understand how Guyana participates in the gold value chain, and to help develop appropriate policies to address its supply-side limitations. Guinéa-Bissau's position in the cashew value chain is assessed, and recommendations to address challenges are proposed. This compilation presents the agricultural value chain framework, introducing the main ideas of the system dynamics methodology and demonstrating the application of system dynamics modeling to a real-world case.