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The express delivery industry plays a pivotal role in fostering social and economic advancements. Promoting its development requires two key strategies: improving its infrastructure and revolutionizing its management approach. For this innovative research, the authors conduct a comprehensive examination of the express delivery industry's network optimization policies, the intricacies and complexity of its operational mechanism and the reform path for its innovation model. The goal is to build a theory of operations for this industry that can facilitate management reform by improving standardization, optimizing overall functionality, and increasing efficiency

This book explores issues related to information and communication technology in management and higher education, intelligent computing, and information security. In this book, the authors investigate various aspects of information and communication technology and systems, their development and applications in education, science, and management. The authors develop new models, methods, and approaches for digital transformation in management processes including digital project management, intelligent systems, particularly those that deploy artificial intelligence, data protection, and reliability. A part of this book is devoted to the application of information and communication technology in higher education to ensure the process of digital transformation in higher education institutions. The book is of interest to experts in the field of information and communication technology and systems, project managers, scientists, and Ph.D. students.

This book assesses the architecture of performance measurement systems (PMS) in emerging countries, utilizing a mix of theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, with Bangladesh as a case context. It examines the evolution and improvement of performance measurement over time with the introduction of new tools, such as multiple dimensional measures and the balanced scorecard (BSC). The book explores the historical and cultural roots of PMS within the context of developing countries and its latest developments in the context of sustainability practices and sustainable development. Additionally, this book provides empirical evidence from the banking sector in Bangladesh, highlighting the factors driving firms to adopt new PMS. This book is an invaluable resource for researchers and policymakers interested in performance measurement systems in developing countries, offering a foundation for future research and policy initiatives.

This book explores the integration of artificial intelligence into various facets of information systems and management. It delves into machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision applications, illustrating how these technologies revolutionize decision-making, optimization, and data analysis. Through case studies and theoretical frameworks, the book elucidates the transformative potential of AI in enhancing organizational efficiency and strategic planning, making it an essential reading for professionals and researchers navigating the intersection of AI and business. This book also highlights the efforts to build ethical norms and frameworks for AI adoption in MIS, as well as data privacy and security considerations.

This book on business management combines theoretical knowledge with practical examples Agility and internal communication are two important competencies for modern business management. They should already be taught during studies so that upcoming managers are prepared for the challenges of management tasks at an early stage. This book on corporate management is an excellent tool for teaching current leadership concepts. Especially the combination of theoretical knowledge with practical case studies makes it interesting not only as a basis for exams for students, but also as a reference book for managers in companies. Theoretical knowledge, practically imparted A major strength of this book on business management is its bridge between theoretical knowledge and tips on how to implement practical concepts in businesses. Thus, not only students benefit from the imparted knowledge of this book, but also managers and employees from the following departments: Corporate DevelopmentStrategic controllingLegal and Compliancechange managementhuman resourcesCommunications Management Current scientific discussions on internal communication and agile management are taken up and explained clearly using practical examples. Recent developments in this professional field are included. The book deals with these topics In their book on business management, the authors deal with the following topics, among others: Fundamentals of corporate managementIntroduction to communication-based management theoryPerspectives of internal communication in the context of agile managementTasks of corporate managementFactors of leadership communication, including normative leadership, strategic controlling and innovation managementOutlook for future developments in internal communication

This book includes articles from the Third International Conference on Sustainable Civil Engineering and Architecture (ICSSEA 2023), held at Da Nang City, Vietnam, on July 19-21, 2023. The conference brings together international experts from both academia and industry to share their knowledge and expertise, facilitate collaboration, and improve cooperation in the field. The book focuses on the most recent developments in sustainable architecture and civil engineering, including offshore structures, structural engineering, building materials, and architecture.

Based on the philosophy of Systems Science and the law of evolution theory, the book, by applying the methods of structural functionalism, divides the modern social system into human-culture, economy, polity, science, law, education and other sub-systems through the systematic synthesis of disciplines such as economics, sociology, management, politics, culture theories, history and philosophy, and explores the connection between these sub-systems and their intricate relation with social progress, thus depicting the historical trajectory of the long-term evolution of human social system.Starting from the actual production and operation of the firms, the author systematically analyses the organic connections and sophisticated operating process of social reproduction in modern society from micro, meso and macro, revealing the dynamic structure and evolutionary laws of the social economic system. This book reveals the fractal features such as self-similarity, hierarchy, and recursiveness in the general structure of the firm system, the sector system and the national economic system, thereby integrating micro-, meso- and macro-economics into a unified theoretical framework. This integration is interdisciplinary, and has gone beyond the economics. It can be regarded as the fourth grand synthesis in the history of economics after John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), Alfred Marshall (1842-1924) and Samuelson (1915-2009).

This book covers research trends of data science and management involving cutting edge technologies and novel research directions from diverse fields of industries, business and government sectors. It involves usage of various advanced tools and techniques for understanding different data collected at the grassroot level to generate actionable insights for making crucial decisions. This book aims to serve as a reference book for researchers in the area of decision science for management. It covers alternative solutions with innovative ideas and issues from different fields of business management.

Corporate culture is the most important and central success factor for sustainably successful organizations. If one understands corporate culture as a reality of life within companies which can be formed and developed, it becomes a key management tool. In practice, however, there is often a lack of concrete models, methods and approaches on how to directly change and shape the corporate culture. This is the aim of this practice-oriented book: After a brief introduction to the relevant terms and concepts of corporate culture, its importance for corporate success is elaborated. An integrated architecture model of corporate culture sets the framework for strategy, operational implementation and conscious, culture-compliant daily action. A six-phase process is then presented, which starts with the determination of the most important factors of the individual corporate culture, enables a maturity classification, presents possible methods and intervention options and outlines achange process via a roadmap with which a successful culture change can be monitored. An accompanying illustrative example clarifies the individual phases and demonstrates the possible implementation in one's own corporate practice. The importance of leadership and recommendations for the successful implementation of corporate culture projects round off the book.This book is a translation of the original German edition Unternehmenskultur gestalten by Josef Herget published by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature in 2020. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.

The concepts for Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will fundamentally change supply chains, production processes and industries. Intelligent technologies such as IoT, edge and cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and digital assistance systems are drivers of this change. This book provides a comprehensive overview of IoT use cases with illustrative practical examples of how digitization or innovation projects can be successfully implemented. It takes into consideration that processes are getting more flexible and efficient, and new digital technologies allow seamless, location-independent communication in near real time between things, processes and people through the digitization of physical objects and processes. Considering these changes, the book provides a guideline on how companies should position themselves for the future with industrial IoT in order to still play a decisive role in the industryin a few years'time. The book is aimed at both decision-makers and practitioners who, on the one hand, recognize the opportunities and possibilities for their company and, on the other hand, want to learn how to use the appropriate technologies. With this in mind it will be valuable for entrepreneurs, managers, architects and also developers in the field of Industry 4.0.

This book provides important guidelines for the digital transformation process and shows how established companies in particular can use digitization for their strategic further development. It highlights developments in IT and data management, supported by AI, and analyzes how marketing, sales, HR, the corporate organization and controlling must be transformed in the digital age in order to take advantage of these new opportunities as early and comprehensively as possible. The tools offered in this book will support companies in actively shaping the change.

This book includes the papers presented at the II International Applied Research Conference “Operations and Project Management: Strategies and Trends” and the International Research Conference “Management in Financial Economy” held in Rostov-on-Don on May 19–20, 2021 within the framework of the South Russia Business Education Forum. The articles included in the book present a comprehensive analysis of the problems of adaptation of traditional and new methods of operational and project management, development of technologies for business process and supply chain management, development trends in financial economy discussed both on a global scale and in the context of sustainable socio-economic development at the meso-level of regions and industries, which not only reveals the nature of the ongoing processes, but also demonstrates their specifics in industry, agriculture, service industry in Russia, CIS countries, Europe, and China. Particular attention is paid to business education in the new economic realities. The polemical focus of the above-mentioned issues in conjunction with the accuracy of the presented analytics makes it possible to come to unconventional, though practically realizable solutions.

This book tackles the complex topic of implementing innovation and the successful application of advanced technology in the construction industry. It provides a practical guide for the transformation of the industry by detailing appropriate and effective implementation methods, required skill sets and structural changes necessary to facilitate the practical and innovative application of technology. The construction industry is behind other industries in its level of innovation and adoption of technology, and is of critical importance to many of today's global challenges, such as climate change, global warming and resource scarcity. There is therefore a need for smarter and more efficient ways of managing available resources. This book elaborates on how the innovative application of technology could offer hope for the construction industry in it's imperative to rise to current and future global challenges. It includes the real-world case studies of innovative projects that go beyond the current state-of-the-art academic research, and have improved productivity, quality and performance in the construction sector.This book provides readers from both industrial and academic backgrounds with a comprehensive guide on transforming the construction industry with the efficient and effective implementation of technologies and modern methods of construction.

Management consultancy practice is particularly concerned with helping clients implement strategic organisational change. But what exactly are organisations, and management consultancy interventions in them? Management consulting is said to be a knowledge-intensive industry. But what kind of knowledge do management consultants possess, and how far can we rely on it? Management consultants are often criticised for unethical exploitation of their clients. But how ought management consultants to behave in order to meet acceptable ethical standards? These are questions about the philosophical topics of ontology, epistemology and ethics. The ancient Greek philosophers thought deeply about these topics, and their ideas remain fresh and relevant even to so modern a subject matter as management consulting. Writing between the end of the sixth and the end of the fourth century BCE, these philosophers were drawing upon an intellectual tradition that was very different from our own, and were responding to social and economic conditions that were wholly unlike ours. Approaching these philosophical questions from a perspective that is radically different from our own, their work provides a rich resource for novel thinking about management consulting. From the speculations of the Presocratic philosophers Heraclitus, Parmenides, Leucippus and Democritus about the nature of the universe to the thought of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle about the nature of human beings, this book uses the work of these great thinkers as a lens through which to study major philosophical questions about management consulting. Examined in this way, many established assumptions and principles of management consultancy practice seem questionable, and new ways of thinking possible.

This book contains a collection of studies on the interactions between businesses in Africa and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in terms of social, environmental and economic sustainability. This is particularly pertinent given the asymmetrical power distribution between the global buyer and the African supplier, their governance relationships and the ongoing competitive pressures to reduce costs and increase flexibility to meet GVC demands. Rather than focusing on the sustainability of a single organization, GVCs address the sustainability of inter-firm value chains and global industries as a whole. With little differentiation between value chain creation and social / environmental degradation extending to people and raw material extraction (upstream) and disposal or recycling (downstream), sustainability issues need to be at the forefront of African business research interests. Nowadays, sustainability is considered a competitive advantage for a firm looking to join a GVC. Whether sustainability is approached from the viewpoint of an exporting firm motivated to join a GVC in its respective industry or whether a firm's continuing contractual or collaborative relationship with a buyer depends on its compliance with sustainability standards, both approaches focus on the ability of firms in Africa to benefit from joining sustainable GVCs.

This book covers many hot topics, including theoretical and practical research in many areas such as dynamic analysis, machine learning, supply chain management, operations management, environmental management, uncertainty, and health and hygiene. It showcases advanced management concepts and innovative ideas. The 16th International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management (2022 ICMSEM) will be held in Ankara, Turkey during August 3-6, 2022. ICMSEM has always been committed to promoting innovation management science (M-S) and engineering management (EM) academic research and development. The book provides researchers and practitioners in the field of Management Science and Engineering Management (MSEM) with the latest, cutting-edge thinking and research in the field. It will appeal to readers interested in these fields, especially those looking for new ideas and research directions.

This book brings together experts from different areas to show how creativity drives design and innovation in different kind of businesses. It presents theories and best practices demonstrating how creativity generates technological invention, and how this, combined with entrepreneurship, leads to business innovation. It also discusses strategies to teach entrepreneurial competencies and support business developments, including aspects such as corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Moreover, the book discusses the role of human factors in understanding, communicating with and engaging users, reporting on innovative approaches for product design, development, and branding. It also discusses applications in education and well-being. Based on the AHFE 2021 Conferences on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Human Factors in Communication of Design, held virtually on July 25–29 July, 2021, from USA, the book addresses a broad audience of business innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, and marketing and communication experts alike.

This book presents how Digital Transformation is a requirement to upgrade Latin American universities to a next level in management, lecturing and learning processes and strategies. The book starts with a thorough introduction of the Latin American context addressing the three main topics in the book: Digital Transformation, Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence & Industry 4.0. They will be depicted by region, with a clear distribution between Central America & Mexico, Comunidad Andina (Perú, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia), Mercosur (Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay and Uruguay), and other countries. The book also shows how online learning is a key part of the transformation, with a clear focus on learning management systems, innovation and learning analytics. Further, personalised services for every single profile at the university (students, lecturers, academic managers) are presented to guarantee inclusive education service aggregation for networked campuses. Following, the book addresses strategy and overall services that concentrate on sustainability and revenue models integrated with a strategic planning. Finally a set of chapters will show specific experiences and case studies of direct application of Artificial Intelligence and Technology 4.0, where the readers can learn from and transfer directly into their educational contexts.

This book gathers the proceedings of the fifteenth International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management (ICMSEM 2021) held on August 1-4, 2021, at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Toledo, Spain. The proceedings contains theoretical and practical research of decision support systems, complex systems, empirical studies, sustainable development, project management, and operation optimization, showing advanced management concepts and demonstrates substantial interdisciplinary developments in MSEM methods and practical applications. It allows researchers and practitioners in management science and engineering management (MSEM) to share their latest insights and contribution. Meanwhile, it appeals to readers interested in these areas, especially those looking for new ideas and research directions.

This professional guidebook highlights brand development and management for cities, regions, countries, and destinations. It presents a unique collection of expert interviews, combined with latest research insights and thoughts on the most relevant topics and trends linked to the reputation, brand development and management of cities, regions, countries and destinations. This is a book which offers inspiring personal stories and reflections, and at the same time serves as essential know how guide for busy place managers, marketers and developers who care about the reputation and well-being of their community.

This book analyzes the effects of the latest technological advances in blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) on business operations and strategies. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the contributions examine new developments that change the rules of traditional management. The chapters focus mainly on blockchain technologies and digital business in the'Industry 4.0'context, covering such topics as accounting, digitalization and use of AI in business operations and cybercrime. Intended for academics, blockchain experts, students and practitioners, the book helps business strategists design a path for future opportunities.

This proceedings book presents the outcomes of the VII International Scientific Conference “Digital Transformation of the Economy: Challenges, Trends, New Opportunities”, which took place in Samara, Russian Federation, on April 26–27, 2019. Organized by the Samara State University of Economics, the conference chiefly focused on digital economy issues, such as theoretical preconditions for the development of economic systems in the digital age and specific practical issues related to real-world business practice. Consisting of six chapters corresponding to the thematic areas of the conference, and written by scientists and practitioners from different regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic and Germany, the book offers answers to the most pressing questions for today's business community: - How is our world changing under the influence of digital technology? - Is sustainable economic development a myth or reality in the context of digitalization? - What threats and opportunities does digitalization bring? - What are realities and prospects of digitalization in the context of business practice? - How do we create a digital infrastructure for the economy? - How should the legal environment of the economy be transformed in the context of digitalization? The conclusions and recommendations presented are not recipes for solving the existing economic problems, but instead are intended for use in further research on transformation processes in the economy and in the development of state economic policies in various countries and regions.

The Annual Report objectively reflects the whole year's progress of politics, economy, society, culture, system, environment, innovation and reform, as well as the problems, challenges and countermeasures in traditional special economic zones and new special economic zones. It analyses China's Special Economic Zones, including overall review on the whole year's development state of the reform experimental zone and part of new special economic zones, which focuses on analyzing the transformation of special economic zones, use of resources, the sustainable development, economic and social development, social security and technical innovation from the aspects of present situation of development, the comparative analysis, and policy suggestions and puts forward development suggestions for each specific issue.

This textbook explores the theoretical and practical aspects of managing international business operations while also dealing with multi-cultural, multi-national and global issues of managing business expansion beyond the domestic market. A second, revised edition of Managing Internationally: Succeeding in a Culturally Diverse World, each chapter contains up-to-date material, in-depth coverage of topics, visual aids (i.e., charts, tables, etc.), and vignettes, making this new edition engaging, visually appealing and easily accessible for students taking International Business Management courses. The contents of this textbook are separated into four parts. Part one offers introductory information on the scope and importance of international business management as well as the social and ethical challenges. Part two covers cultural and behavioral topics. Part three discusses the strategic and operational aspects of international business management. Part four explores humanresources and labor relations. To assist students, each chapter starts a preview section which includes an outline of the chapter indicating the important aspects along with a brief description of the major issues. Following the preview is a vignette that encapsulates the crux of the chapter, often presented in an amusing and engaging manner. To further help students focus on key issues, the text includes the list of useful business cases to which students can refer. To assist professors in teaching from this book, ancillary teaching materials such as sample syllabi, slides, tests and answer keys will be available for download.

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Knowledge Management in Organizations, KMO 2019, held in Zamora, Spain, in July 2019. The 46 papers accepted for KMO 2019 were selected from 109 submissions and are organized in topical sections on: knowledge management models and analysis; knowledge transfer and learning; knowledge and service innovation; knowledge creation; knowledge and organization; information systems and information science; data mining and intelligent science; social networks and social aspects of KM; big data and IoT; and new trends in IT.

This book introduces the structure, economic arguments, and business strategies for entrepreneurship in sport. Here, the entrepreneurial process is usually initiated by organizations, people or governments who are embedded in both economic and social contexts. The development of technologies that have enhanced the diffusion of information and the creation of new international markets has impacted sports entrepreneurship activities. The goal of this book is to introduce readers to emerging issues in sport entrepreneurship and management. The book focuses on the role of entrepreneurship in the sports context by examining how to leverage the opportunities that arise from networks and optimize resources by identifying where they can most effectively be put to use. As a unique discipline, sport entrepreneurship helps to identify the conditions under which and the processes in which upcoming business ventures need to be pursued. The book will be useful for sports organizations, athletes and government organizations promoting the use of entrepreneurship to generate competitive advantages on the global marketplace.

This handbook pursues an integrated communication approach. Drawing on the various fields of organizational communication and their relevance for CSR, it addresses innovative topics such as big data, social media, and the convergence of communication channels, as well as the roles they play in a successfully integrated CSR communication program. Further aspects covered include the analysis of sector-specific, cross-cultural, and ethical challenges related to the effective communication of CSR. This handbook is unique in its consistent focus on integrated communication. It is of interest not only for the scientific discourse, but will also benefit those corporations that not only seek to operate in a socially responsible manner, but also to communicate their efforts to their various stakeholders. Besides its significant value for researchers and professionals, the book can also be used as a reference for undergraduate and graduate students interested in successful CSR communication.

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the different emerging concepts in the innovative area of sustainability and digital technology. More than 20 leading thinkers from the fields of digitalization, strategic management, sustainability and organizational development share clearly structured insights on the latest developments, advances and remaining challenges concerning the role of sustainability in an increasingly digital world. The authors not only introduce a profound and unique analysis on the state-of-the art of sustainability and digital transformation, but also provide business leaders with practical advice on how to apply the latest management thinking to their daily business decisions. Further, a number of significant case studies exemplify the issues discussed and serve as valuable blueprints for decision makers.

This book discusses the tasks and functions of corporate governance in the light of current challenges and the dynamics that arise from a broader approach to company management and the integration of corporate governance with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Addressing the corporate governance shortcomings that are believed to have contributed to the recent financial crisis, it explores the interplay between corporate governance and CSR, and includes examples of company practice to show how such changes affect the practices of shareholders, boards of directors and regulators. In particular, the book examines shareholders'activities, their different investment strategies, specific reporting expectations and the submission of proposals to the annual meeting. Further, for boards of directors it explores the need to revise their tasks with respect to the criteria for executive appointments, their corporate strategy, performance measures and diversity recommendations, while for directors it provides recommendations to reconsider the structure of executive pay and performance incentives. Lastly, for regulators the book investigates the need to introduce new laws addressing, for instance, the need for integrated reporting, limiting the voice of short term oriented shareholders and providing guidelines for executive compensation.

This book describes the causes of and methods to prevent states of exhaustion and burnout in professional contexts. It overviews a range of issues from human resource practices in commercial enterprises, to prevention of fatigue and preservation of the working individual's vital energy. The book also addresses new measurement and training methods stemming from the latest applications of biofeedback, testing and training methods, and heart rate variability research, and their application in companies'modern preventive management strategies, as well as in occupational and business psychotherapeutic practice. Approaching companies as social, living systems, prevention is discussed as a management tool in the corporate culture and as a strategic management decision. Selected case examples show the daily demands and challenges at the workplace and discuss work-life integration, on living and working “in flow,” and on the various facets of working persons'energy. This book is suitable fora wide range of audiences including professionals implementing these tools and practices as well as graduate students studying these contexts.

By Robert C. Camp, PhD, PE Chairman Global Benchmarking Network (GBN), Best Practice Institute™, Rochester, NY, USA The perception, sharing, and adoption of best practices is mostly attributed to the activity called benchmarking. Obtaining maximum value from best practices is usually attributed to knowledge management. One is an extension of the other. Knowledge management can be looked upon as the management of knowledge about best practices whether in the mind as human capital or as intellectual assets or property. Most organizations now recognize the absolute imperative for the identification and collection of best practices through benchmarking. It can be a strategic strength when practiced and a fatal weakness if not pursued. But there is a serious disconnection in the exchange and adoption process. Despite significant advances in the approaches and technology that pursue improvement (six sigma, process redesign, customer relationship management, etc.), organizations continue to experience great difficulty in successfully transferring leading practices. Some would say these are exemplary, proven, observed, or promising, but, in the final analysis, they are best practices -with the objective of becoming world class. More insight is needed into how leading, or best practices are transferred and adopted - said differently, best practices for knowledge transfer or knowledge management.

The proceedings includes the set of revised papers from the 23rd International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (FAIM 2013). This conference aims to provide an international forum for the exchange of leading edge scientific knowledge and industrial experience regarding the development and integration of the various aspects of Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing Systems covering the complete life-cycle of a company's Products and Processes. Contents will include topics such as: Product, Process and Factory Integrated Design, Manufacturing Technology and Intelligent Systems, Manufacturing Operations Management and Optimization and Manufacturing Networks and MicroFactories.

The purpose of the 2012 3rd International Asia Conference on industrial engineering and management innovation (IEMI2012) is to bring together researchers, engineers and practitioners interested in the application of informatics to industrial engineering and management innovation.

Sustainable economic development is necessary to improve the standard of liv­ ing and quality of life in the developing countries. It is also required to maintain or enhance their attributes for those lands already commercially developed. Past experience indicates that one of the most important elements in the economic growth is the development of industry. It should be also recognized that devel­ oping industry, if pursued according to the tradition al means, entails the addi­ tional inefficient consumption of limited national resource and generation of large amount of residue that called industrial pollution. In general, industry has three generations of pollution problems. The first­ generation pollution problem is from the manufacturing facilities. The second­ generation pollution problem is related to the use of the products after leaving the site of manufacturing. The final disposal of the used or unused products rep­ resents the third-generation pollution problem for industry. The traditional way of controlling pollution by industry is building costiy waste treatment facilities added-on to the end of manufacturing processes. In­ dustry also has to commit continuous fun ding to maintain and operate these fa­ cilities for their entire life span. The waste treatment facilities were supposed to solve the manufacturing related pollution problem for industry, i. e., the first­ generation problem. In fact, these facilities, in according to the Law of Conser­ vation, do not make the pollution disappeared.

Market-Oriented Product Innovation differs from most other titles, written either from a marketing or technical perspective, by giving a holistic view of the product innovation process. It has a product perspective, written from a managerial point of view, recognizing that product innovation, or new product development, is a discipline of its own. It is concerned with managing the products (goods and services) through their life cycle, integrating marketing knowledge and technological expertise, with the aim of getting satisfied customers. The book also gives a thorough treatment of the human and cultural aspects of product innovation by focusing on the change processes needed for the development of a market-oriented culture.

The International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management is sponsored by the Chinese Industrial Engineering Institution, CMES, which is the only national-level academic society for Industrial Engineering. The conference is held annually as the major event in this arena. Being the largest and the most authoritative international academic conference held in China, it provides an academic platform for experts and entrepreneurs in the areas of international industrial engineering and management to exchange their research findings. Many experts in various fields from China and around the world gather together at the conference to review, exchange, summarize and promote their achievements in the fields of industrial engineering and engineering management. For example, some experts pay special attention to the current state of the application of related techniques in China as well as their future prospects, such as green product design, quality control and management, supply chain and logistics management to address the need for, amongst other things low-carbon, energy-saving and emission-reduction. They also offer opinions on the outlook for the development of related techniques. The proceedings offers impressive methods and concrete applications for experts from colleges and universities, research institutions and enterprises who are engaged in theoretical research into industrial engineering and engineering management and its applications. As all the papers are of great value from both an academic and a practical point of view, they also provide research data for international scholars who are investigating Chinese style enterprises and engineering management.

The notion of information is multifaceted. According to the case, it is a simple signal or already knowledge. lt responds to codes and is inscribed into a social relationship. There are clearly many perspectives which the social sciences can take to analyse the notion of information. The economy cannot account for the majority of situations where, in the activities of production, consumption or exchange, the notion of information finds itself implied, although each school of thought has its own understanding of the notion of information. This book takes this observation as a starting point and goes on to clarify a contemporary debate on the economy of information which remains quite vague, making use of the ways in which different theoretical approaches deal with information. To seize the nature and scope of the transformations in our societies, a consequence of our new ways of handling, stocking and circulating information in the workings of the markets like Organisations, such a theoretical exercise seems useful. The organisation of the book results from this choice. The contributions gathered in one part deal with the role of information in the functioning of the markets, those featuring in another are more interested in the organisations. To favour an enriching cross-reading of approaches developed in the two sections already referred to, we have preceded these with a section gathering approaches (which are more transversal) developing different theories of information (according to perspectives which are, respectively, systematic, statistical or strategic).

In an era of intense globalization, the critical role of the region as a center for economic development has sometimes been overlooked. Moreover, innovation is increasingly being recognized as being a critical driver of economic growth and development. However, innovation is no longer being seen as a function of research and development; nor is R&D being seen as being sufficient for the creation of technology-intensive industries and the valuable economic spillovers that result in high value-added jobs and exports. Indeed, much more than ever before, it is the combination of factors that contributes to innovation - ranging over skills, finance, production, user-producer linkages, the capacity of organizations to learn, and multilayered government policies - that make local regions the favorites of fortune. Using an evolutionary economic perspective, and drawing on a range of disciplines and accomplished scholars, Local and Regional Systems of Innovation explores important issues at a conceptual, methodological and comparative level concerning how successful locations actually construct their comparative advantage.

This book presents a very novel and strategic approach to Sales Management, an area that has suffered from a lack of sophistication in practice. This content-rich and thought-provoking book has a very unique positioning: It considers the sales performance of an organization at a very high, strategic level and offers specific guidance in managing not just a few direct reports but an entire organization?s sales function. The book includes many useful tools and guidelines and is enhanced with numerous examples that help bring the concepts to life and make them very approachable for the trade market. A checklist-based scoring system that is utilized throughout the book allows readers to specifically evaluate their own company as well as to track its progress as concepts are applied over time. This work is an essential resource and thought-provoking read for ambitious Sales Managers, including CEO-level executives.

This book is a result of the Seventh International Conference on Information Sys­ tems Development-Methods and Tools, Theory and Practice held in Bled, Slovenia, Sep­ tember 21-23, 1998. The purpose of the conference was to address issues facing academia and industry when specifying, developing, managing, and improving information comput­ erized systems. During the past few years, many new concepts and approaches emerged in the Information Systems Development (ISD) field. The various theories, methods, and tools available to system developers also bring problems such as choosing the most effec­ tive approach for a specific task. This conference provides a meeting place for IS re­ searchers and practitioners from Eastern and Western Europe as well as from other parts of the world. An objective of the conference is not only to share scientific knowledge and in­ terests but to establish strong professional ties among the participants. The Seventh International Conference on Information Systems Develop­ ment-ISD'98 continues the concepts of the first Polish-Scandinavian Seminar on Current Trends in Information Systems Development Methodologies held in Gdansk, Poland in 1988. Through the years, the Seminar developed into the International Conference on In­ formation Systems Development. ISD'99 will be held in Boise, Idaho. The selection of papers was carried out by the International Program Committee. All papers were reviewed in advance by three people. Papers were judged according to their originality, relevance, and presentation quality. All papers were judged only on their own merits, independent of other submissions.

Modern production concepts can be considered as an essential field of economics nowadays. They help to give valuable insights and thus provide important competitive advantages. There is a broad variety of new approaches to Production Planning and Control (PPC), Just-in-Time (JIT), Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), Flexible Automation (FA), Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS), Total Quality Control (TQC), and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), all of which are indispensable cornerstones in this context. This book presents in a condensed and easy-to-comprehend form the different contributions of a group of internationally recommended scientists. The varied approaches to modern production concepts are not only based on theoretical foundations but also go one step further in that they present the implementation of these concepts and methods in detail. This close link with practical aspects will help to illuminate the theoretical material for researchers and students in universities. The book will be of major importance for practitioners involved in solving everyday industrial problems. The interdisciplinary nature of these contributions will help to create a new and valuable perspective on the field of production concepts.

In the past decade there has been growing recognition that economic development is not mainly exogenously determined but, to a large extent, is a transformation process induced and governed by economic actors who respond to competitive, institutional and political challenge. This'challenge and response'model is increasingly accepted as a valid analytical framework in modem growth theory and also explains the popularity of endogenous growth approaches to technological innovation issues. However, a major and as yet largely under-researched topic is the question of the diffusion and adoption of new technological changes in the context of space-time dynamics. This diffusion and adoption pattern has obviously clear spatial and temporal variations connected with behavioural responses which may vary over time and different locations. This means that a closer analysis of spatio-temporal opportunities and impediments is necessary in order to fully map the complex interactions of technology and economy in space and time. This volume sets out to bring together a collection of original contributions commissioned by the editors to highlight the spatio-temporal patterns and backgrounds of the diffusion and adoption of new technologies. Some are in the nature of a survey, others.have a modelling background and again others are case studies. The contributions originate from different countries and different disciplines. This book is complementary to a previously published volume on technological innovation, Technological Change, Economic Development and Space, edited by C.S. Bertuglia, M.M. Fischer and G. Preto, and also published by Springer-Verlag (1995).

Effects of Deregulation on Safety provides a comprehensive overview of the safety experiences of these three case study industries and their implications for the U.S. nuclear power industry. The treatment of the subject is not highly technical, and hence is accessible to a wide range of readers with interests in the subject matter. The book draws on literature from roughly 250 references, ranging from brief news articles to book-length studies of deregulation in a particular industry, as well as original in-depth interviews with representatives of all three case study industries. This wealth of empirical background information allows the book to go beyond mere speculation about the possible adverse safety consequences of deregulation, to identify situations in which particular adverse safety consequences actually occurred. The experience of the case study industries indicates that economic deregulation need not be incompatible with a reasonable safety record, especially in those aspects of safety that are positively related to productivity. But that safety also cannot be taken for granted after deregulation. Careful management attention is needed in order to avoid the types of safety problems that were associated with deregulation in the case study industries.

On September 17 and 18, 1998, a conference took place at Mont Tremblant on the theme'Doing Business in a Knowledge-Based Economy.'This conference brought together some hundred participants from government, business and academia, with backgrounds in business administration, engineering, public administration and economics, to provide a multidisciplinary analysis of what has come to be known as the'Knowledge-Based Economy'(KBE). The aim was to come up with suggestions and recommendations about how to do business in a knowledge­ based economy, both at the firm level and at the government level. All presenters were explicitly asked to conclude with policy recommendations. The conference was sponsored by Industry Canada and organized by the Centre of Interuniversity Research on the Analysis of Organizations (CIRANO). The conference papers offered U.S., Canadian and European perspectives on the management of a knowledge-based economy. This volume is divided into three parts. The papers in part I set the stage by describing the salient features of the KBE. What is so special about it? What are its economic underpinnings? What are its technological characteristics? Knowledge plays a crucial role in a KBE, hence its name. Whereas, in the past, growth was determined primarily by the availability of land, natural resources, labour and capital successively, at the end of the twentieth century, knowledge has become a (if not the) major factor of economic growth.

This book's purpose is to shed light on the threats and opportunities arising from the incentives and restrictions of governmental actions which food industry managers discover in their search for profits. The food industry, as defined here, includes farmers, their input suppliers, processors and distributors. This text explores how the private sector reacts to the stimulus of public support measures, rules and regulations which are usually motivated by entirely different ends than those desired within the private sector. No current single model of economic behavior as yet adequately encompasses or quantifies these complex vectors and forces. Management is comprised of many factors, most of which can be identified ex post but few of which can be appraised precisely ex ante. The perceptual processes by which managers respond to governments are influenced by culture, aptitudes, individual and collective goals. details of most government/business relationships are discussed Few openly since management and government officials are, understandably, often reluctant to share the decision tree route by which trust is built and understandings are negotiated. Our text differs from others in that we combine both a theoretical and experiential approach to the subject. The insights provided by the case study material give a more macro and yet realistic view than tha t usually offered elsewhere. We indicate the risks and dynamics of the situations faced by management while also showing the importance and strategic relevance of a solid analytical foundation for managerial purposes.

This four-volume-set (CCIS 208, 209, 210, 211) constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Symposium on Applied Economics, Business and Development, ISAEBD 2011, held in Dalian, China, in August 2011. The papers address issues related to Applied Economics, Business and Development and cover various research areas including Economics, Management, Education and its Applications.

This is the proceedings of the selected papers presented at 2011 International Conference on Engineering Education and Management (ICEEM2011) held in Guangzhou, China, during November 18-20, 2011. ICEEM2011 is one of the most important conferences in the field of Engineering Education and Management and is co-organized by Guangzhou University, The University of New South Wales, Zhejiang University and Xi'an Jiaotong University. The conference aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and students to present their new advances and research results in the field of Engineering Education and Management.This volume comprises 121 papers selected from over 400 papers originally submitted by universities and industrial concerns all over the world. The papers specifically cover the topics of Management Science and Engineering, Engineering Education and Training, Project/Engineering Management, and Other related topics. All of the papers were peer-reviewed by selected experts. The papers have been selected for this volume because of their quality and their relevancy to the topic. This volume will provide readers with a broad overview of the latest advances in the field of Engineering Education and Management. It will also constitute a valuable reference work for researchers in the fields of Engineering Education and Management.

This four-volume-set (CCIS 208, 209, 210, 211) constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Symposium on Applied Economics, Business and Development, ISAEBD 2011, held in Dalian, China, in August 2011. The papers address issues related to Applied Economics, Business and Development and cover various research areas including Economics, Management, Education and its Applications.

These proceedings capture papers presented at the third International Conferences on Sustainable Automotive Technologies (ICSAT), held at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Greenville, South Carolina, USA, during 5-6 April 2011. ICSAT is the state-of-the-art conference in the field of new technologies for transportation. The book summarizes all important trends in sustainability of automotive development today with a special focus on materials, propulsion technologies as well as manufacturing issues. It provides a brief selection of papers and key-note speakers of the conference. Papers from the US, Australia, Europe and Asia are showing the lighthouse character of the conference, in a field which gains more and more importance as far as emissions and the lack of fossil fuels in the future are concerned. The book provides a very good overview of R&D activities at OEMs as well as in leading universities and laboratories; the special focus is on new ideas for sustainable mobility.