Haldane's Best Employment Websites for Professionals (Haldane's Best Series, 5)

Book Description

Outlines the most important employment-related websites used by clients of Bernard Haldane Associates in organizing and implementing a successful job search.

Book Description

Grade inflation runs rampant at most colleges and universities, but faculty and administrators are seemingly unwilling to face the problem. This book explains why, exposing many of the misconceptions surrounding college grading. Based on historical research and the results of a yearlong, on-line course evaluation experiment conducted at Duke University during the 1998-1999 academic year, the effects of student grading on various educational processes, and their subsequent impact on student and faculty behavior, is examined. Principal conclusions of this investigation are that instructors' grading practices have a significant influence on end-of-course teaching evaluations, and that student expectations of grading practices play an important role in the courses that students decide to take. The latter effect has a serious impact on course enrollments in the natural sciences and mathematics, while the combination of both mean that faculty have an incentive to award high grades, and students have an incentive to choose courses with faculty who do. Grade inflation is the natural consequence of this incentive system. Material contained in this book is essential reading for anyone involved in efforts to reform our postsecondary educational system, or for those who simply wish to survive and prosper in it.

Valen Johnson is a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan. Prior to accepting an appointment in Ann Arbor, he was a Professor of Statistics and Decision Sciences at Duke University, where data for this book was collected. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read for Every Academic.......2006-04-12

This is a brilliant exposition on a critical topic. Valen Johnson's writing is easy to follow for non-technical types. It is however backed up by sufficient discussion of the statistical methodology underlying the analysis for those who know and care to determine that this is very solidly and carefully done work.

disturbing and fascinating.......2003-10-18

One of the best books I've read recently. The author is engaging and it's just simply hard to put it down. The amount of statistics is not minimal, but most people with basic knowledge of statistics will be able to handle it. The facts of grade inflation (something that very few are willing to admit exists) are well presented, and quite a bit of information is actually plain common sense. It is a must for college faculty as well as administrators. Also recommended to college students (don't worry, you won't be tested on this material).

Book Description

Higgins makes clear that "corporate strategy, regardless of how elegantly conceived, how comprehensive its scope or how forward-looking its thrust, does not provide competitive advantage until it is communicated, understood, valued, and acted upon by a variety of key corporate stakeholders." His book is thus developed to advance the theory and practice of corporate strategy communications. With two chapters devoted to conceptual foundations and empirical research, plus five new case studies illustrating his points, Higgins's book not only builds on existing research in strategic planning and management and "reputation management," but offers new research findings as well. Interdisciplinary, integrative, and international in scope, the book will be of special interest to corporate management, strategic planners, corporate communications and investor relations executives, and other professionals in the investment community, and to academics with similar research and teaching interests. Higgins argues that companies that communicate effectively to key constituencies risk less by making their strategies known than by hiding them. Among the important payoffs Higgins identifies are an improved climate within the investment community; better relationships with suppliers, customers, and strategic partners; improved employee morale and motivation; and, in some cases, a boost to share price and the enhancement of shareholder value. He begins with an overall strategic framework, illustrating how effective corporate strategy communications can improve a firm's strategic credibility, then follows with case studies--unavailable until now--each written specifically for this book, and covering such situations as a merger, a failed takeover attempt, and a management campaign to elevate share price and shareholder value at a major chemical company. He ends with an examination of the international challenges and opportunities involved in cross-cultural strategy communications. The book also presents for the first time, the results of a major international study of corporate strategy communications. Included in this study were 1800 executives and analysts from the U.S., Europe, and Japan. "The job of strategy communications is never done," concludes Higgins. "Communications during bad times, as well as good, are critically important."

Customer Reviews:

Libro guía para una técnica cuya aplicación se ha ido complicando con el tiempo.......2006-01-30

Entre los múltiples libros que tratan del Control Estadístico de Procesos (SPC) que existen, este es el único que he visto que se centra en el aspecto fundamental a la hora de enfrentarse con esta técnica y es el de la elección del tipo de gráfico a utilizar.

Require por tanto un conocimiento previo de la técnica, de los múltiples tipos de gráficos existentes, conceptos como el número de muestras, etc.

El libro no resuelve, los fundamentos de la técnica, para eso ya hay otros libros (los mejor estructurados son los de Douglas C. Montgomery). Tampoco explora posibles nuevas técnicas. Se centra en exponer los diferentes tipos de gráficos, cómo aplicarles y un breve ejemplo, que se arrastra durante todo el texto.

Así, como libro guía resulta fundamental y en particular el diagrama de flujo (en los primeros capítulos) donde directamente muestra el tipo de gráfico que uno necesita respondiendo a un número mínimo de preguntas.

Carlos Ortega
2006-01-30

Great book and I found software that supports the techniques.......1999-03-15

I found the book to be the answer to most of my questions surrounding SPC implementation in a low-volume high-mix manufacturing environment. The software that supports all the charts described in the book (plus 100's of additional types of control charts) is INFINITY QS SPC software. The software is easy to find on the internet at infinityqs.com.

interesting control charts for industrial statisticians.......1999-02-07

This book covers the topic of statistical control charts. The authors give several examples from industrial case studies to show how various short run control charts can be used in an industrial (machine shop) environment. The type of charts are individual and group charts using "target" values when generating charts. Some of the examples use incomplete data (less than 20 subgroups) to show how the charts are generated and interrpreted. The authors suggest using "software" for the more complex charts which evaluate data based on large sample sizes in each subgroup, but to not endorse or mention where such software can be obtained. I used this book in ASQ's "SPC II" educational course. I hope to find some software and apply the control charting techniques described in this book where I work(a large machine shop doing small lot and jit machining) to measure and control variation in the manufacturing processes. I would recommend this book to any Q.C. professional that needs to go beyond traditional x bar and r control charts as the charts show how multiple characteristics/dimensions and tolerances can be charted and analyzed on one type of control chart. One chapter is based on "picking" the best control chart to use under different circumstances. This book is semi-technical, no heavy mathematics involved. Now I have to find some software.

Book Description

"This book is essential reading for those practicing or studying technology management. It goes beyond rational technical introductions to technology management to include the social, human, and political world of organizational life. Organizations need to understand and address these dimensions if they are to succeed in improving their innovation processes, and also create a humane workplace."

—Richard J. Badham, University of Wollongong

" Managing Technological Change is the first volume that addresses the importance of including workers and their unions in the strategy management of technological change. It also contributes to the literature on this subject by moving beyond manufacturing and into the service and education sectors. This book should be of interest to scholars, students, and practitioners alike."

—Ulrich Juergens, Science Center Berlin for Social Research

Management of technology (MOT) is a field of study dedicated to the planning and ongoing assessment of technology in organizations, incorporating the innovation, development, and engineering processes into one discipline. Managing Technological Change: A Strategic Partnership Approach fills a critical void by presenting an integrative, strategic, and participative approach to technology management from a multi-industry perspective.

Key Features

Defines the concept of strategic partnership and presents a rationale for its use
Identifies the steps involved in successful technology planning, acquisition, development, implementation, and assessment
Presents an integrative framework that links aspects of systems theory, engineering design theory, and industrial relations theory to each of the aforementioned steps
Discusses the barriers to rational innovation processes, using illustrative examples from service, public, and manufacturing sector industries
Offers illustrative examples of best practice from multiple industries and cross-national perspectives, especially those involving strategic partnerships

About the Author

Dr. Carol Haddad is a professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Technology at Eastern Michigan University, where she teaches graduate courses and conducts research on workplace technology and training partnerships. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and an M.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Book Description

In The Digital Hand, James W. Cortada combines detailed analysis with narrative history to provide a broad overview of computing's role in sixteen industries, accounting for nearly half of the U.S. economy. Beginning in 1950, when commercial applications of digital technology began to appear, Cortada examines the ways different industries adopted new technologies, as well as the ways their innovative applications influenced other industries and the U.S economy. In addition, to this account of computers' impact on industry, Cortada also demonstrates how industries themselves influenced the nature of digital technology. Managers, economists, and anyone interested in the history of modern business will appreciate this historical analysis of digital technology's many roles and its future possibilities in a wide array of industries. A detailed picture of what the infrastructure of the Information Age really looks like and how we got there, The Digital Hand is a sweeping survey of how computers transformed the American economy.

Book Description

MNC's have not received a good press in recent years. This book attempts to redress the balance of the argument by showing the extraordinary and positive impact of MNC's in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet union during the transition to free market capitalism. The book also attempts to answer why the impact of MNC's in Eastern Europe should be different to the less commendable experience in Africa and Latin America, and whether MNC's reinforce the power of corrupt rulers. In concluding that MNC's are not necessarily the enemy of development but can be instrumental to progress, the book draws on lessons from 21 East European transition countries to show how the economic power of MNC's can be harnessed elsewhere in the developing world.

Book Description

Most manufacturing companies with batch-and-queue "push" production systems have been blindsided by today's consumer who expects quality products and services delivered on demand and customized to individual taste. In The Perfect Engine, manufacturing experts Anand Sharma and Patricia E. Moody describe for the first time how leading "pull" production pioneers build to order by reducing inventory, decreasing cycle time, minimizing floor space, and eliminating waste.

Drawing on scores of examples and detailed case studies of three leaders in the demand economy field -- Maytag, Pella, and Mercedes-Benz -- Sharma and Moody demonstrate how these companies achieved astonishing results using the pathbreaking LeanSigma ^SM Transformation. Combining lean production and quality elements from the famous Six Sigma process, LeanSigma produces annual productivity gains of 15 percent to 20 percent. In addition, the authors show, inventory turns more than quadruple; cycle times drop by more than 70 percent; and floor space reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent are not uncommon. Sharma and Moody provide immensely readable explanations of key technical aspects of the process--for example, how cell-based one-piece flow can replace batch-and-queue with dramatically improved lead times and inventory turnover. A chapter on a revolutionary design technique the authors call Design for LeanSigma or 3P (product and production preparation) shows how to build flexibility into the product design and the production systems at very low risk, which will be especially helpful when forecasts and customer orders deviate from original projections, as they usually do. Further, the Design for LeanSigma method is devised to produce profitability at short-term volume projections, which makes it a perfect tool for the new demand economy. Essential, timely, and important, The Perfect Engine is perfect reading for this new manufacturing era.

Customer Reviews:

Makes the case for Lean, find the details elsewhere.......2004-12-13

I have been involved in a lean transformation for 5 years and 6 sigma for 3 years. I'm a trained kaizen facilitator and 6 sigma black belt, just background for my review.

Having read the book, I found it is a sound introductory read for those looking to understand how lean and 6 sigma can transform a business. The target audience for this is managers and executive contemplating initiating this process.

The authors do a great job of providing war stories of successes within thier client base. They present the basics of the tools involved. They explain what is expected of management to make an implementation successful.

If you are loooking for the details on how to get it done, I'd go to other books (anything by Shingo, or go to Productivity Press). As with many consultant books, this has the feel of a marketing tool to promote their consultancy. TBM is regarded and one of the best if not the best in "Lean" in this country.

Things that Anand pointed out, but some one with little experience may not pick up on are:
*Continuous improvement is a journey and not a destination
*Senior management MUST be directly involved for success
*Use the gains to grow the business
*Standard work IS the discipline in the process
*Everything must be looked at from the customer's perspective

These may not be new or exciting, but very true and often difficult maintain. I liked the book. I did not get out of it what I expected (more detail and insight), but I learned a few things. I can recommend the book as a starter book for some one to gain an insight on what it takes and at a high level how it works.

Language Spanish.......2003-02-19

My company where i am working wants to buy this book for all the managers, but i would like to know if you have available this book in spanish? I hope you can give me an answer asap... Many thanks!

"Perfection" Is a Journey...........2002-05-07

Don't be deterred by the title. (Initially, I was.) It was probably selected for marketing purposes. Sharma and Moody know better than to claim that the system they propose (what they call "LeanSigma Transformation Process") is in all ways -- and will remain forever -- a "perfect engine" by which to achieve "profitable growth that serves all the constituents of an enterprise." Any system is only as effective as those involved within it. We all know how many perfect workers there are. What Sharma and Moody present in this volume is a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective system by which to meet all manner of challenges by "building to order with fewer resources." Presumably they would be the first to point out that any such system, presented in a book, must be modified to accommodate the specific needs, interest, objectives, and resources of a given organization. Moreover, although the primary focus is on manufacturing, the principles are so sound that they can also be of substantial value to non-manufacturing enterprises such as those in retail merchandising, management consulting, banking, accounting, legal, insurance, and even advertising. All organizations need to improve cycle time and first-pass yield. Also, all organizations must do that with finite (sometimes severely limited) resources. Finally, all organizations most become (literally) obsessed with kaizen: constant improvement. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to decision-makers in all organizations (regardless of size or nature) but with the single caveat that appropriate modifications of the LeanSigma Transformation Process first be made.

Sharma and Moody carefully organize their excellent material within ten chapters. In the first, they suggest and then explain "A Better Way"; in the last, they shift their attention to "The Future." Throughout their book, they make effective use of the "journey" metaphor, correctly asserting that, once begun, the LeanSigma Transformation Process never ends. "This is a journey that concentrates the energy of an entire enterprise and focuses efforts to serve customers better, faster, with better quality products and responsiveness, ultimately leading to gains in market share." Several dozen mini-case studies (e.g. Maytag) demonstrate precisely HOW such objectives can be achieved. In the final chapter, Sharma and Moody offer these thoughts: "Keep the long-term perspective. This journey is part of a larger movement, just as kaizen breakthrough is the the enabler of LeanSigma Transformation, and Design for LeanSigma revolutionized process and product design for increased responsiveness and mass customization. [The current business circumstances worldwide] create a long-awaited window of opportunity, and it is our responsibility to be prepared, to have the best workers, the best tools, and the energetic leadership required because an opportunity like this comes only once in every hundred and fifty years."

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out David Maister's Practice What You Preach, Michael Hammer's The Agenda, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan's Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, and James O'Toole's Leading Change.

The Perfect Engine is the perfect solution!.......2002-02-04

This book contains clear and practical guidance that anyone can use to turn a company around. After applying examples from the book to our factory we increased productivity and lowered inventory within weeks! LeanSigma is the new road to manufacturing success.

Taking the best from lean and Six Sigma methodologies to create LeanSigma is a brilliant idea. The Perfect Engine gives innovative examples that are easy to apply to any environment and quickly transform an organization into a more responsive and agile enterprise.

This book is a must read for line managers and other supply chain managers who want to stay competitive in today's market.

Strong Case for Lean.......2001-11-08

This is a very strong case for lean. There are plenty of old economy examples to provide real world validation, as opposed to all of the high tech fluff books that are out there. I recommend this to anyone in manufacturing or services as a bible to reinvent your company's operating strategy.

Average customer rating:
Protecting Policyholders from Terrorism: Private Sector Solutions Hearing Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0756730422

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