2004 Illinois Manufacturers Directory

Book Description

If the essential acts of teaching are the same for schoolteachers and professors, why are they seen as members of quite separate professions? Would the nation's schools be better served if teachers shared more of the authority that professors have long enjoyed? Will a slow revolution be completed that enables schoolteachers to take charge of their practice--to shoulder more responsibility for hiring, mentoring, promoting, and, if necessary, firing their peers?

This book explores these questions by analyzing the essential acts of teaching in a way that will help all teachers become more thoughtful practitioners. It presents portraits of teachers (most of them women) struggling to take control of their practice in a system dominated by an administrative elite (mostly male). The educational system, Gerald Grant and Christine Murray argue, will be saved not by better managers but by better teachers. And the only way to secure them is by attracting talented recruits, developing their skills, and instituting better means of assessing teachers' performance.

Grant and Murray describe the evolution of the teaching profession over the last hundred years, and then focus in depth on recent experiments that gave teachers the power to shape their schools and mentor young educators. The authors conclude by analyzing three equally possible scenarios depicting the role of teachers in 2020.

Customer Reviews:

Unique perspective and storyline.......2003-12-03

Teaching in America offers a unique history of education from the perspective of the developing meaning of "teaching." By comparing the worlds of school teachers and college teachers over history, the authors expose stressfull points in educational history that have shaped todays' discourse on education.

While some of the text is written as intellectual history, a great deal of it is really a sociological analysis of the authors past personal experiencies and the challenges of past times. The result for the reader is a unique perspective and insight into a rarely studied period in recent history.

The lessons to be learned from these experiences are different than those suggested by other recent literature in educational history. In contrast to the conclusions of some of the other literature, this text suggests that the social challenges in education are tied to the conflicting goals we hold for teachers, students, men, women, etc. While each of these themes is explored elesewhere in the literature, they are brought together here in the experiences of two experienced teachers.

How come history takes such a long time?.......2001-09-30

The authors relate that the paradigm shift in American education has necessarily taken a long time. Still, the systems do change and are changing and their book may be one more stone for completely the arch of change.

What I found most helpful was their stress on teacher empowerment in enacting change. Their research indicates that teachers need less layers of administrative control and more opportunities for entrepreneurial decisions in shaping their learning communities, in determining budget issues, in establishing curriculum and assessments. They applaud recent movemont for fair and rigorous assessments, not only of students but of teachers. If teacher's standards are raised as an educational community, expect respect (financially, socially) to be credited to them. To do this, teachers also need more peer control of their services, control in rating and evaluating each other, and in helping each other find opportunities for collaboration. The results will build better schools beyond the verbiage that blows hard during political years.

I became somewhat bogged down in reading it during the middle chapters. The lengthy reports of how schools have sabotaged their own success, although necessary reading and well presented(especially if one is considering entering education or has just entered the profession), seemed droll. For me, it slowed the journey of reading down.

But definitely read it to the end. Their book would be a good, educational companion suggestion next to Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline.

Teacher professionalism: the past and the future........2000-03-26

"Teaching in America: The slow revolution" is a good read.

Particularly interesting, for me, was the history of the developing professionalism of teachers. The authors make the point that the first revolution, brilliantly captured by Callahan (Education and the Cult of Efficiency) which saw the rise of the administrator class while teachers "... remained locked in a (sic.) hierachical system in which they were treated as hirelings whose work was mandated by a male administrative elite."

The authors argue passionately for a second revolution in teaching which will see teachers recognised as valued professionals. However the price that must be paid, according to the authors, is that teachers need to "... convince the public that they have the will and capacity to make judgments about who is fit to teach and who should be dismissed for incompetence. Teachers must show that they have standards by which their peers will be judged ...."

The growth of teacher professionalism and autonomy will clearly be at the expense of current administrative roles and this is not examined in depth in the book.

Chapter 9 - Teaching in 2020 was excellent and in a section called "Contrasts between the two revolutions" the points examined are: The nature of peer control; Allocation of time and money; Credibility, serving the public good; A revolution by women; Pressure for more egalitarian outcomes; The nature of markets for professional skills; and Sharing authority with parents.

I thought the book presented lots of useful information and thought that the argument that teaching was devalued among professions because (among other things) it was seen as women's work was a call to arms.

Teaching in America is a book that should be placed in the professional reading section for teachers in every school.

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Bill Bresnan Speaks on Tax Planning Under the New Tax Law in Words of One Syllable
Bill Bresnan
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Tax Planning | Taxes | Accounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0130764728

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Bill Bresnan Speaks on Tax Planning under the New Tax Law...in Words of One Syllable
Bill Bresnan
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KPN6NS

Book Description

The unique and controversial companion volume to Daniel Seymour's On Q places Seymour's ideas and theories within the context of a call to action. In a series of realistic case-study lessons, he reveals how colleges and universities can dramatically improve their performance by drawing upon the concepts found in systems theory, quality management, and studies of organizational behavior. Seymour's goal is to overcome the current reactive mind-set and replace it with a proactive education environment where student success is the main objective. Once Upon a Campus can be put to use as an audit tool, as a guide for readers to identify problem areas in their institutions, and as a planning resource in evaluating and implementing overall performance improvement.

Quality and Performance Excellence in Higher Education: Baldrige on Campus (JB - Anker Series)

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super

Quality and Performance Excellence in Higher Education: Baldrige on Campus (JB - Anker Series)

Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1882982800

Book Description

American higher education is currently facing many serious challenges, from providing access to a growing number of students, to keeping college affordable, to the effective deployment of technology in teaching to fostering economic growth and workforce development. In Quality and Performance Excellence in Higher Education, the authors adopt the Malcolm Baldrige education criteria for performance excellence to identify key elements in practicing continuous quality improvement in higher education: open communication channels, honest self-assessment, effective leadership, employee development, and the appropriate allocation of resources.

Investment in higher education plays a crucial role in the future prosperity of America. To illustrate this point, the authors present case studies from six diverse institutions that embody the core values and concepts of the Baldrige framework:

Leadership from senior institutional leaders
Strategic planning to meet key objectives
Focus on the students, stakeholders, and market
Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management
Faculty and staff performance as a result of institutional support and training
Process management in support of the learning environment
Organizational performance results

This book will appeal to academic administrators at all levels and at all types of institutions who are interested in applying a systematic approach to leadership, quality improvement, and change management within their institutions.

Customer Reviews:

super.......2007-03-08

Thanks a lot, we are very happy to have this book in our library!

Continuous Quality Improvement in Higher Education (ACE/Praeger Series on Higher Education)

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Continuous Quality Improvement in Higher Education (ACE/Praeger Series on Higher Education)
John Robert Dew , and Molly McGowan Nearing
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Policy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0275983897

Book Description

Continuous improvement is so important for leaders in higher education today because they find it now being embedded in the re-accreditation process for many accrediting associations. This book will give background by providing historical perspective on pioneering institutions in Continuous Improvement. Additionally, it offers insights on how to obtain stakeholder feedback through surveys and focus groups. Dew and Nearing address the issue of strategic planning from a CI perspective and include concepts to improve academic programs. They also fulfill their goal of bringing structure to the chaotic issue of measurement and feedback in the higher education setting. Continuous improvement is so important for leaders in higher education today because they find it now being embedded in the re-accreditation process for many accrediting associations. This book will give background by providing historical perspective on pioneering institutions in Continuous Improvement. Additionally, it offers insights on how to obtain stakeholder feedback through surveys and focus groups. Dew and Nearing address the issue of strategic planning from a CI perspective and include concepts to improve academic programs. They also fulfill their goal of bringing structure to the chaotic issue of measurement and feedback in the higher education setting.

A Culture for Academic Excellence: Implementing the Quality Principles in Higher Education (J-B ASHE Higher Education Report Series (AEHE))

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A Culture for Academic Excellence: Implementing the Quality Principles in Higher Education (J-B ASHE Higher Education Report Series (AEHE))
Jan E. Freed , Marie R. Klugman , and Jonathon D. Fife
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities: Planning to Survive and Prosper (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series)

ASIN: 1878380737

Book Description

Reviews key principles for improving quality in higher education institutions. Discusses methods that should be implemented as a total system approach and offers a new vision of how institutions operate.

Book Description

This text has been written for managers in higher education as well as for headteachers and deputy heads in the school sector.;"Total quality management" (TQM) is a philosophy and a methodology that is widely used in business, and increasingly in education, to manage change or other processes. With the pressure for change and quality in education never more acute, this book provides an opportunity for readers in education to acquaint themselves with TQM.;Revised and updated, this edition introduces the key concepts of TQM in the education context. It discusses organizational, leadership and teamwork issues and the tools and techniques of TQM. This text should help educators develop a framework for quality management in their school, college, department or university.

Pursuit of Quality in Higher Education: Case Studies in Total Quality Management: New Directions for Institutional Research (J-B IR Single Issue Institutional Research)

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Pursuit of Quality in Higher Education: Case Studies in Total Quality Management: New Directions for Institutional Research (J-B IR Single Issue Institutional Research)
Deborah J. Teeter , and G. Gregory Lozier
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Through a series of vignettes, this volume provides valuable insights into the experiences of colleges and universities that are applying the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) to higher education. Each vignette presents a different aspect of TQM regarding issues of organization, training, use of tools or methodologies, the language of TQM, or the challenges in transforming organizational cultures. Many vignettes conclude with a synopsis of the lessons learned.

Book Description

This new work takes quality principles and practices in higher education beyond theory by providing practical examples of what happens when these principles are applied. Freed and Klugman conducted an in-depth study of 10 quality-oriented colleges and universities. The administrators, staff members, and faculty members of these institutions candidly share their successes and failures in this book. The authors address the internal and external forces that are driving change and describe the development and implementation of quality systems that will meet the challenges of today's competitive academic environment. They also discuss the barriers to implementing quality principles as well as ways to remove them.

Managing Quality And Standards (Managing Colleges and Universities)

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Managing Quality And Standards (Managing Colleges and Universities)
Colleen Liston
Manufacturer: OPEN UNIVERSITY PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Standards | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Policy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Just forget it

Back To Basics

Innovation that Fits: Moving Beyond the Fads to Choose the RIGHT Innovation Strategy for Your Business
Michael Lord , Donald deBethizy , and Jeffrey Wager
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
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Mastering the Dynamics of Innovation

Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It

Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators: From Idea to Execution

Operations Management (Innovation and Enterprise MBA0611)

The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Defeating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization

ASIN: 0131438204

Download Description

"Innovate or die. Companies have heard that message loud and clear¿but they still struggle with how to actually make it happen. INNOVATION THAT FITS reveals what works and what doesn't, helping you build a focused, sustainable innovation strategy that fits your business and your marketplace.

The authors draw on an unprecedented study of 250 recent corporate innovation initiatives in industries ranging from manufacturing to biotech, retail to information technology. They offer a clear-eyed assessment of every leading approach: its advantages and drawbacks, its execution challenges, and where it's most likely to work (or not).

Corporate venturing: Mature venturing approaches that link tightly to core strategic goals
""Asset-lite"" innovation: Defining smart, aggressive IP management strategies¿and understanding their limitations
Innovation-by-alliance: Realizing the promise and overcoming the perils of partnership

Whether you're a corporate executive or entrepreneur, long-term growth through innovation is a priority. This book will help you define and design better strategies for innovation, show you how to better execute them, and help you navigate the minefields on the way to success."

Customer Reviews:

Just forget it.......2006-07-08

This is not a book on innovation. It is about building paper castles first and then trying to tear down with supoosedly empirical evidence. What it says at the end of all that boring and trivial reading is that a firm should not divert its attention to outside-the-firm areas of innovation and instead should focus on core innovation. Eureca! OK, but how are they going to do that? Nobody knows. Just be focused on your innovastion efforts and don't ask more questions. Don't waste either your money or your time on this book and serve your nerves.

Back To Basics .......2005-06-07

If you have looked through the business section of your local book store over the last ten years or so, one word seemed to appear in about a quarter of all titles - innovate. From management gurus to the media, they all have been preaching the innovation doctrine. It almost seemed that regardless of what you did in the innovation space, as long as you were doing something was all that mattered. It seemed that the risks associated with this move forward mantra did not seem to get much press. The only risks discussed was the death penalty not innovating sentenced the company to. Well now that the new economy has been shone to be a bit overheated, a new look at the innovation craze was needed. That is where this book comes into place.

After more then one company innovated themselves out of existence it started to look like, that in retrospect many innovation strategies, structures and processes where left a little wanting. Now it looks like the bottom line is being looked at again and a little more sober view of innovation is being taken. This book helps the reader get back to solid business plans for innovation. The authors state that innovation in no less important, but that we need to get back to viewing the cost benefits of the risks that innovation presents. They give the reader very clear and solid ideas on how to balance innovation gone mad and do nothing stagnation.

Overall I found the book easy to read and understand the key points. The authors give you real examples of both failures and success on the innovation front. I found the book to be a valuable tool to remembering that doing something just for the sake of doing something cane lead to some vary difficult choices. It is well worth the time to read the book.

Book Description

Notwithstanding the myriad forms of government assistance to American business, the relationship of business to politics in the United States remains a highly antagonistic one, characterized by substantial mutual distrust. This adversarial relationship is both reflected and reinforced not only in American business ideology, but also in America's unique legalistic and confrontational style of regulation, the political strategies of the public interest movement, the American approach to American industrial policy, and the distinctive way Americans think about the subject of business ethics. This volume brings together more than two decades of scholarship on business and politics by one of the leading authorities on this subject.

These essays also explore a number of critical contemporary issues, including the ongoing debate over the scope and extent of business power in America, the growth of shareholder protests and consumer boycotts, the changing politics of consumer and environmental regulation, and the emergence of both public and business interest in business ethics. In addition, they place the contemporary dynamics of American business-government relations in both an historical and comparative context. Finally these essays demonstrate e the importance of integrating the study of business by political scientists with the study of politics by students of management.

Average customer rating:

Good for content planning, not for content writing

Terrific for Planning from the Ground Up!

Very applicable

Developing Training Courses : A Technical Writer's Guide to Instructional Design and Development
Rives Hassell-Corbiell
Manufacturer: Learning Edge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Training | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Technical | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Rapid Instructional Design: Learning ID Fast and Right (Essential Knowledge Resource)

Telling Ain't Training

Terrific Training Materials: High Impact Graphic Designs for Workbooks, Handouts, Instructor Guides, And Job AIDS

The ASTD Handbook of Training Design and Delivery

Writing Training Materials That Work: How to Train Anyone to Do Anything

ASIN: 0970145403

Book Description

The eight-step strategy presented in this book takes the mystery out of writing effective training courses. Practical templates, checklists, assessments, and examples streamline your effort and eliminate writer's block. You'll discover how to make the most of limited time, money, and human resources to:

—Develop training lessons that make a difference.
—Customize off-the-shelf training to meet the needs of your target audience.
—Repurpose existing documentation.
—Globalize your training for culturally diverse learners or tailor lessons to meet specific needs of a limited audience.
—Recognize dead-end paths that can undermine the success of your project.
—Incorporate ready-to-use CGI, Java, and HTML scripts into lessons. Learn when to use them, where to find download sites, and how to tailor them to your training objectives and learners.

This systematic approach has helped thousands of writers like you create training programs that deliver what they promise. In just hours, you can learn techniques and time-savers that others have learned only through hard-won experience and costly mistakes.

Keep this book handy. You'll reach for it often for real-world advice about every phase of your project from initial planning to troubleshooting. Better than a mentor, it's a must-have for every successful training or user-education professional.

Customer Reviews:

Good for content planning, not for content writing.......2006-11-21

This is one of the best books of those that help you determine what should be included in your training course - to plan objectives and then break it down into the detail. It also covers how to test the effectiveness of the course. However, it does not give any information at all about what a course module should contain or how to write it.

My goal was to write a training course for a software program. So, for the most part I knew what the outline of the course should be. I needed to know how to introduce the subject, how much to include in the single module, what exactly to do and say. For this, the book would get a zero.

Very good for it's purpose but I felt a review was needed to point out what that was.

Terrific for Planning from the Ground Up!.......2004-04-22

I just can't say enough about this book. I am developing a training program for the first time and it has added outstanding depth to my process. It is simple to use. If you go step by step everything just seems to fall in to place.

It is a life saver!

Very applicable.......2002-04-04

I read this book in 5 hours. After that, I had all the tools I needed to start developing a training course for a subject matter I still knew little about. Great book for someone who has a short time to develop a training course. Great reference for anyone who needs new approaches to their training development.

Developing Training Courses: A Technical Writer's Guide to Instructional Design and Development. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Technical Communication

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Developing Training Courses: A Technical Writer's Guide to Instructional Design and Development. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Technical Communication
Peggy Jacobson
Manufacturer: Society for Technical Communication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 703 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Developing Training Courses: A Technical Writer's Guide to Instructional Design and Development. (Book Reviews).
Author: Peggy Jacobson
Publication: Technical Communication (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2002
Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
Volume: 49 Issue: 4 Page: 469(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

In today's hyperkinetic marketplace, businesses must constantly be on the lookout for ways to separate themselves from their competitors. Banwari Mittal and Jagdish N. Sheth believe the best method is delivering superior value to customers, and in ValueSpace, named for the term they coined to describe the total corporate package top companies create to do just that, they outline specific moves that help leading firms earn and maintain their stellar reputations. Mittal and Sheth, business professors and consultants, thoroughly studied 11 superlative businesses before identifying the three components that all rely upon to provide such value: performance (ensuring products and services work as advertised), price (setting fair and reasonable rates), and personalization (making it easy for customers to deal with them). They then show how each of their leading corporations shine in these areas. AutoNation, for example, initiated "no haggle" pricing at dealerships to ease a common anxiety among car buyers; 3M operates rock quarries so only the highest quality minerals are produced for roofing shingles; American Express is available around the clock, every day of the week, to merchants with problems. The authors helpfully conclude with solid suggestions for adapting these ideas and others from their spotlighted companies--which also include Caterpillar, Xerox, UPS, PPG, Hilton, Sysco, Rosenbluth International, and Fossil--into operations where such "valuespace" is lacking. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

In the tradition of the bestselling The Discipline of Market Leaders, business professors and consultants Banwari Mittal and Jagdish N. Sheth describe a dynamic new value-based approach to achieving market dominance they call ValueSpace--the space that great companies create to deliver their customers the greatest value. Based on the findings of an in-depth study for the prestigious Marketing Science Institute of the top 10 companies on Fortune's Most Admired Companies list, Mittal and Sheth show that value is the missing link in achieving enduring customer loyalty, and that the three main components of customer value are performance, price, and service.

With the help of fascinating case studies from UPS, 3M, Caterpillar, Xerox, Fossil, and other most admireds, Value Space explains why and how companies in all business sectors that excel at delivering customer value are invariably the market leaders. It outlines a complete program for achieving long-term success by more effectively managing the 9 organizational processes that drive performance, price, and service.

Download Description

With the help of fascinating case studies from UPS, 3M, Caterpillar, Xerox, Fossil, and other "most admired" Value Space explains why and how companies in all business sectors that excel at delivering customer value are invariably the market leaders.

Customer Reviews:

An Eye-opener on Business Strategy.......2001-09-10

A few years ago, I read a New York Times bestseller, The Discipline of the Market Leaders, by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Since its publication, I have heard a lot of managers quoting from it. In this bestseller, authors Treacy and Wiersema describe three strategies: product leadership, operational excellence, and customer intimacy. My fellow executives translate these as product, price, and service, and we all generally agree that to compete, "You have to be good at two, and be excellent at the third."

Last week I read ValueSpace by Mittal & Sheth. It changed my interpretation of Treacy and Wiersema's book. I realized how wrong every manager's understanding of Treacy and Wiersema's book had been. The confusion is between the Marketspace and Valuespace. Treacy/Wiersema's book tells us WHAT market to compete in (Marketspace); Mittal/Sheth's book tells us HOW to compete in the chosen market (ValueSpace). Their discussion of this distinction in Chapter 12 was an eye-opener. They also do a great job of tying up the theme of their book with the themes of other business bestsellers, such as Tom Peter's In Search of Excellence and Collins and Porras' Built to Last.

I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned with business strategy. If you have read other bestsellers on business strategy, you can't afford to miss this one. I only wish the authors had made Chapter 12 as their first chapter. . My suggestion would be to read Chapter 12 first. Then the rest of the book would be doubly meaningful.

Simple but Solid Guide for Creating Customer Value.......2001-08-27

I read the book purely out of curiosity. I co-manage a high tech company so at first I was disappointed since none of the high tech companies are included in the book. But I started reading it anyway because I wanted to read what some of the famous companies like Caterpillar and UPS are doing to gain market-leadership. Although some of the company stories get to be tedious, most are useful and fun to read. And even though none is from a high tech company, it gave me ideas for my own business. Now whenever I am faced with a customer problem, I would be thinking of one or the other story to come up with my own innovative ways of solving the customer's problem and to meet his or her value requirements. Beyond the stories, what I found useful is the customer value framework the authors offer. At first, it looks deceptively basic and simple; but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed valuable. Its simplicity is a good thing. Authors claim that it is comprehensive - I am not sure yet, but so far every value creation activity I could think I could fit into the framework. And I could apply it to my company. Indeed the framework is applicable to any company in any industry. The book offers nothing in the way of quick-fix. And when you finish reading it, don't expect to run with excitement, eager to implement something. Rather, the book's framework gives you a template to use in long term, cool-headed, planning. It does not matter if you are a small business or a large business, and if you are a established company or a start up, the book's framework will be a handy tool for constantly thinking about various avenues of creating "unusual and complete" customer value.

Simple but Solid Guide for Creating Customer Value.......2001-08-27

Author Response to FAQs.......2001-07-11

ValueSpace? What is it? What does it do for my business?

We are constantly asked these questions since the book's release. They are best answered by us in the preface, excerpted below.

PREFACE

ValueSpace -we hold it in utmost admiration.

ValueSpace-it is to us the be-all and the end-all of all business activity; the only purpose of all businesses. It is the only justifiable goal of all reengineering, organizational renewal, entrepreneurship and corporate innovation. And it is the only path for sustained growth; for winning the battle for market leadership. It is the space where true market value is created. For shareholders; for employees; and, most of all, for customers. We present in this book a blueprint on how companies can build enduring ValueSpace for their customers.

This book is at the intersection of our two long-held obsessions: As university professors, we view ourselves as lifelong learners; and for decades, we have been students of customer behavior on the one hand and business organizations on the other. We have studied theories of customer behavior-indeed created some of them ourselves--, and for decades, we have observed, analyzed, and written about business processes, precepts, and practices. In this book, we bring these two streams together-our knowledge of customers and our knowledge of businesses. This is our ValueSpace for you, the reader: Uniquely in the current sea of business advice books, we combine the customer and business perspectives.

We set out to understand what constitutes value for the customer and how companies can create it. With financial support from the Marketing Science Institute (a Cambridge-based nonprofit research organization), .. we studied 11 Fortune's Most Admired Companies. ... Our framework, comprising the components of ValueSpace and its drivers, is quintessential-no matter what else you do or do not do, you must create these value components. Our framework is enduring-it is not the "project of the month"; long after the current fads have vanished, you must still build the value components we describe. Our framework is universal-it applies to all companies: manufacturing and service; small business or global enterprises, business-to-business or business-to-consumer; physical or digital; dot-com or not-com.

We intend this book to be a blueprint for thought as well as practice. We present conceptual framework to help you plan; we provide a self-audit form that you can use to assess your company's current standing in the ValueSpace; and we present case histories, stories of the most admired companies, and insights from executive interviews that you would find both inspirational and actionable. It is a hands-on guide to launching your journey into the customer ValueSpace.

Our own journey has been fascinating; we have learned a lot-from the Most Admired Companies we studied; from the executive interviews we did specifically for this research; and from thousands of conversations over the years with consumers, mangers, and corporate leaders just like yourselves. It is a pleasure and privilege to share with you our view of Customer ValueSpace, and our total fascination with it.

(End of Preface) * * *

VALUESPACE FOR BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

How You Can Use the Book:

Knowledge is the foundation for all strategy and sound executive action. This book will give you:

a. A Perspective: A framework for thinking about your customers' ValueSpace, and indeed about your business itself.

b. A Strategic Planning Tool. The book contains an Audit self-survey both for nine ValueSpace components and 40 driver processes. You can use this tool to assess your company's current standing and then plan action to move forward in the ValueSpace.

c. As an Account Planning Tool. For each major customer, you can identify the gaps in the ValueSpace you can fill.

d. As an Executive Training Tool. As a platform for Executive Training, the book can inform, guide, and frame the continuing education experiences in corporate universities and in-house Executive training centers.

Once you adopt the ValueSpace thinking, the potential to explore avenues of value creation are limited only by your creativity and vision.

* * * * * * *

SELECTED EXCERPTS

Value, not money, is the basic currency of all human interaction. When we meet someone, we try to quickly assess how long would it be worth our while to be talking to that person. If an incoming phone call shows up on our called ID, we promptly decide if we would gain anything by taking the call at that time. If we get 10 letters in the mail, we look through them and choose to open only those that we expect to contain some information of value to us. This is even more true for marketplace exchanges.... ...

Companies that invent new values such as these possess certain traits. They observe customers real close. They dig customer need to its essential core. And they keep their eyes on a singular target: creating far fetched new ValueSpace for the customer. These traits indeed lead a business to mold its own self-concept in the customer's image. Rosenbluth redefines the very nature of its business as "business interaction management." And 3M comes to view itself, instead of being a maker of masking tapes, abrasive papers, and adhesives, as a provider of bonding, protection, and masking solutions.....

This reinvention of oneself as a corporate being, this customer-centered adoption of a new self-identity, the constant contemplation of the customer desires -this is what it takes to invent unparalleled ValueSpace for the customer. This is what it takes to win the battle for market leadership. This is what it takes to thrive.

* * * * * * *

IN CONCLUSION

We hope you enjoy the book. We will certainly be grateful for your feedback. You can send it to us at BanMittal@MyValueSpace.com.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Book Description

This study examines the labor markets of the United States and Germany, developing a framework for the analysis of labor market dynamics based upon the dynamic flow analysis, instead of the conventional labor stock data. Until recently, labor market analysis was mainly based on stock data, which is a suitable data source for structural and aggregate phenomena but does not allow for the analysis of processes that are behind the net changes identified by stock data. To identify the dynamic elements in the labor market, information on flows is needed. In recent years flow data have become available, indicating that an enormous amount of that labor market mobility is occurring every month. The use of flow data to analyze questions of the mismatch in the labor market and the underlying labor market dynamics has been suggested recently by scholars. The analysis presented in this study of the labor market in the U.S. and Germany uses these data to link dynamic concepts of labor market adjustment to flow data. This study will be of interest to scholars in labor economics and industrial organization.

Labor Market Dynamics of Economic Restructuring: The United States and

Average customer rating:

Labor Market Dynamics of Economic Restructuring: The United States and
Ronald Schettkat
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OREO1A

Average customer rating:

Labor Market Dynamics of Economic Restructuring: The United States and

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICEOMK

Book Description

Using information technology to sharpen your firm's competitive edge

Design firms that achieve a competitive advantage through information technology are those whose leaders take direct control of the application of IT to business goals. In this book, design technology consultant Kristine Fallon tackles the IT management problem head-on, with techniques, tools, options, and decision-making structures that help you become the master of your firm's technological destiny.

Addressing AEC firms of all sizes and specializations, The AEC Technology Survival Guide forges a link between information technology and the two most compelling management concepts of our day —reengineering and total quality management. Numerous case studies demonstrate the measurable benefits of a well-planned technology strategy and illustrate the possibilities and pitfalls that accompany real-world implementations. A discussion of specific classes of technology products and how they fit into business strategies culminates in an inside look at the leading-edge, high-reward strategy of one of the world's largest design firms.

This indispensable guide:

Lays out the who, what, when, where, and how of effective technology training for design firms
Provides proven techniques for controlling IT support costs
Explores the pros and cons of IT outsourcing
Reveals techniques for analyzing and optimizing the IT budget
Reviews technical standards and developments likely to shape future design applications.

Whether you're the sole proprietor of a small single-discipline practice or principal in a large design-build firm, The AEC Technology Survival Guide gives you the information you need to transform your IT from a necessary evil to the engine that drives your firm to success.

Customer Reviews:

A great executive summary of AEC issues & solutions........1998-08-26

Kristine has provided an outstanding review of the BUSINESS issues being faced by large & small AEC firms, and has given readers a road map for using technology to achieve business success. This book will be invaluable for any company owner, engineering manager, or IT manager, struggling with WHAT, WHY, and HOW to use technology to not only stay alive as a business, but as a competitive edge. Kristine has organized her book in 3 sections: Chapters 1-4 answer the question "WHY implement technology in my company." These chapters cover how the information revolution is affecting AEC globally, how the power of technology is more in its COMMUNICATION value than its computational value, and a GREAT section called the AUTOMATING BENEFITS CONTINUUM. Chapters 5-10 provide guidelines on WHAT and HOW to implement technology along a sliding scale....from "cost containment" to "competitive positioning". These chapters provide the core benefit. Chapters 9 and 10 are an easy read regarding the history & future outlook of technology in AEC. In summary, a great guidebook for anybody running any part of an AEC business.

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