Cover image for Essentials of Contemporary Business

Essentials of Contemporary Business

Author David L. Kurtz , Louis E. Boone
Release Date: 2013/12/01
ISBN: 9781118336496
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Book Description

We've listened. Boone/Kurtz, Essentials of Contemporary Business is the flexible, current, and easy-to-use teaching resource you've asked for and the inexpensive, concise, readable book today's students want. Our commitment to delivering solutions at the speed of business has produced the perfect combination of current material, illustrative examples and a storytelling narrative -- all in a brief, valued-priced package.

Covering all of the major topics of the introduction to business course, Boone/Kurtz, Essentials of Contemporary Business offers shorter chapters and a visually pleasing design paired with a comprehensive suite of resources to help you make business concepts come alive.

Experience a textbook program that supports your goals to stimulate curiosity, show relevance, promote creativity, and prepare students for what's ahead, in both their academic and business careers.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. About the Author
  5. Preface
  6. Brief Contents
  7. Contents
  8. Part 1: Business in a Global Environment
    1. Chapter 1: The Changing Face of Business
      1. Apple and Steve Jobs: Business Leadership as Art
      2. What Is Business?
      3. Factors of Production
      4. The Private Enterprise System
      5. Six Eras in the History of Business
      6. Today's Business Workforce
      7. The 21st Century Manager
      8. What Makes a Company Admired?
      9. What's Ahead?
    2. Chapter 2: Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
      1. Panera, a Bakery Café on a Mission
      2. Ethical Challenges
      3. The Contemporary Ethical Environment
      4. How Organizations Shape Ethical Conduct
      5. Acting Responsibly to Satisfy Society
      6. Ethical Responsibilities to the General Public
      7. Responsibilities to Investors and the Financial Community
      8. What's Ahead?
    3. Chapter 3: Economic Challenges Facing Contemporary Business
      1. Kids Come Home to Roost
      2. Microeconomics: The Forces of Demand and Supply
      3. Macroeconomics: Issues for the Entire Economy
      4. Evaluating Economic Performance
      5. Managing the Economy's Performance
      6. What's Ahead?
    4. Chapter 4: Competing in World Markets
      1. Toyota Reclaims Global Auto Sales Crown
      2. Why Nations Trade
      3. Measuring Trade between Nations
      4. Barriers to International Trade
      5. Reducing Barriers to International Trade
      6. Going Global
      7. What's Ahead?
  9. Part 2: Starting and Growing Your Business
    1. Chapter 5: Small Business and Forms of Business Ownership
      1. Snagajob's Success Hooks Investors
      2. Most Businesses Are Small Businesses
      3. Contributions of Small Business to the Economy
      4. Why Small Businesses Fail
      5. Available Assistance for Small Businesses
      6. Forms of Private Business Ownership
      7. Public and Collective Ownership of Business
      8. Organizing a Corporation
      9. When Businesses Join Forces
      10. What's Ahead?
    2. Chapter 6: Starting Your Own Business
      1. The Marketing Zen Group: From $1,500 to Millions in Five Years
      2. What Is an Entrepreneur?
      3. The Environment for Entrepreneurs
      4. The Process of Starting a New Venture
      5. Financing Your Venture
      6. Reasons to Choose Entrepreneurship
      7. Categories of Entrepreneurs
      8. The Franchising Alternative
      9. Promoting Intrapreneurship
      10. What's Ahead?
  10. Part 3: Management: Building Organizational Capability for Superior Performance
    1. Chapter 7: Management, Leadership, and the Internal Organization
      1. Wegmans Food Markets: Still a Great Place to Work
      2. What Is Management?
      3. Managers as Leaders
      4. Leading by Setting a Vision for the Firm
      5. Managers as Decision Makers
      6. Importance of Planning
      7. The Strategic Planning Process
      8. Organizational Structures
      9. What's Ahead?
    2. Chapter 8: Human Resource Management: From Recruitment to Labor Relations
      1. Hiring Heroes Is Good Business
      2. Human Resources: The People Behind the People
      3. Recruitment and Selection
      4. Orientation, Training, and Evaluation
      5. Compensation
      6. Employee Separation
      7. Motivating Employees
      8. Labor–Management Relations
      9. What's Ahead?
    3. Chapter 9: Top Performance through Empowerment, Teamwork, and Communication
      1. Enterprise Rent-a-Car Thrives on Empowerment, Teamwork
      2. Empowering Employees
      3. Five Types of Teams
      4. Stages of Team Development
      5. Team Cohesiveness and Norms
      6. Team Conflict
      7. The Importance of Effective Communication
      8. Basic Forms of Communication
      9. What's Ahead?
    4. Chapter 10: Production and Operations Management
      1. Intel's “Fab” New Manufacturing Facility
      2. The Four Main Categories of Production Processes
      3. Three Major Production Methods
      4. The Strategic Decisions Made by Production and Operations Managers
      5. Steps in the Production Control Process
      6. The Importance of Quality Control
      7. What's Ahead?
  11. Part 4: Marketing Management
    1. Chapter 11: Customer-Driven Marketing
      1. Walmart Introduces “Great for You”
      2. What Is Marketing?
      3. Evolution of the Marketing Concept
      4. Consumer Behavior
      5. Marketing Research
      6. Market Segmentation
      7. Steps in Building a Marketing Strategy
      8. Relationship Marketing
      9. What's Ahead?
    2. Chapter 12: Product and Distribution Strategies
      1. Panama Canal's Expansion Is a Game Changer
      2. Products and Services
      3. Product Life Cycle
      4. Product Identification
      5. Distribution Strategy
      6. Wholesaling
      7. Retailing
      8. Distribution Channel Decisions and Logistics
      9. What's Ahead?
    3. Chapter 13: Promotion and Pricing Strategies
      1. Pfizer Faces the Impact of Generic Drug Pricing
      2. Integrated Marketing Communications
      3. Different Types of Advertising
      4. Tasks in Personal Selling
      5. Sales Promotion Activities
      6. Publicity as a Promotional Tool
      7. Pricing Objectives and Strategies
      8. What's Ahead?
  12. Part 5: Managing Technology and Information
    1. Chapter 14: Using Technology to Manage Information
      1. Evernote Raises Note Taking to a Profitable Art
      2. Data, Information, and Information Systems
      3. Components and Types of Information Systems
      4. Computer Hardware and Software
      5. Computer Networks
      6. Security and Ethical Issues Affecting Information Systems
      7. Disaster Recovery and Backup
      8. Information System Trends
      9. What's Ahead?
  13. Part 6: Managing Financial Resources
    1. Chapter 15: Understanding Accounting and Financial Statements
      1. BKD LLP: An Accounting Firm for the 21st Century
      2. Users of Accounting Information
      3. Accounting Professionals
      4. The Foundation of the Accounting System
      5. The Accounting Cycle
      6. Financial Statements
      7. Financial Ratio Analysis
      8. Budgeting
      9. International Accounting
      10. What's Ahead?
    2. Chapter 16: The Financial System
      1. Community Banks Team Up to Fight the Megabanks
      2. Understanding the Financial System
      3. Types of Securities
      4. Financial Markets
      5. Understanding Stock Markets
      6. Financial Institutions
      7. The Role of the Federal Reserve System
      8. Regulation of the Financial System
      9. The Financial System: A Global Perspective
      10. What's Ahead?
    3. Chapter 17: Financial Management
      1. Raising Capital
      2. The Role of the Financial Manager
      3. Financial Planning
      4. Managing Assets
      5. Sources of Funds and Capital Structure
      6. Short-Term Funding Options
      7. Sources of Long-Term Financing
      8. Mergers, Acquisitions, Buyouts, and Divestitures
  14. Glossary
  15. Notes
  16. Name Index
  17. Subject Index
  18. International Index
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