Introduction to Business ignites student engagement and prepares students for their professional journeys, regardless of their career aspirations. Best-selling authors Heidi M. Neck, Christopher P. Neck, and Emma L. Murray inspire students to see themselves in the world of business and to develop the mindset and skillset they need to succeed. A diverse set of impactful examples and cases, from inspiring startups and small businesses to powerful corporations, illustrate how businesses can prosper and create positive impact.
Table of Content
BUSINESS IN AN ENTREPRENEURIAL WORLD
Chapter 1 The Business of Business
What Is Business?
The Building Blocks of a Business
The Role of Business in the World Today
The Future of Work
Social Responsibility and Ethical Decision Making
Chapter 2 Business Without Borders
Global Business Today
Trading Across Borders
From Multinational Corporations to Startups in a Flat World
Working Across Cultures
Models to Help Improve Your Cultural Awareness
Chapter 3 The Entrepreneurial Mindset
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Growth Mindset Versus Fixed Mindset
The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Depth
How Entrepreneurs Really Think
Business in a VUCA World
BLOCK 1 THE OFFERING
Chapter 4 Business Creation
Business Creation Through Entrepreneurship Is the Economic Engine of Society
The Truth About Entrepreneurship
Types of Entrepreneurship
Opportunities—Not Ideas—Create Businesses
The IDEATE Method of Opportunity Recognition
Chapter 5 Business Models
What Is a Business Model?
The Most Common Components of a Business Model
Types of Business Models
The Business Model Canvas Tool
Business Model Disruption
Chapter 6 Business Strategy for Competitive Advantage
The Importance of Business Strategy
The Four Generic Strategies and Competitive Advantage
External Strategic Analysis
Internal Strategic Analysis
Hypercompetition
BLOCK 2 MARKETS AND CUSTOMERS
Chapter 7 Marketing & Sales
The Role of Marketing and Sales in Business
The Marketing Mix
B2B and B2C Sales
The Sales Cycle
Modern Selling Techniques
Chapter 8 Customers and Market Segments
How Customers Create Markets
Types of Customers
Consumer Behavior and Buying Decisions
The Buying Process
Market Segmentation
BLOCK 3 STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE
Chapter 9 Organizational Structure and Design
Organizational Structure
Elements of Organizational Structure
Traditional Organizational Structures
Contemporary Organizational Structures
Primary Factors in Determining Structural Type
Chapter 10 Organizational Mission and Culture
Organizational Mission, Vision, and Values
Organizational Culture
Dimensions of Organizational Culture
Employee Fit With Organizational Culture
Clues to Help Decipher Organizational Culture
BLOCK 4 PEOPLE INSIDE THE BUSINESS
Chapter 11 Management and Leadership
What Is Management?
The Four Functions of Management
Essential Management Skills
Leading Versus Managing Others
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Chapter 12 Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management and Talent Management
Recruitment and Selection for Diversity and Inclusion
Onboarding and Training Employees
Employee Performance
Retaining Employees Through Compensation
Chapter 13 Motivation and Empowerment
Motivation and Empowerment in Business
Intrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic Motivation
Combining Both Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators
Motivation Through Empowerment and Self-Leadership
Chapter 14 Communication in Business
The Role of Communication
Forms of Communication
Barriers to Effective Communication
Communicating in Organizations
Cross-Cultural Communication
BLOCK 5 PERFORMANCE
Chapter 15 Operations and Quality Management
The Operations Behind Running a Business
Product Operations
Types of Production Methods
Quality Control
Service Operations
Digital Operations
Supply Chain Management
Chapter 16 Data Management and Analytics
Data and Information
Information Systems
Data Communication Networks
Data Security Issues
Business Analytics
Chapter 17 Accounting and Financial Statements
Accounting Is the Language of Business
Types of Accounting
The Three Major Financial Statements
Connecting the Three Statements
Analyzing Performance: Ratio Analysis
Chapter 18 Financial Management
Financial Management Overview
Financial Planning
Equity and Debt Financing
The Cash Conversion Cycle
Internal Financial Controls
Appendix A: Legal Issues (Online Only Chapter)
Appendix B: Putting It All Together: The Business Impact Deck
About the author
Dr. Christopher P. Neck is currently a Professor of Management at Arizona State University, where he held the title “University Master Teacher.” From 1994 to 2009, he was part of the Pamplin College of Business faculty at Virginia Tech. He received his Ph.D. in Management from Arizona State University and his M.B.A. from Louisiana State University. Neck is author and/or coauthor of thirty books including Self-Leadership: The Definitive Guide to Personal Excellence (1st Edition, 2017, Sage Publishers; 2nd Edition, 2019); Get a Kick Out of Life: Expect the Best of Your Body, Mind, and Soul at Any Age (2017, Clovercroft Publishing); Fit To Lead: The Proven 8-week Solution for Shaping Up Your Body, Your Mind, and Your Career (2004, St. Martin′s Press; 2012, Carpenter’s Sons Publishing); Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence, 6th edition (2013, Pearson); The Wisdom of Solomon at Work (2001, Berrett-Koehler); For Team Members Only: Making Your Workplace Team Productive and Hassle-Free (1997, Amacom Books); and Medicine for the Mind: Healing Words to Help You Soar, 4th Edition (Wiley, 2012). Neck is also the coauthor of the principles of management textbook, Management: A Balanced Approach to the 21st Century (Wiley: 2013, Wiley: 2017-2nd Edition, Sage: 2021-3rd Edition); an introductory to entrepreneurship textbook, Entrepreneurship, (Sage, 2017; 2nd edition, 2020; 3rd edition, 2023); an introductory to organizational behavior textbook, Organizational Behavior (1st Edition-Sage, 2017; 2nd Edition-Sage, 2019; 3rd Edition-Sage, 2023), and an Introduction to Business textbook (Introduction to Business, Sage, 2022). In total, his textbooks have been adopted by 800 colleges/universities and used by over 120, 000 students. Dr. Neck’s research specialties include employee/executive fitness, self-leadership, leadership, group decision-making processes, and self-managing teams. He has over 150 publications in the form of books, chapters, and articles in various journals. Some of the outlets in which Neck’s work has appeared include The Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, The Journal of Organizational Behavior, The Academy of Management Executive, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Journal of Managerial Psychology, Executive Excellence, Human Relations, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Journal of Leadership Studies, Educational Leadership, and The Commercial Law Journal. Dr. Neck is the Deputy Editor of the journal, the Journal of Leadership and Management. Due to Neck’s expertise in management, he has been cited in numerous national publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Houston Chronicle, and the Chicago Tribune. Dr. Neck was recently voted as a semi-finalist (out of 140 nominations) for the prestigious international 2020 Baylor University Cherry Award for Great Teaching. He finished in the top six of all nominations. Neck was also the recipient of the 2007 Business Week Favorite Professor Award”. He is featured on www.businessweek.com as one of the approximately twenty professors from across the world receiving this award. Dr. Neck has taught over 80, 000 students during his career in higher education. Neck currently teaches a mega section of Management Principles to approximately 900 students at Arizona State Univer
More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
260,259 Ebooks in this category
