According to W. Edwards Deming, American companies require nothing less than a transformation of management style and of governmental relations with industry. In Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982, Deming offers a theory of management based on his famous 14 Points for Management. Management's failure to plan for the future, he claims, brings about loss of market, which brings about loss of jobs. Management must be judged not only by the quarterly dividend, but by innovative plans to stay in business, protect investment, ensure future dividends, and provide more jobs through improved product and service. In simple, direct language, he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.

Out of the Crisis

What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

In this innovative approach to the practice of social science, Charles Ragin explores the use of fuzzy sets to bridge the divide between quantitative and qualitative methods. Paradoxically, the fuzzy set is a powerful tool because it replaces an unwieldy, "fuzzy" instrument—the variable, which establishes only the positions of cases relative to each other, with a precise one—degree of membership in a well-defined set. Ragin argues that fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible. They let quantitative researchers abandon "homogenizing assumptions" about cases and causes, they extend diversity-oriented research strategies, and they provide a powerful connection between theory and data analysis. Most important, fuzzy sets can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry. This book will revolutionize research methods not only in sociology, political science, and anthropology but in any field of inquiry dealing with complex patterns of causation.

Fuzzy-Set Social Science

http://www.matizyasociados.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-power-of-business-models-Shafer-Smith-Linder.pdf

The power of business models

Cross-Sector Partnerships to Address Social Issues: Challenges to Theory and Practice:

Corporate social reporting, while not mandatory in most countries, has been adopted by many large companies around the world and there are now a variety of competing global standards for non-financial reporting, such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the UN Global Compact However, while some companies (eg, Henkel, BHP, Johnson and Johnson) have a long standing tradition in reporting non-financial information, other companies provide only limited information, or in some cases, no information at all Previous studies have suggested that there are, country and industry-specific, differences in the extent of CSR reports (eg, Kolk et al: 2001, Business Strategy and the Environment10, 15–28; Kolk: 2005, Management International Review45, 145–166; Maignan and Ralston: 2002, Journal of International Business Studies33(3), 497–514) However, findings are inconclusive or contradictory and it is often difficult to compare previous studies owing to the idiosyncratic methods used in each study (Graafland et al: 2004, Journal of Business Ethics53, 137–152) Furthermore, previous studies have relied mainly on simple measures, such as word counts and page counts of reports, to compare the extent of reporting that may not capture significant differences in the content of the reports In this article, we seek to overcome some of these deficiencies by using textual analysis software and a more robust statistical method to more objectively and reliably compare the CSR reports of firms in different industries and countries We examine a sample of leading companies in four countries (US, UK, Australia, and Germany) and test whether or not membership of the Global Compact makes a difference to CSR reporting and is overcoming industry and country specific factors that limit standardization We conclude that GlobalCompact membership is having an effect only in certain areas of CSR reporting, related to the environment and workers, and that businesses from different countries vary significantly in the extent to which they promote CSR and the CSR issues that they choose to emphasize in their reports These country differences are argued to be related to the different institutional arrangements in each country

Is Corporate Responsibility Converging? A Comparison of Corporate Responsibility Reporting in the USA, UK, Australia, and Germany

One of the greatest problems facing luxury goods firms in a globalizing market is that of counterfeiting. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different types of counterfeiting that take place in the␣fashion industry and the ethical issues raised. We argue that the problem partly lies in the industry itself. Copying of designs is endemic and condoned, which raises several ethical dilemmas in passing judgment on the practice of counterfeiting. We analyze the ethical issues in a number of different types of counterfeiting encountered in the fashion industry. We conclude with some observations on the general implications for ethics in intellectual property rights.

The Ethics of counterfeiting in the fashion industry : quality, credence and profit issues

T he research in social sciences on economic growth in developing economies has reached a consensus on the crucial role played by “institutions” (North, 1990; Olson, 1982; Ostrom, 1990). The transplanting of foreign institutions or the adjustment of local institutions requires the involvement of local knowledge and local participation. We believe that nongovernment organizations (NGOs) can play a vital bridging role in the transfer of foreign institutions, for example, multinational corporations (MNCs), to facilitate their integration with local institutions. Buckley (2002) in a recent analysis of the future research agenda for international management has pointed out the importance of analyzing the roles of new actors such as NGOs in the international business environment. This complements Arpan’s (1997) Academy of International Business (AIB) presidential address, which raised the issue of the need for international business research to broaden its scope in terms of topics,

Global Strategic Partnerships between MNEs and NGOs: Drivers of Change and Ethical Issues

From the Publisher:
Strategic Management of e-Business focuses on the strategic implications of e-Business and examines the strategies being employed by firms in a range of different industry sectors. It has been written for students taking MBA, final year undergraduate and Executive Education courses; and will also be a valuable resource for consultants and practitioners who need to gain a greater understanding of the strategic issues underpinning e-Business. Stephen Chen helps the reader develop the knowledge and skills required in the formulation and implementation of strategies for businesses competing in electronic markets. Starting from the basics, the book reviews current academic research and practice in e-Business strategy and integrates thinking on various issues that need to be considered in e-Business, including:

* An overview of the key technologies currently used for e-Business and their strategic implications

* An understanding of the strategic, marketing and organisational implications of e-Business

* An appreciation of the broader context of e-Business by discussing economic, social and legal implications

Supplementary materials for lecturers adopting Strategic Management of e-Business can be found on the following web site http://www.wiley.co.uk/chen/

The author has produced a very good manuscript that links academic theory to practice Glyn Davis, University of Teesside

A timely textbook clearly setting out which management and business theories are fundamentally changed by developments in e-commerce. A clear and highly relevant textbook for all academics in business schools today. Chong Ju Choi, Cambridge University

Strategic Management of e-Business blends up-to-date management theory with real world examples to give the most comprehensive set of tools to aid managers evolve their businesses in the digital world. Peter Spark, CEO, Ecsponent Stephen Chen is Lecturer in Strategic Management at Manchester Business School.

Strategic Management of e-Business

In this article we examine how five immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Singapore have internationalized their businesses and the role of transnational family networks in this process. We show that one of the key means by which these entrepreneurs are able to access resources and make use of contacts across borders is through transnational family and kinship networks that allow them to simultaneously engage in social and business activities in both countries. We discuss the characteristics of these family networks compared with other social networks that make them of particular value in internationalization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stephen Chen

Papers

Is Corporate Responsibility Converging? A Comparison of Corporate Responsibility Reporting in the USA, UK, Australia, and Germany

The Ethics of counterfeiting in the fashion industry : quality, credence and profit issues

Global Strategic Partnerships between MNEs and NGOs: Drivers of Change and Ethical Issues

Strategic Management of e-Business

The strength of family networks in transnational immigrant entrepreneurship