This provocative book makes a compelling case for reducing the number of workdays in a week to four. Globalization has brought with it fiercer competition and greater worker mobility, and as organizations compete for top talent, they are becoming more open to unconventional worker arrangements, such as remote working and flextime. International business expert, Robert Grosse, draws on scholarly research to construct an appealing argument for why the four-day workweek benefits both the organization and the employee. Research has demonstrated that longer work hours harm the individual and don’t amount to a more effective organization, which begs the question: then why do it? The book goes beyond merely arguing that a reduced workweek is a good idea. It delves into why, explores the means for achieving it, and scrutinizes the barriers to getting there. This is a book for forward-thinking executives, leaders, and academics who understand that work–life balance is the secret sauce not only for organizational success, but also for greater productivity and satisfaction in their careers and those of the people they manage.

This book explores the future of the financial services industry, giving readers an idea of the kinds of institutions and services that will survive in the early twenty-first century. An informative and provocative exploration of the future of the financial services industry. Focuses on likely changes in the near future, such as greater use of the Internet for banking transactions and the increasing globalization of financial services. Points to the probable disappearance of the insurance sector as a separate industry. Describes changing conditions in key financial centres, especially the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.

When managing cross-culturally in a polarized world, recognizing similarities between people and establishing common ground can be key to success. This book argues that despite differences in language, political systems, income levels, and other factors, people are people. There is no doubt that cultural differences should be understood and appreciated, not only because this is the right thing to do in a multicultural world, but because failure to understand these differences when doing business can result in costly mistakes. But when managing people, what matters most is showing respect and interest – because what motivates (and de-motivates) is the same regardless of cultural background. This book explains and illustrates eight themes in which people are very similar across cultures, including trust, fairness, integrity, and, though often overlooked in an organizational context, the reasons why people work. Business leaders, human resource professionals, organizational consultants, and students in these fields will appreciate this fresh perspective on people management, and the mini-cases and interviews with senior executives provide inspiring real-world examples.

The traditional dominance of international markets by companies from the US, Western Europe and Japan can no longer be taken for granted. Emerging market economies, from the powerhouse Chinese economy (set to pass the US in national income by 2020) to dynamic players such as Mexico, South Africa and Indonesia, are rapidly changing the competitive landscape. Companies that can successfully enter these emerging markets may reap rewards and benefits from cost reductions and market opportunities. By understanding their positioning in the global continuum of companies and customers - the global value chain - businesses can build their strategies for better competition, more effective resource allocation, cost reduction, and a heightened awareness of the risks and benefits. Packed with in-depth case studies of multinationals from both sides of emerging markets, including: Accenture, Walmart, Google, Nike, Novartis, PetroChina, Embraer, Tata Group and FEMSA; Emerging Markets is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the new competitive landscape and how they can maximise the business opportunities available. Online supporting resources include lecture slides that align with each chapter.

Multinational enterprises are particularly strong in Latin America and sensitive to political and economic changes there - the currently emerging debt crisis is likely to have far-ranging effects. This book considers multinationals in Latin America, both those from inside and those from outside the region, and discusses the major issues relating to them, e.g. trans-national regulation and the government/business relationships. It sets the discussions against the background of other work and theories of multinational enterprise. Novel features include the development of the author's bargaining theory of multinational enterprise and the attempt to create a systematic method for evaluating MNE acceptability for host governments (an important consideration since the relationship between multinationals and governments, particularly the way a government perceives a multinational, is crucial). The book concludes by assessing current trends and likely future developments.