Ulrich Steger - Böcker

Combining rigorous academic research with the latest practical tools and techniques, this book explores the growing area of complextity management in business. Through a range of high quality international cases leading authors help students to understand how to manage organizations in unpredictable and complex business environments.

The food and beverage industry is vital to the global economy, but in a society increasingly concerned with sustainable development, it is facing new challenges. This book presents the results of a research project focused on the management challenges that sustainable development presents to presents to food and beverage companies.

Ecology has become an integral part of the strategic context in which corporations operate. This book examines fully the strategic issues, concepts and tools which managers must understand to sustain their own business competitiveness as society evolves toward a new definition of progress. In addition, it is argued that strategic environmental management provides an excellent learning context for the development of more general competitive capabilities.

Corporate Governance is the hot topic of the new millennium. Gone are the days when CEOs set agendas and earned 500 times more than average employees. Now, transparency rules. Corporations must establish new systems of accountability, and encourage long-term participation in decision-making by both shareholders and staff. Those that succeed will be better equipped to create wealth, solve complex problems, and compete in global markets.The role of the directorate and the need to ensure an effective framework for its accountability to owners is paramount to success. In line with this thinking, Mastering Global Corporate Governance argues that one of the key responsibilities of the Board is leadership, and that the root of good corporate governance lies in the strength of a corporate leader. In particular, it focuses on two 'burning issues' for senior executives: how can the boards of global companies best lead their companies through the fundamental dilemmas that face all boards?; and how can Boards, entrusted with ultimate responsibility for the way a company exercises leadership, provide that leadership?

This book delivers new IMD insights on an emerging challenge - how to deal with overwhelming complexity. Global organizations face a complex decision-making environment. On one side, diversity of cultures, customers, competitors and regulations creates complexity; on the other, competitive pressures cause expanding countries to extract more synergies across products and regions. In such a climate, a new way of thinking, acting and organizing is needed beyond the familiar ‘control’ mindset. Drawing together insights from across the expert faculty, Managing Complexity in the Global Organization presents IMD’s framework on how to understand complexity and its four key drivers (diversity; interdependence; ambiguity and flux), along with solutions on specific issues in a variety of functions, industries and markets. The focus is on providing practical solutions based on real-life examples.

Based on a wealth of empirical studies and case studies, this book explains the strategic choices companies have to make in order to remain consistent. In each chapter, real-life examples illuminate the key message managers should take away from the book. It offers a purely managerial viewpoint focused on what managers can do to manage the business enviroment in any situation.

"The value of Managing Outside Pressure is that, not only is it a handbook on issues identification and issues management, but it provokes thoughts about the evolution into reputation management." C.A.J. Herkströter Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies"We have learned a that a company needs to establish and promote a dialogue with all its stakeholders. In brief: you can only realize what you can communicate. Against this background, I find this book to be very helpful in identifying and assessing issues that have the potential to develop into corporate crises." Jürgen Dorman CEO of Hoechst Corporation"You don't have to be a giant like Nike, Shell or Texaco to come unstuck as campaigners spotlight your real (or perceived) corporate weakness. Winter and Steger provide excellent advice on how to predict and manage external pressures. Remember, though, the real trick is to use such pressures to drive internal change." John Elkington Chairman, SustaiAbility; author, Cannibals with Forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business"Brand and reputation are ever more important for value creation. Matthias Winter and Ulrich Steger launch a powerful new tool to manage reputation. It arms managers with a smart detector for potential public sparks or powder kegs. It offers options to keep them safely apart and rather design win-win solutions." Claude Fussler Vice-President for the Environment, Dow Europe

Strategies, Markets and Governance addresses governance concerns at firm, industry, country and international levels. How do regulatory authorities deal with new business models, organizational structures and blurring market relations? What limits regulatory control and what are the implications of corporate self-regulation? What drives the spread of new regulation and what limits its effectiveness? How does 'the organized public' shape political and corporate interests and what is its legitimacy and impact on business? How do corporate strategies turn tighter regulation into profit opportunities, deliver public benefits in the face of predatory states and when is exit the only option left? The contributing authors are leading researchers on governance and public policy, and present assessments of these questions in a variety of institutional and international contexts. The book is ideally suited to advanced students of business, public policy and business regulation, as well as practitioners and policy makers.

Strategies, Markets and Governance addresses governance concerns at firm, industry, country and international levels. How do regulatory authorities deal with new business models, organizational structures and blurring market relations? What limits regulatory control and what are the implications of corporate self-regulation? What drives the spread of new regulation and what limits its effectiveness? How does 'the organized public' shape political and corporate interests and what is its legitimacy and impact on business? How do corporate strategies turn tighter regulation into profit opportunities, deliver public benefits in the face of predatory states and when is exit the only option left? The contributing authors are leading researchers on governance and public policy, and present assessments of these questions in a variety of institutional and international contexts. The book is ideally suited to advanced students of business, public policy and business regulation, as well as practitioners and policy makers.

Ecology has become an integral part of the strategic context in which corporations operate. This book examines fully the strategic issues, concepts and tools which managers must understand to sustain their own business competitiveness as society evolves toward a new definition of progress.

The food and beverage industry is vital to the global economy, but in a society increasingly concerned with sustainable development, it is facing new challenges. This book presents the results of a research project focused on the management challenges that sustainable development presents to presents to food and beverage companies.

This work analyses and interprets Chinese managers' perceptions of environmental management and regulatory enforcement practices in Chinese enterprises. Most importantly, it identifies the bottlenecks to environmental protection in Chinese firms, and presents a roadmap of how they can be overcome.

Almost every energy scenario assumes an enormous growth in the demand for energy in the coming decades. Meanwhile, at international conferences and other venues, the primary concern is massive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, especially of the CO2 produced by fossil-fuel energy consumption. Experts also point out the political risk of depending on petroleum and remind us of the fact that resources are not inexhaustible. This timely book explores: how these conflicting scenarios could be reconciled; how can we shape a more sustainable energy system from the existing one; and possible technological progress and innovations to enable a brighter future. It also addresses the reality that there exists no consensus on the extent to which innovations can really contribute to reconciling ever-growing energy consumption, availability of resources and the environment, and the structural demands on any energy system.

Eine interdisziplinierte Bestandsaufnahme zum Thema Globalisierung der Wirtschaft. Jenseits oberflachlicher Klischees diskutieren Wissenschaftler der Volks- und Betriebswirtschaft, der Sozial- und Ingenieurwissenschaften den dramatischen Wandel fur Wirtschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft . Uber die aktuelle Standortdebatte hinaus werden langerfristige Trends identifiziert.

Auch wenn Globalisierung zunächst als ökonomischer Prozeß erscheint, so wird bereits jetzt deutlich, daß die künftige "Weltgemeinschaft" zentrale nicht-ökonomische Felder des gesellschaftlichen Lebens beeinflussen wird. Solche - oft vernachlässigten - Aspekte greift das Buch auf: nationale und internationale Politik, Umweltschutz, internationale Migration und Arbeitsbeziehungen, verbunden mit Analysen der Unternehmen als den "Treibern" der Globalisierung. Das Buch gibt in allgemein verständlicher Form Ergebnisse des dreijährigen Forschungskollegs "Globalisierung verstehen und gestalten" wieder, in dem anerkannte Experten unterschiedlicher wissenschaftlicher Disziplinen und Praxisfelder zusammenarbeiteten. Die Beiträge durchleuchten eine Vielfalt bisher vernachlässigter Aspekte. Sie zeigen dadurch ein umfassendes Bild der Globalisierung auf.

Globalisierung ist alles andere als eine Einbahnstraße! Anhand dreier Szenarien zeigt das Buch grundlegende Handlungsoptionen für die Gestaltung der globalisierten Zukunft auf. Es entfernt sich damit von der altbekannten "Standort-Debatte", die durch ihre Einseitigkeit effiziente Lösungsansätze letztendlich verhindert. Das Buch gliedert sich in drei Teile: 1. Kennzeichen und Charakteristika der Globalisierung und ihre Auswirkungen auf zentrale Problemfelder der westlichen Gesellschaften: Arbeitslosigkeit, Alterssicherung und Umweltschutz. 2. Drei Szenarien der weiteren Entwicklung mit Problemlösungskapazität. 3. Handlungsempfehlungen. Der Herausgeber ist Leiter des Ladenburger Kollegs "Globalisierung verstehen und gestalten", dessen Ergebnisse Grundlage des Buches sind.

Die zuverlässige Versorgung einer hoch technisierten Gesellschaft mit elektrischer Energie ist von enormer Bedeutung. Der Bedarf an unterbrechungsfreiem Strom wächst beständig; gleichzeitig sind Forderungen nach Wirtschaftlichkeit, Effizienz, Kostengerechtigkeit und nicht zuletzt Umweltschutz zu erfüllen.Hinzu kommt, dass grundlegend veränderte rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen in Deutschland und Europa Netzbetreiber vor große Herausforderungen stellen: Die Netze müssen langfristig ausgebaut werden, um einen EU-weiten Strombinnenmarkt gewährleisten zu können. Kurz- bis mittelfristig ist durch Koordination mit anderen Netzbetreibern sicherzustellen, dass trotz neuer Transportfunktionen der Netze gravierende Stromausfälle ausbleiben.Die vorliegende Studie präsentiert das Resultat einer interdisziplinären Forschungsarbeit, die Ursachen von Instabilitäten, wesentlich beeinflusst durch den Trend zu einer weitergehenden Integration der europäischen Stromnetze, untersucht und die Verlässlichkeit der Energieversorgungsnetze reflektiert. Die Studie richtet sich mit konkreten Empfehlungen zu Investitions-, Sicherheits-, Effizienz- und Qualitätsaspekten der elektrischen Netze an Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft, Politik und die interessierte Öffentlichkeit. Ziel ist es, für anstehende politische Entscheidungen sowie administrative und unternehmerische Maßnahmen eine wertvolle Entscheidungsgrundlage zu bieten. So wird durch die fachübergreifende Analyse der netzwirtschaftlichen Pflichten und ihrer Regulierung eine Lücke in der wissenschaftlichen Betrachtung geschlossen und Impulse für die weitere Gestaltung der Elektrizitätsnetzwirtschaft gegeben.

Explores how these conflicting scenarios could be reconciled; how can we shape a more sustainable energy system from the existing one; and possible technological progress and innovations to enable a brighter future. Addresses the reality that there exists no consensus on the extent to which innovations can really contribute to reconciling ever-growing energy consumption, availability of resources and the environment, and the structural demands on any energy system. Offers and explains a four-point strategy: Energy should according to its importance regain a top priority in the political arena; higly targeted subsidies should be given for a limited amount of time to speed up the market introduction of energy-efficient and regenerative techniques in analogy to the a'Dutch model'; Negotiated agreements and unilateral self-commitments can subsequently ensure further market diffusion of sustainable energy innovations.; the basic research in energy should not be diminished but intensified instead