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New! Online handbooks on global marketing, innovation management, cultural transformation in organizations, and more...

Published by Mark Bodnar

Businesspeople these days are expected to be both specialists and generalists - to know an area such as marketing in depth, yet also be familiar with the practical implications of issues in other areas like investing or organizational culture.  As useful as your courses may be for gaining such breadth of knowledge, sometimes scanning a basic handbook is also necessary.

With that in mind... SFU researchers now have online access to a very practical series of online handbooks addressing some key areas in modern business, from cultural transformation to social media marketing!  (Descriptions below are from the publisher.)

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Cultural Transformation

... examines the questions "What is organization culture?" "What or who are change agents?" and "What are some strategies for orchestrating successful transformations?" Entries examine such topics as: mission/vision/values/culture: defining who you are; objectively understanding your corporate culture; leadership roles in a changing culture; guiding employees through change; strategies for transforming negative work cultures; and more.

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Global Business Law

... examines the questions "What are the differences between private and public international law?" "What are fair trade practices?" and "What are some of the risks of managing a multinational business?" Entries examine such topics as: current information on international trade laws; importing and exporting abroad; trade balance and what that means for the global economy; international shipping and customs; trade barriers; doing business in a foreign country; and more.

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Global Marketing

... examines the questions "How can a business measure the cost effectiveness of expanding globally" "How do you build and manage an international brand?" and "How can I identify new product opportunities in emerging markets?" Entries examine such topics as: The 4 P's (Product, Price, Placement, Promotion) and how the mix differs when you're going global; research strategies for finding actionable intelligence; understanding "other" business environments; segmenting markets on a global scale; the merits and drawbacks to standardization; and more.

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Innovation Management

... examines the questions "What is innovation management?" "What are the contributing factors that either favor or discourage innovation?" "How can it be used in my business?" Entries examine such topics as: brainstorming; product lifecycle management; portfolio management and optimization; models of innovation; diffusion of innovation; measuring innovation; systems for innovation within a corporation; strategies for innovation management; and more.

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Investment Research

... examines the question "How does one go about finding a good investment?" from various angles and what external contributing factors can impact those investments. Entries examine such topics as identifying the major economic indicators and how they influence investment decisions; laws governing investments both domestically in the United States and globally; how to read a financial statement; and how to locate information on a company's market share; among others.

Gale Business Insights Handbook of Social Media Marketing

... examines the questions "What is social media marketing" and "How can it be used in my business?" This volume focuses on building an internal business case for using social media, highlighting its importance, the benefits it can provide, and how to implement a successful strategy and measure its effectiveness. Entries examine such topics as the types of social media and their followers; how to increase discoverability; and how to define and protect your brand; legal challenges with social media, and more.

And if you like this sort of introductory treatment of topics, check out...