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Global Comparative Management
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Global Comparative Management
A Functional Approach



February 2009 | 360 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
The first current comprehensive treatment of comparative management available in a single-authored package, Global Comparative Management: A Functional Approach offers an interdisciplinary discussion of management functions, practices, patterns, and problems relating to a wide variety of national and regional settings. Author Ralph Edfelt places management concepts into temporal and contextual perspective, gives broad overviews of management theory, and describes global macroenvironmental trends. Readers will gain the knowledge and insight necessary for becoming effective managers, employees, and citizens in today's increasingly interdependent world.

Global Comparative Management covers the United States, Latin America, Western Europe, Japan, and East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea). Each chapter includes a management section that focuses on region-specific topics, such as the managerial functions of planning, controlling, organizing, directing, and staffing in that region; CEO backgrounds, career paths, and pay scales; and higher-management education.

Key Features
  • Broadens readers' worldviews through discussions of global contexts and experiences
  • Synthesizes information from many sources, including academic research and contributions by practicing managers, consultants, and other professionals
  • Explores two special topics: management-by-democracy (transcending several countries, regions, and eras) and management in a state-socialist system (the former Soviet Union), noting implications for contemporary capitalist settings
  • Defines current cultural, economic, and political terminology
  • Includes pertinent case studies and exercises, lists of terms and concepts, and study questions
Designed for students and practitioners of management and international business, Global Comparative Management can be used as a stand-alone text or as supplementary reading in Comparative Management courses. It is also an ideal supplement for Introduction to Management, International Management, and Global Studies courses.

 
1. Management; A Conceptual and Contextual Overview
Chapter Objectives

 
Conceptual/Historical Perspective

 
Global Context

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
 
2. American (U.S.) Management
Chapter Objectives

 
The U.S. Macro-Environment

 
The American (U.S.) Manager

 
U.S. Managerial Tendencies

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
Case: Board of Directors

 
 
3. West European Management
Chapter Objectives

 
The West European Macro-Environment

 
The West European Manager

 
European Management Perspective, Process, Practice

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
 
4. Soviet Socialist Management
Chapter Objectives

 
Soviet Polity, Economy and Culture

 
The Soviet Manager

 
The Management Process

 
Managerial Performance

 
Economic Reforms

 
Gorbachev Reform Initiatives

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercise

 
 
5. Management-By-Democracy; The Employee-Controlled Organization
Chapter Objectives

 
The Concept

 
Examples of Employee (or member) Control

 
Performance

 
Critical Success Factors

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercise

 
 
6. The Legacy of China
Chapter Objectives

 
The Chinese Macro-Environment

 
The Confucian-Zone Manager

 
Management Practice

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
 
7. Japanese Management; Tradition and Transition
Chapter Objectives

 
The Japanese Macro-Environment

 
The Japanese Manager

 
Japanese Management

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
 
8. Management in Latin America
Chapter Objectives

 
The Latin American Macro-Environment

 
The Latin American CEO

 
Latin American Management

 
Chapter Summary

 
Terms and Concepts

 
Study Questions

 
Exercises

 
 
9. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Solid chapter on Management theory conceptual and contextual review, outstanding review for MBAs and specialized Grad Programs, solid recap and intro for upper level undergraduates, good work on the US portion, good balance b/t regions, nice charts and research, comparative points well stated, easy to understand, yet profound in the messages disseminated for future reference and for a more inclusive, balanced, and interdependent world of management in the 21st Century.

Dr Anastasios Kaburakis
Management Dept, St Louis University
December 21, 2010

It was really good to break down management issues across different regions (it's very difficult to find such a book), and it's not heally academic and research-oriented. BUT half of each of the chapter covers GENERAL economic and policial environments of each region. It would have been much better if more space can be devoted to leadership and managerial issues in each region.

Dr Jane Yang
Business Administration , City University of Hong Kong
December 10, 2009
Key features

 Provides a clearer more comprehensive view of international management beyond intercultural issues to include:

  • managerial funtions
  • managerial practice
  • managerial issues
  • problems in different national/regional settings
  • economioc contexts
  • political contexts
  • pertinent cases and exercises along with lists of terms, concepts and study questions