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It's well known that China has been working to spur domestic consumption. But it's making faster progress than many outsiders realize; for example, China is already the first or second largest market in a number of important consumer categories. Here are some trends Western multinationals should be aware of, along with advice on how to better position themselves so that they don't get left behind.

Corporate social responsibility remains a deeply controversial issue. Vermaelen proposes a creative way to finance CSR initiatives: through equity spin-offs that create separate alternative businesses funded by shareholders who opt in, knowing they may see lower returns but enthusiastic about the cause.

A study of 10,000 accounts in a large German bank showed that customers obtained through referrals are both more loyal and more valuable than other customers, making referral programs well worth the cost. The effect is strongest among young people.

When professors Anita Woolley and Thomas Malone studied the factors that increased a group's collective intelligence, they made some surprising discoveries: A team's intelligence, as measured by performance on a range of tasks, had relatively little to do with the individual IQs of its members. But it had a lot to do with the gender of those members.

How you handle yourself in your final weeks and months in power will have a big impact on how you are remembered.

In theory, customer feedback, whether positive or negative, is good. In reality, it can be hard to figure out which online reviews are legitimate-and how responsive to be.

Viral features embedded in your product can have an explosive effect on adoption. Automatic notifications, which are passive, get the most hits. But personalized features, such as user-to-user invitations, are three times as effective per message.

Nike's Football division needs to devise a strategy to excel at the 2010 World Cup games in South Africa. Nike has gone from a niche player in the market for football apparel and footwear in 1994 to a formidable competitor to Adidas in 2008 (with revenues of over $1 billion for the sport). The case traces how Nike has gone about making this transformation and its activities at each of the World Cups since 1994. For the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, Nike has decided to change its target market focus and to use digital and social media platforms to connect more extensively with consumers. In addition, Nike plans to launch innovative new boots and engage in corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives. The company has to do so in light of competition from archrival Adidas and the pressure of succeeding on the biggest stage in football, with billions of people around the world watching. The case allows students to analyze how a company can best integrate several value propositions into a cohesive plan and how it can best communicate with its chosen target market. It also allows for a rich discussion of the brand image the company needs to portray to leverage success beyond the World Cup event.

Can a company base a major proposal on its good reputation, history with the client, and a perspective that differs from the client's own? Emphasizing both its engineering capability and 80 years' experience, Parsons Brinckerhoff spends one year and $1 million preparing a proposal to build a $17 billion subway line. Competition from four equally qualified firms is stiff, but PB is sure its history and top-level MTA connections make it a shoe-in. Despite MTA's concerns about the finished line's functionality, PB believes the construction of the tunnel itself is the key to winning the bid. In the A case, the firm awaits the good news. The B and C cases reveal the results and the direction the company then chooses to take. (A teaching note is available to registered faculty members.)

Can a company base a major proposal on its good reputation, history with the client, and a perspective that differs from that client's own? Emphasizing both its engineering capability and 80 years' experience, Parsons Brinckerhoff spends one year and $1 million preparing a proposal to build a $17 billion subway line. Competition from four equally qualified firms is stiff, but PB is sure its history and top-level Metropolitan Transit Authority connections make it a shoe-in. Despite MTA's concerns about the finished line's functionality, PB believes the construction of the tunnel itself is the key to winning the bid. In the A case, the firm awaits the good news. The B and C cases reveal the result and the direction the company then chooses to take.

Can a company base a major proposal on its good reputation, history with the client, and a perspective that differs from that client's own? Emphasizing both its engineering capability and 80 years' experience, Parsons Brinckerhoff spends one year and $1 million preparing a proposal to build a $17 billion subway line. Competition from four equally qualified firms is stiff, but PB is sure its history and top-level Metropolitan Transit Authority connections make it a shoe-in. Despite MTA's concerns about the finished line's functionality, PB believes the construction of the tunnel itself is the key to winning the bid. In the A case, the firm awaits the good news. The B and C cases reveal the result and the direction the company then chooses to take.

This note addresses the dynamics of supply chains as they affect profits--how profits may be both maximized overall and equitably distributed across the supply chain. Influences of pricing and stocking are discussed, as are the benefits and shortcomings of coordination by the most common types of contract.

The general manager of Horseshoe Resort is finalizing the proposal for a new adventure park with his management team. Horseshoe is an all-season resort recently purchased and new ownership wants to increase Horseshoe's attractions to entice visitors to the resort in the summer months. The general manager wants to determine how best to use the land and investment dollars to cater to Horseshoe's target market and add to its portfolio of activities.

In July 2009, as investors prepared to submit financial bids for the $3 billion Dharavi slum redevelopment project, considerable economic and political risks remained.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. This appendix to the book will provide a useful, concrete model to readers who have read at least a few chapters. It presents a final report on the processes examined in the SCI Call Center case that runs through the book. Headings include: Project Methodology, Overview of SCI Organization, Analysis, Technology Analysis, Summary of Recommendations, Financial Analysis, Proposed Process, and Benchmarks and Measures.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. Chapter 1 provides an overview explaining core principles of business process management and the advantages of employing the best process-mapping techniques.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. Chapter 2 describes project initiation and the development of a contract for a process improvement project, sometimes called a "statement of work" (SOW). Topical headings include: Organization Entry, Understanding the Organization, Process Mapping, Initial Project Understanding, Interviewing, and Creating an SOW.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. Chapters 3 and 4 explain process mapping in detail. Process maps are icon-based shorthand ways of describing the steps for performing some process. Chapter 3 picks up on the gathering of documentation covered in the previous chapter, discussing what to do with all that documentation, starting with its review and ending with its addition to a documentation archive.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. Chapters 3 and 4 explain process mapping in detail. Process maps are icon-based shorthand ways of describing the steps for performing some process. Chapter 4 continues the discussion of process map variations and different methods of depicting aspects of processes. As the chapter explains, many maps are so complex that they are difficult to understand unless summarized in logical "chunks"; this chapter explains the reasoning for creating summary maps. It also introduces the challenges of validating and verifying a process map.

Process Mapping & Management, written by Sue Conger of the University of Dallas, is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press. The book comprises three sections: Process mapping mechanics, process improvement analysis, and process redesign and justification. Written for executives and graduate students, the text offers practical techniques for simplifying and improving business processes that are immediately actionable. The improvement analysis is based on lean six sigma techniques and discusses leaning for the removal of process waste, cleaning for improving the remaining steps, and greening for evaluating methods that either automate or off-load work. A call-center case study runs through the book to illustrate many of the techniques. The techniques presented in Chapter 5 are a representative mix of idea generation, graphics, and diagramming and analysis techniques that can all be used on a single project in developing the organization view. Main topics include Creative Problem-Solving Techniques, Graphics for Problem Finding, and Other Methods for Problem Finding.