Favourite Business Books [by foundation &mardhiah12]

foundation

What would you consider to be 'must-read' business books?  Boleh share dengan sinopsis pendek tak.

Saya mula dengan "The Leadership Engine" - Noel Tichy.

The best thing abt this book is the focus on developing leaders in an organisation.  It clearly contrasts btwn managers and leaders.  In fact, Tichy's view of successful leadership is the ability to develop other leaders.  Instead of just theory, Tichy draws a lot from his works with major corporation especially GE whose CEO, Jack Welch is arguably one of the best Business Leader around.

That's all. I have a few more favourite but look forward to hear from everyone.

Terima kasih.

[ Last edited by  limau_nipis at 26-2-2007 10:13 AM ]

norsha

I'm not a business minded person but I do read few books on business motivation..
One of them that I find interesting (I'll tell u why..hehehe) is "Wake-up calls"..Basically, the book is just trying to make us realize that every event in our life has 2 turning point..which he describes as react and respond..simple analogy..if we take medicine, we dont want our body to react, instead we want our body to respond favorably..n he explains on both choices in his book..

Actually, I like his book better coz there is part in his book which includes 'Relationship Enhancement Exercise'..that part mmg laaa i did the exercise and makes me ter'wake-up' on how to improve n sustain my relationship with my partner...

foundation

norsha,

who is the author?  ingat nak cari tengok.  thanks

norsha

The author Eric Allenbaugh
But u have to know..i'm not very business minded person..so, i'm not sure if this book suits u

limau_nipis

Something to share from Jeff Ooi's blog

I find this book interesting... Blue Ocean Strategy..
Review from Jeff Ooi is excellent.

When big corporations as diverse as Nintendo (byword for games console) and Cirque du Soleil (read: circus in Las Vegas) are adopting 態lue Ocean Strategy' (BOS) in their marketing campaigns, you better watch out. Smart CEOs around the world are having a new book for their bedtime reading.

Competitive theories by Michael Porter and Richard D'Aveni -- two management gurus I celebrated and wrote much about in the past -- may have to take a back seat. Someone just said beating competitors now simply means making them irrelevant by creating new demand and new relationship with customers in unchattered waters while keeping differentiation AND (not or) low-cost advantage intact.

"Don抰 Compete with Rivals. Make Them Irrelevant." Hear the new mantra?

I recently acquired the book on BOS and it inspired me to write about it in my fortnightly column in Malaysian Business (April 16 edition). Read my column and perhaps you would like to get a copy for yourself, too. It's only 272 pages and easy to digest.



The book is titled: 態LUE OCEAN STRATEGY: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

limau_nipis

Example of succesful BOS story:

Adopters of Blue Ocean Strategy believe that it抯 no longer valid for companies to engage in head-to-head competition in search of sustained, profitable growth. If Michael Porter抯 disciples have fought for competitive advantage, battled over market share, and struggled for differentiation, Blue Ocean strategists argue that cut-throat competition results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool.

Nintendo recently unveiled its new marketing strategies, as exemplified by its Brain Age DS titles. The new marketing strategies have been a huge success in Japan and the products are now being launched in the West. Interestingly, Nintendo抯 new strategy is named 'Blue Ocean', signifying the attempt to create a market where there initially was none. It is also a theme that punctuated Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata's speech at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show.

Obviously, Nintendo抯 new strategy is opposed to 'Red Ocean', which denotes the currently established but highly competitive games console market. With the changing landscape on web services driven by pervasive broadband connectivity, Nintendo is banking on virtual game console, the Revolution, which allows users to download and play games from any of the company抯 previous home consoles. At the backbone, the Wi-Fi component will be used in a different way for each game, just like the DS series.

Meanwhile, Nintendo has also decided to avoid engaging in stiff competition in high-definition resolutions games, which is a cornerstone of the marketing campaign for Microsoft's Xbox 360. This is because current high-def games on a regular TV makes it near impossible to see the graphic details.

The same Blue Ocean strategy is being pursued by travelling circus group, Cirque du Soleil, which is regarded as one of Canada's largest cultural exports to America. Cirque du Soleil, was created in 1984 by a group of street performers. Its productions have been watched by almost 40 million people in 90 cities around the world. In terms of revenue, it took less than 20 years to achieve what took Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Circus more than one hundred years to attain. But its position is not unassailable in this modern world of gadgetry where alternative forms of entertainment are abundant. Children cry out for Play Stations rather than a visit to the travelling circus.

Cirque du Soleil realised that it could not win by taking customers from the already shrinking demand for the circus industry, which historically catered to children. Instead, it created uncontested new market space that made the competition irrelevant. Its productions are positioned as 憉nprecedented entertainment experience

foundation

Originally posted by norsha at 18-4-2006 09:17 PM
The author Eric Allenbaugh
But u have to know..i'm not very business minded person..so, i'm not sure if this book suits u

Thanks.  I am not  business minded too... will check Wake-up Calls out

foundation

Limau_nipis - thanks.  this is a real paradigm shift - BOS is now in my list of books to check-out.  A similar one that I like is Jack Welch's reducing your market share paradigm.  Basically, most companies like to claim that the have a big marketshare but Welch's will ask his people to reduce their marketshare NOT by reducing sales BUT by changing the definition of market share.  Coca-cola also applies this; e.g. If we look at CC's marketshare based on soft-drinks market then their share is huge.  But the challenge is to view CC's marketshare in the total drinks market thus suddenly their marketshare is not big at all & this lead to ideas for opportunities.  Specifically for CC, a number of marketing initiatives came out of this that help them during the cola war with Pepsi.

limau_nipis

Originally posted by foundation at 19/4/06 12:01 PM
Limau_nipis - thanks.  this is a real paradigm shift - BOS is now in my list of books to check-out.  A similar one that I like is Jack Welch's reducing your market share paradigm.  Basically, most  ...

The rivalry between Coke and Pepsi had been discussed extensively due on its marketing strategy.

I was made to understood, Pepsi has no market at all in Phillipines due to a contest which has made the Phillipines angry.
The story is like this:

To increase the sales of Pepsi, their executives launched a contest.
Each Pepsi bottle will have a 5 digit serial number on it.
Every week, one winner will win 1 million dollar (Phillipines money) if their number is called during the prime time news.

The contest run for about 2 months and Pepsi increased it sales.
However, the executives realised that the contest had to continue due to the overwhelming response.
But the forgot one vital point: that only 99,999 serial numbers can be printed on the Pepsi bottle.

Since they made that one mistake, the manufacturer again produced the same numbers due to instructions from Pepsi.

And when the next winning number was announced, about 700 people turned up to claim the 1 mil dollar prize.
Since there should only be one winner, Pepsi cannot give 700 mil to 700 people.. People went for riots and attacked Pepsi headquarter.

Pepsi was pulled out from the Phillipines market, and only their 'Mirinda' brand is maintained over there.

foundation

Originally posted by limau_nipis at 19-4-2006 12:51 PM


The rivalry between Coke and Pepsi had been discussed extensively due on its marketing strategy.

I was made to understood, Pepsi has no market at all in Phillipines due to a contest which ha ...

wow...what a foul-up.  someone's head must have rolled

foundation

another one of my favourite business books;

MAVERICK: The Success Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace - by Ricardo Semler;
The same author wrote "The Seven Day Weekend".

Basically this is the most unconventional business (not just book) model that I've ever encountered.  It runs against most if not all of the great wisdoms thought in business schools.  And best of all, this is not written by an academic based on theories or studies but written by the guy who runs the company itself.  Semco is a Brazilian manufacturing/engineering company.  Ricardo Semler was made the CEO of Semco by his father at a young age and basically transformed the company into a very successful one.  Among the things he puts in place (seriously and not just as lip-service) are;

- Staff evaluate, hire and fire their fellow workers.
- Staff evaluate the performance of their bosses. (Bosses with poor evaluations are fired!)
- Future bosses are interviewed for their job by their would-be workers
- Workers set their own production quotas.
- People set their own salaries (and the salary information is available to everyone in the company)
- Workers decide how to divide the profit-sharing bonus money.
- All level of staff have unlimited access to the corporate records, and are taught to read financial reports.
- Workers are responsible for their own quality control, eliminating the quality control department.
- No organisation structure
- No dress code

The following is from the web;




Before you think this is simply crazy and unworkable - look at the numbers below;

".......its revenues growing from $32 million in 1990 to $212 million in 2003. It achieved this growth rate in an economic environment characterized by staggering inflation, and chaotic national economic policy in Brazil.

Between 1982 and 1998, Semco's productivity increased nearly sevenfold and profits rose fivefold. Semco was also one of the most sought after Brazilian companies as far as employment was concerned. Turnover among its 3,000 employees was about 1% during the period 1994 to 2004. Repeat customers accounted for around 80% of Semco's 2003 annual revenues.The culture at Semco was unique in the sense that there were no power-packed job titles; employees including top managers themselves did the photocopying, sent faxes, typed letters, and made and received phone calls. There were no executive dining rooms, and parking was strictly first-come, first-served. "

limau_nipis

Originally posted by foundation at 19/4/06 02:34 PM
The culture at Semco was unique in the sense that there were no power-packed job titles; employees including top managers themselves did the photocopying, sent faxes, typed letters, and made and received phone calls. There were no executive dining rooms, and parking was strictly first-come, first-served. "

I like their concept and principle.. Yes agree, there should not be first or second class citizen. If this is implemented, everyone will work towards achieving organisational goal..

masalahnya kat malaysia ni, still pangkat dipandang tinggi.. :geram:
And all the big peoples still have ALL the priveleges, this is true especially to datuks and datins who love to show off their wealth and very proud of their titles

foundation

Originally posted by limau_nipis at 19-4-2006 03:43 PM


masalahnya kat malaysia ni, still pangkat dipandang tinggi..
And all the big peoples still have ALL the priveleges, this is true especially to datuks and datins who love to show off their wealth and very proud of their titles

Setuju... malaysia memang very hiearchical society and pangkat disanjung2. Itu yang semua org nak pasang macam2 tag / stickers yang mencerminkan pangkat. Sampaikan emblem yang dipasang kat plet2 kereta melambak di pasaran dan sesiapa pun boleh pasang.  Maybe we should do away with our pangkat (tapi dah nanti royalti takde cara nak ..... ).  Cam kata interview dengan DJ radio mana ntah - "at the rate datukships are being conferred, we are special because very soon we will be the uniques one without 'datuk' in front of our name."

seribulan

Originally posted by limau_nipis at 19-4-2006 12:51 PM
And when the next winning number was announced, about 700 people turned up to claim the 1 mil dollar prize.
Since there should only be one winner, Pepsi cannot give 700 mil to 700 people.. People went for riots and attacked Pepsi headquarter.

Pepsi was pulled out from the Phillipines market, and only their 'Mirinda' brand is maintained over there.

:wah...just like a scene in a Tamil movie or sumthin...

mardhiah12

saja je nak buka topic baru..kalau ada dah topic ni, mergekan aja ye mod



buku yg baru saya baca and highly recommended:

Tajuk Buku: The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture
Penulis: John Batelle
Penerbit: Portfolio Trade
Dibeli Di: Kinokuniya, KLCC

Watak Utama:
Ini adalah buku 'non-fiction', maka tidak wujud watak-watak melainkan yang benar.

Tentang Apa Buku Ini:
Industri 'pencarian' @ 'search engine' pada masa kini. Sangat menarik, digarap daripada kisah sebenar tentang industri tersebut. Permulaan mengisahkan 'evolving trend' industri ini, kisah-kisah 'search engine' sebelum Google, kisah Google, kejayaan yang dikecapi Google, cabaran-cabaran lain yang dihadapi Google, terutamanya berkaitan dengan kemasukan syarikat gergasi itu ke Tanah Besar China.

Apa Yang Saya Suka:
Wow! Itu sahaja cukup menggambarkan perasaan saya membaca buku ini. Saya sendiri pada permulaannya teragak-agak untuk membeli buku tersebut, memandangkan buku perniagaan dikira seperti agak berat, tetapi saya membelinya setelah mendapat Kinokuniya mempromosi buku tersebut secara besar-besaran.

Buku ini berjaya menggarap dengan baik segala aspek industri 'pencarian' secara maya dan digarap dengan baik oleh penulis. Sebagai seorang pembaca yang tidak mempunyai ilmu tentang Internet pun, bakal menghargai buku ini sekiranya mereka berminat untuk mengetahui kisah kejayaan sebuah syarikat maya bernama 'Google'. Tidak dapat disangkal lagi, Google merupakan 'search engine' yang paling berjaya di masa kini.

Pasti ramai yang tidak mengetahui Google diwujudkan oleh dua orang pelajar PhD yang bosan dengan pemilihan tajuk tesis dan pembelajaran mereka. Atas dasar suka-suka, Google pada mulanya hampir menelan keseluruhan 'bandwidth' Stanford University akibat terlampau ramai yang menggunakan servis Google. Google turut menggunakan 'distributed computing approach' yang diperkenalkan di dalam sistem perkomputeran dunia kerana kemampuan sistem tersebut, menampung segala bentuk bebanan dan ditiru oleh syarikat lain.

Cabaran-cabaran lain yang timbul seperti bagaimana Google mencipta model perniagaannya, ingin mencipta nama sebagai syarikat yang tidak mengambil keuntungan melulu, kemasukan ke China (sebuah negara yang cukup menelan kebebasan penulis blog ataupun media), dan kebebasan pencarian maklumat oleh sesiapa sahaja yang memungkinkan kerajaan Amerika Syarikat mencipta satu akta untuk 'intercept privacy' seseorang, dan cabaran dengan Microsoft turut digarap dengan baik.

Pendek kata, buku ini banyak membuka minda kita dan mampu merumuskan 'search industry' dengan baik.

Apa Yang Saya Tidak Suka:
Pada awalnya, mungkin kerana saya benar-benar ingin 'terjun' ke cerita Google, maka permulaannya agak perlahan dan tidak menarik bagi saya. Tetapi kemudian, saya mendapati, permulaan itulah yang penting, sebagai rumusan peristiwa sebelum Google.

Secara ringkasnya, tiada apa yang tidak menarik bagi saya.

Jikalau anda berminat mengetahui kisah 'search industry', maka ini buku untuk anda. Mungkin mampu memotivasikan diri untuk berani melangkah ke alam perniagaan? ;)

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Rewrote-Business-Transformed-Culture/dp/1591841410/sr=1-1/qid=1171356291/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0164089-5919357?ie=UTF8&s=books

limau_nipis

hmm.. will start thinking, nak kena cari topik lama baru merge kot

limau_nipis

i am merging this topic with this

http://forum.cari.com.my/viewthr ... &extra=page%3D2

thamrong

There is a limit to the number of original ideas in any field of human activity, and management is no exception. After all, it is said that there are no more then seven basic plots throughout the whole world of fiction and drama..hehehe..don't bother to ask me becaue I don't know myself.
Some of the most enduring  themes of scientific management were conveived 100 years ago. I believe Henri Fayol started introducing scientific management. Today management sciences has change by leaps and bounds. Countless books are published or republished. Now tell me what is you best choice?

mardhiah12

thread merged

thamrong

The Google story is an interesting book written around  two young men and their pursuit  to develop search engine powered by  most advanced technology that in a few short years has revolutionized access to information about everything for everybody everywhere.

In 1998, Moscow-born Sergey Brin and Midwest-born Larry Page engineering graduate students  dropped out of their PhD program at Stanford University to 揷hange the world