The Essential Portable MBA (The Portable MBA Series)

"This is a first-rate book by a first-rate group of scholars. It provides a clear distillation of some very powerful new concepts and integrates [them] into a practical general management framework that will help managers meet the challenges of the 21st century." -W. Carl Kester James R. Williston Professor of Business Management Harvard Business School.

"The Portable MBA is an outstanding resource. Every prospective MBA student should read it to jump-start their course work; every practicing manager, even those with MBAs, would also profit greatly from time spent with this excellent book." -Dennis E. Logue, Steven Roth Professor of Management The Amos Tuck School, Dartmouth College.

"An excellent launching pad for anybody interested in an overview of the state of business administration in the 1990s . . . an indispensable guide for the beginner and seasoned manager alike." -L. L. Marlantes, President and CEO The Rockefeller Group.

"The Portable MBA will appeal to those who recognize that the tired old rules of business no longer apply in today's rapidly changing global environment. This book offers students and business professionals an up-to-date approach that integrates all the key functional areas of the business enterprise." -John D. Finnerty, PhD, Partner, Coopers & Lybrand LLP Professor of Finance, Fordham University.

"[The Portable MBA] offers an interdisciplinary, succinct, and practical approach to tools, concepts, and emerging trends facing executives who compete in the global economy." -Barry D. Leskin National Head of Human Resources Ernst&Young, London.

The Portable MBA, Third Edition offers you an opportunity to learn the cutting-edge business theory and practice now being taught at today's top MBA programs. Written by faculty members of the prestigious Darden School at the University of Virginia, and structured around that school's world-renowned general management program, this completely new edition reflects the most important current trends in MBA education, namely cross-functional management, leading from the middle, alliance management, and an understanding of global trade and investing.

Like its predecessors, The Portable MBA, Third Edition delves into all the core material covered in the first year of a typical MBA program: marketing, economics, business ethics, technology, strategy, and human resources management to select a few. But here the authors take an integrated approach, highlighting concepts that cross functional lines and responsibility and provide an enterprise-wide perspective. In addition, numerous case studies, vignettes, and first-person accounts from managers and executives at leading companies create a richer understanding of business transformation. Finally, this updated version contains capstone material that highlights the challenges facing the twenty-first-century manager building customer value, creating new paradigms for managing in periods of turbulence, and managing technology.

In the grand tradition of the internationally bestselling Portable MBA Series, The Portable MBA, Third Edition brings the insight and wisdom of some of the world's top business educators to the comfort of your favorite reading chair.

ROBERT F. BRUNER, DBA is the Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at The Darden School. Cited by BusinessWeek as one of the "Masters of the MBA classroom," Dr. Bruner has received numerous awards of excellence in case-teaching and writing. The author of many published articles and case studies, his research has dealt mainly with capital structure management and the effects of various forms of corporate restructuring.

MARK R. EAKER, PhD is Professor of Business Administration at The Darden School. He is also a founding partner of Sire Management Corporation, an investment management firm in New York City. Prior to joining the Darden faculty, Dr. Eaker taught at Duke, SMU, the University of North Carolina, and Institute Theseus, in France.

R. EDWARD FREEMAN, PhD is Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration and Director of the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics at The Darden School. He is the author of several well-known books on business ethics and strategic management.

ROBERT E. SPEKMAN, PhD is the Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business Administration at The Darden School. Dr. Spekman is an internationally recognized authority on business-to-business marketing and organizational buying behavior. He has edited five books and authored or coauthored more than 70 articles and papers.

ELIZABETH OLMSTED TEISBERG, PhD is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at The Darden School. She is an economist with expertise in innovation, new product development, and strategy in the face of uncertainty. Much of her research and consulting work focuses on the value of innovation and analysis of strategic opportunities in the high-tech and healthcare industries.