Export-management Books

Received item in a good condition and made special provisions to send it faster due to my constraints.

This is book is what in marketing they call the rip-off strategy.

Chances are you're not going to pay this outrageous price for such a boring book unless you are forced to for a class, as was my case. It's bad enough that the publisher has jacked up the price into the stratosphere, but to rub it in with black and white pictures is just wrong. Shame on McGraw Hill. Shame on the author. Shame on everyone involved in the selling of this book, including Amazon.

Then there's the content of the book. And even by marketing standards (this is my 4th marketing class) it's outrageously bland and dull.

Yes, this book is a guide. But it is not a guide to international business communications. It describes how to write the international addresses very deeply. It might be a helpful book to a secretary who writes addresses to envelopes. But it won't help to any businessman at all. Merriam-Webster do not deserve this "one star" rating. The rating is there for amazon.com. Because the information about the book was quite open to misunderstand the content and I had to return the book.

When you need help figuring out how to dial a phone number in another country, what goes on which lines of an address, or how to find the physical location in a foreign city corresponding to a mailing address, this is the book to look for in the library. I wish I had read this book sooner. By the time I found it, I didn't need it, having learned its lessons by sometimes-painful and costly experience. Be sure to read the introductory chapters on "How to Get Phone Calls and Faxes Through" and "How to Make Your English More Understandable" to nonnative speakers, before you leave home. Gives detailed information on address, telephone, etc. formats only for selected countries, mostly First World, but notes correctly that, "An awareness of the terminology and practices in these countries will help you understand those in many others." I hope that future editions will expand coverage of the more populous or often-visited countries in the rest of the world. Most travelers probably won't find it worth buying, but every library and every office that ever does international business should have a copy. If yours doesn't, get them to buy it.

(from the resource guide to "The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World", by Edward Hasbrouck)

Ms.Wise starts out by saying, "Thai's practise a form of Buddhism known as Theravada, also called Hinanyana". Hinanyana is a derogatory term meaning: lesser, despicable... The rest of the book is a mish-mash of Asian cultural mores that do not necessarily have anything to do with Thailand. If you need a tax write off for your business, by all means buy this book.

I have visited Thailand many times for both business and pleasure. I didn't read this book until I my fourth visit. It is very important to understand the do's and dont's in Thailand, which many Westerners tend to ignore. It opens the door of understanding for those new to the Thai mentality and way of life. It also has a very small section but good section explaining the influence of Buddism on daily life in Thailand. Definately buy this book if going there. If you are more business oriented I would suggest also reading "Doing Business With Thailand" (Global Business Series).

I've quickly flipped through it. Read couple pages on what the methods and strategies of the event industry.

Pros: It has case studies ! So "theoretical" and "practical"; Kudos !

Cons: Its mainly based on the British industry as far as I read. Doesnt quite give me the international perspective in a good grasp...

PS: I like the tables where they discuses the average salary of the event-executive, event manager, and event director. Search the book, Its page 245 (Salary Levels).

Overall. 7.5/10

The book gives you some really good advise but it needs to be updated to today's needs. It presents anecdotes from different people but within the same companies(ex: Johnson Wax)Needs to have more zest on it.

I read this book when I was taking the exams of Institute of Export.It is a very simple book about International Trade Law.That's why it is good for the readers especially whose second language is English.One of the missing points inthe book is the lack of cases.It gives the name of the cases but not the details.You need some other books if you would like to go a bit more in depth especially on the cases.

Salmon Day is the point in the future where some nations wind up global losers despite their current efforts to be world class economic contenders. The book handles big picture (macro and global) agenda items, but supports the views anocdotally with firm level mini-cases. The best part of the book is the title. "The End of the Beginning for Global Business" sold me a hardbound even though I was running through a foreign airport, weighted down with papers. It still has the loudest ring of truth in the whole book. The best chapter is the Introduction. It is also the shortest. Lamont's views about the U.S. and the "mostly American" global culture were 4 star. Those on China were 3 star. Lamont was way off on Japan and he gives way too much credit to Europeans. (** only). The book is a series of mental observations and offers only a shadow of a theoretical framework to support his views. Still, the concept that global business is now in the process of coming of age is right on. An adequate airplane book to pick up after you are finished reading term papers.

Standardization Essentials, Principles and Practice, Steven M. Spivak and F. Cecil Brenner, published by Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY

Review by Ken Krechmer, Technical Editor, Communications Standards Review

Standardization Essentials is an introductory text on the development (standardization) and use of standards that define similarity. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, repetitive manufacturing processes have been used to economically produce similar things. The standards associated with such manufacture may be termed similarity standards. This book clearly develops and explains the economic advantages of creating and using similarity standards to increase the size of served markets and decrease the per unit cost of manufacture. Although the focus of this book is on North American standardization, there is considerable discussion of the value and importance of world wide standardized manufacturing and the international standardization organizations associated with similarity standards. The important issues of conformity assessment (testing to insure conformance with similarity standards), ISO 9000 (quality management system) and ISO 14000 (environmental management system) standards are addressed. There is a good introductory chapter on both ISO standards series, and an excellent contributed chapter on implementing ISO 9000 in a medium size chemical company.

More than half the book is devoted to 18 independent articles (some previously published), 15 from different people with broad experience in the standardization industry and three from the authors. These articles offer a wide view of current aspects of standardization and are quite interesting to read. These articles range over different manufacturing fields: air conditioning, tires, information technology, automotive and chemicals; they address standardization from multiple vantage points: consortia, US Department of Defense, consumer product safety, developing countries, laboratory accreditation, trade barriers and product procurement. Some of the articles are very descriptive and all are helpful to understand the different views of similarity standards and standardization.

Standardization Essentials concludes with a copy of a US Government document: Office of Management and Budget revised Circular A-119 (1998) on the federal use and development of voluntary standards. Considering that such documents are available over the Internet, it is not clear why the authors chose to include it. The book offers a listing of some of the more significant formal standardization and related organizations in North America and some regional and international standardization and related organizations. But only names are provided. no contact information. Considering how rapidly most standardization committees are moving onto the Internet, the lack of web addresses and pointers is quite surprising and reduces the value of the book as a starting point for further study.

In summary, Standardization Essentials only partially fulfills the promise of its title, offering a view (although a good one) of just similarity standards. It does not address unit of measure standards and the related metrology (e.g., calibration) issues, and addresses only slightly compatibility standards and the related communications issues.

The book, although complete, does not cover in detail advanced factors such as international arbitration, recourse, performance bonds, etc. It covers the basics, but does not give the professional the tools necessary to interpret and solve disputes arising from non compliance with Letters of Credit and/or Documentary collections. A lot of the topics are covered on a 'text book' view, probably good for college undergrads than for the actual professionals in the field.

QUOTATIONS FROM ACADEMIC REVIEWS OF THE BOOK

1. QUOTATIONS FROM "ASIAN BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT"

"We have a work that far surpasses most of the 'Art-of-x-Management' genre in a most important and fundamental aspect: providing empirical testing of theoretical statements with rigorous attention to validity and reliability. As such, it is a standard to which few of this rather impressionistic-based genre have ever aspired." (p. 132).

"The theoretical background and interpretation are exemplary cases of the use of statistical analysis for the generation and testing of hypotheses. The strongest feature of this book is the detailed quantitative analysis and explanation of the author's hypotheses. In effect, Professor Schlevogt's entire thought processes are exposed to analytical gaze ?" (p. 132).

"The book is a remarkable attempt at synthesizing and theorizing one particular 'management culture'." (p. 132)

"Schlevogt's unique contribution in this field is two-fold. First, he has synthesized a great deal of thinking on management culture in general, and the Chinese data in particular. Second, he has put that analysis on a firm quantitative and statistical basis, and helped bring about an approach that generates testable hypotheses from the often rather 'fuzzy' and impressionistic data and analysis more commonly provided in books of this type." (p. 132)

"The scope, of the target audience as well as the material, makes it a mine of information, and, as the author intended, potential basis for a variety of future research efforts. Second, the analytical paradigm, though it has its flaws, is a useful and energetic (if I may use the term) business tool. Third, it illuminates and compresses apart of business that is often ignored or, in the Western view, made marginal." (pp. 133-4).

"Schlevogt's slant, which departs radically from the disinterested bureaucracy model, is thus both thought-provoking ('nepotism' is bad, we learn from Weber; 'family enterprise' is solid managerial practice, we learn from Confucius and Schlevogt) and refreshing." (p. 134)

"If indeed, as Schlevogt claims, the most successful businesses in China are based on his Chinese management model, then it behoves any businessman in China to read this book with great care." (p. 134).

"Knowing how Chinese enterprises work, and how cooperation and competition with them is to be managed, is a useful tool in any businessman's kit, and the book offers many useful guidelines in that direction". (p. 134)

All quotations from:

Book review by Michael Ashkenazi. 2004. The art of Chinese management: Theory, evidence and applications. Asian Business & Management. Vol. 3, No. 1 (March), pp. 131-134.

2. QUOTATIONS FROM "ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS REVIEW"

"Professor Schlevogt has put together a comprehensive guide to Chinese management. The book is one of the most important works written on the subject. Academics, students, and practitioners will find the text intriguing, inspiring, and informative."

"Much of the strength of the book comes from a writing style that integrates academic reasoning with journalistic writing. I have greatly enjoyed reading the many eye-catching textual highlights that appear throughout the text, like 'China is the ultimate test ground for leadership skills and a company?s ability to excel in other nonstructured situations? If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!'"

"The book offers many useful managerial implications (see ?The Ten Golden Rules?, p. 209-237). The discussions, though brief, about the key success factors in different regions (p. 242-245) are particularly valuable. ?The government is king in the north? (p. 243) and ?Networks are the name of the game in the south? (p. 244) are among Schlevogt?s advice for succeeding in the Chinese market."

All quotations from:

Book review by Fang, Tony. 2003. The art of Chinese management: Theory, evidence, and applications (by Kai-Alexander Schlevogt, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. xiii, 398 pp.), Asia Pacific Business Review, 10(1): 112-114.

The author seems to have no idea of real practical management and intercultural issues of China today. Moreover he uses a very academic, abstract way to explain his quiet strange assumtions how to handle management issues in China.

The author seems to have no idea of real practical management and intercultural issues of China today. Moreover he uses a very academic, abstract way to explain his quiet strange assumtions how to handle management issues in China.

This is a repositioning of Dr. Schlevogt's dissertation (published by dissertation.com) and also available on amazon.com. The great bulk of this book, including data and theory dates from 1999.

The book covers some interesting theoretical ground and applies contingency theory or understanding "fit" between success in China and organizational structure.

It would have been nice if some of the implications for success were developed further -- indeed, the advise given, such as "adaptability", should prove successful for organizations anywhere, not necessarily Chinese! Yet, the author also argues that this idea of adaptability is one that has been exported from China to the West! Also contingency theory is almost a dead avanue of study. The author's use of cross-sectional surveys is even more questionable as the book looks at change.

One thing I found disturbing is that the author took several concepts from "New Asian Emperors", (Haley, Tan and Haley, 1998), include action-driven decision-making and experience-based planning, yet gave no credit to this classic study of Overseas Chinese business practices. Indeed, many of the author's management ideas are presented far better in this book!

This book also appears schizophrenic, swaying wildly between gushing about China's great contribution to Western philosophy, and attempts at a more academic tone with data and statistics. I found self-congratulatory statements such as "These findings allow for groundbreaking, statistical generalizations previously unknown in the field" particularly irritating. It would have been helpful if the author had been more honest, or more thorough, in the presentation of his literature survey.

Pass on this book. I would recommend John Child or George Haley as alternative auhors who cover the same terrain with less gushing, more practical implications and a more balanced approach.