Understanding Business

Bill Nickels is professor emeritus of business at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has over 35 years experience teaching graduate and undergraduate business courses, including introductory courses in business, marketing, and promotion. He has won the Outstanding Teacher on Campus Award four times and was nominated for the award many other times. He received his MBA degree from Western Reserve University and his PhD from The Ohio State University. He has written a marketing communications text and two marketing principles texts in addition to many articles in business publications. He has taught many seminars to business people on subjects such as power communications, marketing, non-business marketing, and stress and life management. Jim McHugh holds an M.B.A. degree from Lindenwood University and has had broad experience in education, business, and government. As chairman of the Business and Economics Department of St. Louis Community College/Forest Park, Jim coordinated and directed the development of the business curriculum. In addition to teaching several sections of Introduction to Business each semester for nearly 30 years, Jim taught in the marketing and management are-as at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is actively involved in the public service sector and served as chief of staff to the St. Louis County Executive. Susan McHugh is a learning specialist with extensive training and experience in adult learning and curriculum development. She holds an M.Ed. degree from the University of Missouri and completed her coursework for a Ph.D. in education administration with a specialty in adult learn-ing theory. As a professional curriculum developer, she has directed numerous curriculum projects and educator training programs. She has worked in the public and private sectors as a consultant in training and employee development.

Chapter 1 Managing Within the Dynamic Business Environment -Taking Risks and Making Profits. Chapter 2 How Economics Affects Business: The Creation and Distribution of Wealth Chapter 3 Competing in Global Markets Chapter 4 Demonstrating Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility Appendix Working within the Legal Environment of Business Chapter 5 Choosing a Form of Business Ownership Chapter 6 Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business Chapter 7 Management, Leadership, and Employee Empowerment Chapter 8 Adapting Organizations to Today's Markets Chapter 9 Producing World-Class Goods and Services Chapter 10 Motivating Employees and Building Self-Managed Teams Chapter 11 Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees Chapter 12 Dealing with Employee-Management Issues and Relationships Chapter 13 Marketing: Building Customer and Stakeholder Relationships Chapter 14 Developing and Pricing Products and Services Chapter 15 Distributing Products Quickly and Efficiently Chapter 16 Today's Promotional Techniques Chapter 17 Using Technology to Manage Information Chapter 18 Understanding Financial Information and Accounting Chapter 19 Financial Management Chapter 20 Securities Markets: Financing and Investing Opportunities Chapter 21 Understanding Money and Financial Institutions Chapter 22 Managing Personal Finances to Achieve Financial Security Appendix: Managing Risk