From Committees of RUSA
Outstanding Business Reference Resources 2014
BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee contributing members: Ed Hahn, selections editor; Susan Hurst, chair; Jordan Nielsen, nominations coordinator; Naomi Lederer; Glenn McGuigan; Anthony Raymond; Penny Scott; and Susan Sweeney. For information contact Ed Hahn, Business and Economics Librarian, Weber State University, Ogden, UT 84408 (801) 626-8662; edwardhahn@weber.edu
Each year, the Business Reference Sources Committee of BRASS selects the outstanding business reference sources published since May of the previous year. This year, the committee reviewed twenty-seven entries; of these, four were designated as "Outstanding," six were selected as "Notable," and one designated as an, "Overlooked Treasure," which signifies that the work has been out for two or more editions, but previously not reviewed by the Committee. To qualify for these designations, each title must meet the conventional definition of reference: a work compiled specifically to supply information on a certain subject or group of subjects in a form that will facilitate its ease of use. With print reference materials being used less heavily in most cases, these works stood out based on their content, quality, and utility. The works are examined for the following: authority and reputation of the publisher, author, or editor; accuracy; appropriate bibliography; organization; comprehensiveness; value of the content; currency; unique addition; ease of use for the intended purpose; quality and accuracy of index; and quality and usefulness of graphics and illustrations. Each year, more electronic reference titles are published. Additional criteria for electronic reference titles are accuracy of links, search features, stability of content, and graphic design. Works selected must be suitable for medium-to large-size academic and public libraries.
Outstanding
Business Scandals, Corruption, and Reform: An Encyclopedia. By Gary Giroux. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. 2 vols. 764 p. $189 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4408-0067-2). Contact the publisher for e-book price (ISBN: 978-1-4408-0068-9).
This excellent two-volume set provides an essential reference to the many dimensions of business scandals. Containing 324 entries, the book begins with an alphabetical list of the entries, followed by a guide to related topics, which serves as a subject index for broad categories within the encyclopedia, such as banking/finance, labor, and regulation. The encyclopedia includes a bibliography and a detailed glossary. A 35 page index includes both topics and names with boldface entries indicating the main entries. Finally a useful timeline from the 1770s to 2010 provides information on specific scandals along with brief descriptions.
An introductory essay on the significance of scandals and corruption in business by Giroux prefaces the entries. Focusing on this "dark side of capitalism," the author explains how corruption is as essential an ingredient to the stew of capitalism as ingenuity and profit seeking. In addition, he explains how it is often difficult to separate business scandals from political scandals since they are frequently interlinked, with Tammany Hall in nineteenth century, New York City as an example. This essay, by providing a historical overview of corruption and scandals in business, seeks to establish a rationale for the need for such a reference book. The author is very successful in this endeavor. In fact, the essay may well become essential reading for those seeking a concise historical narrative of this subject for business ethics courses.
This encyclopedia is very timely for its relevance to current events and for academic study. For example, many undergraduate business students are currently researching the financial crisis and the early warning signs of the event. The entry entitled "Sub-prime Meltdown" provides an excellent overview of this early indicator of the crisis. Providing an extensive financial and policy explanation of the these events, the work provides valuable "see also" references to other relevant articles in the encyclopedia, such as "Bear Sterns," "Debt and Leverage," "Lehman Brothers," and the "Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)."
For the general student of business or the academic researcher, this is an essential reference for business collections supporting undergraduate programs in business and would be a valuable addition to any business reference collection.—Glenn S. McGuigan, Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Strategies. Volume 3. Edited by Matthew Miskelly. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2013. 431 p. $549 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9921-5) Contact the publisher for e-book price.
The Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Strategies is the third volume in a set of books that describe and analyze major marketing campaigns. The first two books have a slightly different title, which is the Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns. This volume, like the two before, traces some of the most memorable and influential marketing campaigns of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The first two volumes, published in 1999 and 2007, contain 500 and 474 brand marketing profiles respectively, and are excellent resources in their own right, and can be used independently of each other. What sets the third volume, published in 2013, apart from the first two are the kinds of marketing strategies examined, including the use of social media, and the international scope of the material, which differs from the U.S. focus of the first two volumes. The Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Strategies contains 100 notable ad and marketing campaigns from the years 2010 to 2013, providing an examination of the influence of social media and technology on marketing.
This volume is arranged alphabetically by the name of the company or organization profiled. There is a subject index at the end of the book that lists entries by company name, marketing campaign title, product name, ad agency, people, and subtopics. The stated scope of the volume is innovative marketing campaigns that were influential for the company and/or society, or which had social significance, or represented effectiveness in selling a product. A wide variety of industries are represented, and an assortment of marketing strategies are included. This new volume also includes an emphasis on green and socially responsible marketing.
Each entry is in essay form, spanning 3–4 pages, with the following subheadings: Situational Analysis, Target Market, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tactics, and Outcome. In addition to discussing the marketing campaign itself, the essays also provide a context for the campaigns, including information on industry conditions and social influences. Elements that dictate marketing successes or failures are discussed. Sidebars within the essays highlight a general marketing tactic, such as the use of brand characters to build product recognition, or an interesting detail associated with a particular campaign, such as the broken soda fountain that led to the development of 7-Eleven's Slurpee drink. Each essay also includes a section called Further Reading, which lists additional materials for study. The essay style is clear, informative, and engaging.
Most of the essays focus on corporations and products, however, there are some marketing campaigns that relate to social issues and non-profits. Two examples of this are the entries on the Troy (MI) Public Library and the Zimbabwean newspaper. In the Zimbabwean's case, marketing was implemented in order to bring attention and aid to Zimbabweans suffering under the regime of Robert Mugabe, and in the Troy, Michigan library's case, marketing techniques were employed to save a library system in trouble.
This book is a welcome addition to existing works on advertising and marketing, and provides an excellent overview of current tools and strategies. The essay topics are unique and timely, and the writing style is clear and readable. It is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in marketing or advertising, including students, instructors, marketers, or casual readers interested in the influence of marketing and advertising campaigns on business and society.—Penny Scott, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Gale Business Insights Handbook of Social Media Marketing. Edited by Miranda Herbert Ferrara. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2013. 300 p. $183.75 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9931-4). $240.20 e-book (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9938-3).
One of the main reasons that this title is outstanding is that it covers a topic—social media marketing—that is still in its emerging, albeit almost ever-present-in-your-face, stages. Covering a wide swath of social media topics as they relate to business, this title first provides reasons for using social media, and then goes over creating a marketing strategy, managing it, providing consistency, measuring its impact, and much more. Covering the good and the bad (e.g. "Legal Challenges with Social Media"), the essays in this volume provide practical advice that can be referred to by librarians, and understood by the business community. There are recommendations for increasing online discoverability, essays on brand loyalty, market segmentation, marketing strategies, etc., for a total of thirty entries.
The book has useful icons ("visual cues" per the user's guide) that quickly provide readers with a hint as to the nature of additional information: resource(s) for further information; hints; key concepts; measuring devices/software applications and standards; and key terms. These sidebars help explain any jargon, which is overall kept to a minimum in the essays, so readers do not need to be advanced experts to understand the concepts described.
Each essay has an overview (very brief to relatively detailed, depending on the topic), sources of additional information, and a bibliography. The various media currently available to use for marketing each have background and getting started information. Thus, the businessperson can learn about the different ways and means and learn what is needed to use it—from a simple account set up to programming skills (or general information about the medium's usefulness). The various degrees of personal information required to use the tools are outlined. Privacy concerns are mentioned. The glossary provides brief (most are one sentence) and useful definitions of terms that apply to social media.
Another aspect of this title that makes it outstanding is that it is not simply a cheerleader for social media sites, but also reminds readers that "social media platforms have come and gone in the past and will continue to do so" ("Preparing for Paradigm Shifts"). Factors that may influence success or failure include the size of sites (how popular they get—and can they stay popular), demographics of users, and the platform(s) themselves having inherent weaknesses. The reality of "diminishing returns" is the impetus for another essay, which includes potential solutions to this challenge.
Students will welcome the source citations in the e-book version (MLA 7th edition as the default; citation tool offers APA 6th edition along with five citation manager export options) for each entry. The e-book also offers an option for articles to be displayed in PDF format and there is a "listen" feature (current sentence being read is highlighted and there is a moving highlight of the word being spoken—the word, sentence, and text color can be changed, and there are three speeds) along with an option to download into mp3 format. Gale Business Insights Handbook of Social Media Marketing is recommended to corporate and academic libraries, as well as those public libraries that serve a population of businesspeople.—Naomi Lederer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Women and Management: Global Issues and Promising Solutions. Edited by Michele A. Paludi. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2013. 2 vols, 764 p. $131 hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-3133-9941-1). Contact the publisher for e-book price (ISBN: 978-0-3133-9942-8).
Focusing on a range of global issues, Women and Management: Global Issues and Promising Solutions is a two-volume reference resource and the latest in the series Women and Careers in Management. Each of these volumes contain two parts, with the first part covering the global issues of women in management, and the second part covering management issues in specific countries.
The first part of volume one presents an overview of challenges women face in workplace management including the effectiveness of leadership styles, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, the glass ceiling and the barriers for advancement, and pay inequity. The second part of volume one focuses on these challenges with perspectives from specific countries. One example includes women and management in China. Here, despite increasing opportunities for higher education and employment, the prospects for women in management positions remain limited. Another example includes the country of Turkey, where in the past an emphasis was placed on gender equality enabling women to excel professionally in areas such as pharmacy, dental, and legal. However, more recently Turkey's support for women has weakened, leaving few opportunities for women to excel at the management and executive levels. Many of the reasons for this change include men's attitudes against women working, expectations about family responsibilities, and the influence of the Islamic religion.
The first part of volume two looks at barriers women face in management, but also focuses on possible solutions to these barriers. These include management and leadership burnout, bullying and harassment in schools, barriers for advancing into leadership, workplace diversity, and household labor. Like volume one, the second part of volume two includes the perspectives of individual countries. For example there is a chapter looking at women in management and leadership in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) in Australia. This chapter identifies that in Australia women make up 45 percent of its overall workforce, while accounting for only 23 percent of workers in the ICT sector. Despite this discrepancy, efforts such as affirmative action, networking, and mentoring opportunities are being deployed to help and encourage more women to enter into this field. Another chapter looks at women and management in Japan. During the post-World War II era, Japan enjoyed a long period of economic prosperity. As Japan was once highly regarded for its commitment for providing lifetime employment, women were largely relegated to the periphery. However, as the Japanese economy struggled for the better part of two decades, there has also been a dramatic shift in demographics including a drop in the birth rate, and more educated women. As a result there appears to be a shift in accepting women into management and leadership positions.
There are thirty-one chapters in this resource with contributors including university professors, PhD students, and individuals experienced in management and gender issues. Each article is well documented with in-text citations and an extensive bibliography. Information in each volume is easy to find with a table of contents and index. However, one shortcoming is that each index is only for that volume and are not cross-referenced.
Regardless of one's level of knowledge and experience, Women and Management: Global Issues and Promising Solutions is an excellent reference resource in the studies of business, management, and women and gender studies.—Ed Hahn, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah
Notable
Dictionary of Advertising and Marketing Concepts. By Arthur Asa Berger. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2013. 141 p. $84 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-6113-2985-8). $24.95 e-book (ISBN: 978-1-6113-2752-6).
This slim but surprisingly engaging book is described by its author as being a "dictionary of cultural analyses and critiques of advertising". That is to say it is not quite the typical glossary of terms and jargon one might expect from a so-called "Dictionary". Note instead the word "Concepts" in the title. Many of the entries are fairly substantial (multiple paragraphs) and the terms chosen are more reflective of the culture of marketing rather than specific terminology. This is not the book to check to see what SQAD stands for. Rather it often focuses on bigger picture ideas such as socio-economic class or feminist theory, as well as identifying key persons in the field. With that said, it does also include many terms you might expect, such as brand extensions, product placement, marketing mix, etc. Even here though, the explanations are more about ideas and theory, rather than just straight-forward definitions. On the other side though, this is not a scholarly work, per se. While often focusing on somewhat academic terms and concepts, the entries are clearly written in standard language, with a distinct lack of jargon or pretension. It is strictly alphabetical, with no index, see-also references, or listed sources. It is nicely illustrated with b/w photos of actual ads, usually with text indicating what makes the ad a significant one. All entries are written by the author, often in first person, drawing upon his background as an emeritus professor with almost 40 years of experience at San Francisco State University. While somewhat idiosyncratic in terms of the chosen concepts to examine, this book provides a richer way to look at marketing and advertising, distilled through the breadth and depth of the author's knowledge of the field.—Susan Hurst, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Encyclopedia of Emerging Markets. Edited by Donna Craft. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2013. 466 p. $525 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9923-9). Contact the publisher for e-book price.
This new work by Gale covers 33 countries, ranging from Argentina to Vietnam, providing general business information as well as profiles of two leading industries in each country. The sections begin with an overview of the country, including geographic, socioeconomic, political, industrial and cultural factors. These factors are followed by a group of citations for further reading and the industry profiles for the country. They typically include an executive summary, a market analysis, market value, market segmentation, competitive landscape, forecasted value, leading companies, and another set of further readings. Other features in the book include a table of contents; appendices that note the ISIC, SIC, and NIACS codes covered, (along with corresponding page numbers); a geographic index listing page numbers for all business and place names mentioned, (including airports, museums, factories, mines, rivers, etc.); and a detailed general index.
Overall this is a good source for those seeking introductory information on doing business in specific countries, particularly if one is interested in either of the industries listed for the country. The book is consistently laid out, up to date, and written in a clear, straightforward manner. Each section also includes a map of the country, with key industrial regions identified. A few reports also include tables of statistics such as export numbers or tourism data. Since many of the countries listed are truly smaller emerging markets, (i.e. Tunisia, Morocco, Romania, etc.), that are less well served by databases such as Euromonitor and Datamonitor, this book can provide much needed background, as well as specific industrial information for those hard to find areas. While pricey, it is also much less expensive than those online products as well, making it a viable choice for smaller cash-strapped institutions that cannot afford expensive database subscriptions.—Susan Hurst, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Gale Business Insights Handbook of Global Marketing. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2013. 300 p. $183.75 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9928-4). $240.20 e-book (ISBN: 978-1-4144-9935-2).
This reference book has thirty "essays" that provide a clear outline, and then definitions and descriptions of terms. Beyond definitions, the essays discuss topics in context of the global market. Topics start with building a brand, examining possibilities for growth, marketing plans (with a warning about how the same word can have very different meanings in other languages—also beware translations), cultural differences that must be addressed, identifying product opportunities, legal issues, product distribution, global economic realities, and successes and failures, among others.
According to one essay in this book the 4Ps are a bit passé (although defined in the glossary) and the 4Cs are what it's about now (commodities, cost, channel, communication)—same themes, different words. The bibliographies at the ends of articles include hyperlinks to additional resources in the e-book version. Suggested articles within the reference book are referred to as well. Sidebars within articles provide definitions of terms so that readers do not need to look up key concepts elsewhere. With the growth of the internet, global markets have become the reality for many businesses and this resource helps business owners make practical marketing and other decisions that impact their bottom lines.
Librarians will find this useful because it provides current contexts for concerns, and explains them in an easy way to understand. The glossary has a useful list of definitions that are defined and explained—and businesspeople would be wise to understand these terms before entering the global market. Students who are new to global marketing should find it accessible (and favor the e-book version's essay citations in MLA 7th and APA 6th); busy businesspeople who are referred to it by librarians will find the individual essays a quick read. Gale Business Insights Handbook of Global Marketing is recommended to corporate and academic libraries, as well as public libraries that serve a population of businesspeople who want to expand beyond domestic sales.—Naomi Lederer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Handbook on the Geopolitics of Business. Edited by: Joseph Mark S. Munoz. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 2013. 328 p. $185 hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-8579-3974-6). Also available as an e-book for various e-readers.
This reference resource is notable because the content is easy to understand and provides a great overview of the geopolitical issues that businesses and researchers should consider in today's global environment. Each entry in the book includes an introduction which is helpful for those unfamiliar with a particular topic, while at the same time providing in-depth information for those wanting to explore the relationship between geopolitics and business at a deeper level.
The book is organized into three major parts, each containing essays written by a variety of researchers in the fields of geopolitics and business. Part one covers geopolitics and the business environment and includes topics such as maritime commerce, emerging economies, and sustainability. For part two the coverage is on managing geopolitics from the perspective of executives, including the topics of entrepreneurship, banking, corruption, crime, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on business in Africa. Information in part three focuses on geopolitics and strategy and discusses the behavior of firms in in the areas of the geopolitical environment, dispute resolution, and strategic approaches for managing geopolitical forces. At the end, the book's conclusion includes a good summary of each part and how they connect to the broader geopolitical environment. The conclusion is followed by a helpful index that points to the various geographical areas (countries, trading blocs, etc.) and concepts (brain drain, exit strategies, etc.) discussed throughout the book.
Information contained within the pages of this resource will appeal to a variety of audiences and is useful for research and practical purposes. Users and librarians in academic and public libraries will find the Handbook on the Geopolitics of Business enlightening and beneficial.—Jordan Nielsen, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
Sociology of Work: An Encyclopedia. Edited by Vicki Smith. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2013. 2 vols. 1192 p. $350 hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4522-0506-9). $438 e-book: (ISBN: 978-1-4522-7619-9).
This reference resource with versions available in a two-volume print edition as well as online, consists of 335 entries from leading scholars and subject experts. The entries cover a broad spectrum of international topics ranging from "alienation" to "working poor." Entries in both formats include "see also" references and "further readings," while the online version includes links to cited articles.
The online version is part of the "SAGE Knowledge" e-book collection and the initial screen provides browse and search access to other Sage e-books, general tutorials on searching Sage publications, and a list of related Sage publications. For searching within the publication, the initial screen offers the standard alphabetical and subject indexes, but also provides an excellent keyword search capability. The initial screen provides a "Readers Guide" consisting of eleven broad topic areas, for example, "Employment Relationships," which drill down to links of related entries such as, "At-Will Employment" and "Welfare-to-Work." Keyword searching is possible from the "Readers Guide" page as well. The initial screen also provides a "Front/Back Matter" menu tab. Front matter links to introductory material as well as a chronology of work from prehistory to the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Back matter links to a glossary, resource bibliography, and selective tables of U.S. and international labor statistics, for example, international unemployment rates by sex. Entries and front and back matter may be printed, downloaded and emailed. Unfortunately, entries do not provide video content and the statistical tables are not downloadable into a spreadsheet format. Hopefully, these enhancements will be included in future editions and updates. While the online version is $88 more than the print edition, it is well worth the cost. This superb Sage digital publication is rich in content, intuitive to use, and highly recommended for public and academic libraries.—Anthony Raymond, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
The Oxford Handbook of Business and the Natural Environment. Edited by Pratima Bansal and Andrew J. Hoffman. Oxford, MA: Oxford University Press, 2012. 698 p. $150 hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-1995-8455-1).
This reference resource, edited by Pratima Bansal and Andrew J. Hoffman, begins its introduction by stating that the world's economy and population experienced enormous growth in the twentieth century, but at a tremendous cost to the natural environment. The introduction continues by identifying corporations as causing some of the problems with the natural environment, yet they can also serve as a source for solutions.
Arranged in thirty-eight chapters, some of the subject areas identified with having ties to the natural environment include competitive strategy, industry regulation, organizational culture, supply chain management, and environmental entrepreneurship. For example, the chapter on environmental entrepreneurship, looks at incentives and motivations for entrepreneurs to be profitable while also providing a benefit to the environment. While not new, interest in the natural environment for business is evolving. A number of chapters, including the one on environmental entrepreneurship, include a section on future research.
The chapters are well written, and many of the contributors are professors in the subjects of management, accounting, economics, and finance. The resource includes a clear table of contents at the beginning, a thorough index at the end, and an extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter for further reference. While not likely to contain a lot of new research, The Oxford Handbook of Business and the Natural Environment is a good resource for business reference and presents a good starting point for anyone interested in studying how business affects and is affected by the natural environment.—Ed Hahn, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah
Overlooked Treasure
Research Starters—Business. EBSCO Publishing, 2008. Contact your EBSCO Representative for pricing.
Introduced in 2008 to answer the question "where do I start," Research Starters—Business provides comprehensive overviews of business topics based on analysis of courses offered at business schools across the country. This database includes authoritative, discipline-specific articles vetted by subject matter experts to assure current trends and popular topics are included. Articles written specifically for EBSCO contain an abstract, keywords, an overview including insights and applications of the topic to business, terms and concepts, bibliography, and suggested readings. Key articles from other EBSCO database are linked as appropriate. Designed as a gateway to resources needed for assignments, the overviews are useful for learning about trends or reviewing business concepts ranging from broad topics like Accounting, Information Technology, Marketing, and Management, to more specifics such as Non-Profit Accounting, Entrepreneurship, International Business Law, and Event Management. In addition to Research Starters—Business, EBSCO also offers similar databases for Education and Sociology.
Not to be confused with the Research Starters feature in the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) introduced in February 2014, the EBSCO database Research Starters—Business is truly an overlooked treasure.—Suzanne Sweeney, Denton, Texas