The American economy is profoundly dependent on the success of its retailers and the strength of its consumer spending. Yet, how do leading retailers create value for their customers?

To a large extent this has been accomplished by streamlining operations and a decades-long focus on cost cutting and price competitiveness. Today, retailers realize that they need to discover new ways to differentiate themselves and attract consumer spending. The American Retail Value Proposition provides the framework for building that differentiation and establishing a competitive advantage...

Leadership is a quality that is difficult to define. Some believe that it is innate, the gift of a selected few. Others believe that it is a skill that can be learned but don't agree on what, exactly, should be taught.

In The Thoughtful Leader, Jim Fisher provides an invigorating, inclusive and positive framework for teaching current and aspiring leaders in all walks of life. The author has incorporated various apparently opposing leadership ideas into an integrated model. In order to successfully meet the challenges of a fast changing world, leaders can no longer choose...

Corporations need great leaders particularly during times of distress and crisis. Shareholders, employees, and longtime customers all experience firsthand the disastrous effects poor leadership can have on the human side of the business equation.

Leadership in the Eye of the Storm is a practical and inspirational guide that helps professionals create opportunity out of chaos. The book's insights are gleaned from the real life experiences of four North American profiled leaders who successfully navigated through the epicenter of their own storms by focusing first on the needs...

In business, some problems are so complex, intractable and threatening to organizations--or entire industries--that they are best described as "wicked." These problems appear to be unsolvable and they render traditional analytical tools of strategy virtually impotent.

Wicked Strategies offers a comprehensive framework for identifying, responding to and profiting from wicked problems. John C. Camillus, drawing on detailed, real-life examples from companies across the globe, has skillfully woven together the analytical techniques, processes and organizational designs that will...

Canada's future prosperity is of utmost concern to citizens, industry leaders and policy makers. Using original public opinion research from EKOS, Redesigning Work argues that improving people's jobs and workplaces can unlock the potential to strengthen Canada's economy and improve the well-being of Canadians.

Graham Lowe and Frank Graves are two of Canada's leading experts on work and public opinion. In Redesigning Work the authors provide a blueprint for the future of work in Canada by identifying practical ways to make work more motivating, rewarding and productive....

Most organizations spend much of their effort on the start of the value creation process: namely, creating a strategy, developing new products or services, and analyzing the market. They pay a lot less attention to the end: the crucial "last mile" where consumers come to their website, store, or sales representatives and make a choice.

In The Last Mile, Dilip Soman shows how to use insights from behavioral science in order to close that gap. Beginning with an introduction to the last mile problem and the concept of choice architecture, the book takes a deep dive into the...

The 2008 financial crisis rippled across the globe and triggered a worldwide recession. Unlike the American banking system which experienced massive losses, takeovers, and taxpayer funded bailouts, Canada s banking system withstood the crisis relatively well and maintained its liquidity and profitability. The divergence in the two banking systems can be traced to their distinct institutional and political histories.

From Wall Street to Bay Street is the first book for a lay audience to tackle the similarities and differences between the financial systems of Canada and the...

A perfect storm of factors are brewing that will redefine dependent care in the coming decades. Delayed marriage and parenthood, longer life-spans, lower birthrates, and the health policy shift to informal caregiving have drastically increased the number of employees whose mental and physical health suffers due to an inability to balance work, childcare, and eldercare. Employers also feel the pinch as this inability to balance a myriad of demands is negatively impacting their bottom line.

Something's Got to Give is a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by employees...

In the new knowledge economy, traditional modes of thinking are no longer effective. Compartmentalizing problems and solutions and assuming everything can be solved with the right formula can no longer keep pace with the radical changes occurring daily in the modern business world.

It's Not Complicated offers a paradigm shift for business professionals looking for simplified solutions to complex problems. In his straightforward and highly engaging style, Rick Nason introduces the principles of -complexity thinking- which empower managers to understand, correlate, and explain...

Can you imagine a choreographer only training one dancer to lead while his or her partner sits in the lobby staring at the wall? Yet we do this all the time in organizations. Half the partnership is missing.

Leadership is Half the Story introduces the first model to seamlessly integrate leadership, followership, and partnerships. This research-backed, field-tested book contributes many new ideas and practical advice for everyone in an organization - from CEO to HR director to front-line manager to consultant.

All of us lead, not just those with the formal title. All of...