The

have it
i nnovative i ntegrated i ntriguing i nternet-supported i nteractive
The text that takes your students outside the classroom and inside the real world of business.

i+BUSINESS IN ACTION
SEE IT ON THE WEB
Look behind the scenes with

STEP INTO THE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Video Cases

Use for Integrated Planning Exercises

Solve Business Mysteries by joining the team of Nick and Natasha

E C O U R T L A N D L . B O VE J O H N V. T H I L L

i+BUSINESS IN ACTION
SEE IT ON THE WEB
Look behind the scenes with

BUSINESS IN ACTION

STEP INTO THE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Its a Real Plus

Have Your Students Experience Business in

Video Cases

Use for Integrated Planning Exercises

Solve Business Mysteries by joining the team of Nick and Natasha

E C O U R T L A N D L . B O VE J O H N V. T H I L L
Paperback ISBN: 0-13-017962-0 2000

Action!

Courtland L. Bove
Grossmont College

John V. Thill
CEO, Communications Specialists of America

From the global economy to the economics of a small business, Business in Action takes your students on an engaging exploration of the fundamental rules, strategies, and dynamics that make the business world tick. Through motivating activities and timely examples, students experience first-hand the different functional areas of business and how they all work together. Respected and experienced authors Bove and Thill give students an up-to-date book filled with real-life examples. Their lively, conversational writing style combined with the books contemporary design draws students in and keeps them interested from the very first page. In short, Business in Action is the most effective teaching and learning tool youll find for the introductory business course! As youll see on the pages that follow, the books five i+ factors will make your classes livelier, more relevant, and more enjoyable. This new paperback text is interactive + Internet-supported + integrated + innovative + intriguing and will be a real plus for professors and students!

i+ i

i nteractive
The books hands-on activities and Prentice Halls Learning on the Internet Partnership (PHLIP) companion website make learning a truly interactive experience.

nternet-supported

Internet exercises give students practice with the rich resources of the World Wide Web.

i ntegrated
Questions and exercises link chapter material with concepts covered previously in the text.

i nnovative
Only Business in Action has such a wide variety of innovative and involving features and activities within a highly flexible framework.

i ntriguing
Business Mysteries at real companies promote an exciting, active-learning environment in the classroom.

Table of Content

BUSINESS IN ACTION

Table of Contents Table of Contents

PART I: CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY 1. Understanding the Fundamentals of Business and Economics 2. Practicing Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility 3. Competing in the Global Economy PART II: STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS 4. Starting, Financing, and Expanding a Small Business 5. Selecting the Proper Form of Business Ownership and Exploring Mergers and Acquisitions PART III: MANAGING A BUSINESS 6. Understanding the Functions and Roles of Management 7. Organizing to Facilitate Teamwork and Communication 8. Producing Quality Goods and Services PART IV: MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES AND LABOR RELATIONS 9. Motivating Todays Work Force and Handling Employee-Management Relations 10. Managing Human Resources PART V: DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGIES TO SATISFY CUSTOMERS 11. Meeting Customers Needs in the Changing Marketplace 12. Developing Product, Pricing, and Promotional Strategies 13. Developing a Distribution Strategy PART VI: MANAGING FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES 14. Analyzing and Using Financial Information 15. Understanding Banking and Securities PART VII: FOCUSING ON SPECIAL TOPICS IN BUSINESS Component Chapter A: Business Law and the U.S. Legal System Component Chapter B: Financial and Risk Management Component Chapter C: Guide to Using Technology and Business Information APPENDICES 1. The Employment Search 2. Careers in Business 3. Business PlanPro Exercises

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Interactive

i nteractive INTERACTIVE
Involve your students in the world of business with Business in Actions unique Web resources. Welcome to myPHLIP (Prentice Halls Learning on the Internet Partnership) Companion Website
This text-specific companion website provides students with a variety of interactive study tools and exercises to enhance their classroom performance. Here is a preview of some of the exciting features

Online Study Guide

These extensive quizzes contain a nice assortment of questions which include multiple choice, true/false, and Internet exercises. Results from the automatically graded questions for every chapter provide immediate feedback for students that can be e-mailed to the instructor for extra credit or serve as practice exams.

BUSINESS IN ACTION

i nteractive INTERACTive
In the News
New Current Events Articles, linked to relevant chapters, are added throughout the year. Each article is summarized by our team of expert professors, with citations to the original article for easy reference. Group activities, critical thinking exercises, discussion questions, and reference resources follow each article, all supported by Instructor materials.

nteractive

Career Resource Center

The Career Center helps students access career information, view sample resumes, and even apply for a job online.

BUSINESS IN ACTION

Interactive

Research Area
Let myPHLIP help you save time finding the most valuable and relevant material available on the Web. With a compilation of the best search tools currently available, students and instructors can quickly and efficiently search the Web for just the right piece of information. General (e.g., links to business and international news sources, links to legal information, access to library catalogs) and discipline-specific resources are available.

Faculty Resources
This password-protected area provides faculty with the most current and advanced support materials available.

And much more . . .

Contact your local Prentice Hall representative for more details or a personal demonstration!

BUSINESS IN ACTION

i nternet-supported Internet-supported

nternet-supported

In addition to the myPHLIP Companion Web site, Business in Action encourages students to take full advantage of the outstanding resources available on the Internet. Engaging exercises encourage students to get acquainted with the Web and its wealth of information as it relates to the text.

BUSINESS IN ACTION

Internet-supported

See It on the Web

Three end-of-chapter exercises give students experience with the rich resources available on the Web. These exercises are directly tied to the See It on the Web sites showcased within the chapters.

E-Business in Action: Unique Online Chapters

Weve developed special online chapters and resources that provide updates and in-depth coverage of the latest trends, topics and challenges in e-commerce. Each of these interactive chapters will include learning objectives, key background and discussion, and real-world examples. The chapters close with key discussion questions, a group activity, an Internet exercise, and a Business Mystery. Each online chapter is keyed to the seven parts of Business in Action. These resources will be updated regularly. These dynamic online chapters include:
I I I I I I I

Policing Internet safety and privacy Internet Davids vs. Goliaths Managing the virtual organization Virtual training and development Hot online pricing strategies Internet IPOs Emerging legal issues in e-commerce

*Special career feature: Preparing for a Career in E-Commerce

BUSINESS IN ACTION

i ntegrated Integrated
Well-thought-out questions and compelling exercises link chapter material with concepts covered previously in the text. This skillful integration requires students to use their critical-thinking skills to make important decisions.

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part I

conducting busi Even th of supply an rate of its co price of a nat tect the natio countrys eco Devalu other curren products and ports. Becau rency, such s strong curren Some c

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 6 Explain why a country might devalue its currency

Learning Objectives
Clearly stated learning objectives signal important concepts to be mastered. These Learning Objectives reappear in the margins of the text close to relevant material. The end-of-chapter Summary of Learning Objectives reinforces concepts by capsulizing chapter highlights for students. End-of-chapter material is coded by which learning objectives are covered by each question and problem.

ntegrated

Special Feature Boxes

The real world of business is integrated throughout the text with fresh, never-before-seen examples that are carefully placed in each chapter to further enhance student learning. Each box includes two critical-thinking questions that are ideal for developing team or individual problemsolving skills.

BUSINESS IN ACTION

Integrated

Test Your Knowledge

Questions for Review, five at the end of each chapter, reinforce learning and help students review the chapter material. Five end-of-chapter Questions for Analysis help students analyze chapter material; one question is ethics-based and marked with a special icon. Five Questions for Application give students the opportunity to apply principles presented in the chapter material.

Video Cases
Professionally produced Video Cases are carefully woven into the content of the text at the end of each part. Each Video Case includes questions and exercises that help students understand how business principles and chapter concepts apply to the workplace. The cases and related videos feature BMC, a business animation company.

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

i nnovative Innovative
Only Business in Action has such a wide variety of innovative and involving features and activities within a highly flexible framework. Every page encourages your students to delve deeper into the inner-workings of the business world.

nnovative

Behind the Scenes

Each chapter begins with Facing Business Challenges, a slice-of-life vignette that attracts student interest by vividly portraying a problem faced by a real businessperson. Each vignette ends with thought-provoking questions that draw students into the chapter.

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

Innovative

Behind the Scenes continued

A Meeting Business Challenges case ends each chapter and expands on the chapter-opening vignette. The case includes three critical-thinking questions that ask students to solve a business-oriented problem by applying the principles in the text. Students can discover more about the company featured in each case by completing the Learn More Online exercise.

Key Principles
Strategically placed in margins throughout the textbook, these key business principles highlight the latest management thinking and offer advice from todays most recognized and respected business leaders. Students can use the innovative thinking of Peter Drucker, Clayton Christensen, Gary Hamel, Bill Gates and other leaders as clues in solving the Business Mystery featured at the end of each text part.

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

Practice Your Knowledge

Sharpening Your Communication Skills These exercises call on students to practice a wide range of communication activities, including one-on-one and group discussions, personal interviews, panel sessions, oral and written papers, and letter- and memo-writing assignments. Handling Difficult Situations on the Job Students learn to handle difficult situations on the job through short, experimental exercises. These exercises expose them to real-world business situations in which they must use the knowledge theyve gained from the text, along with their good judgement, to solve a challenging workplace dilemma. Taken from actual events, these exercises are designed to develop student problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Building Your Team Skills Students have the opportunity to build their team-working skills through innovative exercises that teach brainstorming, collaborative decision making, developing a consensus, debating, role-playing, and resolving conflict.

nnovative

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

Innovative

Expand Your Knowledge

Exploring Career Opportunities Students can investigate career resources on campus, observe businesspeople on the job, interview businesspeople, and perform self-evaluations to assess their own career skills and interests.

Developing Your Research Skills These exercises familiarize students with the wide variety of business reference material thats available by asking them to perform research assignments similar to those they would perform on the job.

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

i ntriguing Intriguing
Its not enough to simply read about business; students need to be directly involved in what theyre studying if theyre to develop a true understanding of and appreciation for the discipline. Business in Action gives students ample opportunity to not just read about business, but to do business.

ntriguing

Business Mysteries
A series of intriguing business mysteries at real companies promotes an exciting, active learning environment in the classroom. The company being investigated in each Business Mystery has violated at least one fundamental principle of business. Students are asked to assist two business detectives in solving the mystery by identifying, analyzing, and applying clues to the evidence in each case.

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Business PlanPro Exercises

Using these end of chapter exercises, students have the opportunity to evaluate 20 sample plans from real start-up companies and then take what they have learned and apply it to developing their own personal business plan using an educational version of highly regarded Business PlanPro software. These intriguing exercises allow students to gain marketable skills. The software is totally interactive and provides students with a step-by-step approach to creating a comprehensive business plan. The Business Plan Pro software can be shrinkwrapped with the text for $10.00!

BUSINESS IN ACTION

Supplements

supplements
An unparalleled supplements package that takes teaching and learning further
Instructors Manual
This comprehensive manual provides answers and guidelines that parallel the features in the book, and also includes complete lecture notes.

Study Guide
Gives complete support for students and reflects what is emphasized in the Instructors Manual for optimum usefulness to students.

Test Item File

This comprehensive test item file provides three levels of difficulty: easy, moderate, and difficult. Questions include multiple-choice, true/false, and essay. A computerized version is also available.

PowerPoints
These animated, colorful, and interesting slides support the lecture notes in the Instructors Manual. Also available in transparency format.

Video Cases
Closely integrated with the content of the text are brand new and professionally produced Video Cases. Each video case includes questions and exercises that help students understand how business principles and chapter concepts apply to the workplace. The cases and related videos feature BMC, a business animation company.

Beginning Your Career Search Guide

This supplement offers straightforward, practical advice on how to write a resume; where and how to find company information; how to conduct yourself during an interview; and tips on the interviewing process. Also included are sample introductory, cover, follow-up, and thank-you letters. This supplement can be shrink-wrapped with the text at no additional cost. Contact your local rep for more information.

myPHLIP Companion Website

This interactive study guide features multiple-choice, true/false, and Internet exercises. The quizzes featured in the Companion Website are focused on preparing students for their future exams.

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BUSINESS IN ACTION

Now's the time to put business in action. . .

business in action
With an active-learning approach that launches students into the real-world of business, Business in Action offers todays most compelling look at the business world. With its integration of the five

i+factors, classes are livelier, more relevant, and

more enjoyablefor students and instructors alike!

Put the

i+
to work for your students!

BUSINESS IN ACTION 18