FIA Recording Financial Transactions FA1 Interactive Text

Margaret A. Neale, Max H. Bazerman

Negotiating Rationally

In Negotiating Rationally, Max Bazerman and Margaret Neale explain how to avoid the pitfalls of irrationality and gain the upper hand in negotiations. For example, managers tend to be overconfident, to recklessly escalate previous commitments, and fail to consider the tactics of the other party. Drawing on their research, the authors show how we are prisoners of our own assumptions. They identify strategies to avoid these pitfalls in negotiating by concentrating on opponents' behavior and developing the ability to recognize individual limitations and biases. They explain how to think rationally about the choice of reaching an agreement versus reaching an impasse. A must read for business professionals.

David A. Aaker

Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name

In a fascinating and insightful examination of the phenomenon of brand equity, Aaker provides a clear and well-defined structure of the relationship between a brand and its symbol and slogan, as well as each of the five underlying assets, which will clarify for managers exactly how brand equity does contribute value. The most important assets of any business are intangible: its company name, brands, symbols, and slogans, and their underlying associations, perceived quality, name awareness, customer base, and proprietary resources such as patents, trademarks, and channel relationships. These assets, which comprise brand equity, are a primary source of competitive advantage and future earnings, contends David Aaker, a national authority on branding. Yet, research shows that managers cannot identify with confidence their brand associations, levels of consumer awareness, or degree of customer loyalty. Moreover in the last decade, managers desperate for short-term financial results have often unwittingly damaged their brands through price promotions and unwise brand extensions, causing irreversible deterioration of the value of the brand name. Although several companies, such as Canada ...

Gary Blake, Blake

Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Mem

From an interoffice memo to a fifty-page proposal, this is the definitive guide to business writing. Anyone who has ever had to write any business document will find "The Elements of Business Writing" the single most effective tool for producing clear, concise, and persuasive prose. Equally useful to executives and support staff, it shows how to: write clearly and powerfully; rid writing of jargon and pompous language; organize material effectively; and avoid errors in spelling, grammar, and usage.