Business Administration (Third Revision)

Author: Compilation Team of the Latest Core Curriculum for MBA
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: The time when management theory was disguised as an exact science has been too long. The prescriptions of well-managed companies are often revered as absolute truths. For example, in the 1980s, capturing market share became a long-term pursuit in the business world. Later, reengineering emerged as the new dominant trend. Traditional MBA foundational courses in the U.S. are often divided by specific business functions or departments, such as finance, marketing, accounting, human resource management, and are frequently confined to these narrow domains. Now, fully functionalized solutions are being integrated through cross-pollination, providing the concept of "general management." The excessive focus on management functions has shifted toward a greater emphasis on management processes, and the cultivation of management skills has transitioned from a secondary objective to one of equal importance to management knowledge.
The features of this book are:
(1) Emphasizing practical skills over theory and formulas. The distinguishing mark of an MBA compared to other graduate degrees lies in its pragmatism, practicality, and operability. Its purpose is not to train "academic" researchers but to cultivate middle-to-high-level business managers who can apply knowledge in real-world scenarios, value hands-on work, and genuinely lead enterprises or other organizations in the commercial and economic sectors. Upholding this spirit, the book avoids extensive citations of complex theories and formulas, dedicating more space to case studies and practical techniques. It focuses on genuine "management" rather than "management studies." Based on analyzing case studies, it identifies universal patterns to derive concepts, principles, and solutions to problems. Its goal is not to produce knowledge-based "management masters" but to nurture "professional entrepreneurs." When discussing methods and theories, the book strives for precision and depth rather than comprehensiveness.
(2) Easy to understand and highly readable. To cater to readers with moderate education levels, the book avoids overly technical or difficult terminology. In selecting case studies, it prioritizes storytelling over technicality, using short, simple, and typical examples instead of lengthy, complex, or obscure ones.
(3) Up-to-date content. The book incorporates numerous case studies and new management concepts from the past two years, offering readers a fresh perspective.