This volume advances a critical conversation at the intersection of business management, innovation, and sustainable development by offering an integrated, multidisciplinary perspective on how organizations can navigate complexity while driving long-term societal value. Bringing together insights from human resource management, technological transformation, and inclusive economic systems, the book develops a coherent framework for understanding how organizations translate strategy into impact.

Structured across five thematic sections, the volume examines: the role of inclusive and ethical leadership in shaping organizational cultures; the mechanisms through which creativity and adaptive capabilities support resilient business models; the linkages between finance, development, and economic inclusion; the strategic implications of emerging digital technologies; and the growing influence of ESG and sustainability frameworks on organizational practice.

Distinguished by its integration of theory and application, the book draws on established and emerging perspectives; including human-centered management approaches, innovation systems thinking, and digitally enabled transformation to illuminate the pathways through which organizations respond to contemporary challenges. It offers both conceptual clarity and practical insight into how firms can align performance with broader societal outcomes.

This volume will be of particular interest to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand how management and innovation can be mobilized to address global development challenges. By situating organizational strategy within a broader socio-economic context, it provides a rigorous and forward-looking contribution to the evolving field of responsible and sustainable business.

The book shows how managing directors/ CEO create room for growth through the three key roles of the CEO Office - the CEO, the Chief of Staff (CoS), and the Executive Business Partner (EBP).

Many tasks. Little time. Constant decisions.

Anyone leading a company today has to take decisions at speed, solve problems, lead people, and think about tomorrow-all without losing sight of day-to-day operations. For many managing directors, this reality becomes a critical burden. With every additional responsibility, it becomes harder to maintain oversight and ensure that everything runs as planned.

The CEO Office is a structured leadership system that redistributes responsibility to create greater clarity, speed, and impact. It is designed to reduce operational overload, strengthen strategic decision-making, and coordinate internal processes so that leaders can regain time for what truly matters-especially in complex situations. The three roles within the CEO Office are strategically interlinked, enabling clear accountability and effective collaboration.

Discover how to position your company for the future despite a full to-do list-while also clearing your own head. Case studies from mid-sized companies, practical frameworks, and ready-to-use checklists make the system immediately applicable, including in your organization.

This book presents a new framework for managing complex projects in environments that integrate new technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital twins, and big data analytics, which are reshaping how decisions are made, how risks are predicted, and how performance is monitored in real time. The framework, named INSPIRE PM (Integrated, Sustainable, Predictive, Innovative, Responsive, and Efficient Project Management), enables professionals, executives and change leaders to create resilient and data-driven projects. It specifically addresses the cultural shift toward hybrid work models, cross-cultural virtual teams, and the need for greater organizational adaptability, which demand new skills and leadership mindsets from project managers.

IINSPIRE PM emphasizes systemic integration over siloed processes, making it particularly well-suited for projects characterized by high levels of uncertainty and interdependency among stakeholders. Focusing on dynamic decision-making, integrated governance, and the ability to respond quickly to evolving constraints and opportunities, this book serves as an appropriate guide for novice or advanced project managers working in a range of industries.

In this pathbreaking work, Linette Eunjoo Park tackles a core crisis in modern thought: how to critique antiblack violence without inadvertently preserving the violence itself. Arguing that previous radical theories - from critiques of racial capitalism to discourses of abolition - have failed to capture the unique, foundational violence of antiblackness, Park develops a framework that challenges the very limits of what critical thought can achieve against the staggering evidence of antiblackness.

The book moves beyond conventional historical or legal analyses to examine how antiblack violence - specifically through the concept of the "self-lynching" - is produced and enforced by the very legal and symbolic systems designed to abolish it. Focusing on contemporary arrests made under the "felony lynching" penal code in California, the book unearths a genealogy that authorizes these charges. Through an innovative analysis of case studies - including the historical elision of anti-lynching activist Delilah Beasley, Melvin Edwards's sculptures, Torkwase Dyson's paintings, and the judicial spectacle of Clarence Thomas's hearing - Beyond Abolition reveals the ultimate failure of racial representation to contain or critique antiblackness. By tarrying with these aesthetic and juridical fragments, the book exposes a structural and psychical "lynching" of blackness that persists even, and especially, within our most celebrated critical frameworks. It proposes a methodological shift: the urgent need to move past the imagination of a "real abolition" and toward the confrontation with the un-settable, violent foundation of the modern world.

This textbook introduces the Self-Leadership Stance (SLS), a practical framework built on five daily actions (start with yourself, be curious, access resources, cultivate discipline, and show compassion) that students carry from chapter to chapter and into their daily lives. Organized as a journey in three parts, the book moves from leading yourself (self-awareness, emotional intelligence, wellness, integrity, motivation, and resilience) to leading with others (communication, relationship building, conflict resolution, and time management) to leading in the world (global leadership, personal vision and mission, and designing a self-leadership development plan).

Each chapter pairs current research with tools students can use immediately: self-assessments, reflective journaling exercises, case studies, life and workplace application activities, peer-coaching prompts, and discussion questions. Short introduction videos accompany every chapter. The final chapter guides students through building a personalized development plan that ties together everything they have learned.

Written in a conversational, mentor-like style grounded in real-world experience, this textbook helps students build a strong foundation in leadership development, starting with the one person they fully control.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of mathematical optimization models and techniques for solving facility location problems. It equips students with the theoretical foundations and practical knowledge needed to analyze real-world location planning problems, as well as to use and adapt optimization models and methods suited for these tasks. To support this, the book offers detailed explanations of the optimization theory underlying the methods used to solve the presented location problems. In particular, it discusses Lagrangian relaxation and duality, subgradient optimization, column generation, and Benders' decomposition in substantial depth.

Each chapter concludes with a set of exercises, some of which take the form of case studies that, while fictitious, reflect realistic applications. The book is further supplemented by a Python package, pyloa. At the end of each chapter, examples show how classes and routines from this package can be applied to solve selected location problems introduced in the chapter.

This book is intended for graduate students in operations research, applied mathematics, mathematics-economics, industrial engineering, and business administration with a focus on analytics or quantitative methods. It is also a valuable resource for university instructors designing 5-15 ECTS courses on location-planning optimization, as well as for researchers and practitioners seeking a thorough introduction to optimisation models and methods for facility location planning.

This book examines how digital platforms are reshaping work, media ecosystems, and data-driven strategies. As a continuation from Platform Business Models and Strategies Vol 1, this book explores the changing nature of labor and leadership in platform businesses, the evolution of social media and news models, and the challenges of trust, reputation, and big data analytics. With insights into policy, privacy, network neutrality, this book offers a comprehensive examination of the forces driving innovation and regulation in a platform economy. This book is essential reading for scholars, researchers, practitioners, students, and industry leaders navigating the digital future.

This book is an essential guide for educators seeking to integrate sustainability into business curricula. It bridges the gap between traditional profit-focused models and the urgent need for environmental and social responsibility. The book provides a robust framework for designing programs that equip future leaders with the skills to navigate complex ethical dilemmas and drive systemic change. This book is an essential guide for educators seeking to integrate sustainability into business curricula. It bridges the gap between traditional profit-focused models and the urgent need for environmental and social responsibility. Featuring diverse case studies and practical teaching strategies, it explores how to embed sustainable development goals across disciplines like finance, marketing, and strategy. This book empowers academics to foster a new generation of business thinkers capable of building a truly sustainable and equitable global economy.

In an era of supply chain volatility and rapid technological disruption, warehouse operations must evolve beyond mere efficiency. This book offers a practical roadmap for designing and managing warehouses that are not only fast and lean but also resilient, adaptive, and intelligent.

Drawing on real-world case studies and research-backed frameworks, the book explores the next generation of warehouse systems. It introduces tools such as automation readiness frameworks, orchestration resilience principles, digital twins, and AI-enhanced Lean Six Sigma to help practitioners address coordination failures, design gaps, and the need for human-in-the-loop oversight.

The book is structured in three parts to guide readers from foundational insights to strategic transformation. Part I redefines smart warehousing through a resilience lens, analyzing why many high-tech warehouses remain fragile. Part II offers practical tools, frameworks, and emerging technologies to operationalize resilient design. Part III focuses on transformation, addressing workforce readiness, education, ethical automation, and the strategic roadmap to 2030.

Whether you're a warehouse manager, operations strategist, or technology leader, this book equips you to build smarter systems that thrive under pressure.

Leading experts on greenwashing offer a playbook for achieving competitive advantage by combatting misleading claims and building trust.

Greenwashing has reached epidemic proportions, and consumer confidence in business sustainability commitments is falling. Those most affected by greenwashing are genuine green firms, and companies truly committed to sustainability goals can find it hard to communicate their commitments and distinguish themselves in this sea of greenwash. These companies need to confront their rivals head on to win the trust of stakeholders. From Greenwash to Green Trust offers a new paradigm for how to gain and maintain competitive advantage in a world of exaggerated green claims.

Building on more than a decade of research on greenwashing, Tom Lyon and Wren Montgomery offer a three-step approach for companies determined to rise above their greenwashing competitors:

• Understand why trust has been broken: First, learn how greenwashing works, and hurts, in today's world.
• Build trust: Then, look in the mirror, acknowledge your own shortcomings, and substantiate your company's commitment to sustainability goals.
• Leverage trust: Finally, create powerful relationships to outcompete greenwashers and turn integrity into lasting advantage.

In the end, the message of From Greenwash to Green Trust is a positive one. While there are plenty of businesses doing the "right" thing on sustainability, with this novel strategic approach to beating greenwashing, businesses can center transparency and trust-to restore consumer confidence and support rapid growth.

This interdisciplinary volume introduces Entrepreneurial Life Design (ELD) as a transformative framework for navigating personal and professional transitions in an era of uncertainty. Drawing from entrepreneurship education, human-centered design, and career development, the book offers theoretical foundations, empirical insights, and practical tools to foster purpose, resilience, and adaptability. Contributions from leading scholars and practitioners explore ELD's application across educational, organizational, and societal contexts, with case studies and program models that support learners, professionals, and changemakers. By integrating research-based strategies with real-world relevance, this volume empowers individuals and institutions to design sustainable, value-driven futures. It is an essential resource for educators, coaches, researchers, and anyone seeking clarity and agency in shaping their life and career paths.

This book examines the multifaceted role of the "Made In" label in the global fashion industry through the analysis of various case studies. It explores the intersections between legal frameworks, cultural heritage, branding strategies, and regional practices, offering a comprehensive perspective on the significance and implications of "Made In" designations.

Key concepts such as the legal protection of "Made In" labels, the impact of globalization on luxury brands, and the role of digital strategies in communicating product origins are thoroughly investigated. The authors, an international team of academics and experts in fashion communication and management, provide a nuanced analysis of how "Made In" labels influence consumer perceptions and brand value.

Scholars, students, and professionals in the fields of fashion, marketing, and cultural heritage will find this book invaluable. It offers insights into the strategic use of "Made In" labels and their impact on global trade, consumer perception, and regional economies.

Navigating Sustainability: Strategies and Solutions for Business in Emerging and Developing Countries offers a timely and interdisciplinary examination of how sustainability can be embedded within business practices in rapidly transforming economies. As environmental pressures intensify alongside economic growth, businesses are increasingly required to align operational strategies with ecological limits, social equity, and regulatory frameworks, while responding to evolving global sustainability standards, stakeholder expectations, and increasing demands for transparency and accountability.
This volume brings together contributions from leading scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to address key dimensions of sustainability, including climate change mitigation, water and resource management, circular economy transitions, sustainable finance, digital transformation, governance, and ethical considerations. The book emphasises the interconnected nature of environmental processes, socio-economic systems, and institutional structures, advocating for integrated and context-sensitive approaches that bridge theory, policy, and practice.
With a strong focus on emerging and developing countries, the book highlights both the structural challenges and the innovative potential within these regions, particularly in the context of rapid urbanisation, resource constraints, and institutional diversity. By combining conceptual frameworks with applied case studies, it provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and business leaders seeking to navigate sustainability transitions in complex and dynamic environments.

This open access book explores employers' interests in international labour migration, arguing that employers' interests have consistently been a major force shaping and directing international labour migration in market economies.

Employers' interests have been underestimated in part due to the lack of an appropriate theory. This book offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for studying employers' interests in labour migration. It does this by building on neo-institutionalist concepts, and proposing a framework for classifying institutions relevant to employers' pursuit of their interests in this domain.

Contributors utilise qualitative document analysis, political discourse analysis, and in-depth interviews with representatives of employers' organisations and other actors knowledgeable about employers' interests. By looking at historical events on several continents, and subsequently focusing on four European countries: the UK, Germany, Italy and Poland, this book demonstrates that employers' interests have consistently been the reason behind international labour migration, even if they manifest themselves differently depending on the institutional environment of the particular country. This counters the dominant public narratives of today, which treat migration primarily as a security issue. By putting the spotlight on employers and offering a theoretical framework for analysing their interests and activities, this book hopes to rectify the imbalance in both academic and public discussions concerning labour migration and the forces that shape it.

Hybrid threats and hybrid warfare create complex challenges for the security and stability of the Gulf States. This book is the first comprehensive attempt to align Western and Arab Gulf concepts of these phenomena, closing a significant gap in academic and policy discourse. By clarifying terminology and frameworks, it paves the way for more effective cooperation in countering hybrid threats.

Organised into five thematic sections - conceptual foundations, threat landscapes, cybersecurity, case studies, and strategies for resilience - the book combines theoretical analysis with practical insights. The case studies range from Kuwait and Saudi-U.S. relations to Taiwan and post-Soviet states, offering a variety of comparative perspectives.

Written by scholars and practitioners from eleven countries, the book takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and mitigating hybrid threats. It will appeal to academics, policymakers, and security professionals seeking to strengthen resilience and regional collaboration within the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In recent decades, sanctions have become the preferred tool for the nonviolent coercion of other nations. The US government employs sanctions and embargoes to pressure not only enemies but sometimes even its friends. Despite their ubiquity, the debate over their efficacy continues. Measuring their success is controversial since many sanctions are economic, while the desired outcomes are political. Under what circumstances can sanctions or embargoes deliver their intended policy objectives at an acceptable cost? How can they best be integrated with other available instruments of national power?

The Strategy of Sanctions uses case studies from antiquity to the present to evaluate the strategic utility of sanctions and embargoes. The authors utilize a blended approach combining earlier definitions of sanctions, concepts from teaching of strategy, as well as terms of their own creation. They apply a common framework for teaching strategy, which disaggregates operational-level from strategic-level goals, and goals from strategies. By examining sanctions in different eras and contexts, the book highlights the circumstances that are most conducive to their efficacy.

Home Team Away calls for a rethinking of sport fandom that is divorced from an attachment to location. As the first comprehensive account of the European football fandom in China, this book explores how the Chinese middle class subjectivity is formed through the cross-cultural, digital consumption of the Big Five leagues. Yuan Gong captures the embodied experiences of fans and fan clubs, fan discourses and activities unfolding on digital platforms on Weibo, Weixin, and Hupu, combining fieldwork in Shanghai and virtual ethnography. Gong argues that Chinese fans' decisions to follow and engage with European football result from their material conditions, ideological contestation, and technology appropriation as a new demographic bloc arising during China's transition to authoritarian digital capitalism. By engaging with their home teams away, the Chinese middle class fans perform as citizens with a global vision despite the resurgence of the nationalist and anti-Western sentiments.

Following the end of the draft in 1973, the US military increasingly offered women the opportunity to transform their lives-to obtain an education, receive healthcare, provide for their families, and prove their worth to the nation. By the time the US invaded Iraq and Afghanistan at the turn of the twenty-first century, the labor of women-and Black women in particular-was critical to the military's ability to simultaneously wage two wars. Within the context of counterinsurgencies fought amid civilian populations, the US military discovered the value of women's gender difference as a weapon of war.

Through ethnographic and archival research with women soldiers and Marines, as well as military and government officials, Gender Is a Weapon contextualizes women's service in Iraq and Afghanistan against the promises of liberal inclusion unfolding throughout the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. Centered on narratives of Black and Indigenous women, women of color, immigrant women, and queer women, the book analyzes the transformations of martial citizenship; the racialized language of cultural difference in the US's revitalized counterinsurgency doctrine; the gendered performances of women in combat and civilian engagement missions; and ultimately, the irreparable injuries of body and mind with which these women returned home. The epilogue discusses the recent dismantling of DEI in the military and US government more broadly, reflecting on what we can learn from the violent history of military liberal inclusion to help us better understand our contemporary moment. By carefully attending to both the discursive construction and performative enactment of gender in militarized and securitized contexts, the book advances theoretical frames for studying gender in state militaries, militarism, and late liberalism.

This open access book presents a comprehensive examination of the evolving political and administrative landscape in Thailand's northeastern region, also collectively referred to as Isan, amid contemporary global challenges. Key areas of investigation include economic corridor development along the Mekong region, transboundary water management politics, organizational practices in local institutions, indigenous knowledge in conflict resolution, sustainable development initiatives, and public sector reform. The analysis reveals how Isan navigates between great power competition while addressing critical environmental and socio-economic challenges. Drawing on extensive field research and theoretical frameworks, the book presents valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, development practitioners, and graduate students engaged in regional governance, political transformation, and sustainable development studies.

The President and the Bomb: The Making of American Nuclear Policy, 1939 -1974, at once an original and compelling reconsideration of the role of human agency in international affairs, fills an important gap in the relationship between nuclear weapons policy and presidential decision-making, particularly when examined beyond the context of individual chief executives. On this score alone, Siracusa and Spiller's study makes a significant contribution to the existing literature. The outcome is a tour de force of high-level historical analysis translated into a comprehensive survey of changing presidential nuclear thinking over the first four critical decades of the bomb.