In Go Mobile, Jeanne Hopkins and Jamie Turner offer insights into the relatively new world of mobile marketing. While it can seem daunting to learn about apps, 2D codes, and location-based marketing, these mobile terms are actually not difficult to understand and can be easily implemented in most businesses’ marketing plans. The authors break down the technology associated with mobile marketing and give step-by-step plans that any marketing team or small business can quickly implement.

In Connecting Organizational Silos, Frank Leistner presents a full-featured guide for organizations interested in using social media. His argument is simple: as it becomes easier for people to interact virtually, the value of effectively moving knowledge through an organization increases. Leistner outlines basics like social media analytics, the mobilization of various departments, and social network dynamics, and he explains why social media is here to stay. Leistner also explores the concept of enterprise social networks (ESNs) and how the future of social media platform technologies will affect both users and organizations in the coming years.

As Craig Storti explains in Speaking of India, India will continue to play a greater role in the global business market. Businesses will continue to outsource more than information technology (IT) or call centers overseas to India; instead, they will outsource tasks such as business process outsourcing (BPO), aspects of banking and financial services, insurance operations, legal services, mortgage services, television digitization, editing, and airline reservations. With about two million Indian workers in the United States, and Indians owning more than 3,000 companies in California alone, individuals must learn to overcome many culture differences in order to achieve successful Indian-Western partnerships and joint ventures.

Irv Rothman describes Out-Executing the Competition as “chapters about evolution,” both professional and personal. By being open to lifelong learning, Rothman experienced a paradigm-shifting moment concerning business models that shaped his entire career. The principle of customer-centric business models created by employees was the foundation of a series of successful business ventures. Once considered radical business philosophies, listening to customers and empowering employees are now fundamental practices required to sustain business success. In addition, Rothman’s life lessons show that business success is a product of hard work, being smart, acting prudently, taking calculated risks, adapting to innovations, and planning ahead. By applying business axioms consistently, value can be delivered reliably, market fluctuations can be responded to nimbly, and core business strengths can be leveraged to out-execute the competition.

The Bully-Free Workplace

In many organizations some employees behave in ways that are extremely damaging to their co-workers. These bullies wreak havoc in organizations. Their damaging behavior leads to emotional, physical, and financial challenges for the employees they target. For organizations, these problems often lead to losing productive employees and can result in lawsuits. In extreme cases, bullying can lead to homicide or suicide. In The Bully-Free Workplace, authors Gary Namie and Ruth F. Namie inform executives that the best solution to eradicate bullies from the workforce is to implement a formal policy, such as the Namie Blueprint process—a process that defines standards of appropriate behavior and holds people accountable for that conduct. When organizations draw a line in the sand clearly illustrating what behavior is unacceptable they can put an end to bullying.

The Science of Serendipity

The Science of Serendipity by Matt Kingdon shows large, complex organizations how to open the door to the kind of creative thinking that leads to commercial success. With a focus on the twin concepts of serendipity and innovation, Kingdon explains how established businesses can shake off the rust, dodge bureaucratic pitfalls, and find new directions while boosting their bottom lines. Kingdon, cofounder of ?WhatIf! Innovation Partners, cites abundant examples drawn from his company’s experiences working with different corporate clients. After considering what qualities a corporate innovator must have, Kingdon discusses specific techniques and strategies for every stage of the process, from an initial idea to a successful launch. His emphasis is always on the concrete and practical: how to test an idea, sell it to the hierarchy, and bring it to market.

Rice Wine with the Minister

In Rice Wine with the Minister, Andrew and Nada Kakabadse organize their wealth of personal experience in the global marketplace into a logical structure of steps that the global executive can take to succeed in today’s business world. The predominant themes of the text are the ubiquitousness of globalization and the critical importance of cultural sensitivity for effective leadership. Replete with examples of multinational organizations’ successes and failures around the globe, this text elucidates abstract concepts and distills them into practical applications. No area of the globe is overlooked, and the authors work hard to compare and contrast global cultures, highlighting the challenges of conducting business in a world that is both homogeneous and heterogeneous.