Business sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult amongst the demands of today’s markets. By implementing new and dynamic practices, organizations can optimize their day-to-day operations and improve competitive advantage. Optimal Management Strategies in Small and Medium Enterprises is a key source on the latest innovations in enhancing all main management functions, such as working capital and marketing, and examines how to implement sustainable business management practices. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as human resources development, market orientation, and knowledge management, this book is ideally designed for business managers, professionals, graduate students, and researchers working in the field of smaller-scale business development initiatives.

In most countries, statistics show that 99% of businesses are classified as 'small businesses'. In the UK alone, 99.8% of businesses employ less than 250 staff and these companies contribute more than a half of the UK's turnover. This new textbook goes where other strategic management texts have not and focuses on these small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), rather than focussing on large corporations and the actions of their CEOs. The authors consider how managers of small firms perceive the processes associated with strategic management, what decisions and actions they adopt to ensure competitive advantage, how business strategies are formulated and implemented in SMEs, and what the strategic role of entrepreneurship within small businesses is. They also discuss how SMEs should act for maximum competitive advantage, and consider the 'gap' between ideal theory and practice. This unique textbook will be essential for students on Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise modules at undergraduate and Masters level, and will also be useful on core modules in Strategy, Business Policy and Strategic Management at all levels.

Businesses utilize various managerial processes focused on reducing waste, errors, and variability in products to maintain and improve business quality. By keeping a clean workspace and organized workforce, business processes aim for an efficient, continuous flow of production while still supporting iterative improvements in quality and output. Lean Six Sigma for Optimal System Performance in Manufacturing and Service Organizations: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides upcoming research on the strategies to improve processes in business while using Lean Six Sigma principals and applications. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as direct model technology, performance rework, and quality management methods, this book is geared towards professionals, academicians, students, and researchers interested in detailed research on recent advancements in the management of risk in all fields.

The world is witnessing an increase in innovation both in start-ups and in SMEs, and the implementation of innovation is having a substantial impact on the knowledge of the economy. The ability of human beings to create new knowledge can be defined as a basic skill in a global economy, which involves learning as an essential dynamism of the competition. Following this and considering the need for developing standards and guidelines for innovation, organizations have been working on developing and updating a set of documents to help the innovators and the innovative companies work better. Knowledge-Driven Innovation in Start-Ups and SMEs: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of standardization and guideline creation in business innovation, such as those implemented by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While highlighting topics including business analysis, market research, and intellectual property, this book is ideally designed for market researchers, business professionals, academicians, and students seeking current research on innovative processes and approaches for organizations.

To maintain a competitive edge against other businesses, companies must ensure the most effective strategies and procedures are in place. This is particularly critical in smaller business environments with fewer resources. Strategic Optimization of Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Global Market is a critical scholarly resource that highlights the optimization of management functions, such as working capital and marketing, and how to implement sustainable business management practices in the global world market. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as social entrepreneurship, marketing optimization, and globalization, this book is geared towards business managers, medium-sized enterprises, policy makers, business professionals, and upper-level students seeking current research on the performances of medium-sized enterprises across the world and their broader supply chain.

Despite the ill effects of COVID-19 and the temporary closure of business operations worldwide, some organizations, such as the food and pharmaceutical industries, are still functioning, and their need to resume operations is dire. Managing the workforce and performing other functions of human resource management, such as recruitment and hiring, is a continuous process, and today’s organizations must be adaptive and careful in employing the practices of human resource management for any unforeseen events that trigger uncertainty and threats to the company’s workforce performance and hinder organizational effectiveness. Navigating the New Normal of Business With Enhanced Human Resource Management Strategies shares effective strategies in human resource management from organizations worldwide to shed light and ideas on how existing organizations have managed to continue their operations in a post-COVID-19 world, as well as how they have enhanced their strategies and prospects for the future. Covering a range of topics such as employee rights, labor markets, and talent management, it is an ideal resource for instructors, administrators, managers, industry professionals, academicians, practitioners, researchers, and students.

The global shift of the business world and the way the workforce navigates jobs is a powerful consequence of the global pandemic. Moreover, occupational health and safety initiatives are at the forefront of managerial discussions. Workplace trends show that the flexibility and adaptability demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic may prove to offer organizations new insights into employee recruitment, retention, and production. Leadership Strategies for the Hybrid Workforce: Best Practices for Fostering Employee Safety and Significance shares the strategies and best practices in making employees feel valued and significant—a key factor in both employee recruitment and retention and one that goes far beyond mere pay increases. It uses lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss these new organizational strategies. Covering topics such as digital change, employee significance, and organizational DNA, this book is an essential resource for business leaders, students and educators of higher education, human resource managers, CEOs, managers, researchers, and academicians.