Besides the 3 O’s of Outperforming & Outprofiting via Outsourcing, it also signifies that we are now into the third generation of outsourcing. In the first generation, before the 80’s, outsourcing was mainly cost driven. In the second generation, in the 90’s, arrived the capabilities and value driven outsourcing. The key focus was on how to extract the maximum value out of an outsourcing relationship. Only recently, in the third generation are we moving into the strategy driven outsourcing paradigm. This subtle shift is leading the business leaders to question that very underpinnings of a modern organisation. The key focus is “How can outsourcing assist in driving even more strategic advantage to our business?”. Let us have a quick exercise to warm up. Can you guess what the most outsourced service on earth today is? Think of all potential services in your company that can be outsourced; cast your mind far and wide. Try not to miss anything. Once you have thought of all the possibilities, make the guess again. What is the most outsourced service on earth today? If you guessed call centres, I would have to say no. In fact, if you guessed any of the following services – logistics, IT, sales training, fleet management or payrolls – all popular services to be outsourced, I would not nod my head once. The answer, which lies somewhere in this chapter, is going to be a surprise to you. Whether your guess is correct or not, there is a lot more to be explored. You will come to recognise how ubiquitous outsourcing has become in the modern-day commercial world, and how to keep your eyes open to recognise situations that are amenable to outsourcing. The full list of all outsourceable activities within a company may include an element of surprise. You will also know the answer to the second part of the $483 billion question, i.e. when you must NOT outsource. In our work, we frequently encounter people who are dogmatic about outsourcing – on both sides of the fence. We have worked closely with directors serving on boards of large organisations who are against outsourcing. On the other hand, we also talk to people at all levels in companies who would rather outsource than do the tasks internally. We have come across situations where companies are reluctant to outsource, and where that would have been the best course of action.

A new but timeless strategy and mindset that should greatly help investors lower downside risk while achieving market outperformance In The 52-Week Low Formula: A Contrarian Strategy that Lowers Risk, Beats the Market, and Overcomes Human Emotion, wealth manager Luke L. Wiley, CFP examines the principles behind selecting the outstanding companies and great investment opportunities that are being overlooked. Along the way, Wiley offers a melding of the strategies used by such investment giants as Warren Buffett, Howard Marks, Michael Porter, Seth Klarman, and Pat Dorsey. His proven formula helps investors get the upper hand by identifying solid companies that are poised for growth but have fallen out of the spotlight. Shows you how to investigate companies and identify opportunities Includes detailed discussions of competitive advantage, purchase value, return on invested capital, and debt levels Presents several case studies to examine companies that have overcome obstacles by trading around their 52-week lows The 52-Week Low Formula is a must-read for investors and financial advisors who want to break through conventional strategies and avoid common mistakes.

This book answers the following five fundamental questions: What are the tangible and intangible benefits of moving towards a green supply chain? What are the costs, both direct and indirect? What influence do we have over our suppliers, their suppliers and our customers that would allow us to jointly work together and move the supply chain towards a green supply chain? How will we communicate and measure our progress towards the green supply chain to the key stakeholders? How will we engage them? What barriers to green supply chains can be expected and how can these be overcome? For all those responsible for steering supply chain decisions this book will be an invaluable asset, particularly as the 'greening of business' grows ever important.

This book serves as a guide to strategic management accounting. It introduces new and useful concepts on how to collect, analyse, and evaluate options to enable managers to steer corporate directions and write strategic plans for the long-term success of the corporation. Starting with basic techniques and the latest strategic management approaches, the book then presents cases that show the techniques employed step by step. By demonstrating how easily the ideas can be translated into action, it is a valuable resource for business practitioners, as well as for students taking advanced management accounting courses.

Finally, a book that crosses the great divide between academia and practice a rare feat, especially in edited volumes with scholarly contributions. . . there is much to like about what the book does cover. Wayne Visser, Ethical Performance Mallin brings together academics and business experts to share a wide range of accounts from across the globe. Readers will find insights and guidance on how countries and companies have tried to balance the perceived needs of often disparate groups. James McRitchie, CorpGov.net Chris Mallin has put together a fine volume providing detailed insights into the global spread of CSR. It wonderfully showcases the diversity and dynamics of CSR in different countries, regions and key industries. It is an essential read for everybody interested in the dialectics of global homogenization and local adaptation of CSR-related management practices. Dirk Matten, York University, Toronto, Canada Professor Mallin has edited a remarkable range of studies, illustrating how companies across the world regard and respond to their social responsibilities. Her book will prove an invaluable source of information for everyone interested in comparative corporate social responsibility, aided by the admirable learning points and questions following each case study. It will also be turned to for guidance by investors concerned to promote corporate social values internationally. Sir Adrian Cadbury, Aston University Business School, Birmingham, UK Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an area of increasing global interest with companies taking CSR issues more seriously, devoting more resources to such issues and acknowledging the benefits of CSR activities. This insightful book provides a comprehensive analysis of the development of CSR in a diverse range of countries including the UK, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the USA, the Middle East, Australia, Japan and Korea. Christine Mallin has brought together leading experts from both academia and the business world to provide fully up-to-date accounts of developments in CSR from a range of legal, cultural and economic perspectives. This timely resource will serve as an invaluable teaching and resource tool for advanced students and academics and will provide insights and guidance to the wider business community.

Pundits have long foretold the imminent death of print newspapers. These claims intensified with the rise of the internet and the recent financial crisis, but they've accompanied every media technological development of the past 100+ years: telegrams, radio, and television were all heralded as the final nail in the coffin, yet newspapers adapted and even thrived. And they're not going anywhere. In Greatly Exaggerated: The Myth of the Death of Newspapers, Marc Edge dives deep into the history and finances of North American newspapers and media conglomerates, and comes up with a surprising conclusion: the newspaper business is far more healthy and profitable than believed. It's been roiled by greedy Wall Street investors, the doctrine of media "convergence," and of course the internet, but has proved remarkably resilient in the face of it all. Greatly Exaggerated is a thoroughly informative and entertaining look at one of our most important institutions, essential reading for journalists and newspaper readers in Canada and the US. Read the Introduction from Greatly Exaggerated at MarcEdge.com.