Mason Carpenter, We Will Miss You: In Memoriam

Mason A. Carpenter received his PhD in 1997 from the University of Texas at Austin, and was a professor at the University of Madison, Wisconsin’s School of Business. He held the M. Keith Weikel Chair in Leadership, and was responsible for the MBA and executive MBA courses in business, corporate, and global strategy, and the curriculum offered through Wisconsin’s Strategic Leadership Institute. He was also associate editor of the Academy of Management Review and the Strategic Management and Corporate Governance Collection Editor for Business Expert Press. During Mason's tenure with Business Expert Press he was involved in the signing and publishing of more than 30 books including his own An Executive's Guide to the Strategy of Social Networks. Mason Carpenter passed on September 24^th, 2011. He will be deeply missed as a friend and as an editor and author.

Business Expert Press Announces Partnership with CLOCKSS

Business Expert Press, publisher of annual Digital Libraries containing practical, concise ebooks for advanced business students, is pleased to announce a partnership with the CLOCKSS Archive (a not-for-profit, geographically-distributed dark archive of Web-based scholarly publications -- see http://www.clockss.org/ for further details), to preserve its ebook content.

"Our publishing model is built around giving our customers long-term control of the content they acquire" noted Business Expert Press Publisher, David Parker.  "Working with CLOCKSS is a natural next step for us:  it assures librarians that when they purchase an ebook from Business Expert Press, it will always be available for their users." 

Business Expert Press, a leading resource for Business Education, publishes perpetual-access, DRM-free ebooks built for the modern teaching curriculum, available without restrictions from any device. Visit http://www.businessexpertpress.com/ for more information.

Meet Ken Everett, Author of “Designing the Networked Organization”

If you see the network as the organization of the future, then this book is for you. Ken Everett thinks so, too, and he wrote this book to help the architects of such future organizations. 

Ken Everett is a bit of a maverick in the business world, and his new ideas about the “networked organization” will make MBA students re-think the nature of enterprise structures and relationships. Working with Everett showcases BEP’s dedication to developing international perspectives, and despite the time difference between New Jersey and Australia, he managed to find time to speak with us – a Wednesday morning for him, and late Tuesday night for us East Coasters.


Can you briefly tell us what your book is all about and why we should read it?

The book is about the ability to build an organization without an organization. It’s about building communities of people who share an interest, a product, a cause, a passion, a technology. In fact, the Internet is like this. Few people reflect on the fact that the internet is the largest organization of all mankind, but there’s no CEO. What’s the secret? There’s a whole heap of people all joined by a common understanding that is Internet protocol. It’s an organization without a CEO, without a headquarters, and very few people have thought about that. It’s the elephant in the room no one really wants to talk about because it threatens our presumptions about organizations. How many CEOs are really that interested in having organizations without CEOs?

What characterizes the internet? It’s made up of independent people, but equally a very strong community and its paradox is resolved via internet protocols which each organization eventually embraces.



What type of students or classes will benefit most from using your book?

I’ve been to business schools and I’ve had a look from time to time at the subjects that are taught and when I look at the courses taught, there’s very little on these organizational networks. Do you really go to university to set up a network? No. You go to learn how to join an organization, but that’s not the only way to go about things. I would love to open the minds of young people starting out in business of an alternative way to organize.



What are the top trends in your area(s)?

For organizations, there is a move towards networked organizations instead of personal organizations. It’s emancipation- anyone can do it. It produces healthier organizations, organizations that are innovative, resilient, “leaderful”. And it’s what enables you to craft a life. Each part of the organization takes care of itself. You determine what brand of computer you’re going to buy, the hours you work, where you live, and this all fits in to the fact that even if you lose one of your contracts, you can probably survive in a way you couldn’t if you were an employee at one firm, and this leads to huge resilience.



Major externalities have happened every four years or so and a business that is resilient and can survive them is the most desirable of businesses. It’s innovative because now there are people running their own independent businesses and try their own twists on marketing and this adds up to a huge salad bowl of innovation and the good ones that work, we spread around the network.



What made you decide to publish with Business Expert Press?

They were looking for authors! Selling collections the way that they do is innovation. The old publishing model is difficult today for any number of reasons.

Meet the Author: Ron Huefner

Ron Huefner is the author of Revenue Management: A Path to Increased Profits.


Ronald J. Huefner served for 42 years as professor of accounting at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  He was appointed SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in 1993.   He holds an MBA and a PhD from Cornell University, and is a CPA (New York) and CMA.  Over his career he has taught a wide variety of accounting courses from freshman to graduate levels.  He is author or coauthor of several texts and numerous articles in the academic and professional literatures.


Can you briefly tell us what your book is all about and why we should read it?
This book provides an overview of the emerging field of Revenue Management from an accounting and finance perspective.  While there is an extensive literature on Revenue Management, little of it appears in accounting or finance publications.  However, accounting and finance professionals need to be aware of this field and include it among their skill set.

What are the top trends in your area(s)?
Revenue Management began in the airline industry and then spread to hospitality and service industries.  Now these practices are found in all types or organizations, including not-for-profits.  All organizations need to be sensitive to the need to build revenues.

What do you like best about using e-books?  Do you own an e-book reader?
I’m not yet into the e-book environment, and have yet to use them or to own an e-book reader.  But they seem to offer opportunities for lower-priced book purchases and ease of carrying several books with you.

What made you decide to publish with Business Expert Press?The approach of Business Expert Press seemed to fit my plans for this book exactly.  I wanted to write a short book discussing Revenue Management for executives, accounting and finance professionals, continuing education courses, and graduate students.  This was exactly the orientation of Business Expert Press.
In addition, I found the people and organization to be extremely supportive and easy to work with.

Have you read any other Business Expert Press books, and if so, which one was your favorite?I used one as a style model for my book, The Small Business Controller, by Richard Hanson. I have several others on my list to order.
What prompted you to write this book?
I got interested in the literature of Revenue Management and its importance for accounting and finance professionals, and for top executives, but I could find little mention of the subject in the accounting/finance fields.  I began to incorporate it in my classes, then I decided to write the book.

What were your favorite business courses when you were in school?
I enjoyed all my courses, but accounting and finance were my favorites.

What do you like to do when you're not working?
I enjoy working on genealogy, and my wife and I like to travel.
 
What was the best non-business book you read recently?
Most of my reading lately has focused on topics related to this book.

How long did the process of writing the book take you?I had been collecting material and thinking about this topic for several years.  I first contacted the series editor, Ken Merchant, in January 2009 and mentioned the idea.  Ken was very supportive.  I met with David Parker in August 2009.  I submitted the proposal in September 2009, and completed writing about a year later.

E-Publishing Revolution

In this unfolding age of the e-book, publishers are struggling to develop sustainable ways to deliver content to academic customers. The economy has forced many libraries to operate on a shoestring budget, and e-book publishers are faced with a challenging, some might say impossible, task. However, while some content providers have stuck with old tactics (electronic subscriptions that can’t be canceled without loss of back-file access, ebooks restricted to one user at a time), this is a great opportunity for more nimble and creative publishers to experiment with radical new ideas of book production, distribution, and ownership.

Among this new breed of publishers is Business Expert Press, formed in 2007 and based on a different concept of providing content for academic readers: books are published simultaneously in print and electronic form, and under uniquely unrestrictive and user-friendly terms.

For starters, the Business Expert Press collection was created to provide books for business/management students seeking bachelors and masters degrees, which is an under-served area in terms of library resources. Most business journals and books are created for doctoral candidates, creating a vacuum for students below that level. Rather than generating yet another series of case studies, the Business Expert Press collection provides insights into the issues that companies face every day, offering content that explains theory and offers clear guidance through the challenges of management, entrepreneurship, international business, accounting, and dozens of other topics. The books are succinct and highly specific, enabling professors to select books containing material targeted directly at their classes, so that students don’t have to buy lengthy (and expensive) textbooks which might only include one or two relevant chapters. These are books that will serve students as well as executives returning to school to further their careers..

What makes Business Expert Press different from other publishers? First, Business Expert Press's Digital Collection is not subscription-based. The collections, offered in yearly sets of 50-60 books, are available for a one-time fee, meaning that a library pays once for the yearly collection and then owns -- period. Second, the books are unencumbered by DRM: not only can they be read online at the library or a dorm room on a computer, but they can also be downloaded directly to any student’s personal reading device as a PDF,. And not just downloaded, but stored -- for as long as the user wants it -- the content won’t disappear or be locked off after a brief lending term. Students essentially build their own textbooks based on class requirements or their own interests. This unique structure is both economical for libraries and more beneficial to students than a subscription-based service, with the assurance of access for generations of students at every institution which buys the collections.

Customer relations is another key to what separates Business Expert Press from other publishing companies: though small and academically-oriented, the company has embraced the concept of social media and more personal contact with potential authors and librarians. Libraries have the opportunity to run a free, unrestricted trial of any Digital Library for 45 days before making a decision to purchase, giving business librarians and faculty a risk-free preview of the collection. The operation is focused primarily on customer service, by any and every means, from communicating with librarians, patrons, and authors via Twitter or Facebook, sending out a monthly newsletter with interviews and information, and a personal connection with each library as it trials after it purchases the collection. From the day the trial begins, Business Expert Press staff are on call to help librarians navigate the collection, and provide any technical assistance necessary as well as assistance with outreach to faculty members.

Now well into developing its third Digital Library (for 2012), Business Expert Press is publishing new books every month. To learn more about us, please our website at www.businessepertpress.com, follow us on Twitter (@busexppress), or just drop a note to molly.hurford@businessexpertpress.com.

Meet the Librarian: Kyle McCarrell from Augusta State University

Our librarian of the month is Kyle McCarrell, the Acquisitions and Cataloging Librarian for Augusta State University.  He was kind enough to share some of his insights into Business Expert Press and why he chose to start the trial and purchase our Digital Collection.

What made you want to trial the Digital Library?

When I first was introduced to the Digital Library of Business Expert Press, I was immediately impressed with the diversity of business content that was available for the various parts of our business school. Books on marketing, accounting, MIS, etc. were all available in one digital collection. When I contacted our College of Business to look over the title list, they immediately wanted to trial it, particularly because the entire collection was in digital form.  

What prompted you to purchase the Digital Library?

After a month of doing the trial of the Digital Library, our College of Business faculty were impressed with the authors and the content. The titles seemed to be written so that both undergraduate students and professor could find nuggets of information that would be helpful in their research. The currency of the content (2009-2011) was also a big selling point. Finally, I was really impressed with the flexibility that Business Expert Press has regarding printing, copying, and downloading PDFs. The use of the Ebrary interface was also a big plus for us.

What's your opinion on e-books in libraries today in general?

I believe that libraries must focus on multiple forms of content. Some users prefer traditional books, while others prefer digital content that is downloadable to their computers or e-readers. Whatever form we happened to have purchased, our goal is to make users comfortable with finding and utilizing the information they need. E-books in academic libraries and for academic content will continue to grow, but I suspect not with the growth that we have seen with popular titles. We have also found that different departments are more open to having digital content than others. Our purchase of the Business Expert Press Digital Library reflects how our College of Business is comfortable with e-books.  

Are professors using the library's e-collections more frequently now?  Have they been using Business Expert Press?

I don’t know if I truly have a firm handle on this question yet. Some professors are much more open to using e-content than others and it varies widely even within a department. It really depends on the topic and what types of research are being done. I would say, in general, people are much more comfortable with finding e-journals than with e-books. With Business Expert Press, however, I anticipate that both professors and students will utilize these new titles, particularly as more titles are added throughout the year.

A big thank you to Kyle for taking the time from his busy schedule to answer our questions!

Meet the Authors: Patricia Huddleston and Stella Minahan

Patricia Huddleston and Stella Minahan are the authors of Consumer Behavior: Women and Shopping, a book written to answer the question "What does shopping mean to American women?"

The authors were kind enough to give Business Expert Press a dual interview so we could get into their minds and find out a bit about their process, both in terms of their co-writing and their forays into the use of social media to self-promote their wonderful book.

Tell us a bit about yourselves!
Pat: I am a Professor of Retailing at Michigan State University. I have been involved in retail and consumer research for the past 26 years.
Stella: I am an Australian researcher and teacher in a Graduate Business School. I am fascinated by retail in our society.


Can you briefly tell us what your book is all about and why we should read it?
Pat: Our book is about what shopping means to women, what motivates them to shop, what influences them when they shop and what they love and hate about shopping. We provide a brief history of women and their influence in the evolution of the retail industry as we know it today. At the end of the book, we discuss how retail firms can use the knowledge from our book to do a better job of meeting the needs of their women customers.  You should read this book because it is interesting! Everyone shops and we believe that all of our readers will be able to see themselves in this book.
Stella: the history of retail is the history of contemporary society. Retail reflects changes in our society. Women are the power house of retail, they are the spenders. Readers of this book will have a view of how women see themselves when they are shopping; what shopping means to them; to their relationships with family and friends and how shopping interacts with their identity.


What are the top trends in your area(s)?
Pat: increasing use of online shopping and mobile marketing, and the importance of social media in building a retail brand.
Stella:
• Globalization of the industry is seen in mall design, brands, store formats.
• Shopping as an integral part of the lives of many – ie. Japan
• The increasing number of men who shop and enjoy it
• Nostalgia and cocooning in response to an uncertain world leading to new retail categories i.e do it yourself, make it yourself


What do you like best about using e-books? Do you own an e-book reader?
Pat: I do not own an e-book reader. If I purchased one, it would probably be the Nook because you can download library books to it.
Stella: I love being able to go into the online library and browse through a book using the hyperlinks in the table of contents. It is much like browsing through the physical stacks. Then it is great to have the opportunity to download the book. I enjoy books as they give the opportunity to fully explore a topic rather than the abbreviated and highly focused content of a journal article.  I have a Kobo e-book reader that was given to me as a present. It is a great entry level device.


What made you decide to publish with Business Expert Press?
Pat: BEP demonstrated a strong interest in our topic (women and shopping), David Parker [publisher] and Naresh Malhotra [editor] were so easy to work with and were patient with all of my “ novice author” questions. It has been an enjoyable experience working with BEP.
Stella: Pat has said it all – great to work with and very quick to respond.


What prompted you to write this book?
We were interested in telling women’ s “ stories” about their shopping experiences. Since women are driving economic force for the retail industry, it is important to understand what they want from the shopping experience and to what extent their needs are being met by today’ s retailers.


What were your favorite business courses when you were in school?
Pat: I enjoyed marketing and retail merchandising.


What do you like to do when you're not working?
Pat: I am an avid reader and enjoy traveling.
Stella: anything but go shopping! I don’ t like shopping at all.


What was the best non-business book you read recently?
Pat: The Girl Who Played with Fire (by Stieg Larsson)
Stella: The Secret River (by Kate Grenville)


How long did the process of writing the book take you?
We spent about 6 months completing the interviews. Writing and editing the book took about 9 months.


Did the collaboration make the process easier or harder, do you think?
Pat: For me, collaboration made the process easier because Stella and I bring different skill sets to the table. Stella is a more creative thinker and writer than I am. She is able to see the “big picture” and had a vision for where the book needed to go. I am very organized and have a keen sense of sequencing and am able to see how things fit together. We had a lot of fun writing our book. It was a labor of love.
Stella: Pat’ s organizational skills and diligent and thorough knowledge of the data made the book possible.