Told in a narrative, story-telling style, this book tells the story of how NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) was founded, and the critical role played by the NOC in the development of Singapore's startup ecosystem. It chronicles how the founders overcame various challenges to launch the first NOC run in 2002. Featuring the experiences of many individuals whose lives have been touched by the programme, the book captures the early days of NOC startup entrepreneurs who are now household names in th...

In a perfect world, great changemaking ventures would grow purely based on their own merit. In the real world, we have to be creative and strategic about how we brand our initiatives and get the support we need to help them grow into effective, sustainable organisations. Creating a strong brand is crucial to increasing your impact and getting the audience you deserve. Brand the Change unpacks the brand building process in practical steps. Whether you are building an innovative new product,...

International Communications Strategy is about the cross-cultural challenges currently facing PR practitioners. Offshoring, globalisation and the rise of China and India have been triggering unprecedented change in the communication sector.New channels of global communications are also being opened up by social media tools, bringing different cultures across the world together instantaneously online. Understanding cross-cultural aspects of PR includes understanding the cul...

Doing business in China is tougher than you think. Not only is the culture vastly different, but Chinas experience in manufacturing is still developing. It will be a few years before the majority of manufacturers are up to world standards. In the meantime, quality, contract laws, schedules and logistics must be closely monitored. As a result, the things Westerners must do to be successful are far different from dealing with American or European manufacturers. The best way to quickly come up t...

*updated with new material*'Digital transformation' and 'disruptive innovation' used to be empty buzzwords serving to justify pointless box-ticking and absurd corporate posturing. And then a global pandemic suddenly forced every kind of organization to embrace genuine, urgent innovation as a matter of survival. But how can we ensure that the non-bullshit version of innovation delivers economic recovery at this crucial moment? Are there strategies we can all adapt f...

Start-up Factory chronicles one of the boldest business transformations ever: the audacious strategies of a company that has thrown traditional management out the window. The result is an entrepreneurial nexus that is as organic as a neural network, and as nimble as the most dynamic start-up.Haier, the world's largest manufacturer of home appliances, has continually reinvented itself by busting bureaucracy and shunning top-down management. Its CEO, Zhang Ruimin, envisioned and unle...

Handling a crisis and knowing how to manage the potential reputational damage that can occur has become a top priority for all businesses. Learn from international brands like Nestle, Unilever, McDonalds, Cadbury, RBS and more, to discover the value of reputation management and how to effectively and proactively approach the Corporate Social Responsibility of your business.Whether it is an internal or external crisis, now more than ever brands and organizations are...

In this book, Fredrik Härén argues for why and how companies need to become global in the way they conduct business. Learn how some of the most successful companies, big and small, have been able to make this transition; what other companies can learn from them; the challenges you will face when going global; and the dangers that loom for those who choose not to. Be inspired by what Fredrik learned by interviewing the CEO of SKF in a hotel in Beijing, the CMO of Jones Lang LaSalle in an of...

Develop Your PR Skills is a simple, straightforward guide to maximising your company's potential through effective PR. It will help the reader to gain a quick understanding of the concepts and principles and learn how to use them in actual business scenarios.It covers strategic public relations, public relations and the internet, working with the media, how to deal with different stakeholders and customers, dealing with a crisis, using internal communications, using research to get...

A good reputation is vital to success in business and in life. Organisations with the best reputations outperform rivals in a myriad of tangible ways; they recruit higher quality staff, succeed with smaller marketing budgets, and exert greater influence over Governments. Although in the long term reputation is based on reality and behaviour, short term examples of organisations and individuals building unfair advantage can be seen all around us. Despite this, reputation remains an often mi...

Planning your career just got easierVery few of us put much effort into planning for the kind of career we want. Thinking about where we are going at work is something we all need to do throughout our working lives. The nature of work and employment is always changing. When economic times are difficult, you need to show potentialemployers that you have something special to offer. You may also need to be more flexible in your plans. New kinds of jobs emerge al...

CORE is shortlisted for the Best Business Book Awards in the Engaging Change category.At the core of the world's most admired businesses lies a powerful Single Organizing Idea. These organizations deliver sustainable economic and social benefit; they unite people, attract investment, inspire innovation, pioneer new efficiencies, and enjoy positive reputation.Such businesses are admired but they remain a rare breed.Though the tides of change are engaging the minds of...