Business Foundations, 2e, International Edition provides a brief survey of the major functional areas of business including management, marketing, accounting, finance, and information technology, as well as core topics such as ethics and social responsibility, forms of ownership, small business, and international business. The text is filled with cutting edge content, including up-to-date information about the economic crisis as well as suggestions on how to manage personal financial planning in the midst of economic ups and downs. This second edition also includes two new appendices on Careers in Business and Personal Finance. An abundance of study aids is also available within the text and on the student companion website.

Features

At the beginning of each chapter, a short description of"why this chapter matters" helps students to understand the relevance of business in their lives and give them guidance on how to study effectively.
Chapter opening vignettes, called Inside Business, profile real business operations designed to engage students and provide context for chapter concepts.
Color-coded Learning Objectives open each chapter and appear throughout the text to remind students of core concepts to be addressed.

Robert J. Hughes

Robert J. Hughes (Ed.D., University of North Texas) specializes in business administration and college instruction. Dr. Hughes has taught Introduction to Business, Personal Finance, Business Math, Small Business Management, Small Business Finance, and Accounting. As a professor at Richland College, one of seven campuses that are part of the Dallas County Community College District, he has always enjoyed teaching both in the classroom and online. In addition to FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS and BUSINESS, published by Cengage Learning, he has authored college textbooks in personal finance and business mathematics, served as a content consultant for two popular national television series, It's Strictly Business and Dollars & Sense: Personal Finance for the 21st Century, and was the lead author for a business math project utilizing artificial intelligence and computer-assisted instruction funded by the ALEKS Corporation. He is also active in many academic and professional organizations and has served as a consultant and investment advisor to individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. Dr. Hughes is the recipient of three different Teaching in Excellence Awards at Richland College. According to Dr. Hughes, teaching Introduction to Business is always exciting: "There's nothing quite like the thrill of seeing students succeed, especially in a course like Introduction to Business that provides the foundation for not only advanced academic courses, but also a successful life in the real world."


William M. Pride

William Pride (Ph.D., Louisiana State University) is Professor of Marketing, Mays Business School, at Texas A&M University. In addition to this text, he is also co-author of a market-leading Principles of Marketing text. Dr. Pride's research interests are in advertising, promotion, and distribution channels. His research articles have appeared in major journals in the field of marketing, such as the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and the Journal of Advertising. Dr. Pride is a member of the American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, Society for Marketing Advances, and the Marketing Management Association. He has received the Marketing Fellow Award from the Society of Marketing Advances and the Marketing Innovation Award from the Marketing Management Association. Both of these are lifetime achievement awards.


Jack R. Kapoor

Jack R. Kapoor (Ed.D., Northern Illinois University) is Professor of Business and Economics in the Business and Services Division at the College of DuPage, where he has taught since 1969. He previously taught at Illinois Institute of Technology's Stuart School of Management, San Francisco State University's School of World Business, and other colleges. Professor Kapoor was awarded the Business and Services Division's Outstanding Professor Award for 1999-2000. He served as an Assistant National Bank Examiner for the U.S. Treasury Department and as an international trade consultant to Bolting Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Mumbai, India. Dr. Kapoor is known internationally as a coauthor of several textbooks and has served as a content consultant.

Note: Each chapter opens with Inside Business, Learning Objectives, and Why This Chapter Matters.
I. The Environment of Business.
1. Exploring the World of Business and Economics.
Your Future in the Changing World of Business.
Business: A Definition.
Types of Economic Systems.
Measuring Economic Performance.
The Business Cycle.
Types of Competition.
American Business Today.
2. Being Ethical and Socially Responsible.
Business Ethics Defined.
Ethical Issues.
Factors Affecting Ethical Behavior.
Encouraging Ethical Behavior.
The Evolution of Social Responsibility in Business.
Two Views of Social Responsibility.
Consumerism.
Employment Practices.
Concern for the Environment.
Implementing a Program of Social Responsibility.
3. Exploring Global Business.
The Basis for International Business.
Restrictions to International Business.
The Extent of International Business.
Methods of Entering International Business.
Sources of Export Assistance.
II. Trends in Business Today.
4. Choosing a Form of Business Ownership.
Sole Proprietorships.
Partnerships.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Partnerships.
Corporations.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporations.
Special Types of Business Ownership.
Cooperatives, Joint Ventures, and Syndicates.
Corporate Growth.
5. Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Franchise.
Small Business: A Profile.
The People in Small Businesses: The Entrepreneurs.
The Importance of Small Businesses in Our Economy.
The Pros and Cons of Smallness
The Small Business Administration.
Franchising.
The Growth of Franchising.
III. Management and Organization.
6. Understanding the Management Process.
What Is Management?
Basic Management Functions.
Kinds of Managers.
What Makes Effective Managers?
Leadership.
Managerial Decision Making.
Managing Total Quality.
What It Takes to Become a Successful Manager Today.
7. Creating a Flexible Organization.
What Is an Organization?
Job Design.
Departmentalization.
Delegation, Decentralization, and Centralization.
The Span of Management.
Chain of Command: Line and Staff Management.
Forms of Organizational Structure.
Additional Factors That Influence an Organization.
8. Producing Quality Goods and Services.
What Is Production?
The Conversion Process.
Where Do New Products and Services Come From?
How Do Managers Plan for Production?
Operations Control.
Management of Productivity and Technology.
IV. Human Resources.
9. Attracting and Retaining the Best Employees.
Human Resources Management: An Overview.
Human Resources Planning.
Cultural Diversity in Human Resources.
Job Analysis.
Recruiting, Selection, and Orientation.
Compensation and Benefits.
Training and Development.
The Legal Environment of HRM.
10. Motivating and Satisfying Employees and Teams.
What Is Motivation?
Historical Perspectives on Motivation.
Contemporary Views on Motivation.
Key Motivation Techniques.
Teams and Teamwork.
V. Marketing.
11. Building Customer Relationships Through Effective Marketing.
Marketing and the Management of Customer Relationships.
Utility: the Value Added by Marketing.
The Marketing Concept.
Markets and Their Classification.
Developing a Marketing Strategy.
Marketing Strategy and the Marketing Environment.
Developing a Marketing Plan.
Market Measurement and Sales Forecasting.
Marketing Information.
Types of Buying Behavior.
12. Creating and Pricing Products that Satisfy Customers.
Classification of Products.
The Product Life Cycle.
Product Line and Product Mix.
Managing the Product Mix.
Branding.
Packaging and Labeling.
Pricing Products.
Pricing Objectives.
Pricing Methods.
Pricing Strategies.
Pricing Business Products.
13. Distributing and Promoting Products.
Distribution Channels and market Coverage.
Partnering Through Supply-Chain Management.
Marketing Intermediaries: Wholesalers.
Marketing Intermediaries: Retailers.
Physical Distribution.
What is Integrated Marketing Communications?
The Promotion Mix: An Overview.
Advertising.
Personal Selling.
Sales Promotion.
Public Relations.
VI. Management Information Systems, e-Busines, Accounting, and Finance.
14. Understanding Information and e-Business.
How Can Information Reduce Risk When Making a Decision?
What Is a Management Information System?.
Improving Productivity with the Help of Computers and Technology.
Using Computers and the Internet to Obtain Information.
Defining e-Business.
Fundamental Models of e-Business.
The Future of e-Business: Growth, Opportunities, and Challenges.
15. Using Accounting Information.
Why Accounting Information Is Important.
Who Uses Accounting Information.
The Accounting Process.
The Balance Sheet.
The Income Statement.
The Statement of Cash Flows.
Evaluating Financial Statements.
16. Mastering Financial Management.
What Is Financial Management?
Planning—The Basis of Sound Financial Management.
Financial Services Provided by Banks and Other Financial Institutions.
Sources of Short-Term Debt Financing.
Sources of Equity Financing.
Sources of Long-Term Debt Financing.
Appendix A: Understanding Personal Finances and Investments.
Preparing for an Investment Program.
How Securities Are Bought and Sold.
Traditional Investment Alternatives.
Sources of Financial Information.
Appendix B: Careers in Business.
The Importance of Career Choices.
Occupational Search Activities.
Planning and Preparation.
A Final Note About Careers.
Notes.
Credits.
Answers to Test Preppers.
Index.