Get Reading: Nine Books for Summer

Summer… a time to relax and disconnect – or to catch up on a year’s worth of reading? The books by IESE faculty published within the past academic year explore topics ranging from urbanization, globalization to the age-old question of how to get your staff to bring you solutions, rather than problems.

And, after a bracing year on the international stage, new books offer senior management tips for surviving in the post-Brexit, post-truth era.

They may not make for relaxing reading, but you’re sure to return in September with a fresh outlook.
Cities and the Economy: Fueling Growth, Jobs and Innovation
Pascual Berrone; Joan Enric Ricart; Ana Isabel Duch T-Figueras

CreateSpace, 2017

Cities form the backbone of the global economy. At the same time, urban concentrations present their own challenges – including increasing inequality and stressed resources. The book Cities and the Economy, part of the “IESE Cities in Motion: International Urban Best Practices” series, aims to arm leaders with smart ideas for sustainable, economic development at the local level. | Buy the book

Cities and Mobility & Transportation: Towards the Next Generation of Urban Mobility 
Pascual Berrone; Joan Enric Ricart; Ana Isabel Duch T-Figueras

CreateSpace, 2016

Transportation is crucial for cities on the move, but rapid urban growth is multiplying challenges and driving up emissions along the way. How can urban environments rise to the occasion, sustainably? The book Cities and Mobility & Transportation aims to help with smart transit strategies from around the globe. | Buy the book

The Laws of Globalization and Business Applications 
Pankaj Ghemawat
Cambridge University Press, 2016

Does your firm have a global strategy? Does it account for distance (four types) and semiglobalization? The Laws of Globalization and Business Applications, the latest book by Pankaj Ghemawat, lays out two evidence-backed laws that have far-reaching implications for international business. | Buy the book

How to Make Things Happen
Beatriz Muñoz-Seca
Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

“Ask the right question at the right time, and ask for relevant information.” That is the “express” summary of the approach to service operations offered by professor Beatriz Muñoz-Seca in her 2017 book How to Make Things Happen. | Buy the book

The 2020 Board: The Future of Company Boards 
Pedro Nueno
LID Editorial, 2016

What will a typical board of directors look like in the future? This is the question inspiring Pedro Nueno’s book, The 2020 Board, which examines the changing role of boards amid the global financial recovery, accelerating digitalization and systemic changes in the business environment. | Buy the book

Readings and Cases in International Human Resource Management
B. Sebastian Reiche; Guenter K. Stahl; Mark E. Mendenhall; Gary Oddou

Routledge, 2017

The sixth edition of Readings and Cases in International Human Resource Management examines the interactions between people, cultures, and human resource systems in a wide variety of regions throughout the world. Taking account of recent developments in the international human resources management (IHRM) field, the textbook will enable readers to meet the international challenges they will face in the workforce, and sensitize them to the complexity of human resource issues in the era of globalization. This latest edition includes case studies from IESE faculty and other sources. | Buy the book

Strategy and Geopolitics: Understanding Global Complexity in a Turbulent World
Mike Rosenberg
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2017

Blindsided by Brexit or Trump? Is your organization proactively planning for the next geopolitical developments? In his latest book, Strategy and Geopolitics, Professor Mike Rosenberg offers senior management a framework for getting a better handle on what might come next in tumultuous times. | Buy the book

Managing Media Businesses: A Game Plan to Navigate Disruption and Uncertainty
Mike Rosenberg; Phil Seager

Palgrave Macmillan; Springer International Publishing, 2017

Do newspapers, magazines or books have a future? Will terrestrial television exist as a meaningful player in five years’ time? Amid attacks and dramatic changes, leading IESE professors and practitioners share the timeless tools needed to manage media and entertainment businesses. | Buy the book

Competition and Stability in Banking: The Role of Regulation and Competition Policy
Xavier Vives
Princeton University Press, 2016

What does the banking system need to be more competitive? Prof. Vives takes a look at the history of banking and analyzes how to find the ideal balance between competition and regulation to prevent future crises. | Buy the book