Contemporary Business Essentials offers instructors and students a concise and affordable approach to Introduction to Business. This straightforward approach will focus directly on what students need to know in order to master the learning objectives of each chapter.

PART 1 Business in a Global Environment 1 The Changing Face of Business 1 2 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility 17 3 Economic Challenges Facing Contemporary Business 33 4 Competing in World Markets 51 PART 2 Starting and Growing Your Business 5 Small Business and Forms of Business Ownership 67 6 Starting Your Own Business 83 PART 3 Management: Building Organizational Capability for Superior Performance 7 Management, Leadership, and the Internal Organization 99 8 Human Resource Management: From Recruitment to Labor Relations 115 9 Top Performance through Empowerment, Teamwork, and Communication 131 10 Production and Operations Management 147 PART 4 Marketing Management 11 Customer-Driven Marketing 163 12 Product and Distribution Strategies 179 13 Promotion and Pricing Strategies 195 PART 5 Managing Technology and Information 14 Using Technology to Manage Information 211 PART 6 Managing Financial Resources 15 Understanding Accounting and Financial Statements 227 16 The Financial System 247 17 Financial Management 261 Glossary 275 Notes 286 Name Index 294 Subject Index 300 International Index 311