The performance of companies

the long version

The performance of companies is the major driving force behind the wealth of nations, yet it is a complex phenomenon to predict and understand. This concise and stimulating book examines how the external environment of companies influences their performance, either directly or via its impact on management strategies. The book focuses on three groups of external factors: ownership, corporate governance and the financial environment; the product market and the intensity of competition; and the labour market environment. It also examines three areas of management strategy: organization and diversity, investment, and human resources and the organization of production. The Performance of Companies will be of particular interest to students and scholars of Industrial Economics, Business Economics, Business Strategy and Management; through drawing on current research in related areas it will also be of considerable interest to those studying Industrial Relations and Industrial Sociology.