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Mismanaging Innovation Systems: Thailand and the Middle-income Trap (Routledge-GRIPS Development Forum Studies)
by Patarapong IntarakumnerdOnce recognised as a high-performing newly industrialising Asian economy with the potential for economic and developmental success similar to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, Thailand’s growth rate and competitive edge have declined substantially. With slower adoption and movement towards the knowledge-intensive industries, the loss of the competitive edge is a cause of growing concern among Thai policymakers, with Thailand succumbing to the middle-income trap. This book analyses Thailand’s declining competitiveness in the past 50 years, considering both the national and sectoral roles and capabilities of key players, including the government, universities and research institutes, as well as the electronics, food, and automotive industries. Including comparative analyses with other Asian nations, this book is a must-read for both students and practitioners with interests in development economics, industrial economics and public policy.
Mismeasuring Impact: How Randomized Controlled Trials Threaten the Nonprofit Sector (Stanford Social Innovation Review Books)
by Nicole Marwell Jennifer MosleyThe hidden dangers of randomized controlled trials The need to demonstrate the effectiveness of nonprofit social programs has led to a rapid rise in the use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), for evaluation. As a result, most nonprofit sector professionals can tell you why nonprofits should do an RCT. This book tells you why they probably shouldn't, and what to do instead. Mismeasuring Impact explores why RCTs are being embraced as the "gold standard" for nonprofit evaluation, despite the high cost and time investment required and the serious problems with using RCTs in a nonprofit context. (Most RCTs conducted in nonprofits fail to meet required standards for rigor, undercutting their accuracy). The book describes what happens inside nonprofits when they take part in RCTs, the unintended equity issues that arise, and why nonprofits feel pressured participate in RCTs despite the problems. University of Chicago professors Marwell and Mosley's research is based on extensive interviews with key players: nonprofit managers, professional program evaluators, and program officers in philanthropic foundations. The book argues that, ultimately, RCTs are used to poorly ground nonprofit legitimacy, not to foster nonprofit improvement. RCTs also privilege program and organizational standardization over the key strengths of nonprofit organizations: flexible innovation and responsiveness to community needs. Nonprofits and funders need forms of evaluation that lift up these strengths. Mismeasuring Impact offers alternative approaches that build strong organizations, not just cookie-cutter programs, and which funders and nonprofits of all sizes can support.
Mismeasuring Our Lives
by Amartya Sen Joseph E. Stiglitz Jean-Paul FitoussiIn February of 2008, amid the looming global financial crisis, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France asked Nobel Prize-winning economists Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, along with the distinguished French economist Jean Paul Fitoussi, to establish a commission of leading economists to study whether Gross Domestic Product (GDP)-the most widely used measure of economic activity-is a reliable indicator of economic and social progress. The Commission was given the further task of laying out an agenda for developing better measures.Mismeasuring Our Lives is the result of this major intellectual effort, one with pressing relevance for anyone engaged in assessing how and whether our economy is serving the needs of our society. The authors offer a sweeping assessment of the limits of GDP as a measurement of the well-being of societies-considering, for example, how GDP overlooks economic inequality (with the result that most people can be worse off even though average income is increasing); and does not factor environmental impacts into economic decisions.In place of GDP, Mismeasuring Our Lives introduces a bold new array of concepts, from sustainable measures of economic welfare, to measures of savings and wealth, to a "green GDP." At a time when policymakers worldwide are grappling with unprecedented global financial and environmental issues, here is an essential guide to measuring the things that matter.
Misplaced Talent
by Joe UngemahHigh-value talent management must be relevant to today's workplace Misplaced Talent takes a hard look at the cluttered field of Talent Management, and offers a clear guide to making better people decisions in any organization. Deliberately challenging practitioners to do more, this insightful discussion sorts through the tools and techniques developed over the last century to examine their true relevance to the modern workplace. You'll learn which activities show the greatest potential to improve the lives of employees and the organizations they work for, and identify which of your existing practices don't really add enough value to be worth the expenditure of time, money, and potentially lost talent. The author asks you to make up your own mind about which approaches work best for your own specific talent decisions, but provides the best theory and practice available today as a foundation upon which to formulate a more relevant strategy. In a world of big data, the potential to understand employees and react appropriately has never been greater. So why is Talent Management as an industry relying on outdated theory and practices? This book is a guide to bringing HR up to date, giving you the tools, techniques, and perspective you need to demonstrate more value to your organization. Adopt the tools and techniques most effective in today's workplace Identify and discard methods that don't add value to the organization Implement critical changes that can transform the HR function Make better people decisions based on psychology and research Fundamentally, not much has changed in what constitutes good people practice. Practitioners must demonstrate the value of Talent Management, but the solutions implemented often fall short of the rigor and discipline they deserve. Misplaced Talent provides the insight you need to refocus attention and engage your organization about the value of better people decisions.
Miss Independent: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Start Investing and Grow Your Own Wealth
by Nicole LapinNew York Times bestselling author of Rich Bitch and renowned money expert Nicole Lapin makes investing accessible and fun so women can make bank and become Miss Independent.You&’ve worked hard for your money and now it&’s time for your money to work for you. You will never earn or budget your way into real wealth. Growing your money significantly doesn&’t require starting with a lot of money. It requires a little bit of knowledge about taking smart risks and as much time as possible to take advantage of the glorious power of compound interest, which Einstein refers to as the eighth wonder of the world.From automating your savings to easy, no-stress investing strategies, Nicole will teach you how to take your financial knowledge and portfolio to the next level and start you on your journey to your ultimate destination: true financial independence.In Miss Independent, you will learn:The freedom that wealth affords you, whether it&’s the ability to leave a crappy job or significant other, go on the vacation of your dreams or otherwise live life on your own terms. The best method for establishing your &“number&”—the amount of wealth you want to accumulate before you retire—and getting it.The meaning of the most common investing terms, like stocks and bonds, (and some more exotic ones like REITs or cryptocurrency) and how to make them work to your advantage.The ins and outs of big financial decisions and concepts, like taking out a mortgage, owning investment properties, and buying life insurance.Miss Independent takes the fear out of money management and investing once and for all. Using her own vulnerable stories and her signature conversational style, let Nicole show you all the different ways and paths that you can take to become financially free at last.
Miss Jessie's
by Miko BranchMiss Jessie's is a memoir and business guide rich with inspirational life lessons and unique business advice from Miko Branch, the Chief Executive Officer of the dynamic Miss Jessie's--the company that revolutionized the hair-care industry.When Miko and her sister, Titi, were children, their grandmother Miss Jessie taught them independence and showed them the value of being "do it yourself" women, all while whipping up homemade hair concoctions at her kitchen table. As a co-founder of Miss Jessie's, Miko reveals how she and Titi applied their grandmother's lessons to create a successful business from scratch. Miss Jessie's chronicles the Branch sisters' remarkable story. When they were children, their stern father encouraged them to become self-reliant and not to depend on their looks to get ahead. Taking this message to heart, they blossomed into business owners and leaders in their field, using ingenuity and without borrowing a dime. They soaked up the entrepreneurial and creative culture of the early hip-hop era on the streets of Brooklyn in the late 1990s, and in the high-end salons of Manhattan. They blended these inspirations to establish a business that has gone from their kitchen table to the shelves of major retailers around the globe, revolutionizing the hair-care industry. A charming and enlightening look at the women behind the brand, Miss Jessie's is chock-full of entertaining stories and invaluable instruction that can be applied to any business: an authentic expression that the American Dream is possible.
Miss Manners Minds Your Business
by Judith Martin Nicholas Ivor Martin"Both a sad and hilarious commentary on the state of the modern workplace."--New York Times What do your colleagues, overlords, underlings, clients, and customers have in common? Not knowing how much they annoy you. Not to mention how much you may be annoying them. The route from cubicle to corner office is strewn with etiquette landmines. And now that the boundaries that once cleanly separated work from personal life are blurred, even polite people don't recognize the difference between professional and social manners. What do you say to a colleague who has just been fired? How do you maintain a family-friendly office without discriminating against singles? What's the difference between showing romantic interest and sexual harassment? Which colleagues should be invited to family weddings? When should you be unavailable, at or away from work? Don't convene a focus group or appeal to Human Resources--consult Miss Manners! With wit and wisdom, Miss Manners restores civility, guiding you around your coworker's messy cubicle, past your overly prying boss, around the bridal shower for the new temp, and through tedious staff meetings. In Miss Manners Minds Your Business, Judith Martin and her son, executive Nicholas Ivor Martin, equip readers with the practical, pertinent, and utterly correct advice necessary to win the job, keep the job, and leave the job with sanity and dignity intact.
Missed Fortune 101: A Starter Kit to Becoming a Millionaire
by Douglas R. AndrewTrue or False? * Always prepay your mortgage. * The right 401(k) or IRA will completely cover your retirement. * Defer your taxes and postpone the pain. * True wealth doesn't last forever. They're All False! MISSED FORTUNE 101 ...is like no other money guide you've ever read. Its author, successful financial strategist Douglas R. Andrew, dares to question the conventional wisdom on personal finance that most people accept. He reveals the ways banks, credit unions, and insurance companies amass tremendous wealth-what they do, and what they don't do. He shows you how to seize financial opportunities you never knew existed. With MISSED FORTUNE 101 as your guide, you'll never view your house, your mortgage, your retirement plans, your investments, and your other assets the same way again. * Put the lazy, idle dollars trapped in your home to work safely-and reap as much as an extra million. * Discover hidden and perfectly legal tax breaks-and treat yourself to some surprising windfalls. * Play the bankers' favorite game-borrow at one rate and invest at a higher one. * Explore lesser-known retirement vehicles-and avoid falling into a higher tax bracket when you stop working. * Turn your life insurance policy into an investment-and keep your taxes down and your capital up. * Find out which low-return instruments should be in your portfolio today-and why they'll become high-return stars tomorrow. * Reach your "freedom point"-your financial independence-long before "retirement age"! Learn the real rules of smart investing. Maximize your wealth with MISSED FORTUNE 101.
Missed Fortune: Dispel the Money Myth-Conceptions--Isn't It Time You Became Wealthy?
by Douglas R. AndrewMost of us dream of becoming wealthy. While some take steps to achieve it, few realize the goal. Why? According to financial planner Douglas R. Andrew, flawed financial strategis - or what he calls "money myth-conceptions" - lead us down the wrong road. In his revolutionary financial guide, MISSED FORTUNE: Dispel the Money-Myth Conceptions - Isn't it Time You Became Wealthy? , Andrew rattles conventional attitudes about personal investments and challenges readers to build wealth with new and - and very contrarian - strategies.
Missing Data
by Patrick Mcknight Katherine McknightWhile most books on missing data focus on applying sophisticated statistical techniques to deal with the problem after it has occurred, this volume provides a methodology for the control and prevention of missing data. In clear, nontechnical language, the authors help the reader understand the different types of missing data and their implications for the reliability, validity, and generalizability of a study's conclusions. They provide practical recommendations for designing studies that decrease the likelihood of missing data, and for addressing this important issue when reporting study results. When statistical remedies are needed--such as deletion procedures, augmentation methods, and single imputation and multiple imputation procedures--the book also explains how to make sound decisions about their use. Patrick E. McKnight's website offers a periodically updated annotated bibliography on missing data and links to other Web resources that address missing data.
Missing Each Other: How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections
by Edward Brodkin Ashley PallathraThe ability to connect with another person and truly be in tune with their physical and emotional state is one of the most elusive interpersonal skills to develop. This book shows you how.In our fast-paced, tech-obsessed lives, rarely do we pay genuine, close attention to one another. With all that&’s going on in the world and the never-ending demands of our daily lives, most of us are too stressed and preoccupied to be able to really listen to each other. Often, we misunderstand or talk past each other. Many of us are left wishing that the people in our lives could really listen, understand, and genuinely connect with us.Based on cutting-edge neuroscience research and years of clinical work, psychiatrist Edward Brodkin and therapist Ashley Pallathra take us on a wide-ranging and surprising journey through fields as diverse as social neuroscience and autism research, music performance, pro basketball, and tai chi. They use these stories to introduce the four pillars of human connection: Relaxed Awareness, Listening, Understanding, and Mutual Responsiveness. Accessible and engaging, Missing Each Other explains the science, research, and biology underlying these pillars of human connection and provides exercises through which readers can improve their own skills and abilities in each.
Mission Control: How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World
by Liana DowneyIn the last ten years the number of nonprofits and social sector organizations has grown by almost 25 percent, while charitable giving declined 30 percent over the same period. As a result, many organizations are chasing grants, tweaking and adding to their core activities to match what they think funders are looking for. Almost half of nonprofits surveyed nationally in 2014 said they added additional programs in the last year. The result is colloquially known as "mission creep"--organizations trying to be everything to everyone. Yet research suggests that the more goals individuals or organizations pursue, the less likely they are to achieve them, leaving these organizations often overwhelmed, underfunded, and unfulfilled. Mission Control: How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World is designed to restore focus and gain "mission control" to identify the things they should and should not do to drive impact. Drawing from the author's experience of working with thousands of clients at nonprofits and government agencies around the world, both large and small, the book represents the stories of countless mission-driven organizations. Downey helps leaders, teams, executive directors, and boards with the critical task of clarifying an organization's sweet spot at the intersection of what it is good at, what its clients need, and the activities that get measurable and sustainable results.
Mission Control: How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World
by Liana DowneyIn the last ten years the number of nonprofits and social sector organizations has grown by almost 25 percent, while charitable giving declined 30 percent over the same period. As a result, many organizations are chasing grants, tweaking and adding to their core activities to match what they think funders are looking for. Almost half of nonprofits surveyed nationally in 2014 said they added additional programs in the last year. The result is colloquially known as "mission creep"-- organizations trying to be everything to everyone. Yet research suggests that the more goals individuals or organizations pursue, the less likely they are to achieve them, leaving these organizations often overwhelmed, underfunded, and unfulfilled. Mission Control: How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World is designed to restore focus and gain "mission control" to identify the things they should and should not do to drive impact. Drawing from the author's experience of working with thousands of clients at nonprofits and government agencies around the world, both large and small, the book represents the stories of countless mission-driven organizations. Downey helps leaders, teams, executive directors, and boards with the critical task of clarifying an organization's sweet spot at the intersection of what it is good at, what its clients need, and the activities that get measurable and sustainable results.
Mission Critical: The 7 Strategic Traps That Derail Even the Smartest Companies
by Joseph C. Picken Gregory G. DessIs there a common thread in strategic failure? Learn how to avoid the common traps and create a sound strategy implemented without error.
Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce (Center for Talent Innovation)
by Michael Abrams Julia Taylor Kennedy<p>The Center for Talent Innovation's new study, <i>Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce</i>, reveals how companies can ensure their veteran talent thrives in the corporate world. Veterans represent a highly desirable talent pool when they transition to civilian careers. They retain the passion for service and camaraderie that drew them into the military, and they bring leadership and technical skills honed in a pressure cooker. In recent years, corporate employers have demonstrated they understand the potential of this valuable cohort by greatly increasing their recruitment efforts. Yet once veterans get through the doors of corporations, they languish. In a matter of months, many ambitious, skilled veterans lose their drive, failing to fulfill their leadership potential—more than half say they don't aspire to hold a more senior position. Many of the remainder feel stalled in their careers. <p>Why? First, leaders don’t understand their potential. Second, veterans feel distant from their teams and cover their veteran identity in an effort to get closer. Third, they hunger for meaning and purpose at work, something they found in the military but lack in civilian jobs. <i>Mission Critical</i> explores these factors in-depth, especially as they affect women and veterans of color.</p>
Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism (Boston Review / Forum Ser.)
by Mariana Mazzucato“She offers something both broad and scarce: a compelling new story about how to create a desirable future.”—New York Times An award-winning author and leading international economist delivers a hard-hitting and much needed critique of modern capitalism in which she argues that, to solve the massive crises facing us, we must be innovative—we must use collaborative, mission-oriented thinking while also bringing a stakeholder view of public private partnerships which means not only taking risks together but also sharing the rewards. Capitalism is in crisis. The rich have gotten richer—the 1 percent, those with more than $1 million, own 44 percent of the world's wealth—while climate change is transforming—and in some cases wiping out—life on the planet. We are plagued by crises threatening our lives, and this situation is unsustainable. But how do we fix these problems decades in the making? Mission Economy looks at the grand challenges facing us in a radically new way. Global warming, pollution, dementia, obesity, gun violence, mobility—these environmental, health, and social dilemmas are huge, complex, and have no simple solutions. Mariana Mazzucato argues we need to think bigger and mobilize our resources in a way that is as bold as inspirational as the moon landing—this time to the most ‘wicked’ social problems of our time.. We can only begin to find answers if we fundamentally restructure capitalism to make it inclusive, sustainable, and driven by innovation that tackles concrete problems from the digital divide, to health pandemics, to our polluted cities. That means changing government tools and culture, creating new markers of corporate governance, and ensuring that corporations, society, and the government coalesce to share a common goal.We did it to go to the moon. We can do it again to fix our problems and improve the lives of every one of us. We simply can no longer afford not to.
Mission Entrepreneur: Applying Lessons from Military Life to Create Success in Business Startups
by Jen E. GriswoldThe military veteran and entrepreneur teaches fellow military spouses how to deploy their unique skills in the field of startup businesses.Military spouses face some unique challenges when it comes to pursuing a career, often putting their ambitions on hold due to relocation. Ironically, these same people have the ideal skill set for achieving entrepreneurial success: work ethic, vision, passion, and resilience.In Mission Entrepreneur, veteran and military spouse Jen E. Griswold shares her personal story of transforming those skills into a successful business career. From her extensive training in the U.S. Air Force, Griswold learned the value of integrity and the importance of teamwork. After using these lessons to start multiple businesses that are able to be run from anywhere, she’s giving back to her military community by sharing what she learned.
Mission Impact
by Robert M. Sheehan Jr.Create powerful strategies for your nonprofit organization to achieve breakthrough performance in mission impactDoes your nonprofit have a reliable way of knowing the impact its making? Beginning with an eye-opening discussion of what strategy is, Mission Impact: A Breakthrough Strategy for Nonprofits reveals how the process of strategy development should be designed with authoritative coverage of mission impact, vision, five year strategic stretch goals, strategy implementation, and management.Step-by-step guidance and practical toolsIntegrates the very best current thinking on performance and strategy available, drawing from both the corporate and nonprofit worldsCutting-edge ideas presented in a user-friendly fashionThe deteriorating quality of life in our communities screams out for immediate action - for breakthrough improvement, not just incremental changes. Mission Impact: A Breakthrough Strategy for Nonprofits will lead you and your organization to achieve breakthrough performance for maximum mission impact.Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Mission Impossible? Yummy77 Delivers Groceries within the Hour
by Benjamin EdelmanYummy77 considers alternative operational models to reduce cost, improve speed, and increase appeal. Can one of these approaches succeed where others have failed?
Mission Mastery
by Brian DiveThis book reveals the story of how the first large learning organization was formed. Emerging around 1870, it involved an organizational transformation that followed a disaster some 60 years earlier. The great success of this process was the introduction of a totally new approach to leadership - a competitive edge that would go undetected for another 100 years. The original development involved the Prussian/German Army under a great leader, Helmut von Moltke. NATO countries finally discovered this "secret weapon," which they have since implemented in their mission command centers, in the 1980s. The book distils five underlying features or pillars of the transformed organization, and describes how they can be applied in civilian organizations to attain a state of Mission Mastery. Never before published, these ideas are supplemented by numerous references and practical examples to illustrate the persuasive power of the case made - namely that most civilian organizations are weak in terms of the five key ingredients needed for Mission Mastery. "This book is a must-read for all charged with developing tomorrow's leaders. " Sir Michael Perry, GBE - previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Unilever, Chairman of Centrica, Chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body, Independent Director at Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte. Ltd and Chairman of the Faculty Board at the Said Business School, Oxford University. "Mission Mastery is a masterwork. " Professor Stephen J. Perkins, DPhil (Oxon) Dean Guildhall Faculty of Business & Law, London Metropolitan University, UK "No other book on organizational leadership is as relevant today as Mission Mastery". Gerald A. Arbuckle, Organizational Anthropologist, and author of Humanizing Healthcare Reforms
Mission Possible: How to build a business for our times
by Alexandre MarsYou want to build your own business. A profitable business, that's essential, and a good one too. A business that is not only financially successful, but works to propel progress in the world we live in. An impossible dream? Not for Alexandre Mars. Part of a new generation of philanthropists, he is one of the world's most respected entrepreneurs. After founding and selling a string of successful tech starts ups, today he runs a global mission-driven foundation. He works for profit and purpose. Now you can achieve this too. You need to. The world needs you to. If you don't, who will?Packed with ideas, tips and practical examples, Mission Possible gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an entrepreneur. This is your guide to create, launch and grow your own business. You will discover that it is possible to make money and have a bigger mission too. Get to work and take your lead from insider interviews with many of the world's changemaker entrepreneurs such as the founder of Pinterest and the Buddhist monk who created Headspace. Define your mission then work harder and smarter on it than anyone else. Be successful. Very successful. Because then you can become the true driver of change.
Mission Possible: How to build a business for our times
by Alexandre MarsWhy Anyone Can Be a Good Entrepreneur.You want to build your own business. A profitable business, that's essential, and a good one too. A business that is not only financially successful, but works to propel progress in the world we live in.An impossible dream? Not for Alexandre Mars. Part of a new generation of philanthropists, he is one of the world's most respected entrepreneurs. After founding and selling a string of successful tech starts ups, today he runs a global mission-driven foundation. He works for profit and purpose. Now you can achieve this too.You need to. The world needs you to. If you don't, who will?Packed with ideas, tips and practical examples, Mission Possible gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an entrepreneur. This is your guide to create, launch and grow your own business. You will discover that it is possible to make money and have a bigger mission too.Get to work and take your lead from insider interviews with many of the world's changemaker entrepreneurs such as the founder of Pinterest and the Buddhist monk who created Headspace. Define your mission then work harder and smarter on it than anyone else.Be successful. Very successful. Because then you can become the true driver of change.(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Mission Possible: How to build a business for our times
by Alexandre MarsIs entrepreneurship the path for everyone? No. But can anyone, no matter where they come from, become a successful entrepreneur if they choose to? According to Alexandre Mars, the answer is a resounding yes. Serial tech entrepreneur, millionaire and philanthropist Alexandre Mars gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an entrepreneur, and one who does good along the way, sharing tricks of the trade he learned over his career building companies (and selling them to the likes of Blackberry and Publicis) in the U.S. and Europe.Part of a new generation of philanthropists, Alexandre is one of the leading global entrepreneurial voices changing the way the business world thinks about money, its power and its purpose. Mission Possible reminds us that there's no one way to start and build a business. Bringing together a wealth of perspectives from dozens of today's top entrepreneurs from around the world, including the founder of Pinterest and the former Buddhist monk who created Headspace, readers will discover it is possible to make money and have a bigger mission too.
Mission Possible: The Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation
by Robert RossThe Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation (LAAD) was one of many initiatives taken at the height of the Cold War to alleviate poverty in countries threatened by communist insurgencies. Its mission was to promote rural development by funding local agribusiness enterprises to create new permanent jobs and new economic activity. In Mission Possible, Ross, president of LAAD from 1972 to 1998, gives a richly detailed insider's account of the company's first three decades.Originally capitalized with a little over $2 million, and beginning with the small economies of Central America, it gradually expanded into the Caribbean islands and South America and now is a factor in 25 countries. To date, LAAD has provided over $300 million to 700 projects, generating tens of thousands of new jobs and new annual exports of $500 million. Always profitable, it has paid a dividend for twenty years. Its capitalization has grown to over $30 million by reinvesting most of its earnings in Latin America. Since LAAD was committed exclusively to Latin America, it had to contend with an often unsettled political environment; it could not simply stand on the sidelines and wait for conditions to improve. Indeed in a broader sense LAAD's mission was to help improve those conditions.Mission Possible describes a small but significant chapter in a broader context of how the world's rich countries have tried to raise living standards among their poorer neighbors. Students of economic development and international business management will learn much from the story of how this unique experiment grew into a dynamic enterprise."[Ross] offers innumerable studies [in Mission Possible] of investment projects that stimulated the commercial production of agricultural produce in the region. He recounts the frustrating negotiations with uncomprehending central bankers and the difficulties of developing marketing and other infrastructural networks that are so important for assuring the success of any business, and is pleased with what he identifies as the two most significant changes that profoundly affected agriculture: the decline in the role of the state in Latin America and in protectionism in the industrialized world. ... He stresses the fundamental roles that innovative entrepreneurs can play, taking advantage of opportunities created by organizations like LAAD, and using market information to reduce uncertainty." -David Barkin, Latin American Research ReviewRobert L. Ross, a Harvard-educated development economist, has worked for forty years in Latin America. He taught economics at the Latin American Economic and Social Planning Institute in Santiago, Chile and worked on the first development plans in Haiti and Paraguay. He was president of the Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation from 1972 until his retirement in 1998.
Mission Produce
by Mary Shelman Jose B. AlvarezAs the leading distributor of fresh avocados in the U.S., Mission Produce was at a crossroads in late 2013. Avocado consumption was booming and CEO Steve Barnard wanted to acquire additional land in Peru and develop new avocado farms to help fill a projected supply gap. Mission could also buy avocado farms in other countries, expand its international marketing efforts, invest in brand building in Asia, and/or add processed avocado products. This strategy case describes Mission's growth, entrepreneurial leadership, future opportunities, and financing alternatives.