BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee
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After many discussions and intense scrutiny, the working group of the BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee selected ten recent works as either “outstanding” or “other noteworthy titles.” Out of numerous print and electronic titles under consideration, only these ten fit the established criteria and guidelines. All the works were published after May 2007. All have useful content that make them appropriate selections for medium to large-sized academic and public libraries.
Two of the titles, one on marketing and one on business ethics, were designated “outstanding.” Seven other titles were placed into the other noteworthy titles category. These seven works cover a wide variety of subjects including economics, corporate social responsibility, product and industry reports, management consulting, information technology, and advertising. Brief reviews are included.
Outstanding Titles
The Advanced Dictionary of Marketing: Putting Theory to Use. By Scott Dacko. New York: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2008. 601p. $59.95 (ISBN: 978-0199286003).
The Advanced Dictionary of Marketing is an excellent example of how thoughtful, purposeful organization can increase the amount of information available to the user. The author has created two very helpful thematic indexes at the beginning of the volume. First, the “Table of Applications” allows the researcher to find any term listed in the book and instantly see what subsection of the discipline it falls into. The table also allows the user to scan for concepts associated with one segment simply by running a finger down the column. The segments are marketing strategy, marketing management, consumer behavior, marketing research, marketing modeling, services marketing, retail marketing, online marketing, business-to-business marketing, international marketing, and “other application areas” for the smaller segments. For example, the table shows that “expectancy theory” is used in marketing management, services marketing, and online marketing. The other index is “Searching for Marketing Terms Using Key Words,” which allows the user to find the correct marketing term for a common keyword. By placing both of these indexes at the beginning of the volume, the user is spared a hunt through the dictionary for terms that may not be there or for concepts that don’t apply to the problem.
Each entry in the dictionary is separated into six sections: description, key insights, key words, implications, application areas and further readings, and bibliography. The description is the definition itself; the key insights place the term in a wider context. The implications section illustrates how a term might be used by marketers. The application areas refer the researcher to journal articles or books that detail how the concept would be put to practical use. Finally, the bibliography lists the citations for the definition and discussion of each term. Sources are arranged by order of importance to the discussion rather than alphabetically, thus once again conveying information by organization.
Finally, there is an appendix, “Classification of Key Terms.” All the dictionary’s entries are categorized into one of four areas: law, theory, concept, or effect. The author explains the use of these categories in the introduction, but essentially this classification allows the researcher to see the hierarchy of terms within the discipline of marketing.
This volume is very valuable as a reference source because it gives clear, succinct information about the major concepts, theories, laws, and effects of marketing. It will remain useful as a researcher progresses from novice to expert. However, the value is not limited to researchers because professionals can use the implications section to determine potential practical uses of the concept. The choice between hardback and paperback pricing makes this work affordable for any library. The Advanced Dictionary of Marketing: Putting Theory to Use is highly recommended for every business reference collection.—Diane Campbell, Rider University, Lawrence, New Jersey
Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society. Ed. by Robert W. Kolb. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2008. 5 vols. $795 (ISBN 978-1412916523).
Ethics has always been an important issue in business. However, due to the corporate scandals at Enron and WorldCom and the subsequent passing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, there has been a resurgence of research interest in business ethics. This encyclopedia reflects this current research interest and emphasizes ethics in strategic management, corporate governance, and organizational culture.
The encyclopedia is an authoritative work compiled by Robert W. Kolb, a prolific writer and a professor for nearly thirty years. Kolb and an editorial board of thirty renowned business scholars invited three hundred scholars and business experts from around the world to write entries in this encyclopedia.
The encyclopedia consists of five volumes and includes nine hundred entries. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order and range from five hundred to eleven thousand words, depending on the topic. Brief essays introduce important personages and organizations; longer essays are written on important terms. Volume 5 also includes an appendix of business ethics periodicals as well as a comprehensive index with cross-references.
The Encyclopedia is available in print or electronic format. The electronic version is available both through Sage eReference and Gale Virtual Reference Library. The electronic version offers access to the eTable of Contents, the eBook Index, and the list of illustrations. In the eTable of Contents, users can either choose a volume or browse a specific part of the encyclopedia starting from the title page. Also available for browsing is the Reader’s Guide, which divides the encyclopedia into twenty-three broad thematic groups. Finally, the eBook Index includes an A–Z browsing section and a simple search box.
The Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society compiles extensive amounts of current business ethics literature into one place. Two criticisms of the online version are that the graphics and charts are not downloadable and that the Reader’s Guide section does not include hyperlinks to the individual entries. But this encyclopedia is an excellent, authoritative background resource for business ethics that is easy to use. The encyclopedia serves as a research tool for business students and provides a good introduction to basic ideas and concepts in business ethics. The information contained in this encyclopedia could lead to a better understanding of the connections between business, ethics, and society. Public and school libraries can also benefit from this work as both students and business owners search for information on this popular topic.—Leticia Camacho, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Other Noteworthy Titles
The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Complete Reference Guide to Concepts, Codes and Organisations. By Wayne Visser et al. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2008. 535p. $120 (ISBN 978-0470723951).
The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility is the first complete reference on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to be published. The contributors, a mix of academics and practitioners from around the globe, provide a comprehensive and timely resource for anybody interested in CSR. This standard reference was compiled to help managers, consultants, teachers, students, volunteers, and researchers navigate through the terms, codes, and organizations associated with CSR.