Value Drivers : The Manager's Framework for Identifying the Drivers of Corporate Value Creation [Paperback]

Mark C. Scott (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471978787 | ISBN-13: 978-0471978787 | Publication Date: January 19, 1998 | Edition: 1

Mark C. Scott value drivers How does my company actually work? How do I become a better manager? How can I fit these pieces together to get ahead? The Manager's Guide to Driving Corporate Value Creation These questions are answered in this book. Mark Scott has created an easy-to-understand visual framework and the practical tools that will enhance any manager's performance. He teaches you how to recognize what your own organization does well and what it does badly. The tools provided will help you make crucial improvements in your own area of responsibility within your organization. "In a decade where most management books wax lyrical on consulting fads for the boardroom, it focuses on the solid, unglamorous but essential ground of helping managers and employees diagnose performance and take action for themselves." Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive Officer, WPP Group PLC "Effective strategy is something that is lived everyday by managers at the coal face through a continual process of analysis, learning, refinement and application. This book is a useful primer for time-pressed managers who want to know how to add value to their companies' strategies." Professor John Quelch, Dean, London Business School "Our business is founded on smart, independent thinking professionals helping clients solve complex problems. Any book that can give people better tools to understand these problems is useful. Unlike many I read, this is a useful book." Terence M. Graunke, Chairman, Lighthouse Holdings Inc

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book offers a simple framework which allows managers to understand which of their activities are likely to enhance a firm's ability to generate high returns.

From the Back Cover

Mark C. Scott value drivers How does my company actually work? How do I become a better manager? How can I fit these pieces together to get ahead? The Manager's Guide to Driving Corporate Value Creation These questions are answered in this book. Mark Scott has created an easy-to-understand visual framework and the practical tools that will enhance any manager's performance. He teaches you how to recognize what your own organization does well and what it does badly. The tools provided will help you make crucial improvements in your own area of responsibility within your organization. "In a decade where most management books wax lyrical on consulting fads for the boardroom, it focuses on the solid, unglamorous but essential ground of helping managers and employees diagnose performance and take action for themselves." Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive Officer, WPP Group PLC "Effective strategy is something that is lived everyday by managers at the coal face through a continual process of analysis, learning, refinement and application. This book is a useful primer for time-pressed managers who want to know how to add value to their companies' strategies." Professor John Quelch, Dean, London Business School "Our business is founded on smart, independent thinking professionals helping clients solve complex problems. Any book that can give people better tools to understand these problems is useful. Unlike many I read, this is a useful book." Terence M. Graunke, Chairman, Lighthouse Holdings Inc --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (January 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471978787
• ISBN-13: 978-0471978787
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,506,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keeping it simple, February 14, 2000

By 

davidf (Birmingham, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Value Drivers : The Manager's Framework for Identifying the Drivers of Corporate Value Creation (Paperback)

I have spent hours pouring over business texts as part of my studies and it is only recently that it occured to me that a pre-condition for business writing is verbosity. Where one word will do it seems that the norm is to write 10! I wouldn't mind if they were wise, witty or otherwise held my interest but for the most part seem to fit the catageory of "padding".

Value Drivers suited me very well because it seeme to highlight the pertinent issues quickly and accurately without going into unnecessary detail. The models introduced have been relevant to a number of the modules on my course including marketing and finance as well as strategy. Since I am interested in marketing then the case study examples given have also been relevant.

In a nutshell a fine example of brevity, clarity and precision. One small niggle. More illustrations, please. Pictures paint etc. My course load would reduce if more books were written in this way!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the whole picture., March 14, 2000

By 

Sawtooth (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Value Drivers : The Manager's Framework for Identifying the Drivers of Corporate Value Creation (Paperback)

Whether looking in from the outside or evaluating an internal business unit, it is easy to forget that a business is a holistic undertaking made of many parts. From manufacturing to marketing, these parts impact each other and are neglected at the manager's peril. Mr. Scott's presentation takes the full view into account and provides a vauable framework for evaluating the elements and the role they play.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrific for High School Juniors, January 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Value Drivers: The Manager's Guide for Driving Corporate Value Creation (Paperback)

I am utterly disappointed. Despite the title and other comforting words on the cover, I had to find out that this book is unfocused and very much written in a fairy tale style.

Particularly, I dislike:

- The "critically acclaimed toolkit" turns out to be series of chapters scratching the surface on how to categorize companies. Chapters have the depth of a professor outlining his course "Strategy 101" in the first lecture.

- Examples seem to be improvised and are definitely of a wordy nature to lengthen the book.

- The graphics provided come very close to "cut and paste" graphics from the Word-drawing toolbar with little change from illustration to illustration. Also, the information conveyed is very generic.

-For the publisher: I don't really understand how such a reputable publisher, let's himself down to advertise this book with the incestuous references from a WPP Group member and a Lighthouse holding affiliate. Both are organisations in which the author had/has high positions.

What might be appreciated:

- Despite all the wordiness of some examples trying to highlight a strategy concept, the book is "readable". Also, with its ca. 250 pages, it might indeed serve as strategy primer (but only for the very uninitiated.)

- For somebody who never touched or heard about the topic of evaluating companies it might be the right introduction. But once the book has been read, there are no reasons to get back to it.

- It might help first year business student to create their table of contents for their first term paper/case study in evaluating a company.

Conclusion: Try to browse this book physically before you order.