We are extremely pleased that this book has gone into twelve editions. We believe the book's endurance is due largely to the feedback and assistance we have received from instructors and students who have used the book. Relying on the suggestions of these groups as well as our own thoughts, we have attempted to improve the book with each new edition.

New to This Edition

In addition to the normal updates of statistics, referenced research studies, and general concepts, the following changes were emphasized in this edition:

• Major sections of the chapter on the Basics of Planning and Strategic Management have been reorganized and new material added.
• The chapter on Managing Conflict and Stress has been significantly supplemented with several new sections and topics.
• Numerous new cases and experiential cases have been added throughout the book.
• Approximately two thirds of the "Management Illustrations" used throughout the text are new to this edition, making them very up-to-date.
• Most of the chapter previews are either new or significantly updated in this edition.

Structure of the Chapters

Most of the text's pedagogy has been retained from the last edition. Look for these features in each chapter:

• Learning Objectives—chapter-opening guidelines for students to use as they read. This list of key objectives provides the reader a roadmap for venturing into the text.
• Chapter Previews—real-life, up-to-date vignettes that illustrate one or more of the major points covered in the respective chapters. Preview analysis questions are presented at the end of each vignette to help the student relate the chapter material to the preview.
• Management Illustrations—brief, chapter-related corporate examples found in boxes throughout the chapters. These illustrations present more than 60 examples of concepts contained in the text, and most contain urls on the companies detailed in them.
• Corporate/Organization References—more than 200 references to actual corporations and organizations. We are extremely proud of these references that best serve to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Look for them in the text itself, chapter previews, and management illustrations.
• Margin Glossary—key terms defined where mentioned in the text. This feature is especially helpful to students reviewing chapter material for study and/or testing
• Review Questions—these questions, at the end of each chapter, tie directly back to the learning objectives. By tying the chapter concepts together from beginning to end, students can evaluate their understanding of key constructs and ideas.
• Skill-Building Questions—end-of-chapter questions designed to promote critical thinking. These questions ask students to get to a deeper level of understanding by applying, comparing, contrasting, evaluating, and illustrating ideas presented in the chapter.
• Skill-Building Exercises—end-of-chapter tools for students and instructors. These exercises can be assigned on the spot in class or as homework.
• Case Incidents—end-of-chapter short cases for students. These incidents present lifelike situations requiring management decisions related to the material covered in the respective chapters. As with the skill-building exercises, these can be assigned in class or as homework.