Eric R. Ball

Also published in Japanese In April 2016, Unlocking the Ivory Tower was released in Japanese by Keio University Press as a 3-volume set. The work was translated by Dr. Jiro Kokuryo et al., and includes a new introduction for Japanese readers. Dr. Jiro Kokuryo is Vice President for International Affairs and Professor of Policy Studies at Keio University.Management is a discipline that can be learned from study. A large and diverse set of academic management research, often accessible only to academics, has practical, actionable implications to help in managing an organization today.Unlocking the Ivory Tower addresses the major components of academic business literature: strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational theory, international business, innovation, and finance. Doctors Ball and LiPuma act as field guides and interpreters, bridging the divide between scholarship and practice, and distilling each research contribution into a brief outline while preserving the message of that thinker. They also provide context regarding how the particular contribution fits into the rest of the field, and how it can be applied in the real world. The result is a rich book that covers a lot of ground and provides a basis for understanding the major schools of thought in primary management fields. Today

Translated into Japanese and published by Keio University Press as a 3-volume set. The Japanese edition features a new introduction for Japanese readers by Dr. Jiro Kokuryo, Vice President for International Affairs and Professor of Policy Studies at Keio University, and leader of the translation team.Management is a discipline that can be learned from study. A large and diverse set of academic management research, often accessible only to academics, has practical, actionable implications to help in managing an organization today. Unlocking the Ivory Tower addresses the major components of academic business literature: strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational theory, international business, innovation, and finance. Doctors Ball and LiPuma act as field guides and interpreters, bridging the divide between scholarship and practice, and distilling each research contribution into a brief outline while preserving the message of that thinker. They also provide context regarding how the particular contribution fits into the rest of the field, and how it can be applied in the real world. The result is a rich book that covers a lot of ground and provides a basis for understanding the major schools of thought in primary management fields. Today's managers are faced with responsibilities for functional and staff management, as well as developing strategies for growth, leading teams, and staying competitive in evolving industries and markets globally-the range of knowledge and skills required by corporate managers requires the breadth of readily applicable concepts present in this book. Eric and Joe have helped create, develop, and run organizations. They both have executive experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions, and entrepreneurship in international contexts. Each also has invested time publishing in academic journals and teaching business school students in different countries. These authors live in the middle ground as practical academics. Unlocking the Ivory Tower is light on anecdotes and heavy on actionable research results, making it an essential reference for both managers and students. This book can serve as an education for those who did not pursue a management degree, a refresher course for those who did, or a way to expand beyond the concepts taught in many MBA programs. In particular, Eric and Joe provide a means for managers to reassess and extend their academic knowledge in the context of their professional experience, and for management students to review the major concepts and put them into context with each other. Edited by Anna F. Doherty and Leslie F. Peters of Together Editing & Design, www.togetherediting.com.

A young venture capitalist wakes up from a car accident to discover he has run his Tesla into an alien ship. Like many aliens, they have advanced technology, and these visitors have decided they need a VC to get it to market. Do the aliens come in peace-and more importantly, will they create the next tech unicorn? Zach thinks so. But he's clearly operating above his pay grade, and very few others appear willing to take the risk of trusting the visitors' intentions. An adventure that leads Zach on a wild ride to wealth, the White House, the stars, and back, Silicon Galaxy is an SF twist on "startup fiction," blending in lessons from management research and practical experience for entrepreneurs. The book also has elements of a love letter to 1980s pop culture and a travelogue to Silicon Valley. The author's experiences are central to the writing of this story: Dr. Eric Ball is on his third career, having worked as a management academic, a senior executive in major tech corporations, and now a venture capitalist and entrepreneur.