Becoming a Better Value Creator: How to Improve the Company's Bottom Line--and Your Own

Preface

Much of my recent work has focused on helping organizations improve their financial performance—or, in the terms used in this book, showing them how they can maximize sustained value creation. So I was delighted but not surprised when my friend and colleague Bob Quinn asked me if I would consider writing a book on how corporations can “improve their bottom line” as part of the University of Michigan Business School Management Series.

My research, teaching, and consulting are in the areas of corporate finance, banking, and strategy—and I must admit that when I first agreed to this project, my intention was to focus on the financial strategies that firms could employ to boost performance. However, as I began to systematically sort through ...