Management by Stephen P. P. Robbins, Mary Coulter

From the Publisher

Robbins and Coulter's best-selling text demonstrates the real-world applications of management concepts and makes management come alive by bringing real managers and readers together. As it successfully integrates the various functions of management, the book establishes a dialogue with managers from a variety of fields.

The authors examine managerial issues concerning defining the manager's terrain, planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

For managers of all kinds.

Booknews

New edition of an introductory text covering the basics of a manager's job and of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Includes lots of pedagogical trappings--self-assessment exercises, assignments, boxed features. Expanded topics for this edition include work force diversity, managing a career, and entrepreneurship; added features include interviews with managers, ethical dilemma exercises, and "what would you do?" vignettes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

RETAINED FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITION

Adopters continually praise this book for its strong applications orientation. This is not just a book describing management theories. In addition to including explanatory examples (which most other textbooks now do), we go out and talk with real managers. Then we bring their experiences to our readers. No other textbook has so successfully blended management theory with management practice. And based on feedback that we get from faculty and students, we remain confident that this new edition continues to make management concepts meaningful and to excite readers about the possibilities for careers in management. We'd like to describe some of the features we have retained in this edition.

• Manager's Dilemma and Managers Respond. We have continued this unique feature in this edition. Eachchapter opens with a dilemma that a real-life manager is facing. Some of these managers include Shigeki Tomoyama of Gazoo.com, Catherine Deslauriers of the city of Vancouver, Val Ackerman of the WNBA, and Glen Kelman of Plumtree Software. Each dilemma ends with the statement "What would you do?" providing an opportunity for student participation and active learning. Then, each chapter closes with a section titled "Managers Respond" where two real, practicing managers provide a short discussion of what they'd do if they were faced with the dilemma, drawing on the management concepts and tools presented in the chapter. These managers also come from a broad and varied spectrum of types of organizations, levels in organizations, and sizes of organizations. Their responses help students link management concepts to management practice.
• Managers Speak Out. In several chapters, you'll find this theme box in which we interview real managers and ask them a broad range of questions. Some of these managers include Jose Carlos de Guia, of a Philippines company called Microphase, Ian Weatherhead of the London Chamber of Commerce, Dan Shapiro of Microsoft, and Suzanne Cohen of the Neurofibramatosis Foundation. The information in these interviews provides a diverse perspective of managers and managerial philosophies and illustrates the real challenges that these managers are facing. Again, we believe that bringing in real managers makes the text more practical and shows the relevance of this book's content to a manager's daily job.
• Testing, Testing . . . 1,2,3. We introduced this innovation in the previous edition as a way for students to review their comprehension of chapter material at the time they finished reading it. In multiple places throughout each chapter, you'll find a box that lists three questions addressing specific factual information in the section you just read. Answers to these questions can be found in the accompanying Instructor's Manual and also on the R.O.L.L.S. Web site, which can be reached through www.prenhall.com/robbins.
• Skills Modules. Management students need to learn how to do management tasks as well as to learn about management. Today, the "how's" of being a manager have become just as important as the "what's:' To reflect the importance being placed on skills, we retained our Skills Modules. The 22 key skills found in the Skills Modules encompass the four management functions (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling).
• Video Cases. Because entrepreneurship and small business management are important aspects of management, we have retained several of the SB2000 videos. In addition, there are new custom part-ending videos that illustrate the integrative nature of management. These videos were filmed at monster.com, Clif Bar, Arnold Worldwide, Spiewak, and i2Go.
• Emphasis on Workforce Diversity, Ethics Dilemmas, and Managing Your Career. These topics are important to today's management students. We have chosen to continue these topics by highlighting them in boxed features throughout various chapters.
• Writing Style. This revision continues both authors' commitment to present management concepts in a lively and conversational style. We carefully blend theories and examples. Our goal is to present chapter material in an interesting and relevant manner without oversimplifying the discussion. Of course, writing style is a subjective interpretation; only you can judge whether we've successfully achieved our goal.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

We want our readers to know that we listened to what you were telling us! A couple of the major changes that we've made in Management, 7e, bring back the "tried and true:" However, there are also several new content topics and features that have been included in this revision. New topics include e-business, workplace spirituality, stakeholder relationship management, virtual teams, team building, workplace violence, high performance organizations, value chain management, and work-life balance. The research base also has been updated to provide you with the most current thinking in management. In addition, we've added some new features that we think reflect the changing world of management. Here's a short description of the changes we've made.

• Managing in an E-Business World. One major change that managers must deal with in today's organizations is managing in an e-business world. Because of its importance and relevance to many different managerial topics, we chose to present this material in a boxed feature in several chapters. In these discussions, we look at important issues that managers face as they attempt to effectively manage in an e-business world. For example, some of the topics we address include the following: Planning: How Will it Work in E-Businesses?, Leadership in a Digital World, Nurturing Innovation in E-business Organizations, and Motivational Issues in E-Business Organizations.
• Managing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Entrepreneurship is playing an increasingly important role in economies around the world, and an increasing number of students are choosing careers as entrepreneurs. Effective management is just as important in entrepreneurial ventures as it is in large, corporate organizations. We think entrepreneurship is such an important topic that we address issues associated with managing entrepreneurial ventures in five separate sections including The Context of " Entrepreneurship, Start-Up and Planning Issues, Organizing Issues, Leading Issues, and Controlling Issues. These separate sections on entrepreneurship can be easily located by the tinted pages after Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
• PRISM (PRactical Interactive Skills Modules) Web site. In addition to the Skills Modules found in the book, we've developed an interactive skills Web site that provides you with different "virtual" management situations in an organization called MediaPlex. You will be role-playing different managers at Mediaplex who are faced with decisions that require action. The interactive decision-tree design of the management situations provides you with an opportunity to make different decisions and to learn why certain decisions are better than others. The skills included on PRISM are linked closely to appropriate chapters and reinforce important management concepts, theories, and skills. The link to PRISM is found on the main R.O.L.L.S. (Bobbins Online Learning System) Web site.
• Internet and Team Exercises. The pervasiveness of the Internet and teamwork in organizations led us to design two new exercises at the end of every chapter. The first, called Log On, is an Internet-based assignment that explores and exploits the many helpful resources available on the Internet. Also, because many of you work on team class projects throughout your college career and are likely to work on teams throughout your work career, we've included a team-based exercise called Working Together that explores and builds on concepts or theories presented in the chapter.
• Completely Revised Operations Management Chapter. The operations management chapter has been totally rewritten around the concept of value chain management. As organizations look for ways to effectively and efficiently "produce" their product or service, they're applying the concepts of value chain management. We believe that the completely revised chapter better reflects the realities of managing operations in today's environment.
• Major Changes to Planning Chapter. Planning is one of the four important functions that managers perform. The chapter on planning has been rewritten to reflect more accurately what's involved with "doing" planning.
• New Chapter on Managerial Communication and Information Technology. Based on feedback from adopters, we brought back the conceptual material on communication from the fifth edition and updated it to reflect what managers need to know about communication and information technology.
• Early Motivation and Leadership Theories Moved Back to Respective Chapters. Similarly, based on comments from adopters, we moved the discussions of early motivation and leadership theories back to their respective chapters. Although we thought our approach to the historical development of managerial thought presented in the last edition of the book made sense, faculty told us they preferred the more conventional approach. We listened!

IN-TEXT LEARNING AIDS

A good textbook should teach as well as present ideas. Toward that end, we've tried to make this book an effective learning tool. We'd like to point out some specific pedagogical features that we designed to help readers better assimilate the material presented.

• Chapter Learning Objectives. Before you start a trip, it's valuable to know where you're headed. That way, you can minimize possible problems or detours. The same holds true in reading a textbook. To make your learning more efficient, each chapter opens with a list of learning objectives that describe what you should be able to do after studying the chapter. These objectives are designed to focus your attention on the major issues within each chapter.
• Chapter Summaries. Just as objectives clarify where you're going, chapter summaries remind you of where you've been. Each chapter concludes with a concise summary organized around the opening learning objectives.
• Key Terms. Every chapter highlights a number of key terms that you'll need to know. These terms are highlighted in bold print when they first appear and are defined at that time in the adjoining margin.
• Testing, Testing. . . 1,2,3 Boxes. Key factual material is highlighted by way of ongoing questions included in boxes throughout the chapters.
• Thinking Critically About Ethics. Being able to think critically about issues is important for managers. In the body of every chapter, you'll find a "Thinking Critically About Ethics" box. This learning aid provides material that stresses the ethical values in managerial decisions.
• Thinking About Management Issues Questions. Every chapter has five questions that are designed to get you to think about management issues. These questions require you to demonstrate that you not only know the key facts in the chapter but also can apply chose facts in dealing with more complex issues.
• Case Application and Questions. Each chapter includes a case application and questions for analysis. A case is simply a description of a real-life managerial situation. By reading and analyzing the case and answering the questions at the end of the case, you can see if you understand and can apply the management concepts discussed in the chapter.

SUPPLEMENTS

The seventh edition supplements package has been revised and expanded to include increased media integration, technology, and test questions for your classroom needs.

• Instructor's Manual: The Multi-Media Guide. In addition to extensive chapter outlines, teaching notes to various boxed elements, answers to "Testing, Testing . . . 1, 2, 3" questions, and notes to all video cases, the Instructor's Manual contains integrated media teaching tips in a design unique to the seventh edition!
• New: Two Test Item Files. Test Item File 1, revised from the last edition, contains multiple choice, true/false, scenario, and essay questions. Together, the questions cover the content of each chapter in a variety of ways providing flexibility in testing the students' knowledge of the text.
  
  Test Item File 2, the new, alternative Test Bank, contains new multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and scenario questions. It also features questions covering the Skills Modules. This Test Bank can be used either alone or in conjunction with Test Item File 1.
• Instructor's Resource CD-ROM. Contains the electronic IM, 2 Win/PH Test Managers, and PowerPoint Electronic Transparencies. The seventh edition's PowerPoints have been improved to contain up to 30 slides per chapter and feature extensive chapter content, newly-created art, and actual line art from the text.
• 2 Win/PH Test Managers. Containing all of the questions in the printed Test Item Files, Test Manager is a comprehensive suite of tools for testing and assessment. Test Manager allows educators to create and distribute tests for their courses easily, either by printing and distributing through traditional methods or by on-line delivery via a Local Area Network (LAN) server.
• Overhead Color Transparencies. Designed to aid the educator and enhance classroom lectures, approximately 100 of the most critical PowerPoint electronic transparencies are chosen for inclusion in this package as full-color acetates and are provided on high quality mylar.
• Study Guide. Contains chapter objectives, detailed chapter outlines, and review questions for each chapter. Also contains teaching notes to various boxed features.
• New 2-Video Package. Video one features new part-ending On Location! segments. Created specifically for Management, Seventh Edition, this video library contains real-world footage from some of today's most intriguing companies such as Monster.com and Spiewak. Topics include international expansion, teams, and technology in human resources. Video 2 features chapter-ending Small Business 2000 segments, offered to reinforce the conceptual material. These videos are offered as a package only.
• Mastering Management from the Mastering Business Series. The multimedia tool that means business. Mastering Business is a technologically innovative CD-ROM that uses video and interactive exercises to actively engage students in learning core business concepts across core business disciplines. For more information, pricing, or to request a Mastering Business Demo CDROM, please contact your local sales representative.
• Self-Assessment Library Version 2.0. Updated with new exercises and now available on CD-ROM, in print, and online.
• The R.O.L.L.S (Robbins Online Learning System) Internet site. Features myPHLIP, PRISM (Student Skills Exercises), Self-Assessment Library version 2.0, answers to "Testing, Testing . . . 1, 2, 3," and "Frequently Asked Questions" answered by the authors themselves. Parts of this site are pin code-protected. www.prenhall.com/robbins.
• Description of myPHLIP The new myPHLIP provides professors with a customized course Web site including new communication tools, one-click navigation of chapter content, and great PHLIP resources such as current events and Internet exercises. It also features an interactive and exciting online Student Study Guide.
• PRISM (PRactical Interactive Skills Modules) Web site. As mentioned earlier, PRISM presents different "virtual" management situations in an organization called MediaPlex. The interactive decision-tree design of the management situations gives students the chance to try different management approaches and to learn why certain approaches are better than others.
• Online Courses. Online courses are available in both premium and standard versions, exclusively through Prentice Hall.
  – WebCT. This robust Course Management System includes page tracking, progress tracking, class and student management, gradebook, communication, calendar, reporting tools, and more. www.prenhall.com/webct.
  – Blackboard. Prentice Hall now makes its class-tested online course content available in Blackboard's easy-td-use interface. www.prenhall.com/blackboard.
  – CourseCompass. www.prenhall.com/coursecompass.

Read an Excerpt

There's no doubt that the world has changed, is changing, and continues to change. The dynamic nature of today's organizations means both rewards and challenges for those individuals who will be managing those organizations. Management is a dynamic discipline and a textbook on the subject must constantly undergo significant changes to prepare you to manage under these conditions. Therefore, we've carefully revised this seventh edition of Management to provide you with the best possible understanding of what it means to be a manager. We've retained the basic four-functions approach, content, and features that have proven successful in previous editions. And, importantly, we've added new topics and features that better reflect the field of management and capture its excitement in the twenty-first century.

RETAINED FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITION

Adopters continually praise this book for its strong applications orientation. This is not just a book describing management theories. In addition to including explanatory examples (which most other textbooks now do), we go out and talk with real managers. Then we bring their experiences to our readers. No other textbook has so successfully blended management theory with management practice. And based on feedback that we get from faculty and students, we remain confident that this new edition continues to make management concepts meaningful and to excite readers about the possibilities for careers in management. We'd like to describe some of the features we have retained in this edition.

• Manager's Dilemma and Managers Respond. We have continued this unique feature in thisedition. Each chapter opens with a dilemma that a real-life manager is facing. Some of these managers include Shigeki Tomoyama of Gazoo.com, Catherine Deslauriers of the city of Vancouver, Val Ackerman of the WNBA, and Glen Kelman of Plumtree Software. Each dilemma ends with the statement "What would you do?" providing an opportunity for student participation and active learning. Then, each chapter closes with a section titled "Managers Respond" where two real, practicing managers provide a short discussion of what they'd do if they were faced with the dilemma, drawing on the management concepts and tools presented in the chapter. These managers also come from a broad and varied spectrum of types of organizations, levels in organizations, and sizes of organizations. Their responses help students link management concepts to management practice.
• Managers Speak Out. In several chapters, you'll find this theme box in which we interview real managers and ask them a broad range of questions. Some of these managers include Jose Carlos de Guia, of a Philippines company called Microphase, Ian Weatherhead of the London Chamber of Commerce, Dan Shapiro of Microsoft, and Suzanne Cohen of the Neurofibramatosis Foundation. The information in these interviews provides a diverse perspective of managers and managerial philosophies and illustrates the real challenges that these managers are facing. Again, we believe that bringing in real managers makes the text more practical and shows the relevance of this book's content to a manager's daily job.
• Testing, Testing . . . 1,2,3. We introduced this innovation in the previous edition as a way for students to review their comprehension of chapter material at the time they finished reading it. In multiple places throughout each chapter, you'll find a box that lists three questions addressing specific factual information in the section you just read. Answers to these questions can be found in the accompanying Instructor's Manual and also on the R.O.L.L.S. Web site.
• Skills Modules. Management students need to learn how to do management tasks as well as to learn about management. Today, the "how's" of being a manager have become just as important as the "what's:' To reflect the importance being placed on skills, we retained our Skills Modules. The 22 key skills found in the Skills Modules encompass the four management functions (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling).
• Video Cases. Because entrepreneurship and small business management are important aspects of management, we have retained several of the SB2000 videos. In addition, there are new custom part-ending videos that illustrate the integrative nature of management. These videos were filmed at monster.com, Clif Bar, Arnold Worldwide, Spiewak, and i2Go.
• Emphasis on Workforce Diversity, Ethics Dilemmas, and Managing Your Career. These topics are important to today's management students. We have chosen to continue these topics by highlighting them in boxed features throughout various chapters.
• Writing Style. This revision continues both authors' commitment to present management concepts in a lively and conversational style. We carefully blend theories and examples. Our goal is to present chapter material in an interesting and relevant manner without oversimplifying the discussion. Of course, writing style is a subjective interpretation; only you can judge whether we've successfully achieved our goal.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

We want our readers to know that we listened to what you were telling us! A couple of the major changes that we've made in Management, 7e, bring back the "tried and true:" However, there are also several new content topics and features that have been included in this revision. New topics include e-business, workplace spirituality, stakeholder relationship management, virtual teams, team building, workplace violence, high performance organizations, value chain management, and work-life balance. The research base also has been updated to provide you with the most current thinking in management. In addition, we've added some new features that we think reflect the changing world of management. Here's a short description of the changes we've made.

• Managing in an E-Business World. One major change that managers must deal with in today's organizations is managing in an e-business world. Because of its importance and relevance to many different managerial topics, we chose to present this material in a boxed feature in several chapters. In these discussions, we look at important issues that managers face as they attempt to effectively manage in an e-business world. For example, some of the topics we address include the following: Planning: How Will it Work in E-Businesses?, Leadership in a Digital World, Nurturing Innovation in E-business Organizations, and Motivational Issues in E-Business Organizations.
• Managing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Entrepreneurship is playing an increasingly important role in economies around the world, and an increasing number of students are choosing careers as entrepreneurs. Effective management is just as important in entrepreneurial ventures as it is in large, corporate organizations. We think entrepreneurship is such an important topic that we address issues associated with managing entrepreneurial ventures in five separate sections including The Context of " Entrepreneurship, Start-Up and Planning Issues, Organizing Issues, Leading Issues, and Controlling Issues. These separate sections on entrepreneurship can be easily located by the tinted pages after Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
• PRISM (PRactical Interactive Skills Modules) Web site. In addition to the Skills Modules found in the book, we've developed an interactive skills Web site that provides you with different "virtual" management situations in an organization called MediaPlex. You will be role-playing different managers at Mediaplex who are faced with decisions that require action. The interactive decision-tree design of the management situations provides you with an opportunity to make different decisions and to learn why certain decisions are better than others. The skills included on PRISM are linked closely to appropriate chapters and reinforce important management concepts, theories, and skills. The link to PRISM is found on the main R.O.L.L.S. (Bobbins Online Learning System) Web site.
• Internet and Team Exercises. The pervasiveness of the Internet and teamwork in organizations led us to design two new exercises at the end of every chapter. The first, called Log On, is an Internet-based assignment that explores and exploits the many helpful resources available on the Internet. Also, because many of you work on team class projects throughout your college career and are likely to work on teams throughout your work career, we've included a team-based exercise called Working Together that explores and builds on concepts or theories presented in the chapter.
• Completely Revised Operations Management Chapter. The operations management chapter has been totally rewritten around the concept of value chain management. As organizations look for ways to effectively and efficiently "produce" their product or service, they're applying the concepts of value chain management. We believe that the completely revised chapter better reflects the realities of managing operations in today's environment.
• Major Changes to Planning Chapter. Planning is one of the four important functions that managers perform. The chapter on planning has been rewritten to reflect more accurately what's involved with "doing" planning.
• New Chapter on Managerial Communication and Information Technology. Based on feedback from adopters, we brought back the conceptual material on communication from the fifth edition and updated it to reflect what managers need to know about communication and information technology.
• Early Motivation and Leadership Theories Moved Back to Respective Chapters. Similarly, based on comments from adopters, we moved the discussions of early motivation and leadership theories back to their respective chapters. Although we thought our approach to the historical development of managerial thought presented in the last edition of the book made sense, faculty told us they preferred the more conventional approach. We listened!

IN-TEXT LEARNING AIDS

A good textbook should teach as well as present ideas. Toward that end, we've tried to make this book an effective learning tool. We'd like to point out some specific pedagogical features that we designed to help readers better assimilate the material presented.

• Chapter Learning Objectives. Before you start a trip, it's valuable to know where you're headed. That way, you can minimize possible problems or detours. The same holds true in reading a textbook. To make your learning more efficient, each chapter opens with a list of learning objectives that describe what you should be able to do after studying the chapter. These objectives are designed to focus your attention on the major issues within each chapter.
• Chapter Summaries. Just as objectives clarify where you're going, chapter summaries remind you of where you've been. Each chapter concludes with a concise summary organized around the opening learning objectives.
• Key Terms. Every chapter highlights a number of key terms that you'll need to know. These terms are highlighted in bold print when they first appear and are defined at that time in the adjoining margin.
• Testing, Testing. . . 1,2,3 Boxes. Key factual material is highlighted by way of ongoing questions included in boxes throughout the chapters.
• Thinking Critically About Ethics. Being able to think critically about issues is important for managers. In the body of every chapter, you'll find a "Thinking Critically About Ethics" box. This learning aid provides material that stresses the ethical values in managerial decisions.
• Thinking About Management Issues Questions. Every chapter has five questions that are designed to get you to think about management issues. These questions require you to demonstrate that you not only know the key facts in the chapter but also can apply chose facts in dealing with more complex issues.
• Case Application and Questions. Each chapter includes a case application and questions for analysis. A case is simply a description of a real-life managerial situation. By reading and analyzing the case and answering the questions at the end of the case, you can see if you understand and can apply the management concepts discussed in the chapter.

SUPPLEMENTS

The seventh edition supplements package has been revised and expanded to include increased media integration, technology, and test questions for your classroom needs.

• Instructor's Manual: The Multi-Media Guide. In addition to extensive chapter outlines, teaching notes to various boxed elements, answers to "Testing, Testing . . . 1, 2, 3" questions, and notes to all video cases, the Instructor's Manual contains integrated media teaching tips in a design unique to the seventh edition!
• New: Two Test Item Files. Test Item File 1, revised from the last edition, contains multiple choice, true/false, scenario, and essay questions. Together, the questions cover the content of each chapter in a variety of ways providing flexibility in testing the students' knowledge of the text.
  
  Test Item File 2, the new, alternative Test Bank, contains new multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and scenario questions. It also features questions covering the Skills Modules. This Test Bank can be used either alone or in conjunction with Test Item File 1.
• Instructor's Resource CD-ROM. Contains the electronic IM, 2 Win/PH Test Managers, and PowerPoint Electronic Transparencies. The seventh edition's PowerPoints have been improved to contain up to 30 slides per chapter and feature extensive chapter content, newly-created art, and actual line art from the text.
• 2 Win/PH Test Managers. Containing all of the questions in the printed Test Item Files, Test Manager is a comprehensive suite of tools for testing and assessment. Test Manager allows educators to create and distribute tests for their courses easily, either by printing and distributing through traditional methods or by on-line delivery via a Local Area Network (LAN) server.
• Overhead Color Transparencies. Designed to aid the educator and enhance classroom lectures, approximately 100 of the most critical PowerPoint electronic transparencies are chosen for inclusion in this package as full-color acetates and are provided on high quality mylar.
• Study Guide. Contains chapter objectives, detailed chapter outlines, and review questions for each chapter. Also contains teaching notes to various boxed features.
• New 2-Video Package. Video one features new part-ending On Location! segments. Created specifically for Management, Seventh Edition, this video library contains real-world footage from some of today's most intriguing companies such as Monster.com and Spiewak. Topics include international expansion, teams, and technology in human resources. Video 2 features chapter-ending Small Business 2000 segments, offered to reinforce the conceptual material. These videos are offered as a package only.
• Mastering Management from the Mastering Business Series. The multimedia tool that means business. Mastering Business is a technologically innovative CD-ROM that uses video and interactive exercises to actively engage students in learning core business concepts across core business disciplines. For more information, pricing, or to request a Mastering Business Demo CDROM, please contact your local sales representative.
• Self-Assessment Library Version 2.0. Updated with new exercises and now available on CD-ROM, in print, and online.
• The R.O.L.L.S (Robbins Online Learning System) Internet site. Features myPHLIP, PRISM (Student Skills Exercises), Self-Assessment Library version 2.0, answers to "Testing, Testing . . . 1, 2, 3," and "Frequently Asked Questions" answered by the authors themselves. Parts of this site are pin code-protected. .
• Description of myPHLIP The new myPHLIP provides professors with a customized course Web site including new communication tools, one-click navigation of chapter content, and great PHLIP resources such as current events and Internet exercises. It also features an interactive and exciting online Student Study Guide.
• PRISM (PRactical Interactive Skills Modules) Web site. As mentioned earlier, PRISM presents different "virtual" management situations in an organization called MediaPlex. The interactive decision-tree design of the management situations gives students the chance to try different management approaches and to learn why certain approaches are better than others.
• Online Courses. Online courses are available in both premium and standard versions, exclusively through Prentice Hall.
  – WebCT. This robust Course Management System includes page tracking, progress tracking, class and student management, gradebook, communication, calendar, reporting tools, and more. .
  – Blackboard. Prentice Hall now makes its class-tested online course content available in Blackboard's easy-td-use interface.