Ways in which poverty can be reduced in both countries and regions through business, entrepreneurship and government has been a hot issue for researchers and policymakers in recent years. Governments can play an important role in helping the poor people by non-profit organizations and others that help to seed business among the poor. Businesses increasingly also see the large number of people in severe poverty not only as an issue for social concern, but also as a potentially large untapped market of consumers for goods and services. Some scholars have called for poverty reduction through entrepreneurship owing to the fact that it can be an efficient path to also change the poor's attitudes and behaviours from a passive mode, to a more active mode towards poverty reduction economically and socially. In addition, the sharing economy brings opportunities where everyone is a micro-entrepreneur. There is a recognition that these types of entrepreneurship above could offer the greatest single potential means to move individuals out of poverty in the nations and regions in the next 5-10 years. This book provides new and valuable analyses of poverty and business, entrepreneurship and innovation in current nations and regions including developing and developed countries. As business, entrepreneurship and innovation can help to generate greater business activity in settings of severe poverty, they will help to solve poverty, as individuals in severe poverty are able to both generate greater incomes and accumulate greater assets as they participate with large firms in those activities. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.

Fundamentals of Performance Improvement, 3rd Edition Fundamentals of Performance Improvement is a substantially new version of the down-to-earth, how-to guide designed to help business leaders, practitioners, and students understand the science and art of performance technology and successfully implement organizational and societal change. Using the Performance Improvement / Human Performance Technology (HPT) model, the expert authors explain step-by-step how to spot performance indicators, analyze problems, identify underlying causes, describe desired results, and create workable solutions. “It does not matter what function you align yourself to in your organization, this book allows you to tap into the secrets that drive organizational success. Several books work to define what is performance improvement and performance technology. This one also provides insights into the Why? And How?” —CEDRIC T. COCO, CPT, SVP, Learning and Organizational Effectiveness, Lowe’s Companies “Fundamentals of Performance Improvement is full of practical models and tools for improving the world by partnering with customers, clients, constituents, and colleagues. It provides a path forward for successful transformation and performance improvement at personal, group and collective levels. It is a must read for leaders and consultants seeking to advance opportunities in new and emerging situations.” —DIANA WHITNEY, PhD, president, Corporation for Positive Change “If you have an interest in performance improvement, this is simply the best available book on the topic. It addresses the science and craft as well as the intricacies of how to improve workplace performance. Van Tiem, Moseley, and Dessinger have incorporated into this work the best available research on the Certified Performance Technology (CPT) standards and process.” —JAMES A. PERSHING, Ph.D., CPT, professor emeritus, Workplace Learning and Performance Improvement, Indiana University “Its international flavor, with practitioner comments and examples drawn from across the world, enhances its appeal as more and more professionals operate in an increasingly global context.” —DALJIT SINGH, Asia Pacific Director of Talent Management, Baker & McKenzie, Sydney, Australia

This new student textbook draws authoritatively on a wide range of actionable, conceptual, practical, case and visual material to help develop vital business skills for the 21st century within the organizational and societal contexts of problem-solving, identifying opportunities and finding solutions. Skills and competencies covered include: communication; co-operation; creative/critical thinking; and data-driven decision-making. These are essential skills needed in workplace and social environments that are increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). They are integral to solving not just business problems but largescale societal challenges including global injustices and sustainability, and the author draws accordingly on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout the text to help emphasise and impart the role of business skills in balancing prosperity and purpose. Includes short videos from the author to provide overviews of each chapter. Marc G. Baaij is Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University Rotterdam.