Welcome to the Business Fundamentals series frOm Harvard Business School Publishing! The readings in this collection were developed for the MBA and executive programs of Harvard Business School. These programs rely heavily on the case method of instruction, in which students analyze and discuss firsthand accounts of actual management situations. Students also learn the fundamentals of what manages do: how they measure Performance, make choices, and organize their activihes. At Harvard Business School, the fundamentals are Often taught through background notes, which describe business Proccesses, managemen techniques, and industries.

　　The collections in this series are not meant to be comprehensive, but to Present the fundamentals of business. Each collection contains several notes, and Perhaps an article or two, that Provide a framwork for understanding a particular business topic or function. Some collechons, such as this one, include one or two Harvard Business School case studies that give you a chance to think through a management situation and formulate your own response.

　　Business is not an exact science. Your own business knowledge comes from your own experiences and Observations, accumulated over many years of practice. These collections aim to give you a framework for past and future experiences, using many of the same materials taught at Harvard Business School.

　　The Business Fundamcntals collcctions are designed for both individual study and facilitated training. If you want to use this collection for self-study, we've provided a summary, ouiline, learning Objectives, and questions for each reading to help you get started. If these readings are part Of a training Program in your company, you will find them to be a rich resource for discussion and group work.