The Business Book

(Joyce) #1

magazine, and by 1982 his holdings
in book and magazine publishers,
TV, radio, and cosmetic companies
were large enough to make him the
first African-American to appear on
the Forbes 400 Rich List.
See also: Gaining an edge 32–39
■ Changing the game 92–99


JOSEPH JURAN


1904–2008


Born in Romania, Juran emigrated
with his family to the US at eight
years old. Academically brilliant, he
skipped four grades at school, then
completed a BSc in electrical
engineering. By 1937 he was chief
of Industrial Engineering at Western
Electric but he was seconded to
Washington, DC, to improve the
efficiency of the lend-lease program
(by which the US lent funds to the
Allied Forces). He then returned to
academia; in 1951 he published The
Quality Control Handbook, which
became a management classic.
See also: Lean production 294–95
■ Quality sells 318–23


INGVAR KAMPRAD


1926–


Swedish businessman Ingvar
Kamprad is the founder of furniture
retailer IKEA. Born in Pjätteryd,
Småland, he started trading for
fun as a boy, selling matches then
stationery in his neighborhood.
When he was 17, he was rewarded
by his parents with money for good
school grades, and the teenager
used this to start his own business.
Kamprad began by selling door-to-
door, then started a mail-order
service. In 1948 he began selling
locally made furniture and the
company expanded. Renowned for


products that are both stylish
and inexpensive, IKEA has grown
to encompass 284 stores in 26
countries by aiming to “allow people
with limited means to furnish their
houses like rich people.”
See also: Changing the game 92–99
■ Anticipating demand 290–91

ROSABETH MOSS KANTER
1943–

Harvard professor of business
studies Rosabeth Moss Kanter was
born in Cleveland, OH. She studied
sociology to PhD level before
pursuing a career in business
research. Kanter has taught at
Harvard and Yale universities, and
published many books on business
management techniques, including
Men and Women of the Corporation,
which is regarded as a classic
in critical management studies.
See also: Organizational culture
104–09 ■ The value of diversity 115

PHILIP KOTLER
1931–

Generally regarded as the founder
of modern marketing management,
Kotler was born in Chicago in 1931.
He earned his PhD in economics
at MIT, and did postdoctoral work
at Harvard University. Kotler was
responsible for repositioning
marketing within companies,
moving it from a peripheral to a more
central position. He also shifted
emphasis away from price and
toward meeting customer needs.
Kotler is the author of more than
50 books, including the classic
Marketing Management (1967).
See also: The marketing model
232–33 ■ Understanding the market
234–41 ■ Marketing mix 280–83

JOHN KOTTER
1947–

Harvard professor John Kotter is
an expert on leadership and
change. He initially trained in
electrical engineering and
computer science, but followed
his first degree with a doctorate
in business administration from
Harvard Business School. Ranked
number one “leadership guru” by
BusinessWeek magazine in 2001,
Kotter has written 17 books,
including the best-selling Leading
Change (1996).
See also: Leading well 68–69 ■
Changing the game 92–99

ESTEE LAUDER
1908–2004

Estée Lauder was born to a family
of Jewish immigrants in Queens,
NY, in 1908. She was taught how to
make beauty products by her uncle,
a chemist. Beginning by selling her
own products at local beauty
salons, Lauder built a business that
was valued at approximately $3.2
billion in 1995.
See also: Quality sells 318–23

KONOSUKE MATSUSHITA
1894–1989

The founder of Panasonic, Konosuke
Matsushita was born in Wakayama,
Japan. Following family financial
misfortunes, Matsushita was sent
to Osaka at nine to become an
apprentice. In 1917, at 22, he set up
his own business making electrical
sockets, and in 1918 started a new
company, which was later renamed
“National” and then “Panasonic.”
His leadership style was extolled by

336 DIRECTORY

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