1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910821230703321

Autore

Handscombe Robert D

Titolo

The entropy vector : connecting science and business / / Robert D. Handscombe, Eann A. Patterson

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Singapore ; ; River Edge, NJ, : World Scientific, 2004

ISBN

1-281-87699-2

9786611876999

981-256-543-4

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (198 p.)

Classificazione

85.08

Altri autori (Persone)

PattersonEann A

Disciplina

500

Soggetti

Entropy (Information theory)

Science

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Contents; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 Disorderly Signposts business success  socially responsible capitalism  leadership and change  excitement of entropy  signposts to chapters; 2 Planck's Inspiration: Nature, Philosophy and Business Ockham's razor  Mother Nature  an engineering excuse for inefficiency  free energy?  the way you like it and for nothing; Ockham, Planck and Mother Nature; Entropy, engines and cycles; The degradation of energy; Interim report; Notes and quotes

3 Life, the Universe and Entropy vectors, pool tables and Isaac Newton  forces for change  inflation and pollution  physics and information  Isobel's message  Maxwell's demonInflation, disorder and pollution; Entropy and physics; Probability and information; Isobel's message; Maxwell's demon; And so to conclude ...; Notes and quotes; 4 The Entropy Vector uniting entropy and vector  sailing boats  Boltzmann index  lost in Bilbao and queuing in Detroit  taking control by letting go; Going against the flow?; Boltzmann vs. Clausius; Lost in Bilbao, queuing in Detroit

Taking control by letting goSummary; Notes and quotes; 5 Energy and Entropy scattering the seed  organic companies  exergy conservation  energy management; Law and disorder; Scattering the seed; A matrix analysis; Organic companies; Indeterminateness and degradation; The



two products of the economic process; Green design; Notes and quotes; 6 Time and Entropy who created God?  entropy as the arrow of time  time management  bored in transit  information flows  optimised production; Arrows of time; Time running backwards?; Bored in transit; Information and knowledge; The march of time

No more timeNotes and quotes; 7 Managing Disorder good management techniques  teams and training  flat-lining  control freaks  pantomimes and orchestras  change and risk; People are not atoms; Potential = Collaboration + Training; Managing the entropy vector; Management types; Fit for the purpose; Education, efficiency and economies; Change and risk; Summary; Notes and quotes; 8 Creativity and Innovation what is creativity?  what is innovation?  harnessing them in business  technology trajectories  woolliness, bananas and knots  entropy and technopy; Three approaches to creativity

Innovative footstepsWoolly and creative thinkers; Creating creativity; Technopy; Coffee and a matrix; Notes and quotes; 9 Risk and Entropy ontRe-pRenur  winning the risk game  boundaries and vision  sins of omission/commission  elephants, rabbits, barbecues and the cost of grass; ontRe-pRenur; Winning at the risk game; Parable of the talents; Elephants and rabbits; Drawing boundaries and vision; Coping with failure; The risk vector?; Notes and quotes

10 Mental Entropy education and training  memory and analysis  efficiency, effectiveness and distinctiveness  diversity of skill and attitude  employee and team skills  science and measurement

Sommario/riassunto

How do managers and entrepreneurs evaluate risk, encourage creativityor manage change?  Might a better grasp of science help? The authorsof this book suggest that there is real value in trying to connectscience to business and that science is far too important just to beleft to the scientists