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The desire to be seen as a Very Important Person (VIP) is one of the driving factors behind humankind´s professional, societal, and spiritual aspirations. In Being a True VIP, management scholar and author Eric H. Kessler illustrates the nature of importance and how it relates to our success as employees and individuals. Through a clear and focused theoretical framework, he follows the paths that lead to importance, who determines it, and how it affects employee engagement and performance. Readers will be able to understand, personalize, and apply these lessons to manage themselves and others to be true VIPs.

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List of Tables and Figures PART I 1. Introduction 2. Foundation PART II 3. Paths The Drivers of Importance 4. Profile The Filters of Importance 5. Context The External Contingencies to Importance 6. Criteria - The Internal Contingencies to Importance 7. Nature The Qualities of Importance 8. Use The Engagements of Importance 9. Outcomes The Consequences of Importance PART III 10. Conclusion Appendix A: References Appendix B: Author Biography

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"This is a scholarly, theoretical, complex book about understanding and managing importance in oneself and others. ... The author explains why people are important sociologically, politically, economically, legally, and philosophically and how the external environment affects the path to importance. This book should be read by psychologists, PhDs, and researchers in the physical and life sciences. ... The bibliography is excellent. Summing Up: Recommended. Faculty only." (D. W. Huffmire, Choice, Vol. 54 (3), November, 2016)

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Eric H. Kessler is the Henry George Professor of Management at Pace University, USA and General Editor of the Encyclopedia of Management Theory. An expert in the field of innovation and technology, he has worked as an executive educator, policy analyst, and business consultant for public and private organizations such as Ford, IBM, and Goldman Sachs. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Eastern Academy of Management and has served on numerous editorial and advisory boards. Dr. Kessler is the author of several critically-acclaimed books: The Handbook of Organizational and Managerial Wisdom (2007), Cultural Mythology and Global Leadership (2009 / 2010 paperback), and Applying Management Theory to Practice: Real-World Lessons for Walking the Talk (2010).

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