UNCP business professor publishes two books, including one for the Chinese market

Two books by Dr. John A. Parnell, the William Henry Belk Distinguished Professor of Management at UNC Pembroke, were published in late 2003.

The first is a textbook, entitled "Strategic Management; Theory and Practice" (Atomic Dog Publishing; Cincinnati; 2004). The second is a collection of papers on American business practices written for Chinese students, entitled "Business English" (Higher Education Press; Beijing; 2003).

"'Strategic Management' is a fairly straightforward text in my specialty area,"Dr. Parnell said. "It highlights the importance of effective strategic analysis and presents strategies for gaining control of business enterprises."

The text will be used in upper level undergraduate and graduate management courses. It is useful for students in all business disciplines and draws from all areas of business practice to present a cohesive strategic management model.

Dr. Parnell's second book will not make any bestseller lists, at least not in the U.S.

"Business English" is an introduction for Chinese students to Western business culture and concepts," Dr. Parnell said. "The students who read it will have taken advanced English as well as business courses."

"There are significant cultural and language differences between Western and Chinese business concepts," he said. "'Business English' provides Chinese students with the advanced concepts they will need to be able to communicate in the international business community."

International business is dictated by Western ideas and practices that the Chinese are eager to learn as their nation emerges as an economic powerhouse, Dr. Parnell said.

The project came about when Dr. Parnell participated in an exchange program, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Commerce.

"We put together the idea of core business issues, concepts and business skills," he said. "The Chinese are interested in anything they can get from an American perspective, and reading American authors is important to them."

Dr. Parnell expects a significant market for "Business English" in a nation that is eager to become a growing part of the international business community. But he will not get rich tapping the Chinese academic publishing market.

"By Chinese standards, it is a nicely produced book, that in their currency would cost about $4.50," Dr. Parnell said. "There is no money in authorship. In their system, publishing is more about prestige and promotion."

The book, which contains two units by Dr. Parnell and another by former UNCP Professor Lewis Hershey, was a groundbreaking project for a U.S. business professor.

"I was the first non-Russian appointed to the position of guest professor," he said. "It was a new area for me, and there was no course in business English. They are now teaching from the book, colleagues tell me."

A North Carolina native, Dr. Parnell joined UNCP's School of Business in 2002. An active scholar and researcher, he has published more than 100 papers on a variety of management issues.

Dr. Parnell received a Doctorate degree in business administration from the University of Memphis, a Doctor of Education degree in administration and public policy from Campbell University and a Master of business administration and Bachelor of Science degrees in business administration from East Carolina University.

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