Better Business, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (April 16, 2026) © 2027
  • Michael R. Solomon
  • Mary Anne Poatsy
  • Kendall Martin

Title overview

For courses in introductory business.

An engaging question-and-answer approach to contemporary business

Better Business presents business topics in manageable sections, while encouraging students to draw connections along the way. By introducing and concluding each section with a situational scenario in need of a solution, the authors challenge students to think deeply about the chapter material as they read.

The 7th Edition incorporates content updates and critical-thinking features analyzing market trends, such as the integration of AI into business processes. Inspiring videos feature the business owners of Made In and Barre3 as they reflect on the interdependence of business areas and what it takes to sustain and grow a business.

Hallmark features of this title

A question-and-answer approach

  • A relatable scenario at the start of each section introduces a problem and then reemerges at the end of the chapter with a solution or a means to a solution.
  • A “Connecting the Elements of Business” section features real-world entrepreneurs, while illustrating the connection and distinction between different functional areas of business.
  • A “Consider As You Read” question at the start of each section and within each chapter prompts students to reflect as they read.

Topical deep dives

  • On the Mark and Off Target boxes demonstrate potential positive and negative outcomes of various business situations.
  • Biz Chats present topics for student discussion, such as “How Troublesome Is the Federal Deficit?”
  • A mini chapter in each section explores supplementary topics, including writing a business plan, business law, personal finance and finding a job.

New and updated features of this title

Real-world examples

  • EXPANDED: Video clips feature real entrepreneurs. Chip and Jake, founders of Made In, return with a new perspective on the interdependence of business areas. Plus, this edition introduces Emily, a Barre3 franchise owner, speaking on her growth as a business owner.
  • EXPANDED: Case studies help students synthesize concepts across chapters. New case studies address topics such as workplace motivation and real-world hiring challenges.
  • UPDATED: Continually evolving stories and examples are placed in the most current context.

Cutting-edge topics

  • NEW: Current data, events and market trends were incorporated, such as post-pandemic hybrid work, modern recruitment platforms and the backlash against globalism.
  • UPDATED: New or revised boxed features address topics such as manufacturing and AI; the challenges of marketing and AI; and bonds, inflation and the US deficit.
  • EXPANDED: “The List” feature, popular among students, reflects market trends. New lists address topics such as the fastest-growing industries and the challenges of personal selling.

Key features

Features of MyLab Intro to Business for the 7th Edition

  • EXPANDED: Mini Sims put students in professional roles and ask them to respond to real business challenges.
  • UPDATED: Dynamic Study Modules pose a handful of questions and then respond to each student’s progress in real time. Learners deepen their grasp of concepts as they go.
  • NEW: Interactive Reading Assignments engage students through an integrated blend of narrative, media and assessment, while holding them accountable for coming to class prepared.
  • NEW: Using AI Assignments help students use real AI platforms to navigate course-related scenarios, developing their critical-thinking and prompt-writing skills.
  • EXPANDED: Video Assignments provide a curated selection of videos connecting course concepts to real-world business scenarios. Built-in assessment questions accompany the assignments.
  • EXPANDED: Case Study Assignments offer a dynamic learning experience whereby students apply theoretical concepts to real-world business challenges.

Features of Pearson+ eTextbook for the 7th Edition

  • EXPANDED: Connecting the Elements of Business, a new section at the end of each chapter, includes videos featuring real entrepreneurs. Follow-up discussion questions address the impact of business decisions on areas such as finance, marketing, production and human resources.
  • NEW: Business News Bulletin, a new feature at the beginning of each chapter, offers regularly updated topical coverage on events relating to that chapter’s concepts.

Table of contents

PART 1: LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

  1. Business Basics
  2. Economics
  3. Ethics in Business
  4. Business in a Global Economy

Mini Chapter: Business Law

PART 2: STARTING AND STRUCTURING A BUSINESS

  1. Small Business and the Entrepreneur
  2. Forms of Business Ownership

Mini Chapter: Constructing an Effective Business Plan

PART 3: MANAGING A BUSINESS AND EMPLOYEES

  1. Business Management and Organization
  2. Motivation, Leadership, and Teamwork
  3. Human Resources Management
  4. Online Business and Technology
  5. Production, Operations, and Supply Chain Management

Mini Chapter: Business Communications

PART 4: PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING

  1. Marketing and Consumer Behavior
  2. Product Development, Branding, and Pricing Strategies
  3. Promotion and Distribution

Mini Chapter: Finding a Job

PART 5: PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE

  1. Financing and Accounting for Business Operations
  2. Investment Opportunities in the Securities Market

Mini Chapter: Personal Finance

Author bios

About our authors

Michael R. Solomon, PhD, is professor of marketing and director of the Center for Consumer Research in the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He also is professor of consumer behaviour at the Manchester School of Business, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Solomon’s primary research and consulting interests include consumer behavior, branding and marketing applications of virtual worlds. He has written several textbooks and trade books; his Consumer Behavior text is the most widely used in the world. Michael often speaks to business groups about new trends in consumer behavior and marketing strategy.

Mary Anne Poatsy, MBA, CFP, is a senior adjunct faculty member at Montgomery County Community College, teaching various business, management, and computer application and concepts courses in face-to-face and online environments. She holds a BA in psychology and education from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA in finance from Northwestern University’s J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Poatsy has been teaching since 1995 at a variety of elementary and secondary institutions, including Gwynedd Mercy College, Montgomery County Community College, Muhlenberg College and Bucks County Community College, as well as training in the professional environment and presenting at several conferences. Before teaching, she was a vice president at Shearson Lehman Hutton in the Municipal Bond Investment Banking Department.

Kendall Martin, PhD, has been teaching since 1988 at several institutions, including Villanova University, DeSales University, Arcadia University, Ursinus College, County College of Morris and Montgomery County Community College, at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Dr. Martin’s education includes a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Rochester and an MS and a PhD in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She has industrial experience in research and development environments (Texas Instruments, AT&T Bell Laboratories) as well as experience with several start-up technology firms.

As a full professor at Montgomery County Community College, she presents nationally on topics of entrepreneurship, student engagement and technology in the classroom.

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