bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

Ordinary computers are “out”, integrated workstations are “in”, though mostly they are merely computers with a large hard disk, full range of software, a modem, and a menu front‐end for easy access to all this. Dawson Technology Ltd, who launched a new Integrated Workstation (IWS) at their London offices on 19 April, have added a compact disc reader to it and this makes good sense in a library environment. The software included is a menu generator and DOS interface, the Open Access2 integrated package (wordprocessor, spreadsheet, graphics and database) and communications. There is also “ATE” which is an automatic text editor developed by a research team at Leicester Polytechnic especially with library and office tasks in mind. Thus one can sit at the keyboard and use LA NET or other E‐Mail services, external databases, CD‐ROM disk or use full business‐style word and data handling. Subscribers to Dawson's inter‐library lending product AIM or SMS, their serial‐handling package can readily access them from the same terminal. Any data or text generated in or downloaded by these facilities can be automatically edited into any predetermined different format for input to any of the others. If such easy access to all the data of many systems is thought inadvisable nine levels of password protection can be provided. The price is a very modest £3,950 for an IBM AT‐compatible 12MHz machine with 40Mb hard disk, 640K RAM, CD‐ROM reader and all that software, some of it exclusive to the workstation. Should a library have existing equipment of similar capacity the Automatic Text Editor alone is available at £475. The workstation behaved perfectly at the Press demonstration — the only serious misgiving expressed was that if a library were to use AIM, SMS, carry out substantial report‐writing, and be heavily tempted to download into a local database from external databases or CD‐ROM, then 40Mb would fill up quite quickly. Librarians would do well to consider whether 80Mb and extra memory could be afforded from the start. The low price implies that purchasers of the workstation would not need, nor expect to receive, more than token support although training can be provided initially. Details of the workstation or Dawson's systems can be obtained from Dawson Technology Ltd, Cannon House, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5EE (0303–850537).
Features
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred , Hemmings Richard , McKee Bob , Sturges Paul
Published: March 2008

I suppose most librarians carry around something to read in case they have a spare moment, for example on a train journey or while waiting for the One Really Interesting Bit on the usual dull agenda paper. It is not always assumed that librarians read, of course. Was once stopped walking home in what we used to call the wee small hours by the motorised Law who wanted to know what I was carrying in that large army pack — an enquiry with the heavy and well‐seasoned implication that “we're not taking at face value anything you say, so you might as well show us”. On seeing the load of books they asked, “What are you, then, a student?” Revealing myself as a librarian was obviously insufficient evidence and I was further quizzed as to what I was doing with the books.
Columns
Authors: Hanstock Terry , Kerns Ruth , Day Shirley , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

Question: What do Scotland Yard's Black Museum, Raymond Brigg's Snowman, Welsh harpists, the East Lancashire Railway, and the Sensible Footwear Theatre Company have in common?
Reviews
Authors: Pugh Simon
Published: March 2008

In the last few years there has been a great upsurge of interest in text‐based computer systems and a 60 per cent annual growth‐rate is predicted over the next few years as systems improve and the cost of storage decreases. Commercial database systems are expensive at the input stage and with more and more documents being originally produced in electronic form it is tempting to consider applications which can use these as a resource available for searching, selection, transmission and archiving. It is especially so where “total information” can be handled, with words, numbers and illustrations.
KNOW THY SHELF
Authors: Place Hillary
Published: March 2008

Ah, Dr Paesblossom. Come in, come in! Hope you haven't been waiting too long. Some of these appraisal interviews have been running over a bit. End of the academic year too; I find some people are really quite tetchy. Not very professional, I'm sure you'll agree. Piercebotham. Of course, silly of me. Got it written down in the diary, don't worry.
Features
Authors: Cowburn Ian , Cheshire David F. , Cornford Mike , Vogel Sandra
Published: March 2008

Considered going to IFLA 89 in Paris, but as noted in leading article in August, the fee of 2,200 francs would pay for a first class run around the Hexagon with SNCF for nine days with all sorts of extras and still leave enough for five good dinners. Expostulating thus to NLW's Favourite Overseas Librarian, Frances Salinié of the British Council in Paris, led her to make enquiry. Transpired, as they say, that belatedly and all unannounced one‐day registration at 300 francs was allowed. This possibility, the fact that I hadn't been to Paris this year, the near certainty that one day of IFLA would be an “elegant sufficiency” and a curiosity to see if “they order this matter… better in France” led me to the Gare du Nord clutching my 300 dirty oncers. Warning: lengthy chunk of political bias coming up. Don't bother to take reading matter on the London Dover/Folkestone railway. The swaying, clattering, noisome line makes reading, conversation or walkman listening virtually impossible. This chunk of Network Southeast is not a worthy descendant of the South‐Eastern and Chatham railway on which long dead father once drove beautiful locomotives. A pride in railways is one of the Victorian values not preached from the Downing Street pulpit. The new line promised for the Tunnel may sometime let you read in comfort, but that seems a rather drastic and expensive remedy.
Columns
Authors: Day Shirley , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

Ninety per cent of information handled within libraries, information units and offices is printed on paper. This comes in the form of books, journals, newsprint and miscellaneous documents including letters. At the same time information originating within organisations is increasingly generated on computers and is displayed and read via electronic screens. Libraries, information units and offices are becoming a mix of the automated and the unautomated. In the past, integrating printed material with computer stored material was impractical. The electronic storage of documents as images rather than computer coded text required storage capacity beyond the scope of many computer systems.
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

American research findings suggest that genetic factors are involved in the etiology of alcoholism. This led to consideration of the possibility that genetic factors might also be involved in the causation of drug abuse. The results of the US researchers' review of the present state of knowledge in the fields of alcoholism and drug abuse are published as: Biological Vulnerability to Drug Abuse (PB89‐125520) (A09) by the US Government's National Technical Information Service. Their UK distributor is Microinfo Ltd, PO Box 3, Omega Park, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2PG and Nicola Fish will supply more information and the price of the document.
Review
Authors: Pugh Simon
Published: March 2008

This is an interesting book, if only because it comes from South Africa which tends to be cut off professionally because of its economic, political and (alas!) its cultural isolation. Six of the seven contributors are from the University of South Africa, a correspondence university which caters for all sectors of the community. They do not baulk at the problems of South African society.
Features
Authors: Campbell Malcolm J. , Daines Guy , Ruse David , Wise Christine
Published: March 2008

And for this relief give much thanks. A certain buildup of copy requires me to be brief.
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

A very attractive glossy, The British Library Past Present Future (ISBN 0‐7123‐0196‐8), its publication made possible due to the generous sponsorship of the Chadwick‐Healey Publishing Group, describes in text illustrated with many brilliantly‐taken colour photographs the history, present achievements and services of a great British institution. At its subsidised price of £5.95 for 64 pages it is excellent value for money and does justice to the rich and diverse collections of the British Library and emphasises its importance as our heritage.
HOW TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF STRATEGIC PLANNING
Authors: Rothschild William E.
Published: March 2008

Is strategic planning a lasting management tool or just another management fad? Four factors—top management commitment, sound segmentation, training and development, and periodic reviews—will spell success. Planners who ignore them can expect strategic management programs to fail.
TURNAROUND STRATEGIES
Authors: Hofer Charles W.
Published: March 2008

No matter what the state of the economy, no company is immune from internal hard times—stagnation or declining performance. How can management pinpoint the right turnaround strategy when it is needed—and make it work?
HOW TO USE SPIRE: A SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURE FOR IDENTIFYING RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING
Authors: Klein Harold , Newman William
Published: March 2008

Companies have been predicting marketing and economic conditions for years, but they lag behind in forecasting environmental changes that can have dramatic impact on their operations. SPIRE is a systematic approach to spotting coming problems, as a look at how one company put it to work indicates.
HOW MULTINATIONALS CAN MANAGE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FORCES
Authors: Gladwin Thomas N. , Walter Ingo
Published: March 2008

Multinationals operate in a setting where the rules of the game are ambiguous, contradictory, and subject to rapid change. The consequences of such conflict for the firm can be serious, ranging from nationalization and expropriation to increased operating costs and losses of market share, managerial control, and valuable executive time. Here are five ways of coping management may try.
Seven Steps to Better Strategic Management
Authors: LAMB ROBERT , HOFER CHARLES
Published: March 2008

Since 1975, Borg‐Warner has been developing a strategic management system that has greatly contributed to its improved performance.
The Dispute About High‐Share Businesses
Authors: BOYD HARPER
Published: March 2008

It is generally known these days that businesses enjoying a large share of their served market are more profitable (other things being equal) than businesses with a small share of their market. There is much dispute, however, as to whether the high‐share businesses earning large profits are benefactors or exploiters of the public at large.
Planning for Recession: Turning an Economic Slump to Advantage
Authors: STERN JOEL
Published: March 2008

Business managers are usually inadequately prepared to lead their companies through a recession. Instead, they tend to treat recession as an externally imposed condition over which they have little control. Their inclination is to react to it as a de facto emergency, often with apprehension and uncertainty, and in some cases, with genuine panic.
REAL‐WORLD DECISION MAKING: THE LIMITS OF TOP MANAGEMENT POWER
Authors: Mazzolini Renato
Published: March 2008

Established routines, bureaucratic procedures, and inertia often constrain a firm's strategic behavior. Understanding the strategic decision‐making process can help your company close the gap between what it plans and what it actually does.
PLANNING FOR THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE 1980s
Authors: Charan Ram , Freeman R. Edward
Published: March 2008

It will be global, characterized by more government and a greater need for strategic management. Executives who ignore these changes and operate under the old assumptions will pay a high price.
Corporate Strategy
Authors: RUMELT RICHARD
Published: March 2008

There is a real possibility that in the next decade several of the following events will occur:
New Venture Planning
Authors: VESPER KARL H.
Published: March 2008

Development of new ventures, particularly in manufacturing, has slowed in recent years, and today U.S. manufacturing is in decline. Whether or not there is a direct cause and effect between these two developments, they are part of the same picture.
Strategic Planning Systems Design and Operation
Authors: COLLIER DON
Published: March 2008

In the design and operation of strategic planning systems, it is assumed that the people involved have a financial incentive to make good plans and then to see that those plans are well implemented. The traditional financial incentive used to motivate managers' behaviors in the desired direction is the so‐called incentive compensation or annual bonus. Thus, when strategic planning systems are broadened to explicitly take this factor into account, they become strategic management systems.
THE CASE FOR NATIONAL ECONOMIC PLANNING
Authors: Leontief Wassily
Published: March 2008

Should government chart the course of national economic policy? The favorable experiences of Japan and some European countries, as well as the recent dismal performance of the American economy, seem to suggest that the answer may be a resounding yes. Under modern conditions, sound corporate plans will be difficult to formulate without a firm national economic framework.
CHANGES IN THE WIND IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Authors: Mueller Robert K.
Published: March 2008

The composition of and roles played by boards of directors will change dramatically in the 1980s. Here are thirty major issues that will shape tomorrow's board … and a creative strategy to cope with the challenges ahead.
THE R&D ROLE IN BRINGING NEW PRODUCTS TO THE MARKETPLACE
Authors: Rabino Samuel , Moskowitz Howard
Published: March 2008

How does a company develop the optimal product while holding down development costs and shortening lead times for introduction? The authors have developed a scaling technique that does both.
TOP MANAGEMENT UNDER FIRE
Authors: Jauch Lawrence R. , Martin Thomas N. , Osborn Richard N.
Published: March 2008

There's been a flurry of CEO dismissals in recent times. What can top managers do to predict and prevent the failures that lead to such ousters? Greater emphasis on strategic decision making may be the answer.
HOW TO EVALUATE THE PRESENT AND FUTURE CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Zentner Rene D.
Published: March 2008

Corporate decision makers need to understand not only today's business environment but tomorrow's as well. Survey research, new forecasting techniques, and the insights of the intellectual community are playing a greater role in forming many companies' vision of the future.
THE THREE LEVELS OF STRATEGIC CHOICE
Authors: FitzGerald John P.
Published: March 2008

As world events have speeded up, strategic planning efforts have been hard pressed to keep pace. To stay on top, the author contends, today's company has to look carefully at three key strategic choices: mission, financial policy, and business unit process.
The Dow Experience: Achieving Balanced Growth in an Uncertain Future
Authors: RUMELT RICHARD , Lundeen Robert W.
Published: March 2008

Looking ahead and assessing the total environment for business is the most challenging task facing corporate management in these uncertain times. The difficulty of such exercises has increased exponentially in the past several decades. Corporate boards and managements must now deal thought‐fully not only with economic issues, but with complex political and social issues, country by country, wherever their companies do business or wherever they would like to do business.
Top Management's Role in Strategic Planning
Authors: LAMB ROBERT , HOFER CHUCK , Melville Donald R.
Published: March 2008

The 1970s were a successful decade of growth and diversification for Norton Company. In 1979, sales exceeded $1 billion, ranking Norton 261 on the list of Fortune's 500 industrial companies. Half of Norton's sales were made outside the United States. In 1979, the company's return on equity was 20 percent. Norton maintained a leading market position in its historical business, abrasives, and in half a dozen other industries.
How to Get More Mileage out of Your Corporate Advertising
Authors: BOYD HARPER , Haller Terry
Published: March 2008

The Chicago Research Company (CRC) did a survey of corporate (nonproduct, noninstitutional) ads appearing in Fortune and Forbes early in 1980 (see Exhibit 1). Two‐thirds of the ads examined squandered their hefty media budgets on stories such as their growth, being on the cutting edge of new technology, and being in the energy business. Additionally, a sizable group talked about some of their products (but, wisely, did not try to sell them) or their profits.
Update: Profile of the Corporate Planner
Authors: SPRINGER CLIF , Matlins Stuart , Knisely Gary
Published: March 2008

In the summer of 1980, a survey of chief corporate planners was conducted in order to update data collected in 1979 (reported in the Fall 1980 issue of The Journal of Business Strategy) and to provide new data about additional aspects of the planning process.
CHARTING OUR SHORT‐TERM ENERGY FUTURE
Authors: Tavoulareas W.P.
Published: March 2008

Planning too far into the future can be hazardous to your health. Companies, industries, and even nations can ignore immediate problems while concentrating on the long‐range ones. Such has been the case with the energy problem, and the answer may be closer at hand than we think.
GLOBAL SOURCING: OFFSHORE INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR THE 1980s
Authors: Hefler Daniel F.
Published: March 2008

Transnational companies in this decade face greater risks, more constraints, and new competition from advanced developing countries. In order to survive and grow in this new environment, they are going to have to learn to be adept at tapping new sources of labor, resources, capital, and technology around the globe.
LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC IMPACT OF MERGERS
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

American industry is in the midst of a new merger boom. Recent studies, however, show that such mergers do not necessarily enhance profits, boost productivity, aid efficiency, or result in social good. Given these findings, you ought to seriously question whether a proposed merger is a sound strategic decision before acting on it.
STRATEGIC RESPONSES TO TODAY'S TURBULENT FINANCIAL MARKETS
Authors: Sametz A.W.
Published: March 2008

Not since the Great Depression of the 1930s have the financial markets been so turbulent. Individuals, corporations, and financial institutions have taken some innovative steps to protect themselves.
How Manpower Development Can Support Your Strategic Plan
Authors: Sweet James
Published: March 2008

The recent surge of strategic planning provides—at last—an outstanding opportunity to bring the field of manpower development into the “nuts and bolts” of the organization and make a lasting contribution that can be measured. In the past, many pragmatic executives have questioned the value of such “programs” as manpower planning, management development, career counseling—and with good reason. Without the affirmation of organizational or business goals, it is impossible to evaluate—in a business sense—the return on dollars invested in such efforts.
Scenarios in Corporate Planning
Authors: Hamilton H. Ronald
Published: March 2008

Scenarios are viewed as a desirable input to planning because they address two key trends in the planning environment:
THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITIONS
Authors: Allen Michael G. , Oliver Alexander R. , Schwallie Edward H.
Published: March 2008

Acquisitions activity in the United States is more intense today than at any time since the 1960s. Among the trends in today's acquisitions market: larger acquisitions, many over $200 million; the changing mix of companies involved; and a switch to cash payment and higher premiums. Cutting through the acquisitions maze requires sound strategic planning.
THE BATTLE OVER PROTECTIONISM: HOW INDUSTRY ADJUSTS TO COMPETITIVE SHOCKS
Authors: Walter Ingo , Jones Kent A.
Published: March 2008

When an industry faces strong competition, it can adjust or seek protection through government trade policy. A look at the causes, course, and consequences of such competitive shifts in the steel and consumer electronics industries shows why the battle over protectionism has heated up recently.
The Dilemmas of Resource Allocation
Authors: GLUCK FREDERICK , RUMELT RICHARD
Published: March 2008

When one thinks of making corporate choices and allocating resources, the process calls to mind a vision of a chief executive officer (CEO) who has been provided with a broad menu of business opportunities from which he can simply choose the most mouth‐watering and then supply the money and people required to pursue them. This picture is accurate as far as it goes. But it masks the many dilemmas the CEO must resolve before he can place his order.
Linking R&D and Strategic Planning
Authors: COLLIER DON
Published: March 2008

Frequently, when a company undertakes strategic planning it discovers that it is not optimally organized to carry out strategic management. A rapid and wholesale reorganization of the company along the lines indicated by the strategic planning activity is likely to cause more harm than good, resulting in the company's going down the tubes operationally while getting geared up to carry out good strategy. Thus, one of the arts of management relies upon the CEO's judgment on the speed and timing of the conversion to the optimum strategic organization; but a good strategic plan gives the CEO a blueprint as a reference point and an aid to helping the objectivity and consistency of those timing judgments.
Initiating Basic Strategic Change
Authors: LAUENSTEIN MILTON
Published: March 2008

In the history of most corporations, strategic change is a slow, evolutionary process. Strategic planning is useful primarily to facilitate a successful adjustment of operations and resources to a changing environment.
Selecting Corporate Advertising Themes
Authors: BOYD HARPER , Haller Terry
Published: March 2008

Our last column (Summer 1981) advanced ten possible advertising themes derived from strategic planning. Here are ten more themes that can serve as the foundation of copy strategies:
THE CHANGING ROLE OF ACQUISITIONS
Authors: Bradley James W. , Korn Donald H.
Published: March 2008

A series of forces—economic uncertainty, inflation, and low stock market valuations—have prompted major corporations to pursue mergers and acquisitions as the preferred route to corporate growth and profitability. The pendulum is likely to swing back in favor of internal development, however, as economic conditions change.
SEIZING COMPETITIVE INITIATIVE
Authors: MacMillan Ian C.
Published: March 2008

To be successful, a company has to capture the initiative in an industry from its competitors. The author offers a detailed prescription for getting and keeping the strategic initiative in the face of countermoves by your opponent.
ASSIGNING MANAGERS ON THE BASIS OF THE LIFE CYCLE
Authors: Kerr Jeffrey
Published: March 2008

The idea of assigning corporate managers on the basis of the product life cycle is rapidly gaining currency. The practice is likely to work better in some corporations than others. While the PLC assignment method may work in homogeneous companies, the author contends that all organizations may be better off trying the alternative approach he suggests.
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR MERGER ACTIVITIES IN THE 1980s
Authors: Salter Malcolm , Weinhold Wolf
Published: March 2008

A number of factors ranging from economic conditions to managerial self‐interest have contributed to today's unprecedented merger boom. But the tide may be turning as the public policy debate over mergers heats up. Most scenarios show a long‐range drop in merger activity. However, the need for an informed, rational national policy on mergers remains.
New Life for Formal Planning Systems
Authors: Rijvnis Arie J. , Sharman Graham J.
Published: March 2008

Over the past two decades, most major corporations have installed some sort of formal planning system. Such a system represents an important commitment to rational, professional management and should, in theory, provide a sound basis for the setting of strategic and operational objectives and the allocation of resources.
Handling the Key Issues
Authors: Lauenstein Milton
Published: March 2008

In any corporate setting, the way certain key issues are handled will have a major influence on results over an extended period. Some such issues are specific to the individual situation. Others apply to almost any company. These include:
How Aggressive Innovation Can Help Your Company
Authors: MacMillan Ian C. , McCaffery M.L.
Published: March 2008

When a company is considering a major strategic move, a key issue is predicting the speed and extent of the competition's response to that move. Under ideal circumstances, countermoves are blocked by substantial entry barriers (discussed extensively by Porter) which keep new competitors from entering the market and limit the mobility of the existing competitors within the industry. These barriers can be structural traits within an industry that discourage entry or barriers erected by the firm making the strategic move (aggressor) which discourage the competition from matching or countering the move.
THE WORLD'S CHAMPION MARKETERS: THE JAPANESE
Authors: Kotler Philip , Fahey Liam
Published: March 2008

Many experts attribute Japan's spectacular economic success to superior management techniques. But the real key to Japan's performance may be outstanding marketing skills.
CREATING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Gerstein Mare , Reisman Heather
Published: March 2008

Managers have largely overlooked computer technology as a valuable resource in creating competitive advantage. To rectify the situation, companies will have to overcome resistance to change, heal the data processing/general management breach, and take a long, hard look at the economic issues involved.
Analyzing Strategic Cost in a High‐Inflation Economy
Authors: McLagan Donald , Ziesmer Peter
Published: March 2008

The high, volatile inflation forecast for the 1980s will make costs difficult to manage. Price increases will be necessary, but they invite market share raids from growth‐hungry competitors. Without price increases, cost inflation will destroy margins. A strategic cost analysis can identify the effect of inflation on a company's own costs and on its competitors' costs. Company planners can then formulate an explicit strategy for coping with the decade's slow, cyclic growth and high, volatile inflation.
Linking Strategy, Performance, and Pay
Authors: Henry Migliore R.
Published: March 2008

The appraisal portion of the strategic plan has long been a problem. How do you reward the achievement and performance of individuals as they operate the organization's strategic plan? How do you use the performance appraisal area to motivate the management team to achieve the objective in the strategic plan? How do you provide incentive for your people to stay with your organization? How do you develop a commonsense approach to salary and bonus rewards?
CAN CORPORATE VENTURING SUCCEED?
Authors: Block Zenas
Published: March 2008

Until recently, sponsoring new businesses has largely been the province of venture capital firms. Now, more and more companies are getting into the new venture business. In order to succeed at it, there are a number of lessons they must learn.
THE ROLE OF FUTURES STUDIES IN BUSINESS STRATEGIC PLANNING
Authors: Edmunds Stahrl W.
Published: March 2008

Ever since the days of Sir Thomas More and Robert Owen, people have been engaged in studying and predicting the future. Today's futurist has refined the art to such a high degree that futures studies have important implications for business strategic planning.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Authors: Tone Hosmer LaRue
Published: March 2008

For decades, business executives have concentrated on the art and techniques of management. But in today's competitive times, more is required. Successful executives must be leaders as well.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MANAGER TO FIT THE STRATEGY
Authors: Leontiades Milton
Published: March 2008

Managers make strategy and strategy determines business success or failure. That's why it is so important to select the right managers for your company. The author provides models for managerial selection at the corporate and the SBU levels.
Market‐Share Madness
Authors: BOYD HARPER , HALLER TERRY , Allessio Henry
Published: March 2008

The notion of “market share” has ravaged the board‐rooms of corporate America for a generation. There are hundreds of classic examples of where share leaders—probably low‐cost producers—have picked up all the marbles and won. However, there are other examples of market‐share blunders that should alert businessmen to be wary of unrestrained share strategies that can be devastating. Despite these blunders, many corporate managements have failed to realize that while low delivered cost can create the opportunity for larger market share, share itself does not assure high profitability.
NEW APPROACHES TO ASSET MANAGEMENT
Authors: Seed Allen H.
Published: March 2008

These troubled economic times call for fresh approaches to asset management. Executives have to pay more attention to cash flows, dividend policies, returns, investment selection, and asset monitoring.
A FRAMEWORK FOR LOOKING AT VERTICAL INTEGRATION
Authors: Rudie Harrigan Kathryn
Published: March 2008

Vertical integration is often one of the first diversification strategies that firms consider. To choose the right strategy, companies must assess the four different types of possible integration and weigh the merits of each.
A Look at the Board's Role in Planning
Authors: LAUENSTEIN MILTON , Tashakori Ahmad , Boulton William
Published: March 2008

Boards of directors have been pressed over the past decade to improve their monitoring of a company's economic performance. In addition, legal actions are forcing them to become overseers of what management does, both in delivering returns to investors and in obeying the various laws to which corporations are subject. But most importantly, boards are being charged with the long‐term responsiveness of the corporation to its economic environment and society. It is these pressures that require the board to take a more effective role in articulating the mission and strategies of the firm, allocating appropriate resources, and ensuring coherent appraisals of those strategies.
Corporate Ideology and Strategic Delegation
Authors: MACMILLAN IAN C.
Published: March 2008

As a result of massive doses of external constraints on business, the past two decades have seen a trend in many U.S. companies from aggressive, tough‐minded fast movers, with confident independent middle managers, to much more procedure‐bound and uncertain or slow‐acting bureaucracies. Decisions of importance must now conform to volumes of policy manuals and be ratified by increasing numbers of specialist staff people, particularly legal and accounting staff. Clearly this bureaucratic strangulation leaves much to be desired. To hamstring middle management by imposing layer on layer of caveats and internal “regulations,” and by requiring that their decisions be ratified by burgeoning hierarchies of staff specialists, serves only to slow managers' response times, destroy their initiative, and demotivate those that have any aggressiveness at all. Equally clearly, for a company's middle managers to build and maintain momentum they need to be able to act autonomously and confidently, yet at the same time there is a need for them to act in ways that are appropriate for the overall company they represent.
Achieving the Potential of Decision Support Systems
Authors: COLLIER DON , King William R.
Published: March 2008

The notion of “decision support systems” (DSS) has entered the lexicon of strategic management in recent years. Practitioner‐oriented planning journals now carry numerous advertisements for commercially available “decision support systems.” The research literature has also begun to address the topic of strategic DSS (e.g.,[15, 24]).
WHY BUSINESSES FAIL
Authors: Altman Edward I.
Published: March 2008

The number of business failures in this country is growing at an alarming rate. While many experts have looked at the specific reasons why particular companies fail, few have examined the general trends and macroeconomic conditions that affect business failures. The author has, and has come to some surprising conclusions.
CORPORATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE
Authors: Rappaport Alfred
Published: March 2008

Strategic plans need to be evaluated in rational economic terms. Earnings per share and book ROI no longer do the job. What is needed, the author contends, is a new shareholder value approach.
Is the Attack on Strategy Valid?
Authors: Lamb Robert
Published: March 2008

A spate of articles that vociferously attacks business strategy as a failure in practice, a useless concept, and a fad or current management vogue that is destined to pass into eclipse by the ascendance of a new “buzz word” has recently appeared in Fortune, Harpers, and other popular periodicals.
New Directions for AT&T
Authors: Brown Charles L.
Published: March 2008

Last year, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) decided to accept the Justice Department's proposal to break up the Bell System—a 100‐year‐old institution, the largest business in the world, with one million employees and 3 million share owners.
Getting Physical: New Strategic Leverage From Operations
Authors: Skinner Wickham
Published: March 2008

An emerging wave of competitively aggressive moves originating in the operations function is a striking new phenomenon of the 1980s. These moves are creating an arsenal of strategic weapons that are essentially physical. While the weapons are numerous, their common feature is that they are derived from better deployment and management of physical assets.
Telemarketing: A New Weapon in the Arsenal
Authors: Coppett John C. , Dale Vorhees Roy
Published: March 2008

One of the most fundamental and dramatic changes since World War II in the conduct of strategic war has been the intense compression of time. Whereas in World War II it took the United States several years to train, transport, and launch major forces against an enemy, the present engagement time for a massive nuclear exchange of intercontinental missiles between the United States and the U.S.S.R. is fifteen minutes. Approximately half of that time would elapse before detection and communication reaches the national command center (the President), leaving seven or eight minutes for national decision and reaction. This highly centralized decision and reaction process has been among the major changes since World War II in our conduct of strategic warfare. It is based on the gathering together of information, on a real‐time basis, into a national command center where it can be evaluated and used by strategic decisionmakers.
Planning for Humanism
Authors: Cunningham Mary E.
Published: March 2008

One of the reasons our economy is in its current, uncertain state is that we are not making full use of our resources. Not the natural resources we read about in countless editorials, but the resources that are far more abundant in quantity while being far more rare in quality and value—our human resources.
Technology in Diversified, Decentralized Companies
Authors: Collier Don
Published: March 2008

Technology, particularly when defined broadly as “know‐how,” is the raison d'être of most businesses. The customer is willing to pay the vendor who knows how to produce a product or service that the customer is either unable or unwilling to produce himself.
Will Corporate Performance Decline in an Improving Economy?
Authors: Hergert Michael
Published: March 2008

Measuring corporate performance is difficult. No single measure can fully describe how well a firm is doing in the diverse aspects of its operations. As a result, analysts are forced to choose between synthesizing the dozens of ratios that describe a company or relying on simple aggregate measures to summarize overall performance. Return on equity (ROE) is one of the most popular of the latter indices. For example, ROE is used widely by investors in appraising common stock purchases, and by corporate planners in evaluating corporate performance.
MIS Development in American Industry
Authors: Roberts C. Richard , Boone Louis E.
Published: March 2008

The business environment for the past quarter‐century has been characterized by increasing competition, decreasing product life cycles, and growth of industrial organizations in terms of both human and physical assets. Coupled with these challenges are increased societal pressures for greater corporate accountability. In order to survive and eventually achieve myriad diverse objectives, decisionmakers are forced to extend planning horizons, introducing even greater levels of uncertainty. Moreover, the typical decision‐maker is further removed from action points, increasing the communications problem and rendering decisive management more difficult.
INTEGRATING STRATEGIES FOR CLUSTERS OF BUSINESSES
Authors: Heany Donald F. , Weiss Gerald
Published: March 2008

U.S. corporations have been paying attention to strategic planning at the line‐of‐business level. However, something more is needed. According to the authors, strategic planning for clusters of businesses is the missing and vital ingredient for success in the future.
A FOUR‐PHASED RESCUE PLAN FOR TODAY'S TROUBLED COMPANIES
Authors: Dolan Patrick F.
Published: March 2008

In the wake of unprecedented numbers of company failures, many businesses are now scrambling to elude a similar fate. The author offers a program for rescuing today's troubled companies.
RETAILING STRATEGIES IN INFLATIONARY TIMES
Authors: Etgar Michael , Shrivastava Paul
Published: March 2008

Although inflation has abated somewhat in the United States, its specter still looms on the horizon. Indeed, inflation is expected to remain endemic to most advanced nations in the coming years. Perhaps no industry is as affected by inflation as retailing. In order to cope, retailers need to understand the changes in the behavior of their consumers, suppliers, and competitors and must formulate constructive strategies to respond to these.
GAINING INSIGHTS THROUGH STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Authors: Day George
Published: March 2008

The past decade has seen widespread adoption of specific strategy analysis methods ranging from PIMS to portfolio management. Recently, disenchantment has set in. The answer lies not in rejecting the various theories and models, but in creatively combining usage of them. Each may only give part of the picture, but together they can clarify even the most complex strategy.
EFFECTIVE INNOVATION MANAGEMENT: MISSING LINK IN STRATEGIC PLANNING?
Authors: McGinnis Michael A. , Ackelsberg M. Robert
Published: March 2008

Following World War II, American corporations enjoyed twenty‐five years of prosperity and technological dominance. That has changed dramatically in recent times. Management has to rekindle innovation and creativity, say the authors, who give a blueprint that will help strategic planning live up to its expectations.
Confronting the Communications Revolution
Authors: Dionne Joseph L.
Published: March 2008

In today's fast‐changing business environment, decisionmaking has become increasingly complex. Managers must juggle data on resources, costs, inflation and disinflation, market needs, demographics, ROI, R&D, government regulations, and much more. With every important business decision thrusting a manager into a thicket of facts and figures, the challenge is to cut through the tangle to select the right information. Only then can the options be properly evaluated and an informed decision be made. For companies in today's competitive environment, obtaining the right information can make the difference between getting ahead or falling behind.
Managing Change: How Dayton Hudson Meets the Challenge
Authors: Macke Kenneth A.
Published: March 2008

The ability to manage change is an important challenge for any business, but a particularly critical one for a retailer—whose business is to serve as the purchasing agent for an ever‐changing consumer.
“Debranding”: A Product Strategy With Profit Potential
Authors: Parasuraman A.
Published: March 2008

The growing consumer demand for, and acceptance of, so‐called no‐name brands of a variety of food, as well as nonfood, products—from cooking oil to cotton swabs, tomato juice to toilet tissue, brownie mix to beauty aids, and liquor to laundry detergent—is a significant development in retailing. No‐name brands have captured about 2 percent of the total grocery sales in the United States in just three years . According to a recent report prepared by A.C. Nielsen Company, no‐name brand shares in the top fifty product categories in which they are strongest range from 4 to 10 percent of the category sales volumes; this is in spite of the fact that no‐name brands have not yet achieved the broad levels of retail distribution enjoyed by branded products . In fact, the share of no‐name brands is as high as 16 percent in certain product categories based on the sales volumes of only those retail outlets that carry them. Contrary to industry expectations, the growth of no‐name brands appears to be a persistent market phenomenon rather than a passing fad. Indeed, retail chains such as Ralph's on the west coast and Jewel in the midwest now have “generic” aisles in their stores.
Tools for Managing in Mature Operations
Authors: Napper William C.
Published: March 2008

Like many midwestern companies that decades ago started business in industries now considered basic, Borg‐Warner currently has a number of strategic business units in mature industries.
THE CASE FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Mintzberg Henry
Published: March 2008

In an economy of giant, divisionalized corporations, corporate social responsibility is almost impossible to achieve. Yet, the author contends, corporations must achieve it if our society and economy are to continue and to flourish.
OVERCOMING ECONOMIC HARD TIMES: SOME LESSONS FROM THE BRITISH EXPERIENCE
Authors: Norburn David
Published: March 2008

The United States' economic experience has closely paralleled that of Britain. If both countries are to return to controlled prosperity, changes are needed in the business world and in academia. If those changes don't happen, the downward spiral toward depression may well accelerate.
A NEW WAY OUT OF THE PRODUCTIVITY AND INNOVATION MORASS?
Authors: Petro Frank A.
Published: March 2008

During the 1980s, U.S. business will continue to face serious productivity and innovation problems as the economy shifts from a production‐based to a knowledge‐based one. To tackle the productivity challenge, companies will have to adapt their organizational, reporting, and compensation systems to the post‐industrial era.
Technological Change and Competition
Authors: Gould Jay M.
Published: March 2008

The impact of science on business in the U.S. post‐World War II period has wrought a profound change in the spirit and nature of modern competition. In the 1930s, economists were concerned with such newly emerging problems as monopolistic and oligopolistic competition and the growing ability of large companies to deliberately retard the rate of technological innovation until the market was deemed “ready.” Such concerns were dramatically reflected in the famous hearings held by the Temporary National Economic Committee in the years 1937 to 1940.
Organization Design: A Case Study on Matching Strategy and Structure
Authors: Hax Arnoldo C. , Majluf Nicholas S.
Published: March 2008

The structure of an organization is no longer viewed as a rigid definition of hierarchical levels and interrelationships among different groups. Managers use the organizational design process as a fundamental tool for implementing and communicating the strategic direction selected for the firm.
THE APPLICATION AND MISAPPLICATION OF THE EXPERIENCE CURVE
Authors: Henderson Bruce D.
Published: March 2008

In recent years, the experience curve has gone through a crisis of confidence. This is due, the author contends, to the misunderstanding and misapplication of the curve by some managers. The basic validity and usefulness of the curve remain unchallenged. This article provides a guide to using the curve properly.
SURPRISE AND THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Authors: Rothschild William E.
Published: March 2008

To compete in the new global environment, companies must constantly map the terrain in which they operate, alert for signs of change. Managers must move beyond the narrow concepts of segmentation and begin to think in terms of strategic arenas in order to be successful.
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Authors: Horovitz Jacques
Published: March 2008

A recent study of large European companies has surfaced some common concerns and issues. These firms seem to be focusing their efforts and attention on restructuring their organizations, improving their information and control systems, enhancing the effectiveness of their strategic planning process, and honing their managerial talents for strategic thinking.
BUILD, HOLD, HARVEST: CONVERTING STRATEGIC INTENTIONS INTO REALITY
Authors: Gupta Anil K. , Govindarajan V.
Published: March 2008

Once a build, hold, or harvest strategy has been adopted for a business, how does the corporation ensure its implementation? The answers range from decentralizing strategic planning to tying the compensation system to successful plan implementation.
INTEGRATING CORPORATE SOCIAL POLICY INTO STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Authors: Carroll Archie B. , Hoy Frank
Published: March 2008

The 1960s saw the birth of corporate social responsibility. In the 1970s, companies focused on the management of social responsiveness. In the 1980s, corporations are grappling with the issue of making social responsibility a part of overall strategic management. The authors examine some of the ramifications of the search for a new definition of social responsibility.
Managing Declining Businesses
Authors: Rudie Harrigan Kathryn
Published: March 2008

The factory was five years old and was already a strategic misfit. It had become ill‐suited for processing the raw materials the company could hope to buy. Although the factory operated efficiently enough, it could only process those particular grades of crude materials that were becoming increasingly scarce, hence expensive. Faced with insufficient long‐term supplies of the appropriate raw materials, the company's management recognized that the plant—indeed the entire business—was probably doomed to obsolescence within the next fifteen years, but it could not shut down the plant immediately. The company kept the obsolete factory operating while facing an uncomfortably near‐term horizon date and an unpleasant strategic choice regarding its future participation in this industry. While it deliberated, the company tried to avoid losing many of its key workers and valued managers who might leave if they knew that exit or abandonment were being contemplated.
The Strategy Audit
Authors: Lauenstein Milton
Published: March 2008

Beatrice Foods announces a $280 million write‐off and plans to divest about fifty businesses acquired in a diversification program.
How to Implement Strategic Plans
Authors: Collier Don
Published: March 2008

In this column, I will discuss the principles involved in getting strategic plans implemented and what the professional planner's role should be vis‐a‐vis these principles. I will also give examples of how these principles are applied in practice. My comments will apply especially to decentralized multibusiness companies; but the principles should be generally applicable.