bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Features
Authors: Fisher David , Ashworth Wilfred , Kerns Ruth , Hanstock Terry , Crawford John C. , Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

My conclusion is that by far the most effective way forward is to aim for a full unification of the Institute of Information Scientists, Aslib and The Library Association, and to set a short but realistic time scale within which this should be achieved. I would propose two and a half years as an appropriate length of time.
Features
Authors: Merrett Christopher , Hordon Ferelith , Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

In order to develop a range of positive policies to support and promote equal opportunities it is important to know the current position — how many male and female members, how many members from different ethnic origins, how many disabled members, what age profile, etc.
Columns
Authors: Cheshire David F. , Day Shirley , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

I enclose a letter |published below. Ed.| written in reply to an article in your journal “Libraries and Education in Black South Africa”.
Reviews
Authors: Pugh Simon
Published: March 2008

This series of brief guides is designed to stimulate thinking and to assist in the planning process, thus, allowing library managers to approach their tasks in an organised and logical manner. It does so admirably.
Features
Authors: Gerard David , Lacey Bryant Sue , Cornford Mike , Vogel Sandra
Published: March 2008

I went to the Booksellers' Conference Exhibition (persona ELM Publications, Educational Books and Resources) hoping to alert booksellers to our new Factpacks series [Jackdaw look‐alikes, but with interesting differences].
Reviews
Authors: Pugh Simon
Published: March 2008

This step‐by‐step guide to searching the literature of librarianship and information science begins by defining the subject area and discussing the nature of the literature. A concise and ordered search strategy is detailed, after which the reader is guided through the principal sources, such as encyclopedias, bibliographies and journals. Having considered these the author discusses sources of information relating to the broader contextual issues of libraries, for example schools. Additional sources are also indicated and the book concludes by proposing methods whereby the reader can keep up to date. The characteristics and coverage of each source are discussed and the author makes a critical evaluation of each text.
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

The British Library National Sound Archive has published an important reference book Directory of Recorded Sound Resources in the United Kingdom, 1989, 173pp., ISBN 0 7123 0502 5. It is compiled and edited by Lali Weerasinghe, with research by Jeremy Silver and lists 489 collections of both privately made and rare commercial recordings in the UK, covering all subject areas. Addresses of the collections, opening hours, conditions of access and details of size and contents are given. The arrangement is initially under county of location but the indexes include subjects, names of collections and individuals and thus allows research across any desired topic. The collecting bodies include libraries, museums, record offices, learned societies, archives, radio stations, business and industry; and collections have been comprehensively sought out, though it surprises me that the British Film Institute is missed because it must have many historical recordings coupled with moving images. This directory is a worthy addition to the growing number of valuable National Sound Archive publications. Its price, in hardback, is £30 from the British Library Publications Sales Unit, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ.
Features
Authors: Roberts Norman , Franks Tony , Cheshire David F.
Published: March 2008

In August 1988 we invited readers to respond to a questionnaire. We'd had one in 1983 and as our August Contemporary, The Library Association Record, was doing a survey, we thought we had better have another go.
Columns
Authors: Day Shirley , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

Your series by David F. Cheshire is most interesting and worthwhile. I am specially grateful for the kind and constructive remarks he has made over the months about exhibitions in the Barbican Art Gallery, which is part of my department in the City of London.
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

The Daily Telegraph for 12 July, 1989 carries a report by Candida Crewe of her interview of Pauline Brown, for 40 years Librarian of Harrods Library, following the news that Harrods have decided to close the Library on 1 August because it is no longer profitable.
Features
Authors: Bolton Rita , Burrington Gillian A. , Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

Two chunks of high protein leading article fodder are processed by Wilfred Ashworth in his report in this issue of LA Council meeting of 27 September — the negotiations then proceeding with Butterworth's (part of Reed International) on the sale to them of LAPL journals and discussion on the Saunders' Tract — Towards a Unified Professional Organization… Enough of these left, perhaps, for me to chew them over a bit more.
Columns
Authors: Hanstock Terry , Day Shirley , Thompson Verena , Kerns Ruth , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

The Library Campaign is still a force to be reckoned with. That was the message that came out of The Campaign's crisis meeting held in Birmingham on 23 September when over 50 supporters assembled to offer much needed help and expertise.
Alerts
Authors: Ashworth Wilfred
Published: March 2008

Anything “green” is high in topicality at present and acid deposition by rain is one of the most crucial environmental issues facing the world today. The British Library in association with Technical Communications of 100 High Avenue, Letchworth, Herts SG6 3RR and the Acid Rain Information Centre at Manchester Polytechnic has issued a book which presents 18 papers from eminent European academic scientists currently engaged in studying this field and presents new data reviewing the causes and effects of acid deposition. Acid Deposition — Sources, Effects and Controls, J.W.S. Longhurst (Ed.), British Library, and Technical Communications, ISBN 0‐7123‐0765‐6, £45, should be ordered from Technical Communications not the British Library. Future titles planned in the same series are: Climatic Change/ Global Warming and literature guides on the Channel Tunnel, Greenbelt and the transport of hazardous waste and a second volume on acid deposition.
Columns
Authors: Holdall Len , Day Shirley , Fleming Edwin , Bunch Allan
Published: March 2008

The effect that a computer can have on your daily life as a library worker can be, if you're lucky, as little or as much as you like. Or so you'd like to think. How many senior managers in public and academic libraries have a computer terminal or personal computer in their offices? How many have it on their desks? Would somebody at the next meeting of the Society of County Librarians, Metropolitan Librarians, University Librarians or whatever please ask for a show of hands — which of you personally use a computer at work? My guess is less than half. Perhaps. On the other hand, how many readers' advisers, reference librarians, subject specialists, administrative officers, circulation desk or Saturday casual staff use one every day of their working lives? No doubt a majority where issues, orders and the catalogue are controlled by a computer. As far as the bread and butter is concerned, their view of information technology is likely to be coloured as much by its reliability as by what it can do. In a profession dedicated to information skills, why then do the benefits of office automation — communications, data, information and the organisation of knowledge — seem so thinly spread? Do the libraries and their parent organisations lack the funds, the vision or the will to grasp the new technologies in order to improve the way libraries are managed and therefore presumably enhance the services they offer? One information systems manager I know speaks of introducing office automation in order to get managers to speak to each other! Librarians I'd have thought would have been quite good at that and would welcome another, electronic way of doing it. Or is the implication of a decision support system, that decisions based on facts might actually have to be made, too difficult a concept for our library leaders? As an editorial in Computer Weekly said: “in exploring executive's information needs, you are exploring their mental model of the business. The result can be to challenge long held assumptions and provoke radical change”. Perhaps the information professional can have a key organisational role in the development, regulation and promotion of information systems technology, through applying his/her skills in information handling and the organisation of knowledge; and if this be the case, what evidence do you see at work of planning for this role? A terminal on every chief's desk might be a start.
FORMULATING A STRATEGY OF SUPERIOR RESOURCES
Authors: Lauenstein Milton C. , Skinner Wickham
Published: March 2008

The grass may seem greener in another field, but take a long, hard look before your company diversifies. The pitfalls of scattering your resources—technology, knowledge, management, human skills, and finances—can mean disaster. Concentrate instead on focusing your energies and gaining competitive advantage.
STRATEGIES FOR DECLINING INDUSTRIES
Authors: Rudie Harrigan Kathryn
Published: March 2008

How should your company respond to the complex competitive challenge of declining demand? The model described here can increase your prospects of success.
HOW TO USE STRATEGIC FUNDS PROGRAMMING
Authors: Stonich Paul J.
Published: March 2008

Strategic Funds Programming is designed to help managers bridge the gap between strategy and action. The process has been implemented successfully in companies in the United States and Europe, and has the potential to help corporations deal with the frustrations of getting a formulated strategy moving.
GLOBESCAN: A WAY TO BETTER INTERNATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT
Authors: Hofer Charles W. , Haller Terry P.
Published: March 2008

How do you balance the rewards against the risks when you're thinking of new international operations? Here's a technique that works for domestic businesses looking to put a toe in the water overseas as well as for established multinationals.
CORPORATE GROWTH STRATEGIES
Authors: Guth William D.
Published: March 2008

Despite the depletion of natural resources and social costs of industrial production, corporate growth will remain a central objective for managers of American corporations in the coming decade. What must change is how that objective is pursued.
Boards of Directors
Authors: LAUENSTEIN MILTON
Published: March 2008

Alfred P. Sloan, in My Years With General Motors, describes how GM came up with the strategic concept that lifted it from a distant second to domination of the automobile industry for over half a century.
Human Resource Strategy
Authors: SPRINGER CLIF
Published: March 2008

Corporate managers have an increasing need for data on career paths, compensation, and staffing in corporation planning functions in order to better manage their own operations. At the same time, current and potential members of corporate planning staffs need similar information to better guide their careers and activities. This survey was conducted to meet an important part of the needs of both management and staff.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: THE CORNERSTONE OF STRATEGIC THINKING
Authors: South Stephen E.
Published: March 2008

The idea of competitive advantage is not new. What is new is the growing acceptance of this planning concept as a general philosophy of management. In all likelihood, the notion of competitive advantage will provide the guiding philosophy for the predominant management practice of the 1980s: strategic management. As experience at Clark Equipment Company shows, the answers to eight key questions can spell out a winning strategy.
MANAGING A RETURN TO FINANCIAL HEALTH
Authors: Altman Edward I. , La Fleur James K.
Published: March 2008

When Jim La Fleur took the helm at GTI, it was a company hovering on the edge of bankruptcy. By using the Altman Bankruptcy Predictor Model in an active way to set strategy, La Fleur was able to return the company to a sound balance sheet. This is a case report of a marriage of an academically developed model and a corporate strategy designed to manage a financial turnaround.
USING MODELS IN FINANCIAL PLANNING
Authors: Gibson Charles W.
Published: March 2008

Models can be a beneficial planning tool to evaluate real alternatives. However, the user must avoid some common traps, including the temptation to have the model validate management's preconceived notions and the allure of overly elaborate and complex models.
THE NEED TO REFORM CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN THE MUTUAL INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Authors: Jemison David , Oakley Robert
Published: March 2008

Mutual insurance companies will have to reform their corporate governance practices if they want to avoid new and excessive government regulation. Steps they can take include: changes in board structure and composition, the addition of several committees, more open communication with policyholders, and greater involvement of the board in setting strategy.
Keeping Your Corporate Strategy on Track
Authors: Lauenstein Milton
Published: March 2008

More and more members of the business community agree that boards of directors have a responsibility for seeing that their companies have an effective strategy. But there is little agreement on what constitutes a corporate strategy, and even less on what characterizes an effective one.
Fixing the Corporate Image
Authors: Haller Terry
Published: March 2008

In our last column (Spring 1981), we talked about how your financial communications program could be strengthened by using marketing research methods that dovetail with strategic planning principles. The net impact, we argued, would be an improvement in the corporate image.
What the Computer Can Do for the Planner
Authors: Lewis Walker
Published: March 2008

The computer is an extremely valuable tool in strategic planning. But that is all it is—a tool. To borrow a phrase from Peter Drucker, it can make a planner's arm longer. The planner should view the computer as his slave—a sophisticated (and increasingly low‐cost) slave, but still a slave. The planner who finds himself the computer's slave is in deep trouble.
Lobbying Strategy and Tactics
Authors: MacMillan Ian
Published: March 2008

In a previous column on this topic, four major stages of the regulatory process were identified and the formative stage of regulation was discussed. In this column, attention will be given to the next stage—the legislative stage, in which the regulations are created by the passing of a bill through House, Senate, and the chief executive office.
FINDING THE RIGHT STRATEGIC COMBINATION
Authors: Diffenbach John
Published: March 2008

Your company may find itself traveling down several different paths at once to reach its goals. The secret of success lies in making sure the roads are compatible. At one time, selecting the right options was a matter of chance. Today, finding the winning combination is almost a science.
THE SEVEN USES OF SYNERGY
Authors: Harris Philip R.
Published: March 2008

Synergy has become more than a buzzword in today's corporation. In many cases, it's the key to survival and prosperity. The author identifies seven instances, ranging from acquisitions and relocations to the establishment of consortia, which call for synergistic responses.
THE LINK BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGY
Authors: Carroll Peter J.
Published: March 2008

When many people talk about strategy, they really mean positioning. However important positioning may be, strategists who overlook performance factors are ignoring a key ingredient of company strategy and a source of advantage over competitors.
NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY
Authors: Blount Edmon W.
Published: March 2008

Financial institutions today face open competition from a variety of sources, uncertain economic conditions, and the advent of deregulation. In order to succeed or even to survive in this new environment, financial service institutions are going to have to understand their markets better and pay more attention to strategic planning.
How Employee Retention Strategies Can Aid Productivity
Authors: Deutsch Arnold
Published: March 2008

Observers of the Japanese phenomenon of maintaining a highly productive, highly innovative economy tend to see that country's philosophy of “life‐time” employment for some sectors of its work force as a particularly exotic aspect of the whole.
HOW MULTINATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS EVOLVE
Authors: Bartlett Christopher A.
Published: March 2008

When companies grow and expand overseas, they often experience such organizational problems as the classic conflict between line and staff and between country and functional managers. Often, the companies that succeed are those that take a gradual and adaptive approach rather than engaging in a series of abrupt and traumatic reorganizations.
MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY
Authors: Dutton John , Thomas Annie
Published: March 2008

Improving productivity is a central concern of all American businesses today. While there are many approaches to boosting productivity, they all hinge on achieving the right mix of stability in routine operations and innovation in adapting to new conditions in the marketplace.
THE CHANGING FACE OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Thompson Harry , Paris Michael
Published: March 2008

Robotics will revolutionize American manufacturing. The unmanned factory of the future will bring with it a new systems orientation to strategic planning and will, at last, make operations a part of the top management team.
ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS CREATE NEW PRESSURES ON HUMAN RESOUCES
Authors: Fombrun Charles
Published: March 2008

The next decade will be one of significant human resource problems and opportunities. The successful corporation will be the one that makes human resources the driving force of long‐run strategic plans.
Strategic Management in Diversified, Decentralized Companies
Authors: Collier Don
Published: March 2008

One of the purposes of effective strategic management is to create desirable change in the company.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF SECURED EMPLOYMENT
Authors: Mascarenhas Briance
Published: March 2008

Should American businesses guarantee workers lifetime employment as many Japanese and European firms do? While guaranteed employment poses some problems especially in times of economic downturn, the benefits in terms of increased productivity can be substantial. Here are some strategies to make guaranteed employment work.
The Strategic Side of Dividends
Authors: LAUENSTEIN MILTON
Published: March 2008

The decision as to how much cash to invest in the business and how much to pay out in dividends is a fundamental element of corporate strategy. Commonly, however, these decisions are made with little thought about their strategic implications. Myth, custom, and the imagined perception of others frequently overshadow sound economics in determining dividend policy.
A Look at the Strategic Planning Consulting Firms
Authors: LAMB BOB , HOFER CHARLES , Henry Harold W.
Published: March 2008

The strategic planning consulting industry has grown very rapidly during the 1970s and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. In order to determine the nature and growth rate of the strategic planning consulting industry and the variety of services, approaches, and impacts of such consulting firms, I recently conducted a field study.
INTERNATIONALIZING INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION
Authors: Ronstadt Robert , Kramer Robert J.
Published: March 2008

For decades, America has been the major source of industrial innovation. In recent years, that has begun to change as other countries challenge America's supremacy. In order to counter these new cradles of innovation around the world, U.S. enterprises face some difficult strategic and operating decisions.
RISK ANALYSIS: IMPORTANT NEW TOOL FOR BUSINESS PLANNING
Authors: Hertz David B. , Thomas Howard
Published: March 2008

Managers are often asked to consolidate and improve their organization's strengths without taking undue risks. The techniques and models of risk analysis can help managers chart a course through today's increasing uncertainty.
PIMS: FACT OR FOLKLORE?
Authors: Lubatkin Michael , Pitts Michael
Published: March 2008

Perhaps no strategic planning model has generated the controversy that PIMS has. Although some of the critics' charges may be justified, the authors find that the model is still valid and extremely valuable.
Private Initiatives Toward Economic Progress
Authors: MAZZOLINI RENATO , WALTER INGO , Butcher Willard C.
Published: March 2008

A liberal, open, competitive, market‐oriented economy, with all its variations, is an eminently better strategy for economic progress than its alternative, the state‐managed economic system. This thesis is seemingly simple yet so complex for economic policymakers to understand.
The Impact of Consumer Trends on Corporate Strategy
Authors: BOYD HARPER , HALLER TERRY , Kresch Sandra D.
Published: March 2008

Over the past few decades, the American corporate community operated in an environment of rapid growth, changing technology, and aggressive expansion into world markets. Throughout this period, productivity increased consistently, resulting in an ever‐climbing GNP. With this rising tide of economic progress, the material and social rewards available to the American consumer appeared to be unlimited.
Using the Stock Market to Assess Strategic Position
Authors: STERN JOEL , Strebel Paul
Published: March 2008

Corporate business portfolios, once bright with future stars, have darkened appreciably of late. With the economies of both North America and Europe moving from the growth of the 1960s to the stagflation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the classification of business units into question marks, future stars, cash cows, or hopeless dogs has lost much of its relevance. There are simply not enough future stars to go around. Indeed, the life cycle of the market share—market growth matrix, pioneered by the Boston Consulting Group, has been more like that of an entertainment celebrity than a celestial star; it seems to be falling into disfavor, as a technique in corporate planning, almost as rapidly as it rose to prominence.
GLOBAL COMPETITION IN THE 1980s
Authors: Gluck Frederick
Published: March 2008

Following a decade of economic turmoil, the climate for international business in the 1980s should be more favorable due to changes in the oil, currency, and labor markets. Those companies that recognize the growing trend toward globalization and position themselves to take advantage of it will emerge successful in the coming decade.
DEVELOPING AND MANAGING NEW PRODUCTS
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

Why, when we know so much about new‐product development and commercialization, do so many companies manage the process poorly? The author contends it's because too many executives ignore the rules of the road.
BEYOND CORPORATE STRATEGY
Authors: Fombrun Charles , Graham Astley W.
Published: March 2008

Up until now, strategic planning has been done primarily at the business unit and corporate levels. The growing complexity and interdependence of the business environment argues for a new concept of strategy. Companies must begin to view strategy from a collectivistic perspective. Only by collective action will companies be able to meet the challenges ahead.
Anticipating Banking Deregulation
Authors: Aspinwall Richard C.
Published: March 2008

Prospects for banking regulation are a central issue in planning by firms that provide financial services or are considering offering such services. Because there has been deregulation in the past, further deregulation is often assumed for the future. Indeed, sometimes de‐regulation seems to be taken for granted.
Effective Board Development: Five Areas for Concern
Authors: Boulton William R.
Published: March 2008

Boards of directors have been the subject of growing concern over the past decade. Today, pressures are building for increased reform within the corporate boardroom. An apparent increase in director responsibilities and liabilities makes this subject an issue of deep and current concern to the whole corporate community. Such varied sources as the SEC, the courts, Ralph Nader, Professor Stone, Authur Goldberg, and others have made suggestions for reform ranging from federal chartering to placing outside and public directors on boards, with separate staffs to serve these outside board members. If we are to preserve our present free‐enterprise system, then we must work quickly to develop our corporate boards into effective operating units.
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP: ONE ROAD TO PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Davy Samuel J.
Published: March 2008

Many American companies in mature industries have become uncompetitive because restrictive work practices and labor costs have outstripped productivity. One answer to the dilemma may lie in employee ownership of the business.
LINKING CORPORATE STOCK PRICE PERFORMANCE TO STRATEGY FORMULATION
Authors: Branch Ben , Gale Bradley
Published: March 2008

The price of a company's stock affects many aspects of its operations, ranging from access to capital to executive compensation to acquisition strategy. Unfortunately, too few managers understand why stock prices are important and what is a high or low price. The authors provide a model of stock price performance, examine the link to business unit profitability, and suggest some steps to improve your company's market valuation.
The Rescue and Resuscitation of Chrysler
Authors: Iacocca Lee A.
Published: March 2008

When I came to Chrysler in 1979, the Michigan State Fairgrounds were jammed with thousands of unsold, unwanted, rusting Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths. Foreign operations were leeching the lifeblood out of the company. And worst of all, cars were coming off the assembly line with loose doors, chipped paint, and crooked moldings.
The Issues in Japan‐U.S. Economic Relations
Authors: Blumenthal W. Michael
Published: March 2008

Over the last twenty or thirty years, in spite of the frictions and difficulties that have arisen from time to time, economic relations between the United States and Japan have been very successful and beneficial for both countries. The United States and Japan have benefited equally in regard to trade and investment, the generation of technology, and the development of a better standard of life for the people of both countries.
TO Grow … or Not to Grow …?
Authors: Lauenstein Milton
Published: March 2008

Or not to grow? Can this be a serious question? Is there a company that does not embrace growth as a principal objective? The thesis of this column is that in many companies, whether or not to grow is a serious strategic question which needs to be addressed by corporate directors. Too often, growth is accepted as an objective automatically, whether or not it is in the shareholders' best interests.
PREEMPTIVE STRATEGIES
Authors: MacMillan Ian C.
Published: March 2008

Preemptive strategies often offer the best opportunity to gain advantage over competitors and upset industry balance. Preemptive moves exist all along the industry chain if one knows where to look for them. Companies can preempt their rivals in myriad ways, ranging from threatening major investments and securing critical skills to cornering raw materials and components and positioning products in a unique way.
HOW TO DESIGN VALUE‐CONTRIBUTING EXECUTIVE INCENTIVES
Authors: Rappaport Alfred
Published: March 2008

Executive compensation plans have come under increasing criticism. A new approach—value performance plans—offers a promising way to motivate executives to make decisions consistent with the long‐term interests of their companies.
Orchestrating vs. Observing Your Own Takeover
Authors: Unruh James A. , Bruno Albert V. , Leidecker Joel
Published: March 2008

Few public companies are immune to takeover attempts. In fact, public companies are, by definition, for sale every day. That's what being a “public” company means.
Avoiding Planning Backlash
Authors: Earley Wayne , Kaiser Michael M. , Metz Raymond E.
Published: March 2008

Strategy has become one of the most overused and misused words in our business vocabulary. Chief executives love to talk about strategy because “it's the thing to do.” Managers love the word because it makes them sound more professional. Planners love “strategy” because it allows them to establish their own unique identity within the corporation. Which managers can stand before their subordinates, peers, or bosses and admit to not having a strategy?
STRATEGY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES: CASHING IN ON COMPETITIVE INERTIA
Authors: MacMillan Ian C. , Lynn McCaffery Mary
Published: March 2008

Although new products in the financial services field can be easily duplicated by competitors, it often takes a long time for competitors to do so. An investigation by the authors reveals that there are many reasons for this phenomenon ranging from product complexity to the internal politics and corporate culture of competitors. Understanding these response barriers can be a key ingredient of success.
Facing the Problems of the World Economy
Authors: Weidenbaum Murray L.
Published: March 2008

The specter of protectionism is haunting the world economy. In this time of high unemployment and low growth, many countries are responding to serious domestic problems with one of the oldest and most discredited approaches—measures to restrict world trade. The perilous drift toward the depressing policies of the 1930s is now noticeable to the most casual observer.
An Update on Chemical Industry Strategies
Authors: Copulsky William
Published: March 2008

Key structural changes in the business environment have affected the basic strategic elements of the chemical industry in the last decade. These environmental changes have not run their full course and require continual attention in strategic planning in an industry that shipped $187 billion in products in 1981.
REVITALIZING THE U.S. ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Authors: Kennedy Edward M.
Published: March 2008

Among the many economic problems facing the United States in the coming years, none may be more critical than the steady erosion of our industrial competitiveness in the international marketplace. The U.S. merchandise trade deficit has reached record levels: $69.4 billion in 1983 and a projected $100 billion or more in 1984. Since 1978, we have lost 3 million manufacturing jobs; today, manufacturing employment represents less than 21 percent of total employment in this country, compared with 34 percent in 1950, and pessimistic scenarios suggest it may drop to as low as 17 percent by 1995. Almost all of the net employment growth in the United States since the 1970s has been in the service and high‐tech sectors.
MAKING U.S. BUSINESS COMPETITIVE
Authors: Iacocca Lee A.
Published: March 2008

Chrysler was about to go under in 1981, with 600,000 jobs in the balance. Federal loan guarantees were the last resort. At that time it was just plain survival—lifeboat economics.
MARKET SHARE AND CORPORATE STRATEGY IN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES
Authors: Leontiades James
Published: March 2008

A study of companies in three different industries shows that growing internationalization of business brings about major changes in the positioning of competitors and the appropriate competitive strategies. Only after going through a financial crisis did the companies studied emerge from national to international status.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CORPORATION: HOW IDENTITY INFLUENCES BUSINESS
Authors: Ackerman Laurence D.
Published: March 2008

Understanding the fundamental identity of one's company—the source of its traditions and shared values—can help explain and foreshadow success and failure in business. In fact, it may be the principal internal influence on the company.
Setting Strategy Using Variable ROI Analysis
Authors: Quandt John H.
Published: March 2008

The concept of using variable return on investment (ROI) as an analytical tool for evaluating business unit performance and potential is not new. However, the concept can be most applicable in a recovery life cycle of a corporation or any time when excess capacity exists. The recession of 1981–1982, for example, left many companies with a lower sales base over which their fixed costs had to be spread, consequently squeezing profit margins and ROI.
Lowering Barriers to Innovation
Authors: Myers Robert L.
Published: March 2008

Over the past few years innovation has become a major subject of discussion in the press, academia, the halls of government and corporate offices.
DESIGN: A POWERFUL BUT NEGLECTED STRATEGIC TOOL
Authors: Kotler Philip , Alexander Rath G.
Published: March 2008

Design is a potent strategic tool that companies can use to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Yet most companies neglect design as a strategy tool. What they don't realize is that good design can enhance products, environment, communications, and corporate identity.
A FRESH LOOK AT NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Heany Donald F. , Vinson William D.
Published: March 2008

Companies that fail to develop new products will eventually see profits diminish. Yet for a surprising number of companies, product innovation is not a strength. The authors call for a reexamination of the way new product development is approached.
APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY LIFE CYCLES TO TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS
Authors: Harvey Michael G.
Published: March 2008

Multinational companies often wrestle with the question of how to transfer technologies to less developed countries. Any appraisal system should include an examination of internal factors, competitor analysis, and recipient country evaluation.
The Consumer Revolution in the Supermarket
Authors: Gordon McGovern R.
Published: March 2008

Americans are eating differently these days and that fact is fundamentally changing the face of the food processing industry.
Long‐Range Planning: The Need for Strategic Skills
Authors: Clarke Warren E.
Published: March 2008

Today's “long‐range planning” efforts most often take three to five years as the nominal long‐range horizon. Unfortunately, most plans in reality look no further than one to three years, and the financial projections which constitute the major portions of many plans have no validity after more than one or two years. Plans emphasize current products and strategic business units (SBUs) and sort them into three categories: “grow,” “hold,” and “harvest.” The firm attempts to gain market share in the “grow” products or SBUs, and attempts to maintain market share for those labeled “hold.” Yet, for the products or SBUs under the harvest category, the firm gives up market share to gain cash to finance the “grow” businesses. A company's long‐range future, however, does not necessarily correlate with the three‐to‐five‐year outlook of such products and SBUs.
Making Cluster Strategies Work
Authors: Stengrevics John M.
Published: March 2008

In the Summer 1983 issue of this journal, Heany and Weiss introduced “cluster strategy” into the lexicon of strategic planning. They argued that in diversified corporations, additional leverage can be gained by integrating the strategies of a number of related strategic business units (SBUs), thereby giving rise to a cluster strategy. They proposed seven bases for formulating clusters (quest for efficiency, market relatedness, shared production processes, underlying technology, market systems relationships, distribution system, company specific) and also touched upon an administrative problem involved in establishing business clusters. That is, only CEOs have sufficient clout to translate perceived strategic relationships among SBUs into a unified strategy based on inter‐SBU cooperation.
The New Alchemy: Divestment for Profit
Authors: Harowitz Howard , Halliday Doug
Published: March 2008

We are all very familiar with the concept of “cash cows,” “dogs,” “stars,” etc., and can cite chapter and verse on the necessity of getting rid of the dogs. In a growing number of corporations, management has successfully operationalized this lesson, and divestments are handled in a fashion that works toward maximizing the value of the firm. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many firms whose management is reluctant or even unable to approach the divestment decision on a purely business footing. Moreover, for these firms, even once the decision to divest is made, the sellers usually leave money on the table. This article lays out a framework to help management ensure that they do, in fact, receive top dollar for their divestments.
FORMULATING A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY
Authors: Gale Bradley T. , Klavans Richard
Published: March 2008

In the long run, higher quality captures a larger market share and results in higher profits. But with technology constantly changing, today's quality products may not be tomorrow's. By assessing how customers perceive quality, one can formulate sound strategies and commit to long‐term investment with greater confidence.
STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR GLOBAL COMPETITION
Authors: Shanks David C.
Published: March 2008

The world's economic and business environment has changed in fundamental ways over the past two decades. Corporations now face growing incentives and pressures to seek opportunities in a world marketplace. This article describes a method that can be used by multinational corporations to recognize global competition within their industries, and it examines some emerging trends with which MNCs will have to contend.
NEW VENTURE PLANNING
Authors: Cox Connie
Published: March 2008

Identifying new business opportunities can be a difficult and trying experience for executives. Unlike most business problems, it requires working with something new—a new product or service, a new market, a new customer.
CORPORATE STRATEGY
Authors: Shrivastava Paul
Published: March 2008

Managers, consultants, and management researchers are increasingly realizing the important role of organizational culture in determining the decision‐making patterns and the long‐term success of organizations. A unique characteristic of most continuously successful organizations, according to Peters and Waterman, is that they possess consciously developed recognizable cultures that support innovation and strategic actions.
COMPANY TURNAROUND
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

A successful company turnaround usually requires implementing significant changes in how a business is run. “Business as usual” does not suffice—that is what places the company in mortal jeopardy in the first place.
THE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE TO U.S. BUSINESS
Authors: Garfield David C.
Published: March 2008

Few companies can afford to ignore international competition; those which are comfortable today may be vulnerable tomorrow. There are several strategies that companies can develop to improve their positions in light of the current highly competitive economic environment.
ASSESSING POLITICAL RISK IN LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
Authors: Desta Asayehgn
Published: March 2008

Corporate investment in less developed countries can be a lucrative source of resources and earnings. But how does one minimize the risks—particularly the political risks? The current trend in risk‐assessment methodology is to use “hard data” rather than subjective analysis. But this can be a drawback because the quantitative methodologies used are often determined by the data available. Presented here is a framework for political risk assessment that does more than simply look at the numbers.
PUTTING TECHNOLOGY INTO STRATEGY
Authors: Frohman Alan L
Published: March 2008

Nearly every company uses technology in some form. And to maximize profit potential, it is imperative that companies integrate technology into strategic plans. The author presents a system for using technological resources better. This system has been successfully applied to a wide variety of companies including service organizations, companies selling products, businesses with high‐volume and low‐volume manufacturing processes, companies with rapidly advancing technology, and companies whose products use mature technology. Failing to integrate technology with strategic plans could mean a substantial decline in business.
MARKETING STRATEGY
Authors: Feldman Laurence P. , Page Albert L.
Published: March 2008

The decade of the 1970s will go down in the history of marketing as the period when strategic marketing planning first emerged as an identifiable area of theory and practice. In the process, a whole new vocabulary of terms was added to the marketing lexicon. Thus, one now speaks of cash cows, stars, problem children, and dogs when one refers to products and product portfolios. To deal with products classified in this manner, a set of four general market‐share‐based strategies has been formulated: building; holding; harvesting; and withdrawal.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Authors: Molz Richard
Published: March 2008

The corporate board of directors is a body entrusted with power to make economic decisions affecting the well‐being of investors' capital, employees' security, communities' economic health, and executives’ power and perquisites. The power of the board of directors is often forgotten in this complex society. Managers, the government, and special interest groups seem to impose upon the corporation situations that are never addressed by the board of directors. Yet it is the board that has the ultimate internal authority within the corporation. Corporate charters granted by the various states specifically assign to the board of directors the responsibility of management, or the delegation of that management. The directors act as trustees for the shareholders, selecting the management structure of the firm, and delegating to that management structure those administrative matters the board itself chooses. The degree of delegation is a decision of each board, with most boards delegating away the major portion of their decision‐making authority.
ORGANIZATIONAL SRATEGY
Authors: Foster Lawrence W.
Published: March 2008

On the morning tide, December 27, 1831, The HMS Beagle, captained by Robert Fitzroy, set sail from Devonport harbor in the southwest of England. She was bound, on this morning after Boxing Day, for South America and the Pacific Ocean to chart ocean depth and to undertake any necessary scientific and military investigations. As The Beagle cleared the protective embrace of the harbor and plunged into the channel proper, below her decks lay Fitzroy's friend and companion, Charles R. Darwin. Darwin was at the time miserably, wretchedly, violently seasick.
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Authors: Pekar Peter
Published: March 2008

Mergers have not increased profitability, have not improved efficiency, have not expanded sales and, in fact, do not seem to yield sufficient benefit to anyone—consumer and company alike. These startling statements are some of the conclusions drawn by researchers from seven countries working on a project coordinated by the International Institute for Management and Administration in Berlin. Their conclusions were based on data collected over the last decade on 765 mergers in Europe and the United States. Needless to say, findings such as these are bound to fuel debate about management's ability to merge successfully. But is this something new, peculiar to the last decade only? History might give a clue as to how merger activity has fared.
LEVERAGED BUYOUTS AS A CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT TOOL
Authors: Golden William J. , Little Arthur D.
Published: March 2008

In the next five years, there will be a shortage of divestiture candidates qualified for leveraged buyouts relative to the number of interested buyers and the available supply of financing. Corporations will, therefore, be well positioned to negotiate favorable terms of sale for qualified divesture candidates using this technique.
ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH: BIG IS BEAUTIFUL
Authors: Dalton Dan R. , Kesner Idalene F.
Published: March 2008

Even though corporate expansion does not necessarily improve financial performance, large organizations still enjoy many advantages.
“BIG BANG” MANAGEMENT
Authors: Gluck Frederick W.
Published: March 2008

Few of the largest and most successful corporations have solved the problem of how to renew themselves when major shifts in the environment occur. What is needed is to “tamper with the main spring”; that is, a “big bang” innovation along with the institutional courage to pull it off.
REJUVENATING THE LIFE CYCLE CONCEPT
Authors: Ayres Robert U. , Steger Wilbur A.
Published: March 2008

Traditionally, it has been thought that a product life cycle is as irreversible as a biological life cycle. That is, a product inevitably moves from birth to adolescence, maturity, and death. Now there is mounting evidence that a turnabout in management thinking is under way. The new thinking is that it is actually possible to reverse the product life cycle. The key lies in introducing technological considerations into the planning process from the beginning.
Small vs. Large Companies: The Entrepreneurial Conundrum
Authors: Birley Sue , Norburn David
Published: March 2008

Ten years ago, small businesses were very much viewed as “country cousins” and were considerably patronized by their larger counter‐parts in big business. The small‐business owner was considered rather odd, and was certainly bereft of the modern techniques and skills possessed by the larger company manager. Organizations were established, serviced by retired large company executives, in order to pass on their administrative pearls of wisdom to these ignorant embryos. Wise old “grandfathers” would smooth the way for these “children” to bypass the trauma of adolescence and achieve adulthood.
The PIMS and the Policy Perspective: A Rebuttal
Authors: Lubatkin Michael , Pitts Michael
Published: March 2008

The thoughtful responses by McCabe and Chussil to a previously published article entitled “PIMS: Fact or Folklore?” by Lubatkin and Pitts have intensified the controversy that surrounds the PIMS program. At issue is the claim of the Strategic Planning Institute (SPI) that it has uncovered universal laws of the marketplace through a cross‐sectional analysis of over 2,000 varied businesses. We contend that the primary source of controversy surrounding the PIMS project arises from the differences between two prevailing perspectives of the marketplace. For the sake of convenience, we will refer to one as the “PIMS perspective” and the other as the “policy perspective.”
WHO NEEDS STRATEGIC PLANNING?
Authors: Yip George S.
Published: March 2008

Managers need neither swallow whole an elaborate strategic planning system, nor be discouraged into total rejection. Many of the problems businesses experience with strategic planning can be traced to a mismatch of their planning system and their companies' structure. This article presents a framework for conducting an audit of a company's structural need for strategic planning.
Corporate Venturing: Venture Management Challenges
Authors: George Robin , MacMillan Ian C.
Published: March 2008

A previous article described a research program the authors conducted on the creation of new businesses within the company, which is called corporate venturing.
THE LOGIC OF KANBAN
Authors: Henderson Bruce D.
Published: March 2008

The story of Kanban, the vitally important Japanese manufacturing technique, is just beginning. U.S. companies that can make use of the Kanban system will gain enormous competitive advantages.
TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIES
Authors: Day George S.
Published: March 2008

The value of strategic planning is a continuing topic for debate. As evidence mounts that many business strategies are poorly conceived and badly implemented, the debate has a renewed sense of urgency. What is most disquieting is the growing disenchantment of key participants in the process.