bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What to Do About Rising Employee Compensation
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

Companies are becoming increasingly concerned about rising em‐ployee compensation. Here are some proven ways to keep it down. First look at hourly labor. This can be considered a purchasable service and should be examined on a local‐market basis.
Overcome Cultural Barriers to Manufacturing Improvement
Authors: King Robert A. , Wood G. Christopher
Published: March 2008

Increasing productivity in manufacturing has, in recent years, been predicated on adopting automated equipment and the latest integrated manufacturing technologies. CIM, JIT, and TQC are just some of the terms that describe strategies manufacturers have embraced to engender greater efficiency and profitability.
Is Big Business Heading for Small Town, U.S.A.?
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

Although the bright lights of the big city have not entirely lost their glitter, many companies are finding that rural living can be good for business.
What to Look for in a New Office Facility
Authors: Sarvis Michael J.
Published: March 2008

The effective selection of corporate facilities can dramatically improve a company's bottom‐line performance.
The Financial Flexibility of High‐Yield Securities
Authors: Joseph Frederick H.
Published: March 2008

Many companies have turned to high‐yield issues in their search for capital. These securities have evolved beyond simple debt and, at times, can embrace the most favorable features of equity as well.
The Bridgestone‐Firestone Merger: An Insider's Account
Authors: Nevin John J.
Published: March 2008

In March 1988, Japan's Bridgestone Corporation acquired the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company for $2.6 billion. John J. Nevin, Firestone's chairman and CEO, provides this behind‐the‐scenes look at the events leading up to the merger. He also discusses the effect of foreign investment on the United States.
Product Design for Low‐Cost Manufacturing
Authors: Walleigh Richard
Published: March 2008

Even if manufacturers use the most efficient processes, they can't change lead to gold without good product design. Manufacturing managers and design engineers need to work together from the start.
A New System for Rating Service Quality
Authors: Liswood Laura A.
Published: March 2008

Service track records can help customers and analysts evaluate a company's products as well as its value. The author shows how most corporations can be held accountable for their level of service quality.
Strategic Options for Global Market Players
Authors: Koepfler Edward R.
Published: March 2008

By developing a product that meets worldwide requirements and positioning that product to capitalize on local needs, companies can capture new markets with good potential for growth.
Six Lessons for Managing Technology
Authors: Lynn Shostack G.
Published: March 2008

The baby‐boom generation has come of age and is taking charge of U.S. business. But many of the men and women who are moving into senior line management hide a dark and potentially dangerous secret: They don't know the first thing about managing technology.
Raising Venture Capital
Authors: Taylor Lon
Published: March 2008

The word “venture” is synonymous with “risk.” Venture capital investment is risk financing. The investor bases his expectations for return on capital on his assessment of measured exposure. Ferdinand and Isabella, and the other rulers of the fifteenth century, may have been the originators of risk investment for high returns.
Overhauling Corporate Engine Drives Winning Strategy
Authors: Gelb Thomas
Published: March 2008

In its eighty‐sixth year, Harley‐Davidson, the only U.S.‐based motorcyclemanufacturer, is thriving in a fiercely competitive marketplace. Improved manufacturing techniques, employee involvement, and a key acquisition have helped spur the company's growth.
Innovative Products Trigger Internal Growth
Authors: Cooper Charles G.
Published: March 2008

Helene Curtis takes on a number of world‐class marketers in the personal care industry. Sales reached $630 million last year. One of the keys to the company's success is developing new products that anticipate consumer needs.
The Downside of Downsizing
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

Restructuring has become a popular option for streamlining organizations. But has corporate America neglected the drawbacks of downsizing? The author maintains that, in many cases, muscle—as well as fat—is cut in the process.
Going Global: One Company's Road to International Markets
Authors: Hardy Maurice G.
Published: March 2008

Pall Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of specialty filters. Last year, sales totaled $429 million. Pall is a good example of the transformation of a small firm into a thriving midsize company through global development.
Broaden the Search for Clues to Product Commercialization
Authors: Buggie Frederick D.
Published: March 2008

The perspective and experience of various industry experts outside an organization can often prove valuable to verify, qualify, or kill new product concepts.
Minimize the Impact of the Gray Market
Authors: Lowe Larry S. , McCrohan Kevin F.
Published: March 2008

While a company cannot control every channel of the distribution chain, there are some methods that can be used to prevent products from being pulled into the gray market.
Employee Loyalty Is an Attainable Goal
Authors: Rhodes David W.
Published: March 2008

Let's start with a subject we're all committed to—our children. When my child was very young, my wife and I learned, as do most parents, that there are several approaches to dealing with crying at night. First, you can let a child cry. After all, life is full of ups and downs and terrors of the night. In the business world, we call them by other names—downsizing, layoffs, career plateaus, political hot soup. But kids will have to learn how to deal with them. You can't expect sympathy later, so why expect it now?
Financing an M&A Middle‐Market Transaction
Authors: Kissin Warren D. , Amiri Amin , Gross Kent
Published: March 2008

In recent months, numerous articles in this publication have discussed various aspects of financing lever‐aged buyouts. Our experience shows a dramatic increase in the number of middle‐market transactions and in the percentage financed by foreign lenders. (The acquirers in these transactions could be either U.S. companies or overseas firms.) Although, in the past, foreign lenders seldom participated in middle‐market transactions, competitive pressures and the increase in middle‐market transactions have changed this policy.
The Strategic Benefits of EDI
Authors: Dearing Brian
Published: March 2008

Electronic data interchange is a tool that can be used to slash inventory, improve cash flow, and streamline a company's operations.
Capture That Information on an Expert System
Authors: Hochron Gary
Published: March 2008

Expert systems enable complex, decision‐making information to be inserted into a computer program. Companies are beginning to apply this artificial intelligence technology to solve problems.
An Action‐Oriented Approach to Strategy
Authors: Tregoe Benjamin B. , Tobia Peter M.
Published: March 2008

Top and middle management can play an expanded role in developing and implementing strategy. The executives and their companies featured in this article demonstrate how they were able to strengthen the link between strategy and operations.
Coexisting With Regulators
Authors: Prager Allan J. , Cala John J.
Published: March 2008

Companies have much to gain by establishing and nurturing a smooth working relationship with regulators.
Marketing Strategies for Small‐Share Players
Authors: DiMingo Edward P.
Published: March 2008

Lessons from past marketing battles demonstrate that regardless of a company's size, the right tactics combined with the right strategy can produce sizable gains in market share.
Managing Resources for World‐Class Performance
Authors: Knorr Robert O.
Published: March 2008

In the race for dominance in the world auto market, Japan recently introduced two new luxury cars. Although only a few thousand have reached the United States, some industry experts predict the advanced, fuel‐efficient, 160‐mile‐per‐hour cars will soon become the ultimate standard in automotive technology.
Junk Bonds—Have They Lost Their Luster?
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

High‐yield bonds have made giant takeovers possible. The largest takeover recorded so far, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.'s (KKR) $24 billion acquisition of RJR‐Nabisco, was financed in large part by high‐yield bonds. Even though it was almost twice the size of the largest transaction up to that point, KKR had no trouble raising the money. Like many takeover financings, the offer was oversubscribed.
How to Reap the Benefits of Networking
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

Today, people network by joining clubs, going to lunch with friends, attending conferences, joining industry associations, and going to alumni dinners and reunions; others network with church members, school buddies, and community organizations. But what do these activities help them achieve in return for their time and effort? Are they worth the investment? In other words, is there a right and a wrong way to network?
Europe 1992: Update for Business Planners
Authors: Goette Eckart E.
Published: March 2008

America's regional diversity has prepared many U.S. firms to operate in a unified, post‐1992 Europe. However, European companies will also benefit and become stronger global competitors. In this article, an international business consultant offers some insights for U.S. planners.
The Hidden Clout of Marketing Middlemen
Authors: Magrath Allan J.
Published: March 2008

Middlemen can make or break a strategy. Here are two case studies that show the pivotal role that these marketers play.
Make Freight Cost Control Part of Planning
Authors: Ramsdale Phil , Harvey Steve
Published: March 2008

Today, there are more ways to move freight than ever before. Here is how to tie transportation handling to strategic planning and reduce your company's freight bills.
Why the U.S. Government Should Go to Bat for Business
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

“The United States can't sit around in striped pants drinking pink gin,” the late Sen. Jacob Javits (R‐NY) once warned. “Washington should discard its long‐standing and misguided notion that aiding American business is somehow wrong.” Now, someone in the nation's capital is listening. Believe it or not, it is Vice President Dan Quayle.
Flexible Financing With Mezzanine Debt
Authors: Gross Kent , Amiri Amin
Published: March 2008

The descriptive title, mezzanine debt, applies to a loan made without traditional security. Generally, mezzanine debt involves an unsecured debt or junior debt that is subordinate to a more traditional loan often known as senior debt.
The Long and Short of Strategic Planning
Authors: Paul Carlson F.
Published: March 2008

ROI forces a corporation to measure its performance based on a short‐term horizon. What is needed is a way to blend both short‐term and long‐term plans to achieve corporate objectives.
Flexible Jobs: Key to Manufacturing Productivity
Authors: Dupuy John
Published: March 2008

The place to begin restructuring manufacturing operations is on the shop floor where overspecialization of workers is the main barrier to improved productivity and quality.
Use Technology to Reduce Manufacturing Costs
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

Every manufacturing company has a number of organizations concerned with developing or applying technology. These groups may be called product engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, engineering analysis, material engineering, or test laboratories, to name a few.
Making Mergers Work by Managing Cultures
Authors: Malekzadeh Ali R. , Nahavandi Afsaneh
Published: March 2008

When Burroughs acquired Sperry a few years ago, market analysts were highly skeptical about the success of the merger. Two organizations with distinctly different cultures, organizational practices, and incompatible product lines had to be merged into a cohesive unit.
Strategic Restructuring for the 1990s
Authors: Knorr Robert O.
Published: March 2008

Strategic restructuring is a beginning, not an end. In the race for continuous improvement, there is no finish line. To be productive, companies must continue to examine—and improve—their corporate vision and strategies, management systems and processes, structure, operations, and methods. Rather than simply making across‐the‐board cost cuts, much can be saved by changing the mind‐sets of the managers and the way that they work.
Business Strategy in the New European Landscape
Authors: Cerruti James L. , Holtzman Joseph
Published: March 2008

The economic structure of the new Europe is more complex than originally assumed. Here's a look at the new order and its impact on global competitive strategy.
How Companies in Trouble Got There
Authors: Lurie Geoffrey D. , Ahearn Joseph M.
Published: March 2008

Even at the height of success, managers need to be able to detect early signals of trouble and implement strategies to head them off.
Product Development the Japanese Way
Authors: Czinkota Michael , Kotabe Masaaki
Published: March 2008

The Japanese approach to product development emphasizes continual technological improvement aimed at making an already successful product even better for customers. Is it time for U.S. companies to take some lessons from Japan?
The Rise of Micromarketing
Authors: Hapoienu Spencer L.
Published: March 2008

As a nation's purchasing options multiply, mass marketing techniques become less and less effective: As a result, companies may have to place more reliance on multiple‐option marketing.
Leading‐Edge Distribution Strategies
Authors: Novich Neil S.
Published: March 2008

The idea that a corporation's future may hinge on the quality of its distribution system is not always apparent. Yet leading‐edge companies are discovering the hidden value of strong distribution systems.
New‐Age Investment Banking
Authors: Lawrence Kuhn Robert
Published: March 2008

Investment bankers of the 1990s will be quite different from those who dominated the scene throughout the 1980s. The emphasis in the past decade was on organizing highly leveraged financings or acquisitions supported by high‐yield or junk bonds.
Planning the Japanese Way in the United States
Authors: Gemmell Arthur J.
Published: March 2008

The chief strategist for the U.S. division of an $18 billion multinational—Fujitsu Limited—integrates Japanese planning priorities in a domestic market.
The Dutch Go Back to School for R&D
Authors: Vleggaar Jan
Published: March 2008

Akzo NV is the fourth‐largest company in the Netherlands and a significant force in the chemical industry. Its alliance with twelve U.S. colleges helps to ensure a stream of new products, applications, and processes for the company's business units.
Competing With Technology in the World Arena
Authors: Erickson Tamara J.
Published: March 2008

Companies manage R&D in a number of ways: globally, multinationally, internationally, or transnationally. Each represents a different strategic approach to meet the bases of competition in an industry.
Time to Structure an Environmental Policy Strategy
Authors: Buzzelli David T.
Published: March 2008

In the “Decade of the Environment,” companies must excel in environmental performance. How well that performance is received by the public, by regulators, and by environmentalists could have enormous consequences for Dow Chemical and other companies.
A Guide to Global Sourcing
Authors: Fagan Mark L.
Published: March 2008

A growing number of companies are purchasing materials and services from a worldwide arena to obtain the right product at the right price at the right time. Here's how to capture the benefits of global sourcing while minimizing costs and risks.
The Japanese Art of Managing Diversity
Authors: Leontiades Milton
Published: March 2008

Japanese corporations are about the only ones that have demonstrated the ability to move quickly into emerging new industries and out of declining industries.
The Shape of Twenty‐first Century Global Manufacturing
Authors: Goldhar Joel D. , Lei David
Published: March 2008

Time is a resource that all companies have. Using it to compete in the global market is now an essential strategy.
New Marketing Mix Stresses Service
Authors: Collier David A.
Published: March 2008

The seven Ps of service management include some nontraditional ingredients to help formulate marketing strategy. Two examples illustrate how competitive advantage can be won or lost based on applying or ignoring the seven Ps.
The End of Centralized Power
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

Power is getting a dirty name, or at least a different one. Bookstores are crowded with various exposes hyping the disintegrating, fragmenting, upheaving, exploding, or breaking up of power—politically, economically, geographically, and organizationally. To illustrate:
How to Develop an Information Technology Strategy
Authors: Ashmore G. Michael
Published: March 2008

There can be no doubt that information technology (IT) has emerged as a major force in determining success or failure in the business world. Even if one sets aside for the moment the notion that IT could possibly contribute to real competitive advantage, the most cursory reviews still reveal that information systems are a way of life in nearly every facet of business.
Techniques for Making People More Productive
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

Too often, managers responsible for the economic decline of a division claim that the division's problem is obsolete equipment, which can only be remedied by substantial new investment. Seldom is this the primary cause of the troubled situation. A company that is facing economic trouble should focus on making the best use of existing equipment, owing to the low availability of capital.
Why CEOs Have Difficulty Implementing Their Strategies
Authors: Robert Michel M.
Published: March 2008

Over the course of the last few years, one has frequently heard the statement: “It's easy to develop a strategy, it's the implementation that's difficult.” This article discusses several reasons why many CEOs may feel this way.
Birth of a Business Unit
Authors: Donald Arnold
Published: March 2008

By keeping a finger on the pulse of the marketplace, Monsanto, in only five years, built its Lawn and Garden group into a $170 million SBU.
Environmental Affairs: Now on the Strategic Agenda
Authors: Hooper Todd L. , Rocca Bart T.
Published: March 2008

No company or industry can afford to be ill equipped to meet the mounting environmental challenges. Here is what some companies are doing.
Identifying the Employee of the Future
Authors: Mirabile Richard J.
Published: March 2008

Hewlett‐Packard evaluated its future marketing needs and compared it to the capabilities of current employees. This case study is an example of how other companies can ensure they have the best people to meet their strategic goals.
A Strategic Approach to Employee Motivation
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

A strategic plan is only as good as the people who will be called on to implement it.
How to Stay at the Forefront of Technological Innovations
Authors: Rosenfelder Gerald S.
Published: March 2008

Has the fear of technology involvement prevented many senior managers of multidivisional firms from playing a major role in new product technology decisions?
Leaders and How They Manage
Authors: Nahavandi Afsaneh , Malekzadeh Ali R. , Mizzi Philip J.
Published: March 2008

Many recent books on management have focused on the importance of leadership in the success of an organization. One hears more and more about the key role a CEO can play in the implementation of certain strategies.
Why Acquisitions May Not Be the Best Route to Innovation
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

Large mergers are out (for the most part), so the army that has been developed to push mergers will find new targets. In response to competitive challenges from abroad and less capital available to potential buyers, the new advice is likely to advocate that large corporations make smaller, more focused acquisitions.
Roadblocks to New Business Development
Authors: Cosgrove Michael
Published: March 2008

By what process can a mature company attempt to create a growth portfolio of new businesses? A process followed by the manufacturing and distribution division of a major international oil company is outlined in this case study. In hindsight, the process seemed sound, but actions of people (or the lack of action) doomed the plan to failure.
The Return of High Performance to the U.S. Workplace
Authors: Harrington H. James
Published: March 2008

If the proper strategies are used to change the business process, high quality and high performance will return to the U.S. workplace.
Corporate Funding: The Case for Capital Punishment
Authors: Chu Franklin J.
Published: March 2008

Tumultuous events of the last decade are forcing companies to develop new strategies to compete for scarce funds.
How Integrated Should Your Company Be?
Authors: Ewaldz Donald B.
Published: March 2008

There are visible changes in the way a growing number of firms are doing business. Rather than vertically integrate their manufacturing capabilities, adding value to a product all the way from when it comes out of the ground to when it becomes a finished good, some firms are disintegrating their manufacturing operations. Sometimes they are even buying the product in toto, adding value only as bulk‐breakers and distributors.
Raising Equity Capital—Untying the Knots in the Green Shoe
Authors: Klepetko Frank A. , Krinsky David A.
Published: March 2008

As part of the process of raising funds in the United States' public equity markets, chief financial officers are invariably confronted with a somewhat arcane part of the underwriting mechanism known as the “Green Shoe” option.
The Right Way to Downsize
Authors: Heenan David O.
Published: March 2008

Downsizing has seriously eroded the loyalty of U.S. workers. The author, who calls for a new kind of corporate culture, describes how two firms have balanced the needs of employers and employees.
A Baby Bell Reexamines Itself
Authors: Lynch Randy
Published: March 2008

U S WEST, one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies spun off from AT&T in January 1984, reevaluated all aspects of its business from top to bottom—including its corporate culture.
Moving Beyond Lean and Mean
Authors: Westerman Jewell G. , Sherden William A.
Published: March 2008

Traditional downsizing strategies often ignore the fact that corporate resources are inefficiently deployed. Here is a six‐step approach to realigning, eliminating, and reallocating resources to improve overall operations.
Turbo Marketing Through Time Compression
Authors: Kotler Philip , Stonich Paul J.
Published: March 2008

A host of advantages will flow to companies that learn to make and deliver goods and services faster than their competitors. However, four key questions must be answered to determine if a turbo marketing approach is suitable for your company.
Avoid the Breakdowns Between Planning and Implementation
Authors: Sandy William
Published: March 2008

There are eight areas in a business plan where energy is often wasted. Here's how to spot the gaps that prevent plans from being put into action.
Why Customer Focus Strategies Often Fail
Authors: Whiteley Richard C.
Published: March 2008

The author details nine pitfalls that sabotage efforts to execute a quality improvement strategy and insists that management must take a more active role in promoting the importance of customer‐focused quality.
A Strategy for Service—Disney Style
Authors: Johnson Rick
Published: March 2008

The organization's customer service philosophy was established over 35 years ago by its founder. Today, every aspect of the resorts and theme parks is geared to serve—and satisfy—its “guests.”
Consumers and the Environment: A Focus on Five Products
Authors: Scerbinski Jacqueline S.
Published: March 2008

Environmental concerns are shaping development and marketing of a host of products. Astute firms are now targeting products to this growing segment of consumers.
The Power of Partnerships
Authors: Crouse Henry J.
Published: March 2008

Increased competition, especially from foreign competitors, and the rising cost of technology have forced companies to seek out strategic alliances. A growing number of firms have learned to reap the benefits—while avoiding the pitfalls—of partnering.
Build the Foundation for a Successful Joint Venture
Authors: Gyenes Lawrence A.
Published: March 2008

The time to structure these fragile business arrangements is before they begin. With joint ventures, planners find success in the design studio, not in the repair shop.
Guidelines for Strategic Information Planning
Authors: Lederer Albert L. , Sethi Vijay
Published: March 2008

Developing a strategic information plan is an essential step for companies that want to realize the advantages of today's information technology. This article discusses ways to avoid the pitfalls that frequently occur during stages of information planning.
Business Process Redesign: Key to Competitiveness
Authors: Knorr Robert O.
Published: March 2008

Before 1980, manufacturers operated in a relatively stable business environment. The bases of competition changed gradually. The physical aspects of the product (e.g., functionality and quality) dominated; delivery and customer service were largely set by standard business practices. The significant improvements that were made in manufacturing control through the application of technologies to factory floor scheduling can no longer provide a competitive weapon.
A Strategy for Executive Staffing
Authors: Valentine John A.
Published: March 2008

The selection of executive staff has long been a concern of successful businesses. In the early 1950s, William H. Whyte, Jr., wrote in Fortune magazine of how corporations carefully screened spouses as well as executive candidates in efforts to safeguard the corporations' futures. He then went on to portray the struggles of those aspiring to such positions in his classic novel The Organization Man (1956). By the 1980s, executive selection had become so important that search firms had proliferated and corporate CEOs like General Electric's Jack Welch were receiving national recognition for their executive succession strategies.
A Customer's Definition of Quality
Authors: Miller Thomas O.
Published: March 2008

What's the best way to get “close to the customer”? One company has developed a customer feedback system to drive product design, sales, service, and support functions in order to ensure better customer responsiveness.
Profitability Reporting Techniques Bridge Information Gap
Authors: Rolfe Andrew J.
Published: March 2008

Managers often receive information from systems developed more than a decade ago, and this data is frequently insufficent for their needs. New reporting techniques are able to generate better information, which can lead to improved profits.
Why Companies Kill Their Technologies
Authors: Sisodia Rajendra S.
Published: March 2008

Several forces at work in most organizations can kill promising technologies before they ever become transformed into marketable products. Here's how to recognize the syndromes and combat them if they have already taken hold in your company.
Synchronous Manufacturing: New Methods, New Mind‐Set
Authors: Beckett William K. , Dang Khiem
Published: March 2008

Manufacturing departments challenged with meeting customer demands are finding that they need to bring the entire company in step with their efforts to achieve meaningful results.
Creating a Global Health Care Company
Authors: Bauman Robert P.
Published: March 2008

Global pharmaceutical mergers have spread the huge costs of research and enabled companies to sell their products in countries where they previously lacked a presence. Here's how the Beecham‐SmithKline Beckman marriage was developed to propel the organization into a position as a worldwide player in the drug industry.
Matching Global Strategies with National Responses
Authors: Hammerly Harry
Published: March 2008

3M has had an enviable track record in selling and distributing an array of products to overseas markets. The company has crafted a well‐established strategy that has proven successful over the past 40 years. Here's how the St. Paul powerhouse does it.
One Market for the Americas
Authors: Batres Roberto E.
Published: March 2008

Mexico, the United States, and Canada may soon agree to become the largest trading market in the world. The author suggests that companies factor the influence of this free‐trade pact into their long‐range plans.
Taking Strategy to the Bottom Line
Authors: Gurrad John , Belser Scott
Published: March 2008

Many companies try to connect strategy with the financial plans that actually guide managers' actions, but only a few have devised good linkages. In this case study, the authors describe the steps taken by one organization to integrate strategic and financial planning.
The Pitfalls of Niche Marketing
Authors: Raynor Michael E.
Published: March 2008

Corporate marketers have jumped on the micromarketing bandwagon, but many have discovered that the path to profits contains a number of potholes. This article details three companies' niche marketing mistakes; the author suggests how to avoid them.
The New Math of Performance Measurement
Authors: McCrory Francis V. , Gerstberger Peter G.
Published: March 2008

Traditional accounting measures such as ROI are of little value to managers in measuring progress toward creating shareholder value. The authors maintain that new performance measures be used and that an organization's culture be adapted to conform with this “new math.”
Crafting a Damage Control Plan: Lessons from Perrier
Authors: Kurzbard Gary , Siomkos George J.
Published: March 2008

Companies as diverse as AT&T, Exxon, and Beech‐Nut have discovered that when a crisis occurs, rarely are a corporation's contingency plans designed well enough to effectively deal with the situation. In this case study of the Perrier crisis, a better job by the company's crisis management team could have saved both the company's and the product's reputation.
Business Intelligence in Japan and Sweden: Lessons for the US
Authors: Herring Jan P.
Published: March 2008

Business intelligence (BI) activities have increased significantly in the US over the past five years—but mainly at the practitioner's level. For various reasons, senior managers in US companies have not adopted intelligence as a strategic management discipline. As a direct result, the use and effectiveness of BI operations in US firms remain questionable. Until senior executives become more interested and involved in the use of BI, the competitiveness of US companies will be limited by their inability to understand and outthink global competitors.
How Should the US Encourage Innovation?
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

The US needs more innovation. The nation's living standard has been declining relative to that of our more innovative international trading partners.
Learning from the Best Leads to Superior Performance
Authors: Camp Robert C.
Published: March 2008

Benchmarking, an approach for establishing operating goals and productivity projects based on best‐industry practices, is perhaps the most exciting new tool in the quality field. The process of searching out and emulating the best can fuel the motivation of everyone involved, often producing breakthrough results.
The Link Between Benchmarking and Shareholder Value
Authors: Schmidt Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2008

Today, a growing number of companies are following the lead of their premier competitors and of world‐class companies as a result of insights gained from benchmarking. This process involves identifying valid measures for comparing peformance among peer or other companies, ranking companies against these measures, investigating the practices that are the source of superior performance, and setting performance targets to exceed best‐observed practices.
Benchmarking for Strategic Action
Authors: Jennings Kenneth , Westfall Frederick
Published: March 2008

Strategy as a means to attain competitive advantage has evolved rapidly over the last 30 years. Today, it is a dominant lever available to management to implement competitive changes inside their organization. Because strategy is such an important force for action, it is paramount that organizational changes be continually directed by highly reliable, timely information about potential competitive advantages. One method currently proving most useful in directing strategic action is benchmarking.
Industry's Response to Green Consumerism
Authors: Ottman Jacquelyn A.
Published: March 2008

Consumers the world over are turning “green.” In the US, outrage over the 1989 Exxon oil spill shifted the environmental movement from the radical fringe and placed environmental concerns squarely into the mainstream. During the past decade in Western Europe, Green party members have moved into positions of power within local and national governments, and even the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Pitfalls and Opportunities for Environmental Marketers
Authors: Gillespie Robert J.
Published: March 2008

Today's consumers are sharply aware of environmental problems, and they're demanding environmental responsibility on the part of industry. In a 1989 Gallup poll, 79% of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists. A 1990 New York Times poll reported that 84% of Americans consider industrial pollution to be a serious problem. One‐third of all women listed the environment as one of the three most important problems facing the US today in a 1990 survey by Good Housekeeping magazine. And 78% of women in that poll were very concerned about the disposal of solid waste and garbage.
Strategic Integration: How John Deere Did It
Authors: Anderson Richard E.
Published: March 2008

The economic environment and competitive pressures are forcing business planners to look strategically at their internal business processes and to then assess the alignment of these processes with new sources of competitive advantage. It is clear to most strategists that time to market, quality improvement, and service responsiveness have joined traditional cost, market share, and ROI goals as factors influencing both proactive and defensive planning.
The Lessons of Strategic Leverage
Authors: Lele Milind M.
Published: March 2008

Many managers are failing to understand and exploit their strategic leverage. They often become obsessed with strategic tactics designed to achieve a short‐term gain and lose sight of the competitive dynamics, industrial economics, and long‐term horizon of their business—in short, the fundamentals behind their strategic leverage. Strategic leverage is defined as a company's maneuver (its ability to change its competitive position in a market) multiplied by its return (changes in revenue, market share, or both that result from any maneuver). If a company can change its position and the market rewards it for the change, its strategic leverage is high; if not, it is low.
How the Japanese Learned to Love Bourbon
Authors: Yuracko William G.
Published: March 2008

Much is being said and written these days about the difficulty American firms have in introducing their products to the Japanese market. I don't want to minimize those difficulties. But at the same time, it is important to realize that companies as diverse as the Coca‐Cola Co. and IBM Corp. have had considerable success in Japan, and that the Japanese market has become more and more open with each passing year. The following is an example of how a company with a typical American product (bourbon whiskey) attacked this market.
Quality as a Strategic Weapon
Authors: Raynor Michael E.
Published: March 2008

Since its inception, the discipline of strategic management has been burdened with the charge of redundancy. Good management, it was felt, was by its very nature strategic; therefore, strategic management as a separate school of managerial thought really had very little to offer.
The Evolution to Market‐Driven Quality
Authors: Bruno Robert J.
Published: March 2008

American businesses, like American politicians, often seek the quick fix that is best communicated by the short slogan. Quality is widely viewed as the American fix‐it‐all, with the result that the word appears with great frequency in slogans, advertisements, and business visions.
How Four French Firms Responded to American Clones
Authors: Loup Archawski Jean , Wolek Francis W.
Published: March 2008

Subsidiaries of French companies operating in the US discover, as do other European firms, that success in America's fiercely competitive market fosters competitive clones. Competitors learn to clone products with proven profitability and to flood confirmed markets with aggressive promotion and price cutting. A competitive response to such cloning requires mutual trust between French companies and their American executives.
Planning Priorities for Empowered Teams
Authors: Carr Clay
Published: March 2008

The Gaines Dog Food plant in Topeka KS is built around self‐managing work teams. It opened in 1971 and has been 20% more productive than similar, traditional plants for two decades. The Procter & Gamble Co.'s Paper Products Division implemented self‐managing teams at the same time; by 1975, it knew that the division was significantly more productive than traditionally organized plants. In the mid‐1980s, AT&T's American Transtech subsidiary cut its prices to customers by 50%, then avoided layoffs, then became even more profitable by moving to more fully self‐managing teams. And tiny Litel Communications (now LCI) used teams to cut time to process a service order from two weeks to one day.
Market Fragmentation Versus Market Segmentation
Authors: Robert Michel
Published: March 2008

Although corporate executives would claim that they are constantly bombarded by changes that affect their businesses, in reality there are very few macro‐changes that have significant impact on corporations. However, if the CEO fails to recognize these macro‐trends, it could mean corporate death. On the other hand, the CEO that does detect a macro‐change early in its evolution and constructs a strategy to capitalize on it can reap substantial rewards.
The Role of Intelligence in Formulating Strategy
Authors: Herring Jan P.
Published: March 2008

Successful business strategies are inherently dependent on the skills of the corporate strategist and the company management team's ability to implement the strategies. However, like the chef who is creating the epicurean meal, the strategist is also dependent on the ingredients that he has to work with—in essence, his strategy can be no better than the information from which it is derived. The more comprehensive and prescient that information, the more likely the strategy is to be successful.
Quick Response Technology: The Key to Outstanding Growth
Authors: Knorr Robert O. , Neuman John L.
Published: March 2008

America's consumable goods (CG) manufacturers and retailers are undergoing a sea change, according to the results of a recent Louis Harris survey report. The report analyzed the impact of quick response (QR) and supply‐chain partnering issues on the industry; these systems employ technology that dramatically improves the flow of information and product between supplier and retailer. An important conclusion of the report was that a small group of CG manufacturing leaders has broken away and pulled far ahead of its peers in QR use and leverage. Considering the dramatic progress made by this group in a relatively short time, the issue is who will be next to quickly emerge and gain disproportionate benefits.
The Key to Marketing to Older Consumers
Authors: Wolfe David B.
Published: March 2008

A number of common perceptions about older consumers are tricking marketers into taking wrong turns in research and adopting strategies that fail. Many of these perceptions are outright wrong while others are gross oversimplifications or useless generalizations.
Competitive Advantage Through Design
Authors: Sisodia Rajendra S.
Published: March 2008

At a time when almost every business practice is undergoing a thorough reengineering process, many companies are discovering the value of going back to basics in one crucial area: design. Management, preoccupied during much of the 1980s with a set of concerns that were far removed from creating value for customers, is rediscovering the power of that fundamental building block of all commercial success: the interaction between a customer and a product, tangible or intangible. The quality of that interaction is overwhelmingly driven by two things: product and process design.
The Art of Strategic Sales Alignment
Authors: Strelsin Stephen C. , Mlot Susan
Published: March 2008

As an upstart company in the telecommunications industry, Commtech (a pseudonym, as are all company names featured in this article) decided to blanket all potential markets held by industry leaders with low‐cost products—a marketing blitzkrieg that caught the competition off guard. Before competitors could effectively reposition themselves for the new marketplace reality, Commtech's market share grew as it quickly entered and captured fragments of markets across the country.
Measuring Product Creation Effectiveness
Authors: Ranganath Nayak P.
Published: March 2008

The purpose of measuring performance on any business process is so that you can do it better the next time around; this is as true of product creation as it is of manufacturing, purchasing, or distribution. In practice, however, companies usually treat each product creation project as a brand‐new, one‐time effort, plunging in and figuring out how to do it from scratch, without any reference to how it was done the last time. This ad hoc approach costs a lot of time and money and constitutes a lost opportunity. Unless companies change their approach toward product creation from an ad hoc process into a systematic and replicable one, there is no hope for improvement.
Encouraging Employee‐Led Change Through Constructive Learning Processes
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank , Goldberg Beverly
Published: March 2008

We are living in a time of unparalleled change, turbulence, and uncertainty that is transforming our lives. In the course of two years, the superpower that inspired us to build a great military machine turned into a cluster of poor nations needing economic aid to survive. Business takeovers have disappeared from the front pages of our papers, replaced by stories on “the permanent disappearance of middle management” and 20% layoffs due to “downsizing.” New technologies have become part of our everyday lives: VCRs, microwave ovens, and voice mail are eliminating fixed viewing times, hours spent in the kitchen, and the need for answering machines.
Using Cost Management Effectively in the Turnaround Process
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

A seriously troubled company needs cost management as part of a comprehensive survival effort. To determine the viability of the company, top management should develop a strategic concept of the company by defining its corporate objective in specific terms. For example: The Jones Co. will design and manufacture custom‐engineered automatic assembly equipment for the automotive industry.
Achieving a Sustainable Service Advantage
Authors: Coyne Kevin P.
Published: March 2008

Forbes magazine had dubbed Carmike Cinemas “the Wal‐Mart of theater chains.” Founded in 1982, the Columbus GA‐based chain of 1,400 screens pursues a strategy strikingly similar to that of Wal‐Mart Stores, Inc. The company buys or builds theaters in small to mid‐sized cities (populations of 200,000 or less) where purchase prices are low and competition is scarce. This unusual approach to the movie retailing business has led to phenomenal growth and strong profitability at a time when other chains are scrambling to sell off theaters and repay debts.
Setting New Standards for Customer Advocacy
Authors: McDonald Laura
Published: March 2008

As the personal computer marketplace becomes increasingly competitive and PCs become more of a commodity, computer companies are finding that creating innovative technology alone is no longer enough to succeed. Companies must be viewed as value leaders that are customer‐driven instead of technology‐driven. Customers expect and demand more for their money, which means vendors must not only offer low prices, but also efficient delivery, personalized products and services, and responsive customer support.
Designing—and Sustaining the Gains from—a Service Strategy
Authors: deRoulet David G.
Published: March 2008

Companies of all kinds are thinking harder today about customer service; most now consider it to be a fundamental part of their competitive strategy. For many managers, however, the new emphasis on service causes more confusion than clarity: Do we need to have an explicit service strategy in our business? What should guide its design? Should we be pursuing partnerships with our internal customers, and if so, what should they entail?
How to Realize the Promise of Strategic Planning
Authors: Whelan James , Sisson James D.
Published: March 2008

Strategic planning is an important part of every company's management process. Its sole purpose is to improve the performance of the organization. This would appear to be common sense, yet very few companies realize the promise of sound strategic planning to consistently improve the organization's results.
Organizational Change Starts with a Strategic Focus
Authors: Schiemann William A.
Published: March 2008

Over the past decade, a succession of business professors, management consultants, journalists, and futurists have spent considerable time preaching the gospel of “renewal,” “revitalization,” and “transformation,” telling senior executives how to convert sluggish corporate behemoths into agile competitors. But despite all the effort, maintaining the status quo appears to be winning out. Why do so many efforts at change produce disappointing results?
The Need for Long‐Term Investment in American Corporations
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

Contrary to the conventional wisdom, it's not fluctuations in the stock market that have put the American economy in jeopardy. It's the fact that American firms persist in pursuing short‐term profits and high stock prices.
Times Change, But Do Business Strategists?
Authors: Robert Michel
Published: March 2008

Corporate America has never been as engrossed in the techniques and formulas of competitive analysis and strategy as it has been over the last 10 to 15 years. At the same time that U.S. firms were losing large parcels of strategic ground to Japanese and German companies, prominent organizations and individuals throughout American business were busy lining up behind a number of popular business theories, most notably:
Pushing the Right Levers — the Right Way
Authors: Plessinger Craig Patricia
Published: March 2008

THE PROBLEM A number of corporations that responded to the competitive pressures of the 1980s and early 1990s by reorganizing and right‐sizing are dissatisfied with the results.
Market‐Entry Approaches for Central Europe
Authors: Niemans Jan
Published: March 2008

It is tempting to think of the countries of Central Europe as one homogeneous region. But their prewar stages of economic development varied greatly, their communistera experience varied significantly, their ethnic and linguistic differences are as great as those between Great Britain and Spain, and the distance between Gdansk in northern Poland and Szeged in southern Hungary is greater than that between Frankfurt and Rome.
How to Build a Benchmarking Team
Authors: Spendolini Michael J.
Published: March 2008

There is nothing that can wreck a well‐intentioned benchmarking plan faster than selecting the wrong people for the team. Take the company that chose staff members who didn't have enough credibility within the organization to sell their benchmarking team's recommendations to senior management. The team did an excellent job, but without the clout to get their recommendations approved, their efforts failed.