bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Ventures
Authors: Scanlon Peter R.
Published: March 2008

The past several years have been difficult ones for many U.S. corporations. They have had to accommodate unfamiliar technologies, defend their home markets against heightened foreign competition and, in many cases, reexamine fundamental assumptions on what markets they are in and who their chief competitors are. More than a few managements were caught off guard by this barrage of new challenges—especially coming as it did at a time when business was focusing its attention on regulatory pressures and a prolonged economic downturn.
A CRISIS PARACHUTE: HELPING STOCK PRICES HAVE A SOFT LANDING
Authors: Pincus Theodore H.
Published: March 2008

A company's stock price usually takes a beating when the firm faces a crisis. But a CEO can minimize the effects of a sudden lapse of investor confidence with a wise communication strategy.
REINTEGRATING R&D INTO BUSINESS STRATEGY
Authors: Scarpello Vida , Boulton William R. , Hofer Charles W.
Published: March 2008

If U.S. business fails to make long‐term commitments to R&D in favor of short‐term profits, one can expect competitive advantages to be lost to the Japanese.
MANAGING HUMAN PROBLEMS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING SYSTEMS
Authors: Lenz R.T. , Lyles Marjorie A.
Published: March 2008

During the last two decades, strategic planning has become one of the more important administrative systems for senior‐level executives. Researchers, consultants, and corporate staff have invested a great amount of time and effort in both learning how to design planning systems and training others in ways to do so. Throughout this period, however, the accumulated knowledge and experience has gotten somewhat out of balance. That is, one seems to know a great deal more about how to design strategic planning systems than about how to manage these systems.
THE RELATION BETWEEN MARKET SHARE AND PROFITABILITY
Authors: Wernerfelt Birger
Published: March 2008

Gaining market share can be a means of obtaining profits. While one cannot develop precise prescriptions for gaining market share in complex and dynamic environments, a stylized model can provide a reference point for evaluating what to do in more complex situations.
The Failure of Strategic Planning
Authors: Lauenstein Milton C.
Published: March 2008

Several years after he had installed an elaborate strategic planning system, the chairman of a diversified New York Stock Exchange company began wondering if it was worth the effort. When he took a closer look, he found that the plan's only real function was to serve as a model for preparing the next one a year later. So he scrapped the whole procedure, instructing each division manager to do whatever planning he felt was appropriate for his own unit.
The Strategic Marketing Audit: An Adoption/Utilization Perspective
Authors: Mokwa Michael P.
Published: March 2008

Marketing is innovative thinking and inventive doing for many organizations. Most noncommercial organizations and small businesses are exploring formal marketing concepts and methods for the first time. Industrial and high technology companies are becoming more sensitive to their customers and competitors and, therefore, to marketing efforts. Environmental uncertainty and pressures have challenged conventional practices in traditionally marketing‐oriented industries such as retailing and packaged goods.
EASTMAN KODAK OPENS WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY
Authors: Chandler Colby H.
Published: March 2008

A charter for change was the theme of a reorganization at Eastman Kodak Company in 1985. More than one year later, a companywide entrepreneurial spirit is evident, resulting in new products, faster entry into previously untapped markets, and a more flexible management style. This article provides a brief look at the strategic plan used to promote and nurture innovation and change in a large organization.
PRESERVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS COMPANIES GROW
Authors: Stevenson Howard H. , Carlos Jarrillo‐Mossi Jose
Published: March 2008

As an entrepreneurial company becomes successful and grows, the seeds of destruction are sown for the very entrepreneurial impulses that initiated the success in the first place. The transition from an entrepreneurial growth firm to a “well managed” business is often accompanied by a decreasing ability to identify and pursue opportunities. This article addresses some of the techniques that have allowed entrepreneurship to flourish in spite of a company's success.
THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION
Authors: Foster William K. , Pryor Austin K.
Published: March 2008

Larger corporations, recognizing that most of the growth in GNP is generated by medium‐to‐small and start‐up businesses, are looking for ways to become more innovative and entrepreneurial, and they are looking hard. Here are some fundamentals.
POSTMERGER INTEGRATION
Authors: Shrivastava Paul
Published: March 2008

While mergers may be a good way to grow rapidly, can one sustain growth and performance for long periods? The answer lies in how well one integrates the business after the merger.
Opportunities for Innovation in the Metals Industry
Authors: Simpson Michael
Published: March 2008

Service centers work with customers to ensure that raw materials will be delivered “when needed, as needed,” and processed to the dimensions required.
A MARKETING OUTLOOK FOR U.S. BUSINESSES
Authors: Yeskey Dennis P. , Don Burnett C.
Published: March 2008

Many CEOs are turning their attention to the advantages of marketing. But the author contends that the corporate focus should not be narrowed. To have a successful strategic marketing orientation, the focus should encompass all corporate functions.
THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF PRICE STRUCTURE
Authors: Stern Andrew A.
Published: March 2008

All pricing strategies are composed of two elements: price structures and price levels. Price levels are the actual dollar prices that are set within the structure. But managers who merely set price levels rather than explicit price structures for their products deprive themselves of a valuable strategic tool.
SEGMENTING INDUSTRIAL AND HIGH‐TECH MARKETS
Authors: Hlavacek James D. , Ames B.C.
Published: March 2008

Segmenting a marketplace is one of the most important strategic moves that can be made by high‐tech companies, industrial firms, and firms that sell services to other businesses. Yet technical‐based businesses often miss out on opportunities by failing to divide their markets adequately and develop cohesive strategies to conquer and protect a market position.
MANAGING BUSINESS RISKS OF NEW TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Sussman Philip N.
Published: March 2008

When a new technology is positioned correctly, financial and market risks can be kept low. As a result, the technology's introduction will be more likely to succeed.
How Management Should Use R&D to Set New Directions
Authors: Collier Donald W.
Published: March 2008

Technology, defined broadly as know‐how, is the raison d'être for any business. The only reason a customer will pay a company money is that the company knows how to do something the customer needs but either can't do or doesn't want to do.
Strategic Compensation Designs That Link Pay to Performance
Authors: Hurwich Mark R.
Published: March 2008

Some companies are now seeking to design compensation plans that not only reward performance but also improve it. They want techniques that look forward, beyond their current situation and even beyond pay systems themselves. This approach is called strategic compensation design. It involves focusing on what an organization needs to do to become more competitive and then on developing a compensation plan to help.
KEEPING U.S. COMPANIES PRODUCTIVE
Authors: Drucker Peter F.
Published: March 2008

U.S. companies can improve productivity and surpass foreign competition. Here are some questions and answers that offer insights and creative approaches.
DO MEGAMERGERS MAKE SENSE?
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

Megamergers often do not benefit shareholders, managers, or the public. One does not need to have acquisitions followed by divestiture or dismemberment, followed by more acquisitions. Unless corporate managers learn from a decade of experience, one can expect a continuing parade of profitless megamergers.
Managing the Airlines in the 1990s
Authors: Chalk Andrew J. , Steiber John A. , Tompkins Alan W.
Published: March 2008

At present, the domestic airline industry is in turmoil. Industry watchers have witnessed the demise of two major airlines (Braniff and Continental) followed by their subsequent rebirth, and the default of Air Florida. United has purchased the Pacific routes of Pan Am. TWA is buying Ozark, its principal competitor in its St. Louis hub. Likewise, Northwest has made a bid to buy its principal competition (Republic) in its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub.
How to Be Market‐Driven: A Step‐by‐Step Guide for Professional Service Firms
Authors: Tierno David
Published: March 2008

“Tell them they can have any color they want—as long as it's black,” was the apocryphal battle cry of Henry Ford in marketing the Model T, and it became the unofficial strategy for more than one product/service launch over the years.
THE U.S.‐JAPAN TRADE GAP
Authors: Iacocca Lee A.
Published: March 2008

No company's strategic plans can survive in an environment where trade is not balanced fairly. American businesses need to band together to establish a policy that will stabilize trade.
STRATEGIES AND MANAGEMENT CONTROLS FOR GLOBAL CORPORATIONS
Authors: Dyment John J.
Published: March 2008

A global corporation will have to be managed very differently than either a domestic or a multinational company. The management control system must be designed to suit the global strategy.
PLANNING A FACE‐LIFT: IMPLEMENTING A CORPORATE IMAGE PROGRAM
Authors: Gray Edmund R. , Smeltzer Larry R.
Published: March 2008

A good image can help strengthen sales and enhance a company's ability to obtain financing. It is vital to keep one's corporate image from becoming outdated.
MAKING THE DECISION TO DIVERSIFY INTO FINANCIAL SERVICES
Authors: Mottur Allen
Published: March 2008

Despite the pitfalls of entering the financial services industry, opportunities abound for increased growth and high profits.
AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY
Authors: Hall Alix‐Marie , Terren Jean
Published: March 2008

Why did videotex technology boom in France but fail in the United States? Although an important factor was the difference in government policies between the two countries, a good deal of success of French videotex can be attributed to strategic planning.
STOCK PRICE AND BUSINESS SUCCESS: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP?
Authors: Reimann Bernard C.
Published: March 2008

Victories in product market competitions are not automatically translated into stock market value. And conventional accounting methods alone don't necessarily reveal true value. If managers want to link product market success with stock prices, they must also look at economic factors such as cash flow and cost of capital.
How to Reduce the Size of the Organization But Increase Effectiveness
Authors: Cody Alan M. , Hegeman George B. , Shanks David C.
Published: March 2008

A relatively new chief executive has been impressed by the increased efficiency and profitability of firms, similar to his own, which have reorganized. Prior to the change, these firms suffered from slow growth, high fixed costs, and excessive bureaucracy—ills that still plague the executive's organization. He intends to make similar changes to his own company—quickly, to put his stamp on the organization and show a real gain in profits as soon as possible.
PLANNING FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Authors: Gilbreath Robert D.
Published: March 2008

Today's business climate is anything but predictable. This article describes how managers can develop a dynamic strategy by building flexibility, contingency, and hedging techniques into plans and operations.
The Leveraged Recap: Controversial New Defense Maneuver
Authors: Teters Rhonda F.
Published: March 2008

A highly leveraged company is less likely to be a takeover target. But are the risks too high?
Can HR Respond to Corporate Strategy?
Authors: Rhodes David W.
Published: March 2008

Human resources (HR) executives have traditionally avoided taking center stage in dealing with management. In most cases, in fact, they stay off the stage entirely, handling various (and mostly narrowly defined) personnel functions “behind the scenes.”
Product Development Strategies for High‐Tech Industries
Authors: Schroeder Dean M. , Hopley Robert
Published: March 2008

With customer needs changing so rapidly, can high‐tech companies develop strategies to succeed in their markets?
Fostering Intrapreneurship: The New Competitive Edge
Authors: Rule Erik G. , Irwin Donald W.
Published: March 2008

How to cultivate innovation and creativity within the corporate structure.
Bringing Information Technology to Life
Authors: Ashmore G. Michael
Published: March 2008

Information technology planning is quite possibly the most challenging task in business today; certainly it is one of the least understood.
Expense Control in Sales and Marketing
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

The most important question to ask when looking into cost reduction and control of sales and marketing is: How many separate sales organizations should be maintained? Multidivisional firms often have a single sales organization for all their products. Sometimes each division has its own sales staff.
The Acquisition Risk
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

Can you make money through acquisitions? Despite thousands of mergers over the past two decades and scores of economic studies, there is remarkably little good information on this topic. The problem is that we have had little information about the performance of companies before they were acquired and even less about their performance after takeover.
Relationship Management Is More Than Wining and Dining
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

In the halls of every organization, the same frustrations can be heard: “Our sales costs are skyrocketing. How can we make our marketing dollars go further?” “Our competitors seem to beat us to the market with new products. How can we get there first?” “Two of our employees unknowingly called upon the same client and made contradictory claims. How can we prevent these embarrassing situations?”
How to Encourage Employee Motivation
Authors: Di Primio Anthony
Published: March 2008

What is the most critical productive resource that determines the efficiency and ultimately the success or failure of an organization? The answer is: people. This is almost obvious. What is not obvious is how to get the best out of your employees in terms of the amount of work and the quality of work they consistently give you. Here is how to plan for optimum personnel utilization.
People Productivity: Marketing's Most Valuable Asset
Authors: Magrath A.J.
Published: March 2008

Marketing managements attempt to lower sales costs, expand distribution, and speed up product development cycles. But how can marketers themselves add value to the productivity equation?
Remove Your Business Blinders—And View the Future
Authors: Colman Carol L. , Hey Kenneth R.
Published: March 2008

Digesting too much information—as well as neglecting key bits of information—often prevents companies from capitalising on emerging opportunities. What is taking place in Japan is a good example.
Organizing for New Product Development
Authors: Bart Christopher K.
Published: March 2008

The promise seen in new venture units is alluring.
How Manufacturers Can Move Into the Service Business
Authors: Canton Irving D.
Published: March 2008

Product knowledge and customer bases can help position manufacturers to sell their services. Here are some methods to identify and pursue new service venture strategies.
A Different Outlook for Multinational Companies
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

Today, governments and foreign‐based corporations acknowledge their mutual interests. This is a shocking turnabout for many leaders in business and government. Not long ago, multinationalism was under heavy attack.
How to Work With Your Investment Bankers
Authors: Lawrence Kuhn Robert
Published: March 2008

Investment bankers have been catching it of late. They are having a hard time, what with insider trading scandals, market meltdowns, junk bonds castigation, and congressional outcries over bustup mergers and acquisitions. Then there's all that embarrassing talk of fees—compensation so immense, so seemingly out of all proportion for any human labor. Investment bankers have been known to earn well over $100,000 per hour!
Raising Capital Through Private Placements
Authors: Taylor Lon W.
Published: March 2008

If you're a prudent entrepreneur, you'll seek capital using the most efficient, least costly path available. Yet you might find your opportunities blocked. Investment bankers may consider your capital requirement too small for a public offering. Commercial bankers may say they're not in the venture capital business. And asset based lenders may claim your assets aren't valuable enough to support the need.
How Small‐Share Firms Can Uncover Winning Strategies
Authors: Ward John L. , Stasch Stanley F.
Published: March 2008

Can small‐share firms step out of the shadow of the market leader? Yes. Here is how to evaluate a strategy's potential success.
Profiting From the Turmoil in Service Industries
Authors: Dudik Evan
Published: March 2008

The turmoil in today's service industries may prove to be the dawn of a renaissance for bold companies with strategic vision.
A New Approach to Strategic Forecasting
Authors: Cohen Barbara G.
Published: March 2008

Projecting demand can be made more credible and insightful for developing strategy when it is based on an understanding of underlying drivers. These include societal trends, demographics, and the possibility of product substitution.
Acquiring the Right Company
Authors: Markowitz Zane
Published: March 2008

Not only do you need to know what you want to acquire, but also why.
Get the Most Value From Your Acquisition
Authors: Gates Charles B.
Published: March 2008

One can view the combined impact of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA '86) and of last October's collapse of the stock market on merger and acquisition activity in the United States from several perspectives. Basically, the renewed activity in 1988, at its extremes, is either complete corporate insanity or the ultimate corporate opportunity.
The Art of Acquisitions
Authors: Dionne Joseph L.
Published: March 2008

The process of making acquisitions has been thoroughly treated in books, journals, and seminars and, perhaps by now, by streetcorner orators as well. There is so much information on the subject that, in theory at least, corporations' research, negotiations, and integration of acquisitions should be flowing smoothly and successfully, and all parties should be living happily ever after.
Avoid the Seven Deadly Sins of Strategic Risk Analysis
Authors: Eynon Philip J.
Published: March 2008

Evaluating a business‐unit strategy from the perspective of creating shareholder value involves discounting the future cash flows that the strategy is expected to generate by the minimum rate of return required by investors. The resulting net present value (NPV) can then be compared with those for alternative strategies to determine which is expected to create the most value for shareholders. Strategies with negative NPVs are those that fail to provide investors with sufficient returns to compensate them for their investment risk.
Management's Guide to an Integrated Marketing Strategy
Authors: Tinsley Dillard B.
Published: March 2008

What happened to IBM's PCjr? The PCjr was expected to penetrate the home computer market, perhaps even reaching the dominance that IBM's personal computer—the PC—had achieved in the business market. The PCjr, however, has not become a leader in the home computer market, which would seem to be less sophisticated and challenging than the business market. Why was the PCjr unable to match the success of the PC? At least part of the answer lies in a failure to unify modern marketing ideas into an integrated strategy. The lessons to be learned from this failure are important for all managers who formulate business strategy.
Who Should Be Responsible for Business Strategy?
Authors: Eigerman M.R.
Published: March 2008

Our topic was corporate strategy. The CEO sat across the conference table, his tanned fingers drumming lightly on a massive leather binder. “We have the most sophisticated strategic planning process money can buy,” he said. “These plans give me the details on what every segment of every unit will do for the next three years, and God help the general manager who doesn't make his quarterly targets.” As he went on about “maximizing shareholder value,” it occurred to me that planning had failed once more to produce a corporate strategy worthy of the name.
Calling the Shots With New Communications Networks
Authors: Brown Victoria A.
Published: March 2008

Corporate planners will soon need answers to the questions of whether their communications strategies should include the use of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), and, if so, what they can do to prepare for it.
The Case for Convergent Capitalism
Authors: Heenan David A.
Published: March 2008

Joseph Schumpeter once argued, “Creative destruction is the inevitable companion of capitalism.” The late Harvard economist predicted that the rise of giant corporations would lead to an economic collectivism (in his words, “a sober kind of socialism”) and, with it, the demise of the free enterprise system.
The Leveraged Buyout as a Means of Financing Acquisitions
Authors: Taylor Lon
Published: March 2008

During the last five years, Safeway and Fairchild Industries sold major divisions to existing management. Carl Icahn acquired a majority interest in TWA. And, entrepreneur Ted Turner attempted unsuccessfully to acquire CBS. The common factor in these transactions? The leveraged buyout (LBO).
Succession Planning—Overweight and Underperforming
Authors: Rhodes David W.
Published: March 2008

Succession planning has become an event of magnificent proportions. Typically, thousands of managerial hours are expended to prepare flashy presentations and lengthy tomes identifying candidates for jobs that probably will not exist in three years and developmental plans that no more equip tomorrow's managers to win the global fight for competitive position than a Dick‐and‐Jane reading primer.
The Growing Appeal of the Leveraged ESOP
Authors: Rosen Corey
Published: March 2008

More and more companies are linking their leveraged buyouts to an employee stock ownership plan. Two of the reasons: to create shareholder loyalty and to encourage superior performance.
Strengthening the Link Between R&D and Corporate Strategy
Authors: Spencer William J. , Triant Deborah D.
Published: March 2008

How can companies improve the value that is derived from their research efforts? The authors believe the key is to open the lines of communication between R&D and business planning.
How to Live and Prosper Among the Giants
Authors: Gottliebsen Doug
Published: March 2008

Specialization has enabled one plastics manufacturer to compete against such industry titans as du Pont, GE, and Monsanto.
Heinz Covers the Globe
Authors: Schmid Walter G.
Published: March 2008

The concept of “strategic niches” has guided the company to seek domestic as well as international acquisitions that fit its global game plan.
Damage Control for New Corporate Ventures
Authors: Block Zenas
Published: March 2008

In the aggregate, corporations lose billions on new ventures. Here's a venture cost management program that can save fortunes by keeping the cost of losers down while accelerating the success of the winners.
Use Corporate Culture to Trigger High Performance
Authors: Bettinger Cass
Published: March 2008

The challenge is to manage the organization's culture so that you can tap the company's strengths to achieve superior performance and identify its weaknesses in time to overcome them before they cause serious damage.
Streamline Inventory to Better Serve Customers
Authors: White R. Douglas
Published: March 2008

Here's how to eliminate slow‐moving inventory to increase customer service.
The Making of a New Corporate Image
Authors: Chajet Clive
Published: March 2008

When a company changes its mission or product line, it should coordinate a communications effort to assure investors, employees, customers, and analysts that its image reflects this new direction.
Lessons From Japanese Global Acquisitions
Authors: Metzger Robert O. , Ginsberg Ari
Published: March 2008

Despite the statistical successes of the Japanese banking industry in the United States, Japanese bankers have failed to take advantage of the market's full potential. All global companies can learn from their success and mistakes.
Why Automating Isn't Enough
Authors: Ernst Raymond G.
Published: March 2008

Simply adding automation to an existing business environment typically results in a marginal savings of 10 to 20 percent. But when improvements are also made to existing business processes, a company can see a savings of over 70 percent.
Playing Politics—Vote No
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

Politicians are elected to serve their constituencies; those who vote for them believe that they will improve conditions in the country, thereby improving the quality of the voters' lives. In the same way, executives are chosen to lead companies because stakeholders believe that they will make the companies more efficient and more profitable, thereby improving their strategic positions.
Building Design: More Than Meets the Eye
Authors: Lawrence Peter
Published: March 2008

How good an investment is a new building? Its design has a lot to do with the answer.
Managing Child Care in the 1990s
Authors: Rhodes David W. , Regan Margaret
Published: March 2008

If employers are having a hard time finding capable employees today, just wait until tomorrow. Those responsible for recruiting entry‐level staff in the 1990s and beyond will have their hands full. Demographic studies show that companies will be hard pressed to find an adequate supply of properly skilled young people from the generation that is about to enter the job market.
Mine the Direct Marketing Riches in Your Database
Authors: Miller Steven
Published: March 2008

Companies are ignoring a wealth of untapped marketing gold embedded in their internal customer files. If this information can be extracted from a database, it could become a key source of sales leads.
European Manufacturers Shape Up for Services
Authors: Vandermerwe Sandra , Matthews William H. , Rada Juan F.
Published: March 2008

Many companies are building on their manufacturing expertise and branching out to provide services for their customers. Here, a number of European firms demonstrate how they manage this new customer relationship and ensure that the service business is profitable.
How Strategic Management Builds Company Value
Authors: Lawrence Kuhn Robert
Published: March 2008

Company value is the price at which an enterprise could trade in a merger or acquisition. Strategic management can play a critical role in enhancing that value. Yet, how the process works is not always obvious—especially to owners and managers who have difficulty seeing their companies from the perspective of new buyers.
Voice Mail Makes a Difference
Authors: Bransby Mike
Published: March 2008

More than just a solution to “telephone tag,” voice mail has helped improve employee and managerial efficiency in a variety of organizations.
How to Present Your Firm to the World
Authors: Smith Patrick J.
Published: March 2008

Companies that effectively convey their corporate values, strengths, and experience to an international audience can position themselves to take greater advantage of global opportunities.
Computer Security: Planning to Protect Corporate Assets
Authors: Schwartz Melvin
Published: March 2008

The author describes the strengths and weaknesses of current systems and reveals how planning can preempt a breach in security.
Choices for Innovation‐Minded Corporations
Authors: Olson Philip D.
Published: March 2008

A growing number of companies have used joint alliances, acquisitions, and venture teams to maintain competitive advantage and respond to rapidly changing environments. But not all have been able to manage the people and design issues that ensure success.
Reducing Costs in Foreign Operations
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

An established manufacturing company may have small foreign subsidiaries. But if the parent company has management problems, the problems of subsidiaries are usually worse. They may have all the problems of their parent magnified and added to by lower‐quality management, an absence of staff resources, foreign government regulations, and cultural differences.
Building Alliances to Penetrate European Markets
Authors: Porter Lynch Robert
Published: March 2008

Cooperative efforts, such as strategic alliances and joint ventures, are two of the most rapid and least costly methods for U.S. firms to gain a foothold in Europe.
Market‐Entry Approaches for the Pacific Rim
Authors: Van Horn Mike
Published: March 2008

Small and midsize U.S. firms have adopted unorthodox but effective methods to sell their products and services overseas. Larger companies can do well to emulate the tactics used by these firms to identify and enter Asian markets.
Outside Managers Offer Packaged Export Expertise
Authors: McCabe Joseph V.
Published: March 2008

Third‐party logistics firms can provide companies with an integrated distribution network, overseeing the forecasting, planning, sourcing, execution, and analysis of their export requirements.
Decision Support Systems Help Planners Hit Their Targets
Authors: Stamen Jeffrey P.
Published: March 2008

DSS software integrates corporate information on past performance with what is currently happening. Planners at a variety of companies are using this information technology to make more accurate strategic decisions.
White‐Collar Quality Comes of Age
Authors: Baum Herbert M.
Published: March 2008

Campbell U.S.A.'s quality measurement program reaches beyond the manufacturing area to focus on the administrative and marketing side of the corporation. Job descriptions, promotions, pay, and bonuses for all 24,000 domestic employees will be tied to the results of this new program.
Shootout in the Classroom
Authors: Rhodes David W.
Published: March 2008

From Crossroads in American Education (a 1989 report from the Educational Testing Service) comes this sobering news: “Sixty‐one percent of the 17‐year‐old students could not understand relatively complicated material. … Nearly one half appear to have limited mechanical skills and abilities that go little beyond adding, subtracting, and multiplying with whole numbers. More than half could not evaluate the procedures or results of a scientific study.”
Telecommunications Opens New Strategic Vistas
Authors: Ashmore G. Michael
Published: March 2008

Telecommunications has become an essential part of every facet of today's business, yet many of us tend to take it for granted. Whenever we pick up the phone, fax documents or messages, or even transmit files from our desktop personal computers or laptops, we are putting telecommunications to use, but we hardly give it a second thought.
Pass or Fail? How to Grade Strategic Progress
Authors: Yee Donald K.
Published: March 2008

A business operating at peak performance excels at the details of implementing its strategy. Using a “strategic report card” can help a company to chart how well (or how poorly) its strategy translates into action.
Business in China: A Year After Tiananmen
Authors: Foster Lawrence W. , Tosi Lisa
Published: March 2008

There will continue to be fundamental differences in how Chinese and U.S. businesspeople think. These differences are so basic that they are both easy and dangerous to overlook.
The Director's Role in a Takeover Bid
Authors: Penbera Joseph J. , Bonner Charles
Published: March 2008

If the board has not developed a plan to prevent hostile takeovers, it is at a great disadvantage from the beginning.
The Winner's Curse: A Caution for Top Firms
Authors: Davidson Kenneth M.
Published: March 2008

History suggests that the advantages of wealth are easily frittered away if the holders of that wealth are not forced to find more efficient rather than more expensive solutions.
Stand Up for Ethics
Authors: Lynn Shostack G.
Published: March 2008

Some people are giving entrepreneurship a bad name. You read about them in the newspaper every week. Either they have just been indicted, or they have just been sentenced.
Link Your Business Plan to a Performance Plan
Authors: Sandy William
Published: March 2008

Because the planning process is where change originates, planners are in a unique position to provide leadership. Here are some techniques that planners can use to drive the productivity improvement process.
Self‐Directed Work Teams Yield Long‐Term Benefits
Authors: Versteeg Anna
Published: March 2008

A growing number of business experts advocate that workers should take on some management tasks. Many companies are already experimenting with self‐managing work teams. Here's how one company was able to achieve record productivity gains through total employee involvement.
Planning the Leadership Transition
Authors: Petrock Frank
Published: March 2008

According to the author, a successful leadership change should not be left to chance. Such a transition must be planned and carefully managed.
Time to Remove Self‐Imposed Barriers to Export Trade
Authors: Park Jong H.
Published: March 2008

Recently, a hugh trade deficit, hovering around $150 billion, has become an important public policy issue in the United States. In the current debate on this deficit, most attention has been on unfair trade practices. However, this is not the most important cause of the problem.
How to Market With Less
Authors: Hill Timothy H.
Published: March 2008

It is no secret that competition has forced U.S. business to operate more cost‐effectively. “Thin is in” to turn out products faster, react quicker to market trends, and service customers better.
Strategies for Merger Success
Authors: Gall Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2008

The key to successful mergers lies not only in careful attention to organizational structure and strategy, but in human resource programs and internal communications as well.
Strategic Repositioning Through the Customer Connection
Authors: Dodson Joe
Published: March 2008

With the breakup of AT&T, US WEST had to structure its long‐term plans to reflect changing customer needs.
Planning Priorities for Marketing to Children
Authors: McNeal James U.
Published: March 2008

Children are actually three markets in one: a primary market, an influence market, and a future market. The author suggests that companies formulate an integrated strategy to focus on all three areas.
U.S. Intelligence System: Model for Corporate Chiefs?
Authors: Gilad Benjamin
Published: March 2008

A fully dedicated intelligence support function for senior management is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Companies can enhance their intelligence capabilities by using the government model as a rough blueprint to structure such a program.
Control the Risks of High‐Stakes Litigation
Authors: Sheehy John J.
Published: March 2008

A litigation crisis can be not only a costly jolt to a company's financial health but a disruptive force to company personnel and markets. Here is a blueprint for formulating a contingency plan for dealing with such a crisis.
Leading a Global Strategic Charge
Authors: O'Reilly Anthony J.F.
Published: March 2008

The chief executive of H.J. Heinz Company, in directing a far‐flung, decentralized corporation, challenges divisional officers to be creative and determined enough to meet the organization's demanding goals.
A Blueprint for Green Marketing
Authors: Davis Joel J.
Published: March 2008

Companies have rushed to market environmentally acceptable products. But according to the author, many have ignored the planning considerations that should have preceded the development and promotion of these “green” products.
The Strategist's Role in Shortening Product Development
Authors: Reinertsen Donald G. , Smith Preston G.
Published: March 2008

The authors detail how strategists can identify key areas for economic leverage in the development cycle and what can be done to exploit them.
Invest in a High‐Yield Strategic Plan
Authors: Judson Arnold S.
Published: March 2008

For strategy to be successful, senior executives must first acknowledge the barriers that block lasting change from occurring in their organizations and then help transform the way people, processes, and systems work.
Rewiring the Corporation
Authors: Heyer Steven J. , Van Lee Reginald
Published: March 2008

When employees operate inside “functional tubes,” this often results in suboptimal performance for the company as a whole. “Rewiring” can establish the connection between how the company is organized and how it actually works.
Evaluating Marketing Assets in Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: Hise Richard T.
Published: March 2008

Marketing factors often explain why mergers and acquisitions subsequently succeed or fail. Here are guidelines for appraising the value of marketing assets of companies that are M&A candidates.
Avoid Hidden Expenses When Moving a Plant
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

Plant consolidation is a painful process that has to be considered when a company has permanent significant excess capacity. This is happening more frequently as a result of difficult economic conditions.
Senior Management Must Champion Business Intelligence Programs
Authors: Herring Jan P.
Published: March 2008

Business leaders in Japan, Western Europe, and Latin America believe that the chief executives who lead their companies into the twenty‐first century will have to be fluent in several languages, have extensive international business experience, and will have to cope with an increasing level of international competition. The Japanese leaders considered foreign competition as the primary threat—hence, their emphasis on the importance of language skills and global experience.
Attack Competitors By Changing the Game Rules
Authors: Robert Michel M.
Published: March 2008

Many theories have emerged over the years about how to grow one's business at a competitor's expense. The most popular these days is the concept of the “value chain,” which encourages a company to break down the competitive process into its various steps and then seek to add more value at each step than the competitor does.
The Benefits of Strategic Naming
Authors: Chajet Clive
Published: March 2008

One has only to walk down the aisle of a local supermarket or industry tradeshow to understand how far today's market has evolved from a place in which companies offered one product and customers simply bought it. Transformed by free market competition, self‐service technology, mass communications, and globalization, the market now permits customers to fulfill their most individual need or passing whimsy.
Satisfy Your Internal Customers
Authors: Pfau Bruce , Detzel Denis , Geller Andrew
Published: March 2008

The lack of close attention to internal supplier‐customer relationships can jeopardize external customer satisfaction. Companies must ensure that all customers are satisfied—both within and outside of the firm.
Europe '92 Provides New Impetus for Competitive Intelligence
Authors: Prescott John E. , Gibbons Patrick T.
Published: March 2008

How many companies are truly prepared for the increased competitive threats they will face in this decade? The authors suggest that firms assess the type of internal information infrastructure that makes most sense for their competitive intelligence efforts.
Eastern Germany: An Investment Road Map
Authors: Jander Klaus H. , Stutzbach Immo
Published: March 2008

There are many opportunities to purchase plants and factories in the five new states that once composed the German Democratic Republic. Here are some planning considerations to help firms navigate around the legal, financial, and environmental pitfalls.
Balancing the Needs of Customers and Shareholders
Authors: Copulsky William
Published: March 2008

Many executives contend that creating value for shareholders is the primary objective of management. But in focusing so strongly on the bottom line, have US firms neglected the customer?
Internal Communication: Turning Talk into Action
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

Over the past 10 years, the world has changed dramatically. The enormous increase in global competition has forever changed the way that we conduct business. Time is now so compressed that though once it was a victory to launch a product in two years, today the competitive environment dictates that the same product be launched in six months.
Customer Focus Helps Utility See the Light
Authors: Evelyn John J. , DeCarlo Neil J.
Published: March 2008

Florida Power & Light knew it had to transform the way it operated to remain competitive. The key was to understand changing customer needs and build those needs into its planning process.
Improved Customer Service: Measuring the Payoff
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: March 2008

Will enhanced levels of service automatically lead to greater sales and profits? Here's how two companies measure the payback from improved service.
Overcome the Barriers to Superior Customer Service
Authors: Lynn Daniel A.
Published: March 2008

Numerous barriers inhibit companies from implementing an effective customer service strategy. Here are some practical steps that managers have taken to overcome those barriers.
The Generic Strategy Trap
Authors: Miller Danny
Published: March 2008

Management experts claim that for a company to thrive, it must concentrate on a single generic strategy—on one thing it does better than its rivals. But specialization also has its disadvantages. The author suggests that a broader, mixed approach may be preferable.
The Strategic Persistence of the Japanese Firm
Authors: Turpin Dominique V.
Published: March 2008

Why is Sony, despite its Betamax set‐back of the early 1980s, continually pushing its new 8‐mm standard against the VHS format of archrivals JVC and Matsushita? Why did Shiseido, the major cosmetic company in Japan, persist in investing continuously in the United States and Europe since the 1970s despite years of accumulated losses? Why is a company like Kubota, a leading manufacturer of farm equipment, moving into computers and biotechnology with no time frame for success?
Better Information Means Better Quality
Authors: Ashmore G. Michael
Published: March 2008

There's been a lot of commotion and promises made during the last 10 years about strategic information systems. Simply find the right technology and you too can enjoy that special competitive edge, say proponents of these systems. But the bloom has begun to fade from this particular rose, and many who were once enthusiastic advocates of technology now find themselves reexamining the contribution of information systems to business success.
Spin‐Offs: A Way to Increase Shareholder Value
Authors: Gordon Jeffrey M.
Published: March 2008

Although the highly publicized mergers and acquisitions boom of the 1980s have receded dramatically, restructuring by divesting business units has become increasingly popular. In particular, corporations have found strategic and financial advantages to spinning off divisions or subsidiaries to their stockholders through transactions that are expected to qualify for advantageous tax treatment. When such transactions are motivated by sound strategic planning and are properly structured, the spin‐off can result in additional value for the company's stockholders.
Designing a Customer Retention Plan
Authors: DeSouza Glenn
Published: March 2008

What is your company's customer retention rate? How many customers are price defectors? Have you identified barriers that prevent customers from switching to a competitor? In this article, the author outlines a game plan to increase customer retention.
Marketing to the Hispanic‐American Community
Authors: Livingston Stuart
Published: March 2008

In these financially constrained times, should your company spend money developing ways to sell your prod‐ucts or services to Hispanics? Unless you can afford to overlook a booming $171‐billion market, the answer is a resounding yes. The Hispanic market will be even more significant in the coming years; Hispanics are the US's number‐one growth market due to high birth and immigration rates.
Effective External Communications in Downsizing
Authors: Finkin Eugene F.
Published: March 2008

When major cost reductions are under way, effective communications are essential with external groups, as well as with employees.
How to Implement Competitive‐Cost Benchmarking
Authors: Markin Alex
Published: March 2008

Competitive‐cost benchmarking is an action‐oriented tool that enables companies to quantify how their performance and costs compare against competitors, understand why their performance and costs are different, and apply that insight to strengthen competitive responses and implement proactive plans. Benchmarking, by definition, goes beyond competitive‐cost analysis, which is often a staff exercise without a structured follow‐up implementation program; its goal reaches beyond simple competitor emulation. In this article, emphasis is placed on how commodity product benchmarking is performed and the bottom‐line and strategy improvements that can be gained as a result.
Prototyping: A Key to Managing Product Development
Authors: Droz Dan
Published: March 2008

The notion of working together in teams is like motherhood; everybody loves the idea. The benefits of team‐based product development, which have been well documented in numerous articles and books, derive from the concept of overlapped stages of product development. Despite such benefits, however, teams face numerous challenges.
Creating Market Economies Within Companies
Authors: Magidson Jason , Polcha Andrew E.
Published: March 2008

In December 1991, General Motors Corp. announced that it would lay off 74,000 employees. The same month, The New York Times reported that Xerox Corp., Eastman Kodak Co., IBM Corp., and General Motors, among other organizations, expect many 1991 layoffs to be permanent. Some feel that's because this latest US recession is not a cyclical downturn but an overdue adjustment indicative of a relocation of the world economy.
Partnering: Entering the Age of Cooperation
Authors: Sonnenberg Frank K.
Published: March 2008

Reflecting on the ‘old days’—all of five or six years ago—a Chicago area supplier … sarcastically recalls how one of his big customers used to treat its suppliers. The strategy was: ‘Line 'em up and beat 'em up—until you get 'em to a point where they can't make money any more. Then you've got the best price.’ “
Gaining a Financial Foothold Through Public Warehousing
Authors: Jenkins Michael
Published: March 2008

Although many companies have become financially weak in the current economy, Blue Diamond Growers, a worldwide producer and marketer of almonds, and Harley‐Davidson, Inc., are thriving. While other companies are cutting back on production and staffing in order to maintain a financial foothold, Blue Diamond and Harley‐Davidson remain strong in their respective industries: Blue Diamond processes and packages one‐third of the world's almond crop each year, and Harley‐Davidson has cornered 60% of the market for heavyweight motorcycles.
Operating a Manufacturing Plant in an Asian Culture
Authors: Konopacki Ronald F.
Published: March 2008

With many US companies owning production plants in foreign countries and others planning to do so, what does it take to run a metal fabricating plant overseas, especially in a developing country and in an Asian culture? Consider ABB Combustion Engineering Systems (ABB/CE), which in a joint venture with two Indonesian firms has set up a boiler components plant on the country's main island of Java.