Beware going global!
Also at the SMS conference, Pankaj Ghemawat reviewed some of the recession’s impact on globalisation trends, a talk that included a useful warning. Read more
The Growth/Share matrix lives!
Offspring of the BCG matrix [and McKinsey/GE versions] are alive and well it seems – over 60% of top global companies actively use such tools, though not quite as in the 70s. Read more
The strategy profession
Great to see SMS ask if there should be Certification in strategic management. I’ve raise before the need for this to be a truly professional discipline, so we can nail what should be expected of robust leadership of this critical role. A conference session will ask some intriguing questions: Read more
De-skilling globalising law firms
Yet another great piece at SMS – also not yet published – from Susan Segal-Horn and Alison Dean. What happens when corporate law-firms go international? Seems from in-depth research on their reports that – amongst other things Read more
Why has Amazon.com been so unsuccessful?
The SMS conference reminds me of a long-standing puzzle. We have known for decades that investors value growth in earnings – because they either get rising dividends or a rising stock price they can sell on. Profitability – return on sales or on assets - is only of interest insofar as it enables future earnings growth. So how come the strategy field is obsessed with ‘explaining’ why some firms are more profitable than others, when investors aren’t interested and management does not pursue it? Read more
More from SMS on ‘dynamic capabilities’
Just heard a keynote talk from Prof David Teece – father of the ‘dynamic capabilities’ concept. He has an outstanding record not only as a top strategy prof but also as entrepreneur and consultant … problem is Read more