The China Challenge
For global companies, ignoring China is not an option. But they must adapt their strategies to the country’s changing markets, increased competition, and shifting government priorities.
Issue 58, Spring 2010
In this issue
Too Good to Fail, Roots of Prosperity, Facing Up to the Demographic Dilemma, and More
Cover story
Facing Up to the Demographic Dilemma
At the World Economic Forum’s summer meeting in Dalian, China, four experts discussed the challenges and opportunities that aging populations present to business.Roots of Prosperity
The lessons of history suggest that if we want to reduce poverty in emerging markets, regulation reform and business success are prerequisites, not outcomes.Too Good to Fail
India’s Tata, one of the world’s largest conglomerates, is basing an ambitious global strategy on 142 years of social entrepreneurship.Jack’s Right Fight
When the head of a division had an impossible target to meet, the only way forward was through a constructive battle between allies.
Comment
The New Golden Age
The history of investment and technology suggests that economic recovery is closer than you think, with a new silicon-based global elite at the helm.
A Renewable Oasis
Why oil-rich Abu Dhabi is building the world’s first zero-carbon city.
Virtuous Connections
A fine-tuned supply chain is more than the sum of its parts. Ideally, each link improves the next.
Data Points: Why Shoppers Switch
A new survey reveals that for different types of products, consumers change brands in response to different marketing triggers.
A Better Way to Fix Bankers’ Pay
Instead of bashing bonuses, let’s put in place the incentives we need: linking compensation to risk and capital.
Welcome, “Stateholder”
The newest corporate stakeholders — government representatives — must learn to become effective agents for reform.
What Is Your Risk Appetite?
To avoid swinging between over-exuberance and excessive caution, set a disciplined target for your desired investment outcomes.
The Pharmacy Solution
As the market for basic health care expands, pharmacy chains will increasingly be called upon to provide simple medical services.
Conversation
The Thought Leader Interview: Erik Brynjolfsson
MIT’s theorist of productivity draws a link between innovation in management practice and ongoing prosperity.
Seven Chapters of Strategic Wisdom
A shortcut to the big themes in the conversation about corporate strategy.
A Path to Better Decisions
A review of Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition, by Michael J. Mauboussin.
The Clay Feet of Management Science
A review of The Management Myth: Why the Experts Keep Getting It Wrong, by Matthew Stewart.
Why “Built to Last” Companies Didn’t
A review of How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In, by Jim Collins.
A New Way to Look at Human Behavior
A review of Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique, by Michael S. Gazzaniga.
The Real Reason Your Boss Is a Bully
Aggressive or vindictive managers often feel inadequate — and take it out on their employees.
Retirement may be bad for your health
Retirees who transition into temporary employment have better everyday health and experience fewer major illnesses than those who quit work entirely.
Smart Collaborations
Executives should seek to remove barriers to firm-wide collaboration and help general managers work together.
Multitasking Is Not a Skill, It’s a Liability
People who juggle several tasks at once are less efficient at accomplishing their goals.
The Far-Reaching Effects of Deceptive Marketing
The cost incurred by a firm's marketing practices, once revealed by authorities, can extend far beyond the monetary amount of a fine.
How to Manage a Highly Volatile Asset
Through good governance, oil-exporting countries can shield themselves from the effects of oil-price volatility.
Goldman’s “We”-Conscious Culture
Greg Farrell, author of Corporate Crooks: How Rogue Executives Ripped Off Americans...and Congress Helped Them Do It!, highlights the cohesive corporate culture at Goldman Sachs that is on view in The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs, by Charles D. Ellis.
