Issue 81, Winter 2015

In this issue
Cover story
- InnovationAsia is now the top regional destination for R&D spending, followed by North America and Europe. See also Interactive: Where Companies Spend Their R&D Money.
- Organizations & People
The Fortune 500 teller
Having applied the logic of physics to predict the life expectancy of biological creatures and cities, Geoffrey West is now searching for the scientific principles that dictate the life spans of companies. - Business Literature
Best Business Books 2015
Our annual review of the year’s best business books. See also Best Business Books 2015 — in Pictures. - Thought Leaders
Bran Ferren on the Art of Innovation
A celebrated proprietor of R&D ateliers explains how companies can cultivate the rare people who create miracles.
Features
- Finance
Be Your Own Activist Investor
With these 10 principles for rethinking cost management, you can maximize value and avoid threats from Wall Street. - Best Business BooksBusiness Literature
Best Business Books 2015
Our annual review of the year’s best business books. Narratives: An Expensive Breakdown in Communications • Leadership: Leading by Biographical Example • Disruption: The Machine Age • Marketing: Capturing Attention – and Data – in a Digital Age• Managerial Self-Improvement: What a Character! • Economics: The (Very) Political Economy • Strategy: The Search for Innovation
Leading Ideas
- Strategy & Leadership
Consistency Drives Success at Telus
The Canadian telecom giant transformed its business by adopting a clear, stable approach to strategy and culture. - Auto, Airlines & Transport
Bonding with Infrastructure
Management guru Rosabeth Moss Kanter urges the private sector to invest in the U.S. transportation system. - Thought Leaders
Kentaro Toyama on Why Technology Alone Won’t Change the World
The University of Michigan professor believes that to solve human problems, human skill is needed more urgently than ever before. - Technology
The Best Defense
Contractors in the aerospace and defense sector can fend off aggressive activist investors by adopting a capabilities-driven approach. - Organizations & People
Millennials play the long game
With the right incentives, younger hires want to commit to your organization. - Strategy & Leadership
s+b Trend Watch: 20 Years of strategy+business
Two decades of management coverage, charted by topic.
Essays
- Consumer Products
Navigating Retail’s Last Mile
To serve online shoppers effectively, companies need to make complex trade-offs among speed, variety, and convenience. - Innovation
The Frugal Way to Grow
Pioneering companies in mature economies are learning from emerging market companies a new way to expand their businesses.
Recent Research
- s+b Blogs
Don’t Sweat the Swanky Stuff
C-suite executives with criminal records in their personal lives are more likely to commit fraud than their law-abiding but free-spending counterparts.