Strategy implementation is often overlooked or taken for granted within the field of strategy. Yet managers know that a new strategy has limited usefulness unless it can be successfully applied. The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the assumptions in prescriptions typically found in the literature on this topic and to draw on theory to develop propositions for strategy implementation.

It's an old question still in search of an answer. Why does inequality in wealth distribution repeat itself so consistently from country to country? New research suggests that network effects may be more in play here than the backgrounds and talents of citizens. It also suggests we may reach a tipping point where just a few citizens control most of the wealth. Should public policy play a role?

A basic overview of the famous strategic framework (no history just how to implement).

"A SWOT analysis consists of a candid compilation and appraisal of an organization's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This technique is typically used in formulating and evaluating strategy. Unfortunately it is not often applied well and as a result; organizations rarely reap the full benefit of this process."

"This checklist is for those carrying out, or participating in, a SWOT analysis, SWOT being the acronym for Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats. It is a simple, popular technique which can be used in preparing or amending plans, in problem solving and decision making, or for making staff generally aware of the need for change. The usefulness of SWOT analysis, however, has recently been questioned and may be seen as an outdated technique."

"If you're looking for ideas on what to look for in a SWOT analysis, here is a checklist you can use. The checklist lists a variety of factors that may or may not apply to the company you are researching. You should also be aware that what is a strength/opportunity for one company might be a weakness/threat for another."

Web services are getting plenty of buzz, but if they do provide a simple way for applications to talk to each other, the hype may be justified.

You don't make the investment in Six Sigma and take the time to train people, to select projects, and then to drill down to your costs of poor quality once. Six Sigma is ongoing; it's a constant, "living" methodology that needs to continue as long as your business does.

Whether striking a new business partnership or building a coalition government, you can benefit from these tricks of the trade. Two veteran negotiators share their strategies for forging and maintaining successful long-term relationships.

Point of sale (or bar code) data offers information riches for margin-strapped retailers and their partners-if they can overcome the technology and business hurdles to using it effectively.

One of the most profound statements made on the subject of positioning comes from Louis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cheshire Cat which path to take, he responds, "if you don't care where you're going, it doesn't make a difference which path you take."
So it is with too many company's marketing communications programs. Without direction or focus, a business or organization often acts like a multi-headed creature - speaking from many mouths, saying nothing and going nowhere.

Popular wisdom holds that it's the long lifetime customers bringing in the most profits. Or is it? In this working paper, Professors Reinartz and Kumar move beyond the traditional recency, frequency and monetary value (RFM) framework, apply a new model to the profitability-lifetime problem in a non-contractual context, and examine the implications for marketing. Their results may surprise you.

Graduate Management Admission Council conducted its first survey of graduating MBAs during March and April of 2000-the GLOBAL MBA SURVEYSM. Survey respondents were asked to provide permanent email addresses if interested in participating in follow-up research. Seventy-seven percent of them did so. On September 1, 2001, GMAC launched its first survey of this group-MBA Perspectives: Career Decisions.

They answered questions on the following topics:
- Satisfaction with the MBA in light of at least one -year of post-MBA experience
- How much they are using skills & abilities learned in their MBA programs on their current jobs
- The areas in which they wish they had had more education and training
- How they stay current on business practices
- Work experience
- How they weighed various job-selection factors-and which they now think they weighed "too much" or "too little"
- How satisfied they are with the jobs they chose
- Industries in which they work
- General and specific job functions
- Job characteristics and budgetary responsibility
- Salaries and additional compensation
- How their companies support career development

Idea management may help validate knowledge management.

Asking the right questions can tell you whether a potential client is serious about using your services or is just wasting your time. Get the information on what every consultant should ask and how to know when you should bail out.

Note: free membership required

Complexity theory is at the forefront of science and math. It is being used to map biological events and forecast earthquakes. Can it be useful in manufacturing? The answer is yes, but ...

See also:
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=1910&file=links

"This guide is a checklist for the owner/manager of a business enterprise or for one contemplating going into business for the first time. The questions concentrate on areas you must consider seriously to determine if your idea represents a real business opportunity and if you can really know what you are getting into. You can use it to evaluate a completely new venture proposal or an apparent opportunity in your existing business."

Yes, many companies have effective supply-chain management programs, but there is still a long way to go to ensure that relationships with vendors operate at peak efficiency, say experts.

Although many organisations still see brand primarily as a marketing tool, an increasing number are beginning to pay equal attention to the application of the brand internally. They describe this focus in various ways, the most common terms being internal brand and employer/ee brand.

Key messages...
- The two facets of internal branding are the 'employee' brand (external face inside) and 'employer brand (internal face outside).
- To achieve an 'employee' brand, realise that: consistency is the essence of brand; employees need to live the values of the organisation; choosing the right moment to launch branding campaign is critical; and it is important to keep building the brand after launch.
- It's not enough to aim for 'employer of choice'; your employer brand must match your business strategy.

Though obstensibly about leadership in today's environment, in fact this article is more like a high-level overview of personality indictor types, most closely resembling the Myers-Briggs if I am not mistaken. Very useful as a review or even an introduction for those unfamiliar with the concept. The article considers leaders by nature to be primarily task or process oriented and thus the indicators are presented in that light.

Coping with the bear market in directors' and officers' liability insurance.

Renée Mauborgne is Distinguished Fellow and Affiliate Professor of Strategy and Management at INSEAD and a fellow of the World Economic Forum. She is an advisor to corporations in diverse industries in the USA, Europe and Asia-Pacific region. Read what she has to say about the challenges of "value innovation" and the concepts of "fair process" and new "market space".

Is there anything you can do to rescue ordinary meetings from disaster? The answer is, "Yes!" With a little work, any organization can start conducting meetings that are shorter, more productive and a lot more fun. The road to more effective meetings begins with four "F" words - focus, facilitation, fellowship and feedback.

Editor's Note: This article is part of an archived newsletter so you will have to scroll about 1/3 of the way down the page to get to it (but it's wortht the effort).

How do you hire a CEO, when you're not even sure what a CEO does? That's the query we received from an angst-ridden company founder who had tried and failed -- twice -- to replace himself. One sleepless night he finally realized he didn't even know how to write a job description for a replacement CEO. To give guidance to that company builder -- and the countless entrepreneurs like him who are struggling with the same quandary -- Inc taps the sage counsel of some old hands.

What do corporations do when their products may be detrimental to society as a whole? In this recent working paper, Sybille van den Hove and Professors Marc Le Menestrel and Henri-Claude de Bettignies explore how processes and consequences constitute a useful framework for understanding how businesses face ethical dilemmas and examine the question of businesses' good faith.