At an October 2002 forum, 37 senior environmental executives from 20 companies representing a diverse group of industries -- including broadcasting, electric utilities, chemicals, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications -- discussed their own definitions of environmental excellence. Here's what they had to say.

Every business has a magic number. By employing his, our columnist didn't overstaff this year.

Did you know a recent study found that the top supply-chain performers spent only 4.2% of revenue on supply-chain costs compared to almost 10% for average performers in the same industry? And, most companies think they're doing a great job with their supply chain, yet 44% admitted to having little or only basic data on it. Where's the disconnect? Miles Cook discusses the survey findings and his thoughts on improving your supply chain.

See related Accenture article, "Supply Chain and the Bottom Line: A Critical Link"
http://www.accenture.com/xd/xd.asp?it=enweb&xd=ideasoutlook1_2004master.xml

In this third part of a 4-part article, the author explores what a solid white paper must have to be effective-and read-and what CIOs and others need to know before they embark on white paper development.

Mr. Yoshio Ishizaka, former President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and now Senior Managing Director at Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan shares his views on the importance of developing global leadership talent. Specifically, he offers eight rules to find and groom a great global business leaders.

Not all customers are created equal. You need to know their lifetime value, then compare the cost of acquiring, serving, and keeping them.

Editor's Note: see also
Which Customers Are Worth Keeping and Which Ones Aren't? Managerial Uses of CLV
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=3179&file=links
The Impact of Customer Relationship Characteristics on Profitable Lifetime Duration
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=2021&file=links
Profitability & Long Lifetime Customers
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=1839&file=links

Professor David A. Garvin offers a rare inside glimpse at how the case method is used by both faculty and students in classrooms at Harvard Business School.

Editor's Note: you can read the entire original article from a link provided in the text.

Whatever their strategy, CEOs are convinced that grooming top leaders is absolutely key to their companies' ability to compete. Chief Executive magazine ranks the top 20 companies for leaders.

Bone up on pay-per-click strategies for search engine marketers as revealed through interviews with several PPC practitioners. This is a very useful primer that covers why search marketing is important, how it's different from other media, how to get the most for your dollar on Google and other services, how to track results and more. [WDFM Annotation]

This report draws on interviews with 581 senior executives across industries in 18 countries, as well as Accenture's experience in helping companies to deliver innovation.

The study demonstrates how innovative companies have shown themselves to be genuinely open-minded, unafraid of new ideas; ready even to change their most fundamental strategies if that is needed. The study found that the approach of innovators is essentially collaborative, seeking to work with others inside and outside the business. They make better use of information technology (IT) - not necessarily spending more, but understanding what it can do for them, and taking advantage of its capabilities.

Case studies drawn from experience at Avaya, Telenor, and BP, among others, demonstrate these points.

For a lucrative new source of revenues, profits, and market information, manufacturers need look no further than their own repair shops.

Fans of the hit TV comedy "The Jerry Seinfeld Show" may remember an episode in which Jerry's friend George leaves his car parked at work so that the boss will think George is putting in long hours, even when he's not. The idea, of course, is that George's apparent productivity will net him a higher raise or bonus. Wharton professor Maurice Schweitzer would call George's behavior "an attempt to invoke the input bias - the use of input information (in this case the false impression of long hours) to judge outcomes." As extreme as this example might seem, business decisions are frequently made based on input that is either biased or manipulated, as Schweitzer and colleague Karen Chinander suggest in a new paper entitled, "The Input Bias: The Misuse of Input Information in Judgments of Outcomes."

John Finnerty provides a very interesting look at the various ways of pricing employee stock options. Indeed it may be required reading for any class that covers pay issues. [FinanceProfessor.com Annotation]

Was your company prepared for the Blackout of 2003? Would you be
prepared for another? Maybe it's time to dust off your
disaster recovery plan.

The rating agencies are under review for their failure to downgrade Enron more promptly. The only trouble is, proposed reforms might make things worse.

See related NYU STERNbusiness article by Lawrence J. White, "The Bond-Rating Game" at:
http://www.stern.nyu.edu/Sternbusiness/fall_winter_2003/bondrating.html

Market entry decisions are among the most important strategic choices companies make. Entering any market requires a major commitment of financial and managerial resources, but foreign markets can be especially demanding. Most of the research on the internationalization process focuses on two factors as the primary determinants of foreign market entry: cultural similarity and economic attractiveness.

Intuitively, it makes sense that the knowledge of the economic and cultural environment of a foreign market will affect the probability of entering that market. Theories of organizational learning argue that firms develop knowledge based on their experiences. This store of knowledge constitutes an important resource and is a source of competitive advantage. At first, of course, knowledge comes entirely from the home market, and companies make comparisons between the characteristics of the home market and those of potential new markets. But such knowledge can also be generated in foreign markets in which the firm already operates that are similar to potential new markets. Operating in Argentina, for example, may have provided Wal-Mart with some insights as to how to run a store in Chile.

We have dubbed this phenomenon near-market knowledge. But the term does not refer to markets that are geographically close. Rather, it refers to markets that are economically and culturally similar.

So you've decided to conduct an online survey. There are a few questions in your mind that you would like answered, and you are on the lookout for a fast and inexpensive way to find out more about your customers, clients and so on.

How companies are maximizing the power of real options thinking without getting bogged down in complexity.

The truth about senior management teams -- and how to boost their performance.

Ahead of the customer stand at least seven other people you'd better satisfy-or else.

Editor's Note: a look at the author's Core Group Theory of Power.

SEC is an early adopter of sports-gear maker's open-source integration engine.

Editor's Note: a topical story but for those with E-business responsibilities, the open-source program referenced might be worth investigating, so I included it.

Internet auctions create losers as well as winners. Game theory shows companies how to improve their chances.

A 2002 analysis of nearly 1,000 environmental, health, and safety initiatives spanning more than 40 countries indicates that industry should prepare for more stringent requirements for managing chemicals, addressing global warming, and preventing workplace accidents.

After screening more than 2,000 regulatory initiatives, the researchers identified 865 EH&S initiatives. A detailed analysis of these 865 initiatives against the existing regulatory framework and current industry practices revealed ten priority issues that Environmental Expert believes will have significant implications for international industry. Multinational companies wishing to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in a way that fosters business growth are recommended to take proactive measures with regard to these issues.

With alliances accounting for more and more of companies' market value, effective alliance management has never been more important. Yet nearly half of these strategic partnerships fail. Here's how to create a lasting relationship.

Editor's Note: there are quite a few good articles on this topic listed on MBA Depot (this one is o.k. but not great). Do a keyword search on alliance. One particular recommendation is the 'Alliance Doctors' section of professor Robert Spekman's web page at:
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=745&file=links

Four ways to scan for volatility in the mutual fund universe.

Editor's Note: this is one article in the entire August issue of Fidelity Outlook, which is a .pdf document. So, you will have to scroll down to page 8 (page 6 of the magazine) to read it.