Boost your bottom line by taking the guesswork out of pricing.

Two authors with opposing viewpoints suggest new common ground for optimizing the IT-purchase process.

Examining strategy through the lens of leadership focuses the topic on the critical tasks that a leader must undertake to create and execute strategy. In choosing this focal point, managers may find that some strategic activities such as industry analysis, competitive analysis, and internal analysis become their second priority because it is not as important for the leader to do them as it is to make sure such activities get done. This article specifically examines what the business leader does in the five major phases of the strategy-making/strategy-executing process: developing a vision and mission, setting goals and objectives, crafting a strategy, executing the strategy, and evaluating performance. We conclude with what is required in a leader's character in order to exercise good leadership.

You've probably heard the term and wondered what marketing has to do with Linux. Turns out, everything. Read James' manifesto to find out where marketers go next.

The savings enjoyed by companies that move labor-intensive service industry work from the United States to countries with lower labor costs have triggered an exodus of US business-processing jobs. Some analysts project that by 2015 roughly 3.3 million of them will have moved abroad. This prospect has prompted calls for the government to restrict offshoring. But they overlook the benefits that accrue to the US economy from it.

Odds are you've run across one of these characters in your career. They're glib, charming, manipulative, deceitful, ruthless -- and very, very destructive. And there may be lots of them in America's corner offices.

The usual employee-orientation process needs to be retired. In this article from Harvard Management Update, savvy companies explain how to jump-start the success of new managers. Tip: Set up meetings, use technology, and coach newcomers.

Ethan Kapstein poses the question of what economic "justice" actually means in today's increasingly interconnected world. He compares the views held by the three predominant contemporary schools of thought on globalisation issues - the communitarians, the liberal internationalists and the cosmopolitans - and offers evidence either supporting or undermining their different positions.

Editor's Note: I don't know why, but there is no direct link to the full article. Find it at:
http://www.ethankapstein.com/articles/models_of_international.pdf

Having exploited most of the first-generation cost savings available through outsourcing, leading companies are now focusing on business model transformation. They are looking beyond IT and general and administrative (G&A) services and outsourcing processes closer to the core, including line operations, often using offshore resources. Moreover, many are exploring ways to commercialize their own world-class internal services through spin-offs and joint ventures.

Peter F. Drucker is best known for his work on management. The White House press release of June 21, 2002, announcing that Drucker would be a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom cites Drucker as "the world's foremost pioneer of management theory." Indeed he is. Yet all this seminal work on management came about as Drucker pursued his main interest in a larger and even more consequential topic.

This article seeks to apply a systems perspective to the works of Peter F. Drucker, organizing his writings into a coherent whole, to help you navigate the enormous body of knowledge that this remarkable man has created during the past 65 years. This is no small challenge and my approach is only a beginning.

My goal is an understanding of how the parts of Drucker's writings relate to one another, rather than a description of the individual parts. However, to understand how the parts interact with one another, one must have at least some understanding of the parts themselves--that is, the major writings of Peter Drucker.

The idea that there is a relation between risk and returns is a cornerstone of modern portfolio theory. And yet, the concept has yet to affect the way most companies manage the real assets of the corporate portfolio. It's an enormous missed opportunity. It is possible to integrate a rigorous assessment of uncertainty and risk into the very process of setting portfolio strategy. The result is a far more comprehensive and realistic approach that can fundamentally transform how senior executives manage the corporate portfolio.

Consumer goods firms and retailers collect enormous amounts of data on consumers, but are not able to use it to drive symbiotic loyalty. To become effective, firms should divide consumer data into three levels - collective, individual, and emotive. Each level requires a different data collection method, with an increased individual consumer engagement. Marketers can only reach the highest CRM level - emotive - after mastering the preceding two levels.

Interest in integrating business with the needs of the environment is prompting a harder look at achieving a sustainable economy.

Information technology (IT) projects fail regularly-considerably missing expectations, drastically overrunning budgets, significantly missing their deadlines, and far too often having to be abandoned entirely. Research shows us that this is the rule, not the exception. Research also tells us why. What is the impact of failure on enterprises, IT professionals and software and services providers? Does it have to be this way?

Six Sigma is a business strategy that seeks to identify and eliminate causes of errors or defects or failures in business processes by focusing on outputs that are critical to customers. It is a measure of quality that strives for near elimination of defects using the application of statistical methods. A defect is defined as anything which could lead to customer dissatisfaction. The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction. This article lists some pros and cons of Six Sigma.

Note: CEO Refresher articles are no longer free...

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Real leaders have one particular commonality that is easy to spot: maturity. Mature leaders know when to lead, when to follow and when to get out of the way.

Risk management has become an area of significant concern for numerous companies in today's volatile marketplace. However, a number of executives are still grappling with what needs to be done to protect their organizations.

A logical starting point is to gain a better understanding of the true risks facing companies. To accomplish this, Deloitte & Touche LLP and Deloitte Research, a part of Deloitte Services LP, analyzed the possible causes of major loss of share value experienced by hundreds of the largest international companies over the last 10 years. Some of the results were expected, such as the major negative impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Yet other results yielded some surprises, which have been compiled into a new Deloitte Research white paper, "Disarming the Value Killers."

The research found that risks may lurk in unexpected places, and that certain events can have such devastating effects that many organizations never recover from the losses. In the paper, Deloitte identifies which factors potentially became "value killers" and explains what might be done to address such threats.

If your company is interested in expanding its operations to China, are you aware of the existing ecommerce development challenges that await you? If partnering with a Chinese firm is in your company's future strategy, does your management team understand the contractual pressures of partnering and setting up business in China? Because of the government's intention to control its country's ecommerce growth and economic development, conducting business in China can be challenging and complicated. Identifying and understanding these challenges are important for companies hoping to implement partnership strategies that will aid in their business development.

This white paper includes information that employees will need and want in times of crisis, regardless of whether the crisis is generated from within the corporation or through external events. For the most part, this information applies to U.S. employees, although many employee needs are the same, regardless of where employees live.

One of the most accessible and potent levers for growth is optimizing the sales effort by targeting the right customers with the right offers and giving the sales force the time and tools that will raise productivity. The key is to solve customers' most pressing needs rather than simply trying to sell more products.

Five principles can guide managers in optimizing their sales efforts:
* Make segmentation work by emphasizing customer value and customer priorities.
* Tailor the selling approach to suit customer needs.
* Free up the sales force to spend its time actually selling.
* Close the capability gap with the right skills and the right tools.
* Structure incentives to reward profit and new value, not volume.

Companies that address these areas can deliver significant improvements to revenues and profits, while enjoying higher rates of retention and satisfaction from customers and their own sales forces on the front line.

This article outlines four critical elements of an employee performance management system.

Editor's Note: highly recommended...

Traditional investment strategies are in trouble. Are you ready to challenge the status quo?

The Product Life Cycle (PLC) model is introduced and its merits and faults are addressed. Considerations, ways and reasons to extend PLC stages are explained. Examples are provided to show how product marketing and management strategies can be used at different PLC stages to help establish market dominance and drive sales.

Managing quantum change is a complex, daunting process. It is very important to bear in mind that the "true north" in any management process is to maximize the long-run health of the company. In order to reach this objective, a manager can frame an effective change process using six principles.

I think we may have a glimpse into the future of text books with this one. It is the new Introduction to Corporate Finance by William Megginson and Scott Smart.

From videos for most topics, to interviews, to powerpoint, to a student study guide, to excel help...just a total integration of a text and a web site! Well done!

At St. Bonaventure we have adopted the text for the fall semester and the book actually has made me excited to be teaching an introductory course! It is that good!! [FinanceProfessor Annotation]