Why the last shall be first and the first shall fade away
Being the first to innovate is rarely the road to riches many presume. Business history is paved with industries dominated by followers.
We’re all postmodern now
The architects of modern companies are repeating the errors of the architects of modern buildings. Perhaps it is time to develop a theory of post-modern management?
The Role of Business in Society
The view of business as necessarily selfish, narrow and instrumental, is, as it always has been, nonsense. Business which is selfish in motivation, narrow in outlook, and instrumental in behaviour is rarely successful business.
Why gurus should cross the bridge into business
Michael Porter’s models were based on a tool for industrial policy, not strategy. Now economists are beginning to understand the workings of firms as well as industries.
Getting to the truth behind the one-stop shop
Doctor’s surgeries, supermarkets, and travel agents are all one-stop shops - which should tell us that there are different justifications for one-stop shopping.
A world of difference
While accounting firms are “going global”, their rationale for doing so does not apply to other industries.
Know your place
Successful businesses have unique competitive advantages, but times change and they can be faced with strategic dilemmas. Sometimes, these dilemmas have no solution.
Happy combination
Core competencies is one of the most used and abused phrases in business strategy. But a proper understanding of the idea behind the jargon is essential
A quest for truth
Management, like medicine, can be taught. Sadly, the state of the art is a couple of centuries off the pace.