The latest edition of Business Insight is out today and with it, we opened up 21 articles from the MIT SMR archvies. SMR articles normally require registration or paid subscription, they’re yours to read for fee courtesey of Harvard Business School Executive Education.
Business Insight is MIT Sloan Management Review’s collaboration with The Wall Street Journal. The collaboration is now in it’s fourth year, so check out the past issues for articles you may have missed.
(Don’t miss In Praise of Resource Constraints, it’s one of my favorite SMR articles.)
Why Diversity Can Backfire On Company Boards
- The Changing Face Of Corporate Boards
Edward E. Lawler III and David L. Finegold
Boards in the U.S. are undergoing reforms in leadership, mem- bership and performance evalu- ation. But are all the changes for the better? - Bridging Faultlines In Diverse Teams
Lynda Gratton, Andreas Voigt and Tamara J. Erickson
Project teams can fly or founder on the demographic attributes of team members and the fractures they can create. Here’s how to recognize the potential for division, and how to respond in time when team fractures do arise. - How to Resolve Board Disputes More Effectively
Ralph Hasson
Companies have a number of internal and external conflict-resolution resources at their disposal. In addition, they should consider creating the new role of board ombudsman to mediate disagreements.
Ambushed!
- Ambush Marketing: A Threat to Corporate Sponsorship.
Tony Meenaghan
Is ambush marketing legal and ethical? How can a legitimate sponsor counteract the effects of an ambusher? - A Strategic Perspective on Sales Promotions
Betsy D. Gelb, Demetra Andrews and Son K. Lam
How to plan profitable sales promotions by considering the stature of your brand in the marketplace, the message being delivered, and how customers and competitors will react. - Viewing Brands in Multiple Dimensions
Pierre Berthon, Morris B. Holbrook, James M. Hulbert and Leyland Pitt
The concept of a “brand manifold” helps managers understand that a brand’s impact varies according to who is valuing it, in what context and at what time.
The IT Platform Principle: The First Shall Not Be First
- How Companies Become Platform Leaders
Annabelle Gawer and Michael A. Cusumano
Companies of any size can grow to become platform leaders, through particular business and technology decisions. - The Elements of Platform Leadership
- First to Market, First to Fail? Real Causes of Enduring Market Leadership
Gerard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder
Market leaders embody five factors critical to success: vi- sion, persistence, commitment, innovation and asset leverage.
Michael A. Cusumano and Annabelle Gawer
With vision that extends beyond their current operations or the specifications of one product, platform leaders can create an industry ecosystem greater than the sum of its parts.
Where Process-Improvement Projects Go Wrong
- The Art of Making Change Initiatives Stick
Michael A. Roberto and Lynne C. Levesque
The seeds of effective change must be planted by embedding procedural and behavioral changes in an organization long before the initiative is launched. - Process Management and the Future of Six Sigma
Michael Hammer
Savvy companies have learned that their Six Sigma initiatives must serve the larger endeavor of process management. - Designing Organizations That Are Built to Change
Christopher G. Worley and Edward E. Lawler III
Many executives talk about the need for greater flexibility and adaptability from their companies. But most businesses have organized themselves in ways that discourage change.
How Green Should My Tech Be? It Depends on the Tech.
- Sustainability Through Servicizing
Sandra Rothenberg
Suppliers can make their business both more sustainable and more profitable by focusing on services that extend their products’ efficiency and value. - The Profit-Making Allure of Product Reconstruction
John A. Pearce II
Whether it involves recycling, refurbishing or remanufacturing, product re-construction can offer attractive consumer prices, high-quality goods and a host of profit opportunities. - ‘Greening’ Transportation in the Supply Chain
Susan L. Golicic, Courtney N. Boerstler and Lisa M. Ellram
Even corporations with clear environmental aims fail to go the distance when it comes to their supply chains. But lessons from a small group of Fortune 500 companies can give them the direction they need.
Advice for Outsourcers: Think Bigger
- Proven Practices for Effectively Offshoring IT Work
Joseph W. Rottman and Mary C. Lacity
It takes a tremendous amount of detailed management on both the client and supplier sides to realize the expected benefits of offshore outsourcing of IT work. Here are 15 best practices that can accelerate learning and make the strategy eminently worthwhile. - The Practice of Global Product Development
Steven D. Eppinger and Anil R. Chitkara
Senior managers often struggle to tie operations in different countries into a cohesive, unified whole that can efficiently drive growth and innovation. New empirical frameworks may help unlock practices with which managers can deploy well-coordinated global product development strategies. - Taking the Measure of Outsourcing Providers
David Feeny, Mary Lacity and Leslie P. Willcocks
Successful outsourcing of back-office business functions requires knowing not only your company’s needs but also the 12 core capabilities that are key criteria for screening suppliers.
Let’s Make a Deal
- How to Rethink Your Business During Uncertainty
Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian C. MacMillan
The volatile environment of recessions demands that managers let go of old approaches. - Recession-Proofing Your Organization
Peter Navarro
Managers must learn how to use the business cycle for competitive advantage. - In Praise of Resource Constraints
Michael Gibbert, Martin Hoegl and Liisa Välikangas
Remaining lean and mean can often be a blessing.
