
Consumers today can find out just
how low companies will go — what the truly rock-bottom prices are. To regain pricing power, some companies ban their least-profitable customers.
Detlef Schoder and Alex Talalayevsky - Executive Adviser - 9/02/10

The radio program “This American Life” deconstructs the rise and then fall of NUMMI, the joint venture between GM and Toyota that closed this year. Also: MIT’s elevator pitch contest!
Leslie Brokaw - Improvisations - 8/31/10

There’s opportunity in focusing on social responsibility. When P&G, for instance, developed hands-friendly detergent in Brazil, it opened new markets
and improved lives.
Rosebeth Moss Kanter - The Magazine - 8/30/10

New research from the MIT Media Lab has identified productivity benefits of conversations among employees — about $15 million in productivity gains in one company example.
Martha E. Mangelsdorf - Improvisations - 8/27/10

Aneel Karnani’s argument that corporate focus on social responsibility delays and discourages more effective measures to enhance social welfare is generating heated comment. Join in.
Aneel Karnani - Executive Adviser - 8/25/10

The discipline of marketing hasn't kept up with the changes facing 21st-century businesses. Still, companies like Starbucks are reshaping their relationships with customers.
Yoram (Jerry) Wind - The Magazine - 8/23/10

In an interview for
MIT SMR’s “
The New Intelligent Enterprise,” MIT’s Andrew McAfee explains how innovations in technology are helping people act on information in smarter ways.
A. McAfee, with M. Hopkins - The Magazine - 8/20/10

Andrew McAfee (above) asks: “How can it still be the case, in 2010, that really well-understood technologies (telephony, voice prompts, etc.) are still detracting from customer service?”
Leslie Brokaw - Improvisations - 8/17/10

In an
MIT Sustainability Interview, SAP’s chief sustainability officer explains how he made the case for change to his board of directors and how he’s making it to customers.
Peter Graf, with M. Hopkins - Interview Series - 8/16/10

With all eyes on HP in the wake of CEO Mark Hurd’s resignation, the company needs clear communication in the weeks ahead. “
How to Save Your Brand in Crisis” has some advice.
G. Johar, M. Birk, S. Einwiller - The Magazine - 8/12/10

How can organizations make encounters with customers more positive? Start by recognizing that the “soft side” of service — emotions, trust and feelings about control — are huge factors.
Sriram Dasu and Richard B. Chase - The Magazine - 8/10/10

MIT and other schools are big resources in many companies’ innovation strategies. But companies really need to focus on collaboration to realize the full business value.
J. Pertuzé, E. Calder, E. Greitzer, W. Lucas - The Magazine - 8/06/10

Could the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have been averted if rig workers had been empowered to stop production when they saw problems? The Drucker Institute’s Rick Wartzman weighs in.
Martha E. Mangelsdorf - Improvisations - 8/4/10

Please join us in our efforts to better understand the business and management implications of current sustainability practices by taking our
online survey of executives and managers.
Sean M. Brown - Improvisations - 8/4/10

As Eric Pooley writes in the
Guardian, “Welcome to the ‘glorious mess’ — Michigan Rep. John Dingell’s phrase for the tangle of regulation and litigation” we’re in for now that the bill is dead.
Leslie Brokaw - Improvisations - 8/3/10