MIT Sloan Management Review
Winter 2012 Issue
Volume 53 Issue 2
Following HR best practices can only take you so far. Top-performing companies subscribe to a set of talent management principles that are consistent with their strategy and culture.
By Günter K. Stahl, Ingmar Björkman, Elaine Farndale, Shad S. Morris, Jaap Paauwe, Philip Stiles, Jonathan Trevor and Patrick Wright
By understanding the structure of talent networks within companies, managers can foster more effective collaboration.
By Margaret Schweer, Dimitris Assimakopoulos, Rob Cross and Robert J. Thomas
Reflections on making the most of your resources.
By Martha E. Mangelsdorf
Special Report
How do you develop the best strategy for your company’s current circumstances? In this online special report, MIT Sloan Management Review editorial director Martha E. Mangelsdorf has assembled a collection of articles and blog items that can help you craft a winning strategy in changing markets.
Intelligence
Why Dominant Companies Are Vulnerable
Recent research suggests that, as consumers feel that their choices are restricted, many respond by turning away from the market leader. Kyle B. Murray and Gerald Häubl
Quick Takes Notes on the way high performers think differently about relationships, the case for greater supply chain flexibility, the benefits of appearing small, two perspectives on talent — plus other observations and ideas in this issue.
“Do-It-Yourself” Employee Health Care Motivated by rising health-care costs and commitment to their staff’s health and productivity, many companies are taking matters into their own hands. Leonard L. Berry, Gale Adcock and Ann M. Mirabito
Should Top Management Relocate Across National Borders? In today’s increasingly international world, it’s not uncommon for multinational companies to move some element of their headquarters to another country. Here’s how to evaluate the strategic costs and benefits of such decisions. Marc G. Baaij, Tom J.M. Mom, Frans A.J. Van Den Bosch and Henk W. Volberda
Is It Time to Rethink Your Manufacturing Strategy? Factors such as oil price volatility, increasing labor costs in emerging markets and shifts in demand all come into play when deciding where to manufacture products. David Simchi-Levi, James Paul Peruvankal, Narendra Mulani, Bill Read and John Ferreira
Features
It’s not easy, but some leading companies have found that the right incentives and collaborative efforts can help their suppliers achieve better environmental performance.
By Erica Plambeck, Hau L. Lee and Pamela Yatsko
Rapid advances in information technology are yielding applications that can do anything from answering game show questions to driving cars. But to gain real advantage from these ever-improving technologies, companies need new processes and business models.
By Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee
Many companies are trying to benefit from the power of Twitter. New research identifies factors that increase the odds that a company’s tweets will be shared with recipients’ networks.
By Arvind Malhotra, Claudia Kubowicz Malhotra and Alan See
This year, more survey respondents say sustainability is on their company’s management agenda. Not all companies have found ways to profit from their sustainability efforts — but those that have share some interesting characteristics.
By David Kiron, Nina Kruschwitz, Knut Haanaes and Ingrid von Streng Velken
Next Big Thing — or just the Next Big Sell? Understanding the dynamics that produce IT innovation waves can help executives make wise decisions about which innovations to adopt when.
By E. Burton Swanson
Systematically exploring alternative approaches to value creation can allow companies to find new opportunities for growth.
By Joseph V. Sinfield, Edward Calder, Bernard McConnell and Steve Colson
Tough economic times can lead to misguided executive perspectives.
By Stephanie Pane Haden and Jack Cooke
Web Exclusives
In “Analytics: The Widening Divide,” the second joint MIT Sloan Management Review and IBM Institute for Business Value study, we report a growing divide between companies that see the value of business analytics and are taking advantage of the newfound opportunities it offers and companies that have yet to fully embrace analytics.
David Kiron, Rebecca Shockley, Nina Kruschwitz, Glenn Finch and Dr. Michael Haydock
Setting long-term sustainability goals gives managers and employees permission to think about what’s really possible, says Dave Stangis, vice president of CSR and sustainability at Campbell Soup. The company also relies on top-level involvement and formal governance structures.
Dave Stangis (Campbell Soup), interviewed by Nina Kruschwitz
“The biggest predictor of success…has been when there’s a strong business sponsor involved,” says Randy Bean, co-founder of NewVantage Partners. Broad-based organizational support usually follows when the business sees how analytics will improve the top and bottom line.
Paul Barth and Randy Bean (NewVantage Partners), interviewed by David Kiron
The big potential for social media is to be a tool for mass collaboration, say Anthony Bradley and Mark McDonald of Gartner, Inc. The challenge for companies: look beyond the obvious uses for marketing and communicating.
Anthony Bradley and Mark McDonald (Gartner, Inc.), interviewed by David Kiron
