Contrary to conventional wisdom, favorable government relations, pent-up demand, marketing productivity, marketing resources and on-the-spot learning can make early entry desirable even in emerging markets. Two management professors provide a framework that enables companies to assess long-term market potential, identify business prospects and predict benefits. Once a multinational decides to enter a market, the framework can guide product decisions and decisions regarding partners, particularly local distributors.

Almost all companies polled by the authors in a three-year study that spanned firms in Europe, North America and Asia claim they lack an adequate number of globally competent leaders. The authors outline four strategies that are particularly effective in developing global leaders, who, their work reveals, cannot succeed without several core characteristics.

Current models of organizational strategy and structure fail to meet the challenges of the information age. Based on field study, the authors conceptualize an architecture, or guide, for virtual organizing that focuses on the importance of knowledge and intellect in creating value. Information technology lies at the heart of this business model for the twenty-first century.

The Japanese model of long-term collaborative partnerships between firms and their suppliers has attracted much attention from business researchers and practitioners. Several U.S. and European auto-makers have attempted to establish similar partnerships of their own, seeking to reduce their supplier base and cultivate relationships with their best suppliers.1 As a result, the early involvement of [...]

Companies that make nonphysical or intangible products, such as software and computer-based information services, can use the concepts of product families, product platforms, and derivative products. Our purpose here is to show how to apply these concepts for more effective development of software products, whether for commercial sale or for systems developed by MIS staffs.
Our [...]

Effective service recovery is vital to maintaining customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty, which contribute significantly to a company’s revenues and profitability. Yet most customers are dissatisfied with the way companies resolve their complaints, and most companies do not take advantage of the learning opportunities afforded by service failures. The authors provide a research-based approach for helping managers develop a comprehensive service recovery system.