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This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. Markets are changing, competition is shifting, and businesses may be suffering or perhaps thriving. Whatever the immediate circumstances, corporate managers ask the same questions: where do we go from here, and which strategy will get us there? To understand how to choose the right strategy at the right time, the authors analyzed the logic of the leading strategic frameworks used in business and engineering schools around the world. They matched those frameworks with the key strategic choices faced by dozens of industry leaders at different times, during periods of stability and of change. Two insights emerged from their analysis. First, the frameworks divided into three archetypes: strategies of position, strategies of leverage, and strategies of opportunity. What's right for a company depends on its circumstances, its available resources, and how management combines those resources. Second, many of the assumptions about competitive advantage didn't hold. For example, although strategy gurus talk about strategically valuable resources, sometimes competitive advantage came from very ordinary resources assembled well. To figure out when it makes sense to pursue strategies of position, leverage, or opportunity, the authors advise managers to understand their company's immediate circumstances, take stock of their current resources, and determine the relationships among the various resources. Understanding these factors, they argue, will help managers select the right strategic framework.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. As the data deluge continues to grow, more companies are under increasing pressure to develop systems that create both business value and competitive advantage. According to a survey conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review, in partnership with IBM Institute for Business Value, more than 58% of the more than 4,500 respondents said their companies were gaining competitive value from analytics -up from just 37% who thought this last year. The authors found that rather than having the right tools, technology and people, organizational factors are one of the most important predictors of the ability to create competitive advantage. Managers who responded to the survey cite management support for analytics, including top-down mandates, and having analytics sponsors and champions as key, in addition to practices such as using analytics to identify and address strategic threats and opportunities. Data-oriented organizational cultures have three key characteristics: (1) analytics is used as a strategic asset, (2) management supports analytics throughout the organizations and (3) insights are widely available to those who need them. In addition, organizations that excel at using analytics are sophisticated in their information management, and possess real analytics expertise. The path to developing these competencies takes time and has distinct challenges. The authors summarize each, and propose ways to assess current organizational culture and choose the approach with the best likelihood of success.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. Managers have used business analytics to inform their decision making for years. And while few companies would qualify as being what management innovation and strategy expert Thomas H. Davenport has dubbed 'Äòanalytic competitors,'more and more businesses are moving in that direction. Which best practices do the most experienced project managers involved in business analytics projects employ, and how would they advise their less experienced peers? The authors found that the most important qualities could be sorted into five areas: having a delivery orientation and a bias towards execution; seeing value in use and value of learning; working to gain commitment; relying on intelligent experimentation; and promoting smart use of information technology. Although many of the business analytics project managers the authors interviewed report to the IT department, they identify with the business side of their organizations. Best-in-class CIOs realize that IT and business can't afford to continue to be at loggerheads with one another. IT should pursue opportunities to deliver faster implementation cycles, maintaining just enough process and architectural hygiene to ensure quality and professional support.

The case challenges students to develop a turnaround strategy for a small-town retail business following the loss of a major supplier. The students must develop a retrenchment strategy (i.e., cost and asset reductions) and a recovery strategy to rebuild the core business and develop the adjacent possibilities (i.e., adjacencies). It was February 2009 in Columbus, Montana, population 2,000. Lois Frerck (frair ic) owned River Bend Trading (RBT), an apparel and gift shop located next to the Montana Silversmiths Outlet (Silversmiths). Silversmiths manufactured silver jewelry, rodeo trophy belt buckles, and other western products in Columbus. RBT was a Silversmiths' dealer, and 50 percent of its sales came from Silversmith's products. In 2006, RBT's sales peaked at $485,951, and Silversmiths decided to sell directly to its customers over the internet. In January 2007, it revoked RBT's dealer status. Devastated, Lois and Mary analyzed their options, but they were unable to offset the loss of Silversmiths' products with new products. With the onset of the recession in 2007, RBT's sales plummeted. In November 2008, Mary told Lois, "The business is dying. I can't handle it. I'm out of here! I'll take my half of the debt," and she left. As the recession took its toll on local businesses and the tourist trade, RBT's 2008 sales fell to $220,023. In February 2009 Lois asked her sister Amy, "What should I do?"

The University Store, a university auxiliary running bookstore operations, was contemplating an overvalued inventory at year-end. The overvaluation was largely a result of changes in the textbook industry, including more frequent text revision cycles and increased competition from internet sellers and e-books, as well as traditional competitors. The immediate issues were to account for the valuation loss on inventory of non-returnable, obsolete books and to value the remaining retail inventory for reporting purposes. Since the non-profit employed generally accepted accounting principles, it was required to report its inventory accordingly, valuing inventory at lower of cost or market. Of long-term concern to the management of the Store was the need to manage the risk of inventory obsolescence. Managers needed to assess the weaknesses in inventory management processes and develop control procedures minimizing future inventory obsolescence.

This case narrates a complex, long-running, and emotional controversy between Shell Exploration & Production Ireland (SEPIL) and opponents of its planned natural gas pipeline and gas processing facility in County Mayo, Ireland. The Corrib Gas Project is years behind schedule and over budget. SEPIL must not only complete the project, but must do so in a manner consistent with its own principles of corporate social responsibility. This case provides an opportunity to explore the challenges implicit in utilizing stakeholder management approaches. Students must evaluate various options available to SEPIL such as: Should the gas be processed at sea, as the more strident protestors demand? Should the processing facility be relocated to an area of no habitation, as other protestors wish, which would mean writing off a significant investment? For that matter, is this project worth completing at any cost? Finally, despite having all the required statutory approvals, final implementation would probably require utilizing the Garda Siochána (the Irish national police force) and other resources of the Irish State, as well as Shell's own contract security force, to keep protestors at bay. But what are the possible effects of such action on Shell's corporate reputation, and what if something, anything, goes wrong? It is not only which course of action SEPIL chooses to undertake, but how the action is implemented, that matters. This case is most appropriate for use in MBA and upper-level undergraduate courses in Business Ethics, Business and Society, International Business, and Business and the Natural Environment.

No abstract available.

Chinese government raises barriers to U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board auditing Deloitte's Chinese auditing firms.

Sykue Bioenergya (Sykue) was formed in April 2006 with the goal of building four 30 megawatt (MW) bioelectricity power plants in Brazil's Bahia province, 1,500 kilometers north of Sao Paulo. Bahia's savannah-like conditions were perfect for growing elephant grass, a biomass with substantial energy-generating potential. In November 2010 the first plant was online and Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) had been signed for 27 MW of the 30 MW capacity. Despite this accomplishment, however, the four years between conception and implementation were littered with management setbacks, including lack of capital, an abundance of debt, and increased skepticism among prospective investors and clients about the potential of the project. This case is taught in the HBS executive education Global Agribusiness and Energy executive education seminars. The case is also appropriate for the organizational congruence module of the first-year MBA course Leadership and Organizational Behavior, and second-year MBA electives Innovation Management and Leading Energy Businesses.

TopCoder develops software for clients through online tournaments, drawing from a community of 275,000 people. The case provides an update on TopCoder's growth and resulting changes in its platform and business model. Specifically, its decision to virtualize the project management role. Issues related to the scalability, profitability and growth of this approach are explored.

The case focuses on an investment made by AXA Private Equity, a French manufacturer of food ingredients. The investment is made at the height of the financial markets, and financed with significant debt. Soon thereafter, the financial crisis impacted the company's financial performance, the valuation of all companies, and the balance sheet of banks. When the company breaches a covenant this set off a series of negotiations over the restructuring of the debt on the balance sheet. The case raises issues over the proper valuation and financing for a company, how capital markets can impact this, and the incentives and motivations of all the stakeholders.

The case deals with poor acceptance of the eye care service by the rural population in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. One of the factors causing poor acceptance is the lack of awareness among rural population that many cases of blindness are curable. Fear of surgery and cost are the other major barriers to acceptance by these consumers. Aravind is the largest eye care provider in the world and has pioneered many process innovations that have reduced the cost of eye treatment substantially. The company has a culture that encourages responsive service by a trained and motivated staff. It has experimented with a number of options to educate and provide eye care service to the rural consumers. The manager is to examine options in the decision areas of promotion and service delivery to enhance the acceptance of eye care service by the rural consumers.

Pinpoint Consulting, a multi-billion dollar strategy consulting firm, has been hired by Dart Financial Corporation to provide advice on the potential acquisition of a credit card portfolio. An analyst has the task of building a model and making recommendations. The price was set at $60 million and the analyst must assess whether the portfolio would be an attractive opportunity and suitable fit for Dart Financial.

All hiring managers want to hire the "right" person for each position. Only half succeed. The other half end in failure, impeding direct projects as well as indirectly eroding revenue, EBITDA, and company valuation. Given such high stakes, managers should be clear on what it will take for a candidate to succeed in a given job, and be disciplined in hiring a person who fits the bill. This note outlines the process of finding and vetting candidates for success.

In October 2003, leading Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn slashed prices up to 30 on more than 1,000 items to counter a loss in market share caused by consumer perception of high prices. AH continued the strategy for the ensuing three years, forcing competing supermarkets to match the markdowns or risk customer defections. Game theory adherents and analysts questioned the strategy, noting price wars often jeopardize profits of both individual companies and their industries. In this two-part case students analyze the risks and benefits of pursing a price-cutting strategy, considering profit margins, market-share data, and select financial information for AH and its competitors.

B case to CU268 In October 2003, leading Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn slashed prices up to 30 on more than 1,000 items to counter a loss in market share caused by consumer perception of high prices. AH continued the strategy for the ensuing three years, forcing competing supermarkets to match the markdowns or risk customer defections. Game theory adherents and analysts questioned the strategy, noting price wars often jeopardize profits of both individual companies and their industries. In this two-part case students analyze the risks and benefits of pursing a price-cutting strategy, considering profit margins, market-share data, and select financial information for AH and its competitors.

This case analyzes the internationalization process of Marcopolo, the leading manufacturer of buses in Brazil, tracking the company's international development and its approach to global growth. In the process it signs various strategic alliances with local partners in the different countries it tries to enter. After a few setbacks, some due to the global financial crisis, the company questions if the process was the correct one and what to do next.

BP CEO Tony Hayward (UK) faced intense public scrutiny from many different constituencies in the US in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The case focuses on how his words and actions were perceived by the US media and government, and how these perceptions had critical business and personal outcomes.

This case describes IKEA's strategy, aiming to show how the Swedish company has developed and maintained its competitive advantage over decades while expanding its business worldwide.

The founding team at ScoreBig, an event ticketing company, is on the verge of a public launch of their product. The company has made great progress in negotiating access to tickets, designing its interface, and building a proprietary architecture. For consumers, ScoreBig offered the opportunity to buy tickets at below face value. For event managers, ScoreBig helped solve the problem of filling empty seats and recruiting new customers in a way that did not harm other forms of ticket sales. ScoreBig has raised over $20 million in three rounds of financing.