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In the late 1990s, IBM successfully moved up the value chain and became one of the largest business and information technology (IT) solution providers in the world. To achieve such a transformation, the company made a number of strategic moves to reduce its exposure in the commoditization of IT hardware manufacturing. A key success factor was the creation of IBM Global Services and its venture into the high-margin management consulting and technology services industries. Moreover, IBM orchestrated a series of strategic acquisitions, sold ailing business units, and outsourced low-value-added manufacturing to external contractors and joint venture partners. In 2002, with the success of its business model and the introduction of new computing architecture, IBM made a high-profile announcement about its new corporate strategy centered on the concept of "on demand business." Nonetheless, followed by disappointing financial results in the first quarter of 2005, IBM's stock price plummeted and hit the lowest point since Sam Palmisano took over as CEO in March 2002. The company announced a massive restructuring in its European operations to be carried out in late 2005. Although the second quarter results had improved, some began to doubt whether the "on demand" strategy would deliver the promised results. More specifically, many started to question why and how such a strategy was justified in the first place. What difficulties would the company encounter in implementing its new corporate strategy?

Organization design is becoming more and more a cornerstone of competitive advantage in today's increasingly complex companies. The authors' research on firms that have achieved significant advantage suggests that many did so by creating powerful synergies among their capabilities, among market opportunities, and between the two. But the way they recognized and realized these synergies was through their multidimensional organizational designs. Such designs not only reify and empower the dimensions within or across which synergies can occur (function, product, market segment, customer, etc.), they also define and manage the collaborative interfaces needed to discover, exploit, and renew those synergies.

Follows the decision by ICICI (one of India's largest banks) to expand internationally in June 2001.

When the city of Boston applied to host the Democratic Party presidential nominating convention of July 2004, it did so in the belief that the event would bring the city both prestige and economic benefit. But by the time the convention was to be held, the terrible events of September 11, 2001 had intervened and, as a designated "national special security event," the convention was now subject to the tightest possible measures for security and protection. As a result, key sections of the city, and miles of roads, were virtually shut down in order to permit the convention to take place in the city's major indoor sports arena, and the event engendered complaints, not plaudits, from citizens and business owners alike. This case tells the story of the planning that preceded the convention, as federal officials by presidential directive in charge of national special security events found themselves having to balance expectations of a civic celebration with their own grave concerns about terrorist threats. The case is divided into three parts. Part A (1807.0) describes the elaborate planning process set up by the US Secret Service, which had overall responsibility for security planning for the convention, and the disputes among local, state and federal officials as to how draconian security measures had to be; it focuses in particular on two of the thorniest issues facing planners: whether to shut down a busy public transit station and a portion of a major interstate highway providing access to Boston from the north. Part B (1808.0) details the complex negotiations to resolve these and other security matters; the Epilogue (1808.1) provides a brief overview of the implementation of the security plan at the convention. HKS Case Number 1807.0.

When the city of Boston applied to host the Democratic Party presidential nominating convention of July 2004, it did so in the belief that the event would bring the city both prestige and economic benefit. But by the time the convention was to be held, the terrible events of September 11, 2001 had intervened and, as a designated "national special security event," the convention was now subject to the tightest possible measures for security and protection. As a result, key sections of the city, and miles of roads, were virtually shut down in order to permit the convention to take place in the city's major indoor sports arena, and the event engendered complaints, not plaudits, from citizens and business owners alike. This case tells the story of the planning that preceded the convention, as federal officials by presidential directive in charge of national special security events found themselves having to balance expectations of a civic celebration with their own grave concerns about terrorist threats. The case is divided into three parts. Part A (1807.0) describes the elaborate planning process set up by the US Secret Service, which had overall responsibility for security planning for the convention, and the disputes among local, state and federal officials as to how draconian security measures had to be; it focuses in particular on two of the thorniest issues facing planners: whether to shut down a busy public transit station and a portion of a major interstate highway providing access to Boston from the north. Part B (1808.0) details the complex negotiations to resolve these and other security matters; the Epilogue (1808.1) provides a brief overview of the implementation of the security plan at the convention. HKS Case Number 1808.1.

When the city of Boston applied to host the Democratic Party presidential nominating convention of July 2004, it did so in the belief that the event would bring the city both prestige and economic benefit. But by the time the convention was to be held, the terrible events of September 11, 2001 had intervened and, as a designated "national special security event," the convention was now subject to the tightest possible measures for security and protection. As a result, key sections of the city, and miles of roads, were virtually shut down in order to permit the convention to take place in the city's major indoor sports arena, and the event engendered complaints, not plaudits, from citizens and business owners alike. This case tells the story of the planning that preceded the convention, as federal officials by presidential directive in charge of national special security events found themselves having to balance expectations of a civic celebration with their own grave concerns about terrorist threats. The case is divided into three parts. Part A (1807.0) describes the elaborate planning process set up by the US Secret Service, which had overall responsibility for security planning for the convention, and the disputes among local, state and federal officials as to how draconian security measures had to be; it focuses in particular on two of the thorniest issues facing planners: whether to shut down a busy public transit station and a portion of a major interstate highway providing access to Boston from the north. Part B (1808.0) details the complex negotiations to resolve these and other security matters; the Epilogue (1808.1) provides a brief overview of the implementation of the security plan at the convention. HKS Case Number 1808.0.

WuXi Pharmatech has gone from zero to $21 million in sales in three years. The company must decide its growth strategy and how best to finance and organize for rapid growth.

Tells the story of Agora, the largest media company in Poland, describing its corporate strategy of diversification since its founding in 1989 by entrepreneurial journalists closely linked to the anti-communist movement Solidarity. Describes in detail Gazeta Wyborcza, the country's best-selling daily newspaper and Agora's main revenue contributor. In late 2003, Fakt, the new daily owned by a German publishing house, took the lead on the Polish newspaper market, harming Gazeta Wyborcza's sales and advertising revenues. Places students in the position of Wanda Rapaczynski, Agora's CEO, who, in mid-2005, explores ways to improve Agora's position in an increasingly competitive environment.

Loosen your grip on your intellectual property, and you might realize lower fees and better service.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. The authors analyzed 50 cases of successful sustainable enterprise in developing countries and developed a conceptual framework called the Sustainable Local Enterprise Network (SLEN) model. Successful sustainable enterprises in developing countries often involve informal networks that include businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and local communities. These networks can lead to virtuous cycles of reinvestment in an area's financial, social, human, and ecological capital. Successful SLENs require at least one business enterprise to ensure the network's financial sustainability and serve as its anchor; however, a cooperative or a profitable social enterprise launched by a nongovernmental organization may play that anchor role. Although multinational corporations were sometimes part of the SLENs studied, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and sustainable local businesses were more common. Concludes with recommendations for fostering the development of SLENs, such as setting up training programs in sustainable entrepreneurship in developing countries.

The aim of strategy is to master a market environment by understanding and anticipating the actions of other economic agents, especially competitors. A firm that has some sort of competitive advantage--privileged access to customers, for instance--will have relatively few competitors to contend with, because potential competitors without an advantage, if they have their wits about them, will stay away. Thus, competitive advantages are actually barriers to entry and vice versa. In markets that are exposed, by contrast, competition is intense. If the incumbents have even brief success in earning greater than normal returns on investments, new entrants will swarm in to grab a share of the profits. Sooner or later, the additional competition will push returns as far down as the firms' costs of capital. For firms operating in such markets, the only choice is to forget about strategy and run the business as efficiently as possible. Barriers to entry are easier to maintain in a competitive arena that is "local," either in the geographic sense or in the sense of being limited to one product or a handful of related ones. The two most powerful competitive advantages--customer captivity and economies of scale--are more achievable and sustainable in circumscribed markets of this kind. Their opposites are the open markets and host of rivals that are features of globalization. Companies entering such markets risk frittering away the advantages they secured on smaller playing fields. If a company wants to grow but still obtain superior returns, the authors argue, the best strategy is to dominate a series of discrete but preferably contiguous markets and then expand only at their edges. Wal-Mart's diminishing margins over the past 15 years are strong evidence of the danger of proceeding otherwise.

Successful executives who cut their teeth in stable industries or in developed countries often stumble when they face more volatile markets. They falter, in part, because they assume they can gaze deep into the future and develop a long-term strategy that will confer a sustainable competitive advantage. But visibility into the future of volatile markets is sharply limited because of the many different variables at play. Factors such as technological innovation, customers' evolving needs, government policy, and changes in the capital markets interact with one another to create unexpected outcomes. Over the past six years, Donald Sull, an associate professor at London Business School, has led a research project examining some of the world's most volatile markets, from national markets like China and Brazil to industries like enterprise software, telecommunications, and airlines. One of the most striking findings from this research is the importance of taking action during comparative lulls in the storm. Huge business opportunities are relatively rare; they come along only once or twice in a decade. And, for the most part, companies can't manufacture those opportunities; changes in the external environment converge to make them happen. What managers can do is prepare for these golden opportunities by managing smart during the comparative calm of business as usual. During these periods of active waiting, leaders must probe the future and remain alert to anomalies that signal potential threats or opportunities; exercise restraint to preserve their war chests; and maintain discipline to keep the troops battle ready. When a golden opportunity or "sudden death" threat emerges, managers must have the courage to declare the main effort and concentrate resources to seize the moment.

Firms that grow very rapidly -defined as having a sales growth rate of at least 20 per cent per year for four consecutive years - are attracting considerable interest from both the private and public sectors. These firms can provide high returns for investors and become lucrative clients of consultants and banks, while governments tend to focus on their value as job creators. How can we effectively support such rapid growth firms? In search of answers, the authors studied three principal groups or 'communities of practice' that are knowledgeable about - and have a vested interest in the success of - rapid growth firms: external resource providers such as venture capitalists, bankers and consultants, whose beliefs can influence both rapid-growth firm owners and policy makers seeking advice; government policy makers, whose beliefs influence the programs, policies, and allocation of public resources (if any) targeted towards rapid growth firms; and founders of rapid growth firms, whose beliefs about growth have direct consequences for the ways in which they manage their firms. In the end they find that owners of rapid-growth firms are often skeptical of assistance offered by one of these groups, and that another can help by developing a network-based approach to policy initiatives.

Considers McKinsey's strategy during the first stage of the globalization of the management consultancy industry between the 1950s and 1973. Briefly reviews the history of management consulting before considering the factors that led McKinsey to open its first international office in London in 1959. Describes the subsequent rapid international growth of McKinsey and its leading competitors and their role in diffusing American management concepts worldwide. By 1973, however, McKinsey's new managing director faced evidence that the global demands for such services was in decline, in part because the American management model was becoming less attractive.

PalmSource is facing stiff competition from handheld, wireless handheld, and smart phone vendors in 2005. In addition, changes in leadership and corporate structure have altered its relationship with its leading customer--PalmOne. Although Palm renews its license with PalmSource in May 2005, the company must capture new markets to thrive. PalmSource is pursuing a new technology strategy with Linux. Will fresh alliances and a new development environment lead to new growth for this PDA pioneer?

Samsung Electronics' liquid crystal display (LCD) group is faced with a new product development challenge: Should it go with a product that is well received in the market but whose leadership is with the competition or with a product for which the market is yet to be tested but has a remote potential to leapfrog the competition. Highlights the global nature of competition in high-technology industries and the entrepreneurial opportunity for executives to make a difference in positioning their firms for global leadership.

Rambus is grappling with the ever-changing dynamics of the DRAM/semiconductor industry. The company is actively defending its patent portfolio through litigation and exploring both partnerships and industry standards for keys to future profitability and growth. How can Rambus best shape the direction of the DRAM market? Should it partner with Intel and, if so, how?

From 10-cent tickets to $17 billion television contracts, examines how a game became a multibillion dollar industry. Looks at the birth and growth of the NFL, how the NFL responded to competitive challenges, how the NFL maximized revenues, revenue sharing, the salary cap, and a financial comparison of the NFL with MLB, NBA, etc. The NFL from start to finish.

While Circuit City struggles, Best Buy has overtaken it to become the premier consumer electronics retailer in the United States. What has driven its success? How can it be sustained?

When India regained its independence in 1947, the country's political, social, and economic fate was in its own hands for the first time in almost 90 years. The country embarked on a journey to establish a democracy and representative government, define a plan for economic development, and build a society within which its large, diverse, and fragmented population could prosper. More than five decades later, however, opinions differed as to whether or not India had realized the greater triumphs and achievements which Nehru anticipated. With 17% of the world's population, India generated only 2% of global GDP. Per capita income was less than $3,000 per year, with 25% of the country's one billion people living below the poverty line. India needed to sustain double-digit annual GDP growth, but realized only 6.9% growth for fiscal 2004/2005. Yet, the country had become the world's 12th largest economy (and the 3rd largest in Asia behind Japan and China). India had made significant progress toward establishing a competitive position in the global economy. Its services sector had demonstrated the country's capacity to be a pioneer. Would India capitalize on this success by addressing obstacles to growth?