New strategy analysis in the form of the influential Markit survey of purchasing managers in the European manufacturing sector has just been released. It shows that there was overall contraction in the EU, albeit at a slower rate than in the last quarter of 2011, but within this total slowdown, there were a few bright [...]
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A fascinating article in New Scientist magazine by Laura Spinney, a writer based in Lausanne, Switzerland highlights a challenge for many of us in business in the US and Europe. The article compares findings from a number of researchers that highlight a problem with many of our basic assumptions about how people behave. It raises even deeper [...]
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Just over six months ago, this blog questioned whether the new Conservative-led administration would drive the UK economy towards a double-dip recession by forcing through the expenditure cuts they had campaigned on, but which had failed to secure enough support to win the election. There are serious democratic issues here that are beyond the scope of this blog, [...]
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The recent UK general election is a major event that requires careful consideration for most local organisations, and it may have wider implications beyond the UK. Unusually, business played a prominent role in the campaign as the Conservative party used a selection of CEOs to back their policy of initiating public expenditure cuts in 2010 [...]
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Paying for consultancy is not a new subject, but it has raised its head again recently following concern about the amount spent on consultancy by the UK National Health Service (NHS). Alan Downey, former chair of the Institute of Business Consulting and KPMG’s global head of healthcare, wrote in Management Today that “Consultants are…increasingly expected [...]
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This post is intended to be used as part of the strategic analysis that any well-run business should undertake. It illustrates the political element of any strategic environmental analysis using the variants of the PEST framework( PESTEL, PESTLE, STEEPLE, PESTLIED etc.) The final term of the current UK government has begun following the summer recess [...]
No Comments. Continue Reading...Microsoft has shown that cloud computing (and business process outsourcing in general) has big risks and no guarantees. A recent problem for Microsoft personal customers is a stark warning for business users. Last week, Microsoft’s Danger unit experienced a huge outage that left many T-Mobile Sidekick users without access to their calendar, address book, and [...]
No Comments. Continue Reading...Working with a client on a new corporate strategy last week highlighted the importance of simplicity in business generally and change in particular. The focus of the work is translating a new corporate strategy and business plan into action through creating a number of competitive strategies and divisional plans. In addition to writing and executing [...]
No Comments. Continue Reading...Our practice has been increasingly focussing on evidence that something works as a ‘must have’ in any proposed intervention. In 2006 and 2007 this blog discussed some of the principles behind this approach, including the wisdom of ignoring management fads and approaching ideologies and theories based on the evidence, rather than assuming that the latest [...]
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