Many executives contend that creating value for shareholders is the primary objective of management. But in focusing so strongly on the bottom line, have US firms neglected the customer?

Considers cases of new product launches where market analysis suggests that the product will fail but when pushed through by an entrepreneur proves to be a commercial success. Describes the process of product introduction to fill unrecognized needs as Ready‐Fire‐Aim, since the market can...

Radio broadcasting is a fragmented industry — one in which many of the local stations are small, and stations have little chance to establish a dominant market share. Since there are many such fragmented manufacturing and service industries in the U. S., and competitive tactics to gain market...

Key structural changes in the business environment have affected the basic strategic elements of the chemical industry in the last decade. These environmental changes have not run their full course and require continual attention in strategic planning in an industry that shipped $187 billion in...

The management of a diversified corporation needs to be able to recognize new opportunities for profitable growth. And it also needs to know when one of its businesses is no longer compatible with long‐range growth plans. The symptoms may be a short‐term or long‐term lack of profit, a lack...