There’s a broad, smiley, grin in the face of “Jack”, the corporate mascot of Jack in the Box (JBX), one of the leading fast‐food restaurant chains in the USA. And why wouldn’t he be smiling, being the figurehead of a company that has got more than 1,940 outlets in 17 states and 44,000...

Purpose – Reviews an article which outlines three key techniques of Peter Drucker's strategic thinking. Design/methodology/approach – Explains three simple strategic concepts and how they have been put to effective use in turning companies around. Findings – “Any fool can complicate...

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments...

Cover -- How purchasing became a strategic function: from purchasing to external resources management -- Supply resource management: Salomon and his network of subcontractors in Romania -- How purchasing managers can benefit from new opportunities -- Geopolitics: a new field of expertise for...

Although 2002 was a difficult year for most organizations, Disney Corporation has had it tougher than most. Share prices plummeted, films flopped (its updated version of Treasure Island was a box‐office disaster in the US) and the ability of Chairman and CEO Michael D. Eisner was seriously...

Not all management leaders are high‐profile champions of causes, fitting the traditional heroic mold. So‐called quiet leaders are often just as effective when tough decisions are required. Their stealth tactics and slowly‐but‐surely approach may even be just what is called for in...

Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, although we tend to call it greed these days. And in boardrooms of the business world some people tend to confuse greed with their view of what they deserve in terms of unrealistic salaries, unjustified bonuses, perks, creative accounting, golden...

In a privately owned company, the owner rules the roost and controls the decision‐making process. Flotation changes all that. Going public diffuses ownership among a wide range of shareholders who paradoxically become peripheral figures as far as power and control are concerned. Control shifts...

Purpose – To study the reasons why iconic companies suffer failure. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the findings in context. Findings – Betsy Morris chronicles the downward slide of...