Managers often find matrix structures ambiguous, confusing and inefficient. A key reason for these problems is the lack of clarity on the roles that each unit in the matrix is intended to play. We therefore propose an approach to describing unit roles, responsibilities and relationships in a way...

Following interviews with financial service companies in the European Union, the authors propose an 'E-Agenda' for corporate parents or corporate centres in the light of the Internet and e-commerce. The Agenda consists of three broad elements: Existing business initiatives; New business...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the arrangements that have been used in the present crisis and their relative success and to look to the post-crisis situation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines and explains the crisis and the roles of deposit insurance and...

Modelling price formation in electricity markets is a notoriously difficult process, due to physical constraints on electricity generation and transmission, and the potential for market power. This difficulty has inspired the recent development of bottom-up agent-based algorithmic learning...

In this article the growing popularity of economic value added (EVA) is addressed. It discusses why managers are turning to EVA as a performance metric, how EVA is used by companies, and the problems that typically arise in implementing it. The accounts of Rhône-Poulenc are used to demonstrate...

The authors report the results of a recent large study of corporate centre transformation: a question which is often an early priority when a new chief executive takes office. This article summarises their approach to corporate centre design which maximises value creation. Recognising that there...

The traditional approach to studying media markets based on structure-conduct-performance relations has become more complex as the analysis of firms' strategic behavior has emphasized the heterogeneity of possible market outcomes. It is argued that although greater analysis of firm strategic...