The supply chain is the flow of both information and material through a manufacturing company, from the supplier to the customer. Traditionally the flow of material has been considered only at an operational level, but this approach is no longer adequate. It is now essential for businesses to...

Fast‐growth companies illustrate, over a short space of time, the opportunities, threats, problems and pitfalls of business growth. After carrying out a general survey of fast‐growing companies in Britain, the authors carried out an in‐depth study of 30 of them. Organic growth and growth...

Three principles are presented to help companies achieve sustainable, differentiated service in the 1990s. The “service brand” concept is introduced and the contrast made between a service brand and the conventional product brand. Practical methods to mobilise company‐wide support for the...

Most managers would agree that the calibre of an organisation′s employees is vital to its business success. However, to many managers, selection is a headache: job descriptions have to be written, advertisements placed, a shortlist of candidates agreed, assessments of candidates carried out,...

In 1984 the authors conducted a survey of general managers in Christchurch, New Zealand, to learn how they approached their work. The managers were asked to respond to a questionnaire listing ten different facets of managerial work. The methodology and findings are presented in this article in...