Directors & Boards articles from January 1994

Directors & Boards archives from January 1994

The age of strategic partnerships.
January 1, 1994... Here are a few key principles that have emerged as essential in managing a strategic partnership effectively. If the 1980s were known as the decade of mergers and acquisitions, the 1990s may well become the era of strategic alliances. In the...

Collaborating to compete. (corporate alliances)
January 1, 1994... Here are some major themes and common lessons emerging from McKinsey & Co.'s detailed studies of corporate alliances. For most global businesses, the days of flat-out, predatory competition are over. The traditional drive to pit one company...

A far different competitive landscape. (NEC Technologies' Strategic Software Partnership)
January 1, 1994... To advance its new technologies and products, NEC Technologies is boldly entering the new and inevitable era of strategic partnerships. There was once a dark time when companies thought of each other as "the enemy." One met with the enemy only...

Putting more strategy into strategic alliances. (includes related article)
January 1, 1994... Success is only possible by getting the strategy right. Here are the six key steps involved in creating a strong strategic fit. Strategic alliances are in vogue. Companies as diverse as Corning Inc. in the United States and Aerospatiale in...

The global alliance mind-set. (companies forming business alliances)
January 1, 1994... Companies must evolve from isolation to partnership. An important first step is expanding the executive perspective. In today's competitive global business environment, it is becoming increasingly clear that no one company can do it all or go...

A four-step process for creating alliances.
January 1, 1994... A well-defined process treats strategy development, partner assessment, contract negotiations, and implementation as separate steps. Strategic alliances have become a popular transaction in the late 1980s and early 1990s to bring companies...

Keeping the attraction alive. (corporate alliance)
January 1, 1994... Special efforts are needed to learn how to work with a partner and to maintain an alliance over time and the tide of events. The promise of corporate alliances is often unrealized. Although managers are forming more alliances, their firms are...

The resistance factor. (preventing human emotions from sabotaging business organizations)
January 1, 1994... New alliances often bring unexpected changes. Unless understood and dealt with, the complexity of human emotions can sabotage the organizational change. It is not news that people resist change. New alliances often present a struggle for...

Being a smart negotiator. (exercising good judgement during business negotiations)
January 1, 1994... Here are some principles to embrace, and pitfalls to avoid, in exercising good judgment at the negotiating table. A basic skill of smart negotiating involves the most elusive of qualities -- good judgment. As a negotiator, you're called upon to...

Mistaken notions about entering Mexico. (avoiding pitfalls in opening investments in Mexico)
January 1, 1994... Don't make one or more of the following costly assumptions in exploring business opportunities in Mexico. Upcoming free trade with Mexico and its rapidly developing economy offers great growth opportunities to U.S. business owners if they avoid...

Cultural dimensions of success in Mexico. (learning Mexican culture to prevent business management problems)
January 1, 1994... Neglecting to learn about Mexican culture could cause problems or even prove fatal to a new venture in this burgeoning market. Multinational companies establishing production and assembly operations in Mexico can realize substantial profits in...

Japan as an attractive alliance partner.
January 1, 1994... Here are some specific elements required for a U.S.-Japanese strategic partnership to be successful long-term. International strategic alliances have become a necessity in today's global marketplace. There are so many new technologies...

Airborne into Japan. (alliance between U.S.-based Airborne Express and Mitsui and Company Ltd.)
January 1, 1994... The Airborne Express Japan alliance proves that a smartly crafted partnership can lead to strategic growth and prosperity. While "Quality" and "Total Quality Management" will be remembered as the buzzwords of the early '90s business world, the...

Managing the image of a joint venture.
January 1, 1994... How identity plays a role in the success of an alliance, and how to ensure that the identity strategy and its implementation actively support the venture. Joint ventures are proving to be one of the most important business strategies in the...

Business intelligence aspects of alliances.
January 1, 1994... It is prudent to undertake certain intelligence activities to guard against losses of a company's intellectual property. Strategic alliances are, in many cases, "bet-the-company" propositions. In cases such as the British Telecom/MCI and...

The director's stake in the enterprise. (a study of director stock ownership and its implications for corporate performance)
January 1, 1994... Here are the results of a pioneering study of director stock ownership and the implications for corporate performance. Awards of common stock to managers and senior executives of public companies have long been regarded as a sound and desirable...

Compliance strategies. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's proxy disclosure rules; 1993 Onmnibus Budget Reduction Act)(includes related article) (The Compensation Committee)
January 1, 1994... The new Securities and Exchange Commission proxy disclosure rules and the $1 million compensation tax deductibility limit contained in the 1993 Omnibus Budget Reduction Act (OBRA '93) are not isolated regulatory developments. Both are watersheds...

The hard work of directorship. (company director's need for having detailed knowledge of company products and services) (Governance)
January 1, 1994... Dramatic transformations in U.S. firms as they strive to become more competitive has deepened the involvement of boards of directors in the affairs of the companies they oversee. The recent wave of board activism at General Motors, American...