Business Horizons articles from March 1999

Business Horizons archives from March 1999

Is the litigation storm ending for the embattled accounting profession?
March 1, 1999... For the past 25 years, public accountants have endured a virtual firestorm of litigation. In 1993, the Big 6 (now Big 5) accounting firms spent $1.1 billion defending and settling lawsuits. Almost unbelievably, this represented about 12 percent...

Is the stakeholder model dead?
March 1, 1999... It looks like the people who hold the shares are still number one in the mind of corporate America. A little more than a decade ago, many books and articles began to appear advocating the stakeholder model of the corporation. Although the...

Structure-driven strategy and virtual organization design.
March 1, 1999... Successful organizations adapt to their environment. They do so by monitoring technological, competitive, legislative, or other changes that affect their strategies and competencies. In turn, needed organizational competencies are strengthened,...

Changing channels: the impact of the Internet on distribution strategy.
March 1, 1999... The new electronic medium is ravaging traditional distribution philosophy, rendering many conventional intermediaries and channels obsolete. In simple markets of old, producers of goods or services dealt directly with the consumers of...

Counterintuitive management of information technology.(includes related articles)
March 1, 1999... Some IT mistakes have been made so often, and for so long, they've become mythical. Because information system technology (IT) affects all areas of an enterprise, misconceptions about it can have broad and unpleasant consequences. John...

Maquiladoras: entrepreneurial experimentation to global competitiveness.
March 1, 1999... Even with NAFTA and changing economic and cultural factors, Mexico's "maquilas" are here to stay - though the direction they may take is as yet hard to tell. Maquiladora factories in Mexico have experienced phenomenal growth in the past...

Marketing agricultural products to China.
March 1, 1999... The Chinese agricultural market represents a very attractive long-term opportunity for Western agribusiness firms able to handle the challenges. Since the implementation of its open-door policy in the mid-1970s, China has become one of the...

Using history for strategic problem-solving: the Harley-Davidson effect.
March 1, 1999... Despite important weaknesses, historical analysis can be a valuable decision aid, especially for the unstructured and ill-defined nature of strategic problems. "History is more or less bunk." - Henry Ford "Those who cannot...

Alphabet soup: good for you or an indigestible stew?
March 1, 1999... ABC, JIT, TOC - firms are rushing to adopt all the new "miracle ingredients," often oblivious to their potential flaws in managing world-class operations. Over the last decade or so, the theory and practice of business have been inundated...

Planning the inevitable product recall.
March 1, 1999... When your product problems come back to haunt you, you'd better know what to do. A safety-related product recall seeks to withdraw products from the market due to one of the following hazards: design flaw, production defect, new scientific...

Workplace harassment: employees vs. customers.
March 1, 1999... Taking action against customers harassing your employees is the best way to avoid possible liability for such deeds. In recent years, the issue of sexual harassment has received considerable attention. The impeachment trial of President...

LLCs and LLPs: organizing to deliver professional services.(limited liability companies; limited liability partnerships)
March 1, 1999... What does the phenomenal growth of limited liability companies and partnerships mean for U.S. business? Finding an organizational form response to the increasingly litigious environment, while preserving or enhancing desirable tax...