November–December 1999

Companies are increasingly paying for acquisitions with stock rather than cash. But both they and the companies they acquire need to understand just how big a difference that decision can make to the value shareholders will get from a deal.

Lending small amounts of cash to fledgling entrepreneurs has been a great success in developing countries, but the concept hasn’t fared as well in the United States.

Priceline’s Jay Walker says the information revolution will change everything.

Satisfied with doing good, too few foundations work strategically to do better.

The secret is to educate before you sell.

Everyone’s wondering what the new COO’s been doing for the last 12 months. He wonders why he can’t get his foot in the door.

As brands become more complex, the legal boundaries between them get fuzzier.

Leadership transitions go awry with alarming frequency, often the result of an emotionally charged power struggle between the CEO and his would-be heir. Four practices, however, can help successors defuse the crisis—and make it to the top.

The hardest part of being an entrepreneur can be learning to turn down business. It is also the only way to survive—and grow.

Joseph Jett’s account of his tumultuous career on Wall Street isn’t just a story of racism and greed. It’s also a cautionary tale for knowledge workers.

Information industries are sexy, but they make lousy exporters.

A second generation of electronic commerce is emerging, one that will be shaped more by strategy than by experimentation. The battle for competitive advantage will be waged along three dimensions: reach, affiliation, and richness.

Some people—in particular, panicky policy makers at the Fed—fear that the new economy is a bubble about to burst. They’re dead wrong. Barring any government interference, the new economy is rock solid and here to stay.

Delegating responsibility is hard. Not delegating it can be disastrous.

Brand builders everywhere think they want global brands. But global brand leadership, not global brands, should be the priority. Successful companies follow four principles to meet that goal.

Most businesspeople will serve on the board of a nonprofit organization at some point. But the governance of nonprofits can differ dramatically from the governance of businesses. Even the best intentions can prove disastrous when new board members fail to understand that their traditional business experience can carry them only so far.

The burdens of subordinates always seem to end up on the manager’s back. Here’s how to get rid of them.

What do IBM, Texas Instruments, Owens Corning, and Duke Power have in common? They’re all redesigning their organizations around their core processes—and reaping enormous benefits as a result.