Looking ahead to the next issue

Citation

Randall, R.M. (2002), "Looking ahead to the next issue", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 30 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sl.2002.26130aaa.002

Looking ahead to the next issue

Looking ahead to the next issue

The next issue of Strategy & Leadership (Vol.30 No.2, 2002) explores the theme of Mergers & Acquisitions: New Strategies for Improving the Odds of Success. Feature articles to look forward to include:

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  Escaping merger and acquisition madness, by John G. Lynch and Barbara LindGiven the disastrous consequences of the average M&A adventure, top managers should study this innovative model that offers guidance to executives engaged in making acquisitions and making them work.

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  How boards can improve the odds of M&A success, by Eric ArmourHow can boards better respond to shareholder interests and help screen the best M&A opportunities?

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  The CEO's "how to" guide to crisis communications, by Loretta UcelliJust in case an acquisition becomes problematic or some other business issue turns into a public crisis, Loretta Ucelli presents a step-by-step guide for being prepared to communicate effectively with all stakeholders.

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  Loyalty as a philosophy and strategy: an interview with Frederick F. Reichheld, by William Finnie and Robert M. RandallThe influential author and consultant Frederick Reichheld argues that loyalty of all stakeholders – customers, employees and shareholders – is the fuel that drives financial success, especially in today's volatile economy.

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  How top wholesalers succeed: secrets of a brutal business, by Sam Rovit and Ken SwederA few wholesale distributors have a surprisingly successful three-legged strategy: focus investments to gain local market share, select their service offering carefully to pump up gross margins and slice operating expenses to the bone.

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  Has talent, needs customers: an engineering lab profits from its first strategy experiments, by Loyd Searle.

This case study reveals how a coatings lab and job shop with a talent for innovation operated for 14 years without a marketing plan. Short of cash, it must now quickly invent and implement its first customer-focused strategy if it is to survive.

Plus the following regular features:

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  CONFERENCE REPORT"Strategy is still management's core challenge"The Los Angeles-based Association for Strategic Planning held its first Annual Conference in October. Dr Stan Abraham provides a summary of the highlights.

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  STRATEGY BOOKSHELF"The four levels of uncertainty", reviewed by Stephen MillettThis review of McKinsey Inc. consultant Hugh Courtney's, 20/20 Foresight: Crafting Strategy in an Uncertain World applauds the author's efforts to recognize, understand, and manage four levels of uncertainty about corporate futures."The leader as anti-hero", reviewed by Robert J. AllioIn Harvard Professor Joseph Badaracco's book, Leading Quietly: An Unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing, true leaders are not the charismatic figures widely gloried in the business press as transformers of companies and re-shapers of society."So, what's the revolution?", reviewed by Craig D. HenryThis review of The Economist reporter Frances Cairncross's The Company of the Future: How the Communications Revolution Is Changing Management warns that the book's title promises more radical thinking than it delivers.

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  IDEA FILE"Hidden value in corporate venturing", by Kenneth Dickman, Ajit Kambil, andJames WilsonCorporate strategic venturing goes on despite the dire predictions of the business press. Clearly this business tool creates long-term opportunity.

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  QUICK TAKESby Catherine GorrellBrief summaries of the feature articles in this issue of Strategy & Leadership, along with essential key points and action steps.

Acknowledging editorial commitment and excellence

The 10th Literati Club Awards for Excellence will take place at the Lords Cricket Ground, London, in April 2002. The Awards exist to acknowledge and reward authors of the best and most highly commended papers from Emerald's 100+ journals, including Strategy & Leadership. Details of the winning papers from Vol.29 (2001) will be published in this journal in the coming issues.

The Literati Club was formed in 1992 and consists of all authors, editors and editorial board members who have contributed to Emerald's portfolio of journals since this time. Emerald seeks to support its author community through the Literati Club's activities, by providing a comprehensive collection of author resources and by offering tangible member benefits.

Literati Club members are entitled to:

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  an interest area e-mail alert service;

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  calls for papers alerts;

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  regular newsletters;

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  a premium permissions service;

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  liberal copyright arrangements;

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  a complimentary copy of the journal issue in which they are published, plus reprints, plus pdf version on request;

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  online resources for writing and research;

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  consideration for the annual awards for excellence;

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  widest possible dissemination of their work.

To take advantage of these services, or obtain further information, e-mail the Literati Club at literaticlub@emeraldinsight.com