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Even for Companies, the U.S. Is Split Between Haves and Have-Nots

Harvard Business Review

Economywide ROIC has trended downward since the 1980s, falling from above 6% in the mid-1960s to 5% in 1980, then to 3% in 1990, and to only a bit more than 1% by 2010. The comparison is imprecise, of course, but nevertheless suggestive. But this phenomenon of rising competitive intensity does not, evidently, apply to all firms.

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The Authenticity Trap for Workers Who Are Not Straight, White Men

Harvard Business Review

For example, at Standard Chartered in India, one female executive drove the transformation of two bank branches in Kolkata and New Delhi into all-women branches, a move which increased net sales at these branches by an impressive 127% and 75%, respectively, from 2009 to 2010.

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The Benefits of Hiring Your Best Customers

Harvard Business Review

Nordstrom has increased its sales by 50 percent from 2010 to 2015 through both online and offline sales. A strong superconsumer culture, where employees are willing to give a bit more because they know what their customers are feeling, can be the difference maker in a hypercompetitive world.