Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Examples of this trend include the Pebble , a Kickstarter-funded project that has now sold over one million smart watches (and which predated Google’s Android Wear smart watch and the Apple Watch). First, Kickstarter and other crowd-funding sources have opened up new options for initial finance.

Entrepreneur 8

Entrepreneur Contract Manufacturing Incubator Venture Capitalist 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 31, 2014

Human-capital issues are top-of-mind for CEOs around the world — but their regard for the HR function remains perilously low: In a PwC study , only 34% said that HR is well prepared to capitalize on transformational trends (compared with 56% for finance). Sadly, chief executives aren’t the only ones with this negative perception.

Human Capital 10

Human Capital Charan Human Resources Cost 10

Harvard Business Review

JULY 9, 2015

But with robust growth rates and economies unburdened by legacy structures of the last century, Africans can innovate beyond what others are doing. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is the most visible organization tasked with shepherding that inclusive innovative growth. That’s a nascent trend in need of a champion.

Banking 8

Banking Globalization Credit Rating Short-term 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 28, 2017

The move scared away foreign investors, starving Zimbabwe of much-needed capital – a trend that was exacerbated by U.S. After Mugabe claimed victory in a disputed election in 2013, however, corruption increased , while the strengthening U.S. and EU sanctions in response to the government’s mounting human rights abuses.

Banking 8

Banking First-mover Advantage Politics Finance 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 11, 2014

Small businesses are also instrumental to our innovation economy; small firms produce 13 times more patents per employee than larger firms and employ more than 40% of high technology workers in America. The majority of small businesses rely on such loans, and in the fall of 2013 alone, 37% of small businesses applied for credit.

Technology 8

Technology Banking Class Real Estate 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 28, 2014

Concerns that it wouldn’t have enough cash to finance its holiday stock has apparently led to the company to sell real estate, spin off its Lands’ End brand, and raise $625 million in unsecured loans and equity warrants. Under Wood, Sears became a pioneer in using demographic and economic trends to anticipate customer demand.

Retail 8

Retail Quinn Real Estate Apparel 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 20, 2016

I’m talking about the superconsumers who are inside your organization, working at every level: the fashionista who works in the mail room at the headquarters of an apparel company, or the finance manager who works for a pork brand and who eats three pounds of bacon in any given week. Building Empathy.

Airlines 8

Airlines Energy Self-aware Learning Curve 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 5, 2014

McKinsey’s DataMatics 2013 survey shows that companies that use customer analytics extensively are more than twice as likely to generate above-average profits as those that don’t. The CMO also worked with the finance office and product managers to link pricing and benchmark data into the RFP process, which improved quality and response times.

P&L 8

P&L Banking Marketing Call Center 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 23, 2015

Here at Machine Shop , the wholly owned innovation company of the alternative rock band Linkin Park, we identified the need to think differently years ago. For more than a decade, Linkin Park and Machine Shop enjoyed success and continued to innovate. We also looked beyond music for insights.

Business Model 8

Business Model Merchandising Restructuring Fashion 8