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How to Know If a Spin-Off Will Succeed

Harvard Business Review

A 2010 meta-analysis detailed many of the different issues that make divestiture so hard to evaluate consistently. The diverging fortunes of two recent spin-offs in the energy industry illustrate how financial markets value autonomy from the parent. Does the business have an adequate financial structure?

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You Can’t Engage Employees by Copying How Other Companies Do It

Harvard Business Review

Whole Foods Market’s purpose is to promote healthier eating. As CEO of Campbell Soup between 2000 and 2010, Doug Conant employed quarterly engagement surveys to assess and develop high commitment in the company’s multiple business and operating units. It must be deeper than only making money for shareholders and managers.