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Peanut- Finance: Swaps as Strategy

Harvard Business Review

This peanut-finance system, which turned the peanuts into food for hospital patients, seems quaint, like tales from 19th century America of rural doctors taking chickens for treating chicken pox. Such peanut-finance systems could drive tax authorities nuts, so to speak. Swaps are not quaint at all.

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The Most (and Least) Empathetic Companies

Harvard Business Review

Ironically, the most empathic FTSE companies are a bank and a tobacco firm. banks are proving quicker to wake up to the benefits of empathy, scoring 50% higher than UK ones. Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest. Deutsche Bank. Indeed, 16 out of bottom 25 firms are FTSE companies. The Most (and Least) Empathetic Companies, 2015.

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What an Economist Brings to a Business Strategy

Harvard Business Review

The late Julian Simon (better known, perhaps, for his optimistic views about population growth and resource abundance) thought up the idea for having airlines auction off overbooked seats and persuaded the Civil Aeronautics Board, which used to regulate airlines fares and entry, to permit the idea in the 1970s. Economists and finance.

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A Short History of Golden Parachutes

Harvard Business Review

Last year, Jeff Smisek, the former CEO of United Airlines, received a separation payment of $4.875 million in cash along with additional equity awards and other benefits for a total of close to $37 million after being ousted from his company. Golden parachutes can’t seem to stay out of the news.

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Yes, Managing IT Is Your Job

Harvard Business Review

It told how American Airlines and others had introduced systems to help their customers choose their products and services. These "channel" systems helped steer business to American Airlines. As with American Airlines, each competitive advantage with IT is temporary. Similar waves of innovative applications of technology (e.g.,

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The Right CEO Personality for Process Improvement

Harvard Business Review

As I think about companies that compete on consistent, low cost, reliable operations, most have or had leaders who were process innovators, such as Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines, Sam Walton at Wal-Mart, Ray Kroc at McDonalds, Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com, and Fred Smith at FedEx.

Process 15
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How to Woo Talent From the For-Profit World

Harvard Business Review

And a great potential source of talent with the right skills are professionals who change career lanes — people with experience and training in accounting, finance, human resources and strategy who leave corporate jobs to follow their passion to have a social impact. Build Your Bench Strength Without Breaking the Bank.