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How Companies Can Use Investors to Their Advantage

Harvard Business Review

Directly influenced by investor input, Nikon developed a restructuring plan that would carry a onetime cost of ¥48 billion ($460 million) but generate ¥20 billion ($190 million) in annual savings. Not until the restructuring was completed would Nikon pursue a growth agenda. The response was disappointing.

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China’s Slowdown: The First Stage of the Bullwhip Effect

Harvard Business Review

During an economic crisis, the exaggerated decline in orders can be especially damaging to upstream suppliers that have high fixed costs tied to production assets. Companies should anticipate this trend and start developing “value pricing” and less expensive products.

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How to Know If a Spin-Off Will Succeed

Harvard Business Review

Decisive actions are required to tackle the factors that prompted the spin-off in the first place, which in many cases are underperformance and/or a lack of strategic fit leading to chronic underinvestment in the development of the business.