The most important new idea in the management of careers is the effort to turn over control for at least some aspects of the process to employees. The most obvious win for a company comes when good and ambitious employees find an opportunity that suits their needs inside the company as opposed to elsewhere. There are various actions that companies can take to help achieve this, including creating an internal job board and using data mining to see...

When you recognize that talent management is a business problem, it makes sense to apply what you know about structuring challenges in ways that are most cost effective. This chapter explains how to structure internal development to reduce uncertainty and lower costs by using techniques from operations research. These techniques include shortening the forecasting cycle, relying on the principle of portfolios to reduce variability, and reorganizin...

Considers whether BYD Co., Ltd., the largest Chinese maker of rechargeable batteries, should enter the Chinese automobile industry by acquiring Qinchuan Auto, a state-owned car manufacturer. Set just after BYD's initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2002, it describes the development of BYD's labor-intensive approach to battery manufacturing--an approach decidedly different from its more capital-intensive Japanese competitors...

Covers the phenomenon of outsourcing jobs from the United States. Reviews the evolution of Mexico's Maquiladoras, manufacturing special economic areas in China, and information technology and service-sourcing in India. Also reviews exports/imports, exchange rates, wages, and jobs. Considers major outsourcer General Electric's moves to these countries and its plans. Compares Mexico and China, and India and China, asking what the United States and ...

Fifteen years after ending apartheid, formal unemployment in South Africa was still at 24%. While the country had grown at 4 to 5% annually during the 2000s, the financial crisis set it back by 1 million more unemployed. Moreover, it seemed as if the nation were stuck between low wage and fully developed competitors. The government of Jacob Zuma has just adopted a "New Growth Path," hoping to create several million jobs over the next few years. B...

15 years after ending apartheid, formal unemployment in South Africa was still at 24%. While the country had grown at 4 to 5% annually during the 2000s, the financial crisis set it back by 1 million more unemployed. Moreover, it seemed as if the nation were stuck between low wage and fully developed competitors. The government of Jacob Zuma has just adopted a "New Growth Path," hoping to create several million jobs over the next few years. Both t...

This note describes the emerging on-demand economy, also referred to as the sharing economy. The note highlights several companies including Uber and Airbnb that exemplify this new mode of competition, a model that threatens to disrupt traditional firms. Uber provides ride services much like a traditional taxi company, but it owns no cars and employs no drivers, and instead matches independent car owners with customers looking for rides. Airbnb p...

The case describes Lincoln Electric's business strategy and incentive system, and it discusses the global strategy choices that the company faces going forward. Lincoln Electric is deciding whether a strong push into India should be the next step in the company's globalization. The company has enjoyed increasing success in China as a result of its aggressive expansion through both a joint venture and set of majority-owned plants. The company is d...

Teaching note for case 417002.

Productivity and competitiveness have become hot topics among managers and policy-makers. Their interest surely resides in the fact that productivity and competitiveness not only determine the present living standards but also contribute importantly to the determination of a country's living standards in the future. This module provides a new framework to understand the drivers of productivity and competitiveness for companies and countries.