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The six disciplines of strategic thinking by Michael D Watkins - IMD Business School
Book Strategy Leadership
The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking
Latest awards & honors
Article Family Business
The COVID-19 pandemic and family business performance
This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate financial performance using a unique, cross-country, and longitudinal sample of 3350 listed firms worldwide. We find that the financial performance of family firms has been significantly higher than that of nonfamily firms during the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for pre-pandem…
Listed among the Top 10 most downloaded papers for 2023 in Small business economics: An entrepreneurship journal
By Ivan Miroshnychenko Giorgio Vocalelli Alfredo De Massis Stefano Grassi and Francesco Ravazzolo
in Small Business Economics 10 April 2023, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-023-00766-2
The COVID-19 pandemic and family business performance
By Ivan Miroshnychenko Giorgio Vocalelli Alfredo De Massis Stefano Grassi and Francesco Ravazzolo
in Small Business Economics 10 April 2023, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-023-00766-2
Summary
This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate financial performance using a unique, cross-country, and longitudinal sample of 3350 listed firms worldwide. We find that the financial performance of family firms has been significantly higher than that of nonfamily firms during the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for pre-pandem…
Listed among the Top 10 most downloaded papers for 2023 in Small business economics: An entrepreneurship journal
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Case Study Entrepreneurship Disruption Strategy Sustainability
SIBIUS: Battling cognitive disorders
Sept 2022. Corinne Avelines, SIBIUS’s CEO, had received the news that the results of the first large-scale test of the company’s first product had just been published. The test, conducted with children between 3 and 4 years old, validated their approach to early detection of autism. The technology was grounded in research showing that it was pos…
2024 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition – 3rd Prize
By Benoit F. Leleux Giorgia Riba Renee Pazdan Manu K. Mathew and Arvind Hurboseea
Case reference: IMD-7-2447 ©2023
SIBIUS: Battling cognitive disorders
Case Study Entrepreneurship Strategy Leadership
Valeur Absolue: Values-based entrepreneurship
The case discusses the development of Valeur Absolue – the niche luxury perfume company – from its inception in 2012 through to 2022 and the leadership journey of its founder Bénédicte Foucart. In pursuit of her purpose to empower women and increase the positive energy in their lives, Bénédicte believed that she would be able to address women’s …
2024 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition – 4th Prize
By Heather Cairns-Lee Benoit F. Leleux Anna Khrustaleva Connie Anyika Oksana Matyukha and Ramil Babayev
Case reference: IMD-7-2504 ©2023
Valeur Absolue: Values-based entrepreneurship
Case Study Strategy
AMAG: Creating its own future in a disrupted automotive industry
AMAG is Switzerland’s premier automotive retail and service company, holding exclusive rights to import Volkswagen Group car brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, Cupra and Seat. In 2022 AMAG had 7,300 employees and a revenue of CHF 4.4 billion. The electrification of the automotive industry and the introduction of the agency model by the Volk…
2024 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition – 2nd Prize
By Stefan Michel Daniel Gerber Vikas Munjal David Rivière Stephan Thalmann and Esther Lind
Case reference: IMD-7-2498 ©2023
AMAG: Creating its own future in a disrupted automotive industry
Case Study Sustainability Family Business
Grundfos (B): “Solved in a better way”
Without much family discussion, PDJ put majority ownership of Grundfos into the Poul Due Jensen Foundation in 1975. His family would receive a 15% stake in the company. This ownership stake was important, since by Danish law, the company could be sold if family ownership fell below 10%. The 8-member foundation board would oversee the company’s l…
Selected for the 2024 Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition
By Peter Vogel and Colleen Lief
Case reference: IMD-7-2375 ©2023
Grundfos (B): “Solved in a better way”
Article Leadership Strategy
Become a better problem solver by telling better stories
Like many companies at the end of 2021, a small European precision toolmaker was having trouble hiring and retaining talent. The executive team had a solution: Create a more attractive social space to encourage informal collaboration. But when the head of human resources presented the plan to the board (which included one of this article’s coaut…
Top 10 MIT Sloan Management Review articles of 2023 (6th most widely read)
By Arnaud Chevallier Albrecht Enders and Jean-Louis Barsoux
in MIT Sloan Management Review Spring 2023, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 73-78
Become a better problem solver by telling better stories
By Arnaud Chevallier Albrecht Enders and Jean-Louis Barsoux
in MIT Sloan Management Review Spring 2023, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 73-78
Summary
Like many companies at the end of 2021, a small European precision toolmaker was having trouble hiring and retaining talent. The executive team had a solution: Create a more attractive social space to encourage informal collaboration. But when the head of human resources presented the plan to the board (which included one of this article’s coaut…
Top 10 MIT Sloan Management Review articles of 2023 (6th most widely read)
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Academic publications
Article Entrepreneurship Performance Management
The goal and performance heterogeneity of academic spinoffs
We argue that the divergent motivations underlying their creation and goals can contribute to the varying performance of academic spinoffs. Through a quantitative study on a sample of 778 academic spinoffs established by 59 Italian state universities from 2006 to 2015, we show that academic spinoffs established (1) for extrinsic monetary motivat…
By Alice Civera Alfredo De Massis Michele Meoli and Silvio Vismara
in Technovation March 2024, vol. 131, 102972, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.102972
The goal and performance heterogeneity of academic spinoffs
By Alice Civera Alfredo De Massis Michele Meoli and Silvio Vismara
in Technovation March 2024, vol. 131, 102972, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.102972
Summary
We argue that the divergent motivations underlying their creation and goals can contribute to the varying performance of academic spinoffs. Through a quantitative study on a sample of 778 academic spinoffs established by 59 Italian state universities from 2006 to 2015, we show that academic spinoffs established (1) for extrinsic monetary motivat…
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Article General Management Leadership Strategy
When top managers’ temporal orientations collide: Middle managers and the strategic use of the past
Use-of-the-past research has advanced our understanding of how top managers instrumentalize past knowledge, events, and rhetorical constructions to advance their present-day interests. However, it is unclear how they use the past when they have divergent understandings of the past and different visions of the future. Temporal tensions can lead t…
By Innan Sasaki Masahiro Kotosaka and Alfredo De Massis
in Organization Studies 20 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406241236604
When top managers’ temporal orientations collide: Middle managers and the strategic use of the past
By Innan Sasaki Masahiro Kotosaka and Alfredo De Massis
in Organization Studies 20 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406241236604
Summary
Use-of-the-past research has advanced our understanding of how top managers instrumentalize past knowledge, events, and rhetorical constructions to advance their present-day interests. However, it is unclear how they use the past when they have divergent understandings of the past and different visions of the future. Temporal tensions can lead t…
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Article Family Business
See who I know! Addressing the liabilities of outsidership through status signaling
Status is an important intangible asset, yet when firms enter new countries, they lack standing in new social hierarchies as outsiders. Conventional wisdom suggests embeddedness in host-country networks can alleviate newcomers’ liability of outsidership. We complement this with insights from status signaling theory: Newcomers in host countries c…
By Michael Carney and Marleen Dieleman
in Journal of International Business Studies 15 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00662-7
See who I know! Addressing the liabilities of outsidership through status signaling
By Michael Carney and Marleen Dieleman
in Journal of International Business Studies 15 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00662-7
Summary
Status is an important intangible asset, yet when firms enter new countries, they lack standing in new social hierarchies as outsiders. Conventional wisdom suggests embeddedness in host-country networks can alleviate newcomers’ liability of outsidership. We complement this with insights from status signaling theory: Newcomers in host countries c…
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Article Leadership Purpose
“Real impact”: Challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between research and practice. Making a difference in industry, policy, and society
Achieving impact from academic research is a challenging, complex, multifaceted, and interconnected topic with a number of competing priorities and key performance indicators driving the extent and reach of meaningful and measurable benefits from research. Academic researchers are incentivised to publish their research in high-ranking journals a…
By Yogesh K. Dwivedi Anand Jeyaraj Laurie Hughes Michael R. Wade and et al.
in International Journal of Information Management 4 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102750
“Real impact”: Challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between research and practice. Making a difference in industry, policy, and society
By Yogesh K. Dwivedi Anand Jeyaraj Laurie Hughes Michael R. Wade and et al.
in International Journal of Information Management 4 February 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102750
Summary
Achieving impact from academic research is a challenging, complex, multifaceted, and interconnected topic with a number of competing priorities and key performance indicators driving the extent and reach of meaningful and measurable benefits from research. Academic researchers are incentivised to publish their research in high-ranking journals a…
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Article Sustainability
An exploratory study of stakeholder views on the sustainable development of mountain tourism
Sustainable tourism can combine recreation for people, economic opportunities for entrepreneurs, and environmental protection, but for mountain tourism, climate change and the predicted reductions in snowfall require urgent action. Therefore, this study aims to identify sustainable mountain tourism strategies and consumption patterns using a mul…
By Annarita Colasante Idiano D’Adamo Alfredo De Massis and Simone Italiano
in Sustainable Development 1 January 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2878
An exploratory study of stakeholder views on the sustainable development of mountain tourism
By Annarita Colasante Idiano D’Adamo Alfredo De Massis and Simone Italiano
in Sustainable Development 1 January 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2878
Summary
Sustainable tourism can combine recreation for people, economic opportunities for entrepreneurs, and environmental protection, but for mountain tourism, climate change and the predicted reductions in snowfall require urgent action. Therefore, this study aims to identify sustainable mountain tourism strategies and consumption patterns using a mul…
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Article Family Business Strategy
Look in to look out: Strategy and family business identity during COVID-19
COVID-19 challenges the value systems of family firms and urges them to adapt their behaviors, affecting their identities. This study aims to explore how and why family businesses strategically respond to challenges to their identity during COVID-19. Based on a qualitative case study of six German family firms, we propose a process model of fami…
By Rebecca Alguera Kleine Bingbing Ge and Alfredo De Massis
in Small Business Economics 7 December 2023, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-023-00846-3
Look in to look out: Strategy and family business identity during COVID-19
By Rebecca Alguera Kleine Bingbing Ge and Alfredo De Massis
in Small Business Economics 7 December 2023, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-023-00846-3
Summary
COVID-19 challenges the value systems of family firms and urges them to adapt their behaviors, affecting their identities. This study aims to explore how and why family businesses strategically respond to challenges to their identity during COVID-19. Based on a qualitative case study of six German family firms, we propose a process model of fami…
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Case studies
Case Study Strategy General Management
Leading in a Hurricane: The Midvale Healthcare system
The Midvale Healthcare System case explores the impact of complexity, uncertainty, volatility and ambiguity (CUVA) on leadership decision making and prioritization. Midvale, a traditionally stable healthcare provider, is experiencing an escalating cascade of internal and external challenges. These include shifting patient demographics, reimburse…
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-7-2566 ©2024
Case Study Strategy Digital Transformation Entrepreneurship General Management Leadership Organizational Behavior
Has Elon Musk X’d out?
In 2022, Elon Musk, known for his innovative ideas and often compared to Steve Jobs, made a big move by buying Twitter for $44 billion. He then started transforming the microblogging platform, rebranding it as “X.” His goal was to turn Twitter into a super app like WeChat in Asia, combining many services like messaging, shopping and payments int…
By Stefan Michel and Kathe Sweeney
Case reference: IMD-7-2537 ©2024
Case Study Operations
Tesco and Ocado: Contrasting online grocery supply chain models
E-commerce as a share of retail continues to grow, accelerated by the pandemic. This is particularly true of the online grocery market. As one of the largest online grocery markets in the world, the UK has many players, but two of the most dynamic are the market leader – Tesco – and Ocado. These two companies have taken markedly different approa…
By Ralf W. Seifert and Richard Markoff
Case reference: IMD-7-2553 ©2024
Case Study Strategy
Ipsen: Accelerating profitable growth in pharma
Part One: Ipsen, a global pharmaceutical firm headquartered in France, was facing significant challenges, including regulatory setbacks and fierce competition, when David Loew assumed the role of CEO in 2020. The loss of exclusivity for Somatuline, Ipsen’s flagship cancer drug, added to the complexities. Tasked by the board, Loew aimed to lead …
By Niccolò Pisani
Case reference: IMD-7-2510 ©2024
Case Study Entrepreneurship Disruption Strategy Sustainability
SIBIUS: Battling cognitive disorders
Sept 2022. Corinne Avelines, SIBIUS’s CEO, had received the news that the results of the first large-scale test of the company’s first product had just been published. The test, conducted with children between 3 and 4 years old, validated their approach to early detection of autism. The technology was grounded in research showing that it was pos…
2024 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition – 3rd Prize
By Benoit F. Leleux Giorgia Riba Renee Pazdan Manu K. Mathew and Arvind Hurboseea
Case reference: IMD-7-2447 ©2023
Case Study Entrepreneurship Strategy Leadership
Valeur Absolue: Values-based entrepreneurship
The case discusses the development of Valeur Absolue – the niche luxury perfume company – from its inception in 2012 through to 2022 and the leadership journey of its founder Bénédicte Foucart. In pursuit of her purpose to empower women and increase the positive energy in their lives, Bénédicte believed that she would be able to address women’s …
2024 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition – 4th Prize
By Heather Cairns-Lee Benoit F. Leleux Anna Khrustaleva Connie Anyika Oksana Matyukha and Ramil Babayev
Case reference: IMD-7-2504 ©2023
Knowledge Hub – I by IMD
Article Leadership Family Business
In business as in life, relationships matter – especially when family is involved
IMD’s Peter Vogel outlines three lessons that non-family leaders can learn from the Sika takeover battle.
By Peter Vogel
in I by IMD 13 March 2024
In business as in life, relationships matter – especially when family is involved
Article Strategy Innovation
Europe and Africa need an open dialogue to tackle global issues together 
Africa’s entrepreneurial attitude towards innovation and citizen-centric solutions could help provide new answers to global issues that Europe also faces. What needs to happen is a meaningful eye-to-eye dialogue between the two continents.
By Antonella Mei-Pochtler
in I by IMD 13 March 2024
Europe and Africa need an open dialogue to tackle global issues together 
Article Leadership Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
How to protect yourself as a female CEO 
Female CEOs facing the ‘glass cliff’ must navigate challenges strategically – assess, negotiate, and persist for lasting leadership success.
By Corinne Post
in I by IMD 12 March 2024
How to protect yourself as a female CEO 
Article Finance Digital
Bitcoin’s comeback: Does the crypto bull market have further to run? 
As the bellwether digital coin reaches a record high of $69,000, why a spring event known as “the halving” is expected to propel prices higher still in the broader crypto universe.
By José Parra-Moyano
in I by IMD 11 March 2024
Bitcoin’s comeback: Does the crypto bull market have further to run? 
Article Coaching Leadership
Leading through a personal crisis 
Faced with a breast cancer diagnosis, Cameron looks to executive coaching to help her reflect on the career and leadership impact
By Teresa Ferreiro Vilarino
in I by IMD 8 March 2024
Leading through a personal crisis 
Article Finance Artificial Intelligence
How AI can undermine financial stability 
As AI is increasingly used in the financial system, it exacerbates existing sources of instability and creates new ones. What we should be worried about, say Jon Danielsson and Andreas Uthemann, is the interaction between the technology and the sources of instability.
By Jon Danielsson and Andreas Uthemann
in I by IMD 8 March 2024
How AI can undermine financial stability 
Insights for practitioners
Article Leadership Family Business
In business as in life, relationships matter – especially when family is involved
IMD’s Peter Vogel outlines three lessons that non-family leaders can learn from the Sika takeover battle.
By Peter Vogel
in I by IMD 13 March 2024
In business as in life, relationships matter – especially when family is involved
Article Strategy Innovation
Europe and Africa need an open dialogue to tackle global issues together 
Africa’s entrepreneurial attitude towards innovation and citizen-centric solutions could help provide new answers to global issues that Europe also faces. What needs to happen is a meaningful eye-to-eye dialogue between the two continents.
By Antonella Mei-Pochtler
in I by IMD 13 March 2024
Europe and Africa need an open dialogue to tackle global issues together 
Article Leadership Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
How to protect yourself as a female CEO 
Female CEOs facing the ‘glass cliff’ must navigate challenges strategically – assess, negotiate, and persist for lasting leadership success.
By Corinne Post
in I by IMD 12 March 2024
How to protect yourself as a female CEO 
Article Finance Digital
Bitcoin’s comeback: Does the crypto bull market have further to run? 
As the bellwether digital coin reaches a record high of $69,000, why a spring event known as “the halving” is expected to propel prices higher still in the broader crypto universe.
By José Parra-Moyano
in I by IMD 11 March 2024
Bitcoin’s comeback: Does the crypto bull market have further to run? 
Article Coaching Leadership
Leading through a personal crisis 
Faced with a breast cancer diagnosis, Cameron looks to executive coaching to help her reflect on the career and leadership impact
By Teresa Ferreiro Vilarino
in I by IMD 8 March 2024
Leading through a personal crisis 
Article Finance Artificial Intelligence
How AI can undermine financial stability 
As AI is increasingly used in the financial system, it exacerbates existing sources of instability and creates new ones. What we should be worried about, say Jon Danielsson and Andreas Uthemann, is the interaction between the technology and the sources of instability.
By Jon Danielsson and Andreas Uthemann
in I by IMD 8 March 2024
How AI can undermine financial stability 
Books
Book Leadership Change Management Organizational Learning
The six disciplines of strategic thinking: Leading your organization into the future
International bestselling author of The First 90 Days Michael D. Watkins presents an actionable new framework to help aspiring leaders learn to think strategically—a set of skills more necessary than ever in a world of constant change. Pattern recognition. Systems perspective. Mental agility. Structured problem-solving. Visioning. Political savv…
By Michael D. Watkins
Published By Harper Business ©2024
Book Strategy
Strategy execution playbook
If you are currently working on a strategic initiative and don’t quite know what to do at this stage, this trusted companion provides you with a step by step guide for leading strategic initiatives by intertwining theoretical frameworks with practical tools. It provides you with guidance on which tools to use when. Embedded throughout the book a…
By Bettina Büchel Mahwesh Khan and Catherine Agamis
Published By International Institute for Management Development ©2023
Book Leadership Disruption Change Management Strategy
The future-ready leader: Accelerated learning for business success
If you’re a business leader looking to stay ahead of the curve, this book is an essential guide. It offers a comprehensive overview of the major trends shaping the future of business, drawing on reviews of 70 recent management books and interviews with 21 senior leaders. What sets this book apart is that it’s grounded in the real-world experienc…
By Peter Lorange and Karin Mugnaini
Published By Springer ©2023
The future-ready leader: Accelerated learning for business success
By Peter Lorange and Karin Mugnaini
Published By Springer ©2023
Summary
If you’re a business leader looking to stay ahead of the curve, this book is an essential guide. It offers a comprehensive overview of the major trends shaping the future of business, drawing on reviews of 70 recent management books and interviews with 21 senior leaders. What sets this book apart is that it’s grounded in the real-world experienc…
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner External Copyright
Available Languages English
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Book Family Business Entrepreneurship
Family office navigator: Your guide to building a multigenerational family office
In today’s complex world, family offices play a pivotal role in safeguarding a family’s heritage and unity while preserving and growing generational wealth. As the world around us evolves, so too must family offices as they adapt to meet the changing needs of their families. The Family Office Navigator is your essential guide for establishing an…
By Peter Vogel and Mario Marconi
Published By International Institute for Management Development ©2023
Book Competitiveness Economics Data Analytics
IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook: 2023
Now in its 35th year, the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook continues to serve as a beacon for governments, businesses, and individuals as they seek to navigate the complex landscape of global competitiveness. Our annual assessment sheds light on the key factors that drive and shape the comparative data, providing valuable insights and benchmar…
By Arturo Bris Christos Cabolis José Caballero and Marco Pistis
Published By International Institute for Management Development ©2023
IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook: 2023
By Arturo Bris Christos Cabolis José Caballero and Marco Pistis
Published By International Institute for Management Development ©2023
Summary
Now in its 35th year, the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook continues to serve as a beacon for governments, businesses, and individuals as they seek to navigate the complex landscape of global competitiveness. Our annual assessment sheds light on the key factors that drive and shape the comparative data, providing valuable insights and benchmar…
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Book Leadership Organizational Learning
The essential book of business and life quotations
An up-to-date book of quotations for executives, academics and anyone who wants to spice speeches and business presentations or simply reflect on some of the best things ever said on topics linked to management and business life in general. From “Aristotle” to “Mark Zuckenberg” and from “Action” to “Work”, this book is a formidable source of wit…
By Dominique Turpin
Published By Anthem Press ©2023
The essential book of business and life quotations
By Dominique Turpin
Published By Anthem Press ©2023
Summary
An up-to-date book of quotations for executives, academics and anyone who wants to spice speeches and business presentations or simply reflect on some of the best things ever said on topics linked to management and business life in general. From “Aristotle” to “Mark Zuckenberg” and from “Action” to “Work”, this book is a formidable source of wit…
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner External Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications