Over the several weeks that Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, Sodexo will prepare and serve up to 40,000 meals a day to 15,000 athletes, their fans, and organizing committee staffers at 22 venues in and around the city. Catering an event on that level is quite a challenge. But so is the one the company has set for itself around sustainability. As one of the world''s largest food-services companies-managing dining .....more

There''s a widespread understanding that managing corporate culture is key to business success. Yet few companies articulate their culture in such a way that the words become an organizational reality that molds employee behavior as intended. All too often a culture is described as a set of anodyne norms, principles, or values, which do not offer decision-makers guidance on how to make difficult choices when faced with conflicting but equally .....more

In this article, adapted from the forthcoming book Shocks, Crises, and False Alarms, the authors explain how economic analysis works in the real world. They lay out three principles for navigating the rising number of economic risks: (1) Don''t put too much stock in any one economic model. (2) Ignore the doomsayers in the financial press. (3) Cultivate rational optimism and an eclectic form of judgment that draws on multiple sources. That .....more

Marketplaces are the quintessential type of business that can profit from network effects: The greater the number of buyers who join one, the more attractive it becomes to sellers, and vice versa. Indeed, marketplaces such as Amazon, Booking.com, and Apple''s App Store have achieved some of the strongest competitive positions imaginable. That''s why entrepreneurs are seeking to build, and venture capitalists are seeking to invest in, .....more

Too many companies are failing to innovate. One reason, say the authors, is the polarized approach companies take to innovation. At one end of the spectrum, corporate R&D efforts tend to focus on product refreshes and incremental line upgrades that generate modest growth for lower risk. At the other end, venture capitalists favor high-risk "transformational" innovations that seek to upend industries and generate outsize returns. But .....more

Four new books explore how AI can help-and hinder-our productivity: Co-Intelligence, by Ethan Mollick; The Singularity Is Nearer, by Ray Kurzweil; The Mind''s Mirror, by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone; and Slow Productivity, by Cal Newport.

When a CEO transition fails, it''s often because the incoming leader isn''t skilled at managing the power dynamics. They''re complex because the key players-the board, the outgoing CEO, and the new one-have different agendas. Designated successors need to understand those dynamics and how best to influence key stakeholders. The authors present four approaches: assertive persuasion, incentives and disincentives, common vision, .....more

Believing the conventional wisdom that they have roughly 90 days to prove themselves, many new CEOs get into trouble by launching bold initiatives before they''ve won the support and trust they need to effect change. According to a study of nearly 1,400 CEOs, earning people''s confidence actually takes two years. But leaders who focus methodically on gaining it can generate remarkable increases in company value. Drawing on their research .....more

Though they''re frequently overlooked, incumbent CEOs are central to ensuring drama-free successions. An in-depth study of 30 departing CEOs shows that when they have strong relationships with the board, are actively engaged in choosing their replacements, and have positive views of the process, handoffs are much more successful. But if they experience ambivalence or regret or feel excluded, transitions can become tumultuous. Drawing on extended .....more

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