H. Donald Hopkins

The Response Strategies of Dominant US Firms to Japanese Challengers

Six case studies are used to examine the response strategies of dominant US firms to the entry of Japanese challengers into their domestic industries. This study examines the question of whether it is better to respond quickly with individual competitive responses or wait until a broad strategic reorientation is possible. The results suggest that the US firms that had a slower but more concentrated and aggressive response lost less market share than firms that responded quickly.

Firm Size: The Interchangeability of Measures

Firm size has been measured by numerous empirical indicators. Research studies concerned with firm size sometimes assume that these indicators are interchangeable for research purposes. However, an analysis of data on companies from 14 industries indicate that assets and employment, the two most common size measures, may be interchangeable only in certain circumstances.

Successful turnaround strategies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to help CEOs pick the best turnaround strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews a key research study on firms in turnaround situations.Findings – The study finds that turnaround strategy must fit the cause of the firms problem.Practical implications – The paper is useful in helping senior managers avoid a common problem.Originality/value – The paper focuses attention on the key to turnaround success. It highlights an academic research study with a rare nugget of insight for CEOs. This paper has not been published elsewhere.

Business leaders speak out: their real strategic problems

Purpose – Many observers agree that the recommendations from academic research are not followed by real world organizations, and that business researchers rarely consult practitioners when formulating research questions. Calls are increasing to make management research more relevant for business managers. This paper aims to seek to capitalize upon this opportunity by going straight to managers on the front line and asking them about their most pressing problems.Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed over 350 Chief Executive Officers of large, medium and small‐cap US firms. The authors asked these executives to describe the most important strategic problem facing their firms, to identify the fundamental source of the problem, and to identify the best response to this problem.Findings – Executives tell us that their most common strategic problems relate to threats from new technology, and new competitors. Further, respondents believe that the most important threats originate outside the firm.Pra...