...HBR.ORG In a world of constant change, the spoils go to the nimble. by Martin Reeves and Mike Deimler ILLUSTRATION: BRIAN STAUFFER Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage July–August 2011 Harvard Business Review 135 ADAPTABILITY: THE NEW COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE We live in an era of risk and instability. Globalization, new technologies, and greater transparency have combined to upend the business environment and give many CEOs a deep sense of unease. Just look at the numbers. Since 1980 the volatility of business operating margins, largely static since the 1950s, has more than doubled, as has the size of the gap between winners (companies with high operating margins) and losers (those with low ones). Market leadership is even more precarious. The percentage of companies falling out of the top three rankings in their industry increased from 2% in 1960 to 14% in 2008. What’s more, market leadership is proving to be an increasingly dubious prize: The once strong correlation between profitability and industry share is now almost nonexistent in some sectors. According to our calculation, the probability that the market share leader is also the profitability leader declined from 34% in 1950 to just 7% in 2007. And it has become virtually impossible for some ex- ecutives even to clearly identify in what industry and with which companies they’re competing. All this uncertainty poses a tremendous challenge for strategy making. That’s because traditional approaches...
Words: 3907 - Pages: 16
...Looking back I see a common theme in my life: adaptability. This common theme perhaps defines me more than anything else. Who am I? Maybe I am the sum of my past decisions or past failures, but either way, my past still defines me. Maybe it always will, so let's begin this story. It begins in my childhood as most stories do. So let me set the stage: I have lived a very sheltered and isolated life with exception of the church and when I played basketball I had very little contact with people my own age. I was homeschooled so for the years of development I was mostly alone with the exception of my siblings. This shaped me into being extremely introverted because I never had the need to engage in complex social situations. I suppose that a defining moment for me which shows adaptability is when I came when I first came to this school. I was entering 10th grade and had never attended an actual school before. It was not my choice and for awhile I resented it because it forced me to change to survive. Though over time I learned to try to make the best out of it but, at the beginning I resented everything on principle....
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...Executive Summary The global demand for economic growth has elevated the importance of innovation, value and adaptability. Due to the competitive nature and limitless challenges facing most organizations, companies are being forced to hone in on things that are paramount, foundational and fundamental to them. Both internal and external customers are no longer content with mediocrity. They are no longer appeased with organizations that lack the ability and understanding to implement change. Companies must now create environments that are suitable for the future and adaptable to humans. We are now in a world where large corporations are among the least trusted and shareholders are more concerned with value than ever before. The ideological aspects of businesses that foster control are the cause of organizations being less innovative, and less adaptive. Organizations are eliminating the gap between reality and what is considered rhetoric. Innovation is one of the only ways to achieve longevity and long-term value. In attempt to overcome these obstacles, organizations will have to completely reengineer their business process. The systems of management in today’s business focuses on measurable goals, results, capital gains and order. (Rud, 2011). Humans on the other hand are born curious to learn and naturally motivated with the expectation of change. The recalibration of priorities has become a perquisite for most organizations to remain successful. There is a high demand of diversification...
Words: 2098 - Pages: 9
...individually and/or combined in different ways. But they are focusing a single issue rather than keeping all issues in an integrated way. However, the problem of safe drinking water availability caused by the combined effect of salinity, arsenic, and drought which are intimately inter-linked with each other. Therefore, it is imperative to include all the issues by developing an integrated approach, which will help to find a successful solution for better access of safe drinking water in the affected area. In view of the above mentioned issues, this study developed a holistic approach named “SIPE” that helps to find out/determine safe water adaptability index considering socio-economical, institutional, physicochemical and environmental aspect of the study area. Finally the outcomes from the analysis help to enhance formulating safe water adaptability action plan that will be practiced through national level to local level to get safe drinking...
Words: 261 - Pages: 2
...CAPACITY | SHARE FROM THE UNSATISFIED DEMAND | QUANTITY USED (increasing capacity due to the firms adaptability to the market) | SERVICE PRICE | GROSS REVENUE | Traditional Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 32,353 | 3,650 | 320 | 1,168,000 | Hot Stone Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 14,668 | 3,650 | 305 | 1,113,250 | Cupping Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 13,435 | 3,650 | 310 | 1,131,500 | Jaccuzzi and Sauna | 21,900 | 43,800 | 21,659 | 21,659 | 215 | 4,656,685 | Aerial Yoga | 2,920 | 5,840 | 28,103 | 2,920 | 950 | 2,774,000 | TOTAL | | | | | | 10,843,435 | YEAR: 2016 | | | | | | | SERVICES | ANNUAL NORMAL CAPACITY | ANNUAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY | SHARE FROM THE UNSATISFIED DEMAND | QUANTITY USED (increasing capacity due to the firms adaptability to the market) | SERVICE PRICE | GROSS REVENUE | Traditional Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 33,115 | 4,380 | 320 | 1,401,600 | Hot Stone Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 15,014 | 4,380 | 305 | 1,335,900 | Cupping Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 13,751 | 4,380 | 310 | 1,357,800 | Jaccuzzi and Sauna | 21,900 | 43,800 | 22,171 | 22,171 | 215 | 4,766,765 | Aerial Yoga | 2,920 | 5,840 | 28,766 | 3,504 | 950 | 3,328,800 | TOTAL | | | | | | 12,190,865 | YEAR: 2017 | | | | | | | SERVICES | ANNUAL NORMAL CAPACITY | ANNUAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY | SHARE FROM THE UNSATISFIED DEMAND | QUANTITY USED (increasing capacity due to the firms adaptability to the market) | SERVICE PRICE | GROSS REVENUE | Traditional Massage | 3,650 | 7,300 | 33,895...
Words: 531 - Pages: 3
...even though both of these organizations belong to Electronics Industry and are in same state, Ohio. The leadership style of the organization decides the culture. Culture is the environment that surrounds you at work. Culture is also shapes your work environment along with your work relationships. The organizational culture can be identified by using the four variables which are Flexibility, Internal Focus, External Focus and Stability. The four variables are used to state the culture of a given organization. The basic types of corporate cultures are along with the dimensions are listed in the below table: Type of Corporate Culture Dimensions Clan Culture Flexibility, Internal Focus Bureaucratic Culture Internal Focus, Stability Adaptability Culture Flexibility, External Focus Achievement Culture Stability, External Focus The present discussion is to understand the corporate culture of 5 Star Electronics and Amtech Electronics using the above dimensions. Corporate Culture of 5 Star and Amtech Questions 1Q. Using the competing values model, what type of culture would you say dominant as 5 Star? At Ametech? What is your evidence? A: The competing value model is used to identify type of culture in the given organizations. 5 Star Electronics At 5 Star Electronics Bureaucratic corporate cultures is observed. Evidence The company has detailed organizational charts. The roles and responsibilities are defined narrowly. Every employee at 5 Star...
Words: 991 - Pages: 4
...The character quality that Buck possesses that will help him most to survive in the wild is his ability to adapt to his situation and learn from his environment. The text elaborates on this statement by stating, “[His house] was trice the heat”(London 32). This shows Buck’s adaptability because on his first night, he fabricated a way to sleep comfortably. While searching for a warm place in the snow to dig a hole, Buck found Bille, another dog, buried under the snow. Buck realized that by digging a hole in the snow, which would insulate him from the harsh environment above, he would be able to sleep in the hole for the night. Sleeping under the snow was a better alternative because before Buck dug the hole, it was too cold for him to...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...Resilience Today, everyone have a strongly willing to be a successful person no matter in which area such as business, communities, study and family life. Although people can find lots of method to achieve the goal, there still are some characters should be aware and conscious cultivation if people want to better integrate with varied of fields. Resilience as a vital role to play in our life and it consist with different kinds of factors. In this essay, it will divide into three parts to discuss four important characters of resilience, including hardiness, adaptability, recovery and flexibility. Besides, in these four parts, it will also present these components how positive connect with communities, organizations, business or individual life. Hardiness Winston Churchill said that “success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” It is a good explain and describe for the word, hardiness. Maddi (2013, p. 7) states hardiness can be as a channel to resilience when face the stress and resilience always as a component to keep individual performance and health no matter in psychological or physiological when they under the pressure environment. It is clear that hardiness has strongly connection with resilience and it is an important factor in our life. White, Absher & Huggins point out hardiness can help people to deal with the transforms from circumstance with high stressful level into less-stressful life events like activity of organization and business...
Words: 2178 - Pages: 9
...A hero in today’s society doesn't have to have extraordinary super powers to be considered a “hero”. Just like all things, a hero comes in all shapes and sizes. Heros can range from a firefighter to a homicide detective, or even a random citizen helping the elderly with their groceries. Being a hero isnt about being the strongest or getting the girl, its about helping the less fortunate. Heroic traits include: reliability, adaptability, and leadership. In Marvel’s The Avengers, Captain America, although a fictional character, he is portrayed with traits of everyday heros such as reliability. One of the ways he is extremely reliable is because no matter how hard the situation gets, when push comes to shove, he is always there to help...
Words: 397 - Pages: 2
...without any knowledge of it how would you survive well that’s what happened to Buck and to survive he must adapt. Without Adaptability people and wildlife alike would not survive that is why it is essential for survival. With the skill of adaptability he will overcome many things the cold, the sight of bloodshed, and the wildlife he wants so badly. In the beginning, Buck must adapt to the cold and hard work. First, Buck’s quest starts with him being thrown into a completely different environment, no longer a king he must adapt to the cold and lots and lots of hard work. For example, Buck is sold and transported north to be a sled dog where he will be forced to do lots and lots of sled work with his masters (François and Perrault) and other dogs.Since he has the help of his friends he was able to learn to sleep under not over the snow. Since he is transported to a cold area he must get used to the cold or he’ll die. Since he was used to going for walks with his old family he is strong enough to get through cold and tough work. In the middle of the book, Buck must adapt to bloodshed for he has seen many dogs die and he essentially killed a dog already, Spitz. For example, Buck broke both of Spitz front legs and used that...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...The Survivor What does it take to be a survivor? Terry Fox is an athlete who got diagnosed with cancer. He then had to get his leg amputated. Terry Fox used perseverance, adaptability, and initiative to survive a difficult situation. To begin with, Terry Fox used perseverance to overcome adversity. Firstly, Terry did not let his artificial leg stop him from running. For instance, Tabitha Marshall, online writer, shares that Terry Fox started “running around the cinder track at the local junior high school (Marshall).” Therefore, Terry Fox was able to run more and more every month. Secondly, Terry had a dream of running across Canada to increase the awareness and increase cancer research funds. For example, Henry Billings, Heroes author, notes that even Terry’s own mother did not believe in his dream. Despite, even his own mother not believing in him, he still tried to reach his dreams. Thirdly, Terry Fox does not want to let people down. Specifically, Henry Billings, Heroes author, claims that Terry started to feel a pain in his chest while in the city and he did not stop running till he was out the city and away from the crowds (Heroes). Thus, he did have to let the people cheering for...
Words: 569 - Pages: 3
...lower-EQ counterparts on important traits such as leadership, decision making skills, self control, empathy, teamwork, self-confidence and orientation to achieve higher goals. | In today�s fast paced business environment, a well balanced handling of relationships and emotions play a crucial role in achieving success. Emotions play an important role in decision making and strategy formulation, allowing people with higher EQ to handle work related situations more efficiently. | Your Overall EQ Score: This EQ test is based on the standard five personality traits related to EQ and which have been proposed by Reuven Bar-On, namely: 1.Interpersonal EQ (social responsibility / empathy) 2.Intrapersonal EQ (emotional self-awareness) 3.Adaptability (flexibility / reality testing) 4.Stress management (stress tolerance / impulse control) 5.General mood (cheerful / somber / optimism) | Your overall EQ Score is 76 out of 100, which is considered a �Good� EQ score. | You are flexible and realistic, can grasp problems well and find good ways of dealing with them, whether they arise at home, with friends or at your...
Words: 1338 - Pages: 6
...The Logistics System: A Key Element of Contraceptive Security Planning A logistics system provides excellent customer service by fulfilling the six “rights”: ensuring that the right goods, in the right quantities, in the right condition, are delivered to the right place, at the right time, for the right cost. Logistics Cycle Over the years, experts have developed a logistics cycle that describes the activities of a logistics system. The logistics cycle comprises the following: • The logistics management information system (LMIS), which is at the heart of the cycle; • Quality monitoring, which is a continuing activity throughout the cycle; and • Policies and adaptability, which constitute the logistics environment. Each activity in the logistics cycle must contribute to excellence in customer service. Logistics management includes several activities that support the six rights. The logistics cycle (JSI/DEVILVER Web site, 2005) emphasizes the interdependence of the various activities (see Figure 1). For example, product selection is based on serving customers. What would happen if, for medical reasons, customers refused to use a particular product? Logistics managers would need to reconsider their earlier decision and order products more acceptable to the customer. The decision would, in turn, affect procurement and storage, which are two other activities in the logistics cycle. Figure 1. The Main Activities in the Logistics Cycle Serving...
Words: 1522 - Pages: 7
...Cause & Effect Assignment Teaching English as a Foreign Language in South Korea has been my dream job ever since I was a sophomore in high school and discovered my love for the Korean culture. I knew at the time that wanting to acquire a career such as this one would be quite an undertaking, but I didn’t recognize the fact that a good amount of issues would arise in this field. Within the vast amount of issues that my career offers, there are two issues that I am going to cover: creating respectable environments for English as a Second Language students to learn in, and dealing with the issue of how to teach politeness values or leave them out of the mix while they are learning English. I believe that my strengths of achiever, adaptability, positivity, and self-assurance can help me overcome these issues because they are strengths that directly apply to these specific issues that I am going to have to deal with. The first issue I am going to come in contact with is finding a way to create an environment that is ideal for the Korean students to learn English to the best of their ability. When this career opportunity first started off in the country of Korea, it was taught by American missionaries that only taught it ‘as an avenue for [their] missionary work.’ (Jeong, 2004, p. 1) While they were teaching it for this particular reason, under the impression that the Koreans could then be converted into their faith, they didn’t exactly teach it in a way that is considered right...
Words: 1388 - Pages: 6
...became obsessed with the game of golf. Everything that I did had to revolve around golf or I would rebel against it. It became my passion around the age of 10, and it has stuck with me until this very day. Throughout my high school career I always thought that being a golf professional was the career path for me, but now a part of me has realized that at some point golf needs to end. It is time for me to find a new dream career. My goal for this academic year is to find the career path in which I would like to pursue. My strengths of adaptability, communication, competition, futuristic, and significance are going to help me find a perfect career fit as well as set goals pertaining to it in the process....
Words: 627 - Pages: 3
