Management practices that lead to superior performance over time—a research project.
6/2/2003
This book represents a massive research undertaking covering 160 companies, but don't worry: the facts are conveyed in a practical, easy-to-read style that is geared for managers, not academics. Harvard Business School professor Nitin Nohria teamed with William Joyce of Dartmouth College's Amos Tuck School of Business and Bruce Roberson of McKinsey & Company to figure out which specific management practices have led to superior company performance over time. In a nutshell, the four primary areas for the 4+2 formula were strategy, execution, culture, and structure. These four areas, combined with any two of the following—talent, leadership, innovation, and mergers and partnerships—gave a company a 90 percent edge for emerging as a winner. What Really Works describes how several companies have used these characteristics individually and together; it also suggests that investors should judge companies based on the 4+2 model.