The Four Colors of Business Growth

Anjan Thakor is John E. Simon Professor of Finance, Director of Doctoral Programs, and Director of the WFA Center for Finance and Accounting Research, Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining the Olin School, Thakor was The Edward J. Frey Professor of Banking and Finance at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he also served as chairman of the Finance area. He has served on the faculties of Indiana University, Northwestern University, and UCLA. He has consulted with many companies and organizations, including Whirlpool Corporation, Allision Engine Co., Bunge, Citigroup, RR Donnelley, Dana Corporation, AB-Inbev, Zenith Corporation, Lincoln National Corporation, J.P. Morgan, Landscape Structures, Inc., CIGNA, Borg-Warner Automative, Waxman Industries, Reuters, The Limited, Ryder Integrated Logistics, AT&T, CH2M Hill, Takata Corporation, Tyson Foods, Spartech, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Among many other honors, Dr. Thakor is the winner of the Reid MBA Teaching Excellence Award, Olin School of Business, 2005, and received the Outstanding Teacher in Doctoral Program award for the University of Michigan Business School, April 2003. He has published over 100 papers in leading academic journals in Finance and Economics, including The American Economic Review, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Economic Theory, The Economic Journal, The RAND Journal of Economics, The Journal of Finance, The Review of Financial Studies, The Journal of Financial Intermediation, and The Journal of Financial Economics. Besides this book, he has publishednine other books. In a paper published in 2017, he was ranked as one of the five most prolific Finance authors during 2005–15.He is a founding editor of The Journal of Financial Intermediation and one of the founders of The Financial Intermediation Research Society. He is a fellow of The Financial Theory Group. He has served as an expert witness on numerous banking cases and testified in US federal courts on issues related to bank valuation and capital structure.

"For a global, multi-cultural company to succeed, it needs a common language. The Competing Values Framework provides it and has been an essential tool for gaining alignment around strategies and organizational priorities within Bunge's senior leadership team." --Aberto Weisser, CEO Bunge Limited"Not since Jim Collin’s 'Good to Great' have I been so stirred to thought and action as I am by the practical application of the Competing Values framework. Stimulating healthy growth is the lifeblood of all enterprises. Combining the behavioral realities of the company’s talent and the rational realities of an individual’s gifts strikes at the heart of good leadership. Harnessing the potential of an organization by recognizing and nurturing the ability to reach across disciplines and personalities to create teamwork that can focus its resources on the best growth opportunities. A book worth sharing with your leadership team across all disciplines." --Ron Fromm, Chairman and CEO, Brown Shoe Company, Inc.

• Growth is EverywhereGrowth Comes in Four ColorsThe Competing Values Framework (CVF) for GrowthHow Do You Know What Color Your Growth Strategy Should Be?Organizational Alignment for Growth: the Power of the Competing Values Framework in Aligning the Organization through a Common LanguageIdeas for Yellow Growth StrategiesIdeas for Red Growth StrategiesIdeas for Blue Growth StrategiesIdeas for Green Growth StrategiesWrapping Up