Burkhard Schwenker – författare

Die entscheidende Herausforderung für das Management von Unternehmen ist es, profitables Wachstum sicherzustellen. Die Bedeutung profitablen Unternehmenswachstums steht außer Diskussion, doch ist längst nicht so klar, wie Unternehmen auf den Wachstumspfad gelangen und ihn dauerhaft beschreiten können. Was machen Firmen mit beständig hohen Wachstumsraten anders? Wie kommen sie zu ihrem Wachstum? Um diese Frage zu beantworten, hat Roland Berger Strategy Consultants eine umfassende quantitative Untersuchung der 1.700 größten Unternehmen der Welt durchgeführt, Märkte analysiert und in Interviews Manager in Unternehmen zu ihren Wachstumsstrategien befragt. Dieses Buch stellt die Ergebnisse der Studien zum Thema Unternehmenswachstum vor und entwickelt auf ihrer Basis neue Konzepte für nachhaltiges und profitables Wachstum. Die vorgestellten Konzepte können von Managern als Grundlage genutzt werden, um ihre Unternehmen auf Wachstumskurs zu bringen.

Growth is the key goal of management. It''s not just an indicator of a company''s performance, but also the basis for its future success. But growth doesn''t just mean getting bigger – it also means getting better. In other words, growth must be profitable, otherwise it destroys the company''s value long term. And this is not the only challenge. Growth must also be made continuous. The traditional V-curve paradigm (first downsize, then grow) no longer applies. Today, companies must follow a parallel strategy of growth coupled with reorganization, in the sense of permanently increasing efficiency.

In Making Growth Work it is shown how companies can grow successfully in the long term. The authors present the results of extensive studies carried out by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants on the subject of corporate growth and use them as a basis to develop new concepts for sustainable profitable growth.

In dem Spannungsfeld zwischen strategischer und finanzieller Sichtweise bewegt sich das gesamte Planungs- und Entscheidungssystem eines Unternehmens. Das Buch thematisiert diese Hauptströmungen betriebswirtschaftlicher Argumentation, arbeitet die Unterschiede heraus und stellt dazu die als Best Practices geltenden Werkzeuge der beiden Denkschulen dar. Die Autoren belassen es aber nicht bei einer Gegenüberstellung. Sie entwickeln einen Ansatz, der den Antagonismus der beiden Lager überwindet, ohne den Gegensatz zu verwässern. Sowohl die strategische als auch die finanzielle Sichtweise dienen als Kompass für die Entscheidungsfindung in der Unternehmensführung – es kommt allerdings darauf an, in welcher Phase sich das Unternehmen befindet. Unterschieden werden die vier Phasen Position, Aufbau, Wachstum und Ertrag. Dominieren in den frühen Phasen strategische Überlegungen, so hat in den späteren Phasen das finanzielle Denken Priorität.

Along with the increasing deregulation of European utility markets the dynamics of and the competitive pressure in the utility industries have steadily increased over the last years. These changes in the regulatory framework towards an integrated market environment have resulted in new challenges for the management of power and gas companies and in a substantial need for strategic reorientation. In the context of these developments the Handbook Utility Management reflects current challenges in the utility industries and provides solutions from a managerial perspective. The inclusion of latest insights from top managers, renowned researchers, professionals in utility-related investment banking and consulting, and professionals in public and supranational organizations on all value chain activities within the industry makes the Handbook an indispensable asset for both professionals and researchers.

Companies'' decision-making and planning systems find themselves in a constant tug of war between strategic and financial considerations. The authors analyze these two opposing currents in business thinking, dissecting their differences and identifying their best practices. They also develop an approach that reconciles the two conflicting schools of thought – without watering down their differences. Schwenker und Spremann argue that both strategic and financial perspectives can serve as a compass in management''s decision-making processes: Which perspective to choose depends on the phase of business. The authors distinguish four phases in the company lifecycle – phases in which the business must find the proper position, develop, grow and, ultimately, earn. In the first two phases, strategic considerations should take priority; in the latter two phases, financial considerations rule the day.

In a world characterized by increasing complexity and volatility, managers must be able to flexibly adapt their strategies to changing environmental conditions. Traditional strategic management frameworks often fail in this context. Therefore, we present "scenario-based strategic planning" as a framework for strategic management in an uncertain world.

Previous approaches to scenario planning were complex and focused on the long term, but the approach developed by Roland Berger and the Center for Strategy and Scenario Planning at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management is different. By designing appropriate tools and integrating scenario planning into strategic planning, we have made our approach less complex and easier for firms to apply. We illustrate the approach with examples from different industries.

Change or die! With this stark claim begins the journey through the corporate lifecycle. Why do so many companies fail? Why do managers struggle to recognize change early or hesitate to take vigorous action? Why – and how – must the traditional lifecycle concept be modernized if it is still to provide valid orientation?

In this essay, Roland Berger CEO Burkhard Schwenker analyzes the challenges facing managers today and explores their implications for good management. Corporate management, he argues, must once again become more direct, more personal, more entrepreneurial. His experienced and thoughtful analysis is complemented by insightful, candid interviews with renowned entrepreneurs and business leaders, conducted by journalist Mario Müller-Dofel. Finally, Schwenker outlines an agenda calling for action in six specific areas.