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McKinsey Quarterly 2012 Number 4

Emerging markets on the move

Rethink the ingredients of your emerging-market strategy. Also, an exploration of the future of work, the perils of emulating Apple, and how to take social networks beyond marketing.

Emerging markets on the move

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Winning the $30 trillion decathlon: Going for gold in emerging markets
– By 2025, annual consumption in emerging markets will reach $30 trillion—the biggest growth opportunity in the history of capitalism. To compete for the prize, companies must master ten key disciplines.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Unlocking the potential of emerging-market cities
– Most companies still take a national or regional view when allocating resources for global growth. They should shift their focus to fast-growing cities.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Designing products for value
– Learn how leading companies combine insights about customers, competitors, and costs to develop more innovative and cost-effective products.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Building brands in emerging markets
– Companies that harness word-of-mouth effects, emphasize in-store execution, and get their brands onto shoppers’ short lists for initial consideration are more likely to capture the loyalty of emerging-market consumers.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

From oxcart to Wal-Mart: Four keys to reaching emerging-market consumers
– To get products to customers in emerging markets, global manufacturers need strategies for navigating both the traditional and the modern retail landscapes.

Taking social networks beyond marketing

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Capturing business value with social technologies
– As these powerful technologies shake up productivity and growth across industries, they will create new organizational imperatives.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

How ‘social intelligence’ can guide decisions
– Learn how decision makers are using rich real-time data and social media to gain fresh strategic insight.

The changing world of work

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Talent tensions ahead: A CEO briefing
– Looming imbalances in global labor pools could make it harder for some companies to find enough skilled workers and for some less-skilled workers to find jobs.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Preparing for a new era of work
– Global competition, emerging skill shortages, and changing demographics will soon force companies to use their most highly paid talent more effectively.
Interview - McKinsey Quarterly

The evolution of work: One company’s story
– Symantec’s chief human-resources officer, Rebecca Ranninger, describes the security software company’s transition to a virtual workplace while reflecting on the promise—and perils—of new ways of working.

Other highlights

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The global gender agenda
– Women continue to be underrepresented at senior-management levels in Asia, Europe, and North America. McKinsey research suggests some answers.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Encouraging your people to take the long view
– Employees and managers should be measured as much on their contribution to an organization’s long-term health as to its performance.

Research, trends, and emerging thinking

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The perils of best practice: Should you emulate Apple?
– Outliers are exactly that. Duplicating their performance is harder than we might wish.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Sizing the advantages of incumbency
– In many industries, depreciated fixed assets provide a cost edge that favors incumbents. Airlines are different.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

How much will consumers pay to go green?
– A sizable share of consumers say they are willing to pay a small premium—but willingness to pay melts away as the premium rises.