Presents a unique collection of company profiles and cases from Swiss B2B and B2C market leaders in export markets Demonstrates success factors, common pathways, and unique business strategy insights into the Swiss business ecosystem Includes analysis of diverse ownership structures including family-owned firms This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Autorentext

Jean-Pierre Jeannet is Professor Emeritus of both Babson College (Wellesley, US) and IMD Institute (Lausanne, Switzerland). He was the F.W. Olin Chairholder of Global Business at Babson College and had an active teaching career in global marketing and global strategy. He has authored and co-authored the books 'Managing with a Global Mindset' (FT Press, 2000), 'From Coal to Biotech' (Springer, 2015), and 'Leading a Surgical Revolution' (Springer, 2019).Thierry Volery is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Management Department at ZHAW School of Management and Law, in Winterthur. He is concurrently Visiting Professor at the University of St Gallen and at the University of Western Australia. His teaching and research interests include start-up process, entrepreneurship behaviour, entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial leadership, and innovation management. He is author of several books and has published in leading journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, and International Small Business Journal. Heiko Bergmann is Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he conducts and leads research projects at the Swiss Research Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. His research focus is on issues of entrepreneurship, business emergence, and SME management. Cornelia Amstutz is a research assistant at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Faculty of Law, and the Steering Committee on Internationalization. Previously, she studied media communication and history and has worked as a consultant in the private sector.

Inhalt

Part I. Introducing the Project.- Introduction.- Founders, Shakers, Prime Movers.- PART II. Governance Practices.- Ownership Structures.- Achieving Ownership Stability.- Boards and Governance.- Part III. Managing for the Long Term.- The Role Played by Management.- Financing the Enterprise.- Part IV. Focus Choices.- Business Focus Choices.- Franchise Focus Choices.- The Process of Focusing.- Part V. Marketing Practices.- Segmentation Choices.- International Sales and Distribution Strategies.- Marketing and Sales Processes.- Part VI. Product Building Choices.- Production Footprint Choices.- Production Processes Choices.- Product Design Choices.- Product Line Choices.- Supply Chain Choices.- Part VII. Innovation Practices.- Sourcing the Defining Business Idea.- Innovation Processes.- Organizing for Innovations.- Part VIII. Leveraging Strategies.- Leveraging Local Competitiveness.- Leveraging Resources for Growth.- Role of Swiss Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.- Epilog: Implications for Public Policy.- Part IX. Company Profiles.- The 36 SME Profiles.