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There are relatively few empirical studies on the workings of a cartel. The primary reason for this is that cartels are often illegal and therefore data are difficult to obtain. Even though antitrust agencies sometimes compile detailed information on cartels, strict confidentiality rules often keep data from academic research. A notable exception is the seminal work by Robert H. Porter (1983), which investigates price wars in a railroad cartel operating in the United States in the late nineteenth century.' More recently, David Genesove and Wallace P. Mullin (1998) use data from 1892 to 1914 of the American sugar industry, where the American Sugar Refining Company controlled (through acquisition) 95 percent of the U.S. sugar market by 1895. Finally, the so-called Lysine cartel, an industry producing feed additive used to ensure the proper growth of livestock, has provided more information on the workings of cartels' international settings (see James M. Griffin, 2001).

Copyright © 2006 by the American Economic Association.

This key note address examines the future of strategic management theory and practice. Specifically, the speech proposes that six "strategic leadership" tasks will take priority: dual strategies; putting vision and mission ahead of strategy; fit between market opportunity, leadership purpose and firm resources; strategy as the hinge between the changing external world and internal company resources; competition between entire business system; and delegation of strategy making to managers below corporate and business unit levels.

With permission of Elsevier

In general, as part of the ongoing discussion about the importance of business partnerships in industrial markets, specifically the paper seeks to comment on the Hunt et al. paper in this issue.

With permission of Emerald

This case study critically examines the journey that British Airways (BA) embarked upon between 1999 and 2004 when changing the structure of procurement to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive marketplace. It also contains an update of the transformation program up to April 2006. Since 1999, the procurement team at BA has been significantly downsized whilst the nature of their work has changed, which has been partly driven with the implementation of a sourcing methodology. This case study looks at how this has contributed to the revision of fortunes for the business, and what challenges it will have to meet for the future.

An increased focus on operational performance and the reliance on fewer suppliers by industrial customers call for a higher quality of buyer-seller relationships. This article elaborates on economic explanations for value generated partnerships and describes the distinctive qualities of partnerships as something more than ordinary customer relationships. Particular attention is paid to the managerial implications and pitfalls awaiting companies when pursuing a partnership approach and a definition of vertical partnerships is provided.

With permission of Elsevier

The three cases (Georg, Kati, Mario) can be taught separately or as a threesome devoted to leadership dilemmas/responsible leadership. The cases treat respectively four dilemmas: an ethical dilemma (George); dilemmas concerning personal career goals versus family/spouse goals, and economic versus environmental goals (Mario); and finally a dilemma concerning downsizing and employment (Kati). All three cases at first glance seem to pose rather obvious trade-offs and choices as the student puts himself/herself in the shoes of George, Mario and Kati.