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Argues that, despite their large investments in data scientists, and IT tools, many companies are struggling to capitalize on the massive amounts of data now available to them. Suggests that most managers are employing the conventional approach to designing and installing IT systems and this approach may not be appropriate for exploiting the tremendous amounts of data now available from internal and external sources. Notes that a big data or analytics project is likely to be smaller and shorter than a conventional IT initiative, such as installing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Identifies five guidelines for taking an alternative approach to IT systems development: place people who will create meaning from the information at the heart of the initiative; unlock value from IT by asking second-order questions and giving teams the freedom to reframe business problems; equip teams with cognitive and behavioural scientists, who understand how people perceive problems and analyse data.; focus on learning by facilitating information sharing, examining assumptions, and striving to understand cause and effect; and worry more about solving business problems than about deploying technology.

In July 2010, André Glardon, who is the regional sales director of a major health care products provider in Spain, returns from an unpleasant customer visit. The head of administration to the Hospital de Gandía, one of his important customers, just delayed the order of two MRIs, making it almost impossible for André to reach his personal annual sales targets. External factors such as the health care reforms, the exploding costs of the health care system, a shift in the buying behavior of hospitals and increased economic pressures on hospitals, might be causing a fundamental shift in the industry. Through the implementation of new business models that address these issues. André and two friends developed a business idea and were wondering whether they should push this idea within their company or leave their company and launch the business on their own.

In this paper, we discuss the actual relevance of efficiency considerations in the EC practice of Article 102 TFEU cases. We first review final Commission Decisions published since 2009 as well as investigations opened during that period to identify enforcement priorities and the actual relevance of efficiency considerations and other objective justifications in the EU Commission’s practice. Thereafter, we contrast this practice with the business view on the actual relevance of pro- and anticompetitive motives, with a focus on low price strategies.

Co-development alliances are formed to create new capabilities (technologies, products, services, processes, etc.) that partner organizations need in order to reach their goals. They involve the combination of competencies, and other intangible assets. These alliances typically face a high level of risks in terms of undesired leakages of confidential knowledge or failure to achieve the expected development. Relational quality, an important consideration in all alliances, is particularly key. Without it, partners might not be open enough to combine their knowledge effectively with the partners’. This article proposes a framework for defining, assessing, and monitoring relational quality in co-development alliances.

Decentralized energy supply increases independence from fossil resources, reduces the carbon footprint of a society and enhances local value creation. But many of the technologies deployed are still in their infancy and depend on subsidies. Entrepreneurs, representatives of energy incumbents and new entrants from Germany provide first-hand insights of how sustainability and economy can be reconciled – and how agents of change successfully develop the blueprint of a decentralized energy future.