In a fascinating interview with my colleague Steve Lohr, Palmisano said the first of the four questions in his guiding business framework was, "Why would someone spend their money with you — so what is unique about you?" At root, business is still about getting money out of your pocket into mine.
That didn't necessarily mean that Yext should abandon its root business, but instead they're growing the two companies separately to get the most value out of each.
Yet as the intelligent enterprise takes root, businesses benefit from much more than efficient and ethical decision-making.
Mikhail D. Prokhorov's foreign roots, business practices and playboy reputation did not prevent him from buying controlling interest in the Nets last year.
Correction: September 24, 2000, Sunday The Grass-Roots Business column last Sunday, about the economic effects of reduced air service to Reno, Nev., misstated the surname of the chief executive of International Game Technology, a company based there, who worried that the cutbacks made the city less competitive.
Worker ownership doesn't really address this problem, though relocalization, which roots businesses deeply in their own local markets, limiting their reach beyond those boundaries, may provide one natural brake on growth.
Recent decades have seen a new model take root: a business plan tied to partner earnings.
Back then, it felt like a seedling of an idea that was yet to fully take root in business.
As a result, environmental concerns take root within business units, allowing executives to tackle the next big challenge.
Ms. Civille suggests that the reason so many people go into the root beer business is that there is ample room for self-expression.
"The recovery is taking root and business leaders have a spring in their step compared to this time last year, but this is no time to rest on our laurels," he will say in his annual message to business leaders.
