Henley Manager Update

There has been a torrent of publications in the field of scenario planning in the past three years. What is the range of diverse applications to which scenario planning has been applied? How far are managers aware of its potential and eager to implement scenario planning?

Organisations create their own brands and can manage them directly, usually with a focus on customers. Reputation, though, resides in the minds of all stakeholder groups and can only be indirectly managed by an organisation. What, then, is the relationship between brand and reputation? How far does a brand affect a company's reputation and vice versa?

It is no longer enough for a company in today's business climate to focus on profits and growth. Environmental and social issues also need to be considered as a priority. Perhaps surprisingly, working on sustainability can make sound entrepreneurial sense – it is not just an ethical issue. Nevertheless, the demands of the challenges sustainability issues raise should not be underestimated.

The wild unpredictability of success rates in the Hollywood film industry is in fact a model of the unpredictability of success in many other areas of business. Is there any one factor that creates success? What impact do efforts towards success have on the final outcome of any business or product?

Cost management practices have been under substantial criticism for their lack of efficiency and capacity for coping with a rapidly evolving environment. Cost management applications generally fit into three major categories: diagnostic, re-engineering, or integrated cost management systems. Which of these costing systems should be regarded as the current best practices in cost management?