Nike, IKEA and IBM's outsourcing and business strategies : Profits and perils

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – Scans the top 400 management publications in the world to identify the most topical issues and latest concepts. These are presented in an easy‐to‐digest briefing of no more than 1,500 words. Findings – An old saying warns us that getting something done properly usually means doing it ourselves. There'll no doubt be plenty who have learned from painful experience how sound that particular piece of advice can be. In business, though, the growing popularity of outsourcing is testimony to the fact that relying on others does not always result in disaster. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.