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Here are five choice articles from the business schools and the business press to start off your work week. I'm pointing you to articles about beating Goliath, decision deficit disorder, getting consistent contributions from team members, nurturing talent, and the evolution of technology.

From Columbia Business School: How Does David Beat Goliath?
"For many companies, 2009 was not a growth year. For Wal-Mart, however, its revenue grew more than 7 percent from 2008, topping $401 billion. In the last decade the retailer expanded rapidly in the United States and around the globe. Today it has more than 7,800 locations worldwide. Yet between 1998 and 2005, 65 percent of proposed new stores in the United States that drew protests were never built. That’s a pretty good batting average — for anti-store crusaders. How could the world’s biggest retail chain get derailed by a handful of local activists? It's part of Wal-Mart's management strategy, says Professor Paul Ingram."

Wally's Comment: You can read this article in one of two ways. You can learn how Wal-Mart has adapted its own expansion strategy because of the tactics of anti-Wal-Mart groups. And you can dig into those tactics, which have proved quite successful.

From W. P Carey: Overcoming Decision Deficit Disorder
"Real-life organizations, like Dilbert's company, often don't use good decision processes."

Wally's Comment: Processes are important, but we also have far too many people in leadership positions who don't seem to understand that part of their job is to pull the trigger.

From Kellogg Insight: Consistent Contributors
"All groups need cooperation to survive. In business, sports, government, households, and many other arenas, success occurs only when members act for the common good. But whether dividing a restaurant bill fairly or setting tasks for a team project, an age-old problem rears its head when some of a group’s members cooperate less than others, choosing instead to pursue their own goals and mooching off the other’s contributions. How then do groups cooperate? What causes people to sacrifice their own interests for a larger goal? And why do some groups cooperate more than others? "

Wally's Comment: If you're a working boss, then you know that getting consistent contributions from team members is difficult and frustrating.

From the Financial Post: Talent needs to be nurtured"Scotiabank is the only Canadian company to recently make the list of The Global Top Companies for Leaders. It was named a "company to watch" because of its progress in identifying, fostering and developing its leaders. The bank has implemented a strategy of cultivating leadership and mentoring at every level of the organization."

Wally's Comment: There's good stuff here, even though the author seems to think that "talent" is equated with people identified by the organization as "high potential leaders." Even so, it's not a big stretch to imagine using some of the same ideas with other people in your organization. I don't believe there's a penalty for that.

From Strategy + Business: The Evolution of Technology
"To economist W. Brian Arthur, the value of innovation depends on harnessing the natural progression of shared knowledge."

Wally's Comment: The first time I encountered Brian Arthur's work it was through his activity at Santa Fe Institute. His concept of a consumer-driven, networked economy characterized by out-of-equilibrium dynamics was the first time I ever heard chaos theory applied sensibly in a business context. I love the way Arthur conceives of a world where companies and people and technology all affect each other in a networked environment. I think you will, too.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.