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Episode 12: Michael Porter - biography
Michael Porter is the fourth member of the Harvard Business School ever to be honoured with the title of University Professor in all of its 94 years.
His 1980 book 'Competitive Strategy', written in his early thirties, is now in its 53rd printing and has been translated into seventeen languages. It changed the way Chief Executive Officers thought about their firms and their industries and is still the bible of choice for any strategically-minded manager.
In 1985 Porter was named to President Ronald Reagan's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness. That appointment launched his study of national, state, and local competitiveness, findings that were first published in his book "The Competitive Advantage of Nations" in 1990.
This was followed years later by another big book, 'The Competitive Advantage of Nations', in which he applied his ideas to whole economies.
With his research group, Porter operates from a suite of offices tucked into a corner of Harvard Business School's main classroom building. At 53, his blond hair graying, he is no longer the wunderkind who, in his early thirties, changed the way CEOs thought about their companies and industries. Yet he's no less passionate about his pursuit - and no less certain of his ability.
Bibliography:
'Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors', 1980
'Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance', 1985
'The Competitive Advantage of Nations', 1990
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