The McKinsey Quarterly Newsletter: November 2001 	
  If you would prefer to view this newsletter as a Web page, point your Web browser to: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/newsletters/2001_11.htm   [IMAGE]  Greetings from The McKinsey Quarterly!  This month's Top 5 list focuses on strategy, a category in which McKinsey authors grapple with uncertainty, defined by Mr. Webster as "a lack of certitude ranging from a small falling short of definite knowledge to an almost complete lack of it." The by-product is often an inability to make decisions.  Since September 11, uncertainty seems to have gone exponential. In addition to the possibility of further terrorist attacks, managers must come to terms with recession in much of the global economy and a host of industry-specific concerns.  Fortunately, some kinds of uncertainty are both knowable and addressable. Given the right tools and frameworks, managers can make strategic decisions even in these difficult circumstances. To this end, we offer the articles on our strategy page.  See you at the site!  Lang Davison Editor, mckinseyquarterly.com  [IMAGE]  This month at mckinseyquarterly.com   The other side of outsourcing   "Infraservices" is the business of running the businesses nobody else wants. It may not be glamorous, but plenty of money can be made running routine operations (think: building maintenance or payroll processing) for other companies. In the past few years, providers of infraservices have been entering the market in increasing numbers. Should your company be in this business?  Building trust on-line   A funny thing happens when you survey consumers about on-line privacy. Typically, their biggest concern isn't that information about them will be captured by marketers but that marketers will give nothing in return. The authors of this article explore the notion of collaborative "value exchanges" as a way for companies to win their customers' trust.  Internet services: Who's smiling now?   Now that growth in Internet traffic is slowing down, traditional IT players such as AT&T, EDS, and IBM have gained the advantage in Internet hosting and content distribution over their smaller, more specialized competitors. This article examines the way changes in Internet traffic patterns are playing to the strengths of the big boys.  Unbundling the unbundled   Companies in the utility business used to be hulking and monolithic. Then they got skinnier and more nimble by, for instance, breaking electricity provision into its component parts. Now more change is in store as core activities-ownership, management, and service delivery-get unbundled from one another and treated as separate businesses.  Vaccines where they're needed   Most people in the developing world go without the vaccines they need largely because the economics of drug development in rich countries don't line up with the economics of health care provision in poor ones. Governments and international organizations can remedy this deplorable situation by assuming some of the risks now borne by drugmakers.  Thailand's chance for no-pain gain   This article, outlining a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, identifies policy reforms that Thailand could make to raise productivity in key industries, without resorting to subsidies or additional government spending. These reforms, the authors argue, should be undertaken with careful consideration of their economic and social implications.  [IMAGE]  This month's top 5 articles on Strategy   Making the most of uncertainty  The future of the networked company  Strategy under uncertainty  Creative destruction  Creating a knowledge culture   [IMAGE]  Share the wealth!  If you know colleagues who would be interested in The McKinsey Quarterly, please forward this e-mail message to them . [IMAGE]  You are receiving this monthly newsletter because you are a registered member of mckinseyquarterly.com , the on-line business and economics journal published by McKinsey & Company, and have requested this information be sent to you.  Visit your member profile to change your subscription preferences.  There, you may unsubscribe from this newsletter, subscribe to other McKinsey Quarterly e-mail services, change your e-mail address, and make other revisions to your member account.  To unsubscribe from all McKinsey Quarterly mailing lists, click here  to e-mail us your request. YOU WILL RECEIVE NO FURTHER E-MAIL from The McKinsey Quarterly if you take this action.   PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Address questions or comments to: quarterly_info@mckinsey.com   	

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