McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. As a leading firm in this competitive industry, McKinsey conducts “engagements” (consulting projects) for clients in a variety of industry sectors. Its distinctive competence is its “integrative thinking,” which combines the knowledge gained from other industries and then applies the lessons learned to the specific problems faced by its clients.

The McKinsey Quarterly summarizes the knowledge obtained from serving its clients. Articles are organized by functional area and industry sector. To browse these articles, go to http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com and click on their respective links.

1		Click on the “Marketing” link. Next, click on the “Organization” link located on the top menu bar. Scroll down until you find the article “A New Way to Market.” Why do the authors say that the traditional organizational structure based on product, channels, customer groups and so on that focus on specific functional tasks, such as brand or segment management, hinders the strategic marketing process? What are the three principles that “new-style” marketing organizations must adhere to in order to seize market opportunities?
2		If you want to apply for a career at McKinsey, it, like the Boston Consulting Group, allows you to “try your hand” at solving a business problem. Go to http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/apply/solveacase/ and select one of the case options. To frame the problem, you need to learn how to ask the right questions; in other words, like a physician, you need to diagnose the problem before you can offer your client a recommended solution. As McKinsey says, “Finding the solution is not as important as how you arrived at it. We hope you’ll enjoy the challenge.”