Strategy

Inside Fisher-Price's toymaker lab

From field-research to design to having actual kids test new products - creating a cool new toy is no child's play.

FORTUNE -- Mattel's (MAT) Fisher-Price unit makes products for the most finicky customers around: young kids. Most new toys are unveiled in February at a huge fair in Manhattan. The invention process, however, happens year-round, constantly. Here is how the company created one of its newer offerings, the Servin' Surprises MORE

Customers to retailers: 'Don't spam me, bro!"

Many retailers have adopted marketing tactics to avoid annoying customers to the point that they resent their brands.

Luck in business: Dealing with uncertainty

A combination of luck and skill contributes to just about every aspect of our working lives. But what can you do about it? A new book explores this dilemma.

How can China address its coming labor crisis?

The rapid decline of China's labor supply in the coming two decades could throw a wrench into the nation's economy. How the Chinese government can respond.

By Minxin Pei

FORTUNE -- Not too long ago, the mere mention of the "China price" could send shivers down the spines of executives in developing countries trying to compete for outsourcing contracts.

Typically, Western multinationals would demand the lowest price possible, which in reality was bench-marked by MORE

Why it makes sense for auto foes to join forces

Fierce competitors like BMW, Toyota, Ford, and Daimler are teaming up to tackle hydrogen fuel-celled cars. It's probably the best choice they could make. Here's why.

FORTUNE -- It's lovely how a single element can bring several car companies together. Automakers are bonding to make cost-competitive vehicles that run on hydrogen, the upper-leftmost element on the periodic table.

On January 24, BMW and Toyota (TM) announced that they would collaborate to release MORE

Four (and a half) promising ideas from Davos

Beyond the fancy parties and Swiss scenery, leaders at Davos debated several ideas that will fundamentally change the global economy.

By Vineet Nayar

FORTUNE -- It may come across as a humble four-letter word, but the world has changed many times over on account of a simple "idea." Goethe said that "daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward: they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." I spent MORE

When baby products meet high-end robotics

Former GM engineer Henry Thorne has brought his robotics expertise to the $8 billion U.S. baby products market. The result? A fully loaded power-folding stroller. 

By Cristina Rouvalis

FORTUNE -- Henry Thorne once programmed hulking robots to weld the frames of Buick Regals, Pontiac Grand Prixs, and Chevy Cutlass Supremes on a General Motors (GM) assembly line. He was one of the key brains behind a six-mile, spark-throwing spectacle that became MORE

Jed Rakoff: The judge who rules on business

Judge Jed Rakoff bashed the SEC on Bank of America and sentenced Rajat Gupta to prison. Now he weighs in on corporate crime and punishment.

By David A. Kaplan

FORTUNE -- Long before he sentenced Rajat Gupta to prison, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff had a celebrated and controversial career on the bench. His judicial opinions were thoughtful, direct, and witty. (And, on occasion, reversed by higher courts.) In 2009 he MORE

Defense industry braces for major spending cuts

Congress and the Obama Administration will need to strike a new deal in late March to avoid chopping billions from defense budgets. The major contractors are preparing now.

By Elizabeth G. Olson

FORTUNE -- Budget watchdogs of all political stripes and military contractors are sparring furiously over the effects of truncated government spending, a matter where emotions soar over such hot-button issues as unemployment and national security.

While even the most ardent MORE

Boeing's Dreamliner mess: Simply inevitable?

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been plagued with glitches and delays. Still, there probably isn't a company who could have rolled it out better.

FORTUNE -- This ain't Kitty Hawk. Any aircraft creator on the cutting edge of technology needs much more than two brilliant men and a glider. Take Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner plane: Boeing had to work in concert with government regulators and more than 900 subcontractors to get this MORE