ISC - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

The Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness is a nonprofit research, education, and policy organization founded by Michael Porter and based at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. Our mission is to advance scholarship; develop practical, research-based frameworks; and educate and advise leaders and policymakers.

The Politics Industry

The American political system is broken.
How do we fix it?
Start by understanding how it actually works.

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RECENT Publications

Integrated Practice Units: A Playbook for Health Care Leaders

NEJM Catalyst | Vol. 2 No. 1 | January 2021

To compete successfully in an increasingly value-oriented marketplace, health care providers must adopt a strategic Value Agenda that delivers outcomes that matter to patients through comprehensive care-delivery methods that progressively improve effectiveness and efficiency.

How Porter's Five Forces Framework Can Help Fix U.S. Politics (Video)

Unhealthy competition is at the root of political dysfunction. Michael Porter's famous framework can help identify the best ways to fix it.

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Recent & Upcoming Events

Strategy for Health Care Delivery 2021

Online | January 4-8, 2021 | Tuition: $5,000
Implement new strategies, organizational models, and metrics that go beyond incremental change to deliver greater value in health care. Who should attend: C-level administrative and medical leaders in health care delivery organizations; leaders in health insurance firms and government agencies. Upon completion: Participants receive a certificate.

Value-Based Health Care: An Intensive Seminar 2021

Online | January 25 -29, 2021 | Tuition: Free
The Value-Based Health Care Delivery Intensive Seminar is designed to familiarize future health care leaders with the value-based framework and concepts. The course centers around the core premise that the goal of health care is to maximize value for patients, defined as health outcomes achieved per unit of cost.

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In the news

Why Do We Let Political Parties Act Like Monopolies?

The New York Times, May 20, 2019

KU Leuven's Documentary on Shared Value

KU Leuven, February 11, 2019

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Data & External Sites

U.S. Cluster Mapping Portal

"Mapping a nation of regional clusters"

Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America

"A strategy for reinvigorating our democracy"

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Essential Reading

In health care, the days of business as usual are over. Around the world, every health care system is struggling with rising costs and uneven quality despite the hard work of well-intentioned, well-trained clinicians. Health care leaders and policy makers have tried countless incremental fixes—attacking fraud, reducing errors, enforcing practice guidelines, making patients better “consumers,” implementing electronic medical records—but none have had much impact. It’s time for a fundamentally new strategy.

The Strategy That Will Fix Health Care

Competitive advantage. The value chain. Five forces. Industry structure. Differentiation. Relative cost. If you want to understand how companies achieve and sustain competitive success, Michael Porter's frameworks are the foundation. But while everyone in business may know Porter's name, many managers misunderstand and misuse his concepts. Understanding Michael Porter sets the record straight, providing a concise, accessible summary of Porter's revolutionary thinking.

Understanding Michael Porter

Institute For Strategy & Competitiveness

Smart, Connected Products

Value-Based Health Care

Competition in the Politics Industry

Twitter

Connect with Michael Porter

Essential Reading