The spread of capitalism worldwide has made people wealthier than ever before. But capitalism's future is far from assured. The global financial meltdown of 2008 nearly produced a great depression. Economies in Europe are still teetering. Income inequality, resource depletion, mass migrations from poor to rich countries, religious fundamentalism these are just a few of the threats to continuing prosperity. How can capitalism be sustained? And who should spearhead the effort? Criticsturn to government. In "Capitalism at Risk", Harvard Business School professors Joseph Bower, Herman Leonard, and Lynn Paine argue that while governments must play a role, businesses should take the lead. For enterprising companies whether large multinationals, established regional players, or small start-ups the current threats to market capitalism present important opportunities. "Capitalism at Risk" draws on discussions with business leaders around the world to identify ten potential disruptors of the global market system. Presenting examples of companies already making a difference, the authors explain how business must serve both as innovator and activist developing corporate strategies that effect change at the community, national, and international levels. Filled with rich insights, "Capitalism at Risk" presents a compelling and constructive vision for the future of market capitalism.

全球经济、政治乃至社会的动荡暴露出了未来的一种不确定性，人们逐渐聚焦于那些潜在的风险：旧的国际金融体系及国际组织与新的世界格局之间的不匹配、贫富差距过于悬殊、贸易保护主义抬头、环境恶化、恐怖主义等。
在这种时刻，始终关注企业发展的哈佛商学院率先探讨了企业在当前经济中所应扮演的角色，提出企业对改变世界将起至关重要的作用，它所代表的商业力量将为广泛的经济和社会问题找到解决途经。
本书观点作为一种探讨，将为研究当下世界变化的人提供参考。

Is strategy a coherent plan conceived at the top by a visionary leader, or is it formed by a series of individual commitments, not always reflecting what top management has in mind? If it is a series of commitments, how can they be managed? To answer these questions, Joseph L. Bower and Clark G. Gilbert present research that examines how strategy is actually made by company managers across several levels of an organization. The research penetrates the "black box" of strategy formulation and shows that a company's realized strategy emerges less from the formal statements of corporate strategy, but often out of the pattern of resource commitments that originate across every level of the firm. Drawing on over thirty yeas of research on resource allocation, including studies from Harvard Business School, Stanford, London Business School, and INSEAD, the book's five sections detail the structural characteristics of the resource allocation process, how the process can lead to breakdowns in strategic outcomes, and where top management can intervene to shape desired results. And while the organizing authors connect over three decades of research on resource allocation, they have also included assessments of this work by thought leaders in the fields of economics, competitive strategy, organizational behavior, and strategic management. The processes described represent the complex reality of strategy formulation in large organizations, but the ideas are presented in a way that enables the reader to access and understand the implications of these complexities. The findings should inform the research of economists, strategists, and behavioural scientists. Thoughtful executives and those who consult with them will also find the book provocative and instructive.