SHORT TAKES

Companies that focus on “relationship‐centric” activities are more likely to be top performers than those that focus on decreasing working capital, supply chain efficiency, and spinning off non‐core businesses, according to a joint study by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. More than two‐thirds of top‐performing companies are focused on meeting customer expectations and extending long‐term customer relationships, much higher than lower‐performing companies. In contrast, nine out of 10 lower‐performing companies are concerned with reducing costs, and more than half are focused on divesting businesses.