To read this content please select one of the options below:

Enter the “chief growth officer”: searching for organic growth

David Meer (Partner at Marakon Associates, one of the world's leading management consultancies (www.marakon.com). Based in New York, he heads Marakon's customer value group. With 20 years of experience in marketing research, advertising and consulting, David is a recognized expert in helping large companies achieve superior growth through deeper customer insight. He can be reached at dmeer@marakon.com)

Journal of Business Strategy

ISSN: 0275-6668

Article publication date: 1 February 2005

2249

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the challenges associated with organic growth, outline three requirements for growing faster than the competition and evaluate the recent trend toward the establishment of a new executive position: “chief growth officer.”

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on an organic growth study examining the performance of 107 “non‐acquisitive” companies (those with no major acquisitions between 1996 and 2000). It then looked more closely at companies identified as “growth leaders” to isolate the best practices that set them apart from their peers.

Findings

Research into corporate performance over the long term indicates that organic growth is the most important driver of value in the capital markets. Yet sustained organic growth is difficult to achieve. The article identifies common organizational barriers to growth and reveals three best practices of companies that consistently achieve organic growth faster than competitors. These three practices are: a more disciplined approach to growth, better organizational capabilities for driving growth and a more supportive culture. Finally, the article reviews the performance of companies that have appointed chief growth officers as a means to kick‐start growth.

Originality/value

This paper addresses an issue at the top of nearly every corporate agenda – organic growth. It also delivers a key message to companies looking to achieve their growth objectives by creating a new CGO position: strong, value‐enhancing revenue increases require wholesale changes in behaviors, capabilities and culture, not just a new box on the organizational chart.

Keywords

Citation

Meer, D. (2005), "Enter the “chief growth officer”: searching for organic growth", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 13-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756660510575005

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles