11th anniversary of the Journal of Business Chemistry
11 years ago, the first issue of the Journal of Business Chemistry was published by the Institute of Business Administration. Since then, 33 issues including 60 research papers, 50 articles within the practitioner’s section and 20 commentaries have been submitted, revised and set in layout in order to inform the business chemistry community about new insights either in research or in practice, and therefore, to acc elerate scientific discussions and to support or even advance management in chemical and related firms. In addition to the variety of topics ranging from analyzing diverse technological fields such as nanotechnology or biotechnology over (economic) trends within the chemical or pharmaceutical sector to manifold strategic implications, e.g. concerning R&D, portfolio, risk/regulatory, innovation or acc ount management, we have received contributions from all over the world. We would thus like to thank all contributors, readers and editors who accompanied us along the way and hope for more interdisciplinary insights on challenges and countermeasures within the field of business chemistry in the future!
Speaking of the future, the present issue comprises latest findings on how chemical and pharmaceutical companies (might) respond to megatrends, deals with business coaching for executives in the chemical industry and addresses the current situation and future trends in chemical distribution.
The first article of this issue “From megatrends to business excellence: Managing change in the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry” by Hannes Utikal and Julia Woth presents some results of a study jointly conducted by the University of Münster, the Provadis School of International Management and Technology, the association VCI, the consulting firm PWC strategy& and the CHEManager. The authors provide details regarding the trends creating a need for business transformation and the corresponding degree of preparation for these upcoming changes, whereby segment-specific differences emerge when distinguishing between companies either focusing on base chemicals, specialty chemicals or pharmaceuticals. The article concludes with some managerial implications. Further information and results are available at www.chempharmtrends.de (in German).
In the article “Can a top-executive in the chemical industry “survive” without a Business Coach?”, Werner Kreuz emphasizes the necessity of individualized business coaching for top managers. The author describes the four steps of a coaching process and uses particular case examples in order to illustrate the benefits a business coach can provide so that his or her Coachee is able to improve his or her management expertise and leadership style.
The paper of our Practitioner’s Section “Size does matter in chemical distribution” by Wolfgang Falter refers to current consolidation trends within European chemical distribution. By combining data from various sources, the author presents the main actors, their relationships as well as growth rates within the European market. By highlighting the differences in distributing commodities and specialty solutions, the main reasons associated with M&A activities between distributors are identified. The article forecasts size to be an important factor leading to the development of a group of second tier chemical distributors.
Please enjoy reading the second issue of the twelfth volume of the Journal of Business Chemistry. We are grateful for the support of all authors and reviewers for this new issue. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us at contact@businesschemistry.org.
Birte Golembiewski, Executive Editor (bg@businesschemistry.org)