Memo To Industry Leaders from
THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION

   American industry confronts many changes and opportunities in today’s global marketplace. The Sloan Industry Centers are a powerful resource for industry, as well as those whose work is concerned with overarching issues that affect industries. Each Industry Center dedicated to a single industry is able to examine in-depth the features of that industry and work closely with its leaders. This Foundation initiative is in the tradition of industrialist Alfred P. Sloan, who established the foundation bearing his name.

   The Sloan Industry Centers comprise a unique national network. Housed in many of the nation’s most prestigious universities, they listen to the current concerns of industry – attentive to the needs of business, and relying on the accumulated experience of business leaders – as they address solutions. Together with their partners in industry, Industry Center researchers work to increase knowledge of the complex influences that shape business enterprises, from new technologies to workforce issues, to the impact of globalization.

   In the industry studies tradition, research conducted at the centers employs a wide variety of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and is characterized by the interactive partnerships Center researchers maintain within the industries they serve. Because of this two-way access and their relationships with business leaders and companies, the Centers are able to conduct hands-on, field-based research, examining issues of technology, equipment, processes, management, human resources, and competitiveness that ultimately determine overall productivity. For example, the Centers’ well-known benchmark studies compare best practices and major trends across an industry. In response to industry challenges, the Centers gather business unit data from direct contacts, surveys, site visits, and telephone follow-up, and analyze and interpret that data with the concerns of business as their first priority. All data are collected and used in strict confidence.

   The Centers also play a useful role in responding to the human resource needs of their industry partners. Through their master’s degree programs, the Centers train the skilled industry leaders of the future and contribute to enhancing the human capital of industries. Professional master’s graduates are often placed in significant positions in industry because, as students, they have attained superior experience in the field with partner companies and cultivated close industry ties. These alumni form an important part of the network the Centers maintain with industry leaders, helping to reinforce and expand industry partnerships. Since 1990, well over 1,000 faculty members and approximately 1,300 graduate students have taken part in the Centers' research. There have been nearly 460 Ph.D.'s produced, most of whom have gone on to other academic positions and many of whom have continued to study the ever-changing needs of business.

   The Sloan Industry Centers apply a broad multidisciplinary approach to industry investigations and findings. Center researchers are drawn from a variety of academic disciplines and corporate functions, and contribute to fostering a comprehensive view of the industries under study. The Centers are able to maximize the intellectual resources they make available to their industry partners through their cooperation with colleagues in relevant schools and departments, including top business schools, as well as the senior managers who contribute to their team efforts.

   Highlights of Center work with industry partners and contact information can be accessed through the links to the left. Business leaders who would like to participate in Center activities, help shape an investigation of special interest and use, or simply receive more information and background are encouraged to contact individual Centers or the Foundation. More Industry Centers and partnerships with additional industries are on the horizon as the collaborative undertakings of Center researchers and their industry partners are recognized for reputation and results. Additional information can be found on the Industry Centers section of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Web site.