sharpbender

(ˈʃɑːpˌbɛndə)

(Commerce) informal an organization that has been underperforming its competitors but suddenly becomes more successful, often as a result of new management or changes in its business strategy

[C20: from the sharp upward bend in its sales or profits]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

References in periodicals archive ?

Sharpbender: An organisation which has been under-performing but suddenly become successful, often through changes to management or strategy.

Media Post: Let's do lunch - Sharpbender - a corporate cliche by any other name

and McKiermon, P., Sharpbenders: The Secrets of Unleashing Corporate Potential, Blackwell, Oxford, 1988.

Strategic concerns and capability impeders

(1989), Sharpbenders: The Secrets of Unleashing Corporate Potential, Blackwell, Oxford.

Strategy evaluation in powerful environments: a multi-competence approach

McKiernan, Sharpbenders: The Secrets of Unleashing Corporate Potential (Basil Blackwell, 1988); Hugh O'Neill, "Turnaround and Recovery: What Strategy Do You Need?" Long Range Planning, Vol.19, No.1, 1986, pp.

Rightsizing: building and maintaining strategic leadership and long-term competitiveness

(1992), Sharpbenders: The Search for Unleashing Corporate Potential, Basil Blackwell, Oxford.