The curse of the Double Axis Chart

It all started with Bruce Henderson (*1915–†1992). Henderson can be regarded as the pioneer of the double axis chart in the business world: In 1970, the American devised the Growth Share Matrix, which would propel Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the company he founded, to international stardom. Henderson's chart would gone down in management history as the "BCG Matrix": To business people today, the concept is probably as familiar as the "Freudian mistake". For half a century now, the saying goes among consultants: "Give me an X-axis and a Y-axis - and I can explain the world to you!" In terms of popularity, double axis charts may even have overtaken conceptual representations in the form of layered pyramids.

By Niels Pflaeging