An activist hedge fund tried to force Outback Steakhouse to divest several of its restaurant concepts last year to boost short-term performance, but Emory University Business Professor Edward D. Hess has only praise for the Tampa-based chain.Outback, which has changed its name to OSI Restaurant Partners Inc., is the only Florida company studied by Hess and included in his recently released book, "The Road to Organic Growth: How Great Companies Consistently Grow Marketshare."
