Strategy and Strategists

Strategy and Strategists provides an illuminating exploration of strategy and its implications for business. Adopting a critical and reflective approach, the authors guide the reader through the complexities of strategy, clearly presenting the conflicting viewpoints and arguments in this exciting and fast-moving field. Business examples throughout the text elucidate strategy theory, providing future managers and executives with the awareness and knowledge necessary to test perspectives and draw their own conclusions. Linking literature to contemporary developments, this engaging textbook is invaluable reading for all students of strategy. Online Resource Centre: For Lecturers: PowerPoint Slides Teaching notes for long cases Guide to answering questions on readings Answers to discussion questions Sample examination questions All figures from the book For Students: Multiple choice questions Updates to the case studies Annotated weblinks Guidance to further readings 'With an emphasis on strategists and strategy implementation, this distinctive and valuable textbook avoids offering prescriptive quick-fix approaches, providing readers with the confidence to question what strategy can and cannot do for an organization.' Charles C. Snow, Mellon Foundation Professor of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University 'This book is a much-needed antidote to the many highly prescriptive superficial discussions of how strategy works.' Dr Philip Stiles, University Senior Lecturer in Corporate Governance, Judge Business School, University of CambridgePART ONE. DISCOVERING STRATEGY AND STRATEGISTS ; 1. Discovering strategy ; 2. Discovering strategists ; 3. The process of strategizing: strategic thinking, decision making and leadership ; 4. The dynamics of strategy formulation: deliberate and emergent approaches ; PART TWO. FOUNDATIONS OF ADVANTAGE ; 5. Purpose and values ; 6. Market and resource based approaches ; PART THREE. ROUTES TO ADVANTAGE ; 7. Corporate and global strategy: domain and direction ; 8. Business and network strategies: market and method ; PART FOUR. REALIZING ADVANTAGE ; 9. Levers for implementing strategy ; 10. Interactions in implementing strategy ; PART FIVE. SUSTAINING ADVANTAGE ; 11. Culture and strategic change ; 12. Strategic innovation and corporate entrepreneurship ; PART SIX. REDISCOVERING STRATEGY AND STRATEGISTS ; 13. Managing strategy in context: public sector, non-profit, and small firms ; 14. The role of strategy agents, consultants, management education, and strategy discourses