"An integrative and comprehensive approach to strategic management"--Preface.

Strategy is the most central issue in management. It has to do with defining the purpose of an organization, understanding the market in which it operates and the capabilities the firm possesses, and putting together a winning plan. There are many influential frameworks to help managers undertake a systematic reflection on this issue. The most dominant approaches are Michael Porter’s "Competitive Strategy" and the "Resource-Based View of the Firm," popularized by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad. Arnoldo Hax argues there are fundamental drawbacks in the underlying hypotheses of these approaches in that they define strategy as a way to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This line of thinking could be extremely dangerous because it puts the competitor at the center and therefore anchors you in the past, establishes success as a way of beating your competitors, and this obsession often leads toward imitation and congruency. The result is commoditization - which is the worst outcome that could possibly happen to a business. The Delta Model is an extremely innovative view of strategy. It abandons all of these assumptions and instead puts the customer at the center. By doing that it allows us to be truly creative, separating ourselves from the herd in pursuit of a unique and differentiated customer value proposition. Many years of intense research at MIT, supported by an extensive consulting practice, have resulted in development of powerful new concepts and practical tools to guide organizational leaders into a completely different way of looking at strategy, including a new way of doing customer segmentation and examining the competencies of the firm, with an emphasis on using the extended enterprise as a primary way of serving the customer. This last concept means that we cannot play the game alone; that we need to establish a network among suppliers, the firm, the customers, and complementors – firms that are in the business of developing products and services that enhance our own offering to the customer. Illustrated through dozens of examples, and discussion of application to small and medium-sized businesses and not-for-profits, the Delta Model will help readers in all types of organizations break out of old patterns of behavior and achieve strategic flexibility -- an especially timely talent during times of crisis, intense competition, and rapid change.

This edition has been completely revised. The authors, noted authorities in the field, focus on ways to improve R&D organization productivity and foster excellence in such companies. They describe how to design jobs, organize hierarchies, resolve conflicts, motivate employees, and create an innovative work environment. Features extensive cross-cultural coverage of European and Pacific Rim R&D organizations and policies which greatly differ from the US. Includes an entirely new section on various strategic planning elements unique to an R&D organization along with a case study.

This book introduces learners to the fundamental concepts of strategic management of a small business, in the context of increasing globalisation. The text is designed to provide learners with the tools to analyse, formulate and implement strategies that will enhance the performance of any small business.

We live in era of transformation--of technology, of social values, and of the way work is done. This book represents a timely and innovative ad dition to current thinking and writing about transformation in organiza tions. In order to meet an increasingly global and competitive environment, organizations are undergoing reengineering, work process redesign, "right sizing," creating a "virtual office," and other forms of restructur ing and basic change of the way work is accomplished. Such transfor mation means analyzing and redesigning core processes in organizations around new kinds of principles such as "total quality" and customer service. The eventual effect of these changes is likely to be the networked or "boundary-Iess" organization, in which the tradi tional boundaries between functions and between producers and their suppliers-and sometimes even between organizations and their com petitors-are broken down. The goal of such transformation is to make the work of the organization more efficient and productive-to produce more with fewer resources and at a lower cost. In the conventional view of the transformation process, certain sec ondary concerns, such as the need to protect the environment or to help an increasingly heterogeneous work force deal with its personal issues, are seen as problematic for this core thrust. Some recent work, however, is beginning to show that if these so-called secondary concerns are con sidered central, far from being problematic, they actually present strat egy opportunities for productive innovation and change.

Strategic Planning - A Pragmatic Guide Strategic Planning - A Pragmatic Guide - delivers a beginning-to-end model and process for strategic planning for executive teams!Strategic Planning - A Pragmatic Guide is a book derived from the observations and real world experiences of its authors. It is born of two very different, but ultimately converging perspectives on business strategy development and strategic planning, namely that of:- a professional business and technology strategy consultant who has served numerous Fortune 500 companies;- a corporate strategic planning executive who has led internal strategic planning and implementation efforts in two Fortune 500 companies.This "pragmatic guide" provides a framework for strategic planning that is designed to achieve alignment among stakeholders while helping executive teams create and implement, difference-making business strategies -- strategies that are:- Built to win- Supported by data- Financially sound- Grounded in the practical realities of business - Realistically actionable Here are just a few of the questions addressed and answered in Strategic Planning - A Pragmatic Guide Issues: What are the perplexing problems with strategic planning?- Why do many executives lack confidence in their organization's strategic plans?- What are the reasons why many strategic plans fail?- What are the distinctions between visioning, strategic planning, and budgeting?Approach: What are the most overlooked, yet critical aspects of strategic planning?- What should a beginning-to-end planning process look like and accomplish if it is to succeed?- What are the critical questions to ask (and answer) at each major stage of strategic planning?- What are the essential elements of a successful, balanced business model?Context: How are strategic plans affected by the idiosyncrasies of the organization?- How do we honestly and accurately assesses where we are and where we need to go?- What are the critical organizational contexts in which strategic planning must be done?- How can a vision and strategic plans be developed that the entire executive team will embrace and support?- How are strategic priorities best decided and organized?Execution: Why is it so difficult to successfully implement strategic plans?- What are the fundamental secrets to strategic plan execution and accountability?- How should a strategic plan's impact be monitored and measured?- What does it take to lead a successful strategic planning team and effort?These are but a sample of the many valuable and insightful questions asked, debated, and addressed by the authors in the text. It is their hope that the reader will ask and find answers to many other vital questions, and engage in "dialogue" with the authors along the way. To this end, each chapter ends with a set of questions that the authors suggest the reader consider before moving on to the next chapter. When done in earnest, the reader's responses may be used as way to stimulate strategic conversations among executive teams. This book will help you evaluate the efficacy of strategic planning efforts and outcomes in your own organization.

Praise for Dynamic Strategy-Making "An astonishingly timely, hopeful, and important book that recasts and freshly imagines strategy-making and integrates theory with practice in the field of strategic management. A must-read for all those who want to learn more about the future of strategy practice and become more skillful at it." WARREN BENNIS, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California; and coauthor, Transparency "This is one of the most valuable resources ever created for strategists and leaders in organizations. It uniquely combines concepts of leadership and organization with strategy content and implementation in a pragmatic and integrated approach that makes tremendous sense for our times. With concrete cases, it provides a clear road map for those who want and need to do a better job of formulating and implementing strategy." DAVID A. NADLER, vice chairman, Marsh & McLennan Companies; senior partner, Oliver Wyman-Delta Organization and Leadership; and author, Building Better Boards and Competing By Design "The authors correctly focus on the new dynamic of 24/7 competition and change and the need for organizations to be fast, fluid, and flexible. It is a must-read for managers of tomorrow and offers a number of practical insights and lessons on how to proceed with strategy execution that can be readily adopted in any organization. It is a call to action that few can afford to ignore." MANJIT SINGH, chairman, Sony Entertainment Television, India; and former CEO, Compete Inc., High Circle, Future Step, and Korn/Ferry International