Argues that to match the right distinctive capabilities to the challenges of the business environment is the difference between corporate success and failure. Investigates John Kay, ex‐chairman of consultants London Economics (still a partner), visiting professor of economics at London...

Advises that strategic, financial and implementation analysis should be united into a single process of acquisition planning and due diligence. Accepts that acquisitions frequently destroy more value than they create. Recommends linking the underlying strategy, with the anticipated source of...

Suggests that multi‐partner strategic alliances can give rise to intense competition, create new forms of rivalry within industries and also change industry structures. Comments on research with 140 managers in 40 companies over 5 years, from which 10 case studies were developed. Suggests...

Discusses alchemists and their place in history, plus the adepts ‐ who supposedly possessed ‘the philosopher's stone’. Goes on to discuss strategy in depth and how it came about in, roughly, 1958. Makes graphic use of a timeline (from 1945 to the 1990s), to add to explanations. Describes...

Provides an important perspective on the subject of strategy. Posits that not many top managers would wish to be described simply as good administrators ‐ although tens of thousands of people each year try to reach MBA standards, not realizing perhaps it is not an MBM, so is administrative...

Contends that, as competition becomes truly international, as company boundaries blur, and expertise is recognized as a valuable resource, the strategy‐structure‐systems model appears static and mechanistic ‐ needing to be replaced with one that is in touch with today's highly complex...

States the big problem with strategy is the fragmentation — leading to many differing schools of thought, which leads to confusion, if not disaffection for managers. Posits that there has been little cross‐fertilization between the fields of strategy and economics except the model proposed...

Argues that the process of deciding on strategy is influenced by three interdependent factors: organizational style; personal values; and discretion. Records that diversity and heterogeneity can be used to advantage as a mechanism for organizations to adapt to a changing environment and fight...

Provides a good illustration of the disparate strands of thinking on the subject of strategy. Highlights and discusses the descriptive schools: strategy as vision; strategy as thinking; strategy as learning; strategy as politics and power; strategy as culture and ideology; strategy as imposed...

Aims to promote the clear strategic thinking from which it is believed effective strategy arises. Discusses the approach of Harvard Business School's Michael Porter to business strategy and industrial economics. States the aims of a firm's strategy are to decide its goals and the means by which...