Strategic Management: Theory And Application

Description:
Strategic Management: Theory and Application is an undergraduate student-focused text which provides an emphasis on skills development. The features provided throughout the book promote the development of critical thinking, analytical rigour and creativity skills. The text is structured to include a variety of learning features including real-life applications, four running cases, what can go wrong boxes, theoretical debates, using evidence, creative strategising, end-of-chapter cases and longer cases. These place emphasis on realism through recent, illustrative examples of what can go wrong with even the most well-conceived strategies as well as demonstrating the relevance of the theory to real-life practice. The balanced approach to theory and application summarises relevant economic, sociological and organisation-theoretic concepts, without attempting to artificially force these into inappropriate theoretical 'boxes'. With a highly accessible writing style, this text it is an invaluable learning tool for all students in this area. Online Resource Centre The Online Resource Centre (ORC) accompanying this textbook provides all the teaching and learning materials needed to support each chapter, removing the need for lecturers to look for additional seminar and text materials, and giving students the resources they need to check and build upon their understanding. The Lecturer section features answers to case study and end-of-chapter questions, seminar activities, PowerPoint slides and a test bank to aid lecturers' teaching. The suite of video clips matching the core concepts explored in the book helps bring the subject to life and adds a useful teaching tool to the textbook package. The Student section comprises multiple-choice questions, web-links a flashcard glossary and exercises to help students test their own understanding.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: CORE CONCEPTS; 1. Strategy and the Organization; 2. What is Strategic Management?; PART TWO: ASSESSING FIT AND DISTINCTIVENESS; 3. Understanding the Influence of the Environment; 4. Distinctiveness (1): Competitive Stance; 5. Distinctiveness (2): Scope, Scale and Diversity; 6. Distinctiveness (3): The Value Chain; PART THREE: ASSESSING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ADVANTAGE; 7. The Resource-based View of the Firm; 8. Architecture, Structure and Culture; 9. The Management of Complex Organization; 10. Knowledge, Learning and Innovation; PART FOUR: FROM STRATEGIC ANALYSIS TO STRATEGY FORMULATION; 11. Assessing Organizational Performance and Setting Strategic Priorities; 12. Options and Strategic Methods; 13. Strategies in Profit-making Contexts; 14. Strategies in International Contexts; 15. Strategies Where Profit is Not the Main Objective; PART FIVE: STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION; 16. Effecting Organizational Change; 17. Making Strategy Happen