3 Review(s)

Thompson, Strickland and Gambles, CRAFTING AND EXECUTING STRATEGY, 17e presents the latest research findings from the literature and cutting-edge strategic practices of companies have been incorporated to keep step with both theory and practice. The chapter content continues to be solidly mainstream and balanced, mirroring both the best academic thinking and the pragmatism of real-world strategic management. An attractive collection of 20 readings that amplify important topics in managing a company's strategy-making, strategy-executing process is included in this Text and Readings version to provide students with a taste of the literature of strategic management before tackling cases or simulation projects. Salient Features  New tighter 12 Chapter Concept presentation: The content of the prior edition Ch. 8 (Tailoring Strategy to Fit Specific Industry and Company Situations) has been condensed and combined with the concepts in chapter 6 now entitled Supplementing the Chosen Competitive Strategy: Other Important Strategy Choices to provide students with a more streamlined presentation of materials. Current Research and Up-To-Date Findings: The new edition presents the latest research findings and thoroughly updated examples pertinent to a first course in strategy. New materials include a new section on strategic leadership in Ch. 2, and new coverage of corporate and environmental sustainability in Ch. 9. New Assurance of Learning Exercises at the end of every chapter will help instructors to measure student comprehension of the chapter content. New Exercises for Simulation Participants at the end of every chapter tightly connect the topics covered in the chapters to the issues and decisions that students have to wrestle with in managing their simulation company. Expanded Video Support: The video DVD supporting this text will include approximately 25 clips supporting both the concepts and the case portion of this text. Updated Selection of Readings: In selecting a set of readings to accompany the chapter presentations, the authors opted for articles that (1) had been recently published (most appeared in the 2006-2008 period), (2) extended the chapter coverage and expanded on a topic of strategic importance, and (3) were both quite readable and relatively short. The 20 readings were chosen from recent issues of the Business Strategy Review, Strategy & Leadership, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Business Ethics Quarterly, Journal of Business Strategy, European Management Journal, Ivey Business Journal, and The TQM Magazine. Solid, mainstream, balanced  The fundamental character that has driven the texts success over the years is evident throughout the 16th. The chapter content continues to be solidly mainstream and balanced, mirroring both the best academic thinking and the pragmatism of real-world strategic management. Focus on business ethics, core values, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability  These topics have been further embellished to better fulfills the important functions of (1) alerting students to the role and importance of incorporating business ethics and social responsibility into decision-making and (2) addressing the accreditation requirements of the AACSB that business ethics be visibly and thoroughly embedded in the core curriculum. And again, there are discussions of the roles of values and ethics in Chapters 1, 2, 10, and 12, thus providing professors and students alike with a very meaty and comprehensive treatment of business ethics and socially responsible behavior as it applies to crafting and executing company strategies. Up-to-date coverage of the continuing march of industries and companies to wider globalization, the growing scope and strategic importance of collaborative alliances, the spread of high-velocity change to more industries and company environments, and how online technology is driving fundamental changes in both strategy and internal operations in companies across the world. Integration of the Resource-base view of the firm  The resource-based view of the firm is prominently and comprehensively integrated into the coverage of crafting both single-business and multi-business strategies. Chapters 3 through 8 emphasize that a companys strategy must be matched both to its external market circumstances and to its internal resources and competitive capabilities. Then, chapters 10, 11, and 12 on various aspects of executing strategy have a strong resource-based perspective that makes it unequivocally clear how and why the tasks of assembling intellectual capital and building core competencies and competitive capabilities are absolutely critical to successful strategy execution and operating excellence. Extensive End-of-Chapter Exercises  In response to market feedback, more chapter-end exercises (including new Assurance of Learning and Exercises for Simulation Participants) have been included, and exercises are still more varied in format (rather than just internet searches), more detailed, and more closely aligned with chapter content. Unparalleled resource package  The comprehensive package of support materials is a breeze to use, highly effective, and flexible enough to fit most any course design. Core Concepts  Margin notes highlighting basic concepts, strategic management principles, and kernels of wisdom help students by reinforcing key points in the text. Extensive use of examples and Illustration Capsules, which accurately portray todays business world and link theory to practice.