Company Analysis: Determining Strategic Capability [Hardcover]

David Hussey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471494542 | ISBN-13: 978-0471494546 | Publication Date: June 18, 2001 | Edition: 1

It is vital for organisations to use company analysis to gain understanding of their limiting and enabling factors and strategic capabilities. Profits can then be maximised by selecting the most effective strategies, and through successful implementation of mergers, acquisitions and divestment opportunities.
In this book Jenster and Hussey move away from the opinion based SWOT analysis commonly used, to provide a more objective step-by-step approach to objectively analysing an organisation. This important task is clearly explained, with information helpfully displayed in diagrams, and checklists of critical questions provided. In addition to the key, functional areas of management, corporate-wide approaches such as core competencies, critical success factors, industry analysis and the value chain are also examined.
The book is illuminated with examples from the authors' own experiences, resulting in a practical and effective approach which will provide a foundation for corporate strategy and add a strategic dimension to a due diligence study - and so prove invaluable to MBA students and lecturers in strategic management.
Every manager will be asked to participate in assessing strengths and weaknesses at some time in their career, and this book enables a considerable improvement to be made to many commonly used methods - and for those responsible for the development of strategies, it offers even more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Do you need to analyse your own and other companies? If you have to:
* prepare a strategic plan
* review a strategic situation as a newly appointed chief executive or manager
* consider a candidate in an acquisition, merger or strategic alliance situation
* enhance your profits
* plan a divestment situation
Then the answer is yes, and this is the book to show you how best to do so.

From the Back Cover

It is vital for organisations to use company analysis to gain understanding of their limiting and enabling factors and strategic capabilities. Profits can then be maximised by selecting the most effective strategies, and through successful implementation of mergers, acquisitions and divestment opportunities.

In this book Jenster and Hussey move away from the opinion based SWOT analysis commonly used, to provide a more objective step-by-step approach to objectively analysing an organisation. This important task is clearly explained, with information helpfully displayed in diagrams, and checklists of critical questions provided. In addition to the key, functional areas of management, corporate-wide approaches such as core competencies, critical success factors, industry analysis and the value chain are also examined.

The book is illuminated with examples from the authors' own experiences, resulting in a practical and effective approach which will provide a foundation for corporate strategy and add a strategic dimension to a due diligence study - and so prove invaluable to MBA students and lecturers in strategic management.

Every manager will be asked to participate in assessing strengths and weaknesses at some time in their career, and this book enables a considerable improvement to be made to many commonly used methods - and for those responsible for the development of strategies, it offers even more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471494542
• ISBN-13: 978-0471494546
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,497,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOW TO DISCOVER ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, June 11, 2001

By 

Gerry Stern "Stern's Management Review Online" (Culver City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Company Analysis: Determining Strategic Capability (Hardcover)

This book shows how to conduct an appraisal of an organization's strengths and weakness for purposes of strategic planning that goes beyond the "ask the managers" approach. It tackles the subject in an in-depth, thorough and holistic way, providing a basic framework, evaluative approaches and guidelines, and numerous questionnaires. The major subject areas covered are: finance; marketing; production; technology and innovation; human resource management, management effectiveness, culture and structure; and information systems. The authors also take a process orientation that cuts across departments or functions, avoiding the trap of thinking that optimizing performance in each part will lead to an optimal performance of the whole. The book also explores benchmarking, comments on reengineering, and examines the value chain approach. Another approach that is explored is core competencies and their related critical success factors and core capabilities, all cutting across the whole organization. Additionally, a chapter is devoted to conducting an industry analysis. The book concludes with insights about involving managers and drawing all findings together. This book is very rare, if not wholly unique work. Well written and organized, its potential value is enormous. Very highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overall, this book is illuminating...useful even in a due diligence study!, September 22, 2007

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Company Analysis: Determining Strategic Capability (Hardcover)

Most businessmen & professionals are familiar with the concept of internal or position audit, better known as SWOT or SPOT Analysis in management/marketing books.

To recap, the purpose of an internal audit is to appraise the strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, resources & vulnerabilities in an organisation.

Personally as well as professionally, I prefer SPOT Analysis as the "Problems" in SPOT are psychologically easier to solve than the "Weaknesses" in SWOT. The latter is seemingly more inherent in the system.

In this wonderful book, the author puts internal audit into the spotlight with a comprehensive book-length treatment.

Probably due to space, there is only a relatively broad brush on industry analysis.

What I like about the book is the broader context in which the author has put internal audit - synconvergently (thanks to Michael Gelb) with creative strategic thinking, strategic decision making & implementation.

The author has dedicated one full chapter each to illustrate the key results areas to be considered in an internal audit, with a checklist of critical questions:

- Finance;
- Marketing;
- Production;
- Technology & Production;
- Human Resource Management;
- Management Effectiveness;
- Culture & Structure;
- Information Systems;

The writing is crisp & clear. Examples are well illustrated. The track record of both authors, particularly David Hussey, certainly helps in making the book useful in even a due diligence study of acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances & divestments.

Overall, this book is illuminating.

I would recommend this book to be read in conjunction with any of the following books, to make your appraisal of core competencies, core capabilities, critical success factors & value chains a more complete exercise:

1) 'Scanning the Business Environment', by Francis Aquilar (my personal favourite!);
2) 'Strategic Issues Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Environmental Scanning', by John Stoffels;
3) 'Information Management for the Intelligent Organisation: The Art of Scanning the Environment', by Chun Wei Joo;