Corporate Strategy: A Resource Based Approach [Paperback]

David J. Collis (Author), Cynthia A Montgomery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0072895438 | ISBN-13: 978-0072895438 | Edition: 1

For many years, the menu of strategy courses at most schools has been relatively unchanged: typically, a capstone course has been followed by one or more electives on topics such as industry and competitor analysis, the management of technology, or mergers and acquisitions. CORPORATE STRATEGY breaks this mold. It is a completely new course whose design has been honed over six years of teaching at the Harvard Business School. It presents, for the first time, a single consistent framework for the analysis of corporate-level strategy. Based on the latest research in the resource-based view of the firm and organizational economics, it develops a rigorous approach to the many important issues surrounding the scope of the firm. Starting from the analysis of how valuable resources contribute to the competitive advantage of a single business, the book progresses through the analysis of scale, scope and vertical integration within an industry, to the treatment of diversification and the management of multibusiness firms. As such, it perfectly complements those required strategy courses that develop the notions of strategy as the internal consistency and external positioning of single business firms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 1 edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072895438
• ISBN-13: 978-0072895438
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best management tool for analyzing strategic projects., December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Strategy: A Resource Based Approach (Paperback)

Corporate Strategy, A Resource-Based Approach, is just that. This book gives the reader, and more importantly, the user, either corporate managers, small business owners or business students, the tools needed to make the strategic decisions necessary to plan for future growth. The resources used for the book are from Harvard and Yale Business Schools, as well as other great institutions throughout the world. The authors documented the tacit knowledge from the most successful global business executives and strategic planners, and composed the ideas into this short, straightforward, easy to read book. The best information gained from this book is the discussion on decisions regarding a company's Resources, Strategic Business Units, and Structure, Systems and Processes. These core components are linked to a company's Vision, Goals and Objectives. From this structured foundation, the book discusses how to form a Coherent firm with Competitive Advantage, while maintaining the proper Control throughout the organization. This book teaches the essential areas necessary to develop future corporate executives, and the decisions needed to sustain a business into the next century.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good for elementary level, May 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Strategy: A Resource Based Approach (Paperback)

This text book is a very good guide for undergraduate level student for corporate strategy. However, it does not provide fruitful thought for doctoral student, like me.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better written, April 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Strategy: A Resource Based Approach (Paperback)

This text is a brief overview of Corporate Strategy--more useful to someone who already knows the subject and needs a book to brush up on the material and "pull it all together." Concepts are not elaborated very well, forcing you to read passages twice. I also felt that sentences weren't structured in a very readable manner.