Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success (with SAM(TM) Spreadsheets CD-ROM) [Paperback]

Stanley C.(Stanley C. Abraham) Abraham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0324232551 | ISBN-13: 978-0324232554 | Edition: 001

STRATEGIC PLANNING: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COMPETITIVE SUCCESS is geared toward the strategic management course where instructors want to place a focus on the strategy formulation phase of the strategic management process. Its coverage is limited to single-product or single-service firms or business units and does not cover corporate-level strategy of diversified conglomerates. It emphasizes the pragmatics of strategy over theoretical coverage. This brief text, first introduces readers to a variety of analytical tools used in thinking about strategic problems. Then, the reader should utilize the accompanying CD to become the analyst. By manipulating a series of interactive Excel spreadsheets, readers can thoroughly test out their ideas and "work the numbers," making this book an especially compelling choice among those who demand that the learner actively compile and manipulate financial data in analyzing companies and industries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The SAM™ CD is excellent and a critical tool to be placing in the hands of students. [It] provides a highly interactive method for them to use in analyzing a case.

What I like most about the book is that it is a tool that managers can use to jumpstart or improve their strategy process. It seems that most strategy books deal with the theory (content) and not necessarily the how (process). I think the SAM™ CD is an excellent tool for doing in addition to analyzing.

About the Author

Dr. Abraham is professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and teaches the capstone Strategic Management course at both the MBA and undergraduate levels, in addition to other entrepreneurship and management courses. He is president of his own consulting firm, FUTURE BY DESIGN, Santa Monica, CA, specializing in strategic planning and organizational change for established companies, and business plans for startup enterprises. Dr. Abraham co-founded the Association for Strategic Planning in 1999, and has served on the Board of Directors since then. He organized its first annual conference in October 2001, New Strategies for a Rapidly Changing World, and served as president in 2003-04. In January 2002, he was invited to serve as contributing editor and senior reviewer for the journal Strategy & Leadership, and has written a number of articles for it. Previously, Dr. Abraham taught strategy at the Pepperdine University School of Business and Management, was a senior policy analyst for The Rand Corporation, and was a member of the technical staff of General Research Corp.He holds a bachelors of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of London, England, and masters and doctorate degrees in management from the Sloan School, MIT and the Graduate School of Management (now the Anderson School), UCLA respectively.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: South-Western College Pub; 001 edition (January 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0324232551
• ISBN-13: 978-0324232554
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,400 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise, practical, interactive, October 22, 2005

By 

S. Subervielle (Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success (with SAM(TM) Spreadsheets CD-ROM) (Paperback)

Abraham does a solid job of presenting all the areas you need to think about when forming a global strategy. With the exception of chapter 3, I think the book is concise and to the point. I got bored in chapter 3 reading about all the various strategic planning models. They all seemed to run together after a while. And since the purpose of the rest of the book is to focus on his own model at the exclusion of the rest, I didn't see the point.

He presents a lot of good points to think about. There are many practical questions for you to answer regarding your own industry and company. It gives you many important things to consider when coming up with a strategy for your business.

I like the Excel template he has created. This electronic workbook walks you through the steps of defining your business in the context of your competitors in the industry. Then, it takes you to the next level of identifying alternative strategies and deciding on recommendations.

This book teaches you a lot and helps you get a lot done. It is probably more practical than reading any textbook.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand, March 13, 2007

By 

Karina Andrade Rivas - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success (with SAM(TM) Spreadsheets CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I actually took a class with this prof. and used this book in his class. Abraham's book is compact and provides all the technical information in an easy to read format. SAM! was a very easy to use tool also.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Missing CD, June 5, 2010

By 

Elisabeth C. Davis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success (with SAM(TM) Spreadsheets CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I ordered this book that was supposed to come with the CD. The CD never arrived. Huge disappointment.