The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and New Perspectives (Hardcover)

~ (Editor), (Editor) "WHAT IS STRATEGY?..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in strategy." (Long Range Planning, 40/2007)

Product Description

A collection of the best thinking from one of the most innovative management consulting firms in the world

For more than forty years, The Boston Consulting Group has been shaping strategic thinking in business. The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy offers a broad and up-to-date selection of the firm's best ideas on strategy with fresh ideas, insights, and practical lessons for managers, executives, and entrepreneurs in every industry. Here's a sampling of the provocative thinking you'll find inside:

"You have to be the scientist of your own life and be astonished four times:at what is, what always has been, what once was, and what could be."

"The majority of products in most companies are cash traps . . . .[They] are not only worthless, but a perpetual drain on corporate resources."

"Use more debt than your competition or get out of the business."

"When information flows freely, reputation, more than reciprocity,becomes the basis for trust."

"As a strategic weapon, time is the equivalent of money, productivity,quality, even innovation."

"When brands become business systems, brand management becomes far too important to leave to the marketing department."

"The winning organization of the future will look more like a collection ofjazz ensembles than a symphony orchestra."

"Most of our organizations today derive from a model whose original purpose was to control creativity."

"Rather than being an obstacle, uncertainty is the very engine of transformation in a business, a continuous source of new opportunities."

"IP assets lack clear property lines. Every bit of intellectual property you can own comes with connections to other valuable innovations."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (April 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471757225
• ISBN-13: 978-0471757221
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,997 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Consulting
  #10 in	Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Systems & Planning
  #23 in	Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Decision-Making & Problem Solving

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book Difficult Read, January 10, 2007

By	Z045873 (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This book is filled with both well known business "facts" as well as unconventional perspectives. It is an excellent book; however it is a rather difficult read. I consider myself to be an above average reader particularly with business jargon, but still I had trouble. The purpose of reading is to expand your mind and grow. Overall this is a book that I would recommend. Be prepared for a challenge.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book, September 30, 2007

By	Elijah Chingosho "Dr Elijah Chingosho" (Nairobi, Kenya) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an outstanding book on various ideas on strategy. The book provides some classical and new insights, concepts, tools and perspectives for effective strategy formulation and implementation.

The Boston Consulting Group has been responsible for a number of major management consulting innovations and concepts, such as "time-based competition," "deconstruction," and "capability-driven competitive strategies" and highlighting the importance of competitive advantage. Today BCG is among the largest and most profitable management consulting companies in the world. It is regarded as one of the premier management consulting firms.

The book reeks of the outstanding ideas developed by this iconic consulting firm which the company executive and students of strategy will find very useful and perceptive. The book, among other things, shows how to analyse a firm in the marketplace, formulate and execute an effective strategy, getting people excited about the strategy, how to use strategy to take advantage of opportunities, among other informative ideas.

I strongly recommend people to read this high-quality book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, intriguing business analysis, October 5, 2007

By	Kim A. Ehrman "Kim Ehrman" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This collection of publications is incredibly interesting to the business enthusiast. Even Bruce Henderson's publications from the 1970's remain thought-provoking and -transforming today.

This is a dense read. I cannot read very much at one time. However it is grouped by subject, so you can jump around different chapters without consequence.