Performance Drivers: A Practical Guide to Using the Balanced Scorecard (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jan Roy (Author), Magnus Wetter (Author) "In this chapter we introduce the balanced scorecard - a concept and a method to help us in our discussions on where our business should..." (more)
Key Phrases: British Airways, Performance Report, American Skandia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Since the groundbreaking work of Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, the concept of the Balanced Scorecard has achieved increasing popularity in the business world. Previously, many organizations had built their business objectives around financial targets and goals that bore little relation to a long-term strategic vision. Typically, this leaves a gap between the development of a companys strategy and its implementation. The business scorecard, however, provides a more ‘balanced view by looking at not just-financial concerns, but also customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. But it is not just a system of performance measurement — by focusing on future potential success it can be used as a dynamic management system that reinforces, implements and drives corporate strategy forward. In this book, the authors draw on their extensive experience with scorecard projects to provide a step-by-step method for introducing the Balanced Scorecard into an organization. This is done through the use of some of the most important practical examples in existence, with case studies from ABB, Coca Cola, Electrolux, British Telecom, Nat West, Skandia and Volvo. The desired strategic control system using scorecards that is presented focuses on creating and communicating a total comprehensive picture to all members of the organization from the top down, a long-term view of what the companys strategic objectives really are, how to make use of knowledge gained through experience and the required flexibility of such a system to cope with the fast-changing business environment. This book will provide senior and operational managers, consultants and business academics with a comprehensive view of emerging Balanced Scorecard practice supported by both business advice and a theoretical foundation. Reflections on the relations between the Balanced Scorecard and other areas, such as TQM, information systems and intellectual capital and knowledge management are also made.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Swedish

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 362 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471986232
• ISBN-13: 978-0471986232
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,272,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Timely book, time consuming style and read!!!, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This book comprises a consultant's accumulated accumulated knowledge from applying the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) to a range of client problems and businesses. It uses a rich panoply of actual cases, analysis and frameworks to develop its arguments and demonstrate how appropriate and adaptable BSC is to today's business. However, whilst the form of today's business is lean, and concerned with pace and execution, the style of this book is often cumbersome and slow to realise its points and conclusions. In summary, there are rich seams of applied knowledge in this book, but the mining of those seams is unnecessarily time consuming. Minus at least one and half points for my efforts! Callum Morrison

54 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide for the balanced scorecard applications, April 14, 1999

By	Turgay BUGDACIGIL (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

In this groundbreaking study Nils-Goran Olve, Jan Roy and Magnus Wetter (CERPO Management Consultants, Stockholm www.cerpo.se) introduce step-by-step the balanced scorecard applications into organizations with case studies from ABB, Coca Cola, Electrolux, British Telecom, Nat West, Skandia and Volvo. As stated by Olve et.al. in some of these cases the balanced scorecard was introduced primarily as a method of "operational control".

This study presents practical guidence for the balanced scorecard applications in some areas like performance measures, management control, business strategy, strategy development, strategic planning, strategy implementation, knowledge management/information systems, intellectual capital and TQM. I highly recommend this excellent study to all executives who have strategic vision.

For a different point of view about the balanced scorecard applications see "Emotional Capital/Kevin Thomson".

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, September 13, 2002

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Performance Drivers provides a comprehensive explanation of the balanced scorecard system, which is designed to help companies measure and improve their performance. More importantly perhaps, the book also includes an honest assessment of the balanced scorecard's shortcomings and weaknesses, along with suggestions on how you can improve the effectiveness of your own system and increase its chances of success. The writing tends to the dry, which might be a result of the translation from its original Swedish. Nevertheless, we from getAbstract strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the intricacies of the balanced scorecard.