Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition) [DOWNLOAD: PDF] (Digital)

~ Robert S. Kaplan (Author), David P. Norton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is an enhanced edition of HBR article 96107, originally published in January/February 1996. HBR OnPoint articles save you time by enhancing an original Harvard Business Review article with an overview that draws out the main points and an annotated bibliography that points you to related resources. This enables you to scan, absorb, and share the management insights with others. As companies transform themselves to compete in the world of information, their ability to exploit intangible assets is becoming more decisive than their ability to manage physical assets. Several years ago, Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton introduced the balanced scorecard, which enabled companies to track financial results while monitoring progress in building the capabilities they would need for growth. Recently, some companies have gone further and discovered the scorecard's value as the cornerstone of a new strategic management system. Traditional management systems rely on financial measures, which bear little relation to progress in achieving long-term strategic objectives. The scorecard introduces four new processes that help companies connect long-term objectives with short-term actions.

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• File Size: 811 KB
• Digital: 14 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review (March 3, 2009)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,036,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The use of the Balanced Scorecard in strategic planning, December 12, 2001

By	Gerard Kroese (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This 1996 Harvard Business Review article, by Harvard Business School professor Robert Kaplan and David Norton, president of Nolan, Norton & Co., is an extension to their articles 'The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance' (1992) and 'Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work' (1993). The balanced scorecard made it possible for managers to express and measure operational performance.

This article discusses the integration of the four balanced scorecard perspectives (financial, customer, internal-business-process, and learning-and-growth) into strategic planning. In order to do this the authors introduce four (new) processes. The first process is called 'translating the vision' and helps managers to build a consensus around the organization's vision and strategy. The second process - communicating and linking - allows managers to communicate their strategy throughout the organization and link it to departmental and individual objectives. The third process - business planning - enables companies to integrate their business and financial plans. The fourth and final process - feedback and learning - gives companies that capacity for strategic learning (single-loop and Chris Argyris' double-loop learning). Each of these processes are discussed using various companies as examples. The aim of the authors is to enable managers to use the balanced scorecard as a framework for managing the strategy and vision, thereby linking long-term strategic objectives with short-term actions.

I did enjoy the authors' original balanced scorecard-article, I did not enjoy their second and I am disappointed by this third article. This article does not focus that much on the balanced scorecard, therefore readers expecting more information and knowledge on the balanced scorecard will be disappointed (like me). The article is more about the strategic planning/budgeting process, and how companies should use the balanced scorecard within this process. But I am in the opinion that those processes are better discussed by other sources/authors. The article is written in simple US-English.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The use of the balanced scorecard in strategic planning, September 2, 2001

By	Gerard Kroese (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This 1996 Harvard Business Review article, by Harvard Business School professor Robert Kaplan and David Norton, president of Nolan, Norton & Co., is an extension to their articles 'The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance' and 'Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work'. The balanced scorecard made it possible for managers to express and measure operational performance.
This article discusses the integration of the four balanced scorecard perspectives (financial, customer, internal-business-process, and learning-and-growth) into strategic planning. In order to do this the authors introduce four (new) processes. The first process is called 'translating the vision' and helps managers to build a consensus around the organization's vision and strategy. The second process - communicating and linking - allows managers to communicate their strategy throughout the organization and link it to departmental and individual objectives. The third process - business planning - enables companies to integrate their business and financial plans. The fourth and final process - feedback and learning - gives companies that capacity for strategic learning (single-loop and Chris Argyris' double-loop learning). Each of these processes are discussed using various companies as examples. The aim of the authors is to enable managers to use the balanced scorecard as a framework for managing the strategy and vision, thereby linking long-term strategic objectives with short-term actions.
I did enjoy the authors' original balanced scorecard-article, I did not enjoy their second and I am disappointed by this third article. This article does not focus that much on the balanced scorecard, therefore readers expecting more information and knowledge on the balanced scorecard will be disappointed (like me). The article is more about the strategic planning/budgeting process, and how companies should use the balanced scorecard within this process. But I am in the opinion that those processes are better discussed by other sources/authors. The article is written in simple English. Please note that this article runs on Acrobat eBook Reader software and is not a .pdf-file.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars very bad service in support for download of documents, February 7, 2004

By	Eduardo Ramos (El Paso, TX United States) - See all my reviews

I dont recommend this PDF Documen its very expensive, ITs better the phisical book, I want this document in the meantime my phisical book is arriving, I got the book two days after, and I couldnt read the ebook the service I received throug AMAZON was very bad, they tell they can send the documento to your email but that is not true, they dont give me my money back.