The origins of this book grew out of the teaching and the research of the authors recognising that the field of strategy was one of the most central, yet most contested areas of management knowledge. Rather than contribute to the seemingly endless debate about what strategy is (and is not) we chose to write about it in what we hope is a refreshing, analytical, inclusive and accessible way. It is refreshing and analytical, because we are ourselves animated by the topics it embraces and we hope this enthusiasm shows in the text and in our analysis of strategy. It is inclusive and accessible because we have tried to develop a systemic view of strategy which gives breadth and depth to an overall understanding of strategy and its processes.

We hope readers will notice that this text includes some very different approaches to strategy, from viewing strategy as economic analysis to it being embedded in social and broadly contextual processes. Yet we try to blend these approaches in one systemic framework which we present in Chapter 1. As we wrote the various sections of the book we recognized that, far from being incommensurable, different approaches to strategy resonated with each other more than we had realized. It was not so much that paradigms were incommensurable, but rather that approaches could be viewed as being complementary if one highlighted the linkages between them.

We have also tried to be eclectic in the range of topics we have included under the term ‘strategy’. Readers may be surprised to find chapters on governance, learning or process improvements in a book about strategy, but we realized as we constructed our framework that we could not talk about strategy in any way holistically without reference to these topics. So, we have tried to seek fit and ‘complementarities’ (to use the jargon of strategy) between paradigms and approaches and we have tried to be as inclusive as possible in the range of topics we feel contribute toward a more holistic view of strategy. We hope this will enthuse readers more than it may confuse.

It was quite a process and a journey for ourselves in getting to the product you are about to read. The three authors had taught strategy and had researched and written about it in quite different ways. When we came to write together, we discovered commonalities that we had not seen before and which were able to inform the construction of our systemic framework.

Many contemporary authors in strategy have developed a rather dismissive approach to the work that has preceded their own perspectives. Indeed, the field of strategy has been strongly characterised by the almost total substitution of one frame of reference for another as time has progressed. For example, models of rational planning have, over a few decades, been dismissed and ignored by later writers who emphasized a more emergent or politically shaped view of strategy. Whilst we certainly do not want to slow the intellectual progression of this exciting field by ignoring these paradigmatic shifts, we feel that such shift are, in practice, difficult to spot, characterized as much by latest fad and fashion as they are by the substitution of one theoretical lens for another. So marked are these fashions and fads that many authors have published books simply listing the various perspectives that can be taken toward strategy. Rather grandiosely, these have sometimes been called ‘schools of thought’, but they do not bear scrutiny as such. They are simply ways of looking at strategy, some of which have become fashionable and some of which have not. In this book, therefore, we set out to see if we could weave together in a coherent way what had previously been cited as incommensurable theoretical approaches to the field and we have deliberately avoided the schools of thought approach. Some may feel this is an overly conservative or, even, wrong-headed approach, but our own experience would tell us otherwise. Our students, too, appreciate the linkages and cross-references we make to different epistemologies, as they try and make sense of strategy and develop the field alongside us. What has emerged is a text which we feel has the following defining characteristics:

• Strong emphasis on strategy in practice: An innovative approach which is informed by academic research but remains highly practical and ‘hands on’. Dedicated chapters on Risk Management, Managing Strategic Change, Strategy and the Learning Organization and Corporate Governance.
• An analytical approach to strategy: A thorough study of competitive advantage provides students with the level of analysis fundamental to understanding business and corporate level strategy.
• An understanding of the link between strategy, knowledge and technological change, and value and performance: Value and value-based management is shown as central to strategic management. Three themes are treated explicitly because they are particularly close to the core of strategic management thinking. These are (i) performance assessment; (ii) organizational knowledge, learning and value innovation; and (iii) total quality management and customer value.
• A range of contemporary and relevant cases throughout: Illustrative case examples and end of chapter cases offer insights into a variety of globally recognized companies such as easyJet, Benetton, Deutsche Post, Airbus, Samsung, Disney, Dell and more.
• A section of longer cases in the Text and Cases Edition: places strategy into a variety of contemporary international contexts and offer students the opportunity to analyse strategic decisions across an array of international businesses including BSkyB, Ikea, Honda, Shell, Nike, and Nokia.
• Clear and well-developed pedagogy: An introduction to each part orients the student to the landscape of the chapters that follow. To aid learning, each chapter introduces its themes and concepts, and leads the student through the topic with key terms highlighted in bold for easy reference. Case Examples contained within the chapters provide illustrations of strategy in practice within real organizations, and at the end of each chapter, a summary and assignments draw together the overarching themes and test understanding.
  A concluding Chapter-end Case Study encourages the student to analyze how some of the concepts raised in the chapter can be applied within an organization. See the Guided Tour for more information.
• An unparalleled range of supporting resources: the book is accompanied by an Online Learning Centre website, www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/textbooks/mcgee, which provides a range of resources for lecturers and students. Lecturers will find PowerPoint presentations, lecture guides, and case study notes to assist them in teaching with the textbook. The student area contains a wealth of extra resources including test questions; help with studying cases, guide answers to the end of chapter assignments questions and more. For more information see our guide to Technology to enhance teaching and learning on the following pages.

Like all books, in the writing, it has had its glory moments and its days of drudgery. But we are pleased that the idea with which we began – to try and examine a holistic approach to strategy – was not dismissed as we progressed with the writing. Indeed the reverse was true. We became more committed to the approach as we wrote. And it proved useful, both to ourselves and to our students at all levels from undergraduate to post-experience.

As authors, we could be argued to represent something of an eclectic approach. We have tried to synthesize the perspectives and epistemologies of three very different scholars, one who began in mathematics and statistics, a second in economics and a third in organization theory. At least at this level of analysis, we are an example of the inclusive approach to strategy that we present in this book. The final judgement will, of course, be with you, the reader. We hope you enjoy your journey through its pages and, in the process, become as enthusiastic about this area of study as we remain. Happy reading.