Table of Contents

Part One: Concepts and Techniques for Crafting and Executing Strategy Section A: Introduction and Overview1. What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important?2. The Managerial Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy
Section B: Core Concepts and Analytical Tools3. Evaluating a Company’s External Environment4. Analyzing a Company’s Resources and Competitive Position
Section C: Crafting a Strategy5. The Five Generic Competitive Strategies: Which One to Employ?6. Supplementing the Chosen Competitive Strategy: Other Important Strategy Choices7. Competing in Foreign Markets8. Tailoring Strategy to Fit Specific Industry and Company Situations9. Diversification: Strategies for Managing a Group of Businesses10. Strategy, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
Section D: Executing the Strategy11. Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy Execution12. Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Facilitate Strategy 13. Corporate Culture and Leadership: Keys to Good Strategy ExecutionPart Two: Cases Section A: Crafting Strategy in Single-Business Companies1. Costco Wholesale Corporation: Mission, Business Model, and Strategy 2. Shearwater Adventures Ltd.3.The Battle in Radio Broadcasting: XM vs. Sirius vs. Local Radio vs. Internet Radio4.Competition in the Bottled Water Industry in 2006 5.Blue Nile, Inc.—World’s Largest Online Diamond Retailer6.Eat2eat.com7.Panera Bread Company8.Coach Inc.: Is Its Advantage in Luxury Handbags Sustainable?9.Nucor Corporation—Competing Against Low Cost Steel Imports10.The YMCA of London, Ontario11.Wild Oats Market, Inc.12.Zune: Microsoft’s Entry into the Digital Music Player Market13.Skywest, Inc. and the Regional Airline Industry14.Competition in Video Game Consoles: Sony, Microsoft, and nintendo Balle for Supremacy15.Electronic Arts in 2007: Can It Retain Its Global Lead in Video Game Software?16.Sun Microsystems17.Toyota’s Strategy and Initiatives in Europe: The Launch of the Aygo18.Econet Wireless International’s Expansion Across Africa
Section B: Crafting Strategy in Diversified Companies19.PepsiCo in 2007: Strategies to Increase Shareholder Value20.Spectrum Brands’ Diversification Strategy: A Success or a Failure?21.Sara Lee Corppration: Retrenching to a Narrower Rang of Business
Section C: Executing Strategy and Strategic Leadership22.Robin Hood23.Dilemma at Devil’s Den24.Enterprise Rent-a-Car25.Manpower Australia: Using Strategy Maps and the Balanced Scorecard Effectively26.Abercrombie and Fitch: An Upscale Sporting Goods Retailer Becomes a Leader in Trendy Apparel27.New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.28.Ryanair: European Pioneer of Budget Airline Travel
Section D: Strategy, Ethics, and Social Responsibility29.Monitoring Foreign Suppliers: The Challenge of Detecting Unethical Practices30.Queensland Rainforest Resort31.Smithfield Foods’ Vertical Integration Strategy: Is It Environmentally Correct?
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About the Author

Arthur A. Thompson, Jr., earned his B.S and Ph.D. degrees in economics from The University of Tennessee, spent three years on the economics faculty at Virginia Tech, and served on the faculty of The University of Alabama's College of Commerce and Business Administration for 24 years. In 1974 and again in 1982, Dr. Thompson spent semester-long sabbaticals as a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School.His areas of specialization are business strategy, competition and market analysis, and the economics of business enterprises. In addition to publishing over 30 articles in some 25 different professional and trade publications, he has authored or co-authored five textbooks and six computer-based simulation exercises. His textbooks and strategy simulations have been used at well over 1,000 college and university campuses worldwide. Dr. Thompson spends much of his off-campus time giving presentations, putting on management development programs, working with companies, and helping operate a business simulation enterprise in which he is a major partner. Dr.Thompson and his wife of 56 years have two daughters, two grandchildren, and a Yorkshire terrier.



A.J. (Lonnie) Strickland received a BS in Math and Physics from the University of Georgia, an MS in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a PhD from Georgia State university. He currently holds the rank of Professor of Strategic Management in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Alabama. He has done extensive consulting and research work. In recent years, he was honored with the Outstanding Professor Award for the Graduate School of Business, and was the recipient of the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award for the University of Alabama.



John E. Gamble is currently Associate Dean and Professor of Management in the Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama. His teaching specialty at USA is strategic management and he also conducts a course in strategic management in Germany, which is sponsored by the University of Applied Sciences in Worms. Dr. Gamble's research interests center on strategic issues in entrepreneurial, health care, and manufacturing settings. His work has been published in various scholarly journals and he is the author or co-author of more than 50 case studies published in an assortment of strategic management and strategic marketing texts. He has done consulting on industry and market analysis for clients in a diverse mix of industries. Professor Gamble received his Ph.D. in management from the University of Alabama in 1995. Dr. Gamble also has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama.