A big highlight for me were the "green boxes" - the sidebar examples, many of which were interesting and surprising (did you know that cement industry is organized differently in US, Mexico, and Brazil? Did you know Samsung evolved from a very top-down organization focused on volume to much more innovative, risk-taking producer of quality goods?) Being a textbook, the boo This textbook is comprehensive and well-written, over viewing a lot of ground about how firms and markets organize and evolve.Ī big highlight for me were the "green boxes" - the sidebar examples, many of which were interesting and surprising (did you know that cement industry is organized differently in US, Mexico, and Brazil? Did you know Samsung evolved from a very top-down organization focused on volume to much more innovative, risk-taking producer of quality goods?)īeing a textbook, the book provides questions at the end of each chapter, which were helpful in deepening one's understanding and suggesting connections between topics in the text. This textbook is comprehensive and well-written, over viewing a lot of ground about how firms and markets organize and evolve. Many of the examples involve businesses outside of the United States.more * Fascinating examples, including many new to this edition, bring the economic models to life. * Includes coverage of make or buy decisions (Chapters 2-4) and benefit and cost advantage and sustaining advantage (Chapters 11-13). The text also considers the Value Net, another tool for organizing industry analysis. * The authors use Porter's Five Forces as a tool for organizing industry analysis, building on the coverage of industrial organization and game theory.
* Rigorous treatment of organizational topics such as structure and culture enables you to experience the full scope of strategic thinking. * Presents economic principles without overemphasizing the math.
* An updated chapter on business history covers the recent dot-com bubble. * Chapters on human resources management, entry, positioning, dynamics, technological change, and organizational structure are substantially revised.
It then explores strategic positioning and dynamics as well as topics associated with internal organization, including personnel economics, organization structure, and strategic fit. The book begins by focusing on the boundaries of the firm and examines competitive strategy from the perspective of industrial organization (IO) economics, particularly Porter's Five Forces. By presenting basic concepts of economic theory with ideas in modern strategy literature, the book provides an economic lens for viewing the broad sweep of the strategic activities of the firm. Revised and updated to reflect the cutting edge of academic thinking about business strategy, the Fourth Edition of Besanko, Dranove, Shanley, and Schaefer's highly acclaimed text offers a solid economic foundation for strategic analysis. By presenting basic concepts of economic theory with ideas in modern strategy literature, the bo Discover the art of strategic thinking Discover the art of strategic thinking Revised and updated to reflect the cutting edge of academic thinking about business strategy, the Fourth Edition of Besanko, Dranove, Shanley, and Schaefer's highly acclaimed text offers a solid economic foundation for strategic analysis.