"This book that rethinks strategy for challenges of sustainability and responsible business in the 21st century is very important and desperately needed. We have to develop business strategies that truly create value for society. This book does this job very well and therefore it is a must-read for responsible business managers, but indeed also for business students and future leaders of global companies, firms and corporations".
Professor Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Roskilde, Denmark
"This is a very timely and relevant contribution to the wider debate on the role of strategy to business organisations. Its positioning and niche are well thought-through and clearly articulated. A textbook of this sort would be of great value in its intended market(s). The sustainability angle is a clear selling point".
Professor Stephen Flowers, Emeritus Professor of Kent Business School, University of Kent, UK
"The main strength of this book is exactly this pluralistic perspective that provides different ways of resolving business strategy dilemmas vis-à-vis challenges such as climate change, global economic sustainability and pandemics. In this sense the book is timely and will help students of business and management to develop their holistic approaches to change in the 21st century".
Prof Theo Papaioannou, Open University, UK
Chapter 1: Introduction to strategy:
strategy in the context of climate change: science of climate change and models; alternative economic models such as circular economies (zero waste, carbon negative);
international organizations and regulatory frameworks;
key figures in strategy and their ideas
What is strategy?
how to use the resource.
Part 1: Analysis
Chapter 2: The macro environment
PESTEL (method and utilization);
Scenarios (how to develop scenarios; investigating plausible futures);
5-Forces (Porter, criticisms, using the 5-Forces in the context of climate change);
Industry life cycles
Strategic groups
Chapter 3: The Micro environment - resources and capabilities
Resource-based view of the firm (VRIO, contrast with Porter, mitigation, adaptation, VRIO and climate change,
value chain vis-à-vis supply chains;
SWOT/TOWS (existing use and methods; emphasizing the T as being the threat of climate change)
Capabilities (dynamic), competences (core); building new competences necessary for current environment such as sustainability reporting and converting them into strategic resources.
Chapter 4: Stakeholders
What is a stakeholder?
Types of stakeholder
management of and for stakeholders;
power (3-dimensions)
stakeholder utility
stakeholders and environmental sustainability
Part 2: Choice
Chapter 5: Business strategy and models - generic strategies, the clock, competitive strategy, co-operative strategies
Generic strategies/strategic clock (cost and price)
Chapter 13: Leadership and change - leading and bringing others with you
Leadership and styles (context, uncertainty, risk, turnaround)
Types of change - radical/incremental; transformational/realignment
Chapter 14: Doing strategy
who to involve, when and how
planning
project management
Chapter 15: Reflection
What is strategy?
First movers in responsible strategy - risks, rewards
Fast seconds - risks, rewards
No changers - risks, rewards
Society - wellbeing. What is business for?
Dr Andrew Grantham is a Senior Lecturer in strategy and Course Leader for UG Business Management at Brighton Business School. Additionally, he has 15 years' experience of leading research at the Centre for Research in Innovation Management at the University of Brighton. His research studies are wide ranging in terms of sectors and firms. He has undertaken micro-level analyses in firms using interventionist methodologies such as investigating change initiatives; implementing continuous improvement; and intellectual property-searching and acquisition. At the macro level studies include scenario building for telecommunications/e-commerce policy makers at the European Commission. Consultancy projects include: investigation into clustering of videogames development companies for South East England Development Agency. His PhD was a comparison of the privatization of the UK rail industry in the 1990s and the industry's rationalization in the 1960s.
He is published in top-rated journals including Research Policy, Public Administration, Technovation and Design Studies.