Strategy and Strategists

James Cunningham and Brian Harney

Includes 25 readings plus links to a wide variety of online readings ranging from classic seminal pieces to contemporary contributions, providing readers with a thorough grounding in strategy theory.
Combines a diverse range of key theoretical contributions with a clear explanation of strategy implementation, helping readers link theory with practice.
'Practitioner reflections' within the textbook, contributed by executives from leading companies, explore how strategy can be applied in the real world.
Contains 14 mini cases and a bank of long cases exploring strategy in a range of companies, helping students engage with the theory.
Includes a wealth of features to encourage critical reflection, including discussion questions, 'implications for strategy practice', and a 'spotlight' feature to highlight topical issues.
Chapters on strategy in context and critical perspectives on strategy.
Presents a novel way of structuring the field.

Strategy and Strategists

James Cunningham and Brian Harney

Description

Strategy and Strategists provides an illuminating exploration of strategy and its implications for business. Adopting a critical and reflective approach, the authors guide the reader through the complexities of strategy, clearly presenting the conflicting viewpoints and arguments in this exciting and fast-moving field.

Business examples throughout the text elucidate strategy theory, providing future managers and executives with the awareness and knowledge necessary to test perspectives and draw their own conclusions. Linking literature to contemporary developments, this engaging textbook is invaluable reading for all students of strategy.

Online Resource Centre:

For Lecturers:

PowerPoint Slides
Teaching notes for long cases
Guide to answering questions on readings
Answers to discussion questions
Sample examination questions
All figures from the book

For Students:

Multiple choice questions
Updates to the case studies
Annotated weblinks
Guidance to further readings

Strategy and Strategists

James Cunningham and Brian Harney

Part One. Discovering strategy and strategists
1:Discovering strategy
2:Discovering strategists
3:The process of strategizing: strategic thinking, decision making and leadership
4:The dynamics of strategy formulation: deliberate and emergent approaches
Part Two. Foundations of advantage
5:Purpose and values
6:Market and resource based approaches
Part Three. Routes to advantage
7:Corporate and global strategy: domain and direction
8:Business and network strategies: market and method
Part Four. Realizing advantage
9:Levers for implementing strategy
10:Interactions in implementing strategy
Part Five. Sustaining advantage
11:Culture and strategic change
12:Strategic innovation and corporate entrepreneurship
Part Six. Rediscovering strategy and strategists
13:Managing strategy in context: public sector, non-profit, and small firms
14:The role of strategy agents, consultants, management education, and strategy discourses

Strategy and Strategists

James Cunningham and Brian Harney

Author Information

James Cunningham, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business, National University of Ireland, Galway, and Brian Harney, Lecturer, Dublin City University Business School, and Brian Harney, Lecturer, Dublin City University Business School, Deputy Director, Leadership, Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre (LInK), Academic Fellow, Centre for International HRM, University of Cambridge

James Cunningham is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management J.E. Cairnes School of Business, National University of Ireland, Galway. His main research interests focus on strategy issues with respect to commercialisation, technology transfer, academic entrepreneurship and technology entrepreneurs. Awards for his research include three best paper awards at the British Academy of Management Annual Conferences (2002, 2005 and 2010), a best paper award at Technology Transfer Society Annual Conference 2011, a best paper award at the Irish Academy of Management Conference (2003) and his co-authored case studies have won national and international competitions. He has delivered invited key note presentations, acted as session chair and facilitator at national and international academic and practitioner conferences, as well as leading executive master classes on strategic management, innovation, starting your own business and research commercialisation.

Brian Harney is Lecturer in HRM at and Deputy Director (Knowledge) of the LInK research centre. His research interests include HRM in smaller firms, High Performance Work Systems, University Technology Transfer, Strategic Management.

Strategy and Strategists

James Cunningham and Brian Harney

Reviews and Awards

"'With an emphasis on strategists and strategy implementation, this distinctive and valuable textbook avoids offering prescriptive quick-fix approaches, providing readers with the confidence to question what strategy can and cannot do for an organization.'" - Charles C. Snow, Mellon Foundation Professor of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University

"'This book is a much-needed antidote to the many highly prescriptive superficial discussions of how strategy works.'" - Dr Philip Stiles, University Senior Lecturer in Corporate Governance, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge