How and to what extent do decisions affect business performance? Despite years of study by academic researchers and industry practitioners, there still remains a need to draw a clear and established connection between decision making and performance. By closely examining consequential business decisions made by key executives, this book offers a better understanding of business performance and recommendations for improved business practices. Through the use of case studies and interviews with business leaders based on 17 theorized measures of performance, this breakthrough study not only clarifies the impact of decisions on business performance, but also defines and distinguishes decisions that lead to successful and unsuccessful performance. Recommendations are made to optimize decision making for businesses of all sizes and projections about the future of decision making and performance are provided. This book can be used both as a reference source for academic researchers and students seeking further research on the subject, and as a practical guide for leaders and business professionals seeking advancement and better decision making within the industry.

A breakthrough approach to strategic management is presented in this book. Traditionally, strategic management texts have offered a largely conceptual presentation of the subject followed by a separate and dominant section containing many different types of case studies. This book breaks from that by having fewer case studies but they are attached to the chapters in which relevant material is presented. This reinforces the subject for student and manager alike. Additionally, important concepts from the academic treatment of strategic management and the practice of it in organizations are integrated by using findings and drawing implications from the leading strategic management journals and the writings from top business publications. Consequently, all readers will become familiar with the practical tools of strategy management, how to use these tools and solve real world strategy issues. This book also sorts through the myriad of strategy research and theory to highlight the intellectual pillars which support the subject.

Strategy is an essential part of business, but strategizing often gets ignored or left behind. In this exciting new work, Eric J. Bolland introduces strategizing as a key component of strategy development and execution, showing strategizing as a way to aid organizations with their futures. To strategize successfully, businesses need a set of well-developed tools to help them perform specific actions continuously. Starting by tracing the origin and evolution of strategy and strategic planning, this exciting new guide puts forward advice on how to put strategy research into strategizing practice. In detailed chapters, Bolland addresses how strategizing works, with twenty real-world cases to show how theory can become reality, citing art, history, literature, science, psychology and philosophy to explore the human impulse to strategize. A valuable accompaniment for business students of strategy, as well as a practical handbook for staff and mid- and upper-level managers, this book is an essential read for anyone seeking guidance about planning the futures of their organizations.