The business environment can change at any given time and organisations need to be ready to respond if they want to survive. Strategic management is an important and ongoing process of formulating and implementing strategies that help an organisation position itself optimally and so maintain a competitive advantage that results in profit. It creates harmony between any organisation, big or small, and its environment. The strategic management process: a South African perspective explains strategy in such a way that every reader will understand not only how vital the strategic management process is to any organisation but also exactly what it entails. The strategic management process: a South African perspective follows an understandable and practical approach, making use of numerous figures and "strategy in action" case studies to support the theory. Two important new chapters have been added to this second edition, namely risk management and scenario development, both of which have become increasingly important in today's business environment. Contents are divided into the following four parts: Strategic direction and environmental analysis; Strategy formulation; Strategy implementation; Strategy control and evaluation The strategic management process: a South African perspective is aimed at students in strategic management as well as at organisations, from corporate and public companies with management training programmes to small business ventures that are trying to gain a competitive advantage in a cut-throat environment.

Today's business environment is challenging and ever-changing. Accordingly, any manager, whether in the public or private sector, and whatever the size and type of organisation, has to have some basic management knowledge and skills. General management is a back-to-basics textbook that provides the grounding managers and entrepreneurs need to survive and prosper in today's fluid and competitive global marketplace. General management incorporates the fundamental concepts found in any general management course, including the basic functions of planning, organising, leading (activating) and control. The discussion is augmented with updated, real-life management-in-action examples and an Afrocentric perspective has been woven into the chapters where applicable.

General management provides the basic management knowledge managers and entrepreneurs require in today's ever-changing and competitive environment. The book incorporates the fundamental concepts found in any general management course, including the basic management functions of planning, organising, leading (activating) and control, as well as some additional management functions. The discussion is augmented with real-life management in action examples. Today's business environment is challenging and ever-changing. Accordingly, any manager, whether in the public or private sector, whatever the size and type of organisation, has to have some basic management knowledge and skills. Although the emphasis of this book falls on the management functions, important management issues such as diversity, organisational change, ethics and social responsibility are also introduced. In addition, the book emphasises the importance of effective management because all organisational stakeholders are affected by the way today's managers manage their organisations. This is a new 'back-to-basics' South African textbook on management with no unnecessary frills. It is believed that this book, with its easy-to-follow, practical layout, will be invaluable to all existing and potential management practitioners in all organisations, from corporate companies with management training programmes, to organisations in the public sector and small business ventures, all of which are tasked with managing people in an ever-changing and demanding competitive environment. The editor, Kobus Lazenby, is an associate professor in the Department of Business Management at the University of the Free State, specialising in general, strategic and project management. The other contributors to this book all lecture in management at South African universities.