Given the common acknowledgement that strategy implementation is the greatest challenge to managers in the 21st century and the greatest reason for strategy failure we decided to focus on strategy implementation. Rather than promoting the unrealistic idea of strategy as a purely rational and deliberate outcome, this book acknowledges and explores the idea that strategy is often emergent, messy and experimental.

The 2nd edition of this book offers five key approaches:

• It focuses on strategy implementation and not just on the thinking and analytical aspects of strategic management.
• It explores the idea that strategy is often emergent, messy and experimental, unlike other strategic management books, which unrealistically portray it as a neat, analytical and rational process.
• It unpacks the recent concept that other strategists, not only just senior management, influence strategic direction.
• It recognises strategy as something people do rather than something an organisation possesses. Since people are building blocks of strategy, it is a cognitive and political activity.
• It uses primary research conducted among southern African top and middle managers and draws on these managerial perspectives to enrich the text with first-hand accounts of strategy experience.

The second edition features a number of new chapters, focusing on strategy implementation and change management, resource allocation and responsible leadership. It also includes a more detailed coverage of managing strategic risk.

There are a number of strategy books, international and local, available in the South African market. Why another one? What makes this book different?

The third edition of the book features a number of new chapters, focusing on strategy implementation and change management, resource allocation and responsible leadership. It also includes a more detailed coverage of managing strategic risk.

Features:

Strategic Management covers the key concepts of strategic management and show how these concepts are integrated within the management environment.

Strategic Management answers questions such as:

• How does one strategise in a management environment?
• What competencies and capabilities do organisations need?
• How does one adopt a strategic approach towards making organisations sustainable?

The book is written in clear, accessible language and is suitable for senior undergraduate students, postgraduate students and those who are already employed. It provides theory and knowledge that can be applied to the work context to enable career growth and development.

Economic and Management Research is a step-by-step guide to doing research.

It guides students systematically through the research process by helping them to plan a research project, execute the research by using the best methodology and report on the findings.

The book focuses on both quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as mixed methods.

Twee slagoffers, twee moordenaars en kinders wat met reëlmaat verdwyn. Speur-adjudant Jaap (Boel) Helberg ondersoek die saak. Een slagoffer is ’n invloedryke sakeman se vrou. Hy is ’n man met ’n diaboliese stokperdjie: veghonde. Die ander moordenaar hou van raaiselspeletjies. Hy bel Helberg met die slagoffer se selfoon, vertel hom waar hy haar lyk kan kry en stuur vir hom ’n video van hoe sy vermoor word. Daar is ’n reël; net hy mag by die ondersoek betrokke wees, anders ... En sy is die derde slagoffer. Die ander twee is in ’n verlate, skemer plek, in donker water wat nooit son sien nie, by ’n groot swart kruis wat met son kom en gaan. Helberg is geskok toe hy uitvind wat die ryk sakeman se stokperdjie is en wie sy vrou vermoor het. In die makabere klimaks waarop dit uitloop skiet die moordenaar hom. Helberg herwin sy bewussyn in die hospitaal en hoor dat sy vrou vermis word. Toe hy genoegsaam herstel het, soek hy na sy vrou. Hy kry haar in die plek waar die lyke van die twee vroue in die donker waterkuil is. Sy leef nog. Haar ontvoerder is die moordenaar van drie vroue; iemand wat Helberg nooit sou verdink nie.

Hoë politici sweer saam om Suid-Afrika in ’n diktatorskap te dompel. Die armes het genoeg gehad en kom in opstand. Die land brand. Mense vir wie Thys Krige omgee, kry seer. Iemand moet daarvoor boet.

Hierdie keer word hy betrek by korrupsie en komplotte op regeringsvlak. ’n Korrupte president speel in die hand van buitelandse moondhede met imperialistiese ambisies wat ’n voet in die deur soek. Sagte kolonisasie, noem mens dit. Staatskaping noem die media dit. Die tentakels daarvan al so diep in die struktuur van mense in sleutelposte dat niemand meer seker is wie betrokke is en wie vertrou kan word nie. In sulke gevalle protesteer mense gewoonlik. Hulle kan byvoorbeeld so aggressief gemaak word dat hulle mekaar begin uitroei. Traangas word gedokter met dwelms wat ten doel het dat mense mekaar te lyf gaan. Grootskaalse chaos maak ’n land onregeerbaar. Dryf die mense se frustrasie tot breekpunt. Sweep hulle teen mekaar op. Maar daar is maniere om hulle stemme stil te kry.

In Krige se stryd het drie vroue deel van sy wêreld geword: sy halfsuster, ’n gestremde IT-spesialis en ’n genie wat die donkerweb met die donkerbewuste in die mens se psige in verband bring. Al drie gaan gebuk onder pyn en trauma, soos Krige, en vir al drie ervaar hy iets wat aan liefde gelykgestel kan word.

“Hy voel die wonderlike pyn wegsak, diep in, dieper, dieper, tot dit sag word en tot rus kom op die koue en harde ding in hom.”