'If you are looking for a quick-fix solution, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a light read, to rest your mind for a while, this is not the book for you. But if you are willing to think rigorously and seriously about how to help your organization imagine and realize its future, and if you are willing to be challenged so as to broaden your personal perspective and intellectual bandwidth then this is a book you cannot miss.' - Sumantra Ghoshal, Professor of Strategic and International Management, LBS

'A highly original scholar and consultant has written a book full of new ideas on the requirements for future organizations as they aspire to excellence. Normann writes with clarity and provides concrete illustrations about such important topics as leadership, strategy, measuring performance, and generating innovation.' - Chris Argyris, Harvard Business School, Monitor Company Group, L.P.

'Richard Normann has the astonishing ability to make you think quite differently about problems and issues that you thought you'd been entirely familiar with for years. His insights are exciting and eye-opening. A must for people who think about business.' - Wally Olins, Co-founder of Wolff Olins

'I personally know may leading figures both in the academic world and in the business community, but it would be hard for me to think of someone more capable than Richard Normann of dealing with an issue of vital importance in such a clear, profound, broad, interesting and illuminating approach.' - Alfredo Ambrosetti, Chairman, Ambrosetti Group

'Over the years Richard Normann has made major and fundamental contributions to the Strategy literature, based on years of experience over a broad spectrum of organizational situations. His unique insights have enabled him to become a keen observer of the business environment, pointing to weak signals that over the years have proved to be the early manifestations of major trend breaks. In this book he brings these strands together into a personal synthesis of his vast experience and insight. This book overviews the lifework of one of the foremost strategic thinkers of our time. Ignore at your peril.' - Kees van der Heijden, Professor of Strategic Management, Strathclyde University, Co-founder of GBN

In the world of industry and management producing 'intangible products' poses unique challenges. This book provides a comprehensive framework on these unique management issues and looks into the special characteristics of services and conditions necessary for success in the management of service organizations

This classic book, as relevant as ever and updated, provides a set of ideas which has proved its power and validity beyond the fads of the moment, over an extended period of time. A book that is at the same time very holistic and conceptual, and yet both easy to grasp and to translate into practical action.

It also evokes an alternative perspective on services, namely that of refocusing attention from the production and the product to the value creation process of customers. With these perspectivess every company todays needs to see itself as a service company.

The book stresses the need for a streamlined service management system and analyses and illustrates growth strategies and the nature of innovation —but above all it emphasizes the special role played by good leadership. In particular, this edition looks at the role of technology in services as well as — more generally —the role of services in society.

Of great value to managers and academics involved in the service industry this practical book, which has been translated into eight languages, will stimulate people to analyse and act on their situations.

Strategy is the art of creating value. It provides frameworks, conceptual models, and governing ideas that allow a company's managers to identify opportunities for bringing value to customers and for delivering that value at a profit. This book illustrates how new ways of creating value are being created by current global competition, changing markets, and new technologies. It shows how the focus of strategic analysis should not be the company or the industry, but the value-creating system itself, within which suppliers, business partners, allies, and customers work together to co-produce value.