The ability to implement change quickly is crucial to an organizations's success--not only in traditionally sedate industries, but also in today's fast-moving hi-tech ones. Sherman and Chaganti, from their study of 100 American corporations, half in stable industries, half in volatile ones, find that a firM's structure of governance bears heavily on the speed with which the firm can reorient itself. What are the characteristics of firms that change quickly? What inhibits others? And what, precisely, is the impact of a firM's stockholders, board and top management on its ability to adapt? Sherman and Chaganti provide answers to these and other questions, in the first book yet to focus entirely on the determinants of time in corporate reorientations.

In order for a firm to develop or sustain a competitive advantage, it must not only adapt correctly to environmental change, but also adapt quickly. This study examines the factors associated with the time a firm takes to initiate reorientation. The results of the research indicate that even in relatively large organizations, reorientations are not rare and occur routinely. Further, deterioration of a firM's financial condition tends to hasten its initiation of reorientation. However, the determinants of time taken to initiate reorientation differ in firms with relatively high prior performance and firms with relatively low prior performance.

This volume fills a major gap in the literature by systematically and scientifically analyzing 500 small entrepreneurial firms and isolating the reasons for their successes and failures. The authors examine whether there are any laws of success and failure that are applicable to small and mid-size companies and identify profitable strategies in various industries and under differing industry conditions. Designed as a reference book for corporate executives, small business owners, and consultants, this book will also be extremely useful to graduate students interested in researching the application of strategic management concepts to entrepreneurial companies.

Following an introduction, the authors delineate the strategic profile of profitable small companies and examine the impact of competition on small firm profitability. Subsequent chapters assess profitable strategies in high-growth, mature, and declining industries; strategies for cyclical environments; profile start-up, buy-out, and family firms; consider the impact of organizational life-stage on small company strategy and performance; and discuss how to perpetuate the family firm. A separate chapter addresses strategies that are particularly applicable to women-owned firms. The conclusion reviews effective strategies and presents the practical implications of the research studies upon which the book was based. Two appendixes provide additional information about the research methodology.