Business Strategy For A Better Normal

This book examines how leaders can use strategic thinking to transform their followers, organizations, and industries in the wake of societal shocks like COVID-19 that require re-balancing both leadership and business models. It is organized around a new triumvirate of strategic thinking concepts for the better normal, explained in a 3S Model: Style, Situation, and Strategic Orientation. The environment (situation) creates or deters opportunities that are pursued by leaders with the propensity (style) and the potential (strategy) to develop them. In the face of ongoing crises such as COVID-19, natural disasters, political upheaval, and climate change, the author proposes that the field of strategic management needs to rethink and update traditional frameworks in order to offer business models more applicable in a rapidly changing environment. Addressing topics such as sustainability and diversity, this pivotal text fills a gap in strategic thinking and presents illustrative examples and case studies about organizations grappling with making decisions in a dynamically different “new normal.”

"This book fills a major gap in thinking proactively about the future of businesses and preparing leadership teams to succeed. The topics and the mini-cases are both current and compelling, illustrating the emerging choices that companies will need to make in the second half of the 21st century and providing them the tools to make choices that will optimize the returns to all of their stakeholders." -John Elstrott, Chairman (retired) Whole Foods Markets, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA "A clear road map for leaders seeking to empower their followers, organizations, and industries to innovate during unexpected and challenging times in order to maintain competitive advantage in a diversified, equitable and inclusive culture." -Amelia Ceja, President & CEO, Ceja Vineyards, Napa, CA USA This book examines how leaders can use strategic thinking to transform their followers, organizations, and industries in the wake of societal shocks like COVID-19 that require re-balancing both leadership and business models. It is organized around a new triumvirate of strategic thinking concepts for the better normal, explained in a 3S Model: Style, Situation, and Strategic Orientation. The environment (situation) creates or deters opportunities that are pursued by leaders with the propensity (style) and the potential (strategy) to develop them. In the face of ongoing crises such as COVID-19, natural disasters, political upheaval, and climate change, the author proposes that the field of strategic management needs to rethink and update traditional frameworks in order to offer business models more applicable in a rapidly changing environment. Addressing topics such as sustainability and diversity, this pivotal text offers fresh strategic thinking and presents illustrative examples and case studies about organizations grappling with making decisions in a dynamically different "new normal." Armand Gilinsky is the F Korbel Professor of Wine Business at Sonoma State University, USA, where he has taught strategy and entrepreneurship since 1994. He has authored over 50 published business case studies and several articles on entrepreneurial strategy and socially responsible entrepreneurship. He has served as President of the North American Case Research Association, a group of some 500 case research professionals. Dr. Gilinsky has extensive consulting experience in strategic planning, competitive strategy, and developing business and financial plans.

A practical approach to business transformation Fit for Growth* is a unique approach to business transformation that explicitly connects growth strategy with cost management and organization restructuring. Drawing on 70-plus years of strategy consulting experience and in-depth research, the experts at PwC’s Strategy& lay out a winning framework that helps CEOs and senior executives transform their organizations for sustainable, profitable growth. This approach gives structure to strategy while promoting lasting change. Examples from Strategy&’s hundreds of clients illustrate successful transformation on the ground, and illuminate how senior and middle managers are able to take ownership and even thrive during difficult periods of transition. Throughout the Fit for Growth process, the focus is on maintaining consistent high-value performance while enabling fundamental change. Strategy& has helped major clients around the globe achieve significant and sustained results with its research-backed approach to restructuring and cost reduction. This book provides practical guidance for leveraging that expertise to make the choices that allow companies to: Achieve growth while reducing costs Manage transformation and transition productively Create lasting competitive advantage Deliver reliable, high-value performance Sustainable success is founded on efficiency and high performance. Companies are always looking to do more with less, but their efforts often work against them in the long run. Total business transformation requires total buy-in, and it entails a series of decisions that must not be made lightly. The Fit for Growth approach provides a clear strategy and practical framework for growth-oriented change, with expert guidance on getting it right. *Fit for Growth is a registered service mark of PwC Strategy& Inc. in the United States

today’s global and hyper-competitive world, business strategy is no longer something that can be pushed to the sidelines and re-visited at a convenient time in the future. Developing a business strategy can be a complex, sometimes frustrating exercise. This book offers a much simpler way to develop an effective business strategy by acting as your business strategy coach. It brings everything you will need together in one place to help you develop an effective business strategy to achieve better and faster results. It provides the tools you need to develop a strategy mindset and a mental map to meet business challenges. It uses a project approach to walk you through development step-by-step strategy to achieve your desired strategy objectives. There are countless reasons to buy this book. Some of the key benefits are: The book goes straight to the heart of business strategy without the often-confusing jargon. It is full of illustrations that you can use in your business to help you make the right strategy decisions. Executives, managers, and business owners who apply the tools provided in this book will increase their value to their firms or their organizations tremendously. This book is for those who do not accept the status quo and know that they deserve better. You can start applying the knowledge from this book today and reap the benefits immediately. The book will benefit business owners, managers, executives, presidents, vice-presidents, chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and those who are responsible for strategy. Consultants, business professors, MBA and other students, business students, government officials, not-for-profit organizations, and campaign managers will find this book beneficial. The book is written in plain language and aims at those who have managerial responsibilities but do not have time to pursue formal business degrees or diplomas, and yet need something quick and simple to get the job done.

Much has been written about Covid-19 victims, how scientists raced to understand and treat the disease, and how governments did (or did not) protect their citizens. Less has been written about the pandemic’s impact on the global economy and how companies coped as the competitive environment was upended. In his new book, "The New (Ab)Normal", MIT Professor Yossi Sheffi maps how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted business, supply chains, and society. He exposes the critical role supply chains play in helping people, governments, and companies to manage the crisis. The book draws on executive interviews, pandemic media coverage, and historical analyses. Sheffi also builds on themes from his books "The Resilient Enterprise" (2005) and "The Power of Resilience" (2015) to enrich the narrative. The author paints a compelling picture of how the Covid-19 virus is changing many facets of human life and what our post-pandemic world might look like. This must-read book helps companies to redefine their business models and adjust to a fast-evolving economic landscape. The stage is set In Part 1 of the book, “What Happened,” the author looks at how companies fought to mend the global economic fabric even as the virus ripped more holes in it. Part 2, “Living with Uncertainty,” views the crisis through a supply chain risk management lens derived from Yossi Sheffi’s previous books. This perspective shows how companies create corporate immune systems to quickly recognize and manage large-scale disruptions. The ongoing pandemic is creating a new normal in life, work, and education—covered in Part 3, “Adjustment Required.” Consumer fears about the contagion as well as government mandates require businesses in industries such as retail, hospitality, entertainment, sports, and education to create “safe zones” for workers and customers. Many elements of the book – especially in Part 4, “Supply Chains for the Future” – show how the virus accelerated preexisting trends in technology adoption. China was the epicenter of the pandemic; it also was the first nation to be disrupted and recover. Part 5 of the book, “Of Politics and Pandemics,” explains why reports that companies are abandoning China in favor of other offshore manufacturing centers do not reflect reality. Fundamentally, The New (Ab)Normal is about businesses trying to create a better future in a time of extreme uncertainty – a point emphasized in Part 6, “The Next Opportunities.” The outlook is not necessarily gloomy. The advance of technology is accelerating, a trend that can level the playing field between small and large companies. Nimble small businesses are using a growing array of off-the-shelf cloud computing and mobile apps to deploy sophisticated technologies in their supply chains and customer interfaces. The New (Ab)Normal Another new normal is working from home. Remote working enables individuals to live anywhere and companies to recruit talent from anywhere. Education, especially higher education, faces a major disruption (and major opportunity) that is likely to shake the high-cost model of in-person education in favor of online or hybrid education. Regrettably, the book recognizes one trend accentuated by Covid-19--the growing inequality, and anticipates that the new normal will be more stratified.

A guide for mining the imagination to find powerful new ways to succeed. We need imagination now more than ever—to find new opportunities, rethink our businesses, and discover paths to growth. Yet too many companies have lost their ability to imagine. What is this mysterious capacity? How does imagination work? And how can organizations keep it alive and harness it in a systematic way? The Imagination Machine answers these questions and more. Drawing on the experience and insights of CEOs across several industries, as well as lessons from neuroscience, computer science, psychology, and philosophy, Martin Reeves of Boston Consulting Group's Henderson Institute and Jack Fuller, an expert in neuroscience, provide a fascinating look into the mechanics of imagination and lay out a process for creating ideas and bringing them to life: The Seduction: How to open yourself up to surprises The Idea: How to generate new ideas The Collision: How to rethink your idea based on real-world feedback The Epidemic: How to spread an evolving idea to others The New Ordinary: How to turn your novel idea into an accepted reality The Encore: How to repeat the process—again and again. Imagination is one of the least understood but most crucial ingredients of success. It's what makes the difference between an incremental change and the kinds of pivots and paradigm shifts that are essential to transformation—especially during a crisis. The Imagination Machine is the guide you need to demystify and operationalize this powerful human capacity, to inject new life into your company, and to head into unknown territory with the right tools at your disposal.

This book focuses on the issues and challenges posed by COVID-19, proposing ways to deal with the supposed ‘new normal’ which the pandemic has introduced in the functioning of business, society, and environment. Among the issues discussed are employee well-being and mental health, impact of changes in education sector, marketing, selling and distribution of goods, change in business model for SME, impact on travel and personal grooming sector, consumer preferences, performance impact of intellectual capital, performance of banks-pre merger, and so on. Focus is on presenting strong research results backed by statistical analysis using different tools. There are managerial solutions to the problems being faced by businesses and firms. The presentations would throw great insights on how businesses have coped during pandemic times in a developing economy like India.

'Business Strategy: an introduction' is an accessible textbook that provides a straightforward guide for those with little or no knowledge of the subject. It presents complex issues and concepts in a clear and compact manner, so that readers gain a clear understanding of the topics addressed. The following features are included: * A comprehensive introduction to the subjects of business strategy and strategic management * Complex issues explained in a straightforward way for students new to this topic * Student friendly learning features throughout * Case studies of varying lengths with questions included for assignment and seminar work * A discussion of both traditional theory and the most recent research in the field This second edition features new and updated case studies as well as more depth having been added to the material in the book. New chapters on business ethics, types and levels of strategy, and how to use case studies have been incorporated. A range of pedagogical features such as learning objectives, review and discussion questions, chapter summaries and further reading are included in the text resulting in it being a user-friendly, definitive guide for those new to the subject. A web-based Tutor Resource Site accompanies the book.