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Strategic Management (2020) is a 325-page open educational resource designed as an introduction to the key topics and themes of strategic management. The open textbook is intended for a senior capstone course in an undergraduate business program and suitable for a wide range of undergraduate business students including those majoring in marketing, management, business administration, accounting, finance, real estate, business information technology, and hospitality and tourism. The text presents examples of familiar companies and personalities to illustrate the different strategies used by today's firms and how they go about implementing those strategies. It includes case studies, end of section key takeaways, exercises, and links to external videos, and an end-of-book glossary. The text is ideal for courses which focus on how organizations operate at the strategic level to be successful. Students will learn how to conduct case analyses, measure organizational performance, and conduct external and internal analyses.
Book Synopsis Strategic Management (color) by :
Download or read book Strategic Management (color) written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-18 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strategic Management (2020) is a 325-page open educational resource designed as an introduction to the key topics and themes of strategic management. The open textbook is intended for a senior capstone course in an undergraduate business program and suitable for a wide range of undergraduate business students including those majoring in marketing, management, business administration, accounting, finance, real estate, business information technology, and hospitality and tourism. The text presents examples of familiar companies and personalities to illustrate the different strategies used by today's firms and how they go about implementing those strategies. It includes case studies, end of section key takeaways, exercises, and links to external videos, and an end-of-book glossary. The text is ideal for courses which focus on how organizations operate at the strategic level to be successful. Students will learn how to conduct case analyses, measure organizational performance, and conduct external and internal analyses.
A supply chain is the process of all parties involved in fulfilling a customer request, while a value chain is a set of interrelated activities a company uses to create value and a competitive advantage. In Strategic Value Chain Management the authors bring together a variety of disciplines, showing how to move from traditional supply chain management to value chain management. Research from the (ISM) International School of Management, Germany, originating from a network of companies in a range of sectors, is integrated with case studies to demonstrate particular concepts. Strategic Value Chain Management brings together theory and practice and presents tangible ways of creating competitiveness in a changing world through the use of effective models and frameworks. Challenging the traditional Porters Five Forces Model, the authors introduce the important academic disciplines of cybernetics and systems sciences as essential drivers of strategy within the supply chain, supported by case studies illustrating their implementation.
Book Synopsis Strategic Value Chain Management by : Qeis Kamran
Download or read book Strategic Value Chain Management written by Qeis Kamran and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A supply chain is the process of all parties involved in fulfilling a customer request, while a value chain is a set of interrelated activities a company uses to create value and a competitive advantage. In Strategic Value Chain Management the authors bring together a variety of disciplines, showing how to move from traditional supply chain management to value chain management. Research from the (ISM) International School of Management, Germany, originating from a network of companies in a range of sectors, is integrated with case studies to demonstrate particular concepts. Strategic Value Chain Management brings together theory and practice and presents tangible ways of creating competitiveness in a changing world through the use of effective models and frameworks. Challenging the traditional Porters Five Forces Model, the authors introduce the important academic disciplines of cybernetics and systems sciences as essential drivers of strategy within the supply chain, supported by case studies illustrating their implementation.
The supply chain is at the heart of every successful business organization's decision-making process. This textbook explains how to create a winning supply chain management strategy by spotlighting how senior executives in European and US companies have turned their supply chains into strategic weapons designed to convert threats, risks and outside pressures into competitive advantages. Strategic Supply Chain Management contains twenty real-world cases, all of which have been field researched by a top author team and tested out in the classroom. Each case adopts an executive leadership perspective to illuminate the real dilemmas faced by managers. The authors draw on their extensive classroom and industry experience to ensure that the writing style is geared towards an executive education readership. This elite case package will provide a complete teaching resource and authentic learning experience for MBA and executive education classes in Supply Chain Management throughout the world.
Book Synopsis Strategic Supply Chain Management by : Carlos Cordón
Download or read book Strategic Supply Chain Management written by Carlos Cordón and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-05-02 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The supply chain is at the heart of every successful business organization's decision-making process. This textbook explains how to create a winning supply chain management strategy by spotlighting how senior executives in European and US companies have turned their supply chains into strategic weapons designed to convert threats, risks and outside pressures into competitive advantages. Strategic Supply Chain Management contains twenty real-world cases, all of which have been field researched by a top author team and tested out in the classroom. Each case adopts an executive leadership perspective to illuminate the real dilemmas faced by managers. The authors draw on their extensive classroom and industry experience to ensure that the writing style is geared towards an executive education readership. This elite case package will provide a complete teaching resource and authentic learning experience for MBA and executive education classes in Supply Chain Management throughout the world.
Praise For Strategic Supply Chain Management: "This book shows convincingly that a robust supply chain strategy is critical for business success in today's uncertain economic environment. Cohen and Roussel explain not only what makes for a good supply chain strategy but also how to put that strategy into practice." -- Jim Miller, VP, Worldwide Operations, Google "Strategic Supply Chain Management loudly and clearly makes the case that successful companies' supply chain strategies are closely aligned with their competitive differentiation and operating models. The book uses in-depth examples that bring these concepts to life and demonstrate that one size doesn't fit all. Anyone who thinks operations is just another corporate function needs to read this book." -- Manish Bhatia, SVP, Worldwide Operations, SanDisk "The advent of global marketplaces, heightened competition, accelerated pace of product innovation, and fast-changing customer preferences have increased the impact of the supply chain on company profitability and long-term success. But cultural challenges to successful supply chain design remain. Cohen and Roussel's book provides a platform for addressing these challenges and is recommended reading for chief executives, strategy professionals, and supply chain practitioners." -- Martin Roper, Chief Executive Officer and President, Boston Beer "The authors present a straightforward path for developing and deploying a global supply chain strategy that addresses the priorities of today's executive management teams." --Hau Lee, Thoma Professor of Operations, Information and Technology, Stanford Graduate School of Business The classic guide to supply chain strategy--re-created to help business leaders gain an advantage in today's volatile, globalized arena The global landscape has changed dramatically since the first edition of Strategic Supply Chain Management established itself as the authority on creating value and achieving competitive advantage from the supply chain. Shorter economic cycles, more-frequent natural disasters, higher costs in low-cost countries, more-restricted access to working capital, and greater focus on sustainability have made effective supply chain management much more challenging--and much more critical to the bottom line. This second edition is your answer to gaining a strategic advantage in the face of these challenges. Drawing on dozens of new company examples as well as cutting-edge benchmarking research, it shows you how to make your supply chains more agile, flexible, and resilient. With 80 easy-to-read tables and diagrams, this fully revised book explains how to: Develop a supply chain strategy that will help you realize your business goals Design a process architecture that maps out the activities of the end-to-end supply chain Create the most effective supply chain organization Build the most beneficial relationships with your supply chain partners Use metrics to assess and drive business success Implement transformational change See how today's best supply chain strategies work in all-new profiles of BASF, Essilor, Haier, Kaiser Permanente, Lenovo, and Schlumberger. Find out what these industry leaders are doing to get the greatest value out of their supply chains. When value depends on how well you deliver, you need Strategic Supply Chain Management, Second Edition.
Book Synopsis Strategic Supply Chain Management 2E (PB) by : Shoshanah Cohen
Download or read book Strategic Supply Chain Management 2E (PB) written by Shoshanah Cohen and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2013-06-21 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise For Strategic Supply Chain Management: "This book shows convincingly that a robust supply chain strategy is critical for business success in today's uncertain economic environment. Cohen and Roussel explain not only what makes for a good supply chain strategy but also how to put that strategy into practice." -- Jim Miller, VP, Worldwide Operations, Google "Strategic Supply Chain Management loudly and clearly makes the case that successful companies' supply chain strategies are closely aligned with their competitive differentiation and operating models. The book uses in-depth examples that bring these concepts to life and demonstrate that one size doesn't fit all. Anyone who thinks operations is just another corporate function needs to read this book." -- Manish Bhatia, SVP, Worldwide Operations, SanDisk "The advent of global marketplaces, heightened competition, accelerated pace of product innovation, and fast-changing customer preferences have increased the impact of the supply chain on company profitability and long-term success. But cultural challenges to successful supply chain design remain. Cohen and Roussel's book provides a platform for addressing these challenges and is recommended reading for chief executives, strategy professionals, and supply chain practitioners." -- Martin Roper, Chief Executive Officer and President, Boston Beer "The authors present a straightforward path for developing and deploying a global supply chain strategy that addresses the priorities of today's executive management teams." --Hau Lee, Thoma Professor of Operations, Information and Technology, Stanford Graduate School of Business The classic guide to supply chain strategy--re-created to help business leaders gain an advantage in today's volatile, globalized arena The global landscape has changed dramatically since the first edition of Strategic Supply Chain Management established itself as the authority on creating value and achieving competitive advantage from the supply chain. Shorter economic cycles, more-frequent natural disasters, higher costs in low-cost countries, more-restricted access to working capital, and greater focus on sustainability have made effective supply chain management much more challenging--and much more critical to the bottom line. This second edition is your answer to gaining a strategic advantage in the face of these challenges. Drawing on dozens of new company examples as well as cutting-edge benchmarking research, it shows you how to make your supply chains more agile, flexible, and resilient. With 80 easy-to-read tables and diagrams, this fully revised book explains how to: Develop a supply chain strategy that will help you realize your business goals Design a process architecture that maps out the activities of the end-to-end supply chain Create the most effective supply chain organization Build the most beneficial relationships with your supply chain partners Use metrics to assess and drive business success Implement transformational change See how today's best supply chain strategies work in all-new profiles of BASF, Essilor, Haier, Kaiser Permanente, Lenovo, and Schlumberger. Find out what these industry leaders are doing to get the greatest value out of their supply chains. When value depends on how well you deliver, you need Strategic Supply Chain Management, Second Edition.
High-Tech and High-Touch Logistics Solutions for Supply Chain Challenges In today's fast-paced and customer-oriented business environment, superior supply chain performance is a prerequisite to getting and staying competitive. Supply Chain Strategy is based on world-class logistics practices in place in successful supply chain organizations, the latest academic breakthroughs in logistics system design, and the logic of logistics. It presents the proven pillars of success in logistics and supply chain management. Part of McGraw-Hill's Logistics Management Library, Supply Chain Strategy is organized according to author Dr. Ed Frazelle's breakthrough logistics master planning methodology. The methodology leads to metrics, process designs, system designs, and organizational strategies for total supply chain management, total logistics management, customer response, inventory planning and management, supply, transportation, and warehousing. Concise yet complete, Dr. Frazelle's book shows how to develop a comprehensive logistics and supply chain strategy, one that will both complement and support a company's strategic objectives and long-term success. Logisticsthe flow of material, information, and money between consumers and suppliershas become a key boardroom topic. It is the subject of cover features in business publications from Wall Street Journal to BusinessWeek. Annual global logistics expenditures exceed $3.5 trillion, nearly 20 percent of the world's GDP, making logistics perhaps the last frontier for major corporations to significantly increase shareholder and customer value. And at the heart of every effort to improve organizational logistics performance? Supply chain efficiency. Supply Chain Strategy is today's most comprehensive resource for up-to-the-minute thinking and practices on developing supply chain strategies that support a company's overall objectives. Covering world-class practices and systems, taken from the files of Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, General Electric, and other companies, it covers essential supply chain subjects including: Logistics data miningfor identifying the root cause of material and information flow problems, pinpointing opportunities for process improvements, and providing an objective basis for project-team decision making Inventory planning and managementpresenting metrics, processes, and systems for forecasting, demand planning, and inventory control, yielding lower inventory levels and improved customer service Logistics information systems and Web-based logisticshelping to substitute information for inventory and work content Transportation and distributionfor connecting sourcing locations with customers at the lowest cost by, among other things, leveraging private and third-party transportation systems Logistics organization developmentincluding the seven disciplines that link enterprises across the supply chain, as well as logistics activities within those enterprises Supply Chain Strategy explains and demonstrates how decision makers can use today's technology to enhance key logistics systems at every point in the supply chain, from the time an idea or product is conceived through its delivery to the final user. It describes the major steps in developing an effective, workable logistics management programone that will reduce operating expenses, minimize capital investment, and improve overall customer service and satisfaction.
Book Synopsis Supply Chain Strategy by : Edward H. Frazelle
Download or read book Supply Chain Strategy written by Edward H. Frazelle and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2001-10-16 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High-Tech and High-Touch Logistics Solutions for Supply Chain Challenges In today's fast-paced and customer-oriented business environment, superior supply chain performance is a prerequisite to getting and staying competitive. Supply Chain Strategy is based on world-class logistics practices in place in successful supply chain organizations, the latest academic breakthroughs in logistics system design, and the logic of logistics. It presents the proven pillars of success in logistics and supply chain management. Part of McGraw-Hill's Logistics Management Library, Supply Chain Strategy is organized according to author Dr. Ed Frazelle's breakthrough logistics master planning methodology. The methodology leads to metrics, process designs, system designs, and organizational strategies for total supply chain management, total logistics management, customer response, inventory planning and management, supply, transportation, and warehousing. Concise yet complete, Dr. Frazelle's book shows how to develop a comprehensive logistics and supply chain strategy, one that will both complement and support a company's strategic objectives and long-term success. Logisticsthe flow of material, information, and money between consumers and suppliershas become a key boardroom topic. It is the subject of cover features in business publications from Wall Street Journal to BusinessWeek. Annual global logistics expenditures exceed $3.5 trillion, nearly 20 percent of the world's GDP, making logistics perhaps the last frontier for major corporations to significantly increase shareholder and customer value. And at the heart of every effort to improve organizational logistics performance? Supply chain efficiency. Supply Chain Strategy is today's most comprehensive resource for up-to-the-minute thinking and practices on developing supply chain strategies that support a company's overall objectives. Covering world-class practices and systems, taken from the files of Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, General Electric, and other companies, it covers essential supply chain subjects including: Logistics data miningfor identifying the root cause of material and information flow problems, pinpointing opportunities for process improvements, and providing an objective basis for project-team decision making Inventory planning and managementpresenting metrics, processes, and systems for forecasting, demand planning, and inventory control, yielding lower inventory levels and improved customer service Logistics information systems and Web-based logisticshelping to substitute information for inventory and work content Transportation and distributionfor connecting sourcing locations with customers at the lowest cost by, among other things, leveraging private and third-party transportation systems Logistics organization developmentincluding the seven disciplines that link enterprises across the supply chain, as well as logistics activities within those enterprises Supply Chain Strategy explains and demonstrates how decision makers can use today's technology to enhance key logistics systems at every point in the supply chain, from the time an idea or product is conceived through its delivery to the final user. It describes the major steps in developing an effective, workable logistics management programone that will reduce operating expenses, minimize capital investment, and improve overall customer service and satisfaction.
Hands-on guidance for creating competitive advantages through strategy realization How can your supply chain create competitive advantages and help achieve business goals? Drawing from the author's abundant research and analysis, this resourceful book shows how aligning the supply chain design with business strategy helps build competitive capabilities, prioritize capital investments, and takes your firm beyond the industry best-practices to create competitive advantages, not just competitive parity. Summarizing the current literature on business and supply chain strategies, this book provides path-breaking new direction to build your own winning supply chain strategy. Real-life cases show how this strategy alignment has produced results for the most successful companies and how it can be achieved in your firm. An overview of the concepts of business strategy, the current thinking on supply chain strategy and why it is inadequate to drive competitive advantage through supply chain design Process for establishing your own supply chain strategy to build competitive advantage The place of technology in creating business capabilities in modern corporations and why managing technology should be a core competence and an integral part of strategy planning Step-by-step direction and examples for creating strategy alignment and designing a supply chain that goes beyond supporting your operations Case studies including Wal-mart, Cemex, Kmart, HP, Dell, and others Consolidating the lessons learned along with implementation guidance, Supply Chain as Strategic Asset is the must-read road map for designing a supply chain that will be vital in achieving your business goals.
Book Synopsis Supply Chain as Strategic Asset by : Vivek Sehgal
Download or read book Supply Chain as Strategic Asset written by Vivek Sehgal and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-01-25 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hands-on guidance for creating competitive advantages through strategy realization How can your supply chain create competitive advantages and help achieve business goals? Drawing from the author's abundant research and analysis, this resourceful book shows how aligning the supply chain design with business strategy helps build competitive capabilities, prioritize capital investments, and takes your firm beyond the industry best-practices to create competitive advantages, not just competitive parity. Summarizing the current literature on business and supply chain strategies, this book provides path-breaking new direction to build your own winning supply chain strategy. Real-life cases show how this strategy alignment has produced results for the most successful companies and how it can be achieved in your firm. An overview of the concepts of business strategy, the current thinking on supply chain strategy and why it is inadequate to drive competitive advantage through supply chain design Process for establishing your own supply chain strategy to build competitive advantage The place of technology in creating business capabilities in modern corporations and why managing technology should be a core competence and an integral part of strategy planning Step-by-step direction and examples for creating strategy alignment and designing a supply chain that goes beyond supporting your operations Case studies including Wal-mart, Cemex, Kmart, HP, Dell, and others Consolidating the lessons learned along with implementation guidance, Supply Chain as Strategic Asset is the must-read road map for designing a supply chain that will be vital in achieving your business goals.
Supply chain performance will be a key indicator of overall corporate success into the next century. This book, edited by logistics and supply chain expert John Gattorna, and with international contributions, presents unpublished material on next generation thinking about the management of the supply chain. Based on the recently developed strategic alignment model it shows how external market dynamics, the company’s strategic response, and internal capability must be aligned if competitive advantage is to be achieved. Supply chain management is a strategic challenge demanding top level management attention. This book tackles the subject at that strategic level to help companies reposition their supply chains successfully. The book then offers the vital link between strategy setting and implementation, providing comprehensive coverage of the main areas of execution, and making it an essential compendium on all aspects of the subject. With case studies from major organizations from around the world, it is a ’must’ read for anyone wishing to be at the forefront of international supply chain management thinking. Strategic Supply Chain Alignment brings together for the first time the world’s leading logistics professionals, management consultants and academics to offer their insights and experiences on the latest supply chain management techniques. This collection of previously unpublished material offers the reader a unique opportunity to identify the hot issues, discover emerging strategies and uncover key industry and market perspectives. Divided into five sections which reflect the important components of the strategic alignment model, the book covers: The market: Customer value creation and segmentation, and the rationale behind the integration of supply with demand. Strategic response: Considers channel strategy, supply chain configuration and operations and distribution management. Culture: Adopting organization options which focus on delivering.
Book Synopsis Strategic Supply Chain Alignment by : John Gattorna
Download or read book Strategic Supply Chain Alignment written by John Gattorna and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-03-02 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Supply chain performance will be a key indicator of overall corporate success into the next century. This book, edited by logistics and supply chain expert John Gattorna, and with international contributions, presents unpublished material on next generation thinking about the management of the supply chain. Based on the recently developed strategic alignment model it shows how external market dynamics, the company’s strategic response, and internal capability must be aligned if competitive advantage is to be achieved. Supply chain management is a strategic challenge demanding top level management attention. This book tackles the subject at that strategic level to help companies reposition their supply chains successfully. The book then offers the vital link between strategy setting and implementation, providing comprehensive coverage of the main areas of execution, and making it an essential compendium on all aspects of the subject. With case studies from major organizations from around the world, it is a ’must’ read for anyone wishing to be at the forefront of international supply chain management thinking. Strategic Supply Chain Alignment brings together for the first time the world’s leading logistics professionals, management consultants and academics to offer their insights and experiences on the latest supply chain management techniques. This collection of previously unpublished material offers the reader a unique opportunity to identify the hot issues, discover emerging strategies and uncover key industry and market perspectives. Divided into five sections which reflect the important components of the strategic alignment model, the book covers: The market: Customer value creation and segmentation, and the rationale behind the integration of supply with demand. Strategic response: Considers channel strategy, supply chain configuration and operations and distribution management. Culture: Adopting organization options which focus on delivering.
Agile, strategic supply chain management is a key competitive necessity in today’s no-room-for-error business arena. And few organizations have acquired more knowledge—and demonstrated better results—than the team at global management consultancy Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd, and McGrath (PRTM). In the breakthrough reference Strategic Supply Chain Management, two of PRTM’s leading consultants in this practice explain everything that corporate decision-makers need to know to create value and competitive advantage from their supply chains.
Book Synopsis Strategic Supply Chain by : Shoshanah Cohen
Download or read book Strategic Supply Chain written by Shoshanah Cohen and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2004-09-06 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agile, strategic supply chain management is a key competitive necessity in today’s no-room-for-error business arena. And few organizations have acquired more knowledge—and demonstrated better results—than the team at global management consultancy Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd, and McGrath (PRTM). In the breakthrough reference Strategic Supply Chain Management, two of PRTM’s leading consultants in this practice explain everything that corporate decision-makers need to know to create value and competitive advantage from their supply chains.
This book is an introduction to the complexity of business strategies and value chain management. It shows the variety of the different strategies and their importance in a company's failure or success..
Book Synopsis Business Strategies and Value Chain Management by : Lucas Wiedemann
Download or read book Business Strategies and Value Chain Management written by Lucas Wiedemann and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2013 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an introduction to the complexity of business strategies and value chain management. It shows the variety of the different strategies and their importance in a company's failure or success..
Now beyond its eleventh printing and translated into twelve languages, Michael Porter’s The Competitive Advantage of Nations has changed completely our conception of how prosperity is created and sustained in the modern global economy. Porter’s groundbreaking study of international competitiveness has shaped national policy in countries around the world. It has also transformed thinking and action in states, cities, companies, and even entire regions such as Central America. Based on research in ten leading trading nations, The Competitive Advantage of Nations offers the first theory of competitiveness based on the causes of the productivity with which companies compete. Porter shows how traditional comparative advantages such as natural resources and pools of labor have been superseded as sources of prosperity, and how broad macroeconomic accounts of competitiveness are insufficient. The book introduces Porter’s “diamond,” a whole new way to understand the competitive position of a nation (or other locations) in global competition that is now an integral part of international business thinking. Porter's concept of “clusters,” or groups of interconnected firms, suppliers, related industries, and institutions that arise in particular locations, has become a new way for companies and governments to think about economies, assess the competitive advantage of locations, and set public policy. Even before publication of the book, Porter’s theory had guided national reassessments in New Zealand and elsewhere. His ideas and personal involvement have shaped strategy in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Portugal, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and India, and regions such as Massachusetts, California, and the Basque country. Hundreds of cluster initiatives have flourished throughout the world. In an era of intensifying global competition, this pathbreaking book on the new wealth of nations has become the standard by which all future work must be measured.
Book Synopsis Competitive Advantage by : Michael E. Porter
Download or read book Competitive Advantage written by Michael E. Porter and published by Free Press. This book was released on 2004-01-01 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now beyond its eleventh printing and translated into twelve languages, Michael Porter’s The Competitive Advantage of Nations has changed completely our conception of how prosperity is created and sustained in the modern global economy. Porter’s groundbreaking study of international competitiveness has shaped national policy in countries around the world. It has also transformed thinking and action in states, cities, companies, and even entire regions such as Central America. Based on research in ten leading trading nations, The Competitive Advantage of Nations offers the first theory of competitiveness based on the causes of the productivity with which companies compete. Porter shows how traditional comparative advantages such as natural resources and pools of labor have been superseded as sources of prosperity, and how broad macroeconomic accounts of competitiveness are insufficient. The book introduces Porter’s “diamond,” a whole new way to understand the competitive position of a nation (or other locations) in global competition that is now an integral part of international business thinking. Porter's concept of “clusters,” or groups of interconnected firms, suppliers, related industries, and institutions that arise in particular locations, has become a new way for companies and governments to think about economies, assess the competitive advantage of locations, and set public policy. Even before publication of the book, Porter’s theory had guided national reassessments in New Zealand and elsewhere. His ideas and personal involvement have shaped strategy in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Portugal, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and India, and regions such as Massachusetts, California, and the Basque country. Hundreds of cluster initiatives have flourished throughout the world. In an era of intensifying global competition, this pathbreaking book on the new wealth of nations has become the standard by which all future work must be measured.