Crafting and executing strategy : the quest for competitive advantage : concepts and readings / Arthur A. Thompson, Jr., A.J. Strickland III, John E. Gamble.

Rev. ed. of: Strategic management. 13th ed. c2003.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

What is strategy and why is it important -- Charting a company"s direction:vision and mission, objectives ,and strategy -- Evaluating a company's external environment -- Evaluating a Company's resources, capabilities, and competitiveness -- The five generic competitive strategies: which one to employ -- Strengthening a company's competitive position:strategic moves,timing, and scope of operations -- Strategies for competing in internal markets -- Corporate strategy: diversification and the multi business company -- Ethics,corporate social responsibility environment sustainability, ans strategy -- Building an organization capable of good strategy execution : people, capabilities, and structure -- managing internal operations : actions that promote good strategy execution -- corporate culture and leadership: key to good strategy execution -- New business models in emerging markets -- The power of vision: statements that resonate -- Getting into your competitors head -- operational capabilities: hidden in plain view -- Orchestrating the new dynamic capabilities -- The battle of the value chains: new specialized versus old Hybrids -- Low-cost strategy through product architecture: lessons form china -- Managing strategic alliance:what do we know now, and where do we go form here? -- Why is synergy so difficult in mergers of related businesses -- When managers pressure employees to behave badly:toward a comprehensive response, performance -- How to do well and do good -- The secrets to a successful strategy execution -- Six stigma of service - Mismanaging pay and performance.