Preface xi
Acknowledgements xv
How to Use This Book xvii
Chapter 1 Performance through time 1
The performance imperative 1
The management challenge: improving future performance 7
Timescales 17
Performance aims in different contexts 19
Functional performance objectives 25
Information needs 35
Case example: performance of Ryanair, the low-fare airline 36
Suggested questions and exercises 39
Using worksheet 1 39
Worksheet 1 41
Notes 42
Chapter 2 Resources drive performance 45
From performance to resources 51
The resource-based view of strategy 89
Identifying, specifying and measuring tangible resources 96
Suggested questions and exercises 112
Using worksheet 2 113
Worksheet 2 115
Notes 117
Chapter 3 Resource accumulation 121
Winning and keeping resources: bathtub behavior 124
Defining and measuring resources and their flows 126
Resource flows change over time 129
Practical examples of the importance of resource flows 134
Resource building in Ryanair 140
What drives resource flows? 142
Changing state versus changing activity 145
Segmentation 147
Causal ambiguity and problems with correlation 149
Resources, flows and value-chain analysis 157
Adding lumps of resource 163
Suggested questions and exercises 168
Using worksheet 3 169
Worksheet 3 170
Worksheet 3B 171
Notes 172
Chapter 4 The strategic architecture 173
Interdependence: resource flows depend on existing resource levels 175
Feedback effects arising from interdependence 189
The strategic architecture 192
The strategic architecture and other approaches to mapping strategy 219
Suggested questions and exercises 231
Using worksheets 4 and 5 232
Worksheet 4 235
Worksheet 5 236
Notes 237
Chapter 5 Resource attributes 239
Quality of tangible resources 240
Resources and attribute co-flows 243
The resource quality curve 267
Attributes that bring access to other potential resources 274
Resources carrying multiple attributes 280
Resources attributes and performance at Ryanair 282
Other uses of the resource attribute concept 286
Incorporating attribute analysis in strategy development 308
Suggested questions and exercises 312
Using worksheets 6a, 6b and 6c 313
Worksheet 6a 316
Worksheet 6b 317
Worksheet 6c 318
Notes 319
Chapter 6 Resource development 323
Resource development within the organization 324
Developing resources beyond the organizations boundaries 344
Resource development in noncommercial cases 398
Resource development in Ryanair and other airlines 404
Relating resource development to the strategic architecture 406
Using worksheets 7a7d, 8 and 9 411
Worksheet 7a 417
Worksheet 7b 418
Worksheet 7c 419
Worksheet 7d 420
Worksheet 8 421
Worksheet 9 422
Notes 423
Chapter 7 The dynamics of rivalry 427
Illustrating the three types of rivalry: coffee stores 430
Further issues in type-1 rivalry 443
Extending type-2 rivalry 453
Extending type-3 rivalry 464
Extending rivalry to resources other than customers 478
Rivalry in noncommercial situations 483
Dealing with multiple competitors 484
Rivalry in the low-fare airline industry 495
Suggested questions and exercises 503
Using worksheets 1012 504
Worksheet 10a 508
Worksheet 10b 509
Worksheet 11 510
Worksheet 12 511
Notes 512
Chapter 8 Goals and controls 515
Different types of strategic decision 515
Policy to control strategy 533
Strategy, policy and competition 547
Conflicting objectives 550
When multiple decisions affect the same resource 554
Suggested questions and exercises 569
Using worksheet 13 569
Worksheet 13 572
Notes 573
Chapter 9 Intangible resources 575
Intangibles concerning state of mind 584
Information-based intangible resources 602
Quality-based intangibles 610
Integrating intangible resources into the strategic architecture 618
Suggested questions and exercises 620
Using worksheet 14 620
Worksheet 14 623
Notes 624
Chapter 10 Capabilities 627
Example of capability effects 634
Capabilities and business processes 637
Developing capabilities: learning 645
Capabilities and organizational learning 658
Suggested questions and exercises 669
Using worksheets 15a and 15b 669
Worksheet 15a 671
Worksheet 15b 672
Notes 673
Index 677
