Strategy and strategic planning at the firm level often gets a bad reputation
because managers aren't trained in it and the tools are unfamiliar, infrequently
used and often poorly applied. The outcomes of these efforts can therefore be
incomplete, biased, and far too subjective -- and the results disappointing. One
purpose of this book is to overcome this problem of familiarity by developing a
systematic approach to conducting a strategic analysis. From assessing the
general industry environment to analyzing industry forces and firm resources,
well known models are introduced and explained. This culminates in selecting a
strategy that is consistent with industry and firm specific conditions. Another
problem