Crafting and executing strategy : the quest for competitive advantage : concepts and cases./ Arthur A. Thompson.

"International student edition"--Cover.

Rev. ed. of: Crafting and executing strategy / Arthur A. Thompson. 18th ed. 2010.

Includes index.

Concepts and techniques for crafting and executing strategy -- Introduction and overview -- What is strategy and why is it important? -- Charting a company's direction: vision and mission, objectives, and strategy -- Core concepts and analytical tools -- Evaluating a company's external environment -- Evaluating a company's resources, capabilities, and competitiveness -- Crafting a strategy -- 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 international markets -- Corporate strategy: diversification and the multibusiness company -- Ethics, corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and strategy -- Executing the 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: keys to good strategy execution -- Cases in crafting and executing strategy -- Crafting strategy in single-business companies -- Mystic Monk Coffee -- Whole Foods Market in 2010: vision, core values, and strategy -- The O-Fold Innovation for Prevention Wrinkles: a good business opportunity? -- Competition among the North American warehouse clubs: Costco Wholesale versus Sam's Club versus BJ's Wholesale -- Competition in energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages -- Netflix's business model and strategy in renting movies and TV episodes -- Redbox's strategy in the movie rental industry -- Cash Connection: are its payday lender strategy and its business model ethical? -- Blue Nile Inc. in 2010: will its strategy to remain number one in online diamond retailing work? -- Apple Inc. in 2010 -- Gap Inc. in 2010: is the turnaround strategy working? -- Google's strategy in 2010 -- SkyWest, Inc., and the regional airline industry in 2009 -- Silver Ships' strategy in the military and workboat industry -- Skype versus AT&T and the future of telecommunications -- Crafting strategy in diversified companies -- Sara Lee Corporation in 2011: has its retrenchment strategy been successful? -- Smucker's in 2011: expanding the business lineup -- Implementing and executing strategy -- Robin Hood -- Dilemma at Devil's Den -- Southwest Airlines in 2010: culture, values, and operating practices -- Namasté Solar -- Herman Miller Inc.: the reinvention and renewal of an iconic manufacturer of office furniture -- Starbucks' strategy and internal initiatives to return to profitable growth -- Norton Lilly International: implementing transformational change in the shipping industry -- Good Hotel: doing good, doing well? -- W.L. Gore & Associates: developing global teams to meet 21st-century challenges -- Strategy, ethics, and social responsibility -- Rhino capture in Kruger National Park -- Countrywide Financial Corporation and the subprime mortgage debacle.

Fully revised, this new edition features new perspectives, reflects the best academic thinking, & has strengthened correlation with new research. Chapter content remains solidly mainstream & balanced, mirroring the pragmatism of real-world strategic thinking.