Reviews (93)

Beyond expectations for firms searching for answers
I admit I was skeptical of the promises this book made.The book went beyond my expectations.It gives a structured framework for culling newness out of tired competition.
Profound Insights into Marketing and into Life!
The authors show us examples of companies who were not satisfied with the socially accepted business paradigms of their industry and were eventive enough to create a whole new market for themselves with their intuition, grit and determination. Exciting! May even change your life!

If you do not own your own business, his could be fun reading
I have never made the time to review a book, but this book came highly reccommended by other reviewers.Since I cant know their business backgrounds, I'd like to help someone else in making the decision of reading this book.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Investments & Securities - General    5. Market segmentation    6. Marketing - General    7. Marketing Management    8. New products    9. Product Management    10. Strategic Planning    11. Business strategy   

Editorial Review

Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Read more

Reviews (482)

Superb!
This is the best book I have read in regards to successful business.If you work in the corporate world, this is a must read.It is based on five years of research, and the author doesn't try to prove anything other than that which the facts prove.I am reading it for the fourth time now and draw more from it each time.Again, a must read.

Good to Great review from Steven Vornea
Every single person needs to read this book and just buy it! This book can be a life changer for people.
One of the best business books out there
Jim Collins puts forward one of the great concepts in business...and in life...that getting the right people in the right situations is the best staple of great leadership.Collins' message can be applied to any situation (business, sports, education, etc.).He has an engaging writing style and uses a wide variety of companies to illustrate his central theme of leadership as leading to great success.Collins also illustrates the great importance of a humble leader, one who gives of him/herself for the betterment of the system as a whole.This was a fascinating read, and you will close the book with a great deal of insight into how you run both your professional and personal life.A terrific, terrific read.In fact, I have gone back and begun to read Built to Last, which is actually the prequel to Good to Great.I honestly could not recommend this book more than I do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    5. Corporate Planning    6. Leadership    7. Leadership In Business    8. Management    9. Management - General    10. Organizational change    11. Strategic Planning    12. Technological innovations    13. Business & Economics / Management    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (6)

Mgmt. Review
The book was simplistic in the concepts and examples, little boring, but good book for high school business major wanna-bees

Great Book for Beginning Managers!
I am in a MBA program with little management background.I find this book to be excellent.It has tons of graphs with color and lots of case studies.It comes with an access code for you to get onto the website to take tests.If you are new to business I recommend this book.

Nice package, no Substance
This book looks really attractive.The layout is interesting, and makes it easy to find things.That is about the extent of the positives of this book, however.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Management Science    8. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning   

Reviews (3)

Informative business guide to strategy
I bought this book for a college class and kept it. While it is not the most exciting book, the case studies are an excellent guide to a wide range of business plans and strategies. The cases are divided into four categories: single business companies, diversified companies, implementing and executing strategy and ethics & social responsibility. The cases are very complete and interesting. The downside is the shelf life of the book - I would expect a new edition before long.

Student Review
I am a student majoring in Business Administration who recently used this text in an upper-level management course.The book's writing is utterly superfluous.Boredom was frequently my sentiment as I weeded through unnecessarily labyrinthine sentences.The ideas in the book were occasionally interesting, but were usually ideas I had already developed on my own via simple intuition.Perhaps the most valuable part of the text is the section of case studies.This closing segment of the book contains many great ideas for student projects.Overall, this text disappoints me as a student

Product Still to be Used
I will begin using this product next week, and will be in a better position to review it after my six week module. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Management - General    5. Self-Help    6. Strategic Planning    7. Business & Economics / Management    8. Business strategy   

Editorial Review

Spawned by a 10-year study of 2,000 firms conducted at Bain & Company, a global consultancy specializing in business strategy, Read more

Reviews (28)

Define your core business clearly
The authors of this book see 3 essential elements separating a good growth strategy, one that is successful from a poor growth strategy, one that fails:
Skip this one and read the sequel instead
This is not a terrible book- it has some interesting case studies which the authors use to prove their points. However, there is not a great deal in here that is new if you've read the sequel to this book first ("Beyond the Core", Zook), and have read other
Very Realistic and very useful
This book is very good, it explains very clearly the different growth concepts with clear definitions, and a very interesting growth matrix. in addition, unlike other books, this book uses a lot of real world examples to illustarte the different concepts and growth startegies. It explains how companies, that succeded, evolved from their core business and developed new products without getting lost in the process. Also, explains why and how some companies failed. The book is realistic, and gives you some tools and matrix that you can apply when analyzing and developing a growth strategy. You should also check out the web site, it has some examples of how to apply the gowth matrix. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Corporate Finance    6. Corporate profits    7. Corporations    8. Entrepreneurship    9. Growth    10. Industrial management    11. Management - General    12. Strategic Planning    13. Business strategy   

Editorial Review

In the revised and updated edition of Read more

Reviews (35)

Not one of Womack's best works
I personally do a vast amount of reading with lean enterprise being of special interest. Womack has done some great work, but this is a "tough read" even for serious lean enthusiasts. I typically finish a book of this length within 2-3 days then re-read it and highlight. It literally took me 11 weeks because I was lulled to a point in which reading further would be of no benefit and would have to put it back on the shelf and revisit it days later. I realize that scholarly and business writing is not especially exciting as I am constantly reading and doing research but this one was tough even for me, an avid reader.

Common Sense isn't so Common
This book provides a very unique perspective on how to run a business.These methodologies can be applied to any industry, as the authors suggest.
LEAN as it expands
After reading "The machine that saved the world" (which I recommend reading before this one) from the same great authors, I got more and more interested in the LEAN concept. As described in this book, by 1996, LEAN became a way of thinking and operating, expanding around the world in several industries. Although this book gives a clear explanation of LEAN principles, it is still oriented into manufacturing. This book is not enough if you are willing to implement LEAN in your organization, but rather convinces you of applying it if you are still hesitating. Check out the latest book in this series "Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Industrial efficiency    6. Management - General    7. Organization Development    8. Organizational effectiveness    9. Strategic Planning    10. Value added    11. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (5)

Fast Service, Great Quality
The book wsa in the exact condition the seller listed it at, which was close to perfect. It was delivered fast, no problems at all.

Great!!
The book was in excellent conditions also I got it before the estimaded date.

The "Foundation" of Knowledge For Successful Management
This book is one of the best foundation establishers I've read.I am the Chief of Strategy for a major headquarters and currently teach for three universities in such subjects as Strategic Management, Business Policy and Strategy, Business Communications, Supply Chain Management, and Production Operations Management.The point of that statement is that this book that I use on the job, as well as, to some degree in each course I teach.It is well written, organized, and provides outstanding tables and figures to clearly articulate the concepts.This is a desk-reference that will get lot's of handling.A must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Industrial management    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Social responsibility of busin    8. Social responsibility of business    9. Technological innovations    10. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    11. Management & management techniques   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Human Resources & Personnel Management    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Strategic Planning    7. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    8. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (47)

Are you adding or destroying value ? - Find it out with The Balanced Score Card
The financial performance of an organization is essential for its success. Even non-profit organizations must deal in a sensible way with funds they receive.
Aligning four key business areas to your vision and strategy
This book has become a classic in the field of business management.The 'balanced scorecard' has surely been referenced enough to include it in the dictionary.Robert Kaplan is the Arthur Lowes Dickson Professor of Accounting at Harvard Business School.His co-author David Norton is the president of Renaissance Solutions, Inc.
Effective for top down planning
The balanced scorecard approach is a very effective tool for top-down planning initiatives. The method will ensure that any business unit initiative is cross-checked with the broader corporate goals.The book provides an easy-to-understand yet detailed how-to guide to strategy planning.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Evaluation    7. Industrial Management    8. Industrial productivity    9. Management - General    10. Measurement    11. Organizational effectiveness    12. Strategic Planning    13. Budgeting & financial management    14. Business strategy   

Reviews (2)

The best managerial economics book
Professor Baye's new edition is also one of the best economics book.This book can satisfy not only entry level reader but also more academic reader.

Managerial Economics & Business Strategy + Data Disk
I have not yet recieved this book.It has been over 3 weeks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - General    5. Strategic Planning    6. Business & Economics / Economics / General    7. Microeconomics   

Reviews (17)

First we start with a mistake...
Having observed the healthcare industry for the last couple of decades, I would like to point out a flaw in the author's recommendations:
the next 20 years, explained
Michael Porter, of value chain and competitive advantage fame, has taken on the US health care system.Your reviewer, who is speaking from inside the system, can guarantee that both his diagnosis and his proposed fix are bang on. In short, you bring the US healthcare system in line with other industries by making information about the outcomes of healthcare available to consumers, then letting them choose. How to get there from here takes up most of the book, and it is as brilliant and thoughtful as Porter fans have come to expect. Read this one.

A sentinel work on healthcare reform
Michael Porter and Elizabeth Teisberg have presented a sentinel work in the field of healthcare management.American healthcare is capable of providing the very best skill, professional expertise, and technology the world has ever seen. What is failing in our healthcare system is the management and business organization required deliver value to the recipients of this expertise-- patients.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Cost control    5. Cost effectiveness    6. Economic Conditions    7. Evaluation Of Health Services    8. Health Care Issues    9. Health Policy    10. Industries - General    11. Management - General    12. Medical Economics    13. Medical care    14. Public Policy - Economic Policy    15. Quality control    16. Business strategy   

Reviews (11)

it is a nice book
It is a nice book covering a broad range of knowledge. pretty easy to read.

Excelent
I'm stduying this book in the MBA program, i think it is in one word excelent. Since I'm reading it i feel i can see myself in a mirror and at the same time i have found in the book the necesary guide in order to design my personal management skill improve program. It is a must at your personal library

Extremely Useful and Practical Guide to Effective Management
This book has been widely adopted and is now in its sixth edition because it has proven to be a valuable and effective text for people who want to think about what skills go into being an effective manager, how to develop them, and what are the practical means of application.The book is divided into four parts:Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Leadership    6. Management Science    7. Strategic Planning    8. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    9. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (4)

Bought for class..
if your class is using this txt, i would highly recommend buying a used copy... new editions come out on almost a yearly to bi-yearly basis... after i completed my course, my book store would not buy the book back because the professor ordered a different edition for next semester...

Strategic managment -- a clear choice
This is an excellent text that is the bible of many strategy professors around the US.It is clear, concise and very thorough.the case studies at the back of the book offer a great deal of practical examples.I highly recommend making this book part of your professional reference library.

Strategic Management in the Context of Globalizatiion
This book is a detailed investigation of strategic management in the context of globalization and competitiveness. An integrated approach is used, but firm-based theory of strategic management is stressed throughout the book.Cases included in the book are chosen properly in relation with the topics, that is theory is clearly connected to the real experiences. Especially, topics titled as "Cooperative Strategy" , "Corporate Governance" , "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation" will be very useful to better understand the planning dynamics.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Industrial management    5. Management - General    6. Strategic Planning    7. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    8. Business strategy   

Reviews (17)

misses the mark - but interesting
This book really misses the mark on 'defeating the devil's advocate'.It offers nothing more than a characterization of the type of person you have to deal with.
Though- provoking and inspiring reading
The book is thought-provoking and interesting. It addresses innovation from a different slant, mostly focusing on "who" triggers it in your organization. On the positive side, it describes 10 different innovator-archetypes that we can all recognize. On the negative side, it does not really tackle how to trigger innovation or at least how to recruit and identify those who already excel in it. The book is somehow light-hearted, but I guess it was written this way in order to be introduced to large audiences.

Good ideas and though-provoking
I thought this was a very though-provoking book. It was interestingseeing a reputable company (IDEO) talk about their strategies and how they can drive innovation for other companies. The books talks about 10 different roles that people take, with each role bearing great importance, and how they all are needed in creating this ideal creative and innovative environment.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Management +    6. Marketing - Product Management    7. Organizational effectiveness    8. Social aspects    9. Strategic Planning    10. Technological innovations    11. Business & Economics / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Management - General    5. Strategic Planning    6. Business & Economics / Management    7. Business strategy   

Reviews (53)

Magical
FBP is an intriguing concept and the model can be scaled up or down in size in all parts of the world. The book serves as a wake up call to businessmen across the world.

its a perfect strategy for the 21st century: for all MNCs to follow
A new approach which in fact is so easy but psychologically so difficult to accept. We have tried it out and and observed companies doing it since 16 years: to design and market low end products for the "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) with high profit margins at low cost. We have developed a tool which we call MMP or Multiple Market Positioning which shows step by step how to implement this BOP idea successfully. Regards, Dr. Peter Oertli, OEC Oertli Consulting, CH-8142 Uitikon-Zurich, Switzerland.

Reducing the Impoverished, One by One

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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Developing countries    6. Economic Theory    7. Finance    8. International business enterpr    9. International business enterprises    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Non-governmental organizations    12. Poor    13. Social aspects    14. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    15. Management & management techniques    16. Multinationals   

Reviews (7)

Used at new price
I ordered the book new.It arrived with dented/chipped corners and a slightly torn spine on hardcover. I assumed it was new but slightly damaged from storage or shipping.Three weeks into the college term I am discovering highlighting already in the book. I feel ripped off.

not pleased at all.
I ordered the 7th edition as this page shows and incorrectly received the 5th edition. Problem was not corrected.

A good book, but not spectacular
This is a good, step-by-step book for strategic management.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Case studies    5. Corporate Planning    6. Management    7. Management - General    8. Strategic Planning    9. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    10. Business strategy   

Reviews (12)

Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book
The authors of this book do a nice job of condensing the content of their book into a diagram at page 15 that they entitle: "The Strategic Planning Process." Then they explain the diagram chapter by chapter. The chapters are full of good information and lots of exhibits, worksheets, and real-life examples. Job well done! I recommend to anybody interested in preparing a business plan for a for-profit or a nonprofit to read this book. And I also recommend all strategic leaders (i.e. executive directors, board chairs, and CEOs) read this book. It should be helpful to them in performing their job duties.
good basic introduction
Book provides a good basic introduction to strategic planning from the non-profit perspective. Although I already knew strategic planning from the corporate side, this book showed how it differs when applied to the non-profit arena. The review of the SWOT process was a bit simplistic, but I found the checklist for evaluating projects helpful. The disc and the worksheets were definitely worth the price of the book

Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers
This book is a step by step guide with suggested modifications to fit the needs of any group.The worksheets, included on an accompanying CD, are very useful.I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in strategic planning for any organization - public, private or non-profit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Management    5. Non-Profit Organizations Management    6. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    7. Nonprofit organizations    8. Strategic Planning    9. Business & Economics / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    10. Business strategy    11. Non-profitmaking organizations