The vision for this book is to provide students with core concepts, frameworks, and analysis techniques in strategy that will not only integrate their functional course offerings but also help them to become managers who make better strategic decisions. It is a research-based strategy text for the issues that managers face in a globalized and turbulent 21st century, blending theory, empirical research, and practical applications in a student-accessible form.

The competition in the strategy textbook market can be separated into two overarching categories: traditional strategy textbooks, which are the first-generation books (from the 1980s), and more recent research-based strategy textbooks, which are the second-generation books (from the 1990s). This new textbook aims to be different—a third-generation strategy textbook, positioned to compete successfully with the primary first- and second-generation incumbents. The third-generation approach you will find in this book combines the student accessibility and application-oriented frameworks found in first-generation books with the strategy research in the second-generation books.

In this book, I synthesize and integrate theory, empirical research, and practical applications in a unique combination of rigor and relevance. With a single strong voice, the book weaves together classic and cutting-edge theory with in-chapter cases and strategy highlights, to demonstrate how companies gain and sustain competitive advantage. The strategic intent for the book is to combine quality and value with user-friendliness. The mental model I used throughout the process of writing and developing the project is Apple Inc.`s innovation approach, which tightly integrates different competencies to launch novel, but highly user-friendly products. I view this book, the different options for accompanying cases, and the additional instructor and student resources in much the same way.