<p>Corporate governance is a subject of academic and professional debate. It has and it will continue to be a topic under scrutiny for subsequent deliberations since there are many different research dimensions and contexts associated with it. However, it has been observed that the linkage between corporate governance and strategy of a corporation remains as an untapped area with considerable avenues of research. This paper tends to explore this linkage, using Enron scandal as backdrop.</p><p>In the aftermath of the debacle of US energy giant Enron in 2001, the significance of corporate governance has come under heavy scrutiny of different researchers. Whereas different explanations have been attributed to its downfall, it has been widely accepted that this was a case of failed corporate governance.</p><p>This paper tends to explore Enron downfall from the perspective of failed corporate governance. By defining and exploring corporate governance and its underlying issues, the authors have used Agency theory as a theoretical framework in unison with internationally renowned auditing company - Ernst & Young Model - to understand the role of different actors and forces responsible for Enron collapse.</p><p>By using qualitative research method, the authors have used secondary literature as well as combination of questionnaires and telephonic interviews to obtain viewpoint of renowned international academic / professional researchers. They have been identified through convenience sampling methodology. A few internationally renowned auditing companies have also been used as part of this survey to explore diversity of perspectives in this context. Efforts have been made; to explore the main causes rather then to write just another case on Enron.</p><p>After drawing lessons from Enron, the paper concludes with the understanding that there is direct link between corporate governance and strategy of corporations. However there is diversity of perspectives in this context and hence it requires further exploration and debate.</p>

Ljungquist, Urban (2007). Core Competence Matters: Preparing for a New Agenda. Acta Wexionensia No. 121/2007. ISSN: 1404-4307, ISBN: 978-91-7636-567-0. Written in English. The core competence concept describes how large companies can prosper and achieve competitive advantage. It is a well-known concept in the strategy domain, frequently practiced in organizations and cited in the literature. Despite this, recent research indicates that in-depth understanding of the concept is scarce. In this thesis, a few shortcomings of the concept are recognized: The vagueness of the original definition, divergence of the existing literature, and invalid appliance. Straightforward core competence identification and verification processes are put forward, applicable to both research and practice. The processes aim at advancing beyond mere identification. Three different core competencies were identified and verified in the empirical part of this thesis. The core competencies were possible to separate through differences in the various influences from competencies, capabilities and resources. The core competencies were also possible to arrange in a complexity continuum, from a compound and highly integrated core competence to a simple and technology-based one, with the third one, a service-based core competence, representing moderate complexity. The two most complex core competencies were, in general, influenced by competencies and capabilities to a larger extent than the simpler core competence. Resources mainly influenced the goods-producing core competencies. The empirical findings of this thesis show that by acknowledging the specifics of the characteristics of competencies, capabilities and resources and their influences, in conceptual and empirical discussions and applications, core competencies can be identified and verified. Furthermore, their influences provide the keys to managing core competencies. A new core competence agenda is proposed. The agenda includes core competence management, which is of particular value to organizations in need of change, for example those facing dynamic business environments, where vital activities and processes – including core competence – must be continually renewed. The agenda is feasible for future core competence research as well, since it alters the research domain, and advocates specificity, convergence and validity.

Corporate governance is a subject of academic and professional debate. It has and it will continue to be a topic under scrutiny for subsequent deliberations since there are many different research dimensions and contexts associated with it. However, it has been observed that the linkage between corporate governance and strategy of a corporation remains as an untapped area with considerable avenues of research. This paper tends to explore this linkage, using Enron scandal as backdrop. In the aftermath of the debacle of US energy giant Enron in 2001, the significance of corporate governance has come under heavy scrutiny of different researchers. Whereas different explanations have been attributed to its downfall, it has been widely accepted that this was a case of failed corporate governance. This paper tends to explore Enron downfall from the perspective of failed corporate governance. By defining and exploring corporate governance and its underlying issues, the authors have used Agency theory as a theoretical framework in unison with internationally renowned auditing company - Ernst &amp; Young Model - to understand the role of different actors and forces responsible for Enron collapse. By using qualitative research method, the authors have used secondary literature as well as combination of questionnaires and telephonic interviews to obtain viewpoint of renowned international academic / professional researchers. They have been identified through convenience sampling methodology. A few internationally renowned auditing companies have also been used as part of this survey to explore diversity of perspectives in this context. Efforts have been made; to explore the main causes rather then to write just another case on Enron. After drawing lessons from Enron, the paper concludes with the understanding that there is direct link between corporate governance and strategy of corporations. However there is diversity of perspectives in this context and hence it requires further exploration and debate.

Strategic management has long been viewed as the concept and process that link an organization and its environment together (Leibold, Probst &amp; Gibbert, 2002). It consists of the analysis, decisions and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages (Dess, Lumpkin &amp; Taylor, 2005). Within the history of strategic management research there has been an unbalance between the internal and the external perspective. During the 1980s Michael Porter, one of the most prominent strategic management researchers, and his Five Forces model focused strictly on the external competitive environment (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand &amp; Lampel, 1998). Further, in the 1990s the focus shifted from external to internal along with Jay Barney’s development of the resource based theory in 1991 (Barney, 1991). The issue of excluding one or the other perspective has now started to be acknowledged and researchers today are striving for developing models integrating both perspectives. However, theoretical models existing today that combine the two perspectives are complex and hard to apply in practice for managers within the business world. In order to address the complexity of the strategic management concept we have chosen to develop a model with the purpose to connect and relate the external and internal perspectives by conducting an in-depth analysis of a chosen company. The model also strives to be easily communicated, applicable and understandable for managers and employees on different levels within the organization. This leads us to the purpose of this thesis: “to develop a simplified model that combines the external and internal perspective of strategic management and apply this to a chosen company”. The research was conducted through a case study based on the authors’ participation in a PBM (Project Based Module) - project. The model was tested on the company in question by analyzing the company’s internal and external environment with the means of analysis tools such as PEST-analysis, strategic group analysis, threshold analysis and the SWOTanalysis. To conclude it is important to balance an organization’s internal efforts with the external market conditions and avoid excluding one or the other from the strategic management process. Combining the two perspectives results in identifying the current capabilities and competences and the direction of how to use these in order to meet market demands and gain competitive advantage.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how companies have linked their corporatestrategy with their digital- and social media strategy. The authors believed that these strategieshad to be connected somehow and wanted to research it further.Qualitative research methodology was utilized in this study. The research data consisted oftwo semi-structured interviews with one employee at Hestra Gloves and one at Kronfönster.The interviews were made after the same protocol in form of questions and documentation.The result of the interviews revealed that both Hestra Gloves and Kronfönster had overallbusiness core values which were reflected in their strategies. Hestra Gloves had a generalbusiness idea which was used as a corporate strategy, they also had a social media strategyand they had working guidelines for their digital channels. Kronfönster followed their corevalues which permeate the whole organization and they had guidelines for both corporatelevel, digital level and social media level.The findings show that the companies which were investigated have linked their corporatestrategy with their digital strategy in a medium way. The findings also show that theinvestigated companies have linked their corporate strategy with their social media strategy ina medium way. The authors conclude that some strategy components are linked in a strongway and that some components are linked in a weak way.

Sustainable development is becoming more and more essential in the way companies behave and perform. The concern regarding the environment and the society reflects a broader concept and perception on how business should be conducted. The continuous demand for all kind of resources makes it vital and almost inevitable for a company, government and even physical person to embrace and embed in their culture and strategic goals the sustainable development dimensions. In the perspective of project management, the integration of sustainability requires particular attention especially from the decision-makers involved in the field of project management and more precisely in the project selection process. This research aims to examine how this process is achieved by organizations in a sustainable manner, by proper integration in effective tools such as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. The exploration of theories and models regarding project selection and ESIA helped me in building and elaborating further on a sustainable framework that enhances the need for proper integration and incorporation of environmental and social issues in projects. This paper concludes that the most efficient way to benefit from the opportunities that the surrounding environment brings in a project area is to assess such impacts and integrate them since the corporate strategy crafting and the initial phase of project selection process

Since the late 20th century, people extended to over-consume and over-discharge all kinds of resources and made the resources decreased hugely. The resources in the earth are not unlimited. Emissions and pollutions brought human all kinds of crisis. Social-trended management becomes the main stream of business operation in the 21st century, and it is not countable for the corporations that were incapable to follow this change. The awake of limit of the Earth resources had made the corporations start to respect the importance of resource reclamations as well as resource application, which means, in the recycle society, they started to create the new economical added-value of resources by 3R: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Now, more and more corporations are awaken of the damages environment pollution made to humans, and this is not a ignorable power. To research how the corporations combine their management strategies with the concepts of keeping a sustainable environment is the main target of this study. How do the corporations set up their management strategies by keeping the environment sustainable? In this study, we will discuss this topic by 3 dimensions and procedures: 1¡B Influences on business management made by the direct and indirect benefit parties of the corporations. 2¡B The Corporations¡¦ application of Green Management brings the corporations themselves more Green Values. 3¡B Use the past capability to develop a dynamic ability and create a competitive advantage of the corporation. Normal corporations emphasize on the development of single strategy, and ignore how to set up ¡ustrategic agendas¡v and ¡ustrategic target¡v, and plenty of them are lack of thoughts of integration. According to the point of resource-based view, each corporation shall understand its own value, its special property and its un-imitate resources to create its advantage. In the quick-varying environment, the corporations shall own its ability to increase its advantages by using the point of view of resources to develop a dynamic ability and create its continuing competitive advantage. This study takes 7 corporations which execute sustainable environment effectively in Taiwan by preceding a Qualitative Research, interview and collect every kind of documents and news, to analyze each of their Green Strategies.

<p>Strategic management has long been viewed as the concept and process that link an organization</p><p>and its environment together (Leibold, Probst & Gibbert, 2002). It consists of the</p><p>analysis, decisions and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain</p><p>competitive advantages (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor, 2005).</p><p>Within the history of strategic management research there has been an unbalance between</p><p>the internal and the external perspective. During the 1980s Michael Porter, one of the most</p><p>prominent strategic management researchers, and his Five Forces model focused strictly on</p><p>the external competitive environment (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel, 1998). Further, in</p><p>the 1990s the focus shifted from external to internal along with Jay Barney’s development</p><p>of the resource based theory in 1991 (Barney, 1991). The issue of excluding one or the</p><p>other perspective has now started to be acknowledged and researchers today are striving</p><p>for developing models integrating both perspectives. However, theoretical models existing</p><p>today that combine the two perspectives are complex and hard to apply in practice for</p><p>managers within the business world.</p><p>In order to address the complexity of the strategic management concept we have chosen to</p><p>develop a model with the purpose to connect and relate the external and internal perspectives</p><p>by conducting an in-depth analysis of a chosen company. The model also strives to be</p><p>easily communicated, applicable and understandable for managers and employees on different</p><p>levels within the organization. This leads us to the purpose of this thesis: “to develop</p><p>a simplified model that combines the external and internal perspective of strategic management</p><p>and apply this to a chosen company”.</p><p>The research was conducted through a case study based on the authors’ participation in a</p><p>PBM (Project Based Module) - project. The model was tested on the company in question</p><p>by analyzing the company’s internal and external environment with the means of analysis</p><p>tools such as PEST-analysis, strategic group analysis, threshold analysis and the SWOTanalysis.</p><p>To conclude it is important to balance an organization’s internal efforts with the external</p><p>market conditions and avoid excluding one or the other from the strategic management</p><p>process. Combining the two perspectives results in identifying the current capabilities and</p><p>competences and the direction of how to use these in order to meet market demands and</p><p>gain competitive advantage.</p>

The aim of this thesis is to explore the diversification of a major oil company into the. petrochemical business and then through thorough analysis to recommend the appropriate corporate strategies to be followed by the petrochemical subsidiary of such a company in the 1980's and the 1990's. The petrochemical industry has undergone great changes during the last decade. In the early 1970's it entered a new era of maturity, however due to the misplannings of the late 1960's extending to the early 1970's the industry was suddenly faced with significant overcapacity which has persisted to the present date and is expected to last well into the 1980's. The 1974 oil crisis caused a further decline in the growth of demand, hence exacerbating the situation. During the seventies the industry has had to operate under increasing material prices, unlike the past, which when coupled with the problem of overcapacity and the resulting deterioration of prices, has caused considerable decline in the financial ability of the companies to finance their capital expenditure programmes through internal cash generation (which was the case in the industry's 'golden era'). This situation is threatening the long term viability and survival of the petrochemical businesses. A System Dynamics model for a hypothetical petrochemical subsidiary of a major oil company has been constructed which embodies all the policies inherent in such a system. The dynamic behaviour of the model closely resembles that expected from the real system such as the declining financial ability, which is mostly due to the inflationary conditions. Through thorough analysis, the impact of varying inflation level on the performance of the system was explored, and the need for adopting suitable accounting policies which would take account of the replacement costs of assets, during periods of high inflation, was proposed. The adoption of a number of policies led to a certain degree of improvement in the financial performance of the system, and these are recommended concerning the corporate strategy of the company for the next two decades. Finally it was discovered that due to the low level of growth of demand (compared to the past), the large economic sizes of the petrochemical plants and the market share consensus, the companies will have to go into joint ventures in the future.

Multimarket competition has become a substantial part of the modern economy. As such, it has drawn the attention of academics in both economics and strategy fields. Many studies have found empirical evidence of mutual forbearance in several industries, but despite its importance, its behavioral roots have not been explored. In my dissertation I integrate the reality of boundedly-rational decision makers into the mutual forbearance hypothesis. I apply an outgrowth of the behavioral theory of the firm – the shifting focus model of risk taking – to the study of competitive behavior. I propose a behavioral model of multimarket competition that focuses on corporate strategic decisions - market entry and exit decisions, regardless of entry mode (e.g. acquisitions) or exit mode (e.g. divestitures). This approach provides a granular view of changes in the business scope of the firms in terms of product and geographic markets served. I test my hypotheses in the U.S. property liability insurance industry over a 12-year period (1998-2008). I argue that firms follow the mutual forbearance logic as long as their performance goals are satisfied. However, under conditions of adversity, firms shift attention to recovering from the performance shortfall and their actions deviate from the mutual forbearance predictions. This dissertation shows that underperforming firms with abundant slack take longer to forbear, and underperforming firms with limited slack start forbearing sooner, as predicted. By bridging behavioral and competitive perspectives to the study of market entry and exit decisions, I underscore the value of cross-fertilization in strategy research.