Business analysts are in agreement that our future economy, if not our present one, will be dominated by global business and a service economy. The existing literature, however, fails to explain the influence and application of the principles of strategic management in a global service economy. Competitive Strategies for Service Organizations fills that gap, providing an understanding of the major changes that will affect players in this economy. The picture this book paints is a complex one: the economic model based on the availability of capital is being replaced by one relying on innovation and intellectual capital-the cornerstone of the service economy. Current management strategy theory and its practical application are to some degree out of sync with this emerging model. Drawing on international examples for their case-study material, Neil Botten and John McManus balance their exposition of theory with real-world examples organized around the emerging service model. The authors discuss strategy in all its practical dimensions: political, economic, social and technological. In pulling together existing models and techniques and showing, through case histories, how these frameworks may be used in service organizations, they provide valuable guidelines for the forward-looking leaders of our growing service economy.
