Project Set Strategies focuses on an issue of vital concern to corporate managers: the development and implementation of strategy. Regretfully, this topic has received too little attention in the literature of finance and has been treated in­ completely in the management journals. In fact, not everyone recognizes that it falls within the sphere of finance. However, since the important issues discussed in this book strategically shape the destiny of the company and can seal its fate long before the point is reached where conventional finance considerations come into play, it is essential that this recognition be acknowledged. From the management point of view, it has long been realized that strategic elements playa crucial role in the continued well-being of the firm. Nevertheless, this truth is overlooked to some extent with most management techniques since there is insufficient typification, often leading to unjustified generalizations and inadequate attention to the requirements of the specific situation. Also, these management techniques are not grounded upon the long-established fmancial economic theories of valuations and thus can lead to misdirected guidance. Since the two academic disciplines of "management" and "finance" have much insight to offer each other, this book represents an effort to link the strategic management area to a theoretically sound and usable financial e- xv xvi PREFACE nomic foundation. In this way, the probability of errors of omission or unjusti­ fied generalizations is decreased and help is offered for ascertaining more relevant goal-directed recommendations.