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Part One: Strategy and Strategic Leadership in Dynamic Times

Management Concepts and Cases 2nd Edition by
Carpenter
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1
Introducing Strategic
Management
I. PURPOSE OF THE CHAPTER
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Understand what a strategy is and identify the difference between business-level and
corporate-level strategy.
2. Understand why we study strategic management.
3. Understand the relationship between strategy formulation and implementation.
4. Describe the determinants of competitive advantage.
5. Recognize the difference between the fundamental view and the dynamic view of competitive
advantage.
The opening chapter identifies the components of strategy and the framework within which
this text approaches the study of strategic management. It can be used to set the stage for the
course plan. The text is organized to deliver an integrated perspective of strategy – (1) positional
and dynamic advantages, (2) formulation and implementation, and (3) strategic leadership.
© Prentice Hall 1
If you have 75-minute sessions, it is probably useful to spend the first two class sessions working
around Chapter 1 or the integration of Chapters 1 and 2. The first session introduces students
to the topic, while the second lets you use a regular case to walk through the different
dimensions that you will touch on. Your two teaching objectives should be to have the students
gain some general familiarity with the ‘what is strategy’ question and be able to clearly answer
the ‘why we study strategy’ question.
In this chapter, the three differentiators are introduced. The differentiators – and hence the
recommended teaching approach for the chapter – are manifested in the following ways:
 Dynamic strategy: Starting with the opening vignette on Under Armour, students are
made aware of how dynamic competitive environments can be. Three facets of
dynamism are introduced in Chapter 1: (a) change can be rapid and incessant, (b) change
can be slow and punctuated and, (c) change is inevitable. Also, early in the chapter the
students are introduced to the staging facet of the strategy diamond (see Exhibit 1.6 and
the How Would You Do That? 1.1 on the strategy diamond for JetBlue), which again
reinforces that good strategies inherently anticipate and foster change. With this
foundation in place, students are well prepared to understand that they will need to learn
about snap-shot and dynamic perspectives of strategic management. The Chapter closes
with a section entitled Recognize the difference between the fundamental (snapshot)
view and the dynamic view of competitive advantage.
 Formulation and implementation interdependency: The opening vignette also
gives students some sense of this interdependency, because they see that the initial
strategy of Under Armour led to the need for it to put particular implementation levers
and capabilities into place, which in turn fueled the strategy employed today. This
interdependence of formulation and implementation is reiterated throughout the
chapter and the text. In the section, “Strategy Implementation Levers,” students further
see this interdependency when they are introduced to the concept of the intended versus
realized and emergent strategy of organizations (summarized in Exhibit 1.4).
 Strategic leadership: Strategic leadership is introduced as one of the three
differentiating features of the text, and the students see the imprint of leadership on the
strategies of Under Armour through the opening vignette. The chapter quickly moves
into strategy from the strategic leader’s perspective, which further reinforces this role.
The specific roles of strategic leadership in formulation and implementation are then
spelled out in the “Strategy Formulation and Implementation” section.
Additional readings:
Andrews, K. 1987, The Concept of Corporate Strategy. NY: Dow Jones-Irwin.
Hambrick, D.C. and A. Cannella, “Strategy Implementation as Substance and Selling,” Academy
of Management Executive 3:4 (1989) 278-85.
Hambrick, D.C. and J.W. Fredrickson, “Are You Sure You Have a Strategy?” Academy of
Management Executive, 15:4 (2001), pp. 48-59.
© Prentice Hall 2
Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., and Lampel, J (2005) Strategy Bites Back. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Sun Tzu (Translated by Thomas Cleary) (1988) The Art of War. Boston: Shambhala
Publications, Inc.
© Prentice Hall 3
II. BRIEF CHAPTER OUTLINE
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the concept of strategic management and the
framework within which strategy will be studied in this text. The key focus is to introduce the
strategy diamond and 5 elements framework for this text with the three major themes:
1. dynamic nature of firms and industries
2. strategy formulation and implementation inextricable connection
3. strategic leadership
OPENING VIGNETTE: CLICK CLACK—DAVID CHALLENGING GOLIATH

This opening case skillfully provides an opportunity to explore why some firms are successful
while others are not, and why it is so difficult to sustain high performance levels. It is made
even more intriguing since the case focuses on a start up firm (Under Armour) in an industry
going against giants (Nike and adidas).
As a college football player, Kevin Plank created a t-shirt made from moisture-wicking fabric
to avoid the chaffing and discomfort of heavy, wet cotton t-shirts under his football shoulder
pads. He knew other athletes (such as runners and bicyclists) had successfully used advanced
materials to improve the comfort of their workouts. Launching his company, Under Armour,
in 2006, Plank enjoyed sales of $430 million in the fragmented $45 billion sports apparel
market.
The performance apparel segment is the fastest growing segment of this market – fueled by
demographic trends and increased consumer awareness and participation in active lifestyles.
Sports enthusiasts pay more for their equipment than casual users thereby creating the
opportunity for higher price points (and greater margins). Under Armour’s performance
shirts are distinct. The fabric wicks away moisture and dries quickly. They also use a
compression design and are completely tagless.
To enter the market, Plank enlisted his athlete friends to use his shirts until a demand for his
product was created. He secured wholesale and retail accounts and the international
expansion for his product included both Europe and Asia. This led to natural product
extensions including HeatGear and ColdGear (for hot and cold temperatures). Capitalizing
on athletes already familiar with Under Armour performance shirts, the company recently
expanded into footwear with football and baseball cleats. The “Click-Clack” advertising
campaign helped the company capture 20 percent of the market share in their first year. In
the over-$70 cleat segment, Under Armour had captured an impressive 40 percent of the
market. The company continued its expansion by targeting premium price segments in both
sunglasses and sports watches.
Under Armour’s future growth is focused on the core products in men’s and women’s apparel
and footwear. In addition to the company’s expansion into the cleat segment, Under Armour
also expanded into golf apparel as well as apparel for outdoor adventure seekers such as
climbers, hikers, and skiers. Under Armour is expected to further expand into other sport
shoes. The seriousness of their international expansion is reflected in the opening of a
European office that will lead in negotiations with local athletes and distributors.
© Prentice Hall 4
So the question is posed: why are some firms successful while others are not? This chapter
helps students understand how Under Armour has successfully utilized its strengths and
market opportunities going up against Nike and Adidas. The question remains as to whether
Under Armour will be able to sustain their high performance levels.
 Additional Teaching Points
Students might be asked to research the sports apparel industry to understand the fragmented
nature of this industry. This is a great case to generate enthusiasm since most students are
familiar with the industry, the players, and the products. The Click-Clack advertisement may
be found on Under Armour’s website. It is interesting to present this in class – for those not
already familiar with it.
Sears versus Wal-Mart

The rise of retailing giants Sears and Wal-Mart provide another good example of strategy.
Each company attained success by employing very different strategies. Sears employed a
diversification strategy to grow while Wal-mart chose a growth strategy concentrating on the
retailing industry. This highlights the fact that there is no one “magic” strategy for an industry,
but the successful strategy is one that is tailored to the uniqueness of the firm and the
environmental conditions at the time.
Founded in 1891 as a catalog business, Sears grew to dominate the retail industry for nearly 50
years. Robert Wood, a military logistics and supply expert, led Sears to create a business
model that became the standard for retailers. This model provided vast inventories with
catalog and retail outlet distribution. In the 1960s, Sears began to diversify into unrelated
businesses, such as banking, real estate and insurance. By the middle of the 1980s, Sears had
lost some of its focus on its retail operations and experienced a decline in market share. In an
attempt to recover, the company returned its focus to retail and divested itself of all other
businesses. After unsuccessful turnaround attempts, Sears was acquired by Kmart in 2005.
In 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart. His business focus was on low prices and
rural geographic areas – often labeled as “little one-horse towns.” This rural focus required the
establishment of warehouse, delivery, and transportation systems to execute their strategy.
Large warehouses enabled the company to buy in bulk. Inventory could then be moved
cheaply and quickly with a fleet of trucks owned by the company. By the 1980s an inventory-
management system was developed to further support the retailer’s strategy. International
expansion (both internal development and acquisitions) has also played a major role in Wal-
Mart’s success. Today, Wal-Mart provides the retailing industry’s business model.
This chapter will help to explain why one firm is successful and others are not and why few
firms are able to sustain their high levels of success?
© Prentice Hall 5
The video, “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?”, is particularly helpful in generating a good class
discussion. The retailing company’s strategy is detailed with an examination of the
consequences on the external environment. Since Wal-Mart is a highly visible firm, student
generally enjoy debating whether or not this retail model really is good for America. In
addition, it provides a common point of reference as the other chapters are presented in the
course.
THREE OVERARCHING THEMES Learning

A firm’s performance is directly related to the quality of its strategy and its competency in Objective
implementing it. Good strategies are affected by and affect all of the functional areas of the 1
firm. The conditions of a firm and its industry must be analyzed, appropriate strategies must
be formulated, and the chosen strategy must be effectively implemented. The three themes
running throughout this text that are critical to developing competency in the field of strategic
management are as follows:
1. Firms and industries are dynamic in nature. Organizations and their industries must
be viewed as ongoing movies versus snapshots in time.
2. To succeed, the formulation of a good strategy and its implementation should be
inextricably connected. Research suggests that on average, managers are better at
formulating strategies than they are at implementing them. This has been coined the
“knowing-doing gap.” Successful strategy requires careful implementation – with all
the firm’s activities complementing one another.
3. Strategic leadership is essential if a firm is to both formulate and implement strategies
that create value. Strategic leadership plays two critical roles in successful strategy
implementation: making substantive implementation-lever and resource-allocation
decisions and developing support for the strategy from key stakeholders.
Learning
WHAT IS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT? Objective
Strategic management is defined as the process by which a firm manages the formulation 2
and implementation of its strategy.
The Strategic Leader’s Perspective

The word strategy comes from the Greek word, strategos, meaning the general’s views. This
definition highlights the contrast between the general’s view and the lower-level officer’s view
in the military ranks. The lower-level officers are primarily concerned with attention to detail
in specific areas of their responsibility. This is called the operational view. The general,
however, must understand how all the parts interrelate and then use that understanding to
develop a strategy. The big picture perspective or holistic view is the strategic leader’s
perspective. Since successful execution of strategy requires the lower-level leaders, strategic
leaders must avoid crafting strategy in isolation, but rather must solicit and utilize the advice of
others in the organization. In strategic management, the concern is with an overall, holistic
view of the firm and its environment and the ways in which such a view determines the
competitive decisions that business people have to make.
© Prentice Hall 6
The book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, provides a great source of additional discussion. Since
strategy is rooted in military terms, sharing quotes from the book is often a popular approach
to help student make the connection.
Top down versus bottom up strategy formulation can be discussed at this point. Students
might be asked how more bottom up strategy formulation might be encouraged in
organizations. The old days of executives going to a spa in a warm climate for a week to draft
a five-year plan are over. Strategic management responsibilities are being delegated
throughout the organization today. Students might be asked to share their insights on how
their own organizations formulate strategy.
Why Study Strategy?

Since strategy formulation and implementation require the involvement and cooperation of
many in the organization, it is critical that more managers study strategy. Today’s managers
are expected to understand the big picture and the concepts of strategic management. In
addition, the better employees understand a firm’s strategy the better the implementation of
strategic initiatives. Only by understanding the firm’s strategy will managers at every level be
able to contribute to work toward implementing its strategic initiatives.
What is Strategy?
The definition of strategy used in this text has been adopted from Hambrick and Fredrickson,
who suggest that strategy is the central, integrated, externally oriented concept of how a firm
will achieve its objectives. A strategy, then, encompasses the pattern of organizational actions
that have been taken and those that are to be taken by an organization in pursuing its
objectives. Strategy outlines the means by which a firm intends to create unique value for
customers and other important stakeholders. Managers must think holistically and
dynamically about what the firm does and why those activities consistently lead customers to
prefer the firm’s products and services over those of its competitors.
Business Strategy Versus Corporate Strategy

Some firms focus their business activities in one or very few industries. Other organizations
choose to compete in many industries. A strategic choice that firms make is whether these
industries will be related or unrelated.
 Discussion Point
Wal-Mart focuses on the retailing industry. Sears, another retail organization, did not
always focus on only the retailing business. Students might be asked to provide
examples of companies that operate in only one industry. Then they can be asked
to provide examples of companies that operate in multiple industries. Rolls Royce is
an example of a company operating in one industry while GE provides an example
of a firm operating in multiple industries.
© Prentice Hall 7
Business Strategy
Business strategy refers to how a firm will compete with current and future rivals within an
industry. Two critical questions the business strategy must address are: (1) how the firm will
achieve its objectives today when competitors may be present and (2) how the firm plans to
compete in the future.
Corporate Strategy
Corporate strategy addresses three key questions:
1. In what businesses will we compete?
2. How can a corporate parent add value to our various lines of business?
3. How will diversification (or our entry into a new industry) help us compete in our
other industries?
Learning
STRATEGY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION Objective
Strategy formulation is the process of deciding what to do, while strategy implementation is the 3
process of performing all the activities necessary to do what has been planned. Simplistically,
the distinction between the two is deciding what to do versus performing activities to carry out
the strategy. Strategy formulation and implementation are iterative and interdependent. The
opening vignette for example, emphasized how Under Armour’s growth required that the firm
invest heavily in organizational structure, systems, and processes in order to implement their
strategy.
Strategy Formulation
Strategy formulation means deciding what to do. This can be the result of a rational and
methodical planning process, or this strategy can simply emerge over time. In some cases, the
strategy can even be accidental in nature. The intended strategy is the initial plan, whereas the
realized strategy is what actually is put in place and succeeds. (Exhibit 1.4 depicts intended and
realized strategies).
Intel provides an excellent example of intended and realized strategies. Their participation in
the DRAM market was intentional and planned. However, Intel’s participation in the
microprocessor segment of the industry by 1984 evolved from an experimental venture. Lucky
for Intel, the market demand was shifting dramatically from DRAMs to microprocessors.
Students might be asked if they can think of some companies with realized
strategies that evolved – perhaps from a mistake or even luck. History
provides a number of examples of companies that have turned mistakes
into new markets – such as 3M’s Post-It note.
© Prentice Hall 8
The concept of “Ready-Fire-Aim” can be introduced to students here. Without sufficient
attention to the formulation and planning, companies cannot be expected to “hit their targets”
– similar to a marksman who fails to aim until after firing.
The traditional view of planning versus implementing is depicted quite differently in the
average American firm versus the average Japanese firm. Japanese firms spend significantly
more time in planning (with less in implementation – perhaps as a result of the investment
made in planning). American firms spend less time in planning and then significantly more in
implementing since plans often have ripple effects or unintended consequences that were not
considered in the hasty planning stage.
The Strategy Diamond and the Five Elements of Strategy

A strategy consists of an integrated set of choices that can be categorized into five related
elements. These are referred to as the strategy diamond. (Exhibit 1.5 presents the Business
Strategy Diamond.) Only when a manager has answers about each of these five elements can
one determine whether the strategy is an integrated whole. A good strategy diamond considers
these five key elements in order to arrive at specific answers to five questions:
1. Arenas: where will we be active?
2. Vehicles: how will we get there?
3. Differentiators: how will we win in the marketplace?
4. Staging: what will be our speed and sequence of moves?
5. Economic logic: how will we obtain our returns?
Arenas are the areas in which a firm will be active. Decisions about a firm’s arenas may
encompass its products, channels, market segments, geographic areas, technologies, and even
stages in the value creation process.
Vehicles provide the means for participating in the targeted arenas (acquisitions, internal
development, joint ventures, etc.) Wal-Mart can be used as an example of a firm that has used
different vehicles for expanding internationally. In some markets, they have chosen to grow
organically (such as Argentina), while in others they have used acquisitions of existing retailers
(such as in England and Germany).
Differentiators are features and attributes of a company’s product or services that help it beat
its competitors in the marketplace. Two critical factors in selecting differentiators are: (1) Make
decisions early and (2) Identifying and executing successful differentiators means making tough
choices – namely tradeoffs. The earlier and more consistent the firm is at defining and driving
these differentiators, the greater the likelihood that customers will recognize them. It might be
noted that Under Armour (from the opening vignette) gains sales in the marketplace through
both image and technical superiority.
Staging refers to the timing and pace of strategic moves. These staging choices depend on
available resources, including cash, human capital, and knowledge. Staging decisions should be
driven by several factors: resources, urgency, credibility, and need for early wins. Opportunities
must be matched with available resources. In addition, not all opportunities to enter new arenas
© Prentice Hall 9
are permanent; some have only brief windows. In these cases, early wins and the credibility of
certain key stakeholders may be necessary to implement a strategy.
The window of opportunity can often be very short in today’s fast-paced business
environment. Students might discuss the pace of change today and how some
industries appear to respond better to this pace than others.
Economic logic refers to how the firm will earn a profit. This reflects the firm’s ability to
generate positive returns above the firm’s cost of capital. Both costs and revenues are
considered. Sometimes economic logic resides primarily on the cost side of the equation (as
seen in the case of Southwest Airlines). Other times, economic logic may rest on the firm’s
ability to increase the customer’s willingness to pay premium prices for products. How Would
You Do That 1.1 demonstrates how the strategy diamond is applied to JetBlue.
The strategy diamond is an absolutely critical concept to this text. Sufficient time
and emphasis should be placed on this discussion to ensure that students
understand the significance of this concept.
Strategy Implementation Levers

Successful strategies are dependent on effective implementation. Strategy implementation is
the process of executing the strategy - of taking the actions that put the strategy into effect and
ensuring that organizational decisions are consistent with it. This also encompasses the
refinement, or change, of a strategy as more information becomes available. The goal of
implementation is two-fold:
1. To insure strategy formulation is comprehensive and well informed.
2. To translate good ideas into actions that can be executed (and sometimes to use
execution to generate or identify good ideas).
The value of a firm’s strategy is determined by its ability to carry it out. The processes of strategy
formulation and strategy implementation are inextricably linked. The five elements of strategy
are related to both formulation and implementation.
Organization leaders use levers from three broad categories (depicted in Exhibit 1.8) to
implement strategies:
1. Organization Structure
2. Systems & Processes
3. People & Rewards
Organization Structure
© Prentice Hall 10
Structure is the manner in which responsibilities, tasks, and people are organized. Managers
must consider whether the current structure is appropriate for the intended strategy, if the
reporting relationships and the delegation of authority is set up to execute the strategic plan,
and if the organization is too centralized or decentralized for the strategy.
Systems and Processes

Systems are all the organizational processes and procedures used in daily operations.
People and Rewards

The people and rewards lever underscores the importance of using all of the organization’s
members to implement a strategy. Competitive advantage is generally tied to the
organization’s human resources.
Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership plays two critical roles in successful strategy implementation: (1) making
substantive implementation lever and resource allocation decisions and (2) developing support
for the strategy from key stakeholders.
It might be noted that chapter 2 will address this topic of strategic leadership.
Learning WHAT IS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

Objective The activities of strategic management are based on the assumption that firms attempt to
4 achieve a position of competitive advantage over their rivals when serving target customers.
Competitive advantage is defined as a firm’s ability to create value in a way that its rivals
cannot. Firm performance is not competitive advantage, but rather is a result of it. It is
becoming increasingly difficult for any one firm to sustain a competitive advantage over a long
period of time.
Determinants of Competitive Advantage

Strategic management focuses on explanation of competitive advantage – on the reasons why
companies experience above and below-normal rates of returns and on the ways that firms can
exploit the limits of perfect competition. There are three primary perspectives on this issue:
1. The internal perspective focuses on firms and potential internal sources of uniqueness.
2. The external perspective focuses on the structure of industries and the ways in which firms
can position themselves within them for competitive advantage.
3. The dynamic perspective, a third view, bridges the two perspectives by seeking to explain
why competitive advantage does not typically last over long periods of time.
These three perspectives on competitive advantage are depicted in Exhibit 1.9.
The Internal Perspective
© Prentice 11Hall
The internal perspective is often called the resource-based view of the firm. It suggests that
firms are heterogeneous bundles of resources and capabilities; superior resources and
capabilities provide a competitive advantage relative to other firms. A firm’s bundle of resources
may either hinder or help its entry into new businesses.
The External Perspective

The external perspective suggests that variations in a firm’s competitive advantage and
performance are primarily a function of industry attractiveness. A firm’s competitive advantage,
then comes from a firm’s positioning within the competitive business environment. Porter’s
industrial organization economics (I/O economics) suggests that firms should: (1) position
themselves to compete in attractive industries or (2) adopt strategies to increase the
attractiveness of their current industries.
The Dynamic Perspective

Some industries or market segments are less stable than others. Competitive advantage is more
likely to endure in stable markets than in unstable ones. In addition, the competitive advantage
held by one firm over another tends to change very slowly in stable markets. As a result of
current or possible future changes in the competitive environment, strategies need to be
dynamic in nature. The greater the degree of change in the environment, the greater will be the
need for the dynamism of the strategy.
Stable Environments
In stable environments (such as the global chocolate industry), fundamental theories of
competitive advantage usually explain most economic facts. The external view of strategy tends
to dominate questions of strategy formulation and implementation.
Dynamic Industries
In dynamic industries (such as computer chips or medical products), it seems that competitive
advantage can shift in a matter of months simply because of a new product release or
technological breakthrough. The dynamic perspective suggests that a firm’s current market
position or competitive advantage is not an accurate predictor of future performance or
sustainable competitive advantage since current market position itself is not a competitive
advantage, but rather an outcome of past competitive activities.
Apple Computer might be discussed at this point in addressing dynamic industries.
Students tend to be familiar with their products (and the short product life) and
technological breakthroughs
Fundamental vs. Dynamic Perspectives - Competitive advantage is more likely to endure in

stable markets but it can be brief in unstable ones.
The External Dimension of the Dynamic Perspective is useful in analyzing “high-

velocity” markets and industries characterized by multi-market competition. Changing
technology and globalization contribute to these competitive dynamics.
© Prentice Hall 12
The Internal Dimension of the Dynamic Perspective focuses on resources and
capabilities, especially ones leading to a flow of advantages in resources or market position
and those that strengthen continuous and sometimes disruptive change.
The video segment on Swiss Army Knife provides an appropriate tool for
discussing many of the key concepts of this chapter. (Note: It also plays well with
Chapter 4 in addressing the challenges presented in the external environment.)
III. POWERPOINT NOTES

Slide 1:
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the concept of strategic management and the
framework within which strategy will be studied in this text. The key focus is to introduce the
strategy diamond and 5 elements framework for this text with the three major themes:
1. dynamic nature of firms and industries;
2. strategy formulation and implementation inextricable connection;
3. strategic leadership
Slide 2:
Opening Vignette
As a college football player, Kevin Plank created a t-shirt made from moisture-wicking fabric
to avoid the chaffing and discomfort of heavy, wet cotton t-shirts under his football shoulder
pads. Launching his company, Under Armour, in 2006, he enjoyed sales of $430 million in
the fragmented $45 billion sports apparel market. Under Armour’s performance shirts are
distinct. The fabric wicks away moisture and dries quickly. They use a compression design
and are tagless.
To enter the market, Plank enlisted his athlete friends to use his shirts until a demand for his
product was created. He secured wholesale and retail accounts and expanded internationally
into Europe and Asia. Natural product extensions included HeatGear and ColdGear (for hot
and cold temperatures). Recently the company expanded into footwear with football and
baseball cleats (capitalizing on athletes already familiar with Under Armour performance
shirts). The “Click-Clack” advertising campaign helped the company capture 20 percent
market share in their first year. In the over-$70 cleat segment, Under Armour had captured an
impressive 40 percent of the market. The company then targeted premium price segments in
both sunglasses and sports watches. Future growth is focused on the core products in men’s
and women’s apparel and footwear. They expanded into golf apparel and apparel for outdoor
adventure seekers. Under Armour is expected to further expand into other sport shoes.
So the question is posed: why are some firms successful while others are not? Why has Under
Armour been successful going up against Nike and adidas. And most importantly, will Under
Armour be able to sustain their high performance levels?
© Prentice 13Hall
Slide 3:
Sears versus Wal-Mart: The rise of retailing giants Sears and Wal-Mart provide another good
example of strategy. Each company attained success by employing very different strategies.
This highlights the fact that there is no one “magic” strategy for an industry, but the
successful strategy is one that is tailored to the uniqueness of the firm and the environmental
conditions at the time.
Founded in 1891 as a catalog business, Sears grew to dominate the retail industry for nearly 50
years. Robert Wood, a military logistics and supply expert, led Sears to create a business
model that became the standard for retailers. This model provided vast inventories with
catalog and retail outlet distribution. In the 1960s, Sears began to diversify into unrelated
businesses (such as banking, real estate and insurance). By the middle of the 1980s, Sears had
lost some of its focus on its retail operations and experienced a decline in market share. In an
attempt to recover, the company returned its focus to retail and divested itself of all other
businesses. After unsuccessful turnaround attempts, Sears was acquired by Kmart in 2005.
In 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart. His business focus was on low prices and
rural geographic areas – often labeled “little one-horse towns”. This rural focus required the
establishment of warehouse, delivery, and transportation systems to execute their strategy.
Large warehouses enabled the company to buy in bulk. Inventory could be moved cheaply
and quickly with a fleet of trucks owned by the company. By the 1980s an inventory-
management system was developed to further support the retailer’s strategy. International
expansion (both internal development and acquisitions) has also played a major role in Wal-
Mart’s success. Today, Wal-Mart provides the retailing industry’s business model.
Once again the questions can be posed: Why is one firm successful and others are not and
why are few firms able to sustain their high levels of success?
Slide 4:
Three Overarching Themes are critical in building competencies. A firm’s performance is
directly related to the quality of its strategy and its competency in implementing it. Good
strategies are affected by and affect all of the functional areas of the firm. The conditions of a
firm and its industry must be analyzed, appropriate strategies must be formulated and the chosen
strategy must be effectively implemented. The three themes running throughout this text that
are critical to developing competency in the field of strategic management are as follows:
1. Firms and industries are dynamic in nature. Organizations and their industries
must be viewed as ongoing movies versus snapshots in time. A firm’s strategic
position is the product of many decisions over time – not a snapshot in time.
2. To succeed, the formulation of a good strategy and its implementation should be
inextricably connected. Research suggests that on average, managers are better at
formulating strategies than they are at implementing them. This has been coined
the “knowing-doing gap”. Successful strategy requires careful implementation –
with all the firm’s activities complementing one another.
3. Strategic leadership is essential if a firm is to both formulate and implement
strategies that create value. Strategic leadership plays two critical roles in
successful strategy implementation: making substantive implementation-lever and
resource-allocation decisions and developing support for the strategy from key
© Prentice Hall 14
stakeholders. The implementation levers to support strategy are systems and
process; structures; and people and rewards.
Slide 5:
Strategic management is defined as the process by which a firm manages the formulation and
implementation of its strategy. The word strategy comes from the Greek word, strategos,
meaning the general’s views. This definition highlights the contrast between the general’s view
and the lower-level officer’s view in the military ranks. The lower-level officers are primarily
concerned with attention to detail in specific areas of their responsibility. This is the operational
view. The general, however, must understand how all the parts interrelate and then use that
understanding to develop a strategy. The big picture perspective or holistic view is the strategic
leader’s perspective. Since successful execution of strategy requires the lower-level leaders,
strategic leaders must avoid crafting strategy in isolation, but rather must solicit and utilize the
advice of others in the organization. In strategic management, the concern is with an overall,
holistic view of the firm and its environment and the ways in which such a view determines the
competitive decisions that business people have to make.
Slide 6:
The Art of War by Sun Tzu provides a great class discussion. The roots of strategy may clearly
be seen in the military. Terms such as guerilla warfare, frontal attack, and rallying the troops
come directly from the military. Additional Teaching Suggestion: Students might be
challenged to provide some more military terms that are used in strategy today.
Slide 7:
The strategic management process is depicted. This emphasizes the iterative nature of
strategy formulation and strategy implementation. In addition, the strategy diamond is
introduced. This provides an important framework for understanding how the study of
strategy is approached in this text/course.
Slide 8:
A distinction is made between corporate and business level strategy. Corporate level strategy
guides a firm’s entry and exit from different businesses, addresses how the company, as a
corporate parent, can add value to its various businesses, and how the firm will diversify or
enter into a new industry to help them compete in their other businesses. The business level
strategy captures the dynamic nature of strategy. Business level strategy addresses how the
firm will achieve its objectives in a specific business (or compete against rivals). If a firm
operates in only one industry, the focus is on only the business level strategy.
Slide 9:
The iterative nature of strategy formulation and implementation is emphasized with the
example of Wal-Mart. When Wal-Mart decided to compete as a discount retailer in rural
markets (its strategy), the firm had to invest heavily in organizational structure, systems, and
processes to execute its strategy. Wal-Mart then leveraged their inventory and sourcing
systems to be a low-cost leader. (This demonstrated that the implementation actually served
as input to the formulation of strategy.)
© Prentice 15Hall
Slide 10:
Strategy is not always formally planned (or formulated). Strategy can be an accident. Intel’s
original focus in the 1970s and early 1980s was a conscious, planned decision to design and
manufacture DRAMs. An unplanned experimental venture to make microprocessors was part
of a shift in market demand. Intel “followed the signals this experiment sent them” and their
new strategy evolved (with 95% of their revenue coming from the microprocessor segment by
1984).
Slide 11:
Strategy is an integrated set of choices. The strategy diamond reflects the five elements.
Only when a manager has answers about each of these five elements can one determine whether
the strategy is an integrated whole. A good strategy diamond considers these five key elements
in order to arrive at specific answers to five questions:
1. Arenas: where will we be active? Arenas are the areas in which a firm will be active.
Decisions about a firm’s arenas may encompass its products, channels, market
segments, geographic areas, technologies, and even stages in the value creation process.
2. Vehicles: how will we get there? Vehicles provide the means for participating in the
targeted arenas (acquisitions, internal development, joint ventures, etc.) Wal-Mart can
be used as an example of a firm that has used different vehicles for expanding
internationally. In some markets, they have chosen to grow organically (such as
Argentina), while in others they have used acquisitions of existing retailers (such as in
England and Germany).
3. Differentiators: how will we win in the marketplace? Differentiators are features
and attributes of a company’s product or services that help it beat its competitors in the
marketplace. Two critical factors in selecting differentiators are: (1) Make decisions early
and (2) Identifying and executing successful differentiators means making tough choices
– namely tradeoffs. The earlier and more consistent the firm is at defining and driving
these differentiators, the greater the likelihood that customers will recognize them.
It might be noted that Under Armour (from the opening vignette) gains sales in the
marketplace through both image and technical superiority.
4. Staging: what will be our speed and sequence of moves? Staging refers to the
timing and pace of strategic moves. These staging choices depend on available
resources, including cash, human capital, and knowledge. Staging decisions should be
driven by several factors: resources, urgency, credibility, and need for early wins.
Opportunities must be matched with available resources. In addition, not all
opportunities to enter new arenas are permanent; some have only brief windows. In
these cases, early wins and the credibility of certain key stakeholders may be necessary
to implement a strategy.
5. Economic logic: how will we obtain our returns? Economic logic refers to how the
firm will earn a profit. This reflects the firm’s ability to generate positive returns above
the firm’s cost of capital. Both costs and revenues are considered. Sometimes economic
logic resides primarily on the cost side of the equation (as seen in the case of Southwest
Airlines). Other times, economic logic may rest on the firm’s ability to increase the
customer’s willingness to pay premium prices for products.
Slide 12:
How Would You Do That 1.1 demonstrates how the strategy diamond is applied to JetBlue.
JetBlue’s stated objective is to “bring humanity back to air travel.” When deciding where they
© Prentice Hall 16
would be active (arenas), they chose to be a low fare commercial carrier in underserved, but
over-priced cities in the United States. When deciding how they get there (vehicles), they opted
to start from scratch and grow internally. In identifying what would drive customers to choose
their service (differentiators), they decided it would be a high level of service compared to their
low fare competitors. In the timing and pace (staging), they grew from one route between two
cities to eventually serving 20 cities in three years. Their economic logic (how they earn a profit)
is to secure a cost advantage by being willing and able to perform key tasks differently from
their competitors.
Slide 13:
Flawed implementation spells trouble for an organization. The best strategy formulation is
irrelevant if it cannot be executed. Successful strategies are dependent on effective
implementation. Strategy implementation is the process of executing the strategy - of taking
the actions that put the strategy into effect and ensuring that organizational decisions are
consistent with it. This also encompasses the refinement, or change, of a strategy as more
information becomes available. The goal of implementation is two-fold:
1. To insure strategy formulation is comprehensive and well informed.
2. To translate good ideas into actions that can be executed (and sometimes to use
execution to generate or identify good ideas).
The value of a firm’s strategy is determined by its ability to carry it out. The processes of strategy
formulation and strategy implementation are inextricably linked. The five elements of strategy
are related to both formulation and implementation.
Slide 14:
Peter Drucker captures the significance of strategy implementation. Michael Porter has said
that “any strategy is only as good as its implementation”.
Slide 15:
Organization leaders use levers from three broad categories to implement strategies:
1. Organization Structure: Structure is the manner in which responsibilities, tasks, and
people are organized. Managers must consider whether the current structure is
appropriate for the intended strategy, if the reporting relationships and the
delegation of authority is set up to execute the strategic plan, and if the organization
is too centralized or decentralized for the strategy.
2. Systems and Processes: Systems are all the organizational processes and procedures
used in daily operations.
3. People and Rewards: The people and rewards lever underscores the importance of
using all of the organization’s members to implement a strategy. Competitive
advantage is generally tied to the organization’s human resources.
Strategic leadership must be active. It plays two critical roles in successful strategy
implementation: (1) making substantive implementation lever and resource allocation decisions
and (2) developing support for the strategy from key stakeholders. The strategy realized may
be different from the intended strategy as a result of feedback and taking advantage of
opportunities.
Slide 16:
The activities of strategic management are based on the assumption that firms attempt to
achieve a position of competitive advantage over their rivals when serving target customers.
© Prentice 17Hall
The question asked is why some firms are able to achieve greater advantages over rivals than
other firms. Competitive advantage is defined as a firm’s ability to create value in a way that
its rivals cannot. Firm performance is not competitive advantage, but rather is a result of it. It
is becoming increasingly difficult for any one firm to sustain a competitive advantage over a
long period of time.
Slide 17:
Strategic management focuses on explanation of competitive advantage – on the reasons why
companies experience above- and below-normal rates of returns and on the ways that firms can
exploit the limits of perfect competition. There are three primary perspectives on this issue:
1. The internal perspective focuses on firms and potential internal sources of uniqueness.
The internal perspective is often called the resource-based view of the firm. It
suggests that firms are heterogeneous bundles of resources and capabilities; superior
resources and capabilities provide a competitive advantage relative to other firms.
A firm’s bundle of resources may either hinder or help its entry into new businesses.
2. The external perspective focuses on the structure of industries and the ways in which
firms can position themselves within them for competitive advantage. The external
perspective suggests that variations in a firm’s competitive advantage and
performance are primarily a function of industry attractiveness. A firm’s
competitive advantage, then comes from a firm’s positioning within the competitive
business environment. Porter’s industrial organization economics (I/O economics)
suggests that firms should: 1) position themselves to compete in attractive industries
or (2) adopt strategies to increase the attractiveness of their current industries.
3. The dynamic perspective, a third view, bridges the two perspectives by seeking to
explain why competitive advantage does not typically last over long periods of time.
Some industries or market segments are less stable than others. Competitive
advantage is more likely to endure in stable markets than in unstable ones. In
addition, the competitive advantage held by one firm over another tends to change
very slowly in stable markets. As a result of current or possible future changes in
the competitive environment, strategies need to be dynamic in nature. The greater
the degree of change in the environment, the greater will be the need for the
dynamism of the strategy.
IV. LINKING THE CHAPTER TO A COMPUTER SIMULATION
Because of the integrated nature of the text you have ample opportunity to tie in a strategy
simulation such as CapSim (www.capsim.com) or Mikes Bikes (www.smartsims.com). A
number of other simulations are referenced at:
http://instruction.bus.wisc.edu/mcarpenter/PROFESSIONAL/Toolkit/bpstools.htm
Many instructors that we have surveyed reported that they start the simulation only after you
have worked through the business strategy chapters of the text, sometimes with and sometimes
without cases. An example of a syllabus for a course incorporating the simulation is provided
in the sample syllabus section.
V. END OF CHAPTER ANSWER GUIDE
© Prentice Hall 18
Discussion Questions
1. What is strategic management?
Guide: Strategic management is the process by which a firm manages the formulation and
implementation of its strategy. The word strategy is derived from the Greek word strategos,
which roughly translated means “the general’s view.” In a business context, strategy is likewise
about the General’s view, the General’s plan, and the General’s ability to marshal the successful
deployment of resources and capabilities in a competitive environment in a manner that leads
to success. Just as a military General is responsible for all strategic and tactical decisions so too
a business general manager is charged with taking an overall view of the firm.
2. What are the key components of the strategic management process?
Guide: This is where you want the students to be able to map out the components of Exhibit
1.3 and have a general understanding of how the pieces fit together. The components are vision
and mission, goals and objectives, strategy, strategic analysis, and implementation.
3. How does business strategy differ from corporate strategy?
Guide: Business strategy deals with questions about how a firm will compete against its present
and future rivals within an industry or within one or more particular segments of an industry.
Corporate strategy addresses the set of issues related to three fundamental questions. First, in
what businesses will we compete? Second, how does the corporate parent add value to its
various lines of business? Third, corporate strategy must answer the question—how does
diversification or our entry into this industry or business help us compete better in our other
businesses?
4. What is the relationship between strategy formulation and strategy implementation?
Guide: Strategy formulation then is deciding what to do while strategy implementation is all that
goes into doing what has been planned. Neither formulation nor implementation can succeed
without the other. For this reason, the processes of formulation and implementation are
iterative and interdependent, with the objective being a consistent and coherent set of elements.
5. What five elements comprise the strategy formulation diamond?
Guide: The five categories of decisions managers make that formulate their strategy are
decisions regarding arenas, vehicles, differentiators, staging, and economic logic. Answers to
the questions about each of these elements will help you determine whether or not a strategy is
an integrated whole and they will suggest the areas in which a strategy may need to be amended
or overhauled.
6. What are the internal and external perspectives of competitive advantage?
Guide: The internal perspective of competitive advantage—usually referred to as the resource-

based view of the firm—postulates that firms are heterogeneous bundles of resources and
capabilities. That is, firms are not clones of each other in terms of what resources they own or
© Prentice 19Hall
have access to and they have varying degrees of capability to do different economic tasks. As a
result, firms with superior resources and capabilities are in a position of competitive advantage
relative to other firms. The external perspective of competitive advantage asserts that variations
in firm competitive advantage and performance are primarily a function of industry
attractiveness. That is, industries have different structural features which determine the ease at
which firms earn high levels of performance or are confined to lackluster performance. In
addition, various segments of industries may be more attractive than other segments in the same
industry, accounting for variation in profits within industries.
7. What are the fundamental and dynamic perspectives of competitive advantage?
Guide: The fundamental perspective asks you to consider strategy in relatively stable
environments. From this perspective, you can take a snapshot of the firm and its environment
and develop and implement strategy based on that snapshot. The dynamic perspective assumes
that a firm’s current market position is not an accurate predictor of future performance, because
position itself is not a competitive advantage. Instead, the dynamic perspective looks to the
both the past for clues about how the firm arrived at its present position, and to the future to
divine what the new competitive landscape might look like, or what the firm wants it to look
like. The dynamic strategy perspective has external and internal facets as well.
8. Why should you study strategic management?
Guide: It is important to study strategy as firm performance is directly affected by strategy and
the firm’s ability to implement it. Given its relationship to firm performance, strategy
development and implementation preoccupies the attention of top executives. Through the
firm’s strategy, the goal of the executives is to make sure that overall firm performance is more
than simply the sum of the firm’s parts. By addressing all parts of the firm, strategy is an
integrative topic. A good strategy will inform and must touch on all functional areas in a firm
such as marketing, finance, accounting and operations.
How Would You Do That?
1. Go to Warren Buffet’s Letter to Shareholder’s page at

www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/letters.html and read the most recent letter.
How many of the strategy topics covered in this chapter can you find references to in
the letter? Pick one of the businesses owned by Berkshire Hathaway and draft a
strategy formulation diamond model for it similar to the one outlined in the JetBlue
example in “How Would You Do That? 1.1.”
Guide: This exercise in intended to help the students develop a better hands-on understanding
of the diamond model and how the pieces fit together. Because Berkshire is so diversified, you
can pick a firm in an industry you are most familiar with and develop a detailed diamond model
based on that. Buffet tends to provide the most emphasis to the element of economic logic.
This is particularly helpful because that element is often the most difficult for student to
comprehend.
2. Go back to the discussion of JetBlue example in “How Would You Do That? 1.1.”. Use
the strategy implementation model in Exhibit 1.6 to identify what would be necessary
© Prentice Hall 20
to successfully implement JetBlue’s strategy. How would the implementation levers be
different in JetBlue than in some of the major airlines?
Guide: As with the prior HWYDT, this exercise lets the students try their hand at
implementation. A highly desirable outcome is being able to point how implementation and
formulation are interdependent and interrelated. This exercise also lets you show them how
they as future business leaders fit in strategy implementation.
Group Activities
1. Identify the characteristics of a firm that the members of your group would like to work
for and try to identify an example of this type of firm. What’s the difference between
business and corporate strategy at this firm? How might that affect your experiences
and opportunities in that organization? Use your knowledge of the firm’s strategy to
construct a high-impact job application cover letter to apply for a job with this firm.
Guide: This simple exercise is effective at helping students see the differences and relationships
between business and corporate strategy. You can link this question to an end of the semester
closing dialogue where you ask students to describe the business and corporate strategies of a
firm they identified in the first session, and then show them how much they have learned since
that time.
2. How is international expansion related to business and corporate strategy? Identify a

firm that may be thinking of expanding into new international markets. Apply the
staging element of the strategy diamond to firm’s international expansion opportunities
or plans. Which markets should it target first and why?
Guide: This question further drills the definition of business and corporate strategy so that
students see that international expansion, even for a single business firm, can be considered part
of the corporate strategy because it addresses “what businesses and markets we compete in.”
You can also tie geographic locations to the “arenas,” “staging,” and “economic logic” elements
of strategy. You might ask the students how much geographic diversification limits the
“differentiatiators” in how well they can be extended from one country to another. Finally, you
can also show how implementation is key to connecting the dots when arenas are separated by
great geographic and cultural distance, as well as the difficulty of identifying ideal non-domestic
markets.
VI. SUPPLEMENTAL EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
These exercises are drawn with permission from the Strategy Teaching Tool-kit found at:
http://instruction.bus.wisc.edu/mcarpenter/PROFESSIONAL/Toolkit/bpstools.htm
1. In the Appendix we also provide a copy of the Tolerance for Ambiguity scale that
students will find in Chapter 2. Instructors have found that they can use the results of
this scale to tell students why and how they may respond in situations defined as
© Prentice 21Hall
strategic, that is, situations characterized by high uncertainty and lack of information.
You can also use these results to help students understand their response to the case-
study method, since high-tolerance for ambiguity individuals tend to be comfortable
making decisions with less or little information (typical of a case), while intolerant
individuals always want more information. Here you can also point out the benefits of
teams comprised of individuals with differing tolerances, since a heterogeneous team
will be less likely to rush to judgment (i.e., take unreasonable risks) or suffer from the
paralysis of analysis. After all, strategy is about reasoned risk-taking, and taking action
in the face of uncertainty.
2. The Alaska Gold Mine case is provided in the appendix along with a teaching note for
this case. As is explained there, this is an ideal and easy-to-run case that requires no
preparation but frames the course context well.
© Prentice Hall 22
VII. APPENDICES
Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale
Please respond to the following statements by indicating the extent to which you agree or
disagree with them. Fill in the blanks with the number from the rating scale that best represents
your evaluation of the item. The scoring key is attached.
1 Strongly disagree 5 Slightly agree

2 Moderately disagree 6 Moderately agree
3 Slightly disagree 7 Strongly agree
4 Neither agree or disagree
____ 1. An expert who doesn’t come up with a definite answer probably doesn’t know too
much.
____ 2. I would like to live in a foreign country for a while.
____ 3. There is really no such thing as a problem that can’t be solved.
____ 4. People who fit their lives to a schedule probably miss most of the joy of living.
____ 5. A good job is one where what is to be done and how it is to be done are always
clear.
____ 6. It is more fun to tackle a complicated problem than to solve a simple one.
____ 7. In the long run it is possible to get more done by tackling small, simple problems
rather than large and complicated ones.
____ 8. Often the most interesting and stimulating people are those who don’t mind being
different and original.
____ 9. What we are sued to is always preferable to what is unfamiliar.
____ 10. People who insist upon a yes or no answer just don’t know ho complicated things
really are.
____ 11. A person who leads an even, regular life in which few surprises or unexpected
happenings arise really has a lot to be grateful for.
____ 12. Many of our most important decisions are based upon insufficient information.
____ 13. I like parties where I know most of the people more than ones where all or most of
the people are complete strangers.
____ 14. Teachers or supervisors who hand out vague assignments give one a chance to show
initiative and originality.
____ 15. The sooner we all acquire similar values and ideals the better.
____ 16. A good teacher is one who makes you wonder about your way of looking at things.
Source: Budner, 1962
© Prentice 23Hall
Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale Scoring Key
To score the instrument, the even-numbered items must be reverse-scored. That is, the 7s
become 1s, 6s become 2s, 5s become 3s, and 4s remain the same. After reversing the even-
numbered items, sum the scores for all 16 items to get your total score. High Scores indicate a
greater intolerance for ambiguity. Use the comparison scores provided below to benchmark your
own score, and read the following paragraphs to interpret such results.
Total Score
Sub-scores (follow same even/odd reverse scoring)
(N) Novelty score (sum 2, 9, 11, 13) ________
(C) Complexity score (sum 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16) ________
(I) Insolubility score (sum 1, 3, 12) ________
Comparison total scores: Senior executives 44-48

MBAs 55-60
© Prentice Hall 24
Interpreting Your Score
In order to capitalize fully on your own personal strengths, you should be aware of your
attitude toward change -- tolerance of ambiguity is a critical indicator of your attitude toward
change and a good predictor of your behaviors in the face of ambiguity. This is important
because the environment in which managers operate continues to become more chaotic, more
temporary, more complex, and more overloaded with information, your ability to process
information is at least partly constrained by your fundamental attitude about change.
Ambiguity, the information state that clouds cause-effect relationships, is considered a

critical dimension and consequence of change. Your tolerance of ambiguity refers to the
extent to which you are threatened by or have difficulty coping with situations that are
ambiguous, where change occurs rapidly or unpredictably, where information is inadequate, or
where complexity exists. Stimulus-rich and information-overloaded environments (for
example, air traffic control towers) are examples.
People differ in the extent to which they can cope with ambiguous, incomplete,
unstructured, dynamic situations. Individuals who have a high tolerance for ambiguity also tend
to be more cognitively complex (as noted below, cognitive complexity is not an evaluation of
how smart you are). They tend to pay attention to more information, interpret more cues, and
possess more sense-making categories than less complex individuals do. Research has found
that cognitively complex and tolerant individuals are better transmitters of information, more
sensitive to internal (non-superficial) characteristics of others when evaluating their
performance at work, and more behaviorally adaptive and flexible under ambiguous and
overloaded conditions than less tolerant and less cognitively complex individuals.
Managers with higher tolerance-of-ambiguity scores are more likely to be

entrepreneurial in their actions, to screen out less information in a complex environment, and
to choose specialties in their occupations that possess less-structured tasks. It also should be
pointed out, however, that individuals who are more tolerant of ambiguity have more difficulty
focusing on a single important element of information -- they are inclined to pay attention to a
variety of items -- and they may have somewhat less ability to concentrate without being
distracted by interruptions. However, for the most part, in an information-rich environment,
tolerance of ambiguity and cognitive complexity are more adaptive than the opposite
characteristics.
In scoring your tolerance for ambiguity, three different sub-scores are assessed. One
is the Novelty score, which indicates the extent to which you are tolerant of new, unfamiliar
information or situations. The second sub-scale is the Complexity score, which indicates the
extent to which you are tolerant of multiple, distinctive, or unrelated information. The third
sub-scale is the Insolubility score, which indicates the extent to which you are tolerant of
problems that are very difficult to solve because, for example, alternative solutions are not
evident, information is unavailable, or the problem's components seem unrelated to each other.
In general, the more tolerant people are of novelty, complexity, and insolubility, the more likely
they are to succeed as managers in information-rich, ambiguous environments. They are less
overwhelmed by ambiguous circumstances.
© Prentice 25Hall
As noted above, it is important to recognize that cognitive complexity and tolerance for
ambiguity are not related to intelligence, and your score on the Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale
is not an evaluation of how smart you are. Most important, individuals can learn to tolerate
more complexity and more flexibility in their information-processing abilities. The first step
toward increasing tolerance is becoming aware of where you are now by completing and scoring
the scale. Then, exercises in problem-solving and creativity can be drawn upon to improve your
cognitive complexity and tolerance for ambiguity.
References for problem-solving and creativity development:
Adams, James. Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas. NY: Perseus Press, 1990.
DeBono, Edward. Serious Creativity. NY: Harper-Collins, 1994.
DeBono, Edward. Teach Yourself to Think. NY: Penguin Books, 1996
Gryskiewicz, Stanley. Positive Turbulence : Developing Climates for Creativity, Innovation, and
Renewal. NY: Jossey-Bass, 1999.
Jones, Gareth. Imaginization: New mindsets for seeing, organizing, and managing. NY, Sage
Publications, 1997.
© Prentice Hall 26
Part One: Strategy and Strategic Leadership in Dynamic Times
THE ALASKAN GOLD MINE1
PART I
You have taken a three-month option on a possible gold mine in Alaska. It took you two
months of dangerous journey to get there. In two weeks of exploration (and recuperation) you have
regained your health, except for your injured left hand, which sometimes can become suddenly quite
weak. In the last 24 hours, you have finally discovered gold in what appears to be good quantity. You
have exactly two weeks to get to the claims office. If you arrive late, and attempt to secure the property
(with the owners knowing you have visited it), there will probably be an auction at which you could
be easily out-bid, given your limited resources. Here are your alternatives:
1. Wait 3-4 weeks until the weather warms up and enjoy a safe trip home.
2. Go over the mountains. This is dangerous. It is sometimes impassable. It is quick, if you

can make it without harm: 7-10 days. If you encounter storms or injury, you will probably
have to turn back or perish, as the longest part of the journey is on the way over the top.
3. Go through the valley passes. This is less dangerous and is usually passable. It is slow and
tiring. You can probably make it in 2 to 3 weeks.
The weather is only moderately favorable, with what may be a mountain storm brewing. You
will know if it is a storm within 48 hours, and whether the mountain is passable (if the storm comes)
about one day later.
4. Wait 2-3 days, take #2 weather permitting; if not, take #3. (There is no advantage to
waiting if you prefer #3 anyway, and waiting to take #1 = #1.)
What do you do? (Circle your answer) #1 #2 #3 #4
1
Authored and copyrighted by Jeffrey Barach, Graduate School of Business, Tulane, University, New Orleans, LA. 1977.
© Prentice Hall 27
THE ALASKAN GOLD MINE
PART II
Assume you chose the valley passes (#3). Five days later you are halfway there. You have
pushed too hard and sprained your ankle. Pat, an old friend on a trapping expedition comes along and
takes you to a cabin. Pat could get to the claims office town, and offers to take you. Traveling together,
it might take 10 to 14 more days to get there.
If you tell Pat and make a deal, Pat alone could get there in about 8 to 9 days. If you were well,
you could do it easily in 7 days, but you presently cannot make it without a few days rest and then 10
days to 2 weeks of travel.
You are not sure whether Pat can exercise the option and file the claim correctly, because Pat
is not too bright, tends to drink to excess, and is not the single-minded hustler that you are. Pat is a
simple, decent old friend who likes trapping, but would, you suspect, both need and desire financial
independence. You think you can trust Pat if you offer to split 50:50, since your expertise and help
would be needed to capitalize on the discovery.
What is your decision? Go with Pat _______
Go it alone _______
Send Pat _______
Explain and detail your best strategy for success and how you plan to do it?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
© Prentice Hall 28
Alaska Gold Mine –Teaching Note
This case is great to kick of a course or particular session about strategy. The part A case showcases
issues of strategy formulation, with the part B case shows how formulation and implementation are
linked.
Part A:
Hand out the A case and give students 5 to 7 minutes to make a choice about options 1 through 4.
Write the four alternatives on the board. After the students have had time to read the case, analyze
the situation, and commit to a course of action (have them write it down on the case), take a poll of
what the students chose. A little humor at sprinkled in as you count their votes seems to keep them
engaged. After counting those that chose alternative 2 (going over the mountain) noting that we
apparently have X number of entrepreneurs in the class. Or, after counting those who vote for
alternative 4 (waiting to see what happens to the weather), commenting that X people already qualify
for an honorary MBA and quipping that many MBAs constantly comment that there isn’t enough data
yet to make a choice. Talk through each option, asking students to voice their opinions on why or
why not they chose a particular option. You want to be playful here so try to get students to disagree,
and state the basis for their disagreement.
The common elements for the decision maker are that (1) they must recognize a goal ($, life, other),
but that their goal may have been implicit; (2) they must understand the environment and all of them
assessed it differently though given identical information; (3) same with the internal situation; (4) they
acted as filters in interpreting the external environment and the internal environment; (5) based on
this they needed to assess strategic alternatives and choose a course of action; (6) each choice is a
strategic choice, and it mimics the types of strategic choices firms make with respect to resource
allocation choices; (7) there was tremendous uncertainty, as in all strategy situations, and how they
treated the “facts” varied according to how liberally or strictly they held themselves to the constraints
presented in the case.
This is where you use the Strategy Formulation PP slide to walk through what they chose.
To conclude this part you can link the exercise to strategy, where you must recognize a goal, resources,
and life issues. You must determine what constitutes external threats and opportunities, and internal
strengths and weaknesses. Your own values and attitudes toward risk flavor your interpretation of
the issues – there is not much data and this uncertainty and ambiguity characterize strategic choices.
You also had to assess strategic alternatives and the fact that there were clusters of choices (usually
more than one vote for each alternative), suggests that you interpreted and responded to the data in
patterned ways…somewhat characteristic of strategic groups. Finally, even if you don’t think you had
a strategy you actually did…I usually contrast intended versus emergent strategies here. Its also fun
to point out how some groups explicitly target the gold as their goal, while others have longer term
interests like the preservation of their lives…like firms, some are betting the company where others
are taking a more patient, incremental approach.
Again, have the students read Part B and instruct them to mark down a decision.
© Prentice Hall 29
Part B:
At this point, you need to introduce Part B, which requires that you assume that alternative 2 was
chosen. You can either simply say “let’s assume that you chose alternative 2, let’s see what happened.”
Alternatively, you can foreshadow a linkage to corporate life and take the approach that the board of
directors told you to choose alternative 2.
Again, hand out the case and allow about 7 minutes to make a choice and think about the agreement
they would come to with Pat. About 5 minutes into this I interrupt and ask them to also think of how
much and what kind of information and communication they would provide Pat. After they have
silently committed to their choice, have the students team up with 2 to 4 other students and compare
their choices. If they differ, tell them that they much come to a consensus before moving on to
plotting their implementation strategy. If their responses are the same, have them immediately begin
plotting their implementation strategy. Take a poll and again post the numbers – stress that the second
part of the case demonstrates how the eventual strategy problem is getting something done through
people. It may be useful to also spend some time on asking groups that started with a disagreement
on how to proceed to disclose what their initial votes were, who changed their mind, and why. In
your debrief this allows you to discuss the issue of group-level strategic decision making. The situation
is now complicated by the need to work through people, and focus your debrief of the alternatives on
many of the people issues. While the A case is pretty open-ended in terms of preferable strategies
(though most people don’t choose 1 and instead chose one of the remaining three strategies, usually
the fourth because it has embedded options), the B case sets them up with the reality that
implementing strategy usually requires that you get things done through others, and often those others
are out of your direct control.
Do you trust Pat? Competence? Honesty?
What kind of deal do you strike? Case of booze, a new gun, and a truck or 50:50 split?
This is where you put up the Strategy Formulation/Implementation slide to walk through the
implementation model they chose, as well as the interdependence of formulation and implementation.
You can point out that your prior relationship with Pat is what allowed you to consider this revised
strategy in the first place!
The point of the second part of the case is that the goal is lost unless you can work with and depend
on Pat. This means there must be some level of trust, you must make a fair deal that incentivizes him
but also allows some form of control, and give him a pep talk to avoid the personal problems.
Specifically, you need Pat to try harder, extend him or herself, and believe in the partnership with you.
NB: The options are all risky no matter what you do.
Tying in the strategy diamond, implementation framework, and differentiators:
The Power Points present you an opportunity to foreshadow the strategy diamond and
implementation frameworks that are used in the text. You may want to talk about the three
differentiators up front, and say that this case also We typically talk through the diamond after having
debriefed the A case, then walk through the implementation framework after having debriefed the B
© Prentice Hall 30
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
repitió: “¿Estás contenta de que tu padre haya vuelto y de que ya no
se marche?”. La muchacha, que había mirado con suma atención a
los labios de su padre, tratando hasta de ver el interior de la boca,
respondió con soltura: “Sí, estoy contenta de que ha-yas vuel-to y de
que no te mar-ches ya nun-ca ja-más”. El padre la abrazó
impetuosamente, y luego, a toda prisa, le abrumó a preguntas.
“¿Cómo se llama tu madre?”. “Antonia”. “¿Cómo se llama tu
hermana pequeña?”. “A-de-laida”. “¿Cómo se llama este colegio?”.
“De sor-do-mudos”. “¿Cuántos son diez y diez?”. “Veinte”. De
pronto, y mientras que nosotros creíamos que iba a reír de placer,
se echó a llorar. ¡Pero también las lágrimas eran de alegría! “Ánimo
—le dijo la maestra—; tiene usted motivo para alegrarse, pero no
para llorar. Mire que hace usted llorar también a su hija. ¿Está
contento?”. El jardinero cogió fuertemente la mano de la maestra y
se la llenó de besos, diciendo: “Gracias, gracias, cien veces gracias,
mil veces gracias, querida señora maestra! Y perdóneme... que no
sepa decirle a usted otra cosa...”. “Pero no sólo habla—le dijo la
maestra—; su hija de usted sabe escribir. Sabe hacer cuentas.
Conoce los nombres de todos los objetos usuales. Sabe un poco de
Historia y algo de Geografía. Ahora está en la clase normal. Cuando
haya hecho los otros dos años, sabrá mucho, mucho más. Saldrá de
aquí en disposición de ejercer una profesión. Ya tenemos discípulos
que están colocados en las tiendas para servir a los parroquianos, y
cumplen en sus oficios como los demás”. El jardinero se quedó aún
más maravillado que antes. Parecía que de nuevo se le confundían
las ideas. Miró a su hija y comenzó a rascarse la frente. La
expresión de su semblante pedía claramente alguna mayor
explicación.
Entonces la maestra se volvió al portero, y dijo: “Llame usted a una

niña de la clase preparatoria”. El portero volvió al poco rato con una
sordomuda de ocho a nueve años, que hacía pocos días había
entrado en el Instituto. “Ésta—dijo la maestra—es una de aquéllas a
quienes enseñamos los primeros elementos. He aquí cómo se hace.
Quiero hacerle decir e. Esté usted atento”. La maestra abrió la boca
como se abre para pronunciar la vocal e, e hizo señas a la niña para
que abriese la boca de la misma manera.
La niña obedeció. Entonces la maestra le indicó que echase fuera la
voz. Lo hizo así la niña; pero en lugar de e, pronunció o. “No—dijo la
maestra; no es eso”. Y cogiendo las dos manos a la niña, se puso
una de ellas abierta contra su garganta y la otra contra el pecho, y
repitió: “e”. La niña, que había sentido en sus manos el movimiento
de la garganta y del pecho de la maestra, volvió a abrir de nuevo la
boca y pronunció muy bien: “e”. Del mismo modo la maestra le hizo
decir c y d, manteniendo siempre las dos manos de la niña, una en
el pecho y otra en la garganta: “¿Ha comprendido usted ahora?”,
preguntó.
El padre había comprendido, pero parecía aún más asombrado que

cuando no entendía. “¿Enseñan ustedes a hablar de este modo?—
preguntó al cabo de estarlo pensando un minuto y sin quitar su vista
de la maestra—. ¿Tienen la paciencia de enseñar a hablar de esta
manera, poco a poco, a todos? ¿uno por uno...? ¿años y años...?
¡Pero ustedes son unas santas! ¡Son más bien ángeles del Paraíso!
¡No hay recompensa para ustedes! ¿Qué más tengo que decir...?
¡Ah, sí! Déjenme un poco con mi hija ahora. Siquiera cinco minutos
que esté sola conmigo”.
Y habiéndola separado hacia un lado, se sentaron y comenzó a

preguntarle; la muchacha respondía, y él reía, con los ojos
humedecidos y pegándose puñetazos sobre las rodillas, cogía a su
hija por las manos, mirándola fuera de sí por la alegría que le
causaba el oírla, como si fuese una voz que viniese del cielo; luego
preguntó a la maestra: “¿Me sería permitido dar las gracias al señor
director?”. “El director no está—respondió la maestra—. Pero está
otra persona a quien debería usted dar las gracias. Aquí cada niña
pequeña está al cuidado de una compañera mayor, que hace como
de hermana y madre... Su hija está confiada a una sordomuda, de
diecisiete años, hija de un panadero, que es buena y la quiere
mucho; hace dos años va a ayudarla a vestir todas las mañanas, la
peina, le enseña a coser, le arregla la ropa, le hace compañía.
Luisa, ¿cómo se llama tu madre de colegio?”. La muchacha,
sonriéndose, respondió: “Ca-ta-li-na Jor-dán”. Luego dijo a su padre:
“Muy, muy buena”.
El empleado, que había salido a una indicación de la maestra, volvió
casi en seguida con una sordomuda rubia, robusta, de cara alegre,
también vestida de tela de rayas rojizas, con delantal gris: se detuvo
en el umbral y poniéndose colorada, inclinó su cabeza sonriendo.
Tenía cuerpo de mujer y parecía una niña.
La hija de Jorge corrió en seguida a su encuentro, la cogió por un

brazo como a una niña, y la trajo delante de su padre, diciendo con
su gruesa voz: “Ca-ta-li-na Jor-dán”. “¡Ah! ¡La excelente niña!—
exclamó el padre alargando la mano como para acariciarla, pero
pronto la retiró, repitiendo—: La buena muchacha, que Dios la
bendiga y que le dé todo género de venturas, todos los consuelos,
haciéndola feliz, y a todos los suyos; ¡es un honrado operario, un
pobre padre de familia quien se lo desea de todo corazón!”.
La muchacha grande acariciaba a la pequeña, siempre con la

cabeza baja y sonriéndose; el jardinero seguía mirándola como a
una virgen. “Hoy se puede llevar a su hija”, dijo la maestra. “¡Sí, me
la llevo!—respondió el jardinero—. Hoy la llevaré a Condove, y
mañana temprano la volveré a traer. ¡Figúrese si no me la he de
llevar!”. La hija se fué a vestir. “¡Después de tres años que no la veo!
—replicó el jardinero—. ¡Y ahora que habla...! A Condove me la
llevo en seguida. Pero antes quiero dar una vuelta por Turín, con mi
mudita del brazo, para que todos la vean, y llevarla a que la oigan
mis cuatro conocidos. ¡Ah! ¡Hermoso día! ¡Esto se llama un
consuelo! ¡Venga acá ese brazo, Luisa mía!”. La muchacha, que
había vuelto con una manteleta y una cofia, dió el brazo a su padre.
“¡Y gracias a todos!—dijo el padre ya desde la puerta—. ¡Gracias a
todos con toda mi alma! ¡Volveré otra vez para repetir a todos las
gracias!”. Se quedó un momento pensativo: luego, separándose
bruscamente de la muchacha, volvió pies atrás, hurgándose con una
mano en el bolsillo del chaleco y gritando como un furioso: “Pues
bien: soy un pobre diablo; pero aquí están veinte liras para el
Instituto: ¡una moneda de oro bien hermosa!”. Y dando un gran
golpe sobre la mesa, dejó el doblón sobre ella. “No, no, buen
hombre—dijo conmovida la maestra—. Recoja usted su dinero. A mí
no me corresponde recibirlo. Ya vendrá cuando esté el director.
Tampoco él lo aceptará, esté seguro. Ha trabajado usted tanto para
ganarlo, ¡pobre hombre...! Todos le quedaremos agradecidos, lo
mismo que si lo recibiéramos”. “No, yo lo dejo—repitió el jardinero—;
y luego... ya veremos”. Pero la maestra le volvió la moneda al
bolsillo, sin darle tiempo para rechazarla. Entonces se resignó,
meneando la cabeza; envió con toda rapidez un beso, con la mano,
a la muchacha grande, saludó a la maestra, y cogiendo de nuevo a
su hija, se lanzó fuera de la puerta. “Ven, ven, hija mía, ¡pobre hija
mía, mi tesoro!”. La hija le decía con su voz gruesa: “¡Oh, qué sol
tan her-mo-so!”.
JUNIO
GARIBALDI
MAÑANA ES FIESTA NACIONAL
Junio 3
OY es día de luto nacional. “¡Ayer noche ha muerto
Garibaldi! ¿Sabes quién era? Es el que libertó a diez
millones de ciudadanos de la tiranía de los Borbones de
Italia. ¡Ha muerto a los sesenta y cinco años! Nació en
Niza, y era hijo de un capitán de barco. A los ocho años
libró la vida a una mujer; a los trece sacó a salvo una barca llena de
compañeros náufragos; a los veintisiete salvó de las aguas, en
Marsella, a un jovencito que se ahogaba; a los cuarenta y uno evitó
el incendio de un barco, en el océano. Combatió diez años en
América por la libertad de un pueblo extranjero; luchó en tres
guerras contra los austríacos por la libertad de la Lombardía y del
Trentino; defendió a Roma contra los franceses en 1849; libró a
Palermo y a Nápoles en 1860; volvió a combatir por Roma en 1867;
guerreó en 1870 contra los alemanes en defensa de Francia. Tenía
en su alma la llama del heroísmo y el genio de la guerra. Entró en
combate cuarenta veces, y salió victorioso treinta y siete. Cuando no
peleó, trabajó para vivir, encerrándose en una isla solitaria, a cultivar
la tierra. Fué maestro, marinero, trabajador, negociante, soldado,
general, dictador. Era grande, sencillo y bueno. Odiaba a todos los
opresores, amaba a todos los pueblos, protegía a todos los débiles;
no tenía otra aspiración que el bien; rechazaba los honores,
despreciaba la muerte, adoraba a Italia. Cuando lanzaba el grito de
guerra, legiones de valerosos corrían a él de todas partes: hubo
señores que abandonaron sus palacios, artesanos sus talleres y
jóvenes sus aulas, para ir a combatir, iluminados por el sol de su
gloria. En la guerra usaba blusa roja. Era fuerte, rubio, hermoso; en
el campo de batalla, un rayo; en los sentimientos, un niño; en los
dolores, un santo. Miles de italianos han muerto por la patria, felices
en la agonía al verle pasar a lo lejos victorioso; millares hubieran
dado su vida por él; millones le bendijeron y le bendecirán. ¡Ha
muerto! El mundo entero le llora. Tú ahora no lo comprendes. Pero
leerás sus hazañas, oirás hablar de él continuamente en tu vida, y
según vayas creciendo, su imagen crecerá ante tu vista; cuando
seas hombre, le verás gigante; y cuando no estés tú ya en este
mundo, ni vivan los hijos de tus hijos, ni los que nazcan de ellos,
todavía las generaciones verán en lo alto su cabeza luminosa de
redentor de los pueblos, coronada con los nombres de sus victorias,
como si fueran círculo de estrellas, y les resplandecerá la frente y el
alma a todos los italianos al pronunciar su nombre.—Tu padre.”
EL EJÉRCITO
FIESTA NACIONAL
Se retardó siete días a causa de la muerte de Garibaldi
Domingo 11.—Hemos ido a la plaza del Castillo, para ver la revista

de los soldados que desfilaron ante el comandante del cuerpo de
ejército en medio de dos grandes filas de pueblo. Según iban
desfilando al compás de las cornetas y músicas, mi padre me
indicaba los cuerpos y los recuerdos gloriosos de cada bandera.
Iban primero los alumnos de la Academia, que serán oficiales de
ingenieros y de artillería, trescientos aproximadamente, vestidos de
negro, desfilando con una elegancia firme y desenvuelta de
soldados y de estudiantes. Después de ellos pasó la infantería: la
brigada de Aosta, que combatió en Goito y en San Martín, y la
brigada Bérgamo, que combatió en Castelfidardo; cuatro
regimientos, compañía tras compañía, millares de pompones rojos
que semejaban otras tantas dobles guirnaldas larguísimas color de
sangre, tendidas y agitadas por los dos extremos y llevadas a través
de la multitud. Después de la infantería avanzaron los soldados de
ingenieros, los obreros de la guerra, con sus penachos negros de
crin y los galones rojos; y mientras éstos desfilaban, se veían tras de
ellos centenares de largas y derechas plumas que sobresalían por
encima de las cabezas de los espectadores: eran los alpinos, los
defensores de las puertas de Italia, todos ellos altos, sonrosados y
fuertes, con sus sombreros calabreses y las divisas de hermoso
color verde vivo como la hierba de sus montañas. Aún desfilaban los
alpinos, cuando se dejó sentir un estremecimiento en la multitud, y
los cazadores de infantería, el antiguo duodécimo batallón, los
primeros que entraron en Roma por la brecha de Puerta Pía,
morenos avispados, vivos, con los penachos agitados por el viento,
pasaron como una oleada de negro torrente, haciendo retumbar
toda la plaza con agudos sonidos de tromba que semejaban gritos
de alegría. Pero el sonido de su corneta, fué cubierto bien pronto por
un estrépito sordo e ininterrumpido, que anunciaba la artillería de
campaña. Pasaron, gallardamente sentados sobre altos cajones
arrastrados por trescientas parejas de caballos impetuosos, los
bravos soldados de cordones amarillos y los largos cañones de
bronce y de acero, que saltaban y resonaban haciendo temblar la
tierra. Vino luego adelantándose lenta, grave, bella en su apariencia,
fatigosa y ruda, con sus altos soldados y sus poderosos mulos, la
artillería de montaña, que lleva la desolación y la muerte allí donde
llega la planta humana. Pasó por fin al galope, con los cascos
refulgentes, con las lanzas derechas, con las banderas al viento,
deslumbrador de oro y de plata, llenando el aire de polvo y de
relinchos, el magnífico regimiento de caballería de Génova, que diez
veces cayó como un torbellino sobre los campos de batalla, desde
Santa Lucía a Villafranca. “¡Qué hermoso es!”, exclamé yo. Pero mi
padre casi me echó un regaño por haber usado aquella palabra, y
me dijo: “No hay para qué considerar el ejército como un bello
espectáculo. Todos estos jóvenes, llenos de fuerza y de esperanzas,
pueden de un día a otro ser llamados a defender nuestro país, y en
pocas horas caer hechos trizas por las balas y la metralla. ¡Siempre
que oigas gritar en una fiesta ¡viva el ejército!, ¡viva Italia!,
represéntate más allá de los regimientos que pasan, una campiña
cubierta de cadáveres y hecha un lago de sangre, y entonces el viva
al ejército te saldrá de lo más profundo del corazón, y la imagen de
Italia te aparecerá más severa y más grande!”.
ITALIA
Martes 13.—“Saluda a la patria de este modo en los días de sus
fiestas: Italia, patria mía, noble y querida tierra donde mi padre y mi
madre nacieron y serán enterrados, donde yo espero vivir y morir,
donde mis hijos crecerán y morirán; hermosa Italia, grande y
gloriosa desde hace siglos, unida y libre desde ha pocos años; que
esparciste sobre el mundo tanta luz de divinas inteligencias, y por la
cual tantos valientes murieron en los campos de batalla y tantos
héroes en el patíbulo; madre augusta de trescientas ciudades y de
treinta millones de hijos; yo, niño, que todavía no te comprendo y no
te conozco por completo, te venero y te amo con toda mi alma, y
estoy orgulloso de haber nacido de ti y de llamarme hijo tuyo. Amo
tus mares espléndidos y tus sublimes Alpes; amo tus monumentos
solemnes y tus memorias inmortales; amo tu gloria y tu belleza; amo
y venero a toda como a aquella parte preferida donde por vez
primera vi el sol y oí tu nombre. Os amo a todas con el mismo cariño
y con igual gratitud, valerosa Turín, Génova soberbia, docta Bolonia,
encantadora Venecia, poderosa Milán; con la misma reverencia de
hijo os amo, gentil Florencia y terrible Palermo, Nápoles inmensa y
hermosa, Roma maravillosa y eterna. ¡Te amo, sagrada patria! Y te
juro que querré siempre a todos tus hijos como a hermanos; que
honraré siempre en mi corazón a tus hombres ilustres vivos y a tus
grandes hombres muertos; que seré ciudadano activo y honrado,
atento tan sólo a ennoblecerme para hacerme digno de ti, y
cooperar con mis mínimas fuerzas para que desaparezcan de tu faz
la miseria, la ignorancia, la injusticia, el delito; para que puedas vivir
y desarrollarte tranquila en la majestad de tu derecho y de tu fuerza.
Juro que te serviré en lo que pueda, con la inteligencia, con el brazo
y con el corazón, humilde y valerosamente; y que si llega un día en
el que deba dar por ti mi sangre y mi vida, daré mi vida y mi sangre
y moriré elevando al cielo tu santo nombre y enviando mi último
beso a tu bendita bandera.—Tu padre.”
¡TREINTA Y DOS GRADOS!

Viernes 16.—En los cinco días siguientes a la fiesta nacional, el
calor ha ido creciendo hasta tres grados más. Ya estamos en pleno
verano: todos comienzan a estar cansados, a perder los hermosos
colores sonrosados de la primavera; las piernas y los cuellos se
adelgazan, las cabezas se tambalean y los ojos se cierran. El pobre
Nelle, que siente mucho el calor y tiene ya una cara de color de
cera, se queda alguna vez dormido profundamente con la cabeza
sobre el cuaderno; pero Garrón siempre está atento para ponerle
delante un libro abierto, derecho, para que el maestro no lo vea.
Crosi apoya su roja cabeza sobre el banco, de modo que parece
que la han separado del tronco y puesto allí. Nobis se lamenta de
que somos demasiados y viciamos el aire. ¡Ah! ¡Qué esfuerzo hay
que hacer para ponerse a estudiar! Yo miro desde las ventanas de
casa aquellos hermosos árboles que hacen una sombra tan
obscura, donde de muy buena gana iría a correr, y me da tristeza y
rabia el tener que ir a encerrarme entre los bancos de la clase.
Luego me reanimo cuando veo que mi pobre madre se queda
siempre mirándome cuando salgo de la escuela para ver si estoy
pálido; y a cada página de trabajo me dice: “¿Te sientes con fuerza
todavía?”. Y todas las mañanas, al despertarme a las seis para
estudiar la lección: “¡Ánimo! No faltan ya más que tantos días; luego
quedarás libre y descansarás, irás a la sombra de los árboles”. Sí;
tiene sobrada razón mi madre al recordarme los muchachos que
trabajan en los campos bajo los rayos de un sol que abrasa, o en las
arenas blancas a orillas de los ríos, que ciegan y queman, o de las
fábricas de vidrios, que se pasan todo el día inmóviles con la cara
inclinada sobre una llama de gas; todos se levantan más pronto que
nosotros, y ninguno de ellos tiene vacaciones. ¡Valor, por
consiguiente! También en esto es el primero de todos Deroso, que
no siente ni el calor ni el sueño, siempre vivo y alegre, con sus rizos
largos como en el invierno, estudiando sin cansarse y manteniendo
despiertos a todos los que tiene alrededor, como si refrescase con
su voz el aire. Otros dos hay que siempre están atentos y
despiertos: el testarudo Estardo, que se pincha en los labios para no
dormirse, y cuanto más cansado está y más calor hace, tanto más
aprieta los dientes y abre los ojos que parece que se quiere comer
al maestro; y el traficante Garofi, enteramente ocupado en fabricar
abanicos de papel rojo, adornados con figuritas de cajas de cerillas,
que luego vende a dos céntimos cada uno. Pero el más valiente es
Coreta: ¡pobre Coreta, que se levanta a las cinco para ayudar a su
padre a llevar leña! A las once, en la escuela, ya no puede tener los
ojos abiertos, y se le dobla la cabeza sobre el pecho. Y sin embargo,
se sacude, se pega cachetes en la nuca, pide permiso para salir, y
se lava la cara, y hace que los que están cerca le empujen y le
pellizquen. Pero esta mañana no pudo resistirlo, y se durmió con
profundísimo sueño. El maestro le llamó fuertemente: “¡Coreta!”. No
le oyó. El maestro, irritado repitió: “¡Coreta!”. Entonces el hijo del
carbonero, que vive al lado de su casa, se levantó y dijo: “Ha estado
trabajando desde las cinco hasta las siete, llevando haces de leña”.
El maestro le dejó dormir, y continuó explicando la lección durante
otra media hora. Luego se fué al banco de Coreta, y soplándole muy
despacio en la cara, le despertó. Al verse delante al maestro,
retrocedió amedrentado. Pero el maestro le cogió la cabeza entre
las manos y le dijo besándole: “No te regaño, hijo mío. No es el
sueño de la pereza el que sientes, sino el sueño del cansancio”.
MI PADRE
Sábado 17.—“Seguramente que ni tu compañero Coreta ni Garrón
responderían a su padre como tú has respondido esta tarde al tuyo,
Enrique. ¿Cómo es posible? Tienes que jurarme que no volverá a
pasar esto nunca mientras yo viva. Siempre que a una reprensión
de tu padre te venga a los labios una mala respuesta, piensa en
aquel día, que llegará irremisiblemente, en que tenga que llamarte a
su lecho para decirte: ‘Enrique, te dejo’. ¡Oh, hijo mío! Cuando oigas
su voz por última vez, y aun después por mucho tiempo; cuando
llores en su cuarto abandonado, en medio de todos los libros que él
ya no abrirá más, entonces, recordando que alguna vez le faltaste al
respeto, te preguntarás a ti mismo: ‘¿Cómo es posible?’. Entonces
comprenderás que él ha sido siempre tu mejor amigo, que cuando
se veía obligado a castigarte sufría más que tú, y que siempre que
te ha hecho llorar ha sido por tu bien; entonces te arrepentirás y
besarás llorando aquella mesa sobre la cual ha trabajado y sobre la
cual gastó su vida en bien de sus hijos. Ahora no comprendes; él te
esconde todo su interior, excepto su bondad y su cariño. Tú no
sabes que a veces está tan quebrantado por el cansancio, que
piensa que vivirá pocos días, y que en tales momentos no habla
más que de ti, y no tiene más pena en su corazón que el dejarte sin
protección y pobre. ¡Y cuántas veces, pensando en esto, entra en tu
cuarto mientras duermes y se queda mirándote con la luz en la
mano, y haciendo un esfuerzo, cansado y triste, vuelve a su trabajo!
Y ni siquiera te das cuenta de que en muchas ocasiones te busca,
está contigo porque tiene una amargura en el corazón y disgustos
que todos los hombres sufren en el mundo, y te busca a ti como a
un amigo para confortarse y olvidar, sintiendo necesidad de
refugiarse en tu cariño, para volver a encontrar la serenidad y el
valor. Piensa, por consiguiente, ¡qué doloroso debe ser para él
cuando, en lugar de encontrar afecto en ti, encuentra frialdad e
irreverencia! ¡No te manches jamás con tan terrible ingratitud!
Piensa que aun cuando fueses bueno como un santo, no podrías
nunca recompensarlo bastante, por lo que ha hecho y hace
continuamente por ti. Y piensa a la vez que sobre la vida no se
puede contar: una desgracia te podría arrebatar a tu padre, mientras
todavía eres muchacho, dentro de dos años o tres meses, o quizá
mañana mismo. ¡Ah! ¡Pobre Enrique mío! ¡Cómo verías cambiar
todo a tu alrededor entonces! ¡Qué vacía y desolada te parecería la
casa, solo, con tu pobre madre, vestida de negro. Vete, hijo; ve
donde está tu padre: está trabajando en su cuarto: ve de puntillas
para que no te sienta entrar; ve a poner tu frente sobre sus rodillas y
a decirle que te perdone y te bendiga.—Tu madre”.
EN EL CAMPO
Lunes 19.—Mi buen padre me perdonó una vez más y me dejó ir a
la jira que habíamos proyectado con el padre de Coreta, el vendedor
de leña. Todos teníamos necesidad de alguna bocanada de aire en
las colinas. Fué una diversión. Ayer a las dos nos encontramos en la
plaza de la Constitución, Deroso, Garrón, Garofi, Coreta padre e
hijo, Precusa y yo, con nuestras provisiones de frutas, de salchichón
y de huevos duros, teníamos vasitos de cuero y de hoja de lata;
Garrón llevaba una calabaza con vino blanco; y el pequeño Precusa,
con su blusa de maestro herrero, tenía bajo el brazo un pan de dos
kilos. Fuimos en ómnibus hasta la Gran Madre de Dios, y luego,
arriba, a escape por las colinas. ¡Había una sombra, un verde y una
frescura...! Dábamos volteretas en la pradera, metíamos la ara en
todos los arroyuelos y saltábamos a través de todos los fosos.
Coreta padre nos seguía a lo lejos, con la chaqueta al hombro,
fumando en su pipa de yeso y de cuando en cuando nos
amenazaba con la mano para que no nos desgarrásemos los
pantalones. Precusa silbaba; nunca le había oído silbar; Coreta, hijo,
hacía de todo, según andábamos; sabe hacer de todo aquel
hombrecillo, con su navajita de un dedo de larga: ruedas de molino,
tenedores, jeringuillas; y quería llevar las cosas de los demás, e iba
cargado que sudaba de firme, pero siempre ligero como una cabra.
Deroso a cada paso se detenía para decirnos los nombres de las
plantas y de los insectos; yo no sé cómo se arregla para saber tanta
cosa. Garrón iba comiendo su pan en silencio; pero no es el mismo
que pegaba aquellos mordiscos que era un gusto verlo, ¡pobre
Garrón!, después que perdió a su madre. Siempre es excelente,
bueno como el pan: cuando uno de nosotros tomaba carrera para
saltar un foso, corría al otro lado para tenderle las manos; y porque
Precusa tenía miedo de las vacas, porque siendo pequeño le habían
atropellado, siempre que pasaba una, Garrón se le ponía delante.
Subimos hasta Santa Margarita, y luego abajo por la pendiente
dando saltos y echándonos a rodar. Precusa, trabándose en un
arbusto, se hizo un rasgón en la blusa, y allí se quedó avergonzado
con su jirón colgando, hasta que Garofi, que tiene siempre alfileres
en la chaqueta, se lo sujetó de manera que no se veía, mientras que
él no cesaba de decirle: “¡Perdóname! ¡Perdóname!”. Luego, vuelta
a correr de nuevo. Garofi no perdía su tiempo en el viaje: cogía
hierbas para ensalada, caracoles y todas las piedras que brillaban
algo se las metía en el bolsillo, pensando en que podrían tener algo
de oro o de plata. Siempre adelante corriendo, echándonos a rodar,
trepando a la sombra y al sol, arriba y abajo por todas las
elevaciones y senderos, hasta que llegamos sin fuerzas y sin aliento
a la cima de una colina, donde nos sentamos a merendar en la
hierba. Se veía una llanura inmensa y todos los Alpes azules con
sus crestas blancas. Todos nos moríamos de hambre, y parecía que
el pan se evaporaba. Coreta, padre, nos presentaba los pedazos de
salchichón sobre hojas de calabaza. Todos nos pusimos a hablar a
la vez de los maestros, de los compañeros que no habían podido
venir y de los exámenes. Precusa se avergonzaba algo de comer, y
Garrón le metía en la boca lo mejor de su parte a la fuerza. Coreta
estaba sentado al lado de su padre con las piernas cruzadas, más
bien parecían dos hermanos que no padre e hijo, al verlos
colocados tan inmediatamente los dos, y alegres y con los dientes
tan blancos... El padre trincaba que era un gusto; apuraba hasta los
vasos que nosotros dejábamos mediados, diciéndonos: “A vosotros,
estudiantes, sin duda os hace daño el vino; los vendedores de leña
son los que tienen necesidad de él”. Luego, cogiendo por la nariz a
su hijo, le zarandeaba, diciéndonos: “Muchachos, quered mucho a
éste, que es un perfecto caballero: ¡os lo digo yo!”. Todos nos
reíamos, excepto Garrón. Y seguía bebiendo. “¡Qué lástima! Ahora
estáis todos juntos como buenos amigos, y dentro de algunos años,
¡quién sabe! Enrique y Deroso serán abogados o profesores, o qué
sé yo, y vosotros cuatro en una tienda, o en un oficio, o el diablo
sabe dónde. Entonces, buenas noches, camaradas”. “¡Qué!—
respondió Deroso:—para mí, Garrón será siempre Garrón; Precusa
será siempre Precusa, y los demás lo mismo; aun cuando llegase a
ser emperador de todas las Rusias, donde estén ellos iré yo”.
“¡Bendito seas!—exclamó Coreta, padre, alzando la cantimplora—;
así se habla, ¡vive Cristo! ¡Venga esa mano! ¡Vivan los buenos
compañeros, y viva también la escuela, que crea una sola familia
entre los que tienen y entre los que no tienen!”. Tocamos todos la
cantimplora con los vasos de cuero y de hoja de lata, y bebimos por
última vez. Y él gritó, poniéndose en pie y apurando el último sorbo:
“¡Viva el cuadro del cuarenta y nueve! Y si alguna vez vosotros
tuviéseis que formar el cuadro, mucho cuidado con mantenerse
firmes como nosotros, ¡muchachos!”. Ya era tarde: bajamos
corriendo y cantando, y caminando largos trechos cogidos del brazo.
Cuando llegamos al Po obscurecía, y millares de moscas luminosas
cruzaban los aires. No nos separamos hasta llegar a la plaza de la
Constitución, y después de haber combinado el encontrarnos para ir
todos juntos al teatro de Víctor Manuel para ver la distribución de
premios a los alumnos de las escuelas de adultos. ¡Qué hermoso
día! ¡Qué contento hubiera vuelto a casa si no hubiese encontrado a
mi pobre maestra! La encontré al bajar las escaleras de nuestra
casa, casi a obscuras; apenas me reconoció, me cogió ambas
manos, diciéndome al oído: “¡Adiós, Enrique; acuérdate de mí!”.
Advertí que lloraba. Subí y se lo dije a mi madre: “He encontrado a
mi maestra”. “Sí, iba a acostarse”, respondió mi madre, que tenía los
ojos encendidos. Luego, mirándome fijamente, añadió con gran
tristeza: “Tu pobre maestra... está muy mal”.
LA DISTRIBUCIÓN DE PREMIOS A LOS

ARTESANOS
Domingo 25.—Según habíamos convenido, fuimos todos juntos al
teatro de Víctor Manuel a ver la distribución de premios a los
artesanos. El teatro estaba adornado como el día 14 de marzo y
lleno de gente; pero casi todas eran familias de obreros. El patio
estaba ocupado por los alumnos y alumnas de la escuela de canto
coral, los cuales cantaron un himno a los soldados muertos en
Crimea, tan hermoso, que cuando terminó todos se levantaron
palmoteando y gritando hasta que lo repitieron. Inmediatamente
comenzaron a desfilar los premiados ante el alcalde, el gobernador
y otros muchos que les daban libros, libretas de la Caja de Ahorros,
diplomas y medallas. Allá, en un rincón del patio, vi al albañilito,
sentado al lado de su madre; en otro lado estaba el director, y detrás
de él, la cabeza roja de mi maestro de segundo año. Primeramente
fueron pasando los alumnos de las escuelas nocturnas de dibujo:
plateros, escultores, litógrafos y también carpinteros y albañiles;
luego, los de la Escuela de Comercio; después, los del Liceo
Musical, entre los cuales iban varias muchachas, obreras, vestidas
con los trajes del día de fiesta, siendo saludadas con grandes
aplausos. Por fin pasaron los alumnos de las escuelas nocturnas
elementales, y era un bonito espectáculo verles desfilar, de todas
edades, de todos los oficios y vestidos de muy diversos modos:
hombres con el pelo entrecano, muchachos y operarios de larga
barba negra. Los pequeños se presentaban con mucha
desenvoltura, los hombres algo turbados, la gente aplaudía a los
más viejos y a los más jóvenes. Pero ninguno reía entre los
espectadores: al contrario de lo que sucedía el día de nuestra fiesta,
todos estaban atentos y serios. Muchos de los premiados tenían a
su mujer y a sus hijos en el patio, y había niños que al ver pasar a
su padre por el escenario, le llamaban por su nombre y en alta voz,
señalándole con la mano y riendo fuertemente. Pasaron labradores
y mozos procedentes de la escuela Boncompañi. De la escuela de
la Ciudadela se presentó un limpiabotas, a quien conoce mi padre, y
el gobernador le dió un diploma. Tras él veo venir un hombre tan
grande como un gigante, y a quien me parecía haber visto otras
veces... ¡Era el padre del albañilito, que había ganado el segundo
premio! Me acordé de cuando le había visto en la buhardilla, al lado
de la cama de su hijo enfermo; busqué a éste con la vista en las
butacas: ¡pobre albañilito! Estaba mirando a su padre con los ojos
brillantes, y para esconder la emoción, ponía el hocico de liebre. En
aquel momento oí un estallido de aplausos; miré al escenario: un
pequeñito deshollinador, con la cara lavada, pero con el traje de
trabajo; el alcalde le hablaba, teniéndole cogida una mano. Después
del deshollinador vino un cocinero. Luego se presentó a recoger la
medalla un barrendero del Ayuntamiento, de la escuela Raniero.
Sentí en mi corazón un no sé qué, algo así como un grande afecto y
un gran respeto al pensar cuánto habían costado aquellos premios a
todos aquellos trabajadores, padres de familia y llenos de
preocupaciones; cuántas fatigas añadidas a las suyas, cuántas
horas robadas al sueño, que tanto necesitan, y también cuántos
esfuerzos de parte de su inteligencia, sin tener hábitos de estudios,
y de sus manos encallecidas por el trabajo. Pasó un muchacho de
taller, al cual se veía que su padre le había prestado la chaqueta
para aquella ocasión: le colgaban las mangas tanto, que no tuvo
más remedio que recogérselas allí mismo para poder coger su
premio; muchos rieron, pero pronto quedó sofocada la risa por los
aplausos. Apareció luego un viejo con la cabeza calva y la barba
blanca. Más tarde, soldados de artillería de los que venían a la
escuela de adultos de nuestra sección; luego, guardas de
Consumos y vigilantes municipales de los que dan la guardia en
nuestras escuelas. Por fin los alumnos de la escuela de música
coral cantaron otra vez el himno a los muertos en Crimea; pero con
tanto vigor, con tal fuerza de expresión que brotaba francamente del
alma, que la gente no aplaudió más y salieron todos conmovidos,
lentamente y sin producir ruido. A los pocos minutos la calle estaba
llena de gente. Delante de la puerta del teatro estaba el
deshollinador, con su libro encuadernado en tela roja, y una porción
de señores que le rodeaban, haciéndole mil preguntas. Muchos
operarios, muchachos, guardias, maestros, se saludaban de un lado
a otro de la calle. Mi maestro de segundo año salió entre dos
soldados de artillería. Se veían mujeres de obreros con sus niños en
brazos, los cuales llevaban en sus manitas el diploma del padre,
enseñándolo orgullosos a las gentes.
MI MAESTRA, MUERTA
Martes 27.—Mientras nosotros estábamos en el teatro de Víctor
Manuel, mi pobre maestra agonizaba. Murió a las dos. El director
estuvo ayer mañana a darnos la noticia en la escuela. Y añadió:
“Los que de vosotros hayan sido alumnos suyos, saben qué buena
era y cuánto quería a los niños; fué una madre para ellos. ¡Ahora ya
no existe! Una terrible enfermedad venía consumiéndola hacía
mucho tiempo. Si no hubiese tenido que trabajar para ganarse el
pan, se hubiera curado, o, a lo menos, su vida acaso se habría
podido prolongar algunos meses con el descanso de una licencia.
Pero quiso estar entre sus niños hasta el último día. El sábado 17
por la tarde, se despidió de ellos con la seguridad de no volver a
verlos, les aconsejó, besó a todos y se fué sollozando. ¡Ya ninguno
volverá a verla! Niños, acordaos de ella”. El pequeño Precusa, que
había sido alumno suyo de enseñanza primaria superior, inclinó la
cabeza sobre el banco y se echó a llorar. Ayer tarde, después de
clase, fuimos todos juntos a la casa mortuoria para acompañar el
cadáver a la iglesia. Había en la calle un carro fúnebre con dos
caballos, y mucha gente alrededor que hablaba en voz baja. El
director, los maestros y las maestras de nuestra escuela, y también
de otras secciones donde ella había enseñado años atrás, estaban
todos allí, los niños de su clase; llevados de la mano por sus
madres, iban con velas; y muchísimos de otras, y unas cincuenta
muchachas de la sección Bareti, bien con coronas, bien con ramitos
de rosas en la mano. Sobre el ataúd habían colocado ya muchos
ramos de flores, y pendiente del carro una corona grande de
siemprevivas, con la siguiente inscripción en caracteres negros: A
su maestra, las antiguas alumnas de la cuarta. Bajo esta corona
grande iba colocada otra pequeña, llevada por sus niños. Se veían
entre la multitud muchas criadas de servicio enviadas por sus amos,
con velas, y dos lacayos de librea con antorchas encendidas; un
señor, rico, padre de un alumno de la maestra, había hecho ir su
carruaje, forrado de seda azul. Todos se apiñaban ante la puerta.
Varias niñas enjugaban sus ojos llenos de lágrimas. Estuvimos
esperando largo rato en silencio. Finalmente, bajaron la caja.
Cuando algunos niños vieron la mortaja, se echaron a llorar, y
comenzó a gritar uno, como si sólo en aquel momento se hubiera
penetrado de que su maestra había muerto dando unos sollozos tan
convulsivos, que tuvieron que retirarle. La procesión se puso en
orden lentamente y comenzó a moverse: Iban primero las hijas del
Refugio de la Concepción, vestidas de verde; luego, las hijas de
María, de blanco con lazos azules; luego, los sacerdotes; detrás del
carro, los maestros y las maestras, los alumnos de la primera
superior y los demás, y, por fin, la muchedumbre en tropel. La gente
se asomaba a las ventanas y las puertas, y al ver a todos los
muchachos y la corona, decían: “Es una maestra”. Aun entre las
mismas señoras que acompañaban a los más pequeños, había
algunas que lloraban. Así que llegamos a la iglesia, bajaron la caja
del carro y la pusieron en el centro de la nave, delante del altar
mayor; las maestras depositaron en ella sus coronas, los niños la
cubrieron de flores, y la gente toda que se había colocado alrededor,
con las hachas encendidas, en medio de la obscuridad del templo,
comenzó a cantar las oraciones. En seguida el sacerdote dijo el
último amén, apagaron todas las hachas y salieron
apresuradamente, quedándose sola la maestra. ¡Pobre maestra, tan
buena como ha sido conmigo, tan paciente, con tantos años como
ha trabajado! Ha dejado sus pocos libros a los alumnos, a uno un
tintero, a otro un cuadrito, todo lo que poseía. Dos días antes de
morir, dijo al director que no dejase ir a los más pequeños
acompañándola, porque no quería que llorasen. Ha hecho siempre
el bien, ha sufrido, ha muerto. ¡Infeliz maestra, ha quedado sola en
la obscura iglesia! ¡Adiós! ¡Adiós para siempre, mi buena amiga,
dulce y triste recuerdo de mi infancia...!
GRACIAS
Miércoles 28.—Mi pobre maestra ha querido terminar el año escolar;
tres días antes de terminar las lecciones se ha ido. Pasado mañana
iremos todavía a clase para oír leer el último cuento mensual,
Naufragio; luego... se acabó. El sábado 1.º de julio, los exámenes.
Otro año; por consiguiente, ¡ha pasado el cuarto! Y si no se hubiese
muerto la maestra, habría pasado bien. Reflexiono sobre lo que
sabía el pasado octubre, y me parece que sé bastante más:
encuentro varias cosas nuevas en la mente; soy capaz de decir y
escribir mejor que entonces lo que pienso; podría también hacer
cuentas para muchos mayores que no las saben sacar y ayudarles
así en sus negocios; comprendo con más claridad casi todo lo que
leo. Estoy contento... Pero ¡cuántos me han impulsado y ayudado a
aprender, quien de un modo, quien de otro, en casa, en la escuela,
por la calle, en todas partes donde he ido y he visto algo! Yo doy
gracias a todos en este momento. Doy gracias a ti en primer lugar,
mi buen maestro, que has sido tan indulgente y afectuoso conmigo,
y para quien representa un trabajo cada uno de los conocimientos
nuevos de que ahora me vanaglorio. Te doy gracias a ti, Deroso, mi
admirable compañero, que con tus explicaciones prontas y amables
me has hecho comprender tantas veces cosas difíciles, y salvar
muchos escollos en los exámenes; a ti también, Estardo, fuerte y
valeroso, que me has mostrado cómo una voluntad de hierro es
capaz de todo; a ti, Garrón, generoso y bueno, que haces generosos
y buenos a todos los que te conocen, y también a vosotros, Precusa
y Coreta, que me habéis dado siempre ejemplo de valor en los
sufrimientos y de serenidad en el trabajo; y al daros gracias a
vosotros, doy gracias a todos los demás. Pero sobre todos, te doy
gracias a ti, padre mío, a ti, mi primer maestro, mi primer amigo, que
me has ofrecido tantos buenos consejos y enseñado tantas cosas
mientras trabajabas para mí, ocultándome siempre tus tristezas y
buscando de todas maneras cómo hacerme fácil el estudio y
hermosa la vida; a ti, dulce madre mía, mi querido y bendito ángel
custodio, que has gozado con todas mis alegrías y sufrido todas mis
amarguras; que has penado y estudiado conmigo, acariciándome la
frente con una mano mientras que con la otra señalabas al cielo. Yo
hinco mis rodillas ante ti, como cuando era niño, y os doy gracias
con toda la ternura que pusísteis en mi alma durante doce años de
sacrificios y de amor.

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Solution Manual and Case Solutions for Strategic

I. PURPOSE OF THE CHAPTER

After studying this chapter, students should be able to:

Andrews, K. 1987, The Concept of Corporate Strategy. NY: Dow Jones-Irwin.

OPENING VIGNETTE: CLICK CLACK—DAVID CHALLENGING GOLIATH

 Additional Teaching Points

 Additional Teaching Points

Sears versus Wal-Mart

THREE OVERARCHING THEMES Learning

The Strategic Leader’s Perspective

 Additional Teaching Points

Why Study Strategy?

Business Strategy Versus Corporate Strategy

 Additional Teaching Points

 Additional Teaching Points

The Strategy Diamond and the Five Elements of Strategy

Strategy Implementation Levers

Systems and Processes

People and Rewards

Learning WHAT IS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

Determinants of Competitive Advantage

The Internal Perspective

The External Perspective

The Dynamic Perspective

Fundamental vs. Dynamic Perspectives - Competitive advantage is more likely to endure in

The External Dimension of the Dynamic Perspective is useful in analyzing “high-

III. POWERPOINT NOTES

IV. LINKING THE CHAPTER TO A COMPUTER SIMULATION

V. END OF CHAPTER ANSWER GUIDE

1. What is strategic management?

2. What are the key components of the strategic management process?

3. How does business strategy differ from corporate strategy?

4. What is the relationship between strategy formulation and strategy implementation?

5. What five elements comprise the strategy formulation diamond?

6. What are the internal and external perspectives of competitive advantage?

Guide: The internal perspective of competitive advantage—usually referred to as the resource-

7. What are the fundamental and dynamic perspectives of competitive advantage?

8. Why should you study strategic management?

How Would You Do That?

1. Go to Warren Buffet’s Letter to Shareholder’s page at

2. How is international expansion related to business and corporate strategy? Identify a

VI. SUPPLEMENTAL EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES

Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale

1 Strongly disagree 5 Slightly agree

Sub-scores (follow same even/odd reverse scoring)

(N) Novelty score (sum 2, 9, 11, 13) ________

(C) Complexity score (sum 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16) ________

(I) Insolubility score (sum 1, 3, 12) ________

Comparison total scores: Senior executives 44-48

Ambiguity, the information state that clouds cause-effect relationships, is considered a

Managers with higher tolerance-of-ambiguity scores are more likely to be

References for problem-solving and creativity development:

DeBono, Edward. Serious Creativity. NY: Harper-Collins, 1994.

DeBono, Edward. Teach Yourself to Think. NY: Penguin Books, 1996