What I Didn't Learn in Business School

Table of ContentsSeries Introduction ii
Preface vi
Acknowledgements ix
Prologue x
Part One: The Team and the Problem 1
Chapter One: Turbulence 2
Chapter Two: The Consulting Team 7
Chapter Three: The Client Team and a Surprise 18
Chapter Four: A Coffee Disaster 29
Part Two: What Is the Problem? 41
Chapter Five: A Present Value Mystery 42
Chapter Six: It's the Industry 54
Chapter Seven: It's Not Just the Industry 64
Chapter Eight: Which Industry Is It? 74
Chapter Nine: It's All About Synergy 82
Chapter Ten: On Synergy and All that Stuff 92
Chapter Eleven: On Value Chains and Sustained Competitive Advantages 101
Chapter Twelve: Turbulence 110
Part Three: Mid-Course Corrections 113
Chapter Thirteen: Exercised 114
Chapter Fourteen: Jackie 118
Chapter Fifteen: Throw Out All the Rules 125
Chapter Sixteen: Well, Not All the Rules 135
Chapter Seventeen: Options 143
Part Four: Analysis Is Not Strategy 153
Chapter Eighteen: How to Evaluate the Alternatives 154
Chapter Nineteen: Me Cracking the Case 158
Chapter Twenty: The Case Cracking Me 165
Chapter Twenty-one: An Informative Cab Ride 169
Chapter Twenty-two: Back to the Lab 175
Chapter Twenty-three: What Are the Core Competencies 183
Chapter Twenty-four: Reflections 185
Chapter Twenty-five: Romance 194
Part Five: Making Strategy Happen 199
Chapter Twenty-six: Getting Ready for the Final Push 200
Chapter Twenty-seven: First Time Out of the Box 212
Chapter Twenty-eight: Planning for Change 221
Chapter Twenty-nine: Final Presentation 227
Chapter Thirty: On the Beach 238

Jay Barney is a professor of management at the Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business. He has published numerous articles in strategy and management journals, as well as five bestselling textbooks on strategy. Trish Gorman Clifford is the Director of Global Strategy Learning at McKinsey & Company. She helps mid- and upper-level managers strengthen their strategic capabilities through consulting and other learning experiences.

"Written as a novel, this book is an engaging way to give readers a glimpse of what's really involved in developing business strategy." T+D Magazine"A worthwhile read if you are taking your first steps to developing corporate strategy." Business Standard (India).".. interesting, important, unique, and realistic business novel..." "Highly recommended." - CHOICE Magazine