Strategic management encourages us to consider all of the opportunities available to us and to be creative in the decisions we make. Strategic management, through its broad and encompassing nature, can be applied to improving outcomes in our daily lives, work or study and organisations of any size; even clubs, associations and charities. This 2nd edition of Contemporary Strategic Management: An Australasian Perspective considers strategic management from a fundamental perspective ? the philosophy that strategy can be used to increase the success and value created by any type of human endeavour. The text takes Robert Grant?s razor sharp focus on competitive advantage and applies it in a concise, engaging and accessible format for students in Australia, New Zealand and our neighbouring region. The author team has refined the 2nd edition to present clear, comprehensive coverage of core topics and concepts in business strategy. With a focus on globalisation, ethics, sustainability and the rise of social media, the text presents real world examples and insightful grounding theory with equal aplomb. The diversity of the new accompanying cases attests to the approach of the Australasian edition. From the evolution of Facebook to the grounding of Qantas; the ferocity of Australian supermarket wars to controversial Chinese bids for NBN contracts, students will relish the opportunity to analyse the full spectrum of organisations with a view to strategically defining their own professional futures.

Author Biography

Bella BUTLER, Chapters 5, 7, 9 and 12 have been written by Dr Bella Butler. Bella is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management at Curtin University of Technology. She has nearly 20 years of tertiary teaching, business research and consulting experience. Bella?s expertise is built on business strategy in dynamic markets; partnerships, alliances and networks; interfirm cooperation in clusters; international business; and sustainability of regional economies. Bella is a member of the Strategic Management Society and a member of the Industrial Marketing Purchasing (IMP) Group. She has published research articles on various topics of strategic management over the past 10 years. Bella is a reviewer of the International Marketing Management Journal. She has international experience in business consulting and executive education. Bella has demonstrated relationship-building skills and leadership skills in a broad international community. Stuart ORR, Chapters 1, 3, 4 and 11 have been written by Stuart Orr. Stuart is Professor of Strategic Management at Deakin University and chairs a number of senior university committees. He is Chief Editor of the World Management Journal, Chair of two annual international business conferences and has directed two of Australia?s largest MBA programs, owned and operated two commercial businesses, and was president of one of Australia?s largest NGOs. Stuart is currently Vice President of the Board of the Decision Sciences Institute (a global association of researchers), an honorary member of the Finance and Treasury Association of Australia and a Fellow of both the World Business Institute and Chifley Business School. He has published an extensive range of articles and books on strategic management over the past 25 years and has just co-authored a text titled Doing Business in China: Getting Ready for the Asian Century, published in 2012. Peter A. MURRAY, Chapters 2, 6, 8 and 10 have been written by Peter A. Murray. Peter is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Southern Queensland and an experienced academic and researcher with over 50 journal articles, books and book chapters, with publications in leading journals. Currently, Peter is Associate Editor for the International Journal of Learning and Change and Australasian Editor for Management Decision. He is a regular reviewer for Management Learning, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources and Human Resource Management Journal, and sits on the editorial advisory Board for the South Asian Journal of Global Business Research. He is also an experienced consultant to global firms in strategic management and change. Peter has conducted consultancies and executive and group training across Australian and South-East Asia to leading government agencies and large corporate firms, including the Department of Public Works and Services, Hawker de Havilland, Sunrice, Energy Australia, B. Braun, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.