The full title of the book by Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel is
Strategy Safari: The complete guide through the wilds of strategic management
In my review posted at Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.
Here is my review.
A challenging read if you’re familiar with strategy
This book summarises ten different schools of strategic thought but the separations are deceptive and the approaches themselves are set up as straw men to be knocked down.
It’s therefore a challenging read if you’re already knowledgable about strategy and you have your own views about the different approaches. While some of it made me angry with what were almost parodies, some barbs hit home.
For all the focus on strategy in the last 40 years, we still have much to learn. Once problem is the desire to sell the latest idea as a replacement for what’s gone before rather than an improvement which adds to accepted wisdom.
I can see that this is a good read for students who are studying strategy and need to be able to learn and then criticise the ideas and concepts. It’s also a shot across the bows to academics who need to be synthesising the best approaches rather than creating more. It’s not a guide for a senior manager or business owner who wants to learn how to think strategically. In highlighting the different approaches, it’s likely to discourage their efforts. I think that would be a shame because I believe there is a lot to be gained from learning how to think about the future and how you can shape or adapt to what’s likely to happen.
It was an interesting read but I’ve never felt the urge to go back to it.
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