ABSTRACT
A recurring theme of our review of corporate strategy is that companies should not aim at size or complexity. They should enhance and build on their own inherent excellence, and avoid the me-tooism of trying to imitate the excellence of their competitors. Companies should be simple and transparent in their scope. Fritz Schumacher coined the phrase ‘small is beautiful’. 1 As already suggested in Chapter 1, we add ‘simple is beautiful’. Readers are reminded that the reason for this ascetic sounding advice is that the very popular opposite view has again and again ended in disaster – it does not work!
