Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the extent to which society depends on business with the scale of the opportunities outlined and covers the changing economic parameters as globalization falters. It concentrates on a process of strategic appraisal is presented which examines the capabilities of the corporation in the context of the macro business environment to cultivate insights that become the building blocks of strategy. The book opens out the analysis to the wide range of issues surrounding the corporations and encapsulates the findings in scenarios of the future. Corporate strategy provides direction and coordination to allow all parts of the corporation to work towards shared aims and objectives. The special case of strategy as a portfolio of options is considered because of the high potential this has to help the executive board navigate through the real-world challenges of implementation during periods of disruption and uncertainty.