Strategy Praxis: Insight-Driven, First Principles-Based Strategic Thinking, Analysis, and Decision-Making

This book introduces a different approach to thinking about and engaging with strategy in the practice field. The insight-driven, first principles-based approach to strategising and strategic problem-solving developed in this book provides a conceptually rigorous yet pragmatic approach to strategising, and as such the book addresses deficiencies of the current theory-practice gap in the strategy field. In particular, the author introduces and develops a conceptually rigorous approach to the crucial transition stage from strategic analysis to strategic option formation in the strategy process. The book introduces several new concepts such as the firm’s unique competing space and its strategic boundaries, the strategic thinking algorithm, and shows how these, when integrated with existing approaches and first-principles thinking, significantly enhance the coherence and effectiveness of strategic problem-solving in practice. Additionally, the book includes supplementary enhancing features throughout the chapters in the form of Praxis Reflections, Praxis Perspectives, and PraxisCases that tie the concepts and methods presented to real-world strategy practice. This book will appeal not only to strategy practitioners, but also academic researchers and graduate-level students of strategic management.

George Tovstiga is Professor of Strategy at EDHEC Business School in Paris (France), where he has taught in various undergraduate and graduate-level (MBA and MSc) programs. Prior to joining EDHEC in 2016, he held a professorship in strategic management at Henley Business School (UK) where he was lead tutor of the core strategy module in the Henley Executive MBA program and director of the Henley Executive Strategy program. He has held guest lectureships at various business schools, including the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and the Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University (Russia).

George’s professional background spans international managerial industry practice, including Bayer AG (Germany) and ABB (Switzerland); and board-level management consulting (Arthur D. Little, ABB in Switzerland). His teaching and research are in the areas of strategic management, with particular focus on strategy practice, and strategic innovation. He has published widely in these areas; his most recent book (Strategy in Practice, 3rd Edition) was published by John Wiley & Sons. Aside from his academic activities George consults multinational corporations in the areas of strategy and innovation. He holds a doctorate in Engineering Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich, Switzerland).