Designing World Class Corporate Strategies Value-Creating Roles for Corporate Centres

Multi-business groups are under attack. In the major developed markets of the world, not only is the truly diversified conglomerate seen as a dinosaur from a bygone corporate era, but also the corporate centres of very many other large corporations are seen as an endangered species, facing ever increasing demands and challenges to justify their continued existence. This book focuses on the key value-adding role of corporate centres within large, primarily multi-business organisations. At present these corporate centres are frequently accused of not creating any value and merely adding cost to their groups. The four value-adding roles identified in this book have differing levels of sustainability and each can be more appropriate to specific types of external environment. However they all require significantly different types of leadership and other key skills at the corporate centre. It considers the challenges facing corporate centres in an integrated and multi-functional way and takes a holistic approach to the development of corporate strategies. Relevant information is included on leadership styles and cultural issues, control processes and performance measures. Designing World Class Corporate Strategies: sets out the development of a corporate configurations model discusses four configurations in depth with a number of real company case studies. considers issues involved in applying the model in practice, as well as providing more background to the academic theories underpinning the model. Professor Keith Ward, Professor Cliff Bowman and Professor Andrew Kakabadse are all at the Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield UniversityKakabadse, Andrew is the author of 'Designing World Class Corporate Strategies Value-Creating Roles for Corporate Centres', published 2005 under ISBN 9780750663687 and ISBN 0750663685.