Understanding the Dynamics of the Value Chain (AGENCY/DISTRIBUTED) - Softcover

Reseña del editor

In his book Competitive Advantage, published in 1985, Michael Porter introduced the concept of the value chain, "a systematic way of examining all activities a firm performs and how they interact, (necessary) for analyzing the sources of competitive advantage."

Thinking of a firm as a series of horizontal and vertical linkages forced from out of the shadows the silo mentality within which firms operated and to which business schools subscribed. Unfortunately value chain thinking is still not as pervasive as it needs to be and a silo mentality continues to permeate much of contemporary business culture. Moreover there is a dearth of contemporary literature available on value chains to combat the "silo approach" to business management.

The purpose of this book is to help fill that void. The book will include material drawn from the literature on change and systems thinking and organizational design. It will offer perspectives on the global economy, and address issues of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and the link between effective value chain management, competitiveness and profitability.

Biografía del autor

William D. Presutti, Jr., PhD, CPM, is adjunct professor of supply chain management in the Palumbo-Donahue School, Duquesne University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duquesne, a Master's in Economics from Northeastern University, and a PhD from Carnegie-Mellon University. He founded Duquesne's Supply Chain Management program in 1991 and codeveloped the MBA-level course in Value Chain Management, which he has taught to over 300 students in the past 10 years. He is the author or coauthor of 14 peer-reviewed publications that address many of the elements of value chain management.