A Guide to Key Theories for Strategic Management
Edward Elgar Publishing
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Hardback
324 pages
978-1-0353-4284-6 (ISBN)
Description
This seminal book brings together many of the ideas that have shaped how we think about strategy today. Across fifteen chapters, leading scholars introduce major theories from classics like the resource-based view and game theory to newer perspectives on platforms, cognition, and value capture, explaining not only what these theories say, but why they matter.
Each chapter traces how a theory developed, how it helps us understand real strategic decisions, and where unanswered questions still remain. Rather than promoting one "right" way to think about strategy, the book highlights how different theories illuminate different parts of a complex world. It is written for researchers, students, and practitioners who want to navigate the field's diverse approaches and deepen their judgment about when and how to apply them. Ultimately, this volume invites readers into an ongoing conversation about how strategy works and how our theories can continue to evolve.
This Guide will be ideal for researchers and doctoral students who want to navigate the field's diverse approaches and deepen their judgment about when and how to apply them. It will be particularly useful for doctoral seminars.
Each chapter traces how a theory developed, how it helps us understand real strategic decisions, and where unanswered questions still remain. Rather than promoting one "right" way to think about strategy, the book highlights how different theories illuminate different parts of a complex world. It is written for researchers, students, and practitioners who want to navigate the field's diverse approaches and deepen their judgment about when and how to apply them. Ultimately, this volume invites readers into an ongoing conversation about how strategy works and how our theories can continue to evolve.
This Guide will be ideal for researchers and doctoral students who want to navigate the field's diverse approaches and deepen their judgment about when and how to apply them. It will be particularly useful for doctoral seminars.
Reviews / Votes
'This book's greatest contribution is its clear synthesis of prominent theories that shape the field of strategic management. It helps readers, whether students or managers, develop their own mental framework for using these theories to advance scholarly knowledge or guide decision-making.' -- Africa Arino, IESE Business School, Spain 'This is a great guide to major theories on Strategic Management. The collection of chapters, edited by Bisui, Kluppel, Leiblein, & Reuer and written by several of our field's leading thinkers, thoughtfully compare the diverse and rich theories that have shaped our field of study. It's an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and practitioners seeking both an integrated understanding of Strategy and insight on questions pertinent to the future of Strategy research.' -- Koen H. Heimeriks, Warwick Business School, UK 'An impressive and intellectually serious synthesis of the theoretical foundations of strategic management. By carefully clarifying the core assumptions, mechanisms, and boundary conditions underlying diverse traditions, this volume helps scholars navigate theoretical pluralism with judgment and coherence, while remaining anchored in the field's foundational questions and enduring conceptual challenges.' -- Gabriel Szulanski, INSEAD, Singapore 'This book is a must read for scholars in strategic management. Bringing together outstanding topics and contributors, it offers a clear assessment of where the field currently stands in theoretical terms while opening important conversations about its future direction.' -- Roberto Vassolo, Universidad Austral, Argentina 'This book is exactly what we've been looking for: A guide to the most important theories of strategy curated by leading scholars. Each theory is explained by one or more of its greatest developers. Use it as a handbook, or - like me - read it cover to cover!' -- Anita M. McGahan, University of Toronto, CanadaMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-4284-6 (9781035342846)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Edited by Sandip Bisui, Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University, Leonardo M. Kluppel, Assistant Professor of Management & Human Resources, Michael J. Leiblein, Professor of Management & Human Resources, Max M. Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University and Jeffrey J. Reuer, Distinguished Professor and Blake Family Endowed Chair in Strategic Management and Governance, Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University, USA
Content
Contents
Seeing the forest and the trees: Key theoretical foundations of strategic management x
Sandip Bisui, Leonardo M. Kluppel, Michael J. Leiblein and Jeffrey J. Reuer
1 Game theory 1
David Gaddis Ross
2 Resource-based view 22
Alison Mackey and Tyson B. Mackey
3 Dynamic capabilities 43
Jeffrey A. Martin and Athina Skiadopoulou
4 Value capture theory 66
Olivier Chatain
5 Information economics 83
Roberto Ragozzino
6 Transaction cost economics 96
Brian S. Silverman
7 Network theory 115
Isin Guler and Rajat Khanna
8 Real options theory 132
Arkadiy V. Sakhartov
9 Attention-based view 145
Willian Ocasio and E. Geoffrey Love
10 Behavioral theory of the firm 167
John Joseph
11 Behavioral strategy 187
Maciej Workiewicz
12 Cognitive aspects 206
Libby Weber and Jessica Jeesoo Kim
13 Evolutionary theory 225
Patia J. McGrath and Atul Nerkar
14 Platform strategy 245
Tammy L. Madsen
15 Prospect theory 267
Philip Bromiley
Seeing the forest and the trees: Key theoretical foundations of strategic management x
Sandip Bisui, Leonardo M. Kluppel, Michael J. Leiblein and Jeffrey J. Reuer
1 Game theory 1
David Gaddis Ross
2 Resource-based view 22
Alison Mackey and Tyson B. Mackey
3 Dynamic capabilities 43
Jeffrey A. Martin and Athina Skiadopoulou
4 Value capture theory 66
Olivier Chatain
5 Information economics 83
Roberto Ragozzino
6 Transaction cost economics 96
Brian S. Silverman
7 Network theory 115
Isin Guler and Rajat Khanna
8 Real options theory 132
Arkadiy V. Sakhartov
9 Attention-based view 145
Willian Ocasio and E. Geoffrey Love
10 Behavioral theory of the firm 167
John Joseph
11 Behavioral strategy 187
Maciej Workiewicz
12 Cognitive aspects 206
Libby Weber and Jessica Jeesoo Kim
13 Evolutionary theory 225
Patia J. McGrath and Atul Nerkar
14 Platform strategy 245
Tammy L. Madsen
15 Prospect theory 267
Philip Bromiley