This book is about the managerial tasks of crafting and implementing strategy.<br >An organization s strategy is delineated in the pattern of moves and approaches<br >devised by management to produce successful organization performance. Strat-<br >egy， in effect， is a managerial game plan for running the organization. Managers<br >develop strategies to give order to how an organization goes about its business and<br >to achieve target objectives. Without a strategy， there is no established course to<br >follow， no roadmap to manage by， no coherent action plan for producing the<br >intended results.<br > Strategy formulation and implementation are core management functions.<br >Among all the things that managers do， few affect organizational performance<br >more lastingly than how well the management team handles the tasks of charting<br >the organization s long-term direction， developing strategic moves and ap-<br >proaches， and executing the strategy in ways that produce the intended results.<br >Indeed， good strategy attd good strategy implementation are the most trustworthy<br >signs of good management.<br >