The Oxford Handbook of Strategy

Edited by David Faulkner and Andrew Campbell

Oxford University Press, L65

The two volumes that make up The Oxford Handbook of Strategy are daunting - more than 1,000 pages of densely argued strategic management theories and views on the evolution of the organisation. The first volume is

David Faulkner and Andrew Campbell have pulled together an all-star cast of contributors, and many of the names, such as Kathleen Sommers Luchs, will be familiar to any MBA student or Harvard Business Review reader. The skill of the editors is in pulling these contributions on topics such as strategic alliances, game theory, and the knowledge-based approach to strategy into a coherent whole.

This is an advanced textbook, not an anthology. Because there are so many subjects here, a reader may agree with one chapter and disagree with the next, but Faulkner and Campbell have created a coherent, comprehensive book that hits all of the big topics.

These are essential academic reference books, and are designed to fit in between detailed subject specific monographs and specialist publications, and more generic articles in the Economist or the HBR. Each chapter has a consistent format, and the viewpoint is presented logically and well, with detailed bibliographies for those who want to research the area further.

The handbook is well executed with strong editorial direction. Its breadth, depth and ambition are to be applauded, and it sets a real benchmark for similar publications.

Whether there is a market for this I'm unsure - MBA students are encouraged to use primary sources, and business executives will struggle to find the time to read it. There may be some "vanity sales", as the volumes will look great on a chief executive's bookshelves. But, as the handbook points out, long-term sustainable competitive advantage depends upon being able to open up multiple market segments over time, and this isn't a great product to do that with!