More from the Author

• Article | Management Science | October 2018

  Strategy and the Strategist: How it Matters Who Develops the Strategy

  Eric J. Van den Steen

  This paper addresses primarily two questions. First, when (and why) should a company’s strategy be developed by its CEO versus by some outside analyst or other insider? Second, how does strategy interact with vision (in the sense of a strong belief about the right course of action)? The paper studies these questions using a functional definition of strategy as “the smallest set of choices to optimally guide other choices.” Among other things, the paper shows that strategy formulation by the CEO leads to both better strategy and better execution, and that a strategist’s vision may improve execution. In the process, the paper also identifies criteria that make a decision strategic and derives explanations why strategies often reflect the background of the strategist.

  Keywords: strategy; strategy and leadership; strategy and execution; Strategy; Leadership;

  Citation:

  Van den Steen, Eric J. "Strategy and the Strategist: How it Matters Who Develops the Strategy." Management Science 64, no. 10 (October 2018): 4533–4551.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2014 (Revised March 2018)

  Red Bull (A)

  Eric Van den Steen and Carin-Isabel Knoop

  Despite facing giants like Coke, Pepsi, and Budweiser—with obvious potential sources of competitive advantage—Red Bull had established itself as the U.S. market leader in energy drinks. By 2008, however, Red Bull's dominance was challenged as Monster drinks surpassed it in volume. The case considers judo strategy both from the perspective of a small player (when up-start Red Bull faces Coke, Pepsi, and Bud) and as a large player (when market leader Red Bull faces up-start Monster).

  Keywords: Judo strategy; Judo economics; sustainable competitive advantage; imitation; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Market Entry and Exit; Food and Beverage Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Van den Steen, Eric, and Carin-Isabel Knoop. "Red Bull (A)." Harvard Business School Case 714-401, March 2014. (Revised March 2018.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2016 (Revised March 2018)

  Videojet (A)

  Raffaella Sadun, Bharat Anand and Eric Van den Steen

  In 2005 Craig Purse, the CEO of Videojet, a company recently acquired by the conglomerate Danaher, is dealing with the unexpected failure of a new high-tech printer just launched in the market. The new product exemplified the first real instance in which the Videojet team had used the managerial processes of the Danaher Business System (DBS). Was the failure of the new printer a sign that the DBS was fundamentally inadequate for product development projects? Or was the failure instead a symptom that the Videojet team had not properly adopted the DBS? What should Purse do to correct the course of the company?

  Keywords: Managerial Processes; conglomerates; diversification; relational contracts; Corporate Strategy; Business Conglomerates; Diversification; Management Practices and Processes; Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Sadun, Raffaella, Bharat Anand, and Eric Van den Steen. "Videojet (A)." Harvard Business School Case 717-403, August 2016. (Revised March 2018.)  View Details

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