Pragmatism is enjoying a renaissance in management studies and the social sciences. Once written off as amoral, relativist and opposed to the ideals of Truth, Reason and Progress, it is now regaining influence in public policy, international relations and business strategy. But what can pragmatism teach us about strategy? How can pragmatic strategies help businesses to succeed? This innovative book presents a pragmatic framework for shaping and solving strategic problems in a practical, creative, ethical and finely balanced manner. To achieve this, the authors draw from Confucian teaching, American pragmatism and Aristotelian practical wisdom, as well as business cases across industries and nations, particularly from emerging economies. With significant theoretical depth, direct practical implication and profound cultural sensitivity, the book is useful for executive managers, public administrators, strategy researchers and advanced students in the search for pragmatic strategies in an interconnected, fast-moving world.
- Shows how businesses can succeed using pragmatic strategies
- Draws on pragmatic traditions of both Eastern and Western thinkers
- Features many case studies and examples of pragmatic strategies at work
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Reviews & endorsements
"The book offers a blend of case histories, cross-cultural philosophical analysis and suggestions for managers. The mix works nicely …Pragmatic Strategy succeeds in what it sets out to do: to show that Eastern thinking can help improve global management."
Edward Hadas, ThomsonReuters
"… a fascinating book that spurs us to think about strategy in its broader philosophical context, and advances important hypotheses about the values and ideas behind the growing success of companies with roots in Confucian thinking."
Phil Rosenzweig, IMD, Strategy and Business
"This is an important book in the field of strategy because it joins the growing critique of traditional views on strategy and because, much more than most, it give central importance to moral conduct"
Ralph Stacey, University of Hertfordshire
"Cambridge University Press has done the authors ‘proud’ in bringing out this handsomely presented volume. They clearly do write as directly and transparently as they can, vis a vis the challenging task of communicating the rather difficult subject-matter involved, without at all sacrificing complexity and depth. The use of Chinese philosophic references is throughout most impressive and the work presents a rich array of informative figures, bibliographic citations and learned notes."
Malcolm Warner, Asia Pacific Business Review
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Product details
- Date Published: July 2012
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521173148
- length: 540 pages
- dimensions: 228 x 152 x 24 mm
- weight: 0.86kg
- contains: 25 b/w illus. 10 tables
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of cited classics
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. Why Pragmatism, Why Now?:
1. Introduction
2. Spirits of pragmatism
Part II. What Do Pragmatic Strategies Look Like?:
3. Strategies in a pragmatic world
4. Strategy as purposeful emergence
Part III. What to Do, How to Do It?:
5. Dealing with wuli-shili-renli
6. Timely balanced way-making
7. Orchestrating WSR, orchestrating the firm
Part IV. Think When We Learn:
8. Questioning the conventional paradigm
9. Pragmatism East and West
Notes
References
Index.
Look Inside
Authors
Ikujiro Nonaka, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo
Ikujiro Nonaka is Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Xerox Distinguished Faculty Scholar, University of California, Berkeley and also First Distinguished Drucker Scholar in Residence at the Drucker School and Institute, Claremont Graduate University. He received his BA (Political Science) from Waseda University, MBA and PhD (Business Administration) from the University of California, Berkeley.
Zhichang Zhu, University of Hull
Zhichang Zhu is currently a Reader in Strategy and Management, teaching Strategy for the MBA programme at the University of Hull Business School. He has held positions as the director of the PhD Program, a visiting research professor in Knowledge Management at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a visiting research professor in Strategy and Management at South China Normal University, a visiting research professor in International Business Management at International East-West University (Honolulu and Los Angeles), a visiting lecturing professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Friedrich Schiller University (Jena, Germany) and East-West Knowledge Leaders Program, Japan-America Institute of Management Science (Hawaii, USA), an external examiner for PhD theses for the Cape Town University (South Africa) and Swinburne University of Technology (Australia).

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Pragmatic Strategy
Eastern Wisdom, Global Success

$55.99 (P)