1.1 Getting Started

Before discussing strategy itself, let us begin by discussing the context of strategy. How does strategy fit within the general field of business? How does it compare to the other disciplines of business?

Many experts would argue (depending on the industry) that marketing, finance, and/or human resources are most important to the success of the company.  How can a business survive, they argue, without adequate human capital, a solid marketing campaign, and money for daily operations? However, business strategy is somewhat different from these disciplines because strategy is more holistic than other areas of business. Business strategy touches every other area of business and a business can use any company resource to further its overall strategy. Strategy is at least as important as other areas of business because it encompasses and integrates with the other business disciplines.

In other words, effective strategists will use the organization's accounting system, operations, information systems, human capital, marketing, and any other available tool as part of its strategy. Used appropriately, strategy will use every discipline within the organization to accomplish its organizational goals.