Notions of 'competence' and of 'core competencies' are at the heart of much recent thinking in the field of strategic management. They have been developed in response to the need for concepts that can more accurately reflect the rapid evolution of business organisations and the dynamics of their competitive interactions. When applied to real-life situations, the 'competence' perspective has proved a powerful means of uncovering new insights into the nature of interfirm competition and potential sources of competitive advantage.
This book sets out to lay the foundations for a coherent theory to underpin this perspective in strategic management, and to illustrate the practical application of competence theory in a variety of competitive contexts. The chapters in the first part of the book develop the basic ideas which form the theory of competence-based competition, while the remaining chapters consist of firm and industry studies demonstrating the application of these ideas in practice. (barnesandnoble.com)