Competing on Capabilities: The Silent Revolution Managing Organizational Change Without Disruption

by George Stalk Jr.

This guide contends that a company must look closely at itself and assess its abilities and the needs of its market to gain an advantage on its competitors, and shows how some businesses have made full use of their existing capabilities to increase sales, decrease response time, develop new products, and reduce costs.

Hardcover

First published August 1, 1994

About the author

George Stalk Jr. is Senior Partner and Managing Director for The Boston Consulting Group as well as an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Management for the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto. He joined BCG in 1978 and has worked in its Boston, Chicago, Tokyo and Toronto offices. His professional practice focuses on international and time-based competition. He holds a BSEM from the University of Michigan, an MSA&AE MIT and MBA from Harvard Business School. George Stalk Jr. co-authored a best-seller on “time-based” competition, Competing Against Time, and Kaisha: The Japanese Corporation. A somewhat controversial book, Hardball: Are You Playing to Play or to Playing to Win? was published in October of 2004. George Stalk Jr.’s latest book: Memos to the CEO: Strategies in Our Future was published in early 2008. He has also been published in several business publications, including the Harvard Business Review where he has won the McKinsey Award for the best article.

Reviews

[Paul Bard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting article describes how business processes themselves enable strategy rather than products or services. Being consistent, fast, adaptable and agile with business processes enables better strategy, it says.

Core competencies vs capabilities: core competencies are technological or business skills, while capabilities are business processes.