Sun Tzu: War and Management : Application to Strategic Management and Thinking

by Chow-Hou Wee, Sun Tzu

Interprets the relationship between U.S. and Japanese business practices through a discussion of the World's oldest military treatise

Genres: Management, Business

307 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1991

Reviews

[Michael David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to read this book for over a month, but finally found time with the explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic and after I watched The Rise of Phoenixes, which was relevant to my appreciation of this text.

Sun Tzu’s perspectives regarding war was transposed by the authors into modern management, and while some data it offered is dated, most of the book remains relevant nowadays.

I feel that in political management, cunning and intelligence is required which was also emphasized in this book. Like Ning Yi’s surreptitious machinations in The Rise of Phoenixes, lesser firms need to maneuver properly so as not to be devoured by the larger firms until they find solid ground. Most of Sun Tzu’s advice regarding war is apposite with management, and this book shows their parallels.

[Steen Teisen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an unnecessary read. The premise is that Asian business people use Sun Tzu in their strategic behavior. The authors seem to want to argue wholesale that they use every last bit of Sun Tzu's wisdom instead of taking a critical look and realizing that some chapters are more applicable than other. When everything has to fit into the premise the argument loses credibility real fast.

[Thava Sumanenthiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detail practical analysis of Sun Tzu, recommended book to all the senior management team.

[Steen Teisen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is dated as it is written in a period where Japan was the champion in business to beat and China still just a wildcard in the business landscape. I admire the text of Sun Tzu, which I only recently read, and find inspiring and concise. This tome transfers the learnings to business strategy through analogies in a rather wholesale manner. I accept that strategies for war and for succeeding in business have similarities, but that doesn't make them equal. The authors give the whole text equal weight when finding analogies from the business world, and this gets them in deep trouble when they for instance discuss the necessity of deception and intelligence in war strategy as opposed to business strategy. It is also very obvious that while the authors are in awe of the rise of Japanese business, they can only offer speculation as to what degree Japanese business strategy has anything to do with Sun Tzu. It is implied but they provide no evidence whatsoever that this is the case. Thus when Sun Tzu elaborates on the consequence to strategy of different terrains, we are treated with analogies of strategies for different 'business terrains'. The transcript is systematic for the sake of being systematic. I would suggest to keep to the original text and take the lessons from there and skip this one. The second star is for the nice paper and cover.

[RDT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurus klasik yang membuka mata.

[Chitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

started reading, found it very practical in all situations. but had to return to lib!!! :(
will make sure i finish it this sem!!

[Mas Dani "Chapunk" Setiawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

buku yg sangat bagus baik khususnya bagi para pengambil keputusan dalam era yang hypercompetitif seperti saat ini

[Allister · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great asset