Managing change is an essential part of business strategy. However, change management is complex and thus hard to achieve successfully. In order to measure change, we need to measure performance differences in a firm—both pre and post-change. The articles in this issue talk about modifying business strategy in order to manage different aspects of change.

The first paper, “Models of Change Management: A Reanalysis”, by Jose Mathews talks about the complexity and the underlying tensions that characterize the change process of organizations. Change, which is at the heart of organizational life is characterized by the constant incorporation of the ‘new entrants’ and modification of the intra organizational processes. Moreover, change management is not simple, but a tough venture of overhauling the organization not only because of the complexity of dynamic forces that underlie any change management program, but also because of the different approaches adopted to initiate and sustain change. Different models of change management that have been analyzed in this paper reveal that the predominant effect of behavioral processes actually steer the path of change. Along with people, the structure and resources determine the success of change initiative. The paper presents a Five Forces Dynamic Activational Model that attempts to secure a blend of hard and soft factors of change management.

The second paper, “Performance Analysis of Family Managed Business vis-à-vis Professionally Managed Business in the Indian IT industry: A Study of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. vs. Infosys Technologies Ltd.”, by Kartikeya P Bolar compares the performance differences of family managed business as compared to professionally managed business. This study attempts to compare the performance of two Indian firms in the Indian IT Sector, Infosys Technologies, a professionally managed firm and Satyam Computer Services, considered as a family managed business and explores the relationships between different performance measures and the comparative performance analysis of these firms in creating shareholder value. The paper finds that Infosys Technologies is more consistent and stable than Satyam Computer Services in its performance. Secondly, the growth rate of Satyam Computer Services is greater than Infosys Technologies in case of Return on Equity and Return on Assets; however, Infosys leads in the growth rate in case of investor return based measures.

The third paper, “Business and Brand Strategy: A Framework for Integration”, by Henrik Uggla and Daniel Filipsson discusses the integration of brand and business strategy for the benefit of more holistic and seamless strategy development. Brand strategies involve brand equities and identities, brand architecture and other strategies to create and sustain meaning in value for the brands of the corporation. According to the authors, business strategies and brand strategies are seldom carefully integrated. The brand strategy is usually marginalized in the business plan and brand strategies may also appear as abstract or overtly concerned with details by general managers. The paper presents an integrative framework combining business strategy, brand strategy and market opportunity space.

The fourth paper titled, “Perspectives of Strategic Management – A Critique of Strategic Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management”, by Vaibhav Shekhar talks about the implications of Henry Mintzberg’s famous book in modern day strategy formulation. Researchers in strategic management have tried to categorize various streams of thought in this field into few groups for better assimilation. Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds Of Strategic Management, by Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel is an outstanding book in this area which coalesces strategic thinking from 1960s into ten broad schools of thought.

“Inventory Optimization Using Kanban System: A Case Study”, by B Vijaya Ramnath, C Elanchezhian and R Kesavan is a case study on having superior inventory optimization using JIT manufacturing systems. A focus on inventory is of supreme importance during recessionary environment. The paper suggests that by adopting JIT technique inventories can be minimized. Kanban is one such system which can support proper adaptation and helps to achieve the ideal JIT in a much simpler manner.

-- Saptarshi Purkayastha
Consulting Editor