An Analysis of C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel's The Core Competence of the Corporation [Paperback]

C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamels 1990 The Core Competence of the Corporation helped redefine traditional ideas of management strategy. It did so by focusing companies on one of the key critical thinking skills: evaluation. In critical thinking, evaluation is all about judging the strengths and weaknesses of arguments  assessing their reasoning and the relevance or adequateness of the evidence they use. For Prahalad and Hamel, companies could gain a competitive edge by evaluating themselves: their own strengths and weaknesses. By sensitively evaluating core competencies  the collective knowledge inside the organization that distinguishes it from other corporations  they could target efforts and resources with strategic focus.

For Prahalad and Hamel, managers need to be able to identify and evaluate their companys unique skill sets, and the technologies that distinguish them from others businesses. How well they then coordinate these elements defines a companys competitive strength and how quickly it can adapt to new challenges. As Prahalad and Hamel showed in their case studies, the critical thinking skill of evaluation  knowing what you do best, how well you do it, and how you might improve  is absolutely central to staying ahead of the crowd.

Ways in to the Text  Who are C.K Prahalad and Gary Hamel?  What does The Core Competence of the Corporation Say?  Why does The Core Competence of the Corporation Matter?  Section 1: Influences  Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context  Module 2: Academic Context  Module 3: The Problem  Module 4: The Author's Contribution  Section 2: Ideas  Module 5: Main Ideas  Module 6: Secondary Ideas  Module 7: Achievement  Module 8: Place il£X