ABSTRACT
The literature on strategy can usually be organised into two areas, one focusing on the content of strategy and the other focusing on the process. Of these two areas, work on content is far more extensive (Bailey and Johnson, 1995). Much of what is written about the content of strategy, both in terms of conceptual frameworks and empirical evidence, has been drawn from the manufacturing industries, rather than service industries such as shipping. While there continues to be disagreement about the definition of concepts such as 'strategy', there is a remarkable high degree of agreement on everything else. In particular, there is agreement on such key areas as the purpose of strategy, the major strategy types an organisation can pursue to maintain a competitive edge, and the organisational levels at which these strategies should be pursued. This chapter examines these aspects of strategy, and by way of conclusion, pulls together what is currently known about strategy types into a comprehensive typology of strategies. This typology is then used as part of the conceptual framework for examining the Asia-Pacific shipping industry.
