Because it's there

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine some lessons that can be gained from the Everest reconnaissance expedition of 1921 for business strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts an essay approach.

Findings

There are at least six lessons to be drawn from the initial Royal Geographical Society reconnaissance of Mt Everest: strategies can be framed as expeditions; the right people need to be assigned the correct roles to make the strategy work; headquarters should respect the judgment of the people in the field and not arbitrarily impose their distant opinions on them; a team of one mind cannot normally succeed; a compelling goal makes up for a lot of shortfalls in other areas; a “failed” strategy can still be valuable if you learn from it.

Originality/value

The paper examines these issues in what is hoped to be a unique way.

Citation

Marren, P. (2012), "Because it's there", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 48-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661211225004