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Einführung in das Portfolio‐Management Allgemein ist in den letzten 5–10 Jahren zunehmendes Interesse der Wirtschaft und Verwaltung für Probleme der strategischen Planung festzustellen, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der Diskussion über das Portfolio‐Management. Dieses neue Planungsmodell rückt durch die Definition sogenannter Strategischer Geschäftsfelder (“business units”, vgl. Abschnitt 2 dieses Aufsatzes) als strategische Planung aus gesamtunternehmerischer Sicht in den Mittelpunkt der Betrachtung und löst sich damit los von der engen Funktionalorientierung, bei der jeder strategische Bereich als eigene und relativ unabhängige Planungseinheit auftritt. Abell/Hammond sprechen in diesem Zusammenhang von einem 3‐zyklischen Planungsprozess (Abell/Hammond 1979, S. 14) (vgl. Abb. 1); die Längeund Breite der einzelnen Planungsstufen geben gleichzeitig ihre zeitliche Dauer und ihre relative Bedeutung wieder.

While mainstream organization theory has contributed to making organizations a productive part of society, they have simultaneously contributed to the creation of a “dark side” of organizational existence that stifles the individual, frustrates the attainment of desired social ends and distorts many core values of democratic societies. Mainstream theory recognizes this “dark side,” but has been unsuccessful at suggesting how it might be ameliorated or avoided. The writings of Foucault, however, reveal not only how the “dark side” arises but also how it might be avoided so that organizations may develop and pursue interests in common with both society and the individual.

A well-known scientist once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!”

Against the various literatures asserting that myths serve administrators well in varying ways, this paper takes a decidedly skeptical stance. While myth is a tool that may be well or poorly used, its use to fashion administrative theory, or to construct an administrative order, or to enhance administrative thought is most often a poor use indeed. What serves Public Administration best involves the much more difficult effort of constructing theories of historical causation that derive directly from the experiences that practitioners have with the problems they find it necessary or desirable to solve.

Discusses the phenomena of strategic windows and entrapment. Develops Abell′s (1983) notion of strategic windows in arguing that where an enterprise has overlapping strategic windows it can shift its attention to a different window when one window starts to close. This makes it easier for the firm to stay in business. Moreover, strategic windows which have closed can be reopened (viz. the watch industry and the rebirth of clockwork movements in the 1990s). Strategic windows present opportunities for decision makers but they also contain traps. Combines for the first time the concepts of strategic windows and entrapment.

Investigates the understanding of marketing strategy and the differentiation and clarification of concepts used in conjunction with it. Carries out a search of the literature revealing a wide variation in the understanding of marketing strategy. Develops a process for defining marketing strategy using three key levels: the overall strategic planning of the company; a framework developed from this from which marketing strategy should be developed; and the actual marketing strategy. Concludes that a firm needs to establish the strategic planning framework in defining its marketing strategy and its component parts. Suggests that failure to do so leads to ineffective definition, implementation and effectiveness of strategies.

The manager who moves from manufacturing to services or the professor who wishes to research and teach service operations must recognise the key differences for developing an appropriate operations management strategy in a service business. For this process to be successful, the operations manager must participate assertively in the strategy debate. In manufacturing it is important that the functional strategy supports the corporate strategy in the marketplace and is co‐ordinated with other functional strategies. There is sufficient buffering between the manufacturing system and the customer that functional strategies can be developed within corporate strategies and then be co‐ordinated. In services, however, there are many issues where co‐ordination is not an adequate response. Virtually all strategic issues involving customer contact and front‐office operations must be the result of joint decision making involving marketing, operations, finance, and human resources. What little buffering there is occurs between the front office and the back room. This interface then becomes the locus for interfunctional co‐ordination on strategic issues. Consequently, planning for the front‐office operation differs in many ways from the manufacturing strategy development, while the back‐room strategy differs little from the manufacturing strategy model. This article outlines and contrasts the processes for both manufacturing and services, paralleling the models of Wheelwright and Hayes and Hill. The observed process differences have major implications for both teaching and research in service operations. The new and interesting issues are predominantly interfunctional and, given the intellectual backgrounds of the various functional areas, interdisciplinary.

The contingency approach and its relevance to theory building and research in marketing is described. The approach is delineated and its theoretical foundations traced. Several established contingency theories within the management discipline are outlined and the research they have stimulated on related topics in marketing are highlighted. An assessment of the current state of the contingency approach in marketing literature is then provided.