Business Chemistry

Business Chemistry: How to Build and Sustain Thriving Businesses in the Chemical Industry is a concise text aimed at chemists, other natural scientists, and engineers who want to develop essential management skills. Written in an accessible style with the needs of managers in mind, this book provides an introduction to essential management theory, models, and practical tools relevant to the chemical industry and associated branches such as pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. Drawing on first-hand management experience and in-depth research projects, the authors of this book outline the key topics to build and sustain businesses in the chemical industry. The book addresses important topics such as strategy and new business development, describes global trends that shape chemical companies, and looks at recent issues such as business model innovation.

Features of this practitioner-oriented book include:

• Eight chapters covering all the management topics relevant to chemists, other natural scientists and engineers.

• Chapters co-authored by experienced practitioners from companies such as Altana, A.T. Kearney, and Evonik Industries.

• Featured examples and cases from the chemical industry and associated branches throughout chapters to illustrate the practical relevance of the topics covered.

• Contemporary issues such as business model design, customer and supplier integration, and business co-operation.

Auteur

Jens Leker is the Director of the Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Münster, Germany. His research focuses on forecasting techniques, open innovation, and knowledge sharing in R&D collaboration in the chemical industry. He is a member of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), Head of the Advisory Board of the International Society of Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Business Chemistry. Carsten Gelhard is an Assistant Professor of Product-Market Relations at the Faculty of Engineering Technology of the University of Twente, The Netherlands. His research is at the intersection of marketing, innovation management, and operations management. He is a member of the Society of Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) and a legate at the Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA). Dr. Carsten Gelhard is also co-founder and managing director at ThinkPals. Stephan von Delft is a Lecturer in Strategy at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Scotland. His research focuses on business model design, business model innovation, and organizational capabilities in the chemical industry. He is a member of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the Strategic Management Society (SMS), and a member of the Scientific Panel of the International Society of Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM).

Contenu
List of Contributors xi

Preface xv

Part I Strategy 1

**1 Management Challenges in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry 3
**Jens Leker and Hannes Utikal

1.1 Introducing the Chemical Industry as a Source of Innovation and Prosperity 3

1.2 Characteristics of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry 4

1.2.1 Product and Process Characteristics 5

1.2.2 Market Characteristics 7

1.3 Business Transformation in the Chemical Industry 9

1.3.1 Business Transformation and Organizational Change Processes 10

1.3.2 Drivers for Change 12

1.3.3 Fields of Business Transformation 14

1.4 Managerial Challenges in the Chemical Industry 15

1.4.1 Creating Strategic Learning Processes 16

1.4.2 Managing Value Chains Across the Globe 17

1.4.3 Optimizing Processes 19

1.4.4 Creating Product, Process, and Business Model Innovations 22

1.4.5 Developing Human Resources 23

1.5 Summary 25

References 26

**2 Principles of Strategy: How to Develop Strategy 31
**Jens Leker and Tobias Lewe

2.1 The First Day for CEO Walter Brown 31

2.2 Strategy Definitions and Their Interrelations A Framework for Mindful Strategic Management 34

2.3 Historic and Current Trends in Strategic Management 38

2.4 Strategy Development Process 46

2.5 Industry Dynamics, Signaling Systems, and the Effect of Trends 50

2.6 Summary 55

References 56

**3 Strategic Analysis: Understanding the Strategic Environment of the Firm 59
**Jens Leker and Manuel Bauer

3.1 Strategic Analysis to Improve a Firm's Performance 60

3.2 Industry Analysis 63

3.3 The Resourcebased View in the Context of Strategic Analysis 74

3.3.1 Underlining Assumptions for the Resourcebased View 76

3.3.2 VRIN/O Characteristics 79

3.4 Dynamism of Markets 87

3.5 Dynamic Capabilities 91

3.5.1 Capacity (1): Sensing and Shaping Opportunities and Threats 96

3.5.2 Capacity (2): Seizing the Opportunity 98

3.5.3 Capacity (3): Reconfiguring 99

3.6 Summary 103

References 104

**4 Management of Business Cooperation 109
**Theresia Theurl and Eric Meyer

4.1 Cooperation and Corporate Strategy 110

4.1.1 What Does Cooperation Mean? 110

4.1.2 Why Is the Management of Cooperation Different? 113

4.2 How Cooperation Can Help to Achieve Corporate Objectives 115

4.2.1 Cost Advantages 115

4.2.2 Access to Resources, Knowhow and Technologies 116

4.2.3 Access to Markets 118

4.2.4 Time Advantages 119

4.2.5 Distribution of Risks 119

4.3 Morphologies of Cooperation 119

4.3.1 Horizontal, Vertical and Lateral Cooperation 119

4.3.2 Types of Cooperation 121

4.3.3 Strategic Alliance 121

4.3.4 Value Chain Cooperation 123

4.3.5 Project Cooperation 124

4.3.6 Networks and Virtual Enterprises 126

4.3.7 Cooperative 128

4.3.8 Joint Venture 129

4.4 Management of Business Cooperation: A Process Model 129

4.4.1 The Management Process 129

4.4.2 Strategic Positioning 132

4.4.2.1 Market Analysis 132

4.4.2.2 Company Analysis 135

4.4.3 Preparation 138

4.4.3.1 Partner Choice 138

4.4.3.2 Competition Law and Cooperation 142

4.5 Institutionalisation 143

4.5.1 Institutionalisation of Cooperation Management 143

4.5.2 Rules and Rights 145

4.5.3 Cooperative Transfer Prices 146

4.6 Operational Management of a Cooperation 147

4.6.1 Monitoring 147

4.6.2 Influence and Communication 148

4.7 Monitoring Cooperation Success 149

4.8 Summary 151

References 151

Part II Innovation 155 &...