PDF Book: Opportunity, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 2

The Sources of Opportunity, Resources, Skills, Competencies & Capabilities, Networks the Competitive Environment & the Opportunity Framework UK ed.

Today, entrepreneurship is one of the most written about topics in the field of business, but in general opportunity has not been seen to directly drive the firm's strategies, capabilities, and resources. This book attempts to bring the concept of opportunity into mainstream discussion and consideration by presenting a meta-theory which dissects all the elements of opportunity, so this phenomenon can be better understood. The first volume looks at the nature of opportunity and considers how opportunity is closely linked with our society's development, and how innovations today will lay the foundation for further opportunities in the future. The book continues on to discuss how our attitudes, biases and mental maps have great influence upon how we see opportunity. Volume one finishes with a chapter discussing how creativity is vital to making connections between the environment and our own experience and prior knowledge. Creativity and the ability to make connections are more important than intelligence in seeing opportunity. 

You can access the PDF copy here.

From the Back Cover

Murray Hunter has meticulously written a very useful work, examining the influences on entrepreneurial strategy from a number of different paradigms. He argues that opportunity is as much a product of our mental schema as it is from the external commercial and social environment. He concludes that strategy should be opportunity, rather than firm-based and presents a relevant opportunity meta-theory to the socio-economic conditions of this new millennium.

--Amar Bhidé
Thomas Schmidheiny Professor
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Tufts University

Murray Hunter's book has put opportunity at the centre of strategy. He has been able to blend contemporary strategic theory with the wisdom of the east in a meta-theory that extends our understanding of opportunity. Murray stresses the perceptive and interpretive issues around understanding the environment and forming strategy, which is a timely reminder for firms facing the turbulent markets of today.

--Hermawan Kartajaya,
Founder and CEO of MarkPlus Inc.
Co-author with ProfessorPhilip Kotler of five books, including:
Think ASEAN & Marketing 3.0
President of World Marketing Association.

Murray Hunter has written a book that adopts an innovative approach to business in keeping with the dynamic and evolving requirements of capitalizing on commercial opportunity in the new millennium. The focus of the book is on opportunity as the driver of strategy and entrepreneurship rather than the traditional focus, which is on the firm and its strengths and weaknesses as the drivers of strategy and entrepreneurship. This book raises the issue of what actually comes first - the firm or the market. The thrust of the book is that opportunity comes first in today's business environment and that strategy and entrepreneurship flow from this. Rather than firm oriented factors, Murray Hunter's meta theory of opportunity, strategy and entrepreneurship focuses on what are the variables and factors involved, how are they related and why they are influenced by underlying psychological, economic and social dynamics? Viewing the world through the prism of opportunity takes the reader on a journey that involves an exploration of opportunity from socio-economic, economic history, political economy, economic geography and biographical perspectives. This innovative approach to strategy formation and entrepreneurship development, as advocated by Murray Hunter, is to be commended.
 
--Professor Richard Fletcher,
School of Marketing,
University of Western Sydney

Hunter has reached the top-most heights, a veritable vision platform that no author has previously achieved in the study of human innovation and enterprise. In one tome, he has been able to cumulate our entire knowledge of human opportunity. The depth and scope of Hunter's understanding is staggering and unrivalled. Encompassing the entire history, science and philosophy of opportunity in a digestible form, this book will serve students and scholars of innovation and entrepreneurship for years to come. It will not easily be obsolesced--only supplemented--because of its wide coverage, skilful writing, accumulation of knowledge, integration and interpretation, and above all the profound wisdom that Hunter's work evidences. This book must be in every library and read by every serious student of human enterprise.
--
--Howard Frederick,
Professor of Entrepreneurial Education,
Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Community (CEIC),
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
 
Brave, honest and passionate, Professor Murray Hunter's new book is more than a content-rich read.It is an intellectual journey par excellence. By revisiting and rethinking the best of the west and the essentials of the east; the author inspires, encourages and energetically invites us to bridge both mental and physical distances. Professor Hunter contrasts and compares; still, he does not exclude and separate; but includes, concludes, shares and sublimes. Disheartened by the McFB (McDonalads-Facebook) world, dominated by anti-intellectualism and nearly automated conduct, turns numerous possibilities into ever fewer probabilities. Mounting crises discourage and constrain us. Hope and vision comes with Hunter's "Opportunity".
Homo cogitus: homo faber!

--Professor Anis H. BajrektarevicChairperson for International Law and Global Political Studies,EXPORT EU-ASEAN-NAFTA,IMC University,Austria, Europe

Professor Hunter brings about an important aspect; for the world to know that opportunities have to be discovered by strategic design of search and research. He combines the wisdom of the east with business environments of the west in order to optimize resources with a win-win paradigm for both an entrepreneur and a customer. He advocates that customer needs must be identified as the customer does not know what he or she needs until he or she has seen the product. His wisdom applies equally well to the service domain. A must read for those considering global opportunities and strategic planning in government, academia, industry, or the service sector!

--Vijay K. Arora,
Director, Graduate Studies, Wilkes University
Chair of the International Division of the American
Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
Leading Educator of the World, 2005
 
Murray Hunter penned a business strategy book for our times by placing the idea of 'opportunity' at the centre of entrepreneurship and society. He highlights the importance of being alert to the possible and, in turn, able to exploit that opportunity. If we want to build solid structures on ever-shifting sands as the pace of global change accelerates, Hunter underscores the need for developing new mental models.

--Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin,
President of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), Ireland.

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