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We live in a chaotic world. Some of the chaos results from poor decision-making (e.g., Enron, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom). Yet other aspects of chaos (war, terrorist attacks, etc.) are beyond a firm's control. This book demonstrates that firm growth is more dependent on how a firm develops its resource base over time. Examining actual firm growth in several industries, with a focus on trucking, the airline industry, and the North American railroad industry, Pettus shows that a specific resource sequencing leads to higher firm growth than other sequencing patterns. This sequencing pattern is similar across transportation industries, and the pattern may be applicable to other industries.
Decisions that firms make with respect to how resources are developed must balance the need for growth in the current time period with the need for growth over the long term. Firms can build sustainable growth by developing resources in a specific sequence; in essence, firms have control over their growth, even when confronted with ever-changing environmental conditions.
List of contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Firm Growth Is a Strategic Process
Growth over Time Does Not Depend upon a Friendly Environment
A Framework for Achieving Long-Term Domestic and International Growth
Deregulation and Growth: An Inhibitor or and Accelerator?
Trucking Deregulation: Why Firms Failed
Trucking Deregulation: Patterns of Growth
The Restructuring of the U.S. Airline Industry
The Radical Transformation of the U.S. Railroad Industry
The Future of the U.S. Airline Industry
Patterns Generating Long-Term Growth
Index
About the author
MICHAEL L. PETTUS is Associate Professor at the Tabor School of Business, Millikin University, in Decatur, Illinois.
