This book is about competitive advantage and how it is created at the company level. It is based on the premise that the alignment of strategies and control systems affects the firm's chances of successfully positioning itself in its chosen arena of competition. The firm is in a better position to concentrate on activities that create value for the customer if its strategies and control systems are mutually consistent and adapted to expected external demands. The authors believe that the co-ordination and integration of strategies and control systems will provide a necessary, and long-overdue, expansion of knowledge in the area.