Strategic Management Research Links

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT RESEARCH LINKS
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: THEORY & PRACTICE
John A. Parnell, Ph.D.

The following list constitutes a "short list" of valuable research sites. Although efforts are made to keep this list current, Internet sites and links are constantly changing. If you have any comments about these links or others that might be helpful, please e-mail Dr. John Parnell at jparnell@jparnell.com. Scroll to the bottom of this page for some practical advice of obtaining information to complete a case research project.

You should familiarize yourself with your library's electronic resources. Many of the best research sites require subscriptions and may be available at no additional cost via a site license through the library. Hoover’s and Lexis-Nexis are great sources but are only available through a subscription; your university may have a site license.

ASAE allows you to find professional and trade associations for some industries; searching is not always easy on this site.
Annual Reports provides links to numerous annual reports, free of charge.
Bigcharts.com allows for easy financial comparisons of two companies.
Bizjournals.com offers links to articles in a number of business periodicals. Search by company name, keyword, or industry. Most articles come from local business periodicals in the U.S., so information gleaned from this source may not be readily available elsewhere.
Bpubs.com offers links to articles in a number of business periodicals.
Business.com is a good source of business news, although many of the sites and links may not be useful.
Business Week is a popular business periodical. Free registration may be required.
CEO Express represents an elaborate array of links to business research sites. Some information requires a subscription.
CNN Interactive News Search contains a free search of CNN news items.
CNN Money provides a wealth of financial information.
DSN Retailing Today is an excellent research source for retailers. This is an excellent publication for retailers. Free registration is required.
Economist is a premier information source for business research from a European perspective. A subscription is required for most information, but a free trial may be available.
Edgar Database is the U.S. government site for company reports. This is not always easy to navigate, but the information is extensive. See www.10kwizard.com for printable Edgar reports.
Europages contains information for researching firms in Europe.
Fast Company is an excellent source for strategic management articles, although most are on personalities or issues, not companies or industries.
Financial Times is a premier information source for business research from a European perspective. A subscription is required for most information, but a free trial may be available.
Find Articles is an exhaustive search engine for articles from numerous periodicals.
Forrester Market Research is an excellent source for learning about business trends, although many reports can be costly.
Fortune 500 is a listing of America's largest firms. An article search is also available.
Globalist provides interesting information on the international business environment.
Google is a popular Internet search engine. Enter the names of companies/industries for a search. Search Google News for recent stories.
Hoover's is an excellent source of company information and financial reports. This is one of the most comprehensive sites for case research, but complete access requires a subscription. Many college and university libraries have a license, but one must access the site through the library’s Web site.
Impact Articles provides an interesting array of articles, although search results are limited.
Industry Week offers an eclectic array of articles of various companies, especially those in manufacturing.
Internet Public Library is the starting point for an exhaustive series of links to find information about anything on the web.
Magportal is an exhaustive search engine for articles from numerous periodicals, many of them with free access.
Marketing Power is a marketing-oriented site sponsored by the American Marketing Association.
Motley Fool provides information of many organizations.
Morningstar is an excellent source of financial information, including financial ratios.
NAICS is the current North American industry classification scheme.
Newswise is an interesting source of business news, often from unusual sources. Free registration may be required.
PR Newswire contains press releases from more than 1,500 companies during the past 3 years.
Reuters is an excellent source for business and other news (free subscription may be required).
Wall Street Journal is a premier source of business information. A subscription is required for most research, but a free trial may be available. Articles over one month old are not available free of charge at the web site.
Washington Times Business contains current business news.
Yahoo Finance provides firm overviews, financial information, and more.
Yahoo News Search is one of the oldest and most popular news searches on the Internet.

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR COMPLETING CASE RESEARCH

Start early and invest sufficient time and energy in preliminary research. Learning about companies and industries takes time. Visit the above sites and spend time reading about the firm you are investigating. If possible, visit one of its locations, especially if your firm is a retailer. Searching directly for answers to case questions is not recommended. Answers to the questions usually require a deeper understanding that is available from a single source. Do not underestimate the amount of time required to do a complete job.
Spend some time fishing, but know when to move on. Sometimes digging through Internet searches produces a few gems of information or incredibly valuable sources for your case analysis. However, you should avoid the temptation to search for one or two sources that provide all of the information you need. Such sources rarely exist. It’s a better idea to follow a systematic approach by checking reliable sources such as the ones listed above. Shortcuts usually fail.
Take notes as you complete your research. As you read about a company, you will encounter information that pertains to different case questions. Make note of each piece of information (and the source) and file it for future reference. This is the best way to obtain information about broad topics, such as external forces in the environment. Attempting to search directly for this type of information (for example, running a Google search for “Wal-Mart social forces”) is usually fruitless. Collecting “pieces of the puzzle” along the way is the best approach.
Think critically and consider the sources of the information you find. Blogs and sites sponsored by firms, industrial associations or activist groups usually provide only one side of a story. For example, labor unions are usually critical of wages, benefits, and working conditions in large, non-union firms like Wal-Mart. Environmental groups often focus on pollution in heavy manufacturing and oil refining. Company websites usually present a rosy view of the firm and its future prospects. Even if their accounts are reliable, it is necessary to augment them with other viewpoints to create a balanced perspective.
Beware of conflicting definitions. Your textbook provides specific definitions for a variety of terms related to strategic management. Some articles use different or broader connotations of these terms. For example, business writers often use “corporate strategy” when they refer to competitive issues that fall under “business strategy” in the textbook. They also tend to mix ethical and social issues when they discuss “social responsibility.” It’s important to read for context. This is another reason why Google searches (for example, “Wal-Mart corporate strategy”) do not always yield the information you are seeking.
Do not rely on other case analyses. There’s nothing wrong with reading a case analysis you get from another student or locate online, but be very cautious. Most are outdated, contain errors, utilize different definitions of key terms, and incorporate other case analysis models. You will fare better if you follow the specific instructions in the 25-question case model instead of mimicking the approach taken by someone else.
Cite everything appropriately. All sources of information must be cited, and any information that is used verbatim must be cited and in quotes. Keep track of your sources as you go so that you won’t waste valuable time attempting to relocate your sources at the end. Your professor can advise you on the required format.