The hunt for core competencies

Expresses concern about large corporations' ability to maintain their competitive edge in view of smaller resource‐limited competitors (mainly Japanese) successfully challenging these giants. Uses a figure to explain relationships between core competencies, core products or platforms, business units and end products. Concludes that Hamel and Prahalad's ideas may be expanded here but that their approach could almost be explained as philosophers and mystics, or evangelical gurus ‘whipping up a storm of revolution’.