Recent Books

Managing for Growth (Oxford University Press, 2000)

As economic growth in Western countries shows signs of fatigue, companies are battling hard to discover how to generate and sustain corporate growth. The restructuring and reengineering processes of the early 1990s, and the massive lay-offs they brought about, have only given an additional boost to the need for expansion. Corporate efficiency is indispensable, but is not a sufficient condition for corporate survival. Firms need to think about their future growth.

Universal Banking: International Comparisons and Theoretical Perspectives (Clarendon, 1997)

In the wake of the drastic changes that have occurred in the world banking industry over the past two decades, Professor Canals's new book addresses several important questions: are universal banks bound to disappear? What is the role of universal banks and financial markets in the context of deregulation and disintermediation? What should banks' strategic reactions be to changes in the industry such as diversification, internationalization, and restructuring? And what role do banks play vis a vis modern financial markets? Canals draws on up-to-date case studies from Europe, Japan, and the US to provide a provocative reassessment of universal banking.

Competitive Strategies in European Banking (Oxford University Press, 1993)

Profound changes have taken place in the role of banking in developed countries in recent years and further important structural alterations will surely follow.  This study of European banking surveys both the changing structure of the commercial banking industry and the strategic implications of these changes.  Drawing on Michael Porter's framework for industry and competitor analysis, Canals includes a general analysis of the economics of banking, in-depth studies of current trends in the five main EC countries, a look at strategic choices made by European banks, and an assessment of the pace of change.