Book excerpt: First published in 1989, this book is based on detailed comparative case studies of eight firms’ responses to the recession of the early 1980s, the worst crisis for British manufacturing in the post-war period. Following these companies’ progress from 1979 to 1985, Whittington examines the various recession strategies they adopted and the consequences of these for management change and financial performance in the recovery. Drawing on the Realist social theory of Roy Bhaskar, Whittington argues that the class, gender, generation and ethnicity of the decision-makers involved in the eight case studies collectively made an impact on their strategic choices. This is a timely and practical reissue, which will be of value to students, managers and academics concerned with strategic management, developments in organizational theory, and the current economic climate.