What is strategy and why do businesses need it? What distinguishes a good strategy from a bad one or a non-strategy? Not to be confused with goals or a company's ambition, strategy is a word that is often mis-used and misapplied. But in reality it can make the difference between success and failure - especially if it's adaptable to changes in the market. Evan Davis looks at where companies have got strategy right and where it's gone badly wrong.

GUESTS:

Michael Jacobides - Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at The London Business School.

Jacqueline de Rojas, President of Tech UK

Ann Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard.

Are 'ethical' businesses all they're cracked up to be? Evan Davis and guests discuss the newest type of certification in ethical business, the B Corp, and ask if it'll catch on.

GUESTS

Katie Hill, Executive Director, B Lab UK

Wendy Chapple, Associate Professor in Management and member of the Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab, Nottingham Business School

Jean-Cristophe Laugee, Vice-President, Nature and Cycle Sustainability, Danone.

What has happened to Margaret Thatcher's dream of creating a nation of shareholders? Over the last decade there's been a big increase in the amount of foreign ownership. ONS figures show foreign investors now own over fifty per cent of shares listed on the stock exchange. Evan Davis and guests discuss why this has happened and whether it matters.

GUESTS

John Dawson, Founding Partner, Statera

Gillian Karran-Cumberlege, Founder, Fidelio Partners

Gervais Williams, Fund Manager, Miton Group.

Evan Davis and guests discuss why some restaurant chains thrive and others fail. Why are so many chains closing down branches now?

GUESTS

Paul Campbell, Founder, Hill Capital Partners LLP

Angela Hartnett, Chef and Owner of Murano, Café Murano and Merchants' Tavern

Sarah Willingham, Entrepreneur and Investor.

Evan Davis and guests discuss the relationship between three important pillars of modern society: science, business and the consumer. Is the public right to be suspicious of business and the science it's selling? Why do some us fear GM foods, nanotechnology, AI and gene editing?

GUESTS

Jackie Hunter, Chief Executive, Benevolent Bio

Justin King, Vice-Chairman and Head of Portfolio Businesses, Terra Firma

Kriti Sharma, Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence, Sage.

Civil engineers would argue they are the unsung heroes of the railways, roads and bridges we all take for granted. But building major infrastructure projects is a complicated business. So how do you go about putting up a bridge? Are you limited by engineering or economics? Evan Davis tries to find the answer from three civil engineers.

GUESTS

Mike Glover, Arup Fellow

Louise Hardy, Civil Engineer, Non-Executive Director Sirius Minerals and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

Katy Toms, Senior Engineer, WSP Engineering Consultancy.