...01 What Is Strategy, and Why Is It Important? Multiple Choice Questions 1. | Keeping in mind Apple's competitive advantage, which of the following products was introduced by Apple in 2007? A. | iPad | B. | iPhone | C. | iPod | D. | iTunes | | 2. | _____ is best described as an integrative management field that combines analysis, formulation, and implementation in the quest for competitive advantage. A. | Supply chain management | B. | Integrated technology management | C. | Strategic management | D. | Inventory management | | 3. | _____ is best described as a set of goal-directed actions a firm takes to gain and sustain superior performance relative to competitors. A. | Behavior modification | B. | Strategy | C. | Credo | D. | Competency management | | 4. | Which of the following stages of the strategic management process involves an evaluation of a firm's external and internal environments? A. | Strategy analysis | B. | Strategy implementation | C. | Strategy formulation | D. | Strategy control | | 5. | In _____, a firm frames a guiding policy to address the competitive challenge. A. | strategy control | B. | strategy implementation | C. | strategy formulation | D. | strategy analysis | | 6. | Through _____, a firm puts its guiding policy into practice by employing a set of coherent actions. A. | strategy control | B. | strategy implementation...
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...(i)Executive Summary This project discusses the Strategic Management process which Robbins and Coulter (2007:240) define as” A six –step process that encompasses strategy planning, implementation, and evaluation”. The project is based on the strategic management of Barclays Bank. The main goal of Barclays bank is to satisfy people’s needs and offer them the best service. According to Jones and George (2008:308), the SWOT analysis is “A planning exercise in which managers identify organizational strengths (s) and weaknesses (W) and environmental opportunities (O) and threats (T)”. Strengths might include adequate financial resources, economies of scale, and proprietary technology. Weaknesses include lack of strategic direction, obsolete facilities, and lack of managerial depth and talent. Whereas, Opportunities might include the possibility of serving additional customers in the face of weakening competition, or the chance to enter foreign markets due to falling trade barriers. Threats might include the likely entry of new lower-cost foreign competitors, rising sales substitute products, and slowing market growth (Dessler, 2004). Four important features that lead to the success of Barclays bank are: High quality products, team spirit between the bank’s employees, wide spread global presence and strong management with well educated managers. Although Barclays bank is a highly qualified bank, it still lacks important services and offers like Islamic banking and Drive...
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...in this highly competitive business environment, a firm must engage in strategic planning process that could define its objectives and assess both the internal and external situation; allowing the company to formulate strategy, implement strategy, evaluate progress and able to make adjustment as necessary to stay on track. There are many approaches to strategic planning but typically a three-step process may be used: * Situation - evaluate the current situation and how it came about. * Target - define goals and/or objectives (sometimes called ideal state) * Path / Proposal - map a possible route to the goals/objectives The Strategic Planning Process Mission & Objectives Mission & Objectives Environmental Scanning Environmental Scanning Strategy Formulation Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation Strategy Implementation Evaluation & Control Evaluation & Control Mission and objectives It describes the company’s business vision. It includes a firm values, purpose and goals that help to pursue future opportunities. Having a business vision helps firm’s leaders to define measurable financial and strategic objectives. Financial objectives involve measures such as sales target. Environmental Scan It involves the following components: * Internal analysis of the firm * Analysis of the firm’s industry (task environment) * External macro environment (PEST analysis) Having to define the internal analysis, it identifies...
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...External Environment Analysis 1. Definition of Industry (include overview) 2. Analysis of Present Task Environment 3. Analysis of Potential Changes in the Macroenvironment 4. Threats and Opportunities Basis: 1. Effect of potential changes on the macroenvironment on the barriers and determinants of the task environment. 2. The effect on the forces of the task environment. 3. The conclusion on whether the potential change on the macro is a threat or opportunity. Note: The potential changes in the macroenvironment that will cause a change in the in the task environment will be a threat or an opportunity to the industry. 5. Industry and competitive analysis. 6.1 Strategic map 6.2 Market Definition 6.3 Market Size 6. Broader Societal Expectations 6.1 Corporate Social Responsibility MODULE THREE – Analysis of Internal Environment 1. Overview of the company 2. Financial Analysis 2.1 Financial Ratios 3. Value Chain Analysis 4. Strengths and Weaknesses 4.1 Describe the Strengths and weaknesses 4.2 State the basis for each strength and weakness. Basis is from Financial and Value Chain Analysis 5. Personal values MODULE FOUR – Strategic Plan 1. Vision (include mission) 2. Objectives – Financial, Social and Strategic Basis: Vision Note: Objectives must be SMART 3. Evaluation of Present Corporate Strategies (Actual Company Strategy) 4. Proposed Corporate Strategies (description...
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...Aligning Sourcing and procurement strategy to corporate strategy/strategic supplier selection analysis, Collaboration methods and mechanisms INTRODUCTION Organizations are operating in an environment characterized by continuous economic, social, natural and political disruptions to their sources of supplies and services/ consumers and markets. To survive in this turbulent and highly competitive market place, these organizations must continually monitor their competitive positions alongside their internally controllable functional strategies to ensure they are proactively aligned with the overall corporate strategy. To succeed therefore in this fact evolving global competitive business environment, an innovative business concept Supply Chain Management was introduced to help align the functional strategies with the overall business strategies and suppliers. During World War I and II, the success of a firm was not dependent on what it could sell, since the market was almost unlimited. Instead, the ability to obtain from suppliers the raw materials, suppliers and services needed to keep the factories and mines operating was the key determinant of organizational success. Consequently, attention was given to organization policies, strategies and procedures of the supply chain functions which resulted to activities termed logistics, souring, procurement, material management. By the open of 1970’s, organizations faced two most challenging problems: an international shortage of almost...
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...Diploma in Management Strategic Marketing Unit 6.5 Submitted to: London Churchill College Submitted by: Student ID: Date of Submission: Table of Contents: Introduction: 2 Task 1 3 1.1 Assessment on the role of strategic marketing in an organization: 3 1.2 Analysis on the relationship between corporate strategy and marketing strategy: 3 1.3 Analysis on how marketing strategy is developed: 5 Task 2 6 2.1 Evaluation on approaches to internal environmental analysis 6 2.2 Evaluate approaches to external environmental analysis: 7 2.3 The integration of Internal and external environment analyses: 8 Task 3 9 3.1 Analysis on decisions and choices to be made at a corporate level: 9 3.2 Assess how these decisions influence marketing at business unit and functional level: 10 3.3 Analyze approaches to competitive positioning of organization: 11 Task 4 12 4.1 Identify a range of strategies that can contribute to competitive advantage 12 4.2 Analyze marketing communications strategies 13 4.3 Analyze marketing strategies, their application and implementation for an organization 14 References: 15 Introduction: Marketing is one of the most critical and vital functional area. According P. Kotler & A. Chernes, (2012) Marketing is a managerial process for offering products and services for consumption in exchange of price...
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...chosen. A company profile that briefly describe the company such as the founder and year founded, location, product range, competitors, revenues and turnover are written. Then, the importance and impact of the first stages in strategic management process that is strategic analysis towards Body Glove International L.C.C is explained. In strategic analysis, there are three types of evaluation on an organization, namely, general environment, competitive environment and internal environment. General environment explained about the weak signals that the firm must detect before it creates impact towards the company. There are three types of tool to detect the weak signals, namely, pest analysis which focuses more on external factors, swot analysis focuses on its internal and external environment of the organization and scenario planning which is about future prediction. Competitive environment on the other hand emphasizes more to understanding Body Glove competitor’s actions that is supported by Porter’s Five Forces explaining about its relationship with the new entrants, buyers, suppliers, substitute product and services and intensity of rivalry and also strategic groups is used to detect the company competitive position. The third evaluation that is internal environment explained about the situation which can impact...
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...mission and goals, (2) assess the environment, (3) appraise company capabilities, (4) craft the strategy, (5) implement the strategy, and (6) evaluate and control the strategy. Business Policy is a set of prescribed and discretionary statements, limiting actions of individuals in the firm, as set forth in directives and guides. Mission is the reason for which the firm exists, and what it will do. Basically, it describes the products/services to be supplied, the markets to be served, and the technology applied (if important). Vision Statement answers the question, What do we want to become? Goals express the aspirations of the firm, general ends that cannot be measured. Ex. “In unrelenting pursuit of perfection.” Objectives are specific targets to be accomplished by a specified time. Ex. “Profits will grow at the rate of 5% annually for the next five years.” Long-term objectives (5 years or more) are strategic objectives and define the desired character of the company, at the specified time. Strategy is simply the means or general actions to be taken to achieve long-term objectives. Strategic management is the work of the General Manager. General Manager is a person who is responsible for a profit center, as opposed to a functional manager who is responsible only for a cost or revenue center. Generic Strategy is the name for a group of similar specific strategies. Levels of Strategy 1. Corporate level. What types of businesses should we be in? 2. Business level. How do we compete? 3....
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...business environment requires strategic thinking in companies to develop good corporate strategies. Only when developing effective strategies, corporate can remain the competitive position. By creating strategy, organization can remain the competitive advantage which other companies are unable to implement. Corporate strategy is not only for large firms but also for small business. However, there is a quotation suggests that “Strategic management is nothing more than a set a o myths, parables and homilies that give senior management a feeling of comfort that they can control the destinies of their organizations. It has neither theoretical substance nor empirical content and is delusional in its intention. The future is not only unpredictable it is also unknowable”. This assignment shall argue the citation by considering different factors. First, the assignment will identify the meaning of strategy and it does matter. And then the essays will have brief discussion of industry matter for the performance of an organization. Finally, the assignment will draw conclusion through the relevance of strategy in management practices. 1. What is strategy and does it matter? There are many ways to define strategy by various researchers. Henry Minzberg (1971) defines “Strategies are both plans for the future and the patterns from the past”. According to Johnson and Scholes (2005), strategy as follows: "Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves...
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...Management Process 11 Strategic Management as a Process 16 Summary 18 Key Terms 19 Questions for Discussion 19 2 3 PART TWO STRATEGY FORMULATION 2. SM_Prelims.indd 17 Company Mission What is a Company Mission? 23 The Need for an Explicit Mission 24 Formulating a Mission 24 Basic Product or Service; Primary Market; Principal Technology Company Goals: Survival; Growth; Profitability 26 Company Philosophy 28 Public Image 29 Company Self-Concept 33 Newest Trends in Mission Components 33 An Exemplary Mission Statement 35 Boards of Directors 37 Agency Theory 38 22 25 2/8/2012 10:17:09 AM Contents How Agency Problems Occur 39 Problems That Can Result from Agency 39 Solutions to the Agency Problem 40 Summary 41 Key Terms 41 Questions for Discussion 41 Appendix A: Company Vision 43 Appendix B: BB&T Vision, Mission, and Purpose 3. 4. SM_Prelims.indd 18 44 Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics The Stakeholder Approach to Social Responsibility 52 The Dynamics of Social Responsibility 54 Types of Social Responsibility 57 Corporate Social Responsibility and Profitability 60 Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 66 The New Corporate Governance Structure 69 Privatization as a Response to Sarbanes-Oxley 70 CSR’s Effect on the Mission Statement 71 Social Audit 71 Satisfying Corporate Social Responsibility 72 The Core of the CSR Debate 73 Mutual Advantages of Collaborative Social Initiatives 75 Five Principles of Successful...
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...course conveys the concept of strategy and its usefulness by exposing students to a variety of organizational situations. It enables students to look at organizations in their totality and appreciates the interrelationship among different functions. It will help students understand the strategy of organizations and thereby enable them in making major decisions, formulating policies and participate in implementation of corporate strategies. Contents: Unit I (6 Sessions) Introduction: Strategic management (SM) , Business Policy (BP) and Business Plan; Basic concepts of SM; Impact of Globalisation and e-Com; Theories of organisational adaptation; Creating a learning organisation; Basic model of SM; Strategic decision making; Impact of Internet; Firm and its environment. Unit II (6 Sessions) Scanning the environment: Environmental scanning; Industry analysis; Competitive intelligence; Forecasting; Synthesis of external factors; ETOP Study. Internal scanning: Organisational analysis; resource-based approach; value chain analysis; Scanning functional resources; Strategic audit; Unit III (6 Sessions) Strategy formulation: Situational analysis: SWOT analysis, TOWS Matrix; Corporate strategy; Strategies for growth and diversification; Process of strategic planning; Stages of corporate development; Portfolio analysis; Corporate parenting; Functional strategy; Core competencies; Strategic choice. Unit IV (6 Sessions) Strategy implementation and control:...
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...School of Business, University of Southern California MOR 465: ADVANCED METHODS IN STRATEGY ANALYSIS Spring, 2006 T, TH 10 am – 11:50 am BRI-8 Professor: Juan Carlos Araque Office: Bridge Hall 301 Phone: USC Office: (213) 821-5708 Email: araque@marshall.usc.edu Office Hours: Thursday 9:00 am - 10:00 am Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis is an advanced strategy elective designed for business major undergraduates interested in the strategic management of businesses and corporations. The course represents an extension of the frameworks and materials learned in BUAD 497. In particular, MOR 465 focuses on four main substantive areas of interest: Module 1: Basics of Corporate Strategy Module 2: Competitive Rivalries Module 3: Managing Strategic Change Module 4: Academic Research on Strategy Module 1: Basics of Corporate Strategy extends the frameworks and cases taught in BUAD 497 on “Corporate Strategy”, meaning issues that companies with multiple strategic business units face. We focus on the following issues in this module: 1. 2. 3. 4. The basic tenets of corporate strategy; Diversification and the notion of core competences; Vertical integration, Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) & the “make or buy decision”; and Corporate governance and “managing” the managers We examine these issues through both Harvard Business Review readings and Harvard and Stanford Business School cases. Module 2: Competitive Rivalries examines in more detail how firms compete with each-other in fast-moving...
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...School of the University of Pennsylvania Management 223 - Business Policy & STRATEGY Spring Semester, 1999 Course Description and Syllabus Instructors: Phanish Puranam (PP) & Michael G. Jacobides (MGJ) Office: 2061(PP) /2055(MGJ) SH-DH (Management Dept. Suite) Tel: 898-1231 (PP) / 898-1224 (MGJ) Email: puranam@management.wharton.upenn.edu jacobides@management.wharton.upenn.edu Class Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 to 1:30pm Office Hours: By appointment (PP) Course Overview This course focuses on strategic management and strategic decision making and examines issues central to the long-term and short-term competitive position of the company or division / business unit. Students are placed in the role of key decision-makers or their advisors and asked to solve problems related to the development or maintenance of the competitive advantage of the firm. We start the course by looking at strategy at the level of the business unit, which is the fundamental level for competitive analysis. The perspective taken is of a manager in a given unit with particular assets, capabilities and competitive challenges. We look at industry analysis, examine the sources of competitive advantage, and explore generic strategies: How can we analyze the competitive environment, and what are the basic options for business-unit level strategy? What are the bases of competitive advantage? What is the nature of the value chain? Following that, we look at...
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...STRATEGY & MARKETING Politecnico di Milano Enrico Pincini 838298 STRATEGY AND MARKETING STRATEGY INTRODUCTION CONCEPTS There are four different concepts about strategic theory: strategic decision; strategy; strategic analysis; strategic decision process. STRATEGIC DECISION A strategic decision is a decision that has long term, significant and non-reversible effects on the final goal of the organization (decision maker) and usually required large amount of resources. It costs significantly in term of time, money and opportunity to achieve a goal. The focus is also on the effects of your decision: considering the business demand, moving a machinery within a factory is not a strategic decision because doesn’t match the criteria said before, while moving a plant from a place to another, a really significant change, is strategic. Sometimes a no-decision can be a strategic decision: if you don’t decide for a long time you will find difficulties to change in the future, creating barriers. The effect of a decision is fundamental to define if it is strategic or not. Every decision, also the most trivial, have a goal behind, but most of them are not strategic. The strategic one has a fundamental and very important impact on your life and in your path. STRATEGY The strategy is an integrated, comprehensive plan which identifies the scope and the direction of the organization (decision maker). It is aimed at obtaining...
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...Strategic ‘fit’ of the ECBM 4 Environmental Analysis 5 The Micro Environment 7 Resources Analysis (Strategic Capability) 9 Evaluation of the Strategy 10 Future Strategic Options 11 Internal development 11 External Development 12 Evaluation of the Strategic Options 13 Corporate Social Responsibility 14 Corporate Social Responsibility Stances 15 Conclusion 16 Introduction According to General Robert E. Wood “Business is like a war in one respect, if its ground strategy is correct, any number of tactical errors can be made and yet the enterprise proves successful.”[1] Wood compares strategy to war and also indicates its origin from the Greek. The Greek word “strategos” meant “military leader”. Many refer to strategy in terms of either military, games (chess) or team related (football) context. Woods also underlines the neccessity and the reason of a strategy in any organisation. The European College of Business and Management (ECBM) is a registered non-profit organisation specialising in business education. It focuses on two main areas: Personal Development Programmes and Higher Education, Business Management Programmes. This assignment will discuss the means and bases of the strategy of the European College of Business and Management, analyse the use of the strategy and evaluate the application of possible future strategic options. Strategic Management Strategy is described as the “ direction and...
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