Preview

Planned strategy, emergent strategy and scenario planning

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2806 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Planned strategy, emergent strategy and scenario planning
Nowadays, strategy is the focal point of all business ventures. It is essential to any successful business. In a nutshell, a strategy means the actions that manager's take to attain the goals of the firm (Mintzberg, Quinn and Voyer, 1995). In addition, strategic is a term that virtually every businessperson believes they know and understand. Strategy planning is the process of developing and implementing plans to reach goals and objectives. Strategic planning, more than anything else, is what gives direction to an organization and actions necessary to improve its performance (O'Regan, N & Ghobadian, A, 2002).

This paper sets out to determine the importance of strategy, fundamentally the differences between 3 forms of strategy, namely the planned strategy, emergent strategy and scenario planning. In accordance with this, the advantages and disadvantages of these strategic thought in relation to the development of primary/core strategy. It also attempts to look at the differences between the proponents and opponents of strategy, in that a discussion is based on why planning is much maligned by its opponents.

Firstly it is important to outline the main three forms of strategy.

Strategic management has commonly been portrayed as revolving around the discrete phases of formulation, implementation, and control, carried out in almost cascading steps (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel, 1998). These are three steps of the planned approach to strategy involves a formal process to strategy formation: problem awareness, the development of solutions and the selection of a solution (Forbes and Fletcher, 2000). In the same context, Marlo (2000) denoted a planned strategy comprising of a declaration of specific and expressed intentions, supported with formal controls.

Jauch and Osborn (1991) commented with his realization that towards a successful outcome of the strategy, a firm structure is necessary for an organization. Hence all decisions made from the top management can be



References: Dill, William R., 1979 "Commentary" In D.E, Schendel and C. W. Hoter (eds.) Strategic Management:47-51. Boston: Little, Brown. Eisenhardt, K. M., 2001, "Strategy as simple rules", Harvard Business Review, vol. 79, no. 1, pp.106-116. Forbes, T. & Fletcher, M., 2000, "Taught and enacted strategic approaches in young enterprises", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, vol. 6. no. 3, pp. 125-145. Fredrickson, J. W. & Mitchell, T. R., 1986, "Strategic decision processes: Comprehensiveness and performance in an industry with an unstable environment", Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 399-423. Harrison, M. I. & Philips, B., 1991, "Strategic decision-making: An integrative explanation", Research in Sociology of Organizations, vol. 9, no. 15, pp. 319-358. Jauch, L. R. & Osborn, R. N., 1991, "Toward an integrated theory of strategy '" Academy of Management Review, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 491-498. Liedtkla, J. M. & Rosenblum, J. W., 1996, "Shaping conversations: Making strategy, making change", California Management Review, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 141-157. Mazzolini, R., 1988, "How strategic decisions are made", Long Range Planning, vol. 14, no. 3. pp. 85-96. McDermott, C. M. & O 'Connor, G. C., 2002, "Managing radical innovation: An overview of emergent strategy issues", The Journal of Product Innovation Management, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 424-438. Miller, D., 1987, "Strategy making and structure: Analysis and implications forperformance", Academy of Management Journal, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 7-32. Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel (1998) "Strategy Safari. Prentice Hall, London. Chapter1. Mintzberg, H., 1994, "The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning" Prentice-Hall, New York. Mintzberg, H. & McHugh, A., 1985, "Strategy Formation in an Adhocracy", Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 30. no. 2. pp. 160-197. Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J. B. & Voyer, J., (1995) "The Strategy Process" Prentice Hall, New York.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful