STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING
Andy Adcroft
STRUCTURE
• Why do things happen?
• Generic Strategies
• Criticisms of generic strategies
WHY DO THINGS HAPPEN?
Norms and what has happened before Environment
Analysis
Roles and wider functions Creation of options Organisational
Analysis
What we want to achieve
Emotions, power desires, goals
Age and frequency of behaviours
What I want from this job
Habits, rituals and routines
Social factors
Decisions are taken and implemented
WHY DO THINGS HAPPEN?
• Explaining the behaviour of individuals and firms is a complicated thing
• Different schools of strategy will have different explanations for strategic behaviour
• In the messy real world, there will usually be an element of truth in each different explanation WHY DO THINGS HAPPEN?
• Explaining the behaviour of individuals and firms is a complicated thing
• Different schools of strategy will have different explanations for strategic behaviour
• In the messy real world, there will usually be an element of truth in each different explanation • It’s always easier to explain things after they have happened
HOW DO FIRMS MAKE STRATEGIC
DECISIONS?
Porter argues that, following on from analysis, the second step in the strategy process is strategic choice. He argues that strategists in organisations have 2 decisions to take:
(1) Competitive Scope ie in which markets will the company compete (products or geography)
• Broad
• Narrow
(2) Competitive Advantage ie how will the company compete in its’ chosen market
• Price
• Non-Price Characteristics
GENERIC CORPORATE
STRATEGIES
COMPETITIVE SCOPE
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Lower
Cost
Broad
Target
Narrow
Target
Cost
Leadership
Cost
Focus
Differentiation
Differentiation
Differentiation
Focus
PROBLEMS WITH PORTER’S
APPROACH
Criticisms of this approach to strategic choice can be made from each of the different schools of strategic thought:
• The Classical School
Porter argues that the choice is clear