In: Operations Management
In what ways may strategy formulation and strategic decision-making be determined by the needs of international business? |
The strategy is defined as "setting the long-term goals of the
enterprise and adopting guidelines for the actions and allocations
of resources necessary to achieve these goals." Strategies are
designed to set goals, focus efforts, define or illuminate an
organization, and provide a sustainable or environmentally friendly
direction.
Strategic management includes the concept of strategic planning and
strategic thinking. Strategic planning is characterized by the
analysis and reference of formal procedures for the production and
analysis of data used as input for strategic thinking, which
synthesizes data leading to strategy. Strategic planning can also
refer to the control mechanisms used to implement a strategy once
it has been identified. In other words, strategic planning revolves
around strategic thinking or strategic development.
Strategic management is often described as involving two main
processes: strategic formulation and implementation. While
described in the following sequence, in practice both processes are
repetitive and each contributes.
Formulation-
Formulation of strategic development involves analyzing the
environment in which the organization operates, then making several
strategic decisions about how the organization will compete.
Formulation ends with a series or goal and the measures that the
unit follows. Environmental analysis includes:
The remote environment includes the political, economic, social,
technological, legal and ecological landscapes.
Industry environment such as competitive behavior of competitors,
market power of buyers / customers and suppliers, threats from new
entrants into the industry and the ability of buyers to replace
products. And
Internal environment in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the
organization's resources.
Strategic decisions are based on environmental assessments and
answer strategic questions about how the organization will compete,
such as:
What is the organization's business?
Who are the target customers for the organization's products and
services?
Where are the customers and how do they buy? What is considered a
"value" for the customer?
Which companies, products and services should be included or
excluded from the portfolio of proposals?
What is the geographical scope of the business?
What sets a company apart from its competitors in the eyes of
customers and other stakeholders?
What skills and abilities should be developed in the company?
What are the main opportunities and risks for the
organization?
How can a company grow both through its core business and through
its new business?
How can a company create more value for investors?
The answers to these and many other strategic questions lead to the
organization's strategy and a set of specific short-term and
long-term goals or objectives and related measures.