Successfully implementing strategic decisions

Ninety-three company presidents completed a questionnaire evaluating the implementation of one strategic decision each in their respective firms. Ten strategy implementation problems were experienced during implementation by over 50 per cent of the sample group. Firms experiencing high success in implementation, according to an index of implementation success, were compared with the low-success firms to determine which problems were rated at significantly different levels. In 11 instances, the mean rating for the high-success implementation firms was significantly lower in terms of problem intensity. Follow-up interviews with 21 presidents (plus 25 governmental agency heads later on) identified five factors which help promote successful implementation.     

Designing information systems for strategic decisions

In this article the authors argue that recent events have given rise to a need for a new class of information related to strategic decision-making. They describe some of the characteristics of “ideal” systems to meet this need and suggest a program of less sophisticated systems which will develop towards that ideal.     

Horizons for strategic planning

In this paper we present a normative model for setting time horizons for planning. Provided that certain conditions are met, we can state that only part of the future is relevant for present strategic planning, and a study of the future beyond that time horizons is a waste of resources.Following the introduction the impact of predetermined planning horizon on planning is discussed. Next, the model is presented: the problem is defined, developed and solved. The discussion of the model is designed to incorporate—and to show its implication on—existing views and methods for setting time horizons for strategic planning. Thus, simplifying assumptions which facilitate the mathematical solution of the problem, are discussed and relaxed in order to show how realistic situations are illuminated by the model.     

Scenario planning,cognition, and strategic investment decisions in a turbulent environment

We explore how scenario planning contributes to cognitive dynamics and strategic investment decisions in a changing environment. Our research is based on an in-depth, longitudinal case study of Shell's ventures in Russia between 1994 and 2016. We show that Shell's scenarios did not foresee some major events that occurred in the turbulent Russian energy market. However, the scenarios envisaged the rising role of gas, the strategic relevance of the gas transportation infrastructure, and the growing interventionism of the Russian government. The scenarios thus helped Shell's managers to adapt their strategic beliefs and ultimately enabled them to notice, assess, and respond successfully to external changes—even though these changes had not been foreseen in the scenarios. Shell has been the first (and, for almost a decade, the only) foreign company to produce and export gas from Russia.     

A strategic perspective for make or buy decisions

Make or buy decisions have typically been relegated to purchasing departments. While this is not totally unjustified, top management must consider the strategic implications. In essence, operative decisions are made here which influence the strategic thrust of the organization. Make or buy decisions have substantial strategic implications in the entire planning process. They can affect a firm's competitive advantage, and alter the types of alternatives considered in the planning process.

It is argued that strategic considerations should outweigh technical and conventional approaches to make or buy decisions. Top management needs to put these decisions back on their strategic agenda.     

Developing a planning culture for more effective strategic planning

The literature of long-range planning is replete with justifications of the need for strategic planning and admonitions concerning its critical importance. However, both the literature of planning and its practice, as manifested in a variety of organizations as diverse as industrial firms, educational systems and law enforcement agencies, are deficient in specifying proven techniques and methodologies for marshalling organizational resources to effectively implement strategic planning.Over a period of years, the authors have consulted with a variety of business organizations and public agencies in the development and implementation of long-range planning processes. From this work has come an empirically-tested conclusion that the success of long-range planning in an organization is less sensitive to the parameters of the planning techniques that it is to the overall culture within which the planning is accomplished. Since most of the non-pontifical literature of planning focuses on planning techniques and specifications for planning processes, these conclusions suggest a critical void in planning methodology.     

Information for more effective strategic planning

This paper illustrates how an entity—called a ‘strategic data base’ (SDB)—can be developed to provide important information in a form which makes it directly useful in various phases of a strategic planning process. The strategic data bases are concise statements of the organizational and environmental situations which define the organization's most salient problems, opportunities, and constraints. These SDBs may be developed through a participative process involving tasks forces which are made up of managers representing the diverse interests of the organization. The strategic data bases thereby become important informational inputs to planning which can directly serve to enhance the quality of planning decisions. Moreover, the process of developing SDBs can be an important learning device for those middle managers who can become involved in such a process at a much earlier point in their career than that at which they might normally engage substantively in the organization's overall strategic choice process.     

An early warning system for strategic planning

Early warning indicators, weak or strong signals, alert coefficients, early warning or recognition systems and other terms can be found more and more frequently in the business related literature. Some progress-minded companies have adopted the theory and are about to initiate operational future observation systems, well adjusted to their own objectives. The author points out the significance and the advantages to a company of introducing an early warning or early recognition system and discloses the risks and problems that are associated with an improper implementation. He then outlines the different ways of utilizing the instrument of strategic early recognition for large and medium-sized enterprises.     

企业信息化战略规划的一种新的分析框架模型

对已有的企业信息化战略规划方法进行了评述.基于业务流程的价值分析和变革性分析,提出了一种新的企业信息化规划的分析框架模型.模型强调对价值链设计的快速响应能力,着力体现信息基础设施与应用的动态一致性,同时希望具有较强的支持高层决策的能力.     

Designing communication support systems for strategic planning

While as a distinct and intermittent managerial activity planning is slowly dying, in a systematic and continuous context it is rapidly growing! More and more organizations are beginning to realize that planning entails ongoing learning and adaptation of people rather than one-shot, pseudo-scientific analysis of abstract problems. To facilitate this fundamental transformation in organizational thinking, new electronic management support systems are being created. These systems will facilitate collaborative problem exploration through improved managerial communication. In effect, they will actively assist managers to understand and manage the relationships between the strategic planning process and the other corporate processes such as budgeting, capital investment, performance evaluation and employee compensation.     

Beyond products: new strategic imperatives for developing competencies in dynamic environments

Strategy research has often taken a product-centered perspective. When firms compete in environments characterized by accelerating product life cycles, mass customization, and technological discontinuities, a product-centered perspective on strategy may help explain a firm’s current competitive advantage. However, this perspective adds little guidance in making strategies that create competitive advantage in the future. In this paper, we present a perspective in which dynamic environments require firms to focus on (1) building market-driven, technological, and integration competencies, not a stream of product improvements, and (2) decoupling these competencies from current products in order to create and exploit new opportunities. We discuss the perspective of products as a temporary integration of market and technology trajectories. Research propositions are presented and future implications are discussed.     

Management illusions and biases: Their impact on strategic decisions

Strategic decision-making often involves a great deal of uncertainty and ambiguity. Because managers are subject to ‘bounded rationality’ their cognitive processes may result in systematic decision biases. This paper summarizes research in the areas of cognitive psychology and behavioural decision theory dealing with human cognitive biases which may influence strategic decision-making. Examples of the probable operation of these biases in strategy formulation are given and conjectures about specific decision errors resulting from the biases are offered.     

Futures forecasting for strategic planning at general electric

Without in any way denying that there are forces for stability, I want to state, as strongly as I can, my conviction that change is now more rapid, more complex and more pervasive than ever before in human history. There are forces loose in the world, particularly in the ‘post-industrial society’ of the United States, that go far beyond the youth movement in creating change. As a result, it is utterly unrealistic to pretend that business can continue to plan its strategies in the traditional mode.     

The hazards of strategic planning for global markets

Global strategic marketing planning has emerged as a key process in managing today's worldwide marketplace. This survey of 90 large American global corporations reveals that most are bottom-up planners. US firms appear to have distinct cost and numbers orientations. Industry and competitive analyses are used in many companies, although managers appear to lack suitable frameworks for SWOT analyses. Economic climate changes tend to be most disruptive to global planning efforts. When faced with non-achievement of goals, most firms reformulate both objectives and strategies.     

A framework for strategic planning in multinational corporations

In this article the author describes how the adaptation and integration requirements of several corporations within the multinational environment were analyzed. A pattern of planning tasks for multinationals is then described which simplified planning while utilizing further task specialization.     

道德风险与企业动态投融资的有效策略集分析

给出了一定条件下企业多项目动态投融资的有效策略集分析.指出,企业经营者的道德风险程度及其持股比例对企业负债率的影响程度与经营者的风险厌恶程度间有密切的联系.结论:1)当投资额为内生变量时,企业负债率的变化与企业经营者道德风险程度或经营者持股比例的变化正相关.2)当经营者持股比例为内生变量时,企业负债率的变化与经营者道德风险程度的变化正相关.3)经营者的风险厌恶程度并不改变上述关系,但改变其强度,即经营者风险厌恶程度越高,上述关系的强度就越弱.4)在负债率等其他条件相同的前提下,若两个企业经营者的持股比例相同,则风险厌恶程度高的经营者道德风险程度较小;若两个企业经营者的道德风险程度相同,则风险厌恶程度高的经营者持股比例较小.     

Patent portfolios for strategic R&D planning

Empirical research has found a discrepancy between the perceived importance and the actual level of information on competitor's R&D strategies. It has been argued in the literature that patent information might be used to overcome this information deficit. However, empirical research further reveals that patent information is rarely used in strategic R&D planning. The present paper explores this issue and introduces two types of patent portfolios for strategic R&D planning. In patent portfolios on the company level, patenting strategies are identified and the quality of overall technological positions is benchmarked against relevant competitors. In addition, we present a patent portfolio on the technological level, which, as it is known from various technology portfolios, helps companies to manage the allocation of R&D resources effectively. Based on patent data from 21 German, European and Japanese mechanical engineering companies we show the application of both patent portfolios for strategic R&D planning purposes. The patent portfolios prove to be a very valuable tool for R&D decision makers in companies. Based on the experiences made in the case study, recommendation for the effective use of patent portfolios are formulated.