Page 1
Session 1 Strategy and Strategic Management 4
Session 2 The Drivers for Change & The Strategic Response 21
Session 3 External Environmental Analysis (1) 40
Session 4 External Environmental Analysis (2) 57
Session 5 Internal Environment Analysis (1) 80
Session 6 Internal Environment Analysis (2) 97
Session 7 Setting Strategic Direction (1) 120
Session 8 Setting Strategic Direction (2) 133
Page
MANUAL CONTENTSPage 2
Session 9 Strategy Determination -- Strategy Options 150
Session 10 Strategies For Business Growth 171
Session 11 Blue Ocean Strategy & Building Business Models 190
Session 12 Strategy Determination – Criteria for Evaluation for 213
Strategy Choice and Making the Strategy Proposal
Session 13 Strategy Implementation & Control 232
Session 14 Managing the Changes Needed 253
PagePage 3
Annex 1 : Seminars
Annex 2 : Recommended Reading
ANNEX
Annex 3 : Sample Assignments & Sample Examination PapersPage 4
SESSION 1 STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
S 1 / 01 . 17
STRATEGY DEFINITIONS
TYPES AND LEVELS OF STRATEGY
STRATEGIC PLANNING
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Page 5 S 1 / 02 . 17
• STRATEGY DEFINITIONS
“ Strategy is the great work of the organisation. In situations of life and death, it is the
Tao of survival or extinction. Its study cannot be neglected. ”
Sun Tzu “The Art of War
WHAT IS STRATEGY ?
Strategy is a term used in common day managerial communication. It is often assumed that
managers have a common understanding of what strategy is all about, but when we consider
the definitions below, there are in fact differences in interpretation !Page 6 S 1 / 03 . 17
Johnson & Scholes : “ Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the
long term ideally which matches its resources to its changing environment, and in
particular its markets, customers or clients so as to meet stakeholder expectations.”
Quinn : “Strategic decisions are those that determine the overall direction of an enterprise
and its ultimate viability in light of the predictable changes that may occur in its most
important surroundings environments.”
“A Strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisation’s major goals, policies and
action sequences into a cohesive whole. A well formulated strategy helps to marshall and
allocate an organisation’s resources into a unique and viable posture based on its relative
internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated changes in the environment and
contingent moves by intelligent opponents. ”Page 7 S 1 / 04 . 17
Bowman & Asch : “ Strategic management is the process of making and implementing
strategic decisions . . . (it) is about the process of strategic change. ”
McNamee : “ Strategic management … is concerned with those long run, fundamental
and often irreversible decisions about the company’s mission, scale of operations and
spread of activities. ”Page 8 S 1 / 05 . 17
Sun Tzu : “All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the
strategy out of which victory is evolved.”
“The rules of strategy are few and simple. They may be learned in a week. But such
knowledge will no more teach a man to lead an army than a knowledge of grammar will teach
him to write.”
Kenichi Ohmae : “Strategy is a state of mind”
Now, consider these inputs and attempt to define the term STRATEGY !!
One thing is clear, if strategy is designed to deploy resources to achieve a favourable outcome
in the longer term, it is NOT EASILY REVERSED.Page 9
STRATEGY THINKERS – A SAMPLE
Sun Tzu (Art of War)
Igor Ansoff (of Corporate Strategy)
Marvin Bower (of McKinsey)
Andrin Campbell (Ashridge Strategic Management Centre & A Sense of Mission)
Alfred Chandler (Strategy & Structure; advocate of decentralisation)
Edwards Deming (Originator of the quality revolution)
Michael Goold (Strategies & Styles. Corporate Level Strategy)
In pursuing your reading around this subject, the following list is a small sample of people
who have been thought leaders in the subject : -
S 1 / 06 . 17Page 10
Charles Hampdenturner (Corporate Culture)
Bruce Henderson (Founder of the Boston Consulting
Group-Growth share matrix and business segmentation)
Theodore Levitt (Marketing Myopia)
Kenichi Ohmae (Mind of the Strategist)
Henry Mintzberg (Rise & Fall of Strategic Planning)
Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence)
STRATEGY THINKERS – A SAMPLE
S 1 / 07 . 17Page 11
Michael Porter (Competitive Strategy & the 5 Forces)
Edgar Schein (Process consulting, the psychological contract & corporate culture)
Alfred Sloan (Decentralisation, Segmentation, Profit Centred Management Structures)
STRATEGY THINKERS – A SAMPLE
S 1 / 08 . 17Page 12
TYPES AND LEVELS OF STRATEGY
Corporate level strategies are broadly defined and therefore
relate to the business as a whole eg. strategic positioning,
sustainable competitive advantage, supply chain integration etc.
;
;
;
CORPORATE
LEVEL
OPERATIONAL
LEVEL
BUSINESS UNIT
LEVEL
; INDIVIDUAL
LEVEL
Depending upon your managerial position in the organisation, a
range of individual strategies can be used to reinforce your
personal position.
Strategies which relate to functional business units within an
organisation eg. Operations, Human Capital, Finance, Research
& Development.
Within the business units, strategies are devised for operational
performance.
S 1 / 09 . 17Page 13
Henry Mintzberg used an approach defining strategy from a perspective of 5 P’s : -
STRATEGY AS A PLAN ie. a course of action.
STRATEGY AS A PLOY ie. a type of manouver to outwit another.
STRATEGY AS A PATTERN ie. a specific formula.
STRATEGY AS A POSITION ie .a place to be achieved.
STRATEGY AS A PESPECTIVE ie. a stance to be taken
These ideas can be used at different organisational levels as outlined one Page 12.
S 1 / 10 . 17Page 14
Strategic Planning, (see Figure 1.1) in simple terms, should answer the following 6
questions : -
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The terms ‘ Strategy ’ and ‘ Strategic Management ’ are complementary to ‘ Strategic
Planning ’, the details of which will be explained throughout this manual. There is however a
simple but effective approach for producing a strategic plan which can be applied to anything
from business situations to personal life.
Answers to a few powerful questions can offer a sense of purpose, clarity, focus and the
intention to achieve an intended outcome from results-oriented thinking.
These questions in Figure 1.1 are very effective in any management situation where strategy
has to be crafted and decided. This simple sequence works well.
If a more scientific approach is needed, so that one can map the way through the strategic
planning process, the following roadmap of 14 steps will provide a robust framework from
which to proceed (page 15 and 16).
S 1 / 11 . 17Page 15
FIGURE 1.1
Where are we now?
And where have we come from?
Where do we want to be?
And by when? 2
3 How might we get there?
1
Which way is best?
How do we ensure arrival?
What are the expected outcomes?
4
5
6
S 1 / 12 . 17Page 16 S 1 / 13 . 17
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
1. Assessing facts about the current environment, both internal and external
2. Setting assumptions about existing and future internal and external environmental
conditions
3. Assessing resources available
4. Setting timescales for planning and implementation
5. Deciding new objectives and change to existing objectives
6. Reviewing resource needs to meet objectives against resources available
A ROAD MAP TO ESSENTIAL STAGESPage 17
7. Determining alternative strategies to accomplish objectives
8. Setting criteria to evaluate alternative strategies, including the critical factors for success
9. Selecting a chosen strategic route
10. Laying down policies as rules to guide the selected strategy
11. Preparing implementation teams, plans processes and procedures & levels of authority
12. Establishing controls to monitor performance progression
13. Preparing for contingencies if assumptions are unfulfilled or if strategies are over or under
achieved
14. Ensuring all works within an agreed budget and timescale.
Familiarity with the language of strategic management will help to produce a more strategic
managerial mindset, which is important for upward career development.
S 1 / 14 . 17Page 18 S 1 / 15 . 17
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
1. Knowing the drivers for change and setting strategic direction
2. Analyzing internal and external environments
3. Reviewing internal capabilities
4. Identifying strategic options to achieve the strategic direction
5. Evaluating strategic options and making the preferred choice
6. Implementing strategy and reviewing progress
7. Managing the needed changes, which may be both prescriptive and emergent
In order to understand strategic management in simple but effective terms, the following model
has been designed for this manual.
From this Strategic Management Process Model (Figure 1.2), the following processes should be
appreciated : -Page 19
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS MODEL
DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
EXTERNAL & INTERNAL
INTERNAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS
OUTCOMES FROM
CHANGE
EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
STRATEGY DETERMINATION
• STRATEGY OPTIONS
• CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
• STRATEGY CHOICE
•
•
•
STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION & CONTROL
MANAGING CHANGE
L C MASSINGHAM 2003
S 1 / 16 . 17
FIGURE 1.2Page 20
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 1 / 17 . 17
1. FROM THE INPUTS IN THE MANUAL AND YOUR OWN
PERCEPTIONS,EXTRACT THE KEY INGREDIENTS OF THE DEFINITIONS
FOR STRATEGYAND THEN CRAFT YOUR OWN DEFINITION.
2. APPLYYOUR DEFINITION TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING : -
-- A POLITICAL PARTY
-- AN NON-PROFITMAKING ORGANISATION
-- AMULTINATIONALORGANISATION
-- YOURSELF
3. USING THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS MODEL, DISCUSS THE
MAIN CHALLENGES THATMANAGERS MAY HAVEWHEN EMPLOYING IT.Page 21
THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS MODEL
INTERNAL DRIVERS
EXTERNAL DRIVERS
PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH
EMERGENT APPROACH
RESPONDING TO DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
USING SWOT ANALYSIS AS A DRIVER FOR CHANGE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 2 THE DRIVERS FOR CHANGE AND
THE STRATEGIC RESPONSE
S 2 / 01 . 19Page 22
THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS MODEL - DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
As can be seen from the model (Figure 1.2), the drivers for change are the main influence
behind the process of strategic management.
As businesses and organisations interact with their internal and external environments, there is
a need to be responsive, ready, resilient and resourceful.
Therefore it is appropriate that some time is allocated to understanding the sources of and
importance of these drivers, which will in turn lead to either prescriptive or emergent strategies
being realised.
S 2 / 02 . 19Page 23
KANTNER et al (1992) argues that these strategy drivers are derived from 3 levels : -
THE ‘ MICRO ’ INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
THE ‘ MACRO ’ EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
POLITICAL FORCES AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL IN THE ORGANISATION
This provides a clear, simple and effective summary.
THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
The organisation life cycle, managerial styles / systems, the operating culture of the business
and the behaviour of individuals in the organisation will all present conditions to drive
strategic change.
S 2 / 03 . 19Page 24
THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
The conditions which encourage drivers for change are derived from Political, Economic,
Social, Technological, Legal and Ecological environments (PESTLE, SLEPT, PEST).
This is well known and has become a managerial cliché mostly in academic circles. However,
apart from these prevailing conditions which are mostly uncontrollable, there are other
forces to consider : -
• The Industry Life Cycle
• The Intensity of Competition
• General Market Trends
• Impact of ICT and associated globalisation
• Sustainability / Vulnerability of Current Competitive Positioning
All of which, collectively will drive a need for change from the external environment.
S 2 / 04 . 19Page 25
RESPONDING TO THE DRIVERS
There is a fundamental requirement to achieve a realised strategy. However, we need to
understand that this may be derived from two main approaches : -
• A PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH
• AN EMERGENT APPROACH
• A COMBINATION OF BOTH
S 2 / 05 . 19Page 26
THE PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH
The Prescriptive Approach to strategy determination is : -
• Pre Planned
• Controlled
• Rational
• Analytical
• Proactive
S 2 / 06 . 19Page 27
THE EMERGENT APPROACH
The Emergent Approach to strategy determination, by contrast, therefore is : -
• Reactive
• Often Turbulent
• Experiential
• Maybe Considered Irrational
• Unplanned
• Impulsive
S 2 / 07 . 19Page 28
• Imposed
• Consensus based
• Process Driven
• Performance based
• Ideological
• Entrepreneurial or
• Long term based and hence have evolved with the environmental conditions being
monitored, tracked and well-considered.
Either approach will depend upon the current managerial style, size of organisation, stability
of the organisation together with the policies and protocols for strategic decision taking.
It will be necessary to reflect upon whether strategies determined are : -
S 2 / 08 . 19Page 29
In practice, discussions may often be held by those who are affected by strategy
decisions, more so than those taking strategy decisions, simply because the rationale
for strategy decisions has not been adequately communicated.
Moreover, some approaches to strategy decisions may have been taken as a result of an
impending crisis, where the risk attached to strategy decisions may be significant.
Strategy decisions will also be driven by the current market position ie. leader, challenger
or follower.
From the above explanation, it can be seen that the rationale for strategy decisions may be
complex !
S 2 / 09 . 19Page 30
Strategy decisions work within a dynamic environment, therefore the impact and outcome
of strategic level decisions must be considered with this clearly in mind. Furthermore all
strategy decisions must be both lead and be supported, because strategy formulation must
be followed through with strategy implementation.
Prescriptive and emergent approaches both have a time and place utility. It is
important to realise the impact of these approaches upon
The organisation as a whole
Market place performance
The current working culture & ethics
The core values of the enterprise
The overall strategic intent.
S 2 / 10 . 19Page 31
RESPONDING TO DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
Regardless of whether the response has been either Prescriptive or Emergent, the response
taken should embrace the following : -
• The current organisational performance is a function of its environment
• Strategy decisions must leverage core competencies and be adequately resourced
• A relevant structure is needed to enable the strategy implementation
• Risks Assessment is essential
• Stakeholders viewpoints
• Quality and Governance Perspectives
S 2 / 11 . 19Page 32
The key questions to be raised therefore in taking either a prescriptive or an emergent approach
are : -
• Does this strategy decision challenge our existing perceived managerial consistency
(if any) ?
• Does it fit with stakeholder expectations ?
• What advantage can be gained ?
• Is it desirable, feasible and doable ?
S 2 / 12 . 19Page 33
USING SWOTANALYSIS AS A DRIVER FOR CHANGE
The Drivers for Change can be sourced from the internal and external operating
environments of the organisation. The analysis of these environments should be based upon
fact. The analysis of these facts can be achieved using a SWOTANALYSIS.
This comprises internal STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES and external
OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS.
The process of completing a SWOT analysis from a conventional perspective uses a simple
4-box model as shown in Figure 2.1.
S 2 / 13 . 19Page 34
This simplistic approach is only useful if the
analysis becomes actionable.
This means that the SWOT Analysis leads to
drivers for change.
So often this is NOT the case and the SWOT
analysis becomes static. It is also important to
question the source of the analysis to ensure
that practicality and objectivity is achieved.
OPPORTUNITIES
STRENGTHS
THREATS
WEAKNESSES
Figure 2.1
S 2 / 14 . 19Page 35
Often the company using SWOT Analysis may end up with overstating strengths or
weaknesses arising from the current operating climate and organisational culture.
This may render the SWOTAnalysis ineffective.
An important question to raise is :
“How can SWOTAnalysis help the organisation achieve its vision, mission
and objectives ? ”
It is only by taking relevant action from the analysis undertaken that will render SWOT
Analysis useful.
One useful approach to SWOTAnalysis is : -
“ THE 5 CRITICALACTIONABLE SWOT FACTORS ”
S 2 / 15 . 19Page 36
This approach will take the following posture : -
“ Given our future ambitions, how do we assess our ability to achieve these future
ambitions ? ”
Therefore : -
• What are the 5 Critical Strengths which can be used to drive future Strategy ?
• What are the 5 Most Penetrating Weaknesses which hold the business back and
therefore need to be attended to ? If they cannot be corrected, then these weaknesses are
really operating constraints.
• What are the 5 Most Attractive Opportunities the organisation can take advantage of
in the future ?
• What are the 5 Most Significant Threats of which the organisation must be mindful ?
This approach should be achieved by CONSENSUS.
S 2 / 16 . 19Page 37
Once this is achieved, to make the SWOT Analysis valuable, the SWOT interactions should
be considered. It is from these interactions that drivers for change may emerge, priorities can
be established and new strategies formed.
The interactions to review are : -
The consequences of this analysis can then be summarised, reviewed and where appropriate
an agenda of drivers for action can be achieved.
OPPORTUNITIES
STRENGTHS
THREATS
WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES
STRENGTHS
THREATS
WEAKNESSES
THREATS
OPPORTUNITIES STRENGTHS
OPPORTUNITIES
S 2 / 17 . 19Page 38
THE OPPORTUNITYANALYSIS APPROACH
Another approach that maybe used to make SWOT Analysis more useful is to take an
Opportunity Analysis approach. The sequence is shown below : -
1. Take the 5 Most Attractive Opportunities
2. Screen these by ActiveWeaknesses
3. Review the Opportunities and reduce them as appropriate to determine initial internal
desirability
4. Review the remaining Opportunities by using External Threats as a further screen
5. Reduce the opportunities accordingly
6. Finally link the screened opportunities to actionable strengths to determine feasibility.
The outcome will be new drivers for change, potential strategy proposals and if successful,
future developments.
Session 3 will delve further into conducting external environmental analysis that is
normally used to discover opportunities and threats.
S 2 / 18 . 19Page 39
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 2 / 19 . 19
1. CONSIDER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING : -
• ORGANIC FOOD
• MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
• LADIES FASHION APPAREL
ACCOUNT FORWHAT IS REALLY DRIVING CHANGE.
2. IS THERE A CASE FOR COMBINING BOTH PRESCRIPTIVE AND EMERGENT
STRATEGIES -- WHYAND HOW?
3. IS SWOTANALYSIS AN EFFECTIVE MODEL TO DRIVE CHANGE ?Page 40
INDUSTRY DEFINITION
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
PEST / SLEPT / PESTLE ANALYSIS
SCENARIO BUILDING AND CAUSAL ANALYSIS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 3 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (1)
S 3 / 01 . 17Page 41
The external environment must be analysed in relation to a context.
From a business perspective, this would therefore be an INDUSTRY CONTEXT.
It would be beneficial therefore to start with Industry Definition.
INDUSTRY DEFINITION
Industries can be classified broadly into Manufacturing, Process, Service and Information
Industries. It is more common however to define an industry in Product terms : -
The industry definition may simply help to answer “ what business are you in ? ”
The context of an Industry definition would also include the buyers, the suppliers and the
competition, to provide a broader explanation.
S 3 / 02 . 17
• AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
• CAR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
• HOSPITALITY INDUSTRYPage 42
To achieve an understanding of how the defined industry actually functions, it is essential to
consider the industry Critical Success Factors (CSF’s). [Sometimes referred to as Industry
KSF’s or Key Success Factors]
INDUSTRY CSF’S
These are the attributes that are essential for delivering value to customers and which are
considered critical for industry viability.
These CSF’s then can be used to assess the health of any individual business within an
industry as they may provide indicators for success or failure relative to other competitors.
By comparing any organisation’s CSF’s with their main competitors, competitive resilience
can be assessed, in relative terms.
At the most basic level, any player within a defined industry should be able to meet the
CSF’s. The industry CSF’s represent the required conditions for success at a fundamental
level. Beyond this, points of differentiation are required in order to remain competitive.
For example, take the UK Fast Food Restaurant Industry. The CSF’s would be : -
S 3 / 03 . 17Page 43
• Low Cost of Manufacturer
S 3 / 04 . 17
• Known Brand Name
• Secure Sources of Supply • Habitual Buying
• Restaurant Location • Consistent Food Quality
• Effective Staffing • Hygienic & Cleanliness
Each player would meet these CSF’s, some maybe better than others, but the points of
competitive differentiation would probably be based on menu and food taste and service,
for example.
The concept of CSF’s enables industry monitoring to be undertaken to test if the industry
is still relevant to its customers and if so, to what extent in accordance with the determined
CSF’s.Page 44 S 3 / 05 . 17
whereby the essential conditions for success can be pre-determined and then monitored.
At industry level, the following examples maybe useful to support explanation.
• Industry Level
• Corporate Level
• Management Level
• Business Function Level
• Operational Level
CSF analysis can in fact be conducted at different levels : -Page 45
INDUSTRY
S 3 / 06 . 17
SUGGESTED CSF’s
International Airlines • Reservation Systems
• Ticket Pricing and Flexibility
• Passenger Load factors
• Routes
• Airport Relations
Mineral Water • Bottling Capacity
• Extensive Distribution Network
• Low Cost Production
• High Sales Volumes
• Brand Identity for Market Segments
Video Game Software • Human Talent Acquisition & Retention
• Innovation & Sustainable Product Development
• Integrated Distribution
• Brand MarketingPage 46
Within any defined industry, it is also essential to know at least : -
S 3 / 07 . 17
• the markets within an industry
• opportunities for segmentation strategy
• Buying behaviour
• the impact of technology
• attitudes towards quality
• the value chain linkages from supply to end-use demand (to be discussed later in this
manual)
• Industry threats, overtime
• Industry forecasts
• Competitive Dynamics
• Barriers to Industry EntryPage 47
PEST / SLEPT / PESTLE ANALYSIS
S 3 / 08 . 17
This analysis is one means to assess and even anticipate how broad based environmental
influences affect an industry, and thereby present future challenges in the form of threats and
opportunities, for example : -
• Political - Government policies, monopolies, government stability, taxation
policies, foreign trade regulations, political alignments at local,
national, regional and global level
• Economic - GNP and GDP, PPP, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates,
investment by public and private enterprise, consumer
expenditure, disposable income, infrastructure costs and
availability, eg. energy, transport and communications
• Socio-cultural - Demography, consumerism, education and health, social
attitudes, work, health, the environment, social mobility,
income distributionPage 48 S 3 / 09 . 17
• Technology - Government spending on research, adoption of new technology,
new products and developments, obsolescence of existing
technology
• Legislation - Employment law, taxation law, company law, health and safety
law, patent law, industry regulations
• Ecological - Pollution control, planning policies, transport policies, disposal of
waste, alternative energy
This form of analysis has become well known and accepted. It has also been outlined in
detail in the Marketing Management manual.
For the sake of completeness, it has been included in this Strategic Management manual.
However the essence of PESTLE Analysis is to assess how and where potential
opportunities and threats may arise.Page 49
SCENARIO BUILDING & CAUSALANALYSIS
When Industry Level Analysis is required to forecast the future, PEST / SLEPT / PESTEL is
a good start but other techniques can be used to attain more creative interpretations of
Industry futures.
eg. The Long Term purpose of fossil fuels as oil supply diminishes
eg. Impact of the internet on Supermarket Trading by 2030
eg. The Future of Retailing
eg. The Shape of Higher Education within 20 years
The Delphi Technique is a form of long range technological forecasting, it is an iterative
process aimed at achieving consensus among experts, whereby future forecasts can be
achieved from expert opinion.
S 3 / 10 . 17Page 50
The purpose is to establish causality, impact and consequence.
This form of analysis again is focused upon future projections and actions that may be
needed.
The approach is to select a focal issue about the company and the external environment and
then review the drivers for change to determine the extent to which action will be required
and by when, then follow the sequence below : -
Scenario Analysis
S 3 / 11 . 17
Cross-Impact Analysis examines the probabilities of certain identified events happening
together with the consequences for the organisation.
eg. The Sustainability of On-line Food Shopping and the need for change to
marketing and logistics managementPage 51
STAGE 1 STATE THE SCENARIO ___________________________________
STAGE 2 WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS ? WEIGHT THE CAUSE
(1 – 10)
S 3 / 12 . 17
1. ______________________ ____
2. ______________________ ____
3. ______________________ ____
4. ______________________ ____
N. ______________________ ____Page 52
STAGE 3 WHAT IS THE LIKELY OUTCOME FROMTHE STATED
SCENARIO ?
STAGE 4 WHATWILL BE THE EFFECTS WEIGHT THE CAUSE
ON THE BUSINESS ? (1 – 10)
S 3 / 13 . 17
1. ______________________ ____
2. ______________________ ____
3. ______________________ ____
4. ______________________ ____
N. ______________________ ____Page 53
STAGE 5 LIST THE AREAS OF KEY IMPACT
STAGE 6 ASSESS THE NEED FOR CHANGE
STAGE 7 DETERMINE THE ACTIONS REQUIRED
S 3 / 14 . 17
1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________
4. _______________
5. _______________
6. _______________Page 54
This is a basic process which can be modified with an increasing level of sophistication.
Scenario analysis is useful to challenge the basic assumptions about the industry and the
enterprise. It will prevent complacency setting in, especially in mature stable industry
environments.
The process of scenario analysis alerts the managerial mindset to the need for change in order
to remain a relevant player within the industry.
S 3 / 15 . 17Page 55
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (1)
1. INDUSTRIES ARE OFTEN DEFINED BY PRODUCT, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
AND SUGGEST MORE CREATIVE INDUSTRY DEFINITIONS USING THE CUSTOMER
PERSPECTIVE TO ASSIST YOU.
S 3 / 16 . 17
• COMMERCIAL TELEVISION
• PRIVATE HOSPITALS
• INSURANCE
• RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
• PRIVATE JETS
NOW SELECT AN INDUSTRY OF YOUR CHOICE AND STATE HOW IT IS DEFINED
AND HOWIT COULD BE DEFINED.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOUR NEW DEFINITIONS UPON THE
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OFA MARKET LEADER.Page 56
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (2)
2. TAKE ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES YOU HAVE SELECTED AND THEN SPECIFY THE
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORSWHICH ENABLE THE INDUSTRY TO FUNCTION.
PRIORITISE THESE FACTORS INTO THE TOP 5.WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED ?
S 3 / 17 . 17
3. USING PESTLE ANALYSIS, CONSIDER HOW AN INDUSTRY IS IMPACTED USING
ANY INDUSTRY OF YOUR CHOICE.Page 57
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
COMPETITOR BENCHMARKING
PORTERS 5 FORCES
CROSS IMPACT ANALYSIS
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 4 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (2)
S 4 / 01 . 23Page 58
As part of the external environmental review at Industry or Industry Sector level, specific
attention will be needed to assess competition across the broad market domain and then at
segment level.
The main factors to be used to conduct Industry Competitor Analysis are : -
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
• Your direct competitors, their history and market shares
• New Competitors and their recent impact
• The nature of indirect competition
• The impact of macro environmental factors (SLEPT/PEST/PESTEL) on key
competitors
• The relationships between key competitors and their suppliers
• The relationships between key competitors and their customers
• What all of the above means for your company in relation to your current
competitive positioning
S 4 / 02 . 23Page 59
COMPETITOR BENCHMARKING
It has become common practice within many industries to be able to learn from one’s
competitors. Hence, the term benchmarking has been coined whereby a main competitor is
used as a basis for comparison and evaluation.
For example, a local bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka may benchmark itself against HSBC as an
International Bank in the ambition for improvement and improved market penetration.
The reality is that the selected competitor for benchmarking should be within the same market
domain, ie. is it realistic for a local bank to benchmark against an International Bank ?
The ultimate purpose is to identify the best practices valued by customers and suppliers and to
compare the position of your company in order to identify weaknesses for improvement.
[ Learning from benchmarking can also be applied to other industries and by making
relevant transfers of best practices, for example relating hospital customer care to the
service deliverables of a major airline. ]
S 4 / 03 . 23Page 60
The ability to benefit from benchmarking will depend upon the Strategic Position of your
company, ie. Leader, Follower or Challenger and also the Industry Life Cycle Stage ;
Growth, Maturity or Decline as well as managerial mindsets and operating culture.
Benchmarking can be extended to examine key financial performance indicators such as
Profitability, Liquidity, Return in Assets, Gearing, P/E Ratios and so on --- a subject to be
covered in detail on the Financial Module.
The fundamental benefit from benchmarking is to make improvements, not to imitate –
otherwise all companies will begin to look the same !!!
Remember, differentiation is essential to establish and secure a sustainable long term
position within an Industry.
S 4 / 04 . 23Page 61
PORTER’S 5 FORCES
One of the most useful frameworks for analysing competitive structure is that developed by
Michael E. Porter. Porter suggests that competition in an industry is rooted in its underlying
economic structure and therefore goes way beyond the behaviour of current competitors.
Porter claims the state of competition depends upon five basic competitive forces. Together,
these factors determine the ultimate profit potential in an industry where profit potential is
measure in terms of long run return on invested capital.
The goal of competitive strategy is to find a position in the industry where the company can
best defend itself against these forces, or can influence them in its favour. Knowledge of
these underlying pressures highlights the critical strengths and weaknesses of the company,
shows the position in the industry, clarifies areas where strategy changes yield the greatest
pay-off, and highlights areas where industry trends hold greatest significance as opportunities
or threats.
Consider Figure 4.1 below and the notes that are connected to it.
S 4 / 05 . 23Page 62
PORTER’S 5 FORCES
MODEL OF INDUSTRY COMPETITIVENESS
New entrants
Substitutes
Buyers Suppliers
Industry
Competitors
Intensity of
rivalry
Threats
Bargaining
Power
Bargaining
Power
Threats
5
4
2 1 3
Figure 4.1
S 4 / 06 . 23Page 63
INDUSTRY COMPETITORS AND RIVALRY DETERMINANTS
• WHO IS COMPETING?
number and history of competitors
size
market shares
how competitors deliver KSF’s
• RIVALRY DETERMINANTS
growth rates in the industry
brand loyalty
switching costs
product differentiation
investment requirements
over / under capacity to meet market needs
exit barriers, rational - emotional
1
NOTE
S 4 / 07 . 23Page 64
These factors will help to understand industry structure and the intensity of rivalry, but
this is further pressured by threats from new entrants and substitutes. In addition, the
bargaining strength and power of suppliers and buyers will add further pressure.
BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS
There are two main sources:
bargaining leverage from buyer concentration, buyer volumes, switching costs
and their ability to backward integrate
price sensitivity in relation to total purchases, quality perception, brand identity
and the incentives offered to confirm a purchase decision
2
NOTE
S 4 / 08 . 23Page 65
BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS
This is mainly exerted by the price demanded which has a direct impact on the
profitability of the industry, as profitability is reduced, competition intensifies.
Suppliers can also forward integrate. The bargaining power is also a function of
the number of suppliers and the supplier concentration, this is balanced against
the availability of substitutes, essentially it is the classical supply / demand curve.
3
NOTE
S 4 / 09 . 23Page 66
THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES
The Determinants of substitution threat is a function of
The availability of valued close substitutes
The price performance of substitutes
The willingness for buyers to change
The switching costs involved
If the threat of substitutes is great, this could eventually result in the redefining of the
industry.
Switching costs are both functional and emotional and should be taken into account
carefully, so as to assess the nature of future competitive threats.
4
NOTE
S 4 / 10 . 23Page 67
THE THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS
New entrants to an industry increases supply and may place pressure on price based
competition, if the product / service offering is directly comparable to the provision
made by existing competitors.
However, the threat of new players is related to the market entry costs and level of
investment.
Entry barriers such as brand identity, buyer switching costs, access to channels, real
product differentiation and expected competitor retaliation make the successful
entrance more difficult, especially in established markets.
5
NOTE
S 4 / 11 . 23Page 68
The analysis of Porters 5 Forces can be tabled from a number of perspectives as can be seen.
At a pragmatic level, two aspects should be assessed.
1. Is the force favourable or unfavourable in generating long term industry
profitability ?
2. What is the relative importance of each of these forces upon long term industry
profitability ?
These questions may be approached at industry level and then at the level of one competitor
(for example your own company) because different interpretations will be made.
The analysis will also be conditioned by the industry lifecycle and the economic
environment at the time of the analysis.
It is important also to note that the 5 forces are somewhat detached from the Industry
Mindset.
S 4 / 12 . 23Page 69
It is not just Industry Rivalry which is to be assessed but also to understand the contextual
depth of the Industry Mindset.
Therefore the Five Force Model would benefit from a contextual understanding about the
perceptions, expectations and assumptions about the industry from among key industry
players. This could be supplemented with the expected financial performance of the industry
in terms of expected margins as well as the critical factors for industry success. This would
add depth to the analysis of Porter’s 5 Forces.
THE 5 FORCES AND CROSS-IMPACT ANALYSIS
An examination of each of the 5 forces has been completed and some suggestion about
supplementing these forces with an understanding of Industry Mindset, but impact analysis
would also be valuable to open up the potential for the 5 Forces Model.
S 4 / 13 . 23Page 70
Consider Figure 4.2 to Figure 4.6 below.
S 4 / 14 . 23
ENTRANTS
Competitor
Rivalry
Substitutes
Supplier Power
Buyer Power
POTENTIAL IMPACT
(Potential for Industry Restructuring)
(Price Competition)
(Downstream Development Required)
(More Choice)
Figure 4.2 Page 71 S 4 / 15 . 23
SUBSTITUTES
Competitor
Rivalry
Substitutes
Supplier Power
Buyer Power
POTENTIAL IMPACT
(The Need for Innovation)
(Price Competition)
(Business Sustainability)
(Purchasing Behaviour)
Figure 4.3 Page 72 S 4 / 16 . 23
BUYER
POWER
Competitor
Rivalry
Entrants
Supplier Power
Substitutes
POTENTIAL IMPACT
(Brand Switching Behaviour
& Price Pressures)
(Upstream Development)
(Rebalancing of Demand & Supply)
(Adoption orAvoidance)
Figure 4.4 Page 73 S 4 / 17 . 23
COMPETITOR
RIVALRY
Entrants
Buyer Power
Supplier Power
Substitutes
POTENTIAL IMPACT
(Industry Restructuring Potential)
(Brand Switching Behaviour &
Price Pressures / Margin Pressures)
(Collaborative Alliances)
(The Need For Innovation)
Figure 4.5 Page 74 S 4 / 18 . 23
SUPPLIER
POWER
Competitor
Rivalry
Entrants
Buyer Power
Substitutes
POTENTIAL IMPACT
(Collaborative Alliances)
(Downstream Development)
(Rebalancing of Supply & Demand)
(Business Sustainability)
Figure 4.6 Page 75
CONCLUDING THE 5 FORCES ANALYSIS
• Refer back to the Rivalry determinants.
S 4 / 19 . 23
• Modify the conclusions drawn by considering the impact of bargaining power and also of
the threats upon the intensity of competitive rivalry and how this may adjust the industry
KSF’s (on CSF’s).
• Now have a look at the broader environment influences which Porters model ignores, ie.
PEST / SLEPT / PESTLE and conclude how these uncontrollable factors will impact
upon industry performance and the need for change. Then review how competitive
conditions may emerge overtime. This presents a good case for scenario planning !!!
• Consider the implications of Cross-Impact Analyses.Page 76
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
Within the external environment are customers who are the source of survival, growth and
sustainability for any industry.
Therefore, it is essential to know who are the existing and potential buyers, their location
and purchasing power, plus the motives that will induce and sustain purchase so that their
needs are being met now and in the future.
At external level, broad classifications into market segments are needed. At internal level,
customer profiling and tracking is vital for planning, resourcing customer strategy and
business success.
Cross-reference to the modules on Marketing Management will provide an important input to
this element of external environmental analysis.
S 4 / 20 . 23Page 77
SUMMARY
The outcome of external environment analysis is to determine drivers for change that may
arise from the extraction and assessment of current and future OPPORTUNITIES AND
THREATS.
S 4 / 21 . 23Page 78
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. SELECT ONE INDUSTRY OF YOUR CHOICE AND IDENTIFY 3 MAIN
COMPETITORS. ASSUME YOU ARE A NEW ENTRANT INTO THE MARKET,
WHICH COMPETITOR WOULD YOU BENCHMARK YOUR PERFORMANCE
AGAINST AND WHY. WHAT COULD YOU LEARN FROM ANOTHER MAJOR
PLAYER IN A DISSIMILAR INDUSTRY.
2. ASSUME YOU ARE ONE OF THE LEADING 3 CAR HIRE COMPANIES WITH
GLOBALMARKET PENETRATION, WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM APPLYING
PORTERS 5 FORCE MODEL ?
S 4 / 22 . 23Page 79
3. THE INTERNATIONAL COURIER BUSINESS IS FIERCELY COMPETITIVE,
EXPLAINWHAT THE INTENSITY OF RIVALRY IS REALLYALLABOUT.
WOULD THOSE FACTORS YOU HAVE DISCOVERED APPLY TO OTHER
INDUSTRIES. IF SO, WHAT THEREFORE ARE THE INSIGHTS YOU COULD
CONTRIBUTE.
S 4 / 23 . 23Page 80
RESOURCE AND CAPABILITY ANALYSIS
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS
PRIMARY & SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
DIFFERENTIATION ADVANTAGE
VALUE CHAIN LINKAGES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 5 INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (1)
S 5 / 01 . 17Page 81
RESOURCE AND CAPABILITYANALYSIS
THE RESOURCE AUDIT
There should be a regular review of the organisations ability to achieve its ambitions. The
resource audit is a fact finding mission upon which strategy decisions are made, because the
output of the audit will highlight weaknesses , strengths and constraints.
A sample checklist to conduct a resource audit is shown below : -
S 5 / 02 . 17Page 82
Checklist for reviewing the business’s resources
1 MANAGEMENT AND PEOPLE
Staffing levels, staff turnover, staff profiles, competency assessments
Management : Culture and style, responsiveness, adaptability, attitude to risk, power, general
competence and skills, use of management information systems, performance management
Operational employees : morale, training and development, work conditions, engagement, human
capital development
2 OPERATIONS
Operational restrictions : Legal, regulatory framework
Operational processes
Operational profitability, flexibility, efficiency, capacity
Facilities and plant : Age, location, ownership, condition, usage
R&D record, expenditure and capability
Control and quality
Relationships and coordination with support functions
Suppliers : Contracts, relationships
S 5 / 03 . 17Page 83
3 PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Product /service range : Main, niche, specialised, gaps, potential, dropped products
Brand names, patent, copyright
Comparative ratings : Market share, profitability, rating by trade, rating by customer, price level,
value for money, fitness for purpose, packaging
4 MARKETING
Pricing : Stability, margin vs cost, elasticity and constraints
Sales Performance : By Product, geographic spread, customer type, distribution channels
Customer data : Loyalty, turnover, attitude
Promotion : Effectiveness, expenditure/sales
Reputation : Complaints procedures, response times
5 FINANCE
Track record : Profit, dividends, interest, cash flow, balance sheet, reserves
Asset management record
Major changes in accounting policies
Profit and cash flow forecasts
Control of debtors and creditors
ADDITIONAL ITEMS CONTEXTUALLY RELEVANT
S 5 / 04 . 17Page 84
THE ROUTE TO STRATEGY THROUGH RESOURCE & CORE COMPETENCE
The resource audit is used as a route to strategy determination as shown in Figure 5.1 below :
1. Identify the firms resources.
Assess strengths and weaknesses
relative to competitors
2. What can the enterprise
deliver through core
competencies?
3. Assess the potential of resources
and capabilities for creating,
sustaining, exploiting and
delivering a competitive edge.
4. Select the strategy which best
exploit the firms capabilities
relative to external opportunities.
RESOURCES
CAPABILITY
POTENTIAL FOR
SUSTAINABLE
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
STRATEGY
DETERMINATION
Identify the resource gaps
that need to be filled.
Then invest in developing
the resource base.
Figure 5.1
S 5 / 05 . 17Page 85
The output of this analysis is to determine existing and future weaknesses and strengths.
However it will also highlight resource constraints within which the business has to operate
to achieve objectives.
One important resource of any organisation is its core competence.
Leveraging a company’s position from its core competence is one route to sustainable
competitive advantage, provided that this competency remains relevant to the market
and can be differentiated from the competition.
Resources should be assessed not only in terms of a functional resource audit, but also in
terms of knowledge, experience, systems, relationships, partnerships, brand equity, time,
space and so on. The resource audit needs to consider any platform that can create value
for the enterprise. This all helps in part to answer an important question “ Where are we
now ? ”.
S 5 / 06 . 17Page 86
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS
By converting inputs to outputs, value is created. The term value added in simple terms
is the wealth generated by the business by deducting the total costs of creating the output
from the total revenue received.
The value chain (see Figure 5.2) separates processes which convert inputs to outputs --
shown as PRIMARY ACTIVITIES. These can only create value added, by using SUPPORT
ACTIVITIES. The value chain, in one diagram displays the business as a whole, and can be
used for more detailed analysis of core competencies.
Key Result Areas for the business and even measurement tools such as Key Performance
Indicators (KPI’s) can be applied within the structure of the value chain as a basis for
performance management.
S 5 / 07 . 17Page 87
PORTER’S VALUE CHAIN -- A GENERIC APPROACH
4 support
activities
5 primary
activities
Infrastructure of the firm
Human resource management
Technology development
Procurement
In bound
logistics
Operations Outbound
logistics
Marketing
and sales
Service
margin
margin
Figure 5.2
S 5 / 08 . 17Page 88
While the conventions of Porter’s value chain are probably already understood, one useful
application is to use the value chain to locate and analyse the sources of competitive
advantage. Figure 5.3 shows how this can be achieved.
The diagram follows the conventions of the combination of Primary and Support activities
specific to the business, which when combined produce an operating margin. Then within
these areas of activity, which will actually be the Key Result Areas (KRA’s) for the
business, points of competitive differentiation can be located.
These of course will be attached to responsibilities for their delivery. To ensure that this is
achieved, KPI’s can be established for performance management and review.
In this way the value chain can support business and organisational productivity. Moreover,
this is simple to understand and easy to communicate.
S 5 / 09 . 17Page 89
DIFFERENTIATION ADVANTAGE THROUGH THE VALUE CHAIN
INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITIES :
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
ACTIVITIES
PRIMARY
ACTIVITIES
PURCHASING,
INVENTORY
HOLDING,
MATERIAL
HANDLING
PRODUCTION
WAREHOUSING
& DISTRIBUTION
SALES &
MARKETING
DEALER
SUPPORT &
CUSTOMER
SERVICE
Market leading corporate reputation. MIS that supports
innovation and responsiveness to customer needs through close
internal coordination, customer centric culture
Quality and reliability of
components and material
Just in time Inventory Systems
Preferred Supply Chain
Relationships
Fast manufacturing,
Defect-free manufacturing.
Ability to produce to
customer specification
Partnership with key
customers.
Fast delivery. Efficient
order processing.
Sufficient inventories to
meet unexpected orders.
Key account management.
Iconic Advertising that enhances brand
reputation. Effective sales force. Superior
Quality sales literature & support
Database ICT linkages with Customers
Unique product features. Fast new product
development. Design for reliability
/serviceability.
Training that
supports the channel.
Total commitment to
customer service
Training for customers.
Fast, reliable repairs.
Availability of spare parts.
Training for dealers.
Customer credit terms
v
.
v
.
v
.
Figure 5.3
S 5 / 10 . 17Page 90
A VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE DIFFERENTIATION ADVANTAGE
FOR A MANUFACTURER OF METAL CONTAINERS
The metal container industry is a highly competitive, mature industry. Cans lack much
potential for differentiation, and buyers (especially beverage and food canning companies) are
very powerful. Clearly, cost efficiency is essential, but there is a need to identify profitable
opportunities for differentiation.
A value chain approach is worthwhile. The following stages can be adopted : -
STAGE 1 . Construct value chain for firm and customers
The primary activities only of the can manufacturer and its customers are shown in Figure 5.4
[note : the support activities are absent].
STAGE 2. Identify drivers of uniqueness.
For each can-making primary activity, identify differentiation variables. Examples are shown
in Figure 5.4.
S 5 / 11 . 17Page 91
STAGE 3. Select Key Result Areas (KRA’s) and the strengths within them
Identify the internal strengths of the firm. For example, if the canning company has
strong technical capabilities, it may therefore differentiate by meeting demanding design
specifications and offering a high level of technical support to canning customers.
STAGE 4. Identify linkages
To determine the real differentiation that is likely to create real value for the customer,
linkages are made between the firm’s potential for differentiation and the potential for
reducing cost or adding value in any of the customers activities. Five examples are shown
in Figure 5.4.
S 5 / 12 . 17Page 92
CAN MAKER
High quality inputs
Reliability of supply even
during metal shortages
Containers for specialized uses.
Special designs of containers.
Specially strong or light containers
Consistency of product. Quality of
product. Flexibility of manufacturing
Speed and competence in maintaining
customer ‘s canning
Fast, reliable order processing
Speed and flexibility of delivery
Ability to meet unexpected orders
from customers at short notice
CANNER 1 2 3
4 5
P R I M A R Y A C T I V I T I E S P R I M A R Y A C T I V I T I E S
Figure 5.4
S 5 / 13 . 17Page 93
1. The design engineering of distinctive cans for customers end-use may in turn assist the
customers own marketing activities.
2. Consistent quality of cans supplied lowers customers’ canning costs by avoiding
breakdowns and holdups on their canning lines.
3. By maintaining high stocks and offering speedy delivery, customers can economize on
their stockholding (they may even be able to move to a just-in-time system of can
supply).
4. Efficient order processing can reduce customers’ ordering cost.
5. Capable and fast technical support can reduce the costs of breakdowns on canning lines.
VALUE BASED LINKAGES BETWEEN THE CAN MAKER (THE SUPPLIERS)
AND THE CANNER (THE CUSTOMER)
S 5 / 14 . 17Page 94
The message is clear -- in order to achieve competitive differentiation, it is vital to form
value based bonds with customers.
This bonding is a form of value based partnering from which the supplier and the customer
derive value.
From this position, new company strengths can be built and then be leveraged in the future.
S 5 / 15 . 17Page 95
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. DRAW UP A VALUE CHAIN FOR A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WITH WHICH
YOU ARE FAMILIAR.
STATE THE POINTS OF COMPETITIVE DIFFERENTIATION AND EXPLAIN THE
VALUE CHAIN LINKAGES WITH YOUR VALUE CHAIN AS A STUDENT
PURSUING AN MBA DEGREE.
WHAT ASSUMPTIONS CAN YOU MAKE AND CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN.
S 5 / 16 . 17Page 96
2. DISCUSS HOW RESOURCE AND CAPABILITY ANALYSIS HAS A USEFUL
CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF
THE VALUE CHAIN.
3. DISCUSS AND THEN CONCLUDE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE VALUE CHAIN
MODEL TO :
* TOPMANAGEMENT OFA COMPANY
* A NEW MANAGER JOINING THE COMPANY TO HEAD A TEAM FOR A
STRATEGICALLY CRITICAL DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR
COMPANY SALES.
S 5 / 17 . 17Page 97
THE ONION MODEL
COMB ANALYSIS
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS IMPLICATIONS
PRODUCT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS -- IMPLICATIONS
CLASSICAL MODELS
SERVO ANALYSIS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 6 / 01 . 23
SESSION 6 INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (2)Page 98
THE ONION MODEL
From within the value chain it is possible to highlight sources of competitive advantage.
These can then be simply displayed in the form of concentric circles to produce what is
known as the ONION MODEL (see Figure 6.1).
RULE 1 : Only those sources of competitive advantage which are demonstrably
superior to at least one key competitor can be included in the onion.
RULE 2 : Where there is a competitive weakness which is demonstrably weaker
than a key competitor then this treated as a competitive disadvantage
and forms part of the ‘bad’ onion of competitive disadvantage (see
Figure 6.2).
The following rules can be applied to develop the Onion Model : -
S 6 / 02 . 23Page 99
RRULE 3 : The sources of competitive advantage and disadvantage are listed and
prioritised in terms of the difficulty competitors would have in terms of
imitating them.
RRULE 4 : Likewise the areas of competitive advantage which are particularly
difficult to remove are placed at the centre of the bad onion.
NN.B. : Multiple layers of competitive advantage offer a defensible position for
growth strategy. Also it gives an indication of the strategic health of the
enterprise, as determined by the lines of competitive defense.
The Onion Model can be used to define actionable strengths and weaknesses.
S 6 / 03 . 23Page 100
THE ONION MODEL FOR A LEADING RETAIL BRAND
PURCHASING SYSTEMS
SUPPLIER LINKS
MARKET SHARE
CUSTOMER
VALUE FOR
THE BRAND
PRODUCT
FOCUS
MONEY
SERVICE CULTURE
IN STORE MERCHANDISING
INNOVATION
MKiS
SITE
LOCATIONS
INVEN-
TORY
MANA-
GEMENT
SITE
LOCATIONS
Figure 6.1
S 6 / 04 . 23Page 101
A BAD ONION OF COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE
PAROCHIAL TOP MANAGEMENT
MIND SET
CONSERVATIVE
CORPORATE
CULTURE
MANAGERIAL INFLEXIBILITY
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Figure 6.2
S 6 / 05 . 23Page 102
COMB ANALYSIS
Comb Analysis can be used as a basis for comparative analysis, for example in Figure 6.3 it can be
used to achieve a comparison of customer’s purchase criteria with comparative ratings of alternative
suppliers.
This simple visual analysis enables the analyst to understand differential competitive advantage
from a market place perspective.
The steps to take are as follows : -
STEP 1 Identify, through research, purchase criteria and calculate the mean
score for each criteria. Plot these as a benchmark for comparison for each
supplier.
STEP 2 Then determine from the same sample how each competitor is rated on the
same criteria and calculate mean scores for the sample, (or industry) as a whole.
STEP 3 Overlay the results to produce a Comb chart and interpret the data.
The Comb Chart produced can be appreciated in Figure 4.6.
S 6 / 06 . 23Page 103
COMB CHART
1
2
3
4
5
Brand Name Terms of
Trade
After Sales
Service
On time
Delivery
Price Product
Quality
Promotional
Support
Industry Scores Competitor ‘A’ Competitor ‘B’
PURCHASE CRITERIA
Figure 6.3
S 6 / 07 . 23Page 104
Consider the following sequence.
Market : Catering Supplies For Frozen Meat
Segment : Schools
1
2
3
4
5
Price Quality Service Packing Delivery on Time Complaints Handling Credit
RANKING CRITERIA
0
HIGH
LOW
X
X
X X
X X
X
X X
X
X X
X X Segment Purchase Criteria
X X Overall Perception of Suppliers by schools
From the chart, the ‘gaps’ between customer needs and perceived customer deliverables from suppliers in
general is significant.
Figure 6.4
S 6 / 08 . 23Page 105
The chart is a useful device to help to visualise the ‘gaps’ and this analysis will highlight
weaknesses which in turn became drivers for change.
The Comb Chart helps to clarify comparisons over a pre-determined set of criteria in order to
locate areas for future action.
S 6 / 09 . 23Page 106
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS --- IMPLICATIONS
The discussion of the product life cycle will have been achieved in the module on Marketing
Management, therefore it is not intended to repeat such content of the conventions shown in Figure
6.5.
At this level of Strategic Management, the PLC analysis is more concerned with : -
1. Industry life cycle
2. Position within the industry life cycle for key competitors
3. Respective product life cycles within the industry for main competitors
4. Assessing the real need for innovation
5. Conducting a life cycle analysis for the company’s total product portfolio and draw conclusions
about the current position, the desired position and how to manage the gap in life cycle terms.
Life cycle analysis can therefore assist the Strategic Management Mindset and in so doing, drive
continuous change.
S 6 / 10 . 23Page 107
LIFE CYCLES
THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
Introduction Growth Maturity Decline
SALES
AND
PROFIT
SALES
PROFIT
Figure 6.5
S 6 / 11 . 23Page 108
PRODUCT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS --- IMPLICATIONS
The classical BCG matrix shown in Figure 6.6 is by now well–appreciated from the studies on
Marketing Management. It is not intended to discuss these basics again, in this module on Strategic
Management, but rather to consider the implications of this analysis for driving change.
Key questions need to be answered : -
1. Where is our product portfolio now ?
2. Is our portfolio well-balanced ?
3. Is there provision for future growth ?
4. What is the pace of product innovation and invention ?
5. How long does it take to get positive cash flows from new problem children ?
6. What should our policies be for adding and deleting product lines ?
7. How does our portfolio compare with the leading competitors in the industry and by market
segment ?
8. Where should future product based investment be located.
9. Where are we placed on the diffusion of innovation curve (Figure 6.7) in comparison to our
competitors ?
And then, what are the comparative strengths & weaknesses in our current portfolio ?
S 6 / 12 . 23Page 109
PRODUCT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS
BCG PRODUCT PORTFOLIO MATRIX
HIGH LOW
HIGH
LOW
MARKET
GROWTH
RATE
“STARS”
“PROBLEM CHILDREN”
“CASH COWS”
“DOGS”
RELATIVE
MARKET SHARE
Product
D Product
B
Product
A
Product
C
* The breakpoint depends on the industry eg : Steel 3%, Food Retailing 8% and based on Country Market Segments.
** Market Share is your share relative to the four largest Players in the market.
Figure 6.6
S 6 / 13 . 23Page 110
THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION MODEL
Innovation
(2.5%)
Early Adoption
(13.5%)
Early Majority
(34%)
Late Majority
(34%)
Laggards
(16%)
SALES
Figure 6.7
Where are we in
relation to our
competitors in
providing for
market needs
?
S 6 / 14 . 23Page 111
CLASSICALMODELS
The classical models which the reader should be aware of include : -
• The GE Matrix of Market Attractiveness and Relative Business Strengths
• The SHELL Directional Policy Matrix
• The Barkspace & Harris Combined PLC and BCG Model
• The Arthur D. Little Industry Maturity / Competitive Position Matrix
• The Experience Curve
These models are familiar to the student as they have been covered in earlier modules. It is simply
worthy of note to mention that they area collective set of tools that can be used with benefit to
produce insight and analysis into an organisation’s internal operating environment.
S 6 / 15 . 23Page 112
SERVO ANALYSIS
Another management tool to assess the company’s strategic decisiveness is to use the SERVO
model. This acronym stands for :
The approach taken is to assess each element and then the interactions between the elements to
determine the levels of consistency overtime and to use this as a yardstick for the future. The aim of
the model is to determine the balance between all the internal elements with the environment and
thereby assess the ‘strategic fit’ between the elements of the SERVO model.
• Strategy
• Environment
• Resources
• Values
• Organisation
S 6 / 16 . 23Page 113
STRATEGY
To review each of the elements in turn.
To assess strategy using SERVO analysis the approach taken is to review the firm’s vision, mission
and objectives, the product/market spaces in which they compete as well as the competitive strategy
and positioning. Attention should then be given to assess how the firm will build capabilities and
resources to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
In addition the business model is used to discover how the firm can deliver value to its customers at
a satisfactory level of profitability and whether this remains viable for the future. The focus
therefore is to review the core strategy of the business.
This in itself is a comprehensive review, the challenge therefore is to assess the strategy consistency
with other elements in the SERVO model, namely the environment, resources, values and
organisation.
From this review apparent strengths and weaknesses will also be revealed.
S 6 / 17 . 23Page 114
ENVIRONMENT
The expected division between internal and external environmental factors will be completed but at
different levels : -
The Task Environment - for day to day operations
The Industry Environment - for industry level performance and prevailing trends
The Macro Environment - influencing the activity of the firm using the PESTEL criteria
within defined geographic boundaries
RESOURCES
Resources are fundamental assets and capabilities used to generate measureable outputs in the
marketplace. An assessment will therefore be completed for the : -
Financial resources - assessing the financial health
Human resources - assessing skills base, competency base and human capital
Physical resources - assessing the information base and production capability
Intangible resources - assessing brand strength, goodwill, intellectual assets and reputation.
S 6 / 18 . 23Page 115
VALUES
Values can be both stated, or even mandated, but the real assessment is to determine if they are
embedded within the managerial and operating cultures of the organisation. Shared values are often
observable, moreover in some organisations the corporate belief system is visible on a consistent
basis. The values, as manifest are experienced by the customer as well as the employee. A
qualitatitive assessment, albeit subjective, is a useful indicator of how the company culture is
working.
ORGANISATION
The most important elements in the SERVO acronym for organisation are : -
Culture -- how the company ‘does things’ day to day and the overall organisational
climate and work ethics
Leadership -- how the actions and behaviour of top management is visible to deliver
the mission of the enterprise
Staffing -- numbers, quality, retention, training in relation to business needs
Structure -- the organisation chart and reporting relationships for decision-making
Systems -- the flow of activities for the firm to function including core processes
and support activities
S 6 / 19 . 23Page 116
The visual interpretation of the SERVO model is shown in Figure 6.8 below : -
ENVIRONMENT
Figure 6.8 shows that the individual elements are interactive and therefore should be
assessed
STRATEGY
VALUES
RESOURCES
ORGANISATION
• independently and then
• interactively
Figure 6.8
S 6 / 20 . 23Page 117
To assess interactivity, a cross-impact matrix can be used as shown in the matrix below : -
This interactivity will assess the strengths of the strategic fit between the respective elements
currently and then for a future planning horizon. Cells within the matrix can then be isolated for
attention, as appropriate.
S
E
R
V
O
S E R V O
The conclusion derived from SERVO analysis will be : -
• A set of apparent strengths & weaknesses
• An assessment of strategic fit
• A review of strategic balance
S 6 / 21 . 23Page 118
SWOT ANALYSIS BY MARKET SEGMENT
The conclusion of the Internal Environmental Analysis using Models for Analysis, Resource,
Capability Analysis and Customer Analysis should enable a thorough evaluation to be made
of the company’s STRENGTHS ANDWEAKNESSES.
This conclusion then needs to be combined within the OPPORTUNITIES AND
THREATS discovered in the EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
This will enable a SWOT Analysis by Market Segment to be achieved which in turn will
feed the DRIVERS FOR CHANGE.
S 6 / 22 . 23Page 119
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. AS A CUSTOMERWITHIN ANY COMPETITIVE RETAIL SECTOR OF YOUR CHOICE,
CONSTRUCT THE ONION MODELS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND
COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE.
WHAT OBSERVATIONS HAVE YOU TO MAKE ABOUT COMPETITIVE DEFENSE
AND COMPETITIOVE VALUE EROSION.
2. HOW CAN THE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO MATRIX BE USED TO UNDERSTAND CASH
FLOWFOR AMULTI-PRODUCT COMPANY OF YOUR CHOICE.
3. DISCUSS THE BENEFITS TO BE DERIVED FROMTHE SERVO MODEL.
S 6 / 23 . 23Page 120
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
STRATEGIC INTENT
* VISION
* MISSION
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 7 SETTING STRATEGIC DIRECTION (1)
S 7 / 01 . 13Page 121
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
The intention of Strategic Direction is to give focus, direction and purpose for an
organisation in order to achieve its corporate and operational objectives.
Without strategic direction, the company does not have an anchor from which to assemble,
align and deploy resources. It is like a ship adrift !
Strategic Direction has to be lead, motivated, tracked and guided through managerial
leadership and hence is one of the most important tenets of Strategic Management.
S 7 / 02 . 13
• Strategic Direction is formed by vision and mission, the message from which cascades
from corporate, to SBU, to operational levels.
• Vision and Mission is then achieved overtime through the implementation of pre-
determined strategies at each of these levels.Page 122
THE STATEMENTS OF STRATEGIC INTENT
THE VISION STATEMENT
Vision is the aspirational goal of the enterprise
ie. what the company “ aspires to be . . . . . ”
the vision is a concise statement of the longer term future ambition and should be a
realistic expression of future direction to inspire employees and other stakeholders.
To be effective vision statements need to be communicated, understood, shared,
credible, be challenging . . . . and be remembered.
The essence of Vision is to be both aspirational and inspirational to stakeholders
with whom this statement of strategic intent relates.
S 7 / 03 . 13Page 123
THE MISSION STATEMENT
“ A Corporate Mission is much more than good intentions and fine ideas. It represents the
framework for the entire business and the belief that the company has in itself and what it
can achieve. ”
Colin Marshall
at British Airways
S 7 / 04 . 13
Mission is the statement of what the organisation “ has to be ”, it is more imperative than
the vision statement. It is “ the mission to be achieved ” by being in business.
The mission statement answers the question “ What is the business for and what business
are we in ? ”. It gives purpose to the organisation and a belief system for employees ; it also
indicates values and culture.Page 124 S 7 / 05 . 13
Mission gives direction and states what has to eventually be accomplished to achieve the
vision. The mission is the journey to the vision.
The mission provides a basis for corporate level strategy. Large organisations may have a
hierarchy of missions to make these statements meaningful and actionable, but all aligned to
one vision for the future.Page 125
Many organisations today have Mission Statements, but a distinction needs to be made
between those who have mission statements and those who have a ‘ real mission to
accomplish ’.
The former may be part of corporate Public Relations to ‘dress’ the business whereas the
latter demands a real ‘sense of mission’.
A sense of mission is essential to galvanise employees together to have a real committed
belief in the company and what it stands for.
There are many types of mission statements, and as yet there is no confirmed formula for
writing an effective statement. However the Ashridge Mission Model offers one approach
which requires a mission to have 4 parameters : -
S 7 / 06 . 13
• PURPOSE
• VALUES
• STRATEGY
• BEHAVIOURAL STANDARDS
This is shown more clearly in Figure 7.1.Page 126
THE ASHRIDGE MISSION MODEL
S 7 / 07 . 13
PURPOSE
Why the company exists
STRATEGY
The competitive position
and distinctive competence
BEHAVIOURAL STANDARDS
The behaviour patterns that
underpin the value system
VALUES
What the company
believes
Figure 7.1 Page 127
The challenge is then to write a Mission Statement which embodies all these parameters. The
result may be something which is cumbersome and unmanageable, so therefore skill is
required to enable any organisation to craft a Mission Statement.
Alternative approaches would suggest that an effective Mission Statement should demonstrate
the following criteria.
1. The business the Company is in
2. Purpose & Direction
3. The customer needs to be satisfied
4. The Broad Competitive Strategy for delivering customer value
5. A belief system for employees through defined values
6. Technologies utilised
7. Clarity & Simplicity and Ease of Understanding
8. It should capture the organisational culture
9. Be Credible, Sincere, Simple to understand
S 7 / 08 . 13Page 128
Consider and then review the following : -
Worldwide Mission Statement (1)
ABC will become the acknowledged global leader in the express delivery of documents and
packages. Leadership will be achieved by establishing the industry standards of excellence for
quality of service and by maintaining the lowest cost position relative to our service commitment
in all markets of the world.
The XYZ Motor Company is the worldwide leader in automotive and financial products and
services. Our mission is to improve continually our products and services to meet our customers’
needs, allowing us to prosper as business and to provide a reasonable return for our
stockholders, the owners of our business.
Worldwide Mission Statement (2)
The companies are well-known, but do they really have a mission ?
S 7 / 09 . 13Page 129
Consider the following mission from an Asian based Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
company : -
By just reviewing these 3 examples, it provides evidence of the ‘state of the art’ of writing
mission statements . . . and yet these are so vital to convey a sense of purpose to
stakeholders.
AMission for South East Asia
‘Consumer trust is our most valued asset. We believe that we are unique in that our primary
emphasis is neither profit nor competitive positioning. Instead, our goal is to increase
consumer satisfaction through useful, innovative products that meet real market needs. Our
commitment to consumers will continue to guide all our corporate decisions.’
S 7 / 10 . 13Page 130
TYPICAL PITFALLS
By researching a wide range of mission statements, it is clear that there are typical pitfalls : -
S 7 / 11 . 13
• Confusing Mission with Objectives
• Using Meaningless Cliches
• Differences in Interpretation
• Ambiguity
• Inappropriate and emotive use of language
• Lack of focus
• Good intentions which are not actionablePage 131
THE MISSION GAP
As the use of mission statements has developed and with the need to ‘feel’ the mission to be
accomplished, it may be the case that the original mission as crafted and what really has to be
achieved is different.
This difference can be explained by the term MISSION GAP.
This gap, when identified, analysed, and reviewed can then provide a basis for change.
New Drivers for Change can be determined from the mission gap and thereby realignment
strategies be determined.
The fact that missions as published, even though inadequate may provide a useful basis for
considering the existence of a mission gap and then provide a basis for deciding how to
implement appropriate strategies to reduce the mission gap.
S 7 / 12 . 13Page 132
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. WHAT IS THE INTENDED DISTINCTION BETWEEN VISION AND MISSION ?
2. ‘ A MISSION STATEMENT IS INTENDED TO SET THE DIRECTION FOR THE
ENTERPRISE ’. WHY ARE THESE STATEMENTS OFTEN LEFT ON WEBSITES AND
COMPANY ENTRANCE HALLS, BUT ARE NOT KNOWN BY EMPLOYEES ?
3. SELECT AMISSION STATEMENT OF YOUR CHOICE AND THEN ASSESS ITS VALUE
USING SELECTED CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION.
S 7 / 13 . 13Page 133
CORE VALUES
CAPABILITIES
CULTURE
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
COMPETITIVE EDGE
STAKEHOLDERS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 8 / 01 . 17
SESSION 8 SETTING STRATEGIC DIRECTION (2)Page 134
CORE VALUES
Core Values are the basis for a belief system for employees and therefore should influence
behaviour standards.
Attachment to Core Values is an important element of the operating culture of any
organisation. Core Values account for the way in which business will be conducted to achieve
the business mission eg. being customer centric, quality certified, cost conscious, time
responsive, service driven, these values should influence corporate priorities, management
styles and decision making and serve to bind the organisation together.
Core Values can be mandated, they can become institutionalised and again they can also ‘look
nice’ at the entrance to a company headquarters or on their website. The real question to ask is
“ Are these core values really felt ? – and are they acted upon, do they really influence
and guide behaviour ”.
The embedding of core values will also contribute significantly to corporate Brand
Positioning, through the interaction of employees with customers.
S 8 / 02 . 17Page 135
CAPABILITIES
Capabilities (or competencies) are a core component for business sustainability, providing that
they remain relevant for organisational effectiveness and market place needs.
Competitive differentiation and competitive advantage are secured from core capabilities. Such
capabilities need to be leveraged to drive business values and support shareholder value.
Core Capabilities (or core competencies) enable the organisation’s core business to flourish.
It is useful to track the core capabilities of the organisation to ensure that what they are good at
and what they are known for is still valued.
With the rapid progress of technology and the progressive development of business, the actual
competencies required may be changing. It is for this reason that more enlightened
organisations conduct competency audits to determine competency gaps so that Human Capital
Development plans can be re-designed and implemented.
S 8 / 03 . 17Page 136
CULTURE
Culture can be defined as the glue that holds an organisation together, or in more simple terms
“ the way we do things here !! ”
To examine this more closely, the work of Johnson (1992) attempts to explain the complex
cultural web of the organisation, through which, vision, mission and different levels of strategy
to be achieved.
The model accounts for the existing paradigm or mindset of assumptions commonly held
about the business.
To show how these values and beliefs are reinforced, then the following dimensions are
helpful : -
S 8 / 04 . 17
• Rituals and routines -- procedures for doing things
• Stories -- success, failure, grapevine, gossipPage 137 S 8 / 05 . 17
• Symbols -- logos, status symbols, technical language,
language hierarchy
• Power structure -- decision-making, power distribution
• Organisational -- formal / informal reporting structural relationships
• Control systems -- measurement and rewards systems
As shown below in Figure 8.1.Page 138
THE CULTURAL WEB (JOHNSON, 1992)
Stories
Rituals and
Routines
Power
Structures
Symbols
The
Paradigm
or Mindset
Control
System
Organisational
Structures
Figure 8.1
S 8 / 06 . 17Page 139
1. To examine the existing position
2. Project the desired position
3. Identify & prioritise the gaps which exist
4. Decide how culture can be changed, albeit by also recognising that this is the
most difficult thing to achieve in business.
S 8 / 07 . 17
An interesting application of the Johnson Model is : -Page 140
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
To set strategic direction requires that the company is clear about both the intended and the
secured position it has achieved in the competitive market place.
One challenge to be accepted is to discover how ‘the customer’ positions the company and not
just how the company ‘wants to position itself’.
Competitive differentiation is of course at the heart of positioning, and therefore
understanding the dynamics of competitive advantage is essential, but these must be seen
from a customer perspective.
S 8 / 08 . 17Page 141
“Know the enemy and yourself and you will win 100 victories in 100 battles. Know
yourself and not the enemy and you may win or lose a battle. Do not know either the enemy
or yourself and you will surely lose the battle.”
-- Sun Tze --
Whether the company (and its brands) are in a leadership, follower, or challenger position,
in the market place, competitive positioning is derived from perceived value. These
values, both tangible and intangible, are associated with an identity. This identity is the
anchor for competitive positioning. This identity is defined by the customer, not the
company because positioning is really decided in the ‘mind of the buyer’ !
S 8 / 09 . 17Page 142
Sun Tze, would therefore suggest research and tracking to “know the enemy”.
The essence of competitive positioning can be addressed in the diagram below.
POSITIONING
POTENTIAL FOR
LOST BUSINESS
SUSTAINABLE
DIFFERENTIATION
FROM THE
COMPETITION
CUSTOMER
NEEDS
COMPANY
CAPABILITY
RELEVANT, SUPERIOR
PERCEIVED VALUE
COMPETITOR
OFFERING
Competitive positioning when successful, will achieve the strategic intent of the enterprise and in turn
progressively deliver mission and vision. In this way the strategic direction can become secured.
Figure 8.2
S 8 / 10 . 17Page 143
Competitive positioning can be secured in the mind of actual and potential buyers, but to
achieve a ‘competitive edge’ may need to be thought through in a more scientific manner as
shown in Figure 8.3.
This shows that the route to achieving a competitive edge is based upon the organisations
core capabilities, values and competencies to source and sustain competitive advantage from
within the organisations value chain. This foundation then must align with the customer
value chain of expectations.
This alignment then needs to be adequately resourced and periodically monitored for
continued relevance.
S 8 / 11 . 17Page 144
ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE EDGE
1.
CORE CAPABILITY
(BUSINESS STRENGTHS &
EFFECTIVE STRUCTURE)
S 8 / 12 . 17
2.
CORE VALUES
(THE BELIEF SYSTEM TO
GUIDE BEHAVIOUR)
3.
CORE COMPETENCE
(TRAINING & ORGANISATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT)
4.
SOURCES OF COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
(APPLY PORTERS VALUE CHAIN) 5.
SUSTAINING THE COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
(TRACKING STUDIES + SUSTAINED
RESOURCING)
6.
LINKING THE COMPANY VALUE
CHAIN WITH THE CUSTOMERS
(SYNERGISE VALUE LINKAGES)
7.
RESOURCING THE VALUE CHAIN
LINKAGES
(RELATIONSHIP & DELIVERY BONDING)
8.
MONITORING THE CONTINUED
RELEVANCE
(FEEDBACK & REVIEW)
Figure 8.3 Page 145
STAKEHOLDERS
Strategic direction will be reviewed by a wider audience then is often acknowledged, and
hence the term given to these groups of people as STAKEHOLDERS.
They are the people and organisations who have an interest in your company’s
performance !!!
Stakeholders may have power and influence, both directly and indirectly, therefore the
strategic management mindset must always consider stakeholder groups, these include : -
• Customers
• Equity shareholders
• Employees
• Suppliers
S 8 / 13 . 17
• Creditors
• Local community
• Legal and voluntary bodies
• Government
• Competitors
• Industry Associations
• Unions
• CharitiesPage 146
One significant challenge for strategic management to face is to balance the organisations
deliverables in order to meet different stakeholder expectations.
Organisations are striving to live up to financial, social and environmental responsibilities
and therefore must take into account stakeholder interests in crafting a complexity of
strategies to deliver shareholder value.
S 8 / 14 . 17Page 147
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (1)
ONEWELL KNOWN INTERNATIONAL BANK HAS THE FOLLOWING CORE VALUES : -
S 8 / 15 . 17
• TRUST
• INTEGRITY
• FAIRNESS
• BOLDNESS
• HONESTY
• RESPONSIVENESS
• WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE MEAN TO EMPLOYEES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
OF THE MANAGERIAL HIERARCHY ?
• HOW WOULD STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF THE BANK EXPECT THESE
VALUES TO BE ADOPTED ?
• HOWWOULD EVERYONE KNOWTHEYARE REALLYWORKING ?Page 148
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (2)
TAKING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES, EXPLAIN HOW THE CITED
INDUSTRY PLAYER IS POSITIONED.
S 8 / 16 . 17
• LONDON AS AN INTERNATIONAL TOURIST DESTINATION
• THE ECONOMIST AS AWEEKLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
• THE BLACKBERRYAS A BUSINESS DEVICEPage 149
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (3)
ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE TO SET THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR AN
EMERGING COUNTRY IN EITHER ASIA, AFRICA OR SOUTH AFRICA IN YOUR
CAPACITY AS A STRATEGY ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF YOUR CHOSEN
COUNTRY, WHO WOULD BE THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT THIS NEW DIRECTION
MUST APPEAL TO ?
S 8 / 17 . 17Page 150
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES
STRATEGY OPTIONS ACCORDING TO
* ANSOFF
* PORTER
* MINTZBERG
ORGANIC GROWTH
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 9 / 01 . 21
SESSION 9 STRATEGY DETERMINATION -- STRATEGY OPTIONSPage 151
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES
The Statements of Strategic Intent, supported with core values and competitive positioning
provide a sound foundation for strategy development.
The bridge between the two must be a set of corporate objectives which specify WHAT is
to be accomplished and BY WHEN.
These objectives will normally be : QUANTITATIVE and QUALITATIVE.
S 9 / 02 . 21
whereby the former will relate to financial performance, the hard aspects of business and
the Qualitative objectives, the latter, relating to the soft part of the business.
Both types of objectives must be delivered within time and other resource constraints.Page 152
These objectives must be SMART, ie.
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time Bounded
so that they can be managed and of course provide a platform for crafting strategy and
making strategy adjustments.
There are various classical ways in which strategy can be determined as shown in the
following course content.
S 9 / 03 . 21Page 153
STRATEGY OPTIONS
Any approach to business strategy designed to produce sustainable business futures, needs
to be assessed with care. This is fundamental to Strategic Management.
There are a number of classical approaches to assess strategy options. This manual will
consider 3 important but distinctly different approaches namely : -
• THE ANSOFF MATRIX
• THE PORTER APPROACH
• THE MINTZBERG APPROACH
S 9 / 04 . 21Page 154
The ANSOFF Approach (Figure 9.1) is a four box model which outlines four potential strategies : -
S 9 / 05 . 21
• MARKET PENETRATION
• MARKET DEVELOPMENT
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
• DIVERSIFICATION
Product / Market Growth Matrix
• Withdraw
• Consolidate
• Produce / Build
PRODUCT / SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
Existing New PRODUCTS / SERVICES
New
MARKETS
Existing
DIVERSIFICATION
MARKET PENETRATION
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
• New Territories
• New Segments
• New Users
• New to the world
• New to the territory
• Related Markets
• Horizontal or Vertical Integration
• Unrelated Markets
Figure 9.1 Page 155
MARKET PENETRATION is achieved by capturing more market share from an
existing product portfolio within existing markets.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT uses the existing product portfolio, but now aimed at new
markets. In fact this strategy is designed to create new market segments.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT is an innovation strategy to increase the existing product
portfolio but sell this to the existing customer base.
DIVERSIFICATION is achieved both within and also beyond the existing experience
and technology base to provide the 4th, but highest risk strategy.
S 9 / 06 . 21Page 156
The Ansoff approach is classical, well-known and useful particularly to those in search of
market extension and growth strategies.
THE PORTER APPROACH
Some years later, Michael Porter produced a list of ‘Generic Strategies’ for potential
application.
PORTERS APPROACH RECOMMENDED
Cost Leadership (CL)
Segment Focus (SF)
Differentiation (D)
S 9 / 07 . 21
SF
D CL
?Page 157
His approach argued that competitive advantage can either come from a cost advantage or from
being distinctly different, thereafter with either one or both of these strategies, strategic focus to
well-defined segments is needed, so that the ‘scope’ of the strategy in terms of market reach can
be known and be planned for.
S 9 / 08 . 21
This approach has been used widely. Of course if any business can achieve all these strategies
combined, then this is the ‘best case’ strategy scenario.
Consider McDonalds Fast Food Chain where cost leadership has been achieved and then in turn
allowing for a significant price advantage in the market. The business is well focused into defined
segments and the product as well as the brand are well differentiated. In fact McDonalds have
accomplished all 3 points on Porters triangle.
According to Porter, for companies not able to make a choice between his 3 generic strategies,
they will be ‘stuck in the middle’ and going nowhere. Of course this will really depend upon the
nature of the competitive rivalry within the defined industry.Page 158
COMBINING PORTER, ANSOFFAND SWOT
By combining Porter, Ansoff and SWOT, the following derived strategies can be classified
as :
• Aggressive – cost leadership + market penetration, leveraging on strengths to
pursue opportunities
.
• Competitive – differentiation + market / product / service development with
fewer actionable strengths than major competitions
• Conservative – segment focus + niche market penetration to consolidate
strengths into a superior position in the market where few
threats are present or anticipated
• Exit – diversification into new markets because little potential exists
for current business and where weakness and threats for exceed
actionable strengths or current market opportunities
S 9 / 09 . 21Page 159
THE MINTZBERGAPPROACH
The Mintzberg approach is more focused upon CORE BUSINESS by prescribing how core
business strategies can be represented in the belief that core competencies should support core
business and provide core income.
His approach deals with
1. LOCATING CORE BUSINESS
2. DISTINGUISHING CORE BUSINESS
3. ELABORATING THE CORE BUSINESS
4. EXTENDING THE CORE BUSINESS
5. RECONCEIVING THE CORE BUSINESS
Locating Core Business will depend upon the exposure, history and heritage related to the
lifecycle stage that the company is in the defined industry. Core business maybe located
upstream, mainstream or downstream as the company ie. where the main business volume is
based.
S 9 / 10 . 21Page 160
Distinguishing the Core Business will include ensuring that the business can achieve competitive
advantage. This is where the value chain can be applied, using sources of competitive advantage that
are associated with business functions.
It is also appropriate to look for other ways of distinguishing the core business by using strategies
for differentiation. This can be achieved in at least six basic ways.
1. Price Differentiation – this is the most basic way to achieve product differentiation
2. Image Differentiation – this is achieved through branding
3. Support Differentiation – this is achieved by using value added support services which
usually is perceived as being substantial
4. Quality Differentiation – this is achieved through, for example product features & raw
materials used
5. Design Differentiation – this is achieved through distinctive design and uniqueness
6. No Differentiation – this is simply a ‘do nothing’ approach which can work if the
market is large enough
S 9 / 11 . 21Page 161
Other ways of achieving distinction is to have strategies for scope often known as market
reach. The alternative approaches to scope would be : -
• UNIVERSAL , where ‘one size fits all’. This is difficult to achieve but Henry Ford’s
Model T did achieve it !
• SEGMENTATION, where the possibilities are diverse, but it is normal business practice
to have a segmentation strategy.
• NICHE STRATEGIES, where the focus is upon one defined segment.
• CUSTOMISATION , where each customer represents a unique segment and has a product
tailored to meet the needs or customised from scratch in which case
the strategy is for pure customisation.
Most companies will have a selected strategy for scope but large organisations may have a
combination of approaches working in different business locations.
S 9 / 12 . 21Page 162
Elaborating the core business can be achieved in a number of ways.
• Penetration Strategies
• Market Development Strategies
• Product / Service Development Strategies
Each of these strategies or a combination of them, known as a hybrid strategy, can be used in
Mintzberg’s terms to elaborate the core business and thereby achieve growth.
Please note that a diversification strategy, normally contained within the Ansoff framework is
not included as core business.
The most useful framework here is to apply some of the ideas which are in the Ansoff Matrix,
namely : -
S 9 / 13 . 21Page 163
Extending the core business is intended to take organisations beyond their core business in
order to achieve development and growth. This can be achieved in a number of ways.
• VERTICAL INTEGRATION By moving the business upstream, known as
backward integration or downstream known as
forward integration.. These forms of core business
extension are designed to be applied within the
current operating chain of the business.
• HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION Is achieved by extending the core business to parallel
operations, but not in the same chain of operations. It
is a form of diversification.
S 9 / 14 . 21Page 164
Unrelated diversification also extends the core
business beyond existing experiences and
technologies and thereby the organisation may
become conglomerate in design.
• DIVERSIFICATION Refers to business extension, beyond the current
chain of operations, but may be related to some
distinctive competence or asset of the organisation.
Where diversification is related in some way to the
core business, it is termed CONCENTRIC
DIVERSIFICATION.
S 9 / 15 . 21Page 165
• INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT
ACQUISITION & STRATEGIC
ALLIANCES
Horizontal, vertical integration and diversification
can be achieved either by internal development or by
acquisition. The strategy decision will depend upon
policies for ownership, control and level of
acceptable risks.
Forms of Partnership, Joint Ventures, Licensing,
Franchising as well as Purchase of Equity via
acquisition represent some of the viable options.
• ORGANIC GROWTH Organic growth is one form of Internal Development
which uses the core competencies as an existing
resource base. Thereby, this also creates a culture to
pursue the ‘strategic intent of the business’.
S 9 / 16 . 21Page 166
1. CRM systems and SCM systems
2. Investment is sustained in core competencies
3. Following or influencing quality standards to
drive quality excellence
4. Creating a learning organisation culture
5. Building strategic alliances
6. Human Capital Development and Talent
Management for internal company deployment
The following methods can be used to support
organic growth.
S 9 / 17 . 21Page 167
Re-concieving the core business will arise when the combination of the above strategies has
produced a lack of focus for the business as a whole. Then, there may be a need to reconfigure
the business, redefine it and essential by re-concieve it. There are 3 basic approaches : -
• BUSINESS REDEFINITION
STRATEGY
A redefinition may be achieved by product, by service
or by customer need. Sometimes a creative redefinition
is used to inspire and re-motivate management, for
example when a government corporation becomes
privatised and the need for a change management
programme may in fact require business redefinition,
so that the CONCEPT OF THE BUSINESS can be
realigned to achieve marketplace relevance.
S 9 / 18 . 21Page 168
• CORE RELOCATION
STRATEGY
It may be necessary to relocate the ‘centre of
gravity’ of the core business simply because there
has been a ‘strategic drift’ in the market, in which
case the core business may have to move upstream
or downstream or even look for geographic
relocation. It is also possible that the core business
has seem a forthcoming sunset on the horizon and
there is a need to look for a new core business
location. Thereby there will be ‘new rules of the
strategy game to learn’.
S 9 / 19 . 21Page 169
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. TAKE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES AND APPLY THE ANSOFF MATRIX
TO DETERMINE THE STRATEGY OPTIONS EMPLOYED AND ALSO THAT COULD
BE AREAS FOR POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ?
* MCDONALDS
* BOBBI BROWN COSMETICS
* KODAK
* APPLE MACINTOSH
* NIKE
WHAT ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS FROMTHE ASSESSMENTS YOU HAVE MADE.
S 9 / 20 . 21Page 170
2. USING PORTERS 3 GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES, ASSESS THE EXTENT
TOWHICH THESE APPLY IN ALL THE EXAMPLES CITED IN QUESTION 1.
WHAT THEREFORE ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS.
S 9 / 21 . 21
3. DEFINE THE CORE BUSINESS FOR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND THEN EXPLAIN
HOWTHEIR CORE BUSINESS CAN BE LEVERAGED, IFAT ALL.
• THE CITY OF DAVOS IN SWITZERLAND
• BARCLAYS BANK
• PORSCHE OR MERCEDES
• FORMULA ONE
• BRITISH AIRWAYS
• HILTON HOTELSPage 171
GROWTH AMBITION
THE IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH
SOME TRUISMS ABOUT GROWTH
GROWTH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GROWTH MARKETS
GROWTH VALUES
GROWTH MISSION
S 10 / 01 . 18
SESSION 10 STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS GROWTHPage 172
THE GROWTH PROCESS
* GROWTH DRIVERS
* GROWTH ENGINES
* THE 80 / 20 RULE
THE RATE AND PACE OF GROWTH
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
S 10 / 02 . 18
SESSION 10 STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS GROWTHPage 173
GROWTH AMBITION
Growth ambitions are part of most business organisations, simply because shareholder value
is expected to grow.
Growth therefore should be planned and it should be rewarded, it rarely happens naturally !!
Strategic planning is focused upon controlled growth, whereby growth is forecasted into a
future time horizon. This is the convention, but a more creative way to approach growth is to
accept that it has already happened and then ask the question
Then by logical deduction, a growth plan will emerge, in fact more easily than following the
conventional approach.
“ What must we have done to get here ? ”
S 10 / 03 . 18Page 174
Once the route to growth has been formulated, the founding principle of growth is
Concentration, Concentration and Commitment to Concentration
so that there is a clear focus for growth, to achieve growth.
It is argued that growth has a lifecycle effect, this in fact is well understood, but lifecycles
are getting shorter and the time boundaries for growth and profits are reducing – all as a
result of competition and incremental globalisation.
Within the shape of the lifecycle, a rate of growth can be envisaged, it is a fact of life that
growth comes eventual decay.
Therefore every growth curve has a genetic code for decline, its just a matter of time. In
planning for growth, one therefore must factor into the growth equation a rate of decline.
S 10 / 04 . 18Page 175
The simple example is to check the rate of earnings under the product lifecycle in relation to
sales. In fact sales can continue to climb, but profits decline earlier as the market becomes
more sensitive to price and to competition invades the market territory.
S 10 / 05 . 18
What therefore are the ideal conditions for business growth ?
These conditions are a business utopia and may never be achieved, but nevertheless it may be
useful to simply explore the ideal conditions for growth.
1. Empowerment of Managerial Talent
2. A blue ocean where business is made in unchartered waters where nobody else has
ventured yet.
3. High volume of customer enquiries and repeat orders to deliver good customer
acquisition and effective customer retention.
4. Business growth is independent from the economics of market performance.
5. Net Profit is a high percentage of sales.
6. Amonopoly position.Page 176
This of course is an unachievable ideal, but it does help to create a future vision !
There must be a belief that growth can be achieved and therefore the culture of the business
must value growth, live, breathe and digest growth.
Growth has to be driven, engineered and have growth strategies aligned to maximising
asset utilisation, achieving new market opportunities consistently and committing to
emergent growth technologies.
S 10 / 06 . 18
SOME TRUISMS ABOUT GROWTH
The following statements are worthy of reflection, as there may be inherent wisdom from
which new perspectives can be appreciated.
1. To grow, find a customer to grow with.
2. Existing market share may give too much confidence about future competitive
positioning.Page 177 S 10 / 07 . 18
3. As a business matures, progressive competitive advantage may face erosion.
4. An over pre-occupation with return on investment diminishes the return from
growth.
5. Business ‘ As Usual’ is safer
6. As a business approaches commodity status, new business growth will be
surpressed.
Time spent on discussing these statements may provide new insights to the growth agenda.Page 178
GROWTHAND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Growth and Entrepreneurship go hand in hand together.
Entreprenuers are : -
• More open
• More adaptable
• More inspired
• More energised
• More committed
• Faster
• Ready to do new things
S 10 / 08 . 18
This is the psyche of the entrepreneur, because growth to them is a quantum leap in revenue
and profit. To the Entrepreneur, growth must be accelerated. Growth comes from customers,
therefore the dedication to customer growth is the number 1 priority.
The logic is simple “ IF we grow our customers, our customers will grow our business ! ”Page 179
GROWTHMARKETS
Markets are made up of customers with money to spend and as inclination to buy. Therefore
to achieve business growth we must be attached to growth markets.
S 10 / 09 . 18
It is the market that will grow the business, the business cannot grow itself.
Therefore to grow, we must attract and hold customers who will grow with us. We have to
grow the customer base to grow the business.
In Business to Business Markets, if we help our customers to reduce cost, improve margin
and generate increased revenue, they achieve growth and so we grow with them. Thus a
‘partnership model with customers can be one route to sustainable growth, using a simple
‘ win-win ’ approach.Page 180
To succeed in this approach our customers must therefore see us as : -
solution provides -- not just supplying products
business growers -- not just vendors
profit suppliers -- not just selling goods & services
growth experts -- not just manufacturing experts
S 10 / 10 . 18
This means we MUST KNOW OUR CUSTOMERS WELL, in fact better than they know
us !
To make this work, we need : -
Customers who really want to grow
Customers who want us to grow with them
Customers who will allows us to grow through them
Market Segmentation becomes vital in this process, so that we can participate in customer
sales growth and dominate selected segments.Page 181
GROWTH VALUES
Our values, for our customers, as a business growth strategist must be to : -
-- Enhance market profitability
-- Support customer growth
-- Bring incremental profits to customers
-- Quantify results
-- Drive partnerships
-- Know the business growth of our customers
-- Add tangible value to customer operations
Our own values for growth need 3 clear specifications : -
-- How Much !
-- How Soon !
-- How Sure !
These are interpreted internally and from a customer perspective. Furthermore, these values
are deeply embedded.
S 10 / 11 . 18Page 182
GROWTHMISSION
The dedication and purpose of business is a commitment to growth.
A growth mission combines the growth values into a growth culture to align with a growth
market with the power to deliver growth. The mission therefore is a mission for growth,
therefore it has to be :
Customer oriented
Customer centric
Customer driven
Customer derived
Simply because shareholder value is delivered from customer value.
S 10 / 12 . 18Page 183
THE GROWTH PROCESS
S 10 / 13 . 18
• Growth Drivers
• Growth Engines
• Adopting The 80 / 20 Rule
Growth Drivers
The real drivers are people and these people need an entrepreneurial mindset. To drive
growth, you will need to grow entrepreneurs to build new business futures. This means that
talent management programmes will be needed for entrepreneurial managers who in turn will
need to build teams of business builders to build markets with a strong profit motive as the
prevailing mindset. In fact the growth drivers will be corporate entrepreneurs.
Corporate Entrepreneurship can be learned by following a series of strategies for leadership
and for managing.Page 184 S 10 / 14 . 18
Grow Leadership Strategies
Corporate entrepreneurs should lead customers through sustainable, incremental growth and
thereby lead the business by leading the customers.
This needs to be done with a lean team adopting a policy of profit optimisation.
Management Leadership Strategies
Recognition for successful leadership will come from the profit the business generates.
Such profit is usually attached to an identity that is accepted in the market, so therefore brand
building is an essential management leadership strategy. Leveraging brand values is a certain
way to secure market recognition and in time, market dominance.Page 185
Engines for Growth
Growth drivers must have Growth Engines to participate in the growth race or even the growth
marathon.
How can growth therefore be fired up ?
1. Move cost centres to profit centres
2. Leverage the companies asset base
3. Development Programmes for in-house entrepreneurial talent
4. Set up a holding company structure with right-sized subsidiaries
5. New joint-ventures and strategic alliances
6. Service Partnerships, shared risk and reward
7. Establish a business development company dedicated to new business only
8. Extend the business through adequate resourcing
S 10 / 15 . 18Page 186
The 80 / 20 Rule
The work of Poreto is classical. His 80/20 rule has been proven time and time again. 80% of
customers deliver 20% of profit, but 20% of customers produce 80% of profit.
So where does growth opportunity reside ?
It may be worth segmenting the 80% customer base to search for business growth through
the customers customer !
However profit will come from high unit margins and premium prices, whereas business
volume is the multiplier for growth, so entrepreneurial business will need both.
Almost certainly the search will be for the 20% of customers who will deliver 80% of future
profits.
S 10 / 16 . 18Page 187
THE RATE AND PACE OF GROWTH
The growth strategist is simple-minded, focused and purposeful with the route to profit as the
mission that must be achieved.
But profit may mean more than margin !!
Corporate profitability is a measure of overall business performance, much more strategic in
fact than just the product unit margin from sales.
The rate and pace of growth must be factored into any growth strategy to avoid the unintended
consequences of financial risk, especially in relation to liquidity.
To end this session on a cautionary note, one sure formula for long term success is
CONTROLLED GROWTH.
S 10 / 17 . 18Page 188
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. IS THE ROUTE TO GROWTH THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE INCREMENTAL
SHAREHOLDER VALUE ?
2. HOWIS THE GROWTH MINDSET CULTIVATED ?
3. DO ORGANISATIONS NEED ENTREPRENEURS. DO ENTREPRENEURS NEED
ORGANISATIONS ?
4. HOW CAN THE ENERGY NEEDED TO INSPIRE AND ACHEIVE PROGRESSION
GROWTH AT A RATE FAR BETTER THAN THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE BE
SUSTAINED. IS THERE A POINT OF BURN OUT ?
5. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF EXPONENTIAL GROWTH ?
S 10 / 18 . 18Page 189
BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY
SESSION 11 BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY &
BUILDING BUSINESS MODELS
S 11 / 01 . 18
INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS
THE BLUE OCEAN
THE RED OCEAN
VALUE INNOVATION
QUESTIONS TO DEFINE THE BLUE OCEAN
THE FOUR ACTIONS FRAMEWORK
REDUCE COSTS AND ADD VALUE
6 CORE PRINCIPLES FOR IMPLEMENTATION RISK REDUCTIONPage 190
BUSINESS MODEL BUILDING
SESSION 11 BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY &
BUILDING BUSINESS MODELS
S 11 / 01 . 23
DEFINE THE BUSINESS MODEL
THE ARCHITECTURE OF A BUSINESS MODEL
A BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONSPage 191
INTRODUCTION & DEFINITIONS
The basic principle behind Blue Ocean Strategy as portrayed by W. Chan Kim and Renee
Mauborgne (2005) is to find a route to strategy which creates
UNCONTESTED MARKET SPACE AND THEREBY MAKES
THE COMPETITION IRRELEVANT.
The Red Ocean is the competitive market place but the Blue Ocean is space yet not claimed
by competitors.
The approach therefore to competitive strategy is simply to avoid competition by finding
customers in new market spaces where untapped potential resides and hence locate the
opportunity for highly profitable growth.
S 11 / 02 . 23Page 192
In blue oceans, the ‘rules of the game’ have not been determined, even an approach to finding
these oceans has not been unravelled because the traditional approach to strategy in most of
the literature has been devoted to Red Ocean environments.
Blue oceans have always been with us, they just haven’t been defined as such. Industries and
markets created in the last 15 years, of which there are many were in fact blue oceans at one
point in time.
S 11 / 03 . 23
The first mover advantage in an blue ocean gives higher (short-term) profits than pursuing
strategic moves in red oceans, where price and cost constraints erode profit potential.Page 193
So how is a blue ocean strategy different ?
The focus of the determined strategy must be upon
VALUE INNOVATION
Value Innovation is the foundation stone of blue ocean strategies.
The impact of value innovation causes a ‘leap’ in value for customers and in so doing
separates the company from its competitors. In fact this then creates new market space.
To be clear, this is not value creation, it is value innovation ie. the former can be achieved
without innovation. Blue ocean strategy depends upon value innovation, whereby the
market boundaries can be extended to a new horizon where they can be reconstructed.
S 11 / 04 . 23Page 194
TRADITIONAL
CIRCUS TO
PERFORMANCE
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL which has redefined this
form of performing art to new territory.
S 11 / 05 . 23
FOR EXAMPLE
INTERNATIONAL
LONG HAUL TO
FLIGHTS
Virgin Atlantic where new segmentation has been
achieved together with in-flight value innovation
experiences
DEPARTMENT STORE
CLOTHING, TO
FOOTWEAR SALES
Primart discount clothing stores dedicated to
value for money 365 days a year.
PRE-SCHOOL
KINDERGARTEN TO
Montessori Pre-Schools
CONVENTIONAL
DIETING TO
PhilipWain
Slimming &Wellness CentresPage 195
As can be seen, the market boundaries have been moved. The marketplace is in the mind of the
customer, so blue ocean strategy is designed to create and stimulate new demand among
receptive customers.
The value innovation so created actually defines the new blue ocean, because real
differentiation has been achieved, which in effect makes the competition irrelevant. The
competitors are no longer the focus of business strategy. The focus is upon delivering value to
customers in the newly created market space.
S 11 / 06 . 23
Some Key Questions to help define a blue ocean
According to Kim and Manborgne, there are some simple but penetrating questions to be
asked of a managerial team to help the mindset orientate towards blue ocean thinking.
Question 1 : What are the factors that our industry takes for granted which could
be illiminated ?
Question 2 : Which factors should be reduced well below industry standards ?
As you can see, these two questions are really challenging and somewhat anarchic.Page 196 S 11 / 07 . 23
Question 3 : Which factors should be raised well above industry standards ?
Question 4 : Which factors could be created that the industry has never offered ?
The purpose here is to use customer focus to determine where value can be innovated, and
new value propositions be determined. Reference to Figure 11.1 and Figure 11.2 will serve
to give clarification.Page 197 S 11 / 08 . 23
REDUCE COSTS ADD VALUE
1. ELIMINATE 3. RAISE
2. REDUCE 4. CREATE
THE FOUR ACTIONS FRAMEWORK FOR VALUE INNOVATION
Figure 11.1
Figure 11.2 REDUCE COSTS ADD VALUE
VALUE INNOVATIONPage 198
The result of applying these questions successfully is that either :
• a new industry is created
OR
• new market boundaries are achieved within an existing industry.
This is a secure route to defining new blue oceans.
S 11 / 09 . 23Page 199
Referring back to the Cirque De Soleil example, which is cited in the work of Kim and Manborgne
and applying the four action framework created from their text, we can see how the blue ocean was
created by using this methodology for analysis.
S 11 / 10 . 23
REDUCE COSTS ADD VALUE
1. ELIMINATE 3. RAISE
STAR PERFORMERS UNIQUE VENUES
ANIMAL SHOWS
MULTIPLE SHOWARENAS
2. REDUCE 4. CREATE
FUN &HUMOUR ATHEME
THRILL & DANGER REFINED ENVIRONMENT
MULTIPE PRODUCTIONS
ARTISTIC MUSIC & DANCE
FROM THE TRADITIONAL CIRCUS TO CIRCUE DU SOLEIL
Figure 11.3
The Value Innovation reduced costs, added value and discovered a new market which has been
preserved as a blue ocean.Page 200
At the heart of blue ocean strategy are 6 core principles that should be used as a guideline
to tackle common risks that are associated with new product innovation and development.
These principles can be used to progress the determination of blue oceans for
implementation.
PRINCIPLE ONE Reconstruct market boundaries, as we have seen above, and
this minimise the search risk for new commercial ideas.
PRINCIPLE TWO Focus on the BIG PICTURE, take a holistic view and reduce
any planning risks by establishing existing facts in order to
minimise assumptions.
PRINCIPLE THREE Reach beyond existing demand to define and aggregate the
estimated demand for the new offering. In so doing the scope
risk can be assessed.
PRINCIPLE FOUR Get the strategic sequence right to determine a robust business
model for long term profit. This will reduce the business model
risk..
S 11 / 11 . 23Page 201
PRINCIPLE FIVE Overcome key organisational hurdles to reduce the organisational
risk in executing a blue ocean strategy.
PRINCIPLE SIX Build execution into the strategy by focusing upon motivation
and core competencies to execute the strategy to overcome the
management risk.
Once a zone of value innovation has been determined and then a new blue ocean has been
visualised, the above 6 principles can be applied to smooth the path of implementation by
assessing and reducing the exposure to product development risks.
S 11 / 12 . 23Page 202
The blue ocean strategy has provided an insight for management internationally, but the model
actually is descriptive , it doesn’t demonstrate clearly in a well structured plan how to apply it.
In this sense, it is not prescriptive, but with experiment and usage there is merit to its adoption.
Their text looks at blue ocean innovations through interpretation rather than direct application
but the corporate evidence is building.
What is now transpiring as a result of this best selling text is that the ‘blue ocean’ has become a
term used in management discussions which in turn influences mindset and maybe decision
taking.
The main message is how can we discover, enter and defend uncontested market space ?
S 11 / 13 . 23Page 203
GLOBAL EXAMPLES OF A BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY
S 11 / 14 . 23
AIR ASIA
Air Asia cut costs by reducing the number of crew and reduced personalised service. They
then flew into smaller airports and also offered on-line bookings and in so doing passed the
savings onto the customer. This resulted in much cheaper ticket prices and opened the
market to people who had not flown before, so that everyone could now fly.
Air Asia created a Blue Ocean by targeting a new segment who previously were non-
customers ----- Today the airline is winning awards and continuing to expand.
STARBUCKS
Starbucks created a lifestyle experience out of coffee drinking by creating cool
environments where customers could relax in comfort to chill out with their friends.Page 204 S 11 / 15 . 23
NINTENDOWII
Previously in a market leadership position but much ground was lost to Sony and
Microsoft. They found their blue ocean by targeting non-customers (or non-gamers) by
developing easy to use interactive consoles that ‘moved as you moved’. The reinvented the
gaming scene and created uncontested space in the market.
The Blue Ocean Strategy is a path of discovery, but to bring this strategy to fulfilment it
will require a business model as with all new product development and new business
ventures. The next sub-section therefore will focus upon building a business model.Page 205 S 11 / 16 . 23
DEFINING A BUSINESS MODEL
A business model is a blueprint for a business strategy to be implemented through
organisation structures, processes, systems and cultures.
Another way to define a business model would be
“ It describes the rationale and core logic of how an organisation creates, delivers and
captures value. ”
In simple language, the business model is a formula for making money.Page 206 S 11 / 17 . 23
THE ARCHITECTURE OFA BUSINESS MODEL
The following are the essential building blocks of a business model.
1. Customers Classified into viable segments and those to avoid
2. Superior Value To meet needs, wants, values, expectations and solutions
Propositions for viable segments
3. Channels To deliver the superior value propositions
4. Relationships With suppliers and with customers
5. Revenue Resulting from trusted relationships in delivering superior value
6. Value Chain Based Required to enable and deliver business strategy, through the
Resources company’s value chainPage 207 S 11 / 18 . 23
7. The Key Activities Allocated to Key ResultAreas
8. Key Partnerships For alliances needed outside the enterprise
9. The Cost Structure For the business model with revenue and or profit distributions
agreed. Among more participating.
10. Competitive Strategy For positioning and sustainable differentiationPage 208
These Nine elements can be modelled accordingly : -
S 11 / 19 . 23
KEY ACTIVITIES
REVENUE
SUPERIOR VALUE
PROPOSITIONS
CHANNELS
CUSTOMERS
PARTNERSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
COSTS
VALUE CHAIN
BASED RESOURCES
COMPETITION & COMPETITIVE
STRATEGY
But to use this as a planning tool to build, the business model a “A Business Model Canvas”
can be used as shown in Figure 11.4.
Figure 11.4Page 209
PRIORITY
CUSTOMERS
“ A BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS ”
[ADAPTED FROM OSTERWANDER & PIENEUR, BUSINESS MODEL GENERATOR 2010]
Figure 11.5
SUPERIOR VALUE
PROPOSITIONS
CHANNELS KEY ACTIVITIES
COMPETITION /
COMPETITIVE
STRATEGY
RELATIONSHIPS KEY PARTNERSHIPS
VALUE CHAIN
BASED
RESOURCES
COSTS & COST BUDGET REVENUE STREAMS & CASHFLOW
S 11 / 20 . 23Page 210
The Business Model Canvas allows the whole design for the model to be seen on one page
with all the ingredient captured. It can be the focal point to visualise the business model
and thereby to obtain contributions from those who will take ownership for it.
The canvas as proposed, can be adjusted according to need, but it captures the essence of
the design from which plans can be developed for the required strategy implementation.
To illustrate the use of the business model canvas, the reader should refer to Figure 11.5.
S 11 / 21 . 23Page 211
PRIORITY
CUSTOMERS
N.B. : THE BLUE OCEAN OF VALUE INNOVATION IS ‘LONGHAUL’ BUDGET AIRTRAVEL
Figure 11.6
SUPERIOR VALUE
PROPOSITIONS
CHANNELS KEY ACTIVITIES
COMPETITION /
COMPETITIVE
STRATEGY
RELATIONSHIPS KEY PARTNERSHIPS
VALUE CHAIN
BASED
RESOURCES
COSTS & COST BUDGET REVENUE STREAMS & CASHFLOW
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS FOR A LOW COST LONG HAUL AIRLINE
Cost Conscious
First Time
International
Budget
Travellers
Only from International
Long Haul Carriers, no
budget, long haul airline
as yet
Lowest Price
No Frills
Frequent Service
On-line Booking
Telephone Ticket Sales
Customer Loyalty
Long Haul
Europe - Asia
As a sub-brand of the parent
company, who have
diversified the business into
a budget provider
All provided
from parent
company, a full
cost International
Premium Airline
* All revenue upfront before travel
* Positive cashflow
* Programmes
* IATA
* Intl Airport Authorities
* Zero based budget for marginal costs only until
business is fully fledged
* Fixed costs covered by parent company
* Marginal costs covered by revenue streams
S 11 / 22 . 23Page 212
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. DO YOU THINK THAT A BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY IS A STATE OF BUSINESS
UTOPIA OR A REALITY ?
FOR HOWLONG CAN THE OCEAN REMAIN BLUE ?
2. IDENTIFY A BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY AND ASK WHY AND HOW IT HAS BECOME
SO.
S 11 / 23 . 23
3. TAKE EITHER HARRODS, SELFRIDGES OR HARVEY NICHOLLS AND EXPLAIN
THEIR STRATEGY FROMA BLUE OCEAN LENS.Page 213
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
SESSION 12 STRATEGY DETERMINATION -- CRITERIA FOR
EVALUATION FOR STRATEGY CHOICE AND MAKING
THE STRATEGY PROPOSAL
S 12 / 01 . 19
SWOT
GAP ANALYSIS
CONSISTENCY CRITERIA
PRAGMATIC CRITERIA
FINANCIAL CRITERIA
RISK ANALYSIS
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSISPage 214
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
S 12 / 02 . 19
DECISION MATRICES
MAKING THE CASE
MAKING THE STRATEGY PROPOSAL
DISCUSSION QUESTIONSPage 215
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
In earlier sessions, Strategy Options were explained, as well as the route to determining
them.
The Strategic Management approach however, will need to explore and analyse options so
that a justified strategy can be selected for adoption and subsequent implementation.
The means by which this can be achieved is by using criteria for evaluation as the basis
for strategy option assessment.
This process can be achieved by a variety of screening criteria so that a strategy decision
can be confirmed.
A selection of screening criteria for strategy option evaluation will now be outlined : -
S 12 / 03 . 19Page 216
SWOTANALYSIS
From the earlier work in this subject, SWOT Analysis has been outlined as the conclusion to
environmental analysis, from which drivers for change may be achieved.
By referring back to the SWOT Analysis, it is useful to recognise that future strategy must be
based on existing, confirmed, business strengths. In the absence of such strengths, the strategy
may fail unless these strengths can otherwise be acquired.
The leveraging of business strengths should therefore become a meaningful criteria for
strategy option evaluation. Assessment of the risk potential arising from external market
threats is also important as these are uncontrollable and maybe potentially damaging in the
future. Consideration of capacity weakness may be essential where resource limitations
impose a potential constraint.
Therefore, at a simplistic level, the SWOT Analysis will be useful again to help to achieve
future strategy. However this is only one tool which ideally should be supplemented by
others.
S 12 / 04 . 19Page 217
GAP ANALYSIS
The difference between a future desired ambition and the probability of achieving it creates a
strategic gap. Future strategy options should be evaluated in terms of their potential to close
the strategic gap.
This gap may be a growth gap, a shareholder value gap, a mission gap and so on. The
rationale for strategy option choice is the ability to reduce the gap between current and
projected performance ambitions.
S 12 / 05 . 19Page 218
Figure 12.1 shows in diagram form the concept of Gap Analysis
PERFORMANCE
Shows the current performance position, most often explained in qualitative or functional terms.
Shows the desired future position defined in the same terms as the current position. This is the projected (or
forecasted future position).
‘ The Gap’ is between positions and .
S 12 / 06 . 19
THE STRATEGIC GAP
THE DESIRED FUTURE POSITION
THE STRETCHED FUTURE POSITION
THE STRETCHED STRATEGIC GAP
3
2
THE CURRENT POSITION 1
1
2
1 2Page 219
The task therefore is to analyse : -
S 12 / 07 . 19
• why the gap exists
• the probabilities for closing it and by when
• the strategies to be implemented
Therefore the concept of gap analysis becomes one criterion for evaluation, as to whether the
strategic options will achieve a desired future.
One strategy option to consider is ‘status quo’ or what is also called the ‘do nothing’
strategy in the hope that through organic growth this gap will be filled.
However with the pace and pressures of commercial life, there will always be ‘a planning
gap’. A desired future position will always be there as plans roll from year to year.Page 220
It is common practice today to set stretched targets and hence position 3 shows the
desired stretched position for which strategies and tactics are needed as well as incentives
for achieving this position.
It is probably the case that most organisations have a negative gap. This means that the
desired future position has not been reached.
In rare cases, the planning gap becomes positive, whereby targets and even stretched
targets have been exceeded.
This situation with also require strategy adjustments probably in relation to resourcing and
capacity.
S 12 / 08 . 19Page 221
Evaluation criteria should also consider if the strategic options are consistent with the
strategic intent of the business and other critical performance factors namely : -
CONSISTENCY CRITERIA
• Vision
• Mission
• Core business
• Core values
• Core competencies
• Value chain based competitive advantage
• Product portfolio positions with market segments
• Existing company success factors
S 12 / 09 . 19
This provides both a solid and realistic platform against which to select future strategy .
The selected option will then have a sense of strategic logic.Page 222
Where appropriate, the financial impact of the selected strategy option will need to be
assessed and justified for financial feasibility. Typical measures to apply will therefore be : -
FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY CRITERIA
• Investment level
• Payback period
• Return on capital
• Employed
• Internal cost of capital
• Return on investment
• Target internal rate of return
• Discounted cash flow’s implications
• Shareholder value
• Cost benefit analysis
S 12 / 10 . 19
A pre-determined set of financial criteria would be required for assessment of new
strategies before being progressed to the next appropriate level of management.
• Opportunity costing between strategy
options
• Liquidity ratios
• Gearing ratios
• Cash flow analysis
• Break even analysis
• Asset turnover ratios
• Foreign currency exposure (forex)Page 223
PRAGMATIC CRITERIA
These criteria should not be applied at the execution of others, but rather as a simple way of
concluding the process of strategy option evaluation. This simple criteria, which all levels of
management will be able to understand are : -
S 12 / 11 . 19
• Suitability - Do we want it
• Desirability - Do we need it
• Feasibility - Can we do it
• Acceptability - Can we accept it
Often top management will prefer a pragmatic approach providing that other screening tests
have been applied.
The normal tests will be : -
- financial feasibility
- organisational HR resource feasibility
- market feasibility (if relevant)
- gap analysis justificationPage 224
Risk Analysis has become part of strategy determination in many organisations in recent
years. There are now well established risk management protocols which can be followed or
adapted to assess future strategy options. The conclusion will be based upon the risk appetite
of the organisation.
Fundamental Analysis will be required to answer, among others, the following questions : -
S 12 / 12 . 19
- stakeholder analysis
- risk analysis
whereby stakeholder analysis will consider the positive and negative response to be anticipated
by key stakeholder groups, arising from each strategy option. The objective here will be to
minimise risk and optimise stakeholder value added.
1. What is the nature of the risk(s) that the company could be exposed to for each strategy
option if it were to be adopted. These risks will be pre-determined and pre-classified and
will range from financial risk to relationship risk, reputational risk and so on.Page 225 S 12 / 13 . 19
2. What is the probability that such risks may occur ?
3. What is the consequence for the organisation should the risk arise ?
4. How can this risk be mitigated ?
5. How can the risk be either avoided or be transferred ?
6. What contingencies must we be prepared for ?
Risk is closely related to returns ; high risk = high return, low risk = low return.
So therefore the Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives will align the risk appetite
against which the risk assessment process for strategy options will be conducted.Page 226
STRATEGY CHOICE
A simple process is needed, by which future strategy can be selected. One simple but effective
measure is to use Decision Matrices (see below) whereby different strategy options can be
assessed using factor analysis.
S 12 / 14 . 19
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
(For example)
WEIGHT
(1 - 10)
STRATEGY OPTIONS (score 1 – 10)
A B N
1. Leveragable Strengths ________
2. Internal Weaknesses ________
3. External Threats ________
4. Gap Analysis ________
5. Risk Analysis ________
6. Feasibility Analysis ________
7. Pragmatic Criteria ________
8. Others (1 – N) ________
Total Score
N.B. : For each option, multiply the weight by the score and then summarise to determine the factor totals.Page 227
This simple rational approach will at least be able to assess strategy options to determine
viability between options. In so doing, it may become clear that certain options must be
discarded.
S 12 / 15 . 19Page 228
STRATEGIC CHOICE -- MAKING THE CASE
The case must be communicated simply and convincingly as the strategy option selected will
be competing for scarce resources within the business. The selected strategy option must now
be presented to top management. There are clear rules to follow : -
The 6 Golden Rules of Communication
Rule 1 Relevance : is this relevant to expectations ?
Rule 2 Reliability : is the proposal based on facts and stated
assumptions ?
Rule 3 Understandability : is the message clear ?
Rule 4 Significance : is the proposal contextually significant ?
Rule 5 Sufficiency : is there sufficient information to get a decision !!
Rule 6 Practicality : have the limitations been communicated as well as
the real contribution of the outcomes !
These practical rules can apply to any important communication to help to get the ‘buy-in’
from the decision takers.
S 12 / 16 . 19Page 229
MAKINGA STRATEGY PROPOSAL -- A CHECKLIST
The following checklist will be an effective way to make a Strategy Proposal : -
1. Define the strategy
1.1 what is involved, what is it called, how is it to be defined
1.2 why is it needed and the main benefits to the business
1.3 implications for the business if it is adopted
2. Suitability of the proposal
2.1 what will happen if not change is made
2.2 links to strategic intent
2.3 link to internal and external environment of the organisation
2.4 the tangible outcomes
3. Acceptability
3.1 expected costs and financial returns
3.2 risks involved and how to reduce them
3.3 acceptability to stakeholders
S 12 / 17 . 19Page 230
4. Feasibility
4.1 resources and competencies needed
4.2 ability to implement at company and industry levels
4.3 implementation team – who is involved
4.4 who is affected by the outcomes and how
5. Timing
5.1 start date
5.2 GANTT Chart of phased implementation, with time scales and milestones for
achievement
5.3 completion date
NOTE :
This may need to be filtered informally before making the final proposal.
The simplest checklist should involve what, why, who, where, when, how and the
outcomes !!
S 12 / 18 . 19Page 231
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. STRATEGY DETERMINATION IS NORMALLY THE DOMAIN OF THE TOP
MANAGEMENT TEAM OF ANY ORGANISATION, TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU
THINK STRATEGY DECISION ARE BASED UPON CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION.
FURTHERMORE DISCUSS AND PRIORITISE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THIS SESSION.
2. SHOULD THE CRITERIA BE DETERMINED BEFORE THE STRATEGY OPTION
PROPOSAL OR BE USED TO ASSESS AND/OR JUSTIFY IT ?
S 12 / 19 . 19Page 232
THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
PEOPLE ALIGNMENT
MOMENTUM
STRUCTURE
PROCESS AND PROCESS MONITORING
KRA’S AND KPI’S
BALANCED SCORE CARD
BUDGETARY CONTROL
SUMMARY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SESSION 13 STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION & CONTROL
S 13 / 01 . 21Page 233
THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
To move from a strategy option decision into the implementation phase involves : -
where strategy planning for implementation will require the following : -
S 13 / 02 . 21
• STRATEGY PLANNING
• STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
• IMPLEMENTATIONMONITORING
• PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
• REVIEW
• SMART OBJECTIVES TO BE SET
• ACTIONS TO BE PLANNED
• TIME SCHEDULING FOR THOSE ACTIONSPage 234
These two checklists provide the content of what needs to be done, but achieving this
involves processes.
The Implementation Process deals with the softer issues, whereas the above checklists deal
with the functionality.
S 13 / 03 . 21
• TIME DISCIPLINE
• TIME DEADLINES
• TOTAL RESOURCING
• RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITYALLOCATED
• COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS
• A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TRACKING PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES
• PERIODIC MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT REVIEWSPage 235
Implementation therefore involves :
• Managing change
• Obtaining support for the change needed
• Ensuring that an appropriate structure is in place to enable the change
• Leadership for the implementation and a supportive organisation culture
• Ensuring that all the relevant people are aligned
• Setting milestones for achievement
• Celebrating success
The most challenging task is to get people aligned, supportive and productive.
S 13 / 04 . 21Page 236
People Alignment
Non-Compliant people with non-supportive attitudes and non-committed behaviour will
produce resistance and frustrate successful implementation.
Such phenomena are a direct function of Power . . . over information, people, knowledge,
expertise etc. Power implications of change for the individuals affected, needs to be
considered with care.
To achieve effective change, position power must be used to galvanise the required action. It
is also to be taken into account that motivation through recognition and reward may help to
smoothen the path of new strategy implementation.
At the Individual level, the response to any form of significant change will be affected by : -
• Personality Type
• Life position
• The period of uncertainty
• The support for change leadership
• Trust
• Transparency
• Past experiences
S 13 / 05 . 21Page 237
Equally the level of individual involvement and the need for consultative process to assist the
strategy change have to be taken into account.
In short, you will need the RIGHT PEOPLE to implement strategic change.
It is to be recognised that there will be beneficiaries who will support the change directly or
indirectly as well as those who impartial.
In aligning people behind the strategy change, it is wise to cross-reference their powerbase by
their perceived individual benefits to determine real supporters, change agents and those who
will merely be spectators.
S 13 / 06 . 21Page 238
IMPLEMENTATION MOMENTUM
To achieve effective implementation of strategic change, one important critical factor for
achieving success is managing momentum which means : -
• Inform clearly and with authority about the pressures for change and remind this to
embed the purpose for the change
• Give feedback on performance gaps to provide tangible evidence
• Set and celebrate success / milestones
• Act upon fear / concern / resentment before it escalates
1. Creating and maintaining momentum
S 13 / 07 . 21Page 239
• Resourcing to ensure that the changes required do not fizzle out
• Training those who need it
• Reinforcing and recognising desired behaviour within the respective peer groups
• Ensuring that all involved are kept informed of progress and pitfalls
• Build a team spirit and team based approach to engender collective responsibility
2. Maintaining momentum
S 13 / 08 . 21
• Assign responsibility and authority
• Establish systems for communication and information flow
• Introduce new systems and structures to symbolise the change and to support it
• Establish feedback and feedforward loop
• Empower those involved
3. Decision makingPage 240
• Select partners for support as key players as supporters
• Build informal relationships
• Promote uniform clear communications
• Conform and attract supporters to the coalition based upon the real outcomes to be
achieved
4. Build coalitions
S 13 / 09 . 21
Much of the above is about managerial soft skills, without which if is really difficult to harness
the energy required to secure the commitment needed.
Implementation Momentum is about moving people to get the job done, at a pace realistic and
relevant to stakeholder expectations.Page 241
STRUCTURE
Strategy should be based upon leveregable strengths and then the achievement of that
strategy will be in turn be based upon structure. Why ? . . . because access to skills and
competencies is required through a decision making machinery for productive outcomes,
working within a framework of policies, procedures and processes.
The key question therefore is “ Does the existing structure provide relevance to the
strategy changes envisaged ? ”
If this cannot be answered with clarity, then work must be undertaken until this question
can be addressed with conviction.
S 13 / 10 . 21Page 242
PROCESS AND PROCESS MONITORING
A simple framework is required to track the accomplishments overtime against tasks set, the
people engaged and the predetermined milestones. Figure 13.1 will provide a simple template.
KEY * MILESTONE TIMELINE
RESULT ALLOCATED
TASK AREA RESPONSIBILITY
1. _______ _______ __________________
2. _______ _______ __________________
3. _______ _______ __________________
4. _______ _______ __________________
N. _______ _______ __________________
F - FORECAST
A - ACTUAL * KRA is located within the value chain of the strategy chain.
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
F
A
F
A
F
A
F
A
F
A
Figure 13.1
S 13 / 11 . 21Page 243
One further key to successful implementation is to ensure that the processes to be followed to
achieve the strategy and the assigned tasks are set up and tested.
Within each KRA (Key Result Areas within the value chain of the strategy change),
processes may already exist, but may also be created for the implementation of action plans.
Processes essential for movement and so for control . Processes when appropriately explained
also stimulate transparency across the organisation.
S 13 / 12 . 21Page 244
KRA’s and KPI’s
Within each KRA, processes can be established and key performance indicators (KPI’s) be
established for reviewing the deliverable outcomes from each KRA.
Hence the structure and processes mentioned earlier must be clearly determined. KRA’s
must be clearly understood. Performance can be measured for each process through a
tracking system using KPI’s (Key performance indicators).
In simple, but bold terms, if a strategy change can be measured, it can be managed. If
management is responsible and accountable, implementation should be achieved,.
Process monitoring is achieved by reviewing the KPI’s and checking performance
periodically.
S 13 / 13 . 21Page 245
THE BALANCE SCORECARD
The Balanced Scorecard was originally developed by KAPLAN and NORTON in 1992, but
has since been adapted by many organisations as a system for performance and productivity
management.
The benefits to be derived are : -
• translating strategy into performing measurements and assigning accountability for
achievement
• achieving organisational synergy through alignment of measurements across the
organisation
• Focusing on what is important to health organisational development
• Raising questions for continuous improvement
The concept is useful to ensure that strategy implementation is monitored and controlled.
S 13 / 14 . 21Page 246
Organisational health using the Balanced Scorecard can be measured from 4 perspectives : -
1. Financial Perspective
2. The Customer Perspective
3. Internal Process Perspective
4. Innovation and Learning Perspective
Whereby the aim of the scoring process is to assess the organisation as a whole, so that
weaknesses can be identified and be connected. In the same way, new strategic change
can be introduced into this framework.
S 13 / 15 . 21
Figure 13.2 explains the concept of the Balanced Scorecard in outline.Page 247
VISION &
STRATEGY
“if we succeed,
how will we
look to
our shareholder?”
Financial Perspective
“To achieve my
vision, how must
I look to my
customer?”
Customer Perspective
“To satisfy my
Customer, at
Which processes
must I excel?”
Internal Perspective
Learning and Growth Perspective
“To achieve my
Vision, how must
My organisation
learn and improve?”
Figure 13.2
S 13 / 16 . 21Page 248
Each perspective has set of objectives to be achieved.
To achieve these objectives, there are a set of measures used to enable performance tracking,
these measures are known as KPI’s. Often the key KPI’s are known as Primary KPI’s and
those of less importance, secondary KPI’s. Targets are set as a ‘metric’ for each movement in
a qualitative form, so that each area of measurement will have an actual performance
outcome targeted.
To achieve these outcomes, initiatives are designed and agreed.
Across the perspectives of the organisation, each employee is working towards the
achievement of KPI’s. This is therefore a way of engineering the organisation for
productivity.
S 13 / 17 . 21Page 249
Outcomes of performance can then be tracked, monitored and assessed. In turn this
performance can then be rewarded by way of bonus, increments and other financial
incentives, apart from the more qualitative approach which may be used to motivate
sustained performance improvement.
Therefore when making selected strategy option changes, further key question s will be :
• Can this change be measured ?
• What metrics (KPI’s) can be used ?
• Can targets be set ?
• What are the actions to be taken and initiatives to be introduced to achieve the
SMART objectives dedicated to this change ?
S 13 / 18 . 21Page 250
BUDGETARY CONTROL
Almost all strategic change will have cost implications, therefore a dedicated budgetary
allocation for the desired change will be required.
Within the budget headings for expenditure, allowances should be made for contingencies,
as unforeseen events occur and costs may arise during the life of the implementation.
Working within the budget is an essential skill for implementation.
The nature of the budget will be ‘zero based ’ for new strategy changes. Reference to the
subject of Financial Management will provide detail and clarity on this important area of
management.
S 13 / 19 . 21Page 251
SUMMARY
Strategy Implementation is one of the more difficult management tasks. It is for this reason
that many planned strategies actually fail.
To guard against potential failure, the following points should be taken into account : -
1. Ensure that there is a well-defined business case for the Strategy
2. Ensure that this is well communicated , well lead and understood by all involved
3. Set up a system to measure progress and results achieved
4. Drive a winning performance culture with the right people to drive the momentum
5. Ensure that all the required enabling structures and processes are in place
6. Reinforce the message of the purpose to be achieved, the outcomes & the benefits
7. Have periodic reviews.
S 13 / 20 . 21Page 252
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. STRATEGY DESIGN IS A CREATIVE PROCESS, BUT STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTATION IS A SIGNIFICANT MANAGERIAL CHALLENGE . . . WHY ?
2. THE LITERATURE ON STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IS RICH BUT THE
LITERATURE IN STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IS FAR LESS SO - - - WHY IS THIS
THE CASE ?
3. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 FACTORS WHICH MUST BE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW
STRATEGY.
S 13 / 21 . 21Page 253
SESSION 14 MANAGING THE CHANGES NEEDED
S 14 / 01 . 17
MODELS AND APPROACHES
LEWIN
McKINSEY 7’S
KANTNER
GEMIMI 4 R’S
CHANGE PROCESSES
PLANNED CHANGE
RESPONSE TO CHANGE
FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONSPage 254
INTRODUCTION
The subject of Change Management has been introduced in an earlier session as part of
Strategy Implementation and Control.
This session is devoted to well known models and approaches to change as well as to the
change process.
S 14 / 02 . 17
MODELS AND APPROACHES
To add depth to the subject of change, the work of the following contributors, at least, is
suggested : -
LEWIN
McKINSEY 7 S
KANTNER
GEMIMI 4 RSPage 255
THE LEWIN MODEL (KURT LEWIN 1958)
The work of Lewin suggests there are 3 distinct phases in the change process which are named as
unfreezing, change and refreezing. He claims that before any change can be introduced that the
current conditions which prevail must be ‘unfrozen’ before any new ideas can be introduced, once
this is achieved and the changes achieved, the environment has to be refrozen to capture and
sustain the change.
S 14 / 03 . 17
Stage 1. Unfreezing - De-stablilise the environment by exploiting stress
or dissatisfaction
- Introduce additional pressure, tighter schedules,
increased targets / workloads
- Introduce new personnelPage 256
Stage 2. Change - Move the unbalanced and less secure system now created
in the desired direction for achieving change by :
S 14 / 04 . 17
• New reporting relationships
• New incentive systems
• Changing management styles
Stage 3. Refreeze - Establish a new balance at higher levels of performance
- Positively reinforce new ways of working
- Confirm with new symbols of change ; company
identity, office layout, performance appraisal, teams,
training
Such processes often incur a painful, confusing period of time with lowered effectiveness in
the short term. Lewin’s approach attempts to achieve the ‘felt need’ for change by creating
insecurities. This approach needs effective leadership and support.Page 257
McKINSEY 7 S FRAMEWORK
The McKinsey 7 S framework is outlined in Figure 14.1. Through this approach to change, it
is suggested that there are key elements.
1. Strategy to achieve a sense of direction and purpose with clarity
2. Shared Values to mould a belief system which influences individual and
collective behaviour
3. Structure to enable the change
4. Style to lead the change through relevant management styles with
leadership
5. Systems to ensure information flows and that protocols and procedures
are in place to facilitate change
6. Skills to accomplish the changes needed with relevant competencies
7. Staffing to ensure the human capital is in place and to specify the
training that may be needed to reduce any competency gaps.
S 14 / 05 . 17Page 258
Figure 14.1 Shared
Values
Structure Systems
Strategy Style
Skills /
Staffing
These 7 elements are of course inter-related, and the challenge is to untangle the inherent
complexities to produce a roadmap for accountability the changes needed. It is also to be
recognise that some changes will be located within the 7 S’s identified.
MC KINSEY 7 S
S 14 / 06 . 17Page 259
KANTNER
The approach taken by KANTNER argues that change may be more multi-directional
than Lewin suggests.
He argues change can be accomplished in
• Bold strokes - top down directed strategic change
• Long marches - operational level changes, which changes culture
and needs widespread support from employees
This may be fine for transformational change, but incremental change may have to take
smaller steps and also step-by-step. However, according to KANTNER both Bold Strokes
and Long Marches use his same 10 steps, these being : -
S 14 / 07 . 17Page 260
1. Analyse the organisation; confirm the need for change
2. Inspire a shared vision and set a common direction
3. Separate from the past
4. Create a sense of urgency
5. Provide a strong leader role
6. Secure ‘political’ sponsorship
7. Craft the implementation plan
8. Create enabling structures
9. Communicate, involve people, be honest
10. Reinforce the change; institutionalise the change
S 14 / 08 . 17Page 261
GEMINI’S 4 R’S
By contrast to the work of Lewin, McKinsey and Kantner, the approach from Gemini,
posture that strategic transformation requires : -
• REFRAMING organisational mindset and build a measurement system to
monitor for change
• RESTRUCTURE the organisation and work flows
• REVITALISE with closer reference to the market environment and invent
new business to introduce change
• RENEW culture with a reward structure and individual learning
programmes to develop a learning organisation
So this is a fresh, albeit simplistic formula for achieving change.
S 14 / 09 . 17Page 262
The literature is rich with variation upon the theme of achieving change, some of which
have common ingredients and others offer new insights. As yet there isn’t one formula
which has been adopted.
The student should appreciate the real complexities involved in achieving change from a
strategic management perspective.
Selling Strategy and Specifying the changes need is the subject of corporate ambition..
Achieving the changes required is a matter of corporate ability.
The matching of ambition to ability will require the effective implementation of change.
The essence of achieving change is to understand the processes required, the next section
attempts to highlight this subject.
S 14 / 10 . 17Page 263
CHANGE PROCESSES
To manage Planned change, the following route is a starting point from which to appreciate
some of the essentials required to affect change.
1. Establish the purpose
1.1 Clarify the real need
1.2 Analyse the impact of doing nothing
1.3 Create a vision
1.4 Communicate and secure support for the vision
1.5 Confirm what needs to change
2. Develop momentum
2.1 Communicate, communicate, communicate
2.2 Align people behind the change
2.3 Involve people
2.4 Provide leadership and teams
2.5 Create urgency
S 14 / 11 . 17Page 264
4. Plan the change
3.1 Set milestones for achievement
3.2 Establish measures for success
3.3 Identity and secure resources
3.4 Allocate and delegate responsibilities for planning and implementation
3.5 Prepare for contingencies
3.6 Provide support
5. Lead the implementation
4.1 Inspire others
4.2 Communicate throughout
4.3 Seek early success and celebrate it
4.4 Monitor, control, review
4.5 Deal with the unexpected
4.6 Plan for continuous improvement
S 14 / 12 . 17Page 265
RESPONSE TO CHANGE
Change is hard to accept at times, nobody really likes change owing to the turbulence it creates.
Change can cause stress and anxiety, even though it may be beneficial, especially when change is
imposed. The KUBLER-ROSS curve below in Figure 14.2 attempts to explain the psychological
response to impactful change. If this is understood, then approaches to significant change
programmes may need to be counseled.
Typical response to imposed change
MOOD
PRECHANGE POST CHANGE PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT
TIME
LOSS
DENIAL
DISCARDING
PLANNING
INTEGRATION
INITIAL
ADAPTATION
The time taken for readjustments will depend upon the nature of the change and the impact it
created.
Figure 14.2
S 14 / 13 . 17Page 266
From the curve, the following characteristic behaviour can be explained:-
Loss : Confusion, shock, panic, fear of the unknown, helplessness
Denial : Ignoring the change; denying its significance, defensive
behaviour, anger
Initial : Anger and frustration as the change seems an inevitable reality
Adaptation
Discarding : Looking ahead, discarding the past as nothing can be done,
receptive to new messages
Planning : Experimentation and optimism
Implementation : Anxiety and excitement on realigning for the new challenges
and Integration
S 14 / 14 . 17Page 267
POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF CHANGE -- FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
As change in most organisations is rarely appreciated, the motivation for it as well as the
power base behind it has an important role to play.
The dynamics of organisational politics have to be factored into the change equation so that
resistance can be anticipated and managed.
It is for this reason that Force Field Analysis was designed to assess the nature of resistance
and the force of resistance to transformational change. Reference to Figure 14.3 will show
how resistance to change can be assessed.
The purpose is to assess the collective weight of resistance and set this against the weight of
support for the change. In this way, any disequilibrium can be assessed.
S 14 / 15 . 17Page 268
RESPONSE TO CHANGE, RESISTANCE AND FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
To assess the amount of real support there is for the proposed change. Where there is a state of
balance, then some political manouevering may be needed to swing the balance towards adoption.
THOSE AGAINST CHANGE THOSE FOR CHANGE
SOURCE POWER WEIGHT WEIGHT POWER SOURCE OF
OF BASE OF OF BASE SUPPORT
RESISTANCE RESISTANCE RESISTANCE
[ LOCATION ] HI LOW 1 – 10 1 - 10 HI LOW [ LOCATION ]
1. __________ ___ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ ________
2. __________ ___ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ ________
3. __________ ___ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ ________
4. __________ ___ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ ________
Total ==== ====
DISEQUILIBRIUM ?
This simple model attempts to quantify the assessment of political support and opposition.
It can also be used as a ‘mindset’when planning transformational change.
Figure 14.3
S 14 / 16 . 17Page 269
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. FROM THE MODELS OUTLINED FROM LEWIN, MCKINSEY, KANTNER AND
GEMINI, WHAT AR THE COMMON INGREDIENTS THAT EACH MODEL SHARES
IN ITS ATTEMPT TO PROPOSE A SOLUTION TO ACHIEVING CHANGE ?
2. USING EXAMPLES FROM YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES, OR IN GENERAL,
WHAT ARE THE CORE REASONS FOR RESISTANCE TO TRANSFORMATIONAL
CHANGE AND HOW CAN THIS RESISTANCE BE REDUCED OR EVEN
IRRADICATED ?
S 14 / 17 . 17Page 270
ANNEX 1 SEMINARSPage 271
6 SEMINARS IN TOTAL ARE PLANNED FOR THIS MODULE TO COVER
POTENTIAL SYLLABUS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS PROPOSED AT THE
END OF EACH SESSION.
ASSESSMENT BASED SEMINARS SHOULD ALSO BE HELD FOR
ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION, REVISION AND EXAMINATION
BRIEFING.Page 272
ASSESSMENT SEMINARS SEQUENCE
1. ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION
2. ASSIGNMENT OUTLINES -- PRESENTATION
4. REVISION OF SYLLABUS TOPICS FROM FRONT SHEETS OF
EACH SESSION (TOPICS 1 TO 7)
6. EXAMINATION BRIEFING
3. ASSIGNMENT OUTLINES -- PRESENTATION
5. REVISION OF SYLLABUS TOPICS FROM FRONT SHEETS OF
EACH SESSION (TOPICS 8 TO 14)Page 273
SEMINAR 1 : ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION
EXPECTATIONS
• University Protocols
• Structure of a Good Assignment
• Content Expected
• Referencing to meet Academic Requirements
• Examples from previous courses
• Conclusion – How to make this effective
• Using Appendices
• Students produceA Roadmap to address the assignment question of choice Student
TaskPage 274
SEMINAR 2 & 3 : ASSIGNMENT OUTLINE PRESENTATION
1. Students Are Required To Present The Plan For Their Strategic Management
Assignment
2. StudentsWill Be Selected For Presentation Depending Upon Class Size
3. Group Feedback From PeersWill Be Obtained
4. Critique Given By Tutor
5. Tutor Explains How The Assignment Is Marked And The Criteria Used For
Assignment EvaluationPage 275
SEMINAR 4 : REVISION OF SYLLABUS
TOPICS 1 TO 7Page 276
SEMINAR 5 : REVISION OF SYLLABUS
TOPICS 8 TO 14Page 277
SEMINAR 6 : EXAMINATION BRIEFINGS
• Protocols
• Examination Techniques
• Tutor Expectations
• The Content Of A Good Answer
• Sample Questions &Answer Discussions
• Criteria For Marking Examination AnswersPage 278
ANNEX 2 RECOMMENDED READINGPage 279
• Ansoff, I. (1987), Corporate Strategy (revised version), McGraw-Hill
• Burnes, B. (2008), Managing Change : A Strategic Approach to Organisational
Dynamics, (2nd edition), Pitman Publishing
• Fleishcer, C. S. and B. E. Bensoussan (2003), Strategic and Competitive Analysis :
Methods and Techniques for Analysing Business Competition, Prentice Hall.
• Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2008), Exploring Corporate Strategy – text and cases,
Prentice Hall
• Kim,W. C., Mauborgne, R. (2005), Blue Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business Press
• Lynch, R. (2006), Corporate Strategy , (4th edition), Pitman Publishing
• Mintzberg, H. and Quinn, J. (2003), The Strategy Process, (4th edition), Prentice Hall
• Mintzberg, H. (2009), Strategy Safari : The Complete Guide Through The Wilds of
Strategic Management, Free PressPage 280
• Porter, M. (1985), Competitive Advantage, The Free Press, Harvard, MA
• Porter, M. (1998), On Competition, Harvard Business School Press
• Thompson, A. A. , Gamble, J. E. and A, J. Strickland (2006), Strategy Winning in the
Marketplace , 2nd edition, New York McGraw-HillPage 281
ANNEX 3
ASSESSMENT
THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT
AND PRESENTATIONPage 282
1. Background to the organisation, its history and business domain.
Your task in groups is to adopt the theme ‘ Success Through Strategic Management ’.
You are to select an organisation of your choice and to draft a report with the following
sections : Using the context, models and frameworks contained within the Strategic
Management module.
2. The Strategic Direction to be achieved through Vision, Mission and Core Values.
3. The nature of Competition and Competitive Positioning of your selected company.
4. The drivers for change from the internal and external environments.
5. Strategic options for Growth.Page 283
6. Selected criteria to assess these options.
7. An evaluation of the options and the selected strategy for a defined timescale.
8. The Resource Implications for the modified strategy.
9. How the change needed will be achieved to accomplish the desired outcomes for
the company ?
The report submitted should not exceed 4000 words. You should be prepared to give a
Powerpoint presentation of no more than 15 slides for a 10-minute team presentation at a
date to be specified.Page 284
INDIVIDUALASSIGNMENT (1)
Discuss the term ‘Strategy’ and explain the purpose of Strategic Management.
Using an example of your choice, outline the industry context and then for one selected
organisation, complete a SWOT analysis to reveal the potential for leveraging business
strengths to capture future opportunities.
You are then required to set these opportunities into a framework for growth using the
Ansoff Matrix as a model.Page 285
INDIVIDUALASSIGNMENT (2)
To craft new strategy is a creative process but to implement such strategy is a significant
management challenge.
Discuss this statement and explain how the task of strategy implementation could be
approached in a systematic way.Page 286
INDIVIDUALASSIGNMENT (3)
Using classical models of your choice, show how the competitive environment of an
organisation can be assessed, for a company of your choice, within this industry context,
explain how competitive strategy can be crafted and justified.