Bracker, J. (1980) The historical development of the strategic management concept. Flashcards
GOAL
examine how the concept of strategy has evolved into the field of strategic management and provide a definition
Our word strategy comes from the Greek
strategos, “a general,” which in turn comes from roots meaning “army” and “lead.” The Greek verb stratego means to “plan the destruction of one’s enemies through effective use of resources.
First application of strategy to business
Socrates showed Nichomachides that in either case (general and businessman) one plans the use of one’s resources to meet objectives.
After the war
because of stable environment and rapidly changing competition, the need for strategy became more business like. “The accelerated rate of change put a premium on the ability to anticipate change, to take advantage of new opportunities, and to take timely action in avoiding threats to the firm.”
Business strategy has the following characteristics
an environmental or situational analysis is used to determine a firms posture in its field, and then the firm’s resources are utilized in an appropriate manner to attain its major goals.
Strategic management is the direct organizational application of
the concepts of business strategy that have been developed in the academic realm. That is, strategic management entails the analysis of internal and external environments of a firm to maximize the utilization of resources in relation to objectives. (MACRO definition)
Why strategic management is important
it gives organizations a framework for developing abilities for anticipating and coping with change. It also helps to develop the ability to deal with uncertain futures by defining a procedure for accomplishing goals.