Chapter 1: Introducing Strategy Flashcards
What is strategy?
The long term direction of an organisation
Name 3 leading strategy theorists
Alfred Chandler
Michael Porter
Henry Mintzberg
What does Alfred Chandler emphasise?
Logical flow from determination of goals & objectives to the allocation of resources
Logical flow from determination of goals & objectives to the allocation of resources
Alfred Chandler
What does Michael Porter focus on?
Deliberate choices, difference & competition
Deliberate choices, difference & competition
Michael Porter
What does Henry Mintzberg believe?
Strategies do not always follow a deliberately chosen & logical plan
They can emerge in more ad hoc ways
“A pattern in a stream of decisions”
Henry Mintzberg
What are the 3 elements of the definition of strategy?
1) Long term
2) Direction
3) Organisation
Long term
Strategies are typically measured over years
Strategies are typically measured over…
…years
The three horizons framework suggests…
…organisations should think of themselves as compromising 3 different types of business or activity , defined by their horizons in terms of years
Horizon 1 businesses are…
…the current core activities
Horizon 1 businesses need…
…defending & extending
The expectation of horizon 1 businesses in the long term is…
…they will likely be flat or declining in terms of profits
Horizon 2 businesses are…
…emerging activities that should provide new sources of profits
Horizon 3 businesses are…
…possibilities. Typically risky research & development projects, startup ventures, test-market pilots (in the future)
According to the three horizons framework, strategy involves…
…pushing out Horizon 1 as far as possible whilst looking to Horizons 2 & 3
Over the years, strategies…
…follow some kind of long term direction or trajectory
Managers try & set the direction of their strategy according to…
…long term objectives
Organisations have many…
…internal & external stakeholders
Strategy is crucially concerned with an organisation’s…
…external boundaries
Corporate-level strategy is concerned with…
…the overall scope of an organisation and how value is added to the constituent businesses of the organisational whole