Chapter 5 - Strategy in Action
Chapter 5 - Strategy in Action
Long-term objectives are needed at the corporate, divisional, and functional levels of
an organization.
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Objectives are commonly stated in terms such as growth in assets, growth in sales,
profitability, market share, degree and nature of diversification, degree and nature of
vertical integration, earnings per share, and social responsibility.
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Objectives provide a basis for consistent decision making by managers whose values
and attitudes differ. Objectives serve as standards by which individuals, groups,
departments, divisions, and entire organizations can be evaluated.
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Mr. Derek Bok, former President of Harvard University, once said, “If you think
education is expensive, try ignorance.” The idea behind this saying also applies to
establishing objectives, because strategists should avoid the following ways of “not
managing by objectives.”
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Hansen and Smith explain that strategic planning involves “choices that risk
resources and trade-offs that sacrifice opportunity.”
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Defined and exemplified in Table 5-4, alternative strategies that an enterprise could
pursue can be categorized into 11 actions.
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Strategy making is not just a task for top executives. Middle- and lower-level
managers also must be involved in the strategic-planning process to the extent
possible. In large firms, there are actually four levels of strategies: corporate,
divisional, functional, and operational.
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The two general types of diversification strategies are related diversification and
unrelated diversification.
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Note that a key difference between related and unrelated diversification is that the
former should be based on some commonality in markets, products, or technology,
whereas the latter is based more on profit considerations.
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Selling all of a company’s assets, in parts, for their tangible worth is called
liquidation; it is associated with Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Liquidation is a recognition of
defeat and consequently can be an emotionally difficult strategy.
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Probably the three most widely read books on competitive analysis in the 1980s
were Michael Porter’s Competitive Strategy (1980), Competitive Advantage (1985),
and Competitive Advantage of Nations (1989). According to Porter, strategies allow
organizations to gain competitive advantage from three different bases: cost
leadership, differentiation, and focus. Porter calls these bases generic strategies.
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Some key reasons why many mergers and acquisitions fail are provided in Table 5-5.
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Table 5-6 presents the potential benefits of merging with or acquiring another firm.
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First mover advantages are analogous to taking the high ground first, which puts one
in an excellent strategic position to launch aggressive campaigns and to defend
territory.