STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
Summary Of Chapter 1 The Nature Of Strategic Management



SUBMITTED BY:
GROUP 6:
Ashna Fauzan 13
Qurat Ul Ain Raza 44
Taha Owais Khanzada 69
Usama Khanzada 72
Zohra Salim 78

SUBMITTED TO: Sir Askari
CLASS: BS VIII Morning
DATE: 15
th
August 2014







Summary Of Chapter 1 The Nature Of Strategic Management

Doing Great In A Weak Economy - MCDONALDS CORPORATION
When most firms were struggling in 2008, McDonalds increased its revenues from $22.7 billion in 2007 to $23.5 billion
in 2008, which means McDonalds net income nearly doubled during that time from $2.4 billion to $4.3 billion.
McDonalds rated as a Most Admired Company of the World by Fortune magazine in 2009 for their management and
performance.
McDonalds added 650 new outlets in 2009 when many restaurants struggled to keep their doors open. They
make some strategies:
McDonalds low prices and expanded menu items have attracted millions of new customers away from sit-down
chains and independent eateries. Nearly 80% of McDonalds are run by franchises in 2008.
McDonalds in 2009 spent $2.1 billion to remodel many of its 32,000 restaurants. Restaurants chains that are
struggling to survive, lay off employees, closing restaurants, and reducing expansion plans.
McDonalds for several years referred to their strategic plan as plan to win. This strategy has been to increased
sales at existing locations by improving the menu, remodeling dining rooms, extending hours, and adding
snacks.
McDonalds was only one of three large U.S firms that saw its stock price rise in 2008. The other two firms were
Wal-Mart and Family Dollar stores.
They also use the strategies includes; replacing gasoline powered cars with energy efficient cars, lowering
advertising rates, halting building new outlets on street corners.
McDonalds reported that first quarter 2009 profits rose 4 percent and same-store sales rose 4.3 percent across the
globe. The first company featured for excellent performance in the global recession is McDonalds Corporation.
McDonalds is a well-known global firm undergoing strategic change and managing it well.
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT:
Strategic management can be defined as the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-
functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives. Strategic management focuses on integrating
management, marketing, finance/accounting, production/operations, research and development, and information
systems to achieve organizational success. The term strategic management is used synonymously with the term
strategic planning. The latter term is more often used in the business world, whereas the former is often used in
academia. The purpose of strategic management is to exploit and create new and different opportunities for tomorrow.
STAGES OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT:
Strategic management consists of three stages
1. Strategy Formulation
2. Strategy Implementation
3. Strategy Evaluation

These stages are further defined as:
1. Strategy Formulation:
It focuses on developing vision and mission statement, identifying organizations external opportunities and threats,
determining internal strength and weaknesses, establishing long term objectives, generating strategies and choosing
particular strategies to pursue.
It also includes deciding what new business to enter what business to abandon, how to allocate resources, whether to
expand or diversify, whether to merge or form a joint venture and how to avoid hostile takeover.
2. Strategy Implementation:
It is also regarded as action stage in which formulated strategy is being executed. It is also considered as the most
difficult it requires personal discipline, commitment and sacrifice, successful strategy implementation relies on
managers and supervisors ability to motivate employees which is more of an art than science.
It emphasizes on linking employees compensation with organizations performance.
3. Strategy Evaluation:
It is the final stage of strategic management which shows the outcome of strategy formulation and implementation it
tells whether strategy is working well or not.
It has been further categorized into three activities:
i. Reviewing internal and external factors that are the basis of current strategy.
ii. Measuring performance.
iii. Taking corrective actions.
Integrating Intuition and Analysis:
Based on past experiences, judgment, and feelings, most people recognize that intuition is essential to making good
strategic decisions. In strategic management intuition and analysis plays an essential role as it assists in decision making.
Managers introduce their intuitive thinking and judgment in strategic analysis as analytical thinking and intuitive thinking
complement each other.
Adapting Change:
Change holds unique significance in strategic management as strategic management process is based on a belief that
organizations need to continually monitor internal and external events so that timely changes can be made when
needed.
Therefore to survive in competitive arena organizations must identify and adapt to change. E-commerce and
globalization are external changes that are transforming business and society today.
The need to adapt to change leads organizations to key strategic-management questions, such as:
What kind of business should we become?
Are we in the right field(s)?
Should we reshape our business?
What new competitors are entering our industry?
What strategies should we pursue?
How are our customers changing?
Are new technologies being developed that could put us out of business?

KEY TERMS IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
1. Competitive Advantage:
Competitive advantage is anything that an organization does especially better compared to other organizations of a
similar nature.
When a firm can do something that a rival firm cannot do or owns something that rival firms does not, that can
represent a competitive advantage, for example, in a global economic recession, simply having ample cash on the firms
balance sheet can provide a major competitive advantage in a way that it can give the cash-rich firm an opportunity to
acquire its distressed rival. For example, cash-rich Johnson & Johnson in the United States also is acquiring distressed
rival firm
Normally, a firm can sustain a competitive advantage for only a certain period due to rival firms imitating and
undermining that advantage. Thus a firm must strive to achieve a sustained competitive advantage. Sustained
competitive advantage can be achieved by:
1. Continually adapting to changes in external trends and events and internal capabilities, competencies, and
resources.
2. Effectively formulating, implementing, and evaluating strategies that capitalize upon those factors.
2. Strategists:
Strategists are the individuals who are most responsible for the success or failure of an organization, for example the
chief executive officer, president, owner, chair of the board, executive director, chancellor, dean or entrepreneur.
The fact that strategists are usually found in the higher levels of management, they typically have considerable authority
for decision making in the firm. The CEO is the most visible and critical strategist.
Strategists help an organization gather, analyse and organize information.
They differ in attitudes, values, ethics, willingness to take risks, concern for social responsibility, concern for profitability,
concern for short-run versus long-run aims and management style.
3. Vision and Mission Statements:
A vision statement answers the question What do we want to become? Developing a vision statement is the first step
in strategic planning. Many vision statements are a single sentence, for instance Stokes Eye Clinics vision statement is
Our vision is to take care of your vision
A mission statement is a statement that states the purpose of existence of a firm and distinguishes the firm from other
similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of a firms operations in product and market terms. It addresses
the basic question that faces all strategists: What is our business?
4. External Opportunities and Threats:
These refer to economic, social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, legal, governmental, technological, and
competitive trends and events that could significantly benefit or harm an organization in the future.
External opportunities and threats are beyond the control a single organization. Examples are, currency fluctuation,
global recession, introduction of a new product by a competitor, a nationwide catastrophe e.g. floods.
A basic tenet of strategic management is that firms need to formulate strategies to take advantage of external
opportunities and to avoid or reduce the impact of external threats.



5. Internal Strengths and Weaknesses:
They are an organizations controllable activities that are performed especially well or poorly. Identifying and evaluating
organizational strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of a business is an essential strategic-management
activity.
For example, strength may involve owner-ship of natural resources or a historic reputation for quality. Strengths and
weaknesses may be determined relative to a firms own objectives. For example, high levels of inventory turnover may
not be a strength to a firm that seeks never to stock-out.
Organizations strive to pursue strategies that capitalize on internal strengths and eliminate internal weaknesses.
6. Long-term Objectives:
Long-term objectives are specific results that an organization seeks to achieve in pursuing its basic mission and which
take more than one year to achieve.
Objectives state direction, aid in evaluation, create synergy, reveal priorities, focus coordination, and provide a basis for
effective planning, organizing, motivating and controlling activities.
Objectives should be challenging, measurable, consistent, reasonable, and clear.
7. Strategies:
They are the means by which long-term objectives will be achieved. They may include geographic expansion,
diversification, acquisition, liquidation etc.
Strategies are potential actions that require top management decisions and large amounts of the firms resources. In
addition, strategies affect an organizations long-term prosperity, typically for at least five years, and thus are future-
oriented.
Strategies have multifunctional or multidivisional consequences and require consideration of both the external and
internal factors facing the firm.
8. Annual Objectives:
Annual objectives are short-term milestones that organizations must achieve to reach long-term objectives. They should
be measurable, quantitative, challenging, realistic, consistent and prioritized.
A set of annual objectives is needed for each long-term objective. Annual objectives are especially important in strategy
implementation whereas long-term objectives are particularly important in strategy formulation.
Annual objectives represent the basis for resource allocation.
9. Policies:
Policies are the means by which annual objectives will be achieved. They include guidelines, rules and procedures
established to support efforts to achieve stated objectives. They are guides to decision making and address repetitive or
recurring situations.
They are important in strategy implementation because they outline an organizations expectations of its employees and
managers. They allow consistency and coordination within and between organizational departments.



THE STRATEGIC-MANAGEMENT MODEL
The strategic-management model demonstrates a concrete approach for formulating, implementing and evaluating
strategies. It shows inter related working of major components.
Answers must be found to three important questions before developing a strategic plan:
Where are we now?
Where do we want to go?
How are we going to get there?

The strategic-management model suggests that ascertaining vision, mission, objectives, and strategies of an organization
is the first step in strategic management process because it can help in defining the course of action that the firm plans
to follow.
The strategic management process is an ongoing, continuous process and therefore a change in any one component
requires making changes in other components too. For example failure to accomplish annual objectives could require
change in policies. This can be elaborated with the example that if salespersons of a particular organization is failing to
achieve annual targeted sales, their incentive policy for maybe amended. Incentives can be made more attractive to
motivate the sales force. To avoid any loss the strategic management process is done on continual basis rather than on
intermittent basis.
The strategic-management model shows that the business ethics/social responsibility/environmental sustainability
issues as well as the global/international issues influence all organizations hence modifying their strategic decisions.
However the strategic management process is not always followed exactly in the way as described in the strategic-
management model. It is an ongoing process done with collaboration among different levels of the organization. Many
firms plan semiannual meetings to discuss firms vision/mission, opportunities/threats, strengths/weaknesses,
strategies, objectives, policies, and performance. These meetings are usually conducted outside the official premises to
promote openness among participants.
Strategic management process takes place more formally in larger organizations. The participants, responsibilities,
authority, duties and approach are clearly specified. Also firms that compete in the fast-moving and ever-changing
environment give more attention to strategic planning. For example Companies like Samsung and Apple follow
aggressive strategic planning because they cannot afford to lag behind in a rapidly changing technological environment.
Similarly companies that have a lot of divisions, products, markets and technologies are also formal in their strategic
management process. For example in 1990s Procter and Gamble identified the increasing globalization of business and
resultantly altered their business strategy and structure in order to maximize exposure in more countries in order to:
remain competitive internationally, benefit from economies of scale; and to maximize revenues, profits, share price and
return on invested capital. More formality means greater cost-saving, comprehensiveness, accuracy, and success of
planning across all types and sizes of organizations.
BENEFITS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT:
Strategic managements enables proactive approach in organizations and allows them to take initiatives rather than
responding to a situation. It makes organizations take control of their success.
Strategic management benefits organizations in a way that it helps them articulate better strategies through a more
systematic approach. Research shows that the process itself has more importance than the document or the decision. It
is stated that Communication is a key to successful strategic management. Managers and employees become more
supportive to the organization through involvement which refers to dialogue and participation. Without the involvement
of all employees it can be hard for a firm to reach its full potential.

Understanding is the most important element of the strategic management process. All managers and employees must
understand what the organization wants to achieve and how. Only after they understand they become committed
towards the mission of the organization. The employees also need to understand the connection between their own
compensation and organizational performance. It helps them understand the firms objectives, missions and strategies.
Their understanding offers another benefit of strategic management which is Empowerment, empowerment means
increasing employee performance by allowing them to participate in decision making and take initiatives also rewarding
them in return.
Organizations are now moving towards the decentralized approach to strategic management because of the concept
that the planning must include all employees including lower level employees and managers.
The idea of the strategic management process is encouraging the learning and education of the employees and
managers because the strategic management document itself is not of much importance until it is deployed. Through
involvement of line-managers they feel a sense of commitment towards the strategy which helps in better execution.
Many organizations are employing strategic management in decision making but it doesnt always work and can cause
problems if not done properly.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS:
Research demonstrates that firms are able to become more profitable and successful through the use of strategic
management. They achieve higher sales and productivity. Such firms are able to achieve long term financial growth
because they are able to monitor and prepare for future variations in their environment.
High performing firms make better decisions and are aware of all the consequences whereas low performing firms are
unable to forecast future circumstances and are caught up in solving internal issues. They blame their lack of
performance on factors such as poor economy and competition. The reason for their failure is that they underestimate
their competitors strengths while overestimating their own.
NON-FINANCIAL BENEFITS:
Strategic management offers many other non-financial benefits as well which includes greater responsiveness to
external threats, better awareness of competitors strategies, increased employee productivity, more openness to
change, and better understanding of performancereward relationships. Strategic management makes firms more
proactive as all managers at different organizational levels collaborate with each other. Firms that encourage employee
interaction and share objectives with them, also rewarding them for their performance can always turn to them in
prompt decision making situations.
Strategic management also results in a disciplined firm which would otherwise be struggling because of various activities
going on at the same time. Strategic management either builds firm faith on current business strategy or allows to take
corrective measures. The strategic management process make managers and employees recognize the need for rational
change. It makes them view it as an opportunity.
Greenley stated that strategic management offers the following benefits:
1. It allows for identification, prioritization, and exploitation of opportunities.
2. It provides an objective view of management problems.
3. It represents a framework for improved coordination and control of activities.
4. It minimizes the effects of adverse conditions and changes.
5. It allows major decisions to better support established objectives.
6. It allows more effective allocation of time and resources to identified opportunities.
7. It allows fewer resources and less time to be devoted to correcting erroneous or ad hoc decisions.
8. It creates a framework for internal communication among personnel.
9. It helps integrate the behavior of individuals into a total effort.
10. It provides a basis for clarifying individual responsibilities.
11. It encourages forward thinking.
12. It provides a cooperative, integrated, and enthusiastic approach to tackling problems and opportunities.
13. It encourages a favorable attitude toward change.
14. It gives a degree of discipline and formality to the management of a business.
WHY SOME DONT DO STRATEGIC PLANNING:
Some firms do not engage in strategic planning, and some firms do strategic planning but receive no support from
managers and employees. Some reasons for poor or no strategic planning are as follows:
1. Lack of knowledge or experience in strategic planning: No training in strategic planning.
2. Poor reward structures: Firms punish employees when they do not perform well otherwise ignore their good
performance.
3. Firefighting: An organization can be so caught up in resolving current problems and firefighting that it is unable
to plan for future.
4. Waste of Time: Organizations start to work without planning without understanding that time spent on planning
is an investment.
5. Too expensive: Some organizations see planning as too expensive in time and money.
6. Laziness: People may not want to put forth the effort needed to formulate a plan.
7. Content with success: Firms may take success for granted. But success today does not guarantee success
tomorrow.
8. Fear of failure: Firms do not want to take actions just because the risk of failure but whenever there is a chance
of success there is some risk involved.
9. Overconfidence: Experience make managers overconfident and they choose to ignore formalized planning
which is the wrong approach. Planning is professionalism and is always helpful.
10. Prior bad experience: People may have had a previous bad experience with planning, but it doesnt mean that it
will fail each time.
11. Self interest: When people see that old system brings success they want to avoid the new plan.
12. Fear of the unknown: People may be uncertain of their abilities to learn new skills, of their aptitude with new
systems, or of their ability to take on new roles.
13. Honest difference of opinion: People may sincerely believe the plan is wrong, Different people in different jobs
have different perceptions of situation.
14. Suspicion: Employees may not trust management.

PITFALLS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING:
Strategic planning an intricate process that takes an organization into unknown situations. It takes the organization
through a journey and offers a structure for addressing problems and providing solutions.
Some pitfalls to watch for and avoid in strategic planning are these:
Using strategic planning to gain control over decisions and resources
Doing strategic planning only to satisfy certification or regulatory requirements
Rapidly moving from mission development to strategy formulation
Failing to communicate the plan to employees, who continue working in the dark
Top managers making many intuitive decisions that conflict with the formal plan
Top managers not actively supporting the strategic-planning process
Failing to use plans as a standard for measuring performance
Delegating planning to a planner rather than involving all managers
Failing to involve key employees in all phases of planning
Failing to create a collaborative climate supportive of change
Viewing planning as unnecessary or unimportant
Becoming so occupied in current problems that insufficient or no planning is done
Being so formal in planning that flexibility and creativity are muffled.
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT:
Failing to follow certain guidelines in conducting strategic management can raise criticisms of the process and create
problems for the organization. Issues such as is strategic management in our firm a people process? Should be
addressed.
An important guideline for effective strategic management is open mindness. A willingness and eagerness to consider
new information, new viewpoints, new ideas, and new possibilities is essential. All organization members must share a
spirit of analysis and learning.
Some Guidelines For Effective Strategic Planning:
1. It should be people process more than a paper process.
2. It should be a learning process for all managers and employees.
3. It should be words supported by numbers rather than numbers supported by words.
4. It should be simple and nonroutine.
5. It should vary assignments, team memberships, meeting formats, and even the planning calendar.
6. It should challenge the assumptions underlying the current corporate strategy.
7. It should welcome bad news.
8. It should welcome open mindness and a spirit of inquiry and learning.
9. It should not be a bureaucratic mechanism.
10. It should not become ritualistic, stilted, or orchestrated.
11. It should not be too formal, predictable or rigid.
12. It should not contain jargon or arcane planning language.
13. It should not be a formal system or control.
14. It should not disregard qualitative information.
15. It should not be controlled by technicians
16. Do not pursue too many strategies at once.
17. Continually strengthen the good ethics is good business policy.

CONCLUSION:
All firms have a strategy, even if it is informal, unstructured, and sporadic. All organizations are heading somewhere, but
unfortunately some organizations do not know where they are going. The old saying If you do not know where you are
going, then any road will lead you there! accents the need for organizations to use strategic-management concepts and
techniques. The strategic-management process is becoming more widely used by small firms, large companies, nonprofit
institutions, governmental organizations, and multinational conglomerates alike. The process of empowering managers
and employees has almost limitless benefits.