Theme: Executing Strategy Through Organizational Design

Read:

Strategic Management

Chapter 9: Executing Strategy through Organizational Design

Hsieh, T. and Yik, S. (2005, February).Leadership as the starting point of strategy. McKinsey & Company

http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/leadership/leadership-as-the-starting-point-of-strategy

It's Not The CEO, It's The Leadership Strategy That Matters

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2012/07/30/its-not-the-ceo-its-the-leadership-strategy-that-matters/#6e2039e5a3e7

Strategy and Corporate Culture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC13IaTFtXg

Levels of Culture

http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_schein_three_levels_culture.html

Complete:

Participate in week 6 learning activities (Initial response due by Thursday, 2 classmates follow up response due by Sunday).

Learning Activities

General instructions:

Research, apply and answer in your own words with appropriate reference(s) and in-text citation(s) to this week's readings, videos, and/or examples from current events to support the position and/or rationale.

Label your responses specifically "Learning activity 1", and "Learning activity 2".

Write in 250 words at least for initial response. Due by Thursday.

Write in 75 words for each follow-up response (at least 2 follow-up responses for each learning activity) by expanding the discussion topic substantively and explore other possibilities and/or solutions, thereby enriching class learning.

Learning Activity 1

In Chapter 9, we learned about "Executing Strategy through Organization Design".

The following activity is intended for you to apply what you have learned to support your recommended types of organizational structure in executing three different types of strategies:

An innovation strategy is one that "emphases the introduction of major new products and services."

A cost-minimization strategy is one that "emphases (a) tight cost controls, (b) avoidance of unnecessary innovation or marketing expenses, and (c) price cutting."

An imitation strategy is one that "seeks to move into new products or new markets only after their viability has been proven".

Reference:

Unknown (2014).Introduction to strategic management. Washington, D.C.: The Saylor Foundation.

Step 1: Initial response

Respond to the following three questions:

What type(s) of organizational structure works (work) best with an innovation strategy?

A cost-minimization strategy?
An imitation strategy?

What are the respective advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) (if any) in adopting such organizational structure for each intended strategy?

Choose a strategic option out of the three (innovation, cost-minimization or imitation) strategies for your focal company (your current or one of your previous employers), what are the underlying reasons for that company in terms of its current internal and external areas of competitive advantages?

Step 2: Follow-up postings

You may use one (or a combination) of the following approaches, and you are not limited to these approaches:

Comment on (a) the strengths or merits, and/or (b) the weaknesses (areas of deficiency) in each organizational structure.

Critique any mismatch between organizational structure and its intended strategy.

Support your alternative recommendations with evidence from recent events, and/or sources of reference

Discuss what you think about the potential pitfalls (or weaknesses) of such organizational structures in the specific strategy (or strategies).

Respond to the additional question(s) posted by the instructor to the whole class.

Learning Activity 2

In Chapter 9, we learned about three categories of control: Output control, behavioral control, and clan control.

Reference:

Unknown (2014).Introduction to strategic management. Washington, D.C.: The Saylor Foundation.

Step 1: Initial response:

Be specific by providing the type of business (organization) [such as for-profit, or non-profit; small-size, medium-sized, multinational, etc.] and industry [such as trucking industry, retail chain, manufacturing, consumer product manufacturing, energy, etc.] in your initial response as an important background information.

Share with the class "How does your current employer apply (or how has one of your past employers applied) each of these three categories of control in the workplace in alignment with its strategic management?" Be specific with the type of industry.

What do you think about their respective effectiveness and intended results in the strategic management of your focal company or organization?

What would you recommend doing otherwise to promote a healthier or more efficient strategic alignment between controls and their intended goals?

Step 2: Follow-up postings

You may use one (or a combination) of the following approaches, and you are not limited to these approaches:

Comment on the position of your fellow learner's posting.

Recommend alternative approaches for fine-tuning the effective control systems.

Make alternative recommendations with reference to this week's readings, other research findings and/or examples from current events.

Respond to the additional question(s) posted by the instructor to the whole class.