Strategic And Institutional Management Free Sample

Introduction

The implementation of the strategic plan is a matter of great importance as it is the facts which decide the success or failure of a strategic plan. In order to ensure that the strategic plan is effectively implemented, the concerned people must have clear understanding of the plan and the way of implementation. The implementation of strategy is not an easy task. It involves and requires proper arrangement, balanced fund raising, motivation, leadership, guidance and more over much focus on the operations level of the organisation.

Steps in executing the strategy

• Developing an organization capable of implementing the strategy efficiently.
• Allocating the available resources based on the preference of the activities.
• Setting up of policies which can support the strategy
• Arranging practices, activities and programs for uninterrupted improvement
• Installation of variety of support functions
• Designing a compensations system which can fasten and help the achievement of the strategy objectives
• Framing out a corporate culture which support well the strategy
• Applying an efficient leadership
• Bringing the strategy into practice

Implementation Programs

A new strategy Implementation consists of developing a program that helps to change and improve variety of processes of the organisation. There are different programs that firms could be adopted for strategy implementation. Some of them are explained below.

Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a business management strategy which is developed to improve production process by way of avoiding unnecessary flow or movements that may affect the customer satisfaction which is one of the objectives of the organisation. The basic purpose of the Six Sigma strategy is the carrying out of a measurement-based strategy which aims at the improvement of different processes and minimizing the variation by way application of different six sigma techniques ( Bruel, 2006, p. 351).

The importance of the six sigma can be understood from the fact that, the organisations which implement six sigma strategies ensures improved efficiency and quality. Therefore it can be said that implantation of six sigma strategy can improve the quality of product and at various levels of business operations. One of the greatest advantages of six sigma strategy is that, when the organization achieves one level of standard, then it will look for next level and this process continues.

Reengineering

Reengineering in business field refers to the practice of reforming the business practices and allied activities including organisational structure for improving the performance of the organisation by way of continuous monitoring of external as well as internal changes of the organisation (Business re-engineering and strategic enterprises, n. d.). The reengineering process can make the business processes more effective as it helps in designing a technology driven information system which is fertilizer for strategic management (Business process re-engineering, n. d.)

Job redesign

It is the process of merging or uniting the present jobs, designing work groups and also developing a system in the organisation which enables the employees to have a close contact with the suppliers and customers. If an organisation implements job redesign strategy, it can decide which job is suitable for an employee and act accordingly. While redesigning the job employees are divided into some groups and also they are guided for achieving the objectives of the organisation (Job enrichment, n. d.). Once the employees are given guidance they are given freedom act themselves. This can motivate employees as it is giving a sort pride self pride feeling to employees. All these help the organisation to achieve its overall objectives.

Financial Planning (Resources)

According to Blaine O’Connell chief financial officer at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee “A strategic plan without financial backing isn’t much of a strategy” (Connell, 2000, P. 211). Financial resource allocation is one of the most important aspects of strategy implementation. The demands for new tool, reinstallations, preservation and introduction of new service line…etc is covered here. Without finance it is difficult to implement the new strategy. There must be a continuous assessment of the budget for the proposed strategic plan, so that the objective of cost reduction can be achieved. This ultimately results in smooth implementation and execution of the plan and thereby ensuring the organizational success.

Role of HR in Strategy Execution

The human resource has a significant role in the effectiveness of the strategy. The new strategy shaped out by the efforts of different individuals by taking so many months, the designed strategy need to be properly communicated to employees, otherwise it will not the expected result. Sometimes the organisation present or deliver the strategy to the employees in a meeting and employees will know what the strategy is at that time, but later they will forget. Sometimes the e employees may not be having the clear cut idea of the strategy due to lack of proper communication and explanation. Whatever be the case, though employees know about the strategy, they may not have an idea about how it relates to them. This should not be happened. The human resource department can do much in this regard and make the new strategy grand success by way of:

1. Ensuring employees know who are all at the top of the company
2. Making sure that employees have and know the enough expertise and skill sets necessary for the new strategy
3. frequent conversation regarding the goals, performance and improvement. Conversation is better than communication (Gay, 2007).
4. Making sure that the objectives is designed in such a way that, the employees could easily understand the objectives, so that if there are any deviations in the process of such objectives employees can understand.
5. Making clear to employees what is outstanding customer service and how it should be implemented in the organization.

Keys to Strategic Implementation Success

Mere strategy formulation is not sufficient for the successful integration of business plans with external environment. What is most important is the successful implementation of the strategies formulated. Following are the key elements that ensure the successful strategy implementation (Heathfield, n. d.):

• Regular and complete executive support,
• Efficient communication
• Employee participation
• Perfect organisational planning and competitive analysis
• Extensive apparent need for strategic planning

The Problems of Strategy Execution

It is well known that the process of planning and execution are complementary to each other. One of the critical factors of success of strategy execution is that the interest between the planning team and execution team must be the same and it must be communicated properly. Nevertheless, there might be some threats from the part of those who are responsible for the execution in the planning process.

Execution takes time

Though both planning and execution are interconnected and sometimes complementary, implementation takes more time than planning. This is because of the reason that execution stage must take care of various factors that may not find place in the planning stage. In other words, planning is forward looking where as implementation/execution is realistic. The reasons that make the process more complex are discussed below (Hrebiniak, 2008):

• Execution must have many peoples’ support:
  

  • It is said that the complexity of execution increases with increase in the number of people in the process.

• Effective execution warrants managers/supervisors at all levels of organisational hierarchy:
  

  • Strategy implementation is a process that needs to be undertaken with utmost care and attention. Unless managers/ supervisors are haired at all levels of the organisation, the implementation would be a failure that ultimately affect the organisational objectives and success

• Managing change is difficult:
  

  • Strategy implementation involves many changes to the existing systems and culture of the organisation. All these need to be managed effectively so as to succeed in effective execution. However, it is not a simple task to implement strategy all of a sudden

Strategy Execution Evaluation

It is the process of measuring the effectiveness of the strategies implemented. The effectiveness of strategy is evaluated in terms of the parameters such as suitability, i.e., would it work, feasibility, i.e., can it be made to work, and acceptability, i.e., will they work it? This also requires from the part of the implementation team that necessary precautionary measures for even to change the entire strategy.

The main purpose of examining the strategy is to recognize the outputs, outcomes and effects of the strategy and formulate conclusions about the extent to which the given strategy is successful. Balance scorecard is one of the most commonly used tools. Balance scorecard may be interpreted as the strategic performance management tool for evaluating whether the smaller-scale operational activities of an organisation are adjusted towards its larger-scale objectives expressed as vision and mission.

Conclusion

Strategy implementation is a tough task and the successful implementation is the outcome of endless efforts of a group of people. It is necessary that the people involved in the strategy planning and execution process are to worked as if they are aiming towards the same direction with quest and curiosity.

References

Bruel, Jean-Michel (2006), Satellite events at the MoDELS 2005 conference: MoDELS 2005 international workshops, doctoral symposium, educators symposium, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Birkhäuser.

“Business process re-engineering” (n. d.), BPR online learning center, Prosci.. Web.

“Business re-engineering and strategic enterprises” (n. d.), ramsapt tripod. Web.

Connell O Blaine (2000) Managing strategy implementation: an organizational behaviour perspective, Wiley-Blackwell.

Gay, Chris (2007), Creating line of sight between employees and strategy, Strategic Communication Management, Online, All business. Web.

Heathfield, M Susan (n. d.), Make Strategic Planning Implementation Work: Develop a Strategic Culture for Successful Strategic Planning Implementation, About. Web.

Hrebiniak, Lawrence (2008), Making Strategy Work: Overcoming the Obstacles to Effective Execution, Feature article, online, Ivey business journal. Web.

“Job enrichment” (n. d.), Business dictionary, Answers. Web.

Bibliography

“Implementing Strategy Through Employees” (2009), Profitability Through Human Capital, Intellectual capital consulting. Web.

Six Sigma Assistant (2007), Importance of six sigma in the business world, aveta business solutions. Web.

“Six Sigma”- What is six sigma, six sigma magazine-Online. Web.

Starbucks Coffee Company Closing Down Stores

Company and its business

The company selected for review in this paper is Starbucks Coffee Company. It is one of the leading international coffeehouse chains based in Seattle, Washington, the U.S.A that was established in 1971 by three partners to sell high-quality coffee beans and machinery. Over the years the company shifted to selling brewed coffees and other items in its coffeehouses. In 1987 Starbucks chain was sold to Schultz’s Il Giornale and after that, the company experienced commendable growth and expansion both in the US and internationally. The company serves millions of customers throughout its global chain of more than 16,000 coffeehouses in 49 countries with a major concentration of stores in the USA, Japan and Canada. The company’s product line includes drip-brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Also, through its Entertainment Division, the company sells markets books, music and film.

Company Business Decision

Over the years Starbucks Coffee Company has successfully expanded geographically and heightened sales. However, in the wake of the recent global financial crisis the company has run into liquidity problems which have forced the company to rethink its strategic decision of expansion. Instead, the company has decided in 2008 to close down 900 stores in the US (Adamy, 2009) and 61 stores in Australia (CNN, 2008) as an attempt to manage its plummeting profits down by 69% from US$208.1mn to US$64.3mn reported in December 2008 (Adamy, 2009). The company is planning to close these stores in 2009. Therefore, the time period of this business decision is from 2008 to 2009.

Relevant Cost Implications

The two relevant costs could be as follows:

1. The company will have to incur out-of-pocket expenses to cancel the lease arrangements it had for the stores planned to be closed. These costs can further reduce company profits and the global economic situation is not showing any signs of stabilizing. Typically, companies tend to disclose these costs under extraordinary activities which are separately identified in the income statement.
2. The company will have to compensate a large number of employees who will be forced to leave the company. These compensations could include golden handshakes, early repayment of gratuity and perpetual funds, or other payments which are part of the employer-employee contract. These compensation costs can reduce the company’s profits and decline of funds maintained by the company.

Non-relevant Cost Implications

The two non-relevant costs could be as follows:

1. Due to the company’s closure of its coffeehouses thousands of employees. Almost 12,000 workers will be affected by this business decision. Most of them will be out of work which will have indirect cost implications on society. This would extra burden on the government which will be aiming to accommodate non-working staff.
2. As the company’s financial position is hit badly by worsening market conditions. The company will not be able to enjoy the high pricing for its coffees and other products. This will have implications on the gross margin as the company will have to reduce its products’ prices to get its footing back into the ground which at present seems a rather weak proposition.

Implications

On the whole, the company estimates that its closure will cost the company US$348million but after income tax benefits and other changes, it will pay US$100million (James, 2008). This will have a devastating impact on the company’s profits and its ability to continue with its existing business plans. The company has developed over the years based on the sales experiences and has been considered as a strategic success before the recession but now the company’s directors will have to think of a strategy of shrinking its operations causing a large number of staff and stores to be out of work. The company is estimated to save US$500 million next year by this business decision (Rooney, 2009). But for the time being, the company’s future remains vague and in trouble.

References

Adamy, J. (2009). At Starbucks, A Tall Order For New Cuts,Store Closures. Web.

CNN. (2008). Starbucks Closing 61 Stores in Australia. Web.

James, A. (2008). Starbucks Plans to Close 600 Stores Across U.S.

Rooney, B. (2009). Starbucks to Close 300 Stores as Profit Tumbles. Web.

The Story Of Martin Guerre

Introduction

Taking on an assumed character/name or deception concerning one’s identity is known as imposture. George Psalmanazar, Victor Lustig, Ferdindand Demara (The Great Impostor), Cassie Chadwick, Tichborne Claimant, Frank Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can), and a host of others have catapulted the act of imposture into a unique subculture with folkloric overtones of its own. Amongst this legendary cadre is 16th-century French peasant, Martin Guerre whose masquerade story, resulting in a malicious outcome, is chronicled in the early modern European account, “The Return of Martin Guerre.” The story takes place in Artigat, a Pyrenean village in southwestern France. At age eleven, Martin enters into a pre-arranged marriage with Bertrande de Rols, a member of an influential family in the village. A nine-year marriage, characterized by abuse and neglect on the part of Martin, ends when he abruptly leaves sparked by the accusation of stealing from his father.

After an eight-year interval, Martin returns with a surprisingly new demeanor especially epitomized in he is love and cares toward Bertrande and their son instead of their past relationship. This miraculous and drastic change in his personality ignites curiosity and suspicions among family members, friends, and villagers. Accusations continue to flare leading many to believe that the man who has returned to the village is an impostor claiming to be Martin Guerre.

Despite these allegations/concerns, Bertrande insists that the man is her husband and not an alleged impostor. She is sure that he is the man she married and has loved all along. The villagers, despite her convictions, demand a formal investigation via the court system with hopes of uncovering the truth. In the end, the so-called real Martin Guerre returns and the impostor is sentenced to death by hanging. This account was very popular in past times and continued so as evidenced in literature and film (The Two Dianas, The Wife of Martin Guierre-1947, Le Retour de Martin de Guerre-1982, and Summersby – 1993).

Arguments Presented by Historians Finlay and Davis

Most importantly, it has garnered the attention of many leading historians, among them Professor of European/World History Robert Finlay and Canadian/American Historian, Natalie Zemon Davis. Finlay received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1973. In 2007 he published “Weaving the Rainbow: Visions of Color in World History,” in the Journal of World History. In assessing the Guerre tale, Finlay remarks in his expose “The Refashioning of Martin Guerre” (The American Historical Review, June 1988), “It is the consensus, then, that The Return of Martin Guerre is a genuine rarity, a work of sophisticated scholarship with general appeal, a study that remains faithful to academic standards while conveying all the color and drama of a famous tale (Finlay, p.554).

A graduate of the University of Michigan ((1948), Davis has taught at Brown University, the University of Toronto, the University of California at Berkeley as well as Princeton. At one time the focus of writings, among them, Trickster Travels (2006), she has broadened her academic horizon to include other parts of Europe, North America, as well as the Caribbean. Entitled “On the Lame” (The American Historical Review, June 1988), Davis provides her synopsis of the Guerre account, describing it as imbued with “surprises and mysteries (Davis, p. 572).”

Finlay and Davis agree that the character Arnaud du Tilh is impersonated (Martin Guerre). Most importantly, they agree that the court’s involvement was surreptitiously cajoled based on mere speculations and not facts. Upon close examination of their respective arguments, however, their differences surface regarding their perspectives on how the story unfolded in terms of Guerre’s true identity and in particular the role of Bertrande.

Finlay disagrees with Davis’s analysis of “The Return of Martin Guerre” which elucidates that Bertrande was an accomplice in the crime with the supposed Martin Guerre. Finlay exposes impossibilities in Davis’ argument by advocating the traditional point of view which asserts Bertrand was the victim of a fraud. He believes she was swindled and therefore had no knowledge that the man she emotionally and sexually had become attached to for three years was not her husband. Davis contends that there were a plethora of visible signs which Bertrande should have comprehended to reveal Arnaud de Tilh as an impostor.

Among these visible allegations, Davis alludes to the fact that there were distinct facial and physical features/characteristics her husband had that the impostor did not. This reason alone should have caused her to be concerned and apprehensive (Davis, p. 578). She also argues that within the normal context of marital relations, it would be virtually impossible for a woman to mistake or forget the touch of her husband even if there had been an intermission from sexual relations.

As previously mentioned, Finlay’s portrayal claims that Bertrande was not cognisant of the impostor’s lies, and thus not a culprit. He suggests that Davis’ argument is embedded in mere conjectures and is not solid in comparison to the tale rendered by Jean de Coras.

Finlay further argues that intimacy in early modern Europe was quite different from that of contemporary society. He points out that in early modern Europe, husbands and wives slept with not just each other but family members and their livestock are as well. They were not granted privacy, thus opportunity eluded them to thoroughly explore the intricate details of their bodies. Finlay feels this key factor renders Davis’ claim null and void. Both Finlay and Davis offer outstanding commentaries and arguments on this tale considering that they were both working from the printed text and their imaginations/ perspectives.

When comparing the interpretations, however, Davis’ rendition is more plausible for a plethora of reasons. Finlay’s writing is well researched and exemplifies his ability to both evaluate and explain historical records. He does not, however, handle the materials in the same manner as Davis. An overwhelming percentage of Finlay’s arguments seem to only simply echo that of Jean de Coras, the French jurist who participated in the Guerre trial.

De Coras wrote his account entitled Arrest Memorable du Parlement de Tolose (1560). Finlay does do not present any new perspectives or provide evidence to substantiate the claim that Bertrande was the victim of a fraud. “In Coras’s eyes, she was a dupe, who, ‘given the weakness of her sex, [was] easily deceived by the cunning and craftiness of men.’ He considered her ignorant of Arnaud’s true identity, hence innocent of wrongdoing (Davis, p. 557). Most importantly, his stance or lack thereof only helps to support the notion that the so-called new Martin Guerre could indeed be an impostor. Finlay makes a case but does not prove his argument.

Davis’ approach is more convincing in terms of her handling of this ancient tale. Her reconstruction of this historical event results from the “recent innovations” that have taken place in anthropology, ethnography, as well as in literary criticisms (Finlay, p. 554). Inclusive in her argument is a new perception as it relates to marriage – “the invented marriage” founded on a false identity. She states “the invented marriage-the relationship that began with a false identity but was sustained by collaboration-in some kind of cultural understanding available to sixteenth-century peasants (Davis, p. 590).

For this reason, her argument is more persuasive. She does not solely depend on de Coras’s critique/testimony who in reality happens to be a man commenting on the behavior of women in the 16^th century. She diligently takes into consideration a litany of factors such as historical context, gender roles, religion, and others, to bolster her arguments. After analyzing the original report, Davis concludes that Bertrande should have recognized the difference in body size, skin complexion, shoe size, and other physical characteristics of the impostor (Finlay, p. 558).

Finlay, in his rebuttal to this specific criticism, fails to offer a convincing explanation. Finlay argues that it took nine years for Martin and Bertrande’s marriage to be consummated and that he left her soon afterward. She had no way of being certain that the man who ‘returned’ to the village eight years later was not her husband.

Finlay argues that if the impostor had performed new sexual techniques (which Davis suggests that she should have noticed), Bertrande would have attributed these new techniques with this protracted “sexual absence”. On the surface, Finlay’s argument may seem plausible. A more detailed look, however, renders holes within it and does not address a key question. How it is possible for a woman to be married to a man for nine years as opposed to being with someone for three years, and not notice salient recognizable physical features/differences? Finlay’s criticism is in support of the impostor being mainly responsible where Davis attests that both the impostor and Bertrande are the culprits of a great fraud. While both, one more so than the other proves their arguments, other variant interpretations can be proposed as well.

The authentic Martin Guerre is traditionally portrayed as a moral character, a man who has been betrayed both by possible his friend, as well as by his wife. It is quite possible; therefore, that Martin Guerre could have been responsible for furtively orchestrating this bizarre and tragic situation. It can be reasonably argued that Martin was not really in love with Bertrande as their relationship was not initiated by their own choice but rather based on the decisions of those around him.

To bring an end to this relationship, it is inferred that he promises the impostor wealth and land as compensation for participating in a scheme that freed him from an unwanted marriage. If these suppositions hold, then it could also be argued that the time of sexual abstinence during their relationship was not caused by some unknown phenomena but rather he simply was not emotionally or physically attracted to Bertrande and thus desiring the right moment to bring closure to this forced union. This could explain why the real Martin Guerre did not manifest himself at the embryonic stages of the trial but waited until the final moments.

In doing so, it enables him to successfully argue that his wife was unfaithful, and as a result, legally grant him the right to divorce or put her aside. He is fully aware that within the male-dominated society in which he lives, his wife would be reprimanded and be seen as an adulterer by the courts. This immoral and surreptitious plan does not work out in Guerre’s favor. The courts do not find her guilty of compliance and thereby her reputation remains intact. Guerre’s ploy is tragically indicative of a stringent society in which prearranged marriage was common and divorce was looked upon unfavorable.

Conclusion

“The Story of Martin Guerre” contains an array of themes (imposture, marriage, gender roles, happiness/unhappiness, etc.) that are reflective even today. Truth, doubt, self-fashioning, lying, and deception/self-deception come to the forefront. Deception is the ability to convince most people that a lie is the truth and/or that the truth is a lie- thus the lie becomes institutionalized. Its effects/ramifications above all are far-reaching and can evolve from an individual tragedy to a societal one. Most importantly, imposture encompasses self-deception which is even more detrimental. Suffice to say, “The Story of Martin Guerre” and others of its kind only reveal that no one benefits and all suffer from this infringement on the human experience.

Reference List

Davis, Natalie Zemon. “On the Lame.” The American Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 3. (1988), pp. 572-603.

Finlay, Robert. The American Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 3. (1988), pp. 553-571.