The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry - Research Paper Example

The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry Introduction According to Mintzberg (2000), strategic planning can be defined as the process of attempting to strike a balance between the organisation’s objectives and resources and its changing opportunities. It actually tries to set direction which can be followed by the organisation in its operations. As such, this essay seeks to evaluate the overall strategic plan for Blackberry. The paper also attempts to develop a Human Resources strategic plan for this organization based on its overall strategic plan. A detailed explanation of how this HR plan is aligned with the organisation’s strategic plan will be given as well as the steps that can be taken in implementing this HR strategic plan. Background information of Blackberry and its strategic plan According to Rhandawa et al (2009), Blackberry was founded in 1984 and it is headquartered in Waterloo, Canada. Blackberry’s strategic plan is to target professionals through provision of a range of activities such as push email, mobile telephony, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and additional wireless information services (Moro, 2007). Jim Balsillie, co-founder of RIM, sums up the strategic plan for RIM “easy in, impossible out” which implies that it is very easy for corporations to install their email system, but because the way the proprietary RIM software and servers work, it’s almost impossible to extract (Harnish, N.D). Thus, the strategic plan is based on the notion that the products are strategically designed to appeal to the interests of the targeted customers and it is almost impossible for rival competitors to imitate the same strategy. It can be seen that RIM is at the forefront of designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative mobile communication devices. This strategy makes it clearly different from other rival competitors in the market for Smartphones and is mainly based on productivity and utility in terms of the services offered. However, the industry itself is highly competitive where there are companies like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson as well as Apple competing for the same customers in this particular Smartphone industry. Research has however shown that if RIM wants to continue its dominance in the market, it needs to market its devices more over in Asia and Europe (Rhandawa et al, 2009). However, Blackberry of late has come under spotlight for firing influential people who are seen as suggesting ideas that are within the scope of its strategic plan. For instance, the CEO was fired in 2011 though it was popularly stated that it was a resignation (Yarow, 2011). There have been some reports that anyone who goes against the culture of the organisation with regards to its strategic plan is often viewed as a villain. The organisation does not see itself in a position where it diverts from its outlined strategic plans. Such a stance has drawn criticism from other quarters and this is the reason why there is need to develop a Human Resources strategic plan for Blackberry which is based on its overall strategic plan. Thus the following section of the essay seeks to develop a strategic plan for Blackberry as well as to outline how it will be aligned with the organisation’s plans organization’s plans as well as the measures that can be taken to implement the HR strategic plan. Strategic HRM for Blackberry Currently, the HRM strategy for RIM is mainly concerned with optimum performance of the employees whereby the interests of the employees are not given due consideration (Harnish, N.D). Priority is given to the overall goals stated in the strategic plan of the company and this is the reason why the company has been criticised for bad HRM practices. As such, a strategic human resources management (SHRM) plan ought to be implemented. Basically, SHRM can be defined as the combination of human resources management with the strategic aims and objectives/plans in order to enhance business performance as well as culture that promotes innovation, flexibility as well as competitive advantage (Becker & Huselid, 2006). Given that the environment in which businesses operate is constantly changing, there is need for HR mangers to take certain measures that are meant to enable the business to keep pace with the changing environment in order to ensure that the workers are putting optimum performance in their operations which can contribute to the betterment of the organisation. First and foremost, it is imperative to give special consideration to the company’s recruitment efforts in the development of its SHRM. It can be noted that employees form the back bone of every organisation hence there is need to take special consideration when recruiting them and measures should be put in place in order to improve their performance (Kleynhans, 2007). It is widely believed that recruitment of the employees is determined by the availability of human resources capital and the extent to which they can cope with the changing environment in which they are operating. It is therefore imperative for Blackberry to take note of the fact that organisations operate in a dynamic environment hence there is need to recruit skilled employees who can successfully operate in a competitive environment. Having recruited the right people, it becomes important for the organisation to put measures that are meant to retain the skilled employees as they may be in short supply in the market. There is also need to put measures to develop as well as to motivate the human resources employed as part of the development of the overall SHRM. According to Fisher, Schoenfeldt & Shaw (1999), SHRM involves the constant motivation and training of employees so that they are in a position to stay longer in an organisation. The employees have to be developed to be part of the culture of the organisation such that they will share the strategic objectives set. The dev elopement of the SHRM also ought to encompass development as well as individual performance management initiatives so as to appeal to the interests of the employees to share the same vision of the organisation. In developing the strategic HRM for Blackberry, it is important to take into consideration the decision making strategy that ought to be implemented. Decision making is part of the SHRM given that it is mainly concerned with approval of the course of action that can be taken with regards to the set goals that ought to be achieved in the organisation (Kleynhans et al 2007). In this particular case, the leadership style ought to influence the decision making process in the company contrary to the situation obtaining at Blackberry where decisions that are different from the core values of the organisation are not welcome. Thus, the development of the organisation’s SHRM ought to take into consideration the following steps in order for it to become employer of the choice. There is need to broaden the recruiting base, retain the employees as well as motivating the staff. Alignment of the HR plans and the organisation’s plan The HR plan is aligned with the organisation’s plan in that business plans are transformed into HR plans that are meant to support organisational excellence (Fisher, Schoenfeldt & Shaw, 1999). Basically, strategic planning occurs before strategic human resources management where the guidelines for the operation of the organisation are set. However, it is important to take into consideration the fact that human resources in the organisation are responsible for transforming the set plans into tangible results as they are responsible for carrying out the tasks that can drive the organisation towards the attainment of its set goals. Thus, strategic HRM is aligned to the organisations plans in that it emphasises on a proactive role for the human resources function such as planning organisational plans as well as providing measures that ensure the best implementation of those particular plans. Without proper business plans in place, it may be impossible to have the organisation in existence. Basically, all organisations are meant to achieve a specific goal and this can only be possible when there is a clearly outlined plan which documents the measures that can be taken in order to attain the set goals in the strategic plan. As noted, the employees in the organisation are responsible for transforming the plans into action which in turn can lead to the achievement of the intended goals. As such, it can be noted that there is a strong correlation between the HR plans as well as the business plans of the organisation. Each of these two may not be compromised as they are geared towards the attainment of the same objectives. The human resources are meant to steer the organisation towards the desired direction hence it can be seen that there is a close alignment between these two aspects. Implementation of the HR strategic plan In order to implement the suggested strategic plan, the human resources management will take a leading role in putting measures that are meant to ensure that the right people are recruited into the organisation. They have to ensure that they possess the right skills in order for them to be competent in their operations. The managers also ought to ensure that the employees are aware of their tasks and role to play in the organisation. Since the HRM closely works with the employees, it is their duty to ensure that measures are put in place in place in order to develop the skills of the employees so that they can keep pace with the changes that are taking place in the environment in which the organisation operates. In order to implement the plan, the mangers must be at the forefront in terms of developing the skills of the employees so that they are in a better position to stay longer in it. Another important aspect that has to be taken into consideration in implementing this strategy is that the human resources management should take a leading role in motivating the employees so that they will develop a sense of belonging to the organisation. They ought to be involved in the decision making process in order for them to feel as special people to the organisation. Having implemented these measures, it will also be imperative for the HRM to monitor performance of the employees to ensure that their operations are directed towards the attainment of the business plans set. Monitoring the performance of the employees can contribute to the overall performance of the organisation as a whole. It also makes it possible for them to make necessary changes to make sure that the organisation does not deviate from its original plans. Conclusion Over and above, it can be noted that strategic planning is concerned with striking a balance between the organisation’s objectives and resources in view of the changing environment. This is closely linked to strategic human resources management as they are designed to achieve the same goals for the organisation. As noted from the case of Blackberry discussed above, there are certain measures that ought to be taken in developing and implementing a strategic plan in an organisation in order for it to attain its goals and set objectives. References Becker, B.E. & Huselid, M.A. (2006). ‘Strategic Human Resources Management: where do we go from here?’ Journal of Management, vol.32, no.6, pp.898-925. Johnson G. & Scholes K. (2002). Exploring corporate strategy: Text and Cases. 6th Edition. London. Prentice Hall. Kleynhans, R. et al (2007), Human Resource Management: fresh perspectives. CT. PrenticeHall. Fisher, C.D., Schoenfeldt, L.F. & Shaw, B.J. (1999). Human resources management. New York: NY. Houghton Miffin Company. Harnish, V. (N.D). Strategies of the fastest growing firms: Power of the one phrase strategy. Viewed from http://www.gazelles.com/new_articles/One-PHRASE_Strategic_Plans.pdf Mintzberg, H. (2000). The rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. London. Pearson Education Limited. Moro, T. (2007). Analyzing the Return on Investment of a BlackBerry Deployment, 2007. Ipsos Viewed from:http://www.blackberry.com/downloads/wes_presentation/Analyzing_ROI_of_a_BlackBerry_Deployment-2007.pdf?CPID=NLC-23 Research in motion (RIM) Blackberry Company. (September, 10 2010). Viewed from: http://blackberrynyc.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-2-strategic-plan.html Rhandawa, L. Et al (October, 19, 2009). Blackberry’s rise in brand power: The dueling marketing strategies of RIM vs Apple. Viewed from: http://zenportfolios.com/lavreet-randhawa/files/2009/11/Marketing-Case-Study-RIM-vs-Apple.pdf Yarow, J. (December, 16 2011), RIM's Absurd Plan To Fix Itself: Do Better Advertising In 2012, viewed from http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-16/tech/30523846_1_rim-blackberry-bold-mike-lazaridis Read More