Creating Strategy - Research Paper Example

? Creating Strategy of Creating Strategy of Office of Human Resources(Client Services Division) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the main agency under the United States Department of Health and Human Services that is mandated by the United States government to conduct health- related and biomedical research (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2011). In order to operate effectively and efficiently to meet the client’s needs and expectations, NIH has, among other offices, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and Client Services Division. OHR provides strategic leadership in assessment and development of human resources policies and program of the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, OHR links the Department to the central management agencies which provide consultative and operational services (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2011). Specifically, OHR has an operation arm of called the Client Services Division. This division’s key goal is to provide the best possible customer service in addition to creating positive, strong relationship between OHR and the Institutes or Centers (ICs) staff. Client Services Division has 10 branches which often operate inconsistently. They all serve different institutes which they are adapted to operate certain processes differently. Also, some are stricter on their institutes than other, while others are simply more efficient. These inconsistent operations among Client Services Division’s branches are not desirable as they result to clients obtaining varying services in regard to quality, time, efficiency, and effectiveness. Therefore, it is important to create a strategy for making the 10 branches of the Division to operate consistently and ensure that they all deliver services in a more efficient, effective, and timely manner that meets client’s needs and expectations. Creation of the Strategy Creation of the strategy will be based on the Harvard Business Review’s "What is Strategy", "Blue Ocean Strategy", "Pfizer Inc. Building An Innovation Center" case study, "Crafting Strategy" and "5 Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy." In order to create appropriate strategy for an organization, it is important to understand the forces that shape competition (Porter, 2006). Porter (2006) identifies these forces as the following: threat to entry; the power of suppliers; the power of buyers; the threat of substitutes; and, rivalry among existing competitors. Creation of strategy for the Client Services Division should thus take these forces into account so as to have a successful strategy in the long- run. Mintzer (1987) advises that crafting of strategy should take into consideration the patterns from the past and plans for the future. Therefore, in creating a strategy for the Client Services Division of the NIH with a bid to making the ten branches operate consistently, the patterns of the past and the plans for the future will be considered. In regard to patterns from the past, the fact that the branches have been operating inconsistently especially regard to time and efficiency will be considered. On the other hand, the plans for the future which is to ensure that these branches operate consistently will be considered to ensure that these plans are achievable within a given period of time and the amount of resources needed to achieve them. Taking these two important aspects into consideration will be critical in aligning the past patterns with the strategy that seeks to achieve the new goal (Mintzer, 1987). Porter (1996) argues that creation of strategy in most cases seek to attain operational effectiveness and consistency with the aim of improving organizational performance. This proposition is true in regard to the Client Services Division of the NIH; the strategy created will be essential in leading to superior performance which is indeed the main goal of any organization. Since it is an established fact that Client Services Division 10 branches operate inconsistently and that some institutes are more efficient than others, it will be crucial that the strategy created rationalize operations in all the branches and create consistency. It is against this background that Blue Ocean Strategy is the preferred strategy in ensuring that these branches operate consistently. Moreover, in order to achieve consistency successfully, Six Sigma Strategy can be used together with Blue Ocean Strategy or in isolation. The main aim of this strategy is to improve quality of process outputs by reducing or removing defects. Besides, it minimizes the variability within organizations processes. Therefore, since Client Services Division has identified variability and differences in processes that cause inconsistency in its branches, Six Sigma Strategy will facilitate the achievement of consistency. Kim and Mauborgne (2004) note, competition in industries that are overcrowded is not the right way to sustain high performance. They argue that real opportunities are achieved through creation of Blue Ocean in market space that is uncontested. This is the preferred strategy because, apart from creating uncontested market space, it renders competition irrelevant (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004). This is important because these branches provide key services to members of NIH and competition should not arise in the first place because they will all provide efficient and timely services. Furthermore, this strategy plays a critical role in aligning the whole system of organizational activities with an aim of reducing cost and pursuing differentiation (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004). Thus, the main aim of aligning operations of Client Services Division will be achieved through Blue Ocean Strategy. Since it is clear that the 10 branches of the Client Services Division serve different institutes and have adapted to operating certain processes differently, it is crucial that consistency is achieved. To achieve consistency, these branches should perform similar activities and seek to eliminate or significantly reduce the points of difference in their operations among them. In addition, similar practices, values, mission and objectives should be developed and all the branches should be required to adapt and practice them in their branches. Also, consistency can be achieved by ensuring that the 10 branches have similar inputs for their operation; inputs include similar employee motivation and similar technology. However, it should be noted that incase the Civil Services Division requires strategic positioning due to difference in geographical locations of the branches and diverse needs of the clients, they can perform similar activities in different ways. Possible Consequences of the Strategy Through the creation of a strategy for Client Service Division, it is expected that the Office of Human Resources within the National Institutes of Health will enable all of its branches to have a market place that is uncontested. Strategies that organizations create such as the Blue Ocean Strategy enable sections or divisions of an organization to remove unhealthy competition. This is through creation of an environment where the standards required for the employment of human resource within the Client Services Division. In return the various divisions will be allowed to reduce employee turnout and the expenses related to frequent employment of new staff. Through a proper corporate strategy therefore, the Client Server Division will be able to provide quality services to the clients. The use of strategy to make competition for employees irrelevant is congruent with the Blue Ocean Strategy (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004). If the Office of Human Resources is able to implement an appropriate strategy for its Client Services Division, the positive consequence that would be expected is the creation or capturing of new demand within the market. More clients are likely to be attracted to the services of the National Institutes of Health and thus acquire more demand. The increased demand is attributed to the consistence which results from the fact that branches of the National Institutes of Health are caused to work with more consistence than before. Additionally, the new strategy will facilitate the processing of human resource within the various branches so that they are motivated to provide effective and quality services to the clients. Consolidation of the services within the branches will be an expected consequence of the strategy change within the Client Service Division of the Office of Human Resources. Through an appropriate strategy, various sections of an organizations are consolidated into a since coherent unit which makes them to work towards a common goal and missions and hence an overall success of the organization (Porter, 2008). The management of scientific and executive resources of the Office of Human Resources will be consequentially be enhanced through the implementation of a proper corporate strategy. The National Institutes of Health is characterized by numerous resources which involve the scientific research records and results and executive management who would be cohesively managed through a proper strategy. Through implementation of strategies such as the Blue Ocean Strategy, organizations are able to break the value and cost trade off so that the management of its various resources is facilitated (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004). However it should be noted that undesirable consequences of the organizational strategy may be experienced. For example, the human resource roadmap may end up being dysfunctional because of the consistence of operation which means that the management of human capital within the Client Service Division would be controlled in a more linear manner. Conclusion In the light of the discussion, it can be noted that, in order to ensure the Client Services Division 10 branches operate consistently, there is need for creation of strategy. Blue Ocean Strategy is the most appropriate strategy that will facilitate this goal. Through this strategy, different institutes will be able to operate consistently and be more efficient and timely in delivery of services. Through the implementation of a proper strategy for the Client Service Division of the Office of Human Resources within the National Institutes of Health would lead to many desirable consequences. These include creation of uncontested market for human resource within the divisions and creation of more demand for the services of the National Institutes of Health. It is therefore recommended that the top management of the Office of Human Resources come up with a proper strategy such as the Blue Ocean Strategy that will lead to positive consequences and thus facilitate the achievement of the goals and mission of the National Institutes of Health in general. References Kim, W. C. and Mauborgne, R. (2004). Blue Ocean Strategy. Harvard Business Review, p. 1-11 Mintzberg, H. (1987). Crafting Strategy. Harvard Business Review, p. 66-75. Porter, M. (2006). The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, p. 1-18. Porter, M. (1996). What is Strategy? Harvard Business Review, p. 60- 78. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2011). About the Office of Human Resources (OHR). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/about/index.html Read More