Intended and Emergent Approach to Strategic Management - Essay Example

? Compare and contrast the intended and emergent approach to strategic management' and compare this to Dixons Annotated bibliography 1. Mintzberg, H., (1990). ‘The design school: reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11, PP 171-195. Mintzbergy is of the idea that strategy formulation is carefully though process. He offers the design school of strategy that entails appraising the internal and external market environment. The article is geared at guiding managers and academician in understanding organisational strategy formulation. Mintzberg has lectured for several years on management and has authored several books on strategic management. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process. Mintzberg article is geared at highlighting how the management can implement strategies that ensure organisational competitive edge. Pretorius and Maritz (2011) agree with Mintzberg that strategies should be based on the business environment. However, Ansoff (1991) disagrees with Mintzberg by critiquing the sample used in design school theory and asserting that strategies should not focus on the entire organization. Mintzberg conquers with Mintzberg and Waters (1985), that some strategies are emergent while other are deliberate. Concludes by asserting that strategy formulation should be controlled and executives must have the responsibility in the formulation. The article is useful in understanding modern strategy formulation in organisations since it focuses on the factors that should be considered in strategy formulation and responsibility of executives. I my view, the article offer a constructive approach to strategy formulation. 2. Ansoff, H., (1991). Critique of Henry Mintzberg's 'The design school: reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management,' Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12, PP 449-461. Ansoff begins by critiquing Mintzberg’s work on design school. He points some loops of the design school that include the generalization and unrepresentative sample in deriving the theory. Ansoff is a reliable author and has published several books on management theories. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process.The article is geared at disapproving deliberate strategy formulation in unpredictable environments by managers. Ansoff explains how managers can manage changes in the environment through incremental strategies. Ansoff disagrees with Mintzberg and Waters (1985) and Pretorius and Maritz (2011), by concluding that it is impractical to formulate a strategy in an uncertain business environment. Ansoff provides an essential background for reviewing the history of strategy formulation in organisation. Kipping and Cailluet (2010) Aluminum industry case study confirms his views since managers have only implemented incremental strategies. Ansoff provides valuable criticism of design school since according to him it failed both prescriptive and descriptive observations. Ansoff suggests that managers should rely on trial and error and gradual strategies in low turbulent environment. I disagree with Ansoff since he did not offer any suggestions on strategy formulation in rapidly changing environments. 3. Mintzberg, H., and Waters, J. A., (1985) Of Strategies Deliberate and Emergent, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 6, PP 257-272. Mintzberg and Waters (1985) provide the framework of different strategic choices in the organisation. The article is aimed at highlighting different strategic formulation approaches. Some critical aspects of strategy formulation outlined by Mintzberg and Waters include types of strategies. Both Mintzberg and Waters are both reputable business authors. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process. The paper offers both intended and emergent strategies like entrepreneurial strategy, ideological strategy, Consensus strategy, and Imposed strategy that are helpful in studying strategy formulation approaches. The authors conquer with design school that strategies should focus at exploiting market opportunities. I agree with the authors that strategies are influenced by the vision, market opportunities and business environment. However, I differ with Mintzberg and Waters since Consensus strategy and ideological strategy is no longer applicable in modern and rapidly changing business environment. 4. Kipping, M., and Cailluet, L., (2010) Mintzberg's Emergent and Deliberate Strategies: Tracking Alcan's Activities in Europe 1928-2007, Business History Review, Vol. 84 PP 79-104. Kipping and Cailluet (2010) provides a critique of Mintzberg’s deliberate strategies through a case study of Alcan. The authors are of the view that Mintzberg has contrasted the emergent strategies that evolved through the learning process with deliberate strategies. The article concludes that many strategies are not mutually exclusive but entail deliberation coupled with control and organisational learning. Kipping and Cailluet have written numerous journals on management and strategy. The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process.. The authors have used Alcan’s Company publications dating 1957 to 2008 and archives of competitors to demonstrate how deliberate-emergent strategy has led to success of the organisation. The authors demonstrate how external forces such as technology, competition and legislation forced the company to adopt emergent strategies. Kipping and Cailluet contrasts Mintzberg and Waters (1985) that purely emergent and deliberate strategies such as consensus and imposed strategies are applicable in learning organisations that keep on changing. The article contrasts with Ansoff (1991) that strategies entail trial and error. I agree with the authors that deliberate-emergent strategies lead to competitive edge in changing business environment. This article provides credible case study on how managers can adjust their strategies with the changing external environment. 5. Pretorius, M., and Maritz, R., (2011) Strategy making: the approach matters, Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 32 PP25-31. The authors discuss how managers devise strategies to deal with the changes in a business environment. The article offers two strategy making processes that include formal process and adaptive approach to strategy. Pretorius and Maritz are credible management authors and practitioners. The authors agree with Mintzberg (1990) that deliberate strategies are governed by set rules while emergent strategies are geared at adapting to the environment (Pretorius, M., and Maritz, p 26). The article is useful in researching Dixon’s strategy formulation process. The article offers three approaches of strategy making that include performance consensus, ends and means specificity and ends and means flexibility. Some factors that are considered in strategy making include the degree of risk taking and comfort with predictability and flexibility. Some moderators of the strategy include the managers, the size of the company and environmental uncertainty (Pretorius, M., and Maritz, p 30). This is a credible source on approaches of strategy formulation. The author offers several alternatives of strategies. Pretorius and Maritz conclude strategy making can either be adaptive or deliberate depending on the specific business situation. I agree with the authors that strategy is influenced by the prevailing business environment and mission of the business. Bibliography: Dixons Retail. (2012) “Strategy”, Web: http://www.dixonsretail.com/dixons/en/aboutus/strategy. Dixons Retail PLC. (2012). ‘Full year results at the top end of expectations”. Web. http://www.dixonsretail.com/dixons/uploads/strategydocs/Dixons_PreliminaryResults2012_Presentation.pdf. Mintzberg, H., (1990) The design school: reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11, PP 171-195. Ansoff, H., (1991)Critique of Henry Mintzberg's 'The design school: reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management,' Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12, PP 449-461. Mintzberg, H., and Waters, J. A., (1985) Of Strategies Deliberate and Emergent, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 6, PP 257-272. Kipping, M., and Cailluet, L., (2010) Mintzberg's Emergent and Deliberate Strategies: Tracking Alcan's Activities in Europe 1928-2007, Business History Review, Vol. 84 PP 79-104. Pretorius, M., and Maritz, R., (2011) Strategy making: the approach matters, Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 32 PP25-31. Dixons retail. “Preliminary results 52 weeks to 28 April 2012”, Web: http://www.dixonsretail.com/dixons/uploads/strategydocs/Dixons_PreliminaryResults2012_Presentation.pdf. Read More