Balancing cooperation and competition. Strategic planning in the public sector - Assignment Example

? Balancing cooperation and competition Assignment Balancing cooperation and competition Today, organizations are focusingon how to survive amidst emerging challenges in their external environment. This has led to such organizations developing adaptability measures that facilitate their survival and success in the long run (Wiesenfeld, & Hewlin, 2003). In spite of this, organizations are forced to strike a fit between cooperation and competition, in the industry in which they operate in, as well as their own survival is to be sustained in the long run. This study explores how Microsoft has stricken a fit between cooperation and competition in its operations while at the same time collecting feedback to identify and support emergent behavior. In the past two decades, Microsoft has been faced by increasing level of competition in its software and web based solutions market. The organization understands that in the technology industry, cooperation is inevitable. For instance, the organization faced a lot of competition from SAP and Siemens. These two organizations went ahead and launched patent battles with Microsoft. While down playing their views and purely taking a legal and competitive approach could have granted Microsoft short term success, the organization opted to cooperate and collaborate with the rivals, resulting to a cross licensing arrangement. This significantly enhanced the ability of the organization to continue using such rights through cooperation while at the same time enhancing its competitiveness in the market (Tyler, & Blader, 2001). The experience boosted Microsoft’s ability to enhance cooperation in other areas of operation including marketing for mutual benefits (Vidal, & Nossol, 2011). Microsoft has remained steadfast in promotion of cooperation with its customers. In 2006, the organization adopted a more collaborative approach in the industry, something that enhanced its access to unique technology from rivals while at the same time empowering them to establish more product lines that the organization was not focused on. One of the outstanding occurrences towards this end by Microsoft with competitor is the collaboration with Linux, a product developed by a competitor to the organizations Microsoft word among others. This increased interoperability of Linux with Microsoft word (Microsoft News Centre, 2008). This implies that Microsoft customers of windows could open Linux using such windows while Linux customers could enjoy Microsoft windows in opening of Linux documents. This resulted to mutual benefit between the two organizations and minimization of patent disagreements and legal battles between the firms. In the past two decades, Microsoft has relied on employee, customer and competitor feed back to enhance its success in the industry. By collecting feedback from its competitors such as Samsung and the Linux software developer company, the organization was able to identify emerging needs and opportunities that could be served through collaboration (Microsoft News Centre, 2008). The organization thus fostered a two way form of communication between such firms and the organization. In an effort to ensure that such viable environment positioning is sustained, the organization always focus at hiring the best employees in the industry in terms of skill and engages them in periodic appraisal (Tyler, & Blader, 2003). In situations where performance is found to be low, such employees are engaged in skills development. In fact, the organization has adopted a culture of continuous learning. All these moves have enhanced sustainability and success of the organization in its dynamic operating environment (Tjosvold, & Johnson, 2003). References Microsoft News Centre (2008). Microsoft’s collaboration imperative. Retrieved April 11, 2013 from http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/ofnote/04-01-08GutierezIAMArticle.mspx Tjosvold, D., & Johnson, D. (2003). Can interpersonal competition be Constructive within organizations? The Journal of Psychology 137(1), 63-84. Tyler, T. R., & Blader., S. L. (2001) Identity and cooperative behavior in groups. Group Processes &Intergroup Relations, 4(1), 207-226. Tyler, T. R., & Blader, S. L (2003). The group engagement model: Procedural justice, social identity, and cooperative behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 7(1), 349-361. Vidal, J. B., & Nossol. (2011). Tournaments without prizes: Evidence from personnel records. Management Science, 57(10), 1721-1736. Wiesenfeld, B.M., & Hewlin, P. (2003). Splintered identities and organizational change. Research on Managing Groups and Teams, 5(1), 27-52. Assignment 2 Strategic planning in the public sector Strategic planning refers to the process adopted by individuals and organizations in planning for their long term operations and performance. Strategic planning enables such parties to identify ways of achieving their future goals and objectives amidst changing environment, emerging opportunities and threats (Stopford, 2001). This study presents a review on public administration journal articles by three authors on their view and contribution to the current body of knowledge on strategic planning in public sector. Mordeca (2013), in the public administration journal contributes significantly on public sector strategic planning. The author indicates that while congress has over the years been developing policies to control various activities and guide performance of agencies, failure of public reporting limits the efficacy of such policies. This is in line with principles of strategic management where stake holders are supposed to be aware of what is expected of them during plan implementation. This article presents new learning, indicating the immense value that sustained communication during implementation of a strategic plan can have on the overall outcome. It indicates the value of transparency in strategic planning. Foxworthy & Bingham (2013) present an article on creating transparency model in government and recognize the effect of external environment on strategic plan implementation in the public sector. Strategic plans are implemented amidst competition from private sector, civil society and political opinions (Poister, & Streib, 2005). The author builds on the current body of knowledge on strategic planning by identifying the need to adopt a more collaborative approach during strategy implementation, even with the competitors. The need for strategic planners to focus on the final and sustainable outcome rather than merely competing for the sake of it is identified. The author further offers new learning by singling out knowledge development as an important aspect of strategic planning in the public sector. In stead of focusing on the wikis style of information generation, the need for public sector to collaborate for common good in strategy development and implementation is exposed. Chin (2013) in his article on prison privatization significantly contributes to the body of strategic planning especially in the public sector. The article indicates that to realize the long term desired goals a strategic plan should be responsive and adaptable to changing environment. For instance, while it was the goal of government to reduce operation costs of prisons and overcrowding in prisons through privatization, the number of inmates and their congestion in prisons has still remained high. This is not because crime levels have gone up, but as a result of legal changes in the country that has not been supportive of this goal. The author offers new learning by indicating that to successfully implement a strategic plan, there is need for flexible and adaptable policies that maintains focus on the desired goal (Bradford, & Duncan, 2000). In conclusion, the above three articles significantly build on existing knowledge on strategic planning in public administration. They indicate the need for sustained communication during implementation, collaboration among stake holders in the public and private sectors as well as ensuring that such plans are flexible and adaptable to changing environment. References Bradford, R.W., & Duncan, P.J. (2000). Simplified Strategic Planning. Chandler House Press Chin, R. (2013). Transparency in government. Public Administration Times, 36(1), 29-30 Foxworthy, S., & Bingham, L. (2013). Transparency in government. Public Administration Times, 36(1), 29-30 Mordeca, L. (2013). Transparency in government. Public Administration Times, 36(1), 29-30 Poister, T.H., & Streib, G. (2005). Elements of Strategic Planning and Management in Municipal Government, Public Administration Review, 65(1), 45-56 Stopford, J. (2001). Should strategy makers become dream weavers?, Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 165–169 Read More