Beyond addiction Pina et al (2011) - Assignment Example

Hierarchy and Alternative Approaches College: Hierarchy and Alternative Approaches Hierarchy is the arrangement of items, groups or values in terms of their level of power, authority or preference. Analysis on organizational strategic management revealed that a number of strategies in most organizations are implemented from the perspective of hierarchy. With the organization structures in many firms being hierarchical, executing strategy seem to be impossible without hierarchy in management (Cunha et al, 2011, pp 492).

This is because of its association with some economical and symbolic reasons. However, hierarchy from another approach it has be considered as the platform of distributing privileges, rewards and status which has in turn brought conflict and division rather than order. This has led to different organizations trying to implement other strategy execution approaches in place on hierarchy (John, 2010). In doing so, however, there are issues involved that may be problematic or advantageous. That said, this paper will discuss the concepts on hierarchy and the possible alternatives in strategy management.

There are two major challenges facing hierarchy .The first challenge is the changing nature of competition and workforce. For instance, a fast completive approach would require a quick response that does follow the bureaucracies in hierarchies. This has, therefore, led companies such as Nokia to change its traditional implementation its strategies to involving its employees in decision making (Business Hierarchy, 2013). The other challenge involves vital information about the company known to the periphery level in the hierarchy remaining at that level.

This could be as a result of reasons such as not knowing the importance of the information, to avoid control or there being no mechanisms of communicating information. Additionally, to change from hierarchy to other alternatives organization needs to understand the change as a dialectic process and not a liner process. Therefore, this can either be problematic or necessary depending on the point of view of the members of an organization towards the change. From the point of view of the transition process being problematic (Denning, 2010).

This challenge has led to organizations opting to experiment other alternatives to hierarchy either fully or partially (Kooten et al, 1986). For instance, organizations are implementing the heterarchy approach, in places of hierarchy approach, which involves balancing power among the members in an organization. This is where a group makes managerial decision but it is not responsible for the outcome. Accountability is, therefore, the main difference between the hierarchy and heterarchy. The three major alternatives are porous-hierarchy, simple rules mode and the distributed mode.

The porous-hierarchy mode resembles hierarchy but deferrers when it involves strategies execution. In porous, formulation at the top and execution at the bottom is completely excludes and create environments that encourage learning on ways to improve execution (DIMCA, 2014). On the other hand, distributed mode the strategy and the execution are taken to be two very distinct entities. The simple mode merges the formulation and planning processes with aim of achieving creative strategies. In conclusion, the macro and micro differences in the perspectives on the approaches are also the other aspects to consider.

Individuals down or top the pyramid of hierarchy in strategic management, assume different representation of the firm. For instance, the CEO in a company is the face of the company at macro level. Therefore, macro strategy is a platform where micro-strategies are embedded. Companies with the aim of avoiding separating strategy and execution of this strategy are replacing the hierarchical approach with other interactive alternative approaches. These approaches are designed in such a way managers lead but from a different perspective about authority.

ReferencesCunha, M., Rego, A., Stewart Clegg, S. 2011. Beyond addiction: Hierarchy and other ways of getting strategy done. European Management Journal 29, 491– 503 Business Hierarchy. 2013. Business Strategy Hierarchy. Hierarchy structure. [Online]. Available at [Accessed 22nd April 2014].DIMCA. 2014. Strategy Hierarchy. Strategic management. [Online]. Available athttp://www.dimca.eu/dimca-consulting/strategic-management/strategy-hierarchy> [Accessed 22nd April 2014]. Denning, S. 2010.

The Leaders Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century Hardcover. New York, NY: Jossey-BassJohn, H. 2010. Alternative Approaches to Hierarchical Location-Allocation Systems. Geographical analysis vol. 16, issue 3. Kooten, V., Schoney, R., and Hayward, K.1986. An Alternative Approach to the Evaluation of Goal Hierarchies among Farmers. Western Journal of Agricultural Economics.