Strategic Analysis and Choice - Essay Example

This report highlights the changing strategic intent of DuPont and describes how its recent strategic evolution defies certain industry norms and brings measurable, positive outcomes that supersede competition. Strategic intent is defined as “capturing the essence of winning, is stable over time, and sets goals that deserve personal effort and commitment” in order to reach specific strategic goals (auburn.edu, 2010, p.2). Strategic intent deals with the different planning mechanisms required to reach corporate goals and outlines the specific objectives that the strategic leadership desires to achieve.

Intentions identify how leaders hope to position the business for the long-term to deliver value to all stakeholders and shareholders whilst at the same time focusing on growth or sustainability to ensure ongoing profitability. The environment in which DuPont is forced to work is marked by uncertainty and considerable risk that comes from market factors, many of which are beyond the control of strategists at the company. These include specific pressures that come from global demand decreases along with rising costs in areas of raw materials, energy and transportation (infosys.com, 2010).

These externalities impact many different issues ranging from human resources and staffing, to cost control, to even research and development needs based on fluctuating market conditions. Strategic intent at DuPont, when facing these market conditions, involves understanding the environment that the company serves and limiting excess in areas of financial cost reduction and operational management. This industry has also seen massive decline in demand for certain products, such as its Coatings and Color Technologies business segment, therefore buyers have been destocking their inventories in response to the global recession (DuPont, 2008).

All of these factors have influenced a