Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations - Coursework Example

Social Entrepreneurship Assignment 2 Social value in SWOT analysis Social value is the key to every social enterprise. The elements of the social value equation include examination, if the products or services are achieving the required results. Examination should reflect the cost of achieving the results, quality and level of accessibility of the products or services. These elements of ‘social value equation’ always take center stage in each enterprise’s SWOT analysis in achieving competitive advantage (Jay & Gillian 2012). The internal capabilities or strengths of a business should enable the business to generate products and services to the expectation of both the business and the market (Hoskisson & Hoskisson 2008). Production should be at a reasonable cost without compromising the quality of products or services. In addition, after the production, the products or services should be made accessible to the prospect market at the required time (Jay & Gillian 2012). This would enable the business to remain competitively advantaged within the industry. As the company maximizes on achievement of results, it should also focus on remaining socially irrelevant. The company should be able to identify its weaknesses in ensuring that it meets its set objectives. For example, the costs of production should not outweigh the revenue flow (Jay & Gillian 2012). The products of the company should also remain relevant to the market to ensure that the business remains on top of its competitors. Each market or field of operation in a business has external opportunities. It is the responsibility of the management to ensure that the business has a mechanism of exploiting such opportunities. However, the business should only adopt such responsibilities if they embrace the social value equation of the business (Jay & Gillian 2012). It is not prudent to pursue opportunities that present potential threats to the business, either internally or in the external environment (Jay & Gillian 2012). The threats that arise in a business present the organization with an opportunity to develop counter measures that will enable the business to be relevant and retain its competitive advantage. 2. Key elements in implementing and managing a cooperative strategy A Cooperative strategy refers to a strategy where different firms work together to achieve a common objective. It is an attempt by companies to realize their goals and objectives by cooperating with other organizations instead of competing with them. Cooperative strategies are significant for firms competing in the global economy. However, discussions show that they are prone to failures due to their complexities (Hoskisson & Hoskisson 2008). To ensure success, cooperative strategies need proper implementation and management. The key elements for proper implementation and management of cooperative strategies include learning from the experience of both successful and unsuccessful past cooperative strategies and establishment of proper control mechanisms (e.g. decision on location of franchise units and financial controls). In general, for effective implementation and management of the cooperative strategies, it is imperative to assign a firm’s managerial responsibility to a high level executive or to a team (Hoskisson & Hoskisson 2008). These key elements of implementation and management of cooperative strategies share two things; they minimize cost as they maximize opportunities. References Jay Weerawardena, Gillian Sullivan Mort (2012). Competitive Strategy in Socially Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Organizations: Innovation and Differentiation. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 91-101. Hoskisson, R. E., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2008). Competing for advantage. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Assignment 3 1. Essential Attributes for thriving in entrepreneurial environment For an entrepreneurial venture to thrive, an entrepreneur must possess certain attributes. These attributes include the zeal for purpose driven enterprises, which operate, organize and subsist in response to the purpose of their formation to the fulfillment of the set objectives, and structural independence where each entrepreneurial unit within an organization should be able to operate independent of other units within cooperate organizational structure (Dees 2002). The independence focuses on the degree of operations. Internal flexibility is another attribute where the entrepreneur and business unit must adopt flexibility in their operations in response to the outcomes. Flexibility begins form the entrepreneur who should be able to change with any change in the market. Creativity and Competitiveness is the source of innovation. Each entrepreneur must ensure to gain a competitive advantage over his competitors in the market. Through creativity and innovation entrepreneurs are able to exploit opportunities in the market earlier that their competitors (Dees 2002). For the business to achieve its goals, the presented characteristics of thriving in an entrepreneurial environment must gain support from the staff, management, donors or financers and the community around. The board/management should always encourage creativity and innovation among by encouraging and sensitizing the staff. The community around should not expect a lot from the entrepreneurship venture (Dees 2002). This would give the staff and management ample time to work without pressure. The donors or financers support the entrepreneurship by availing funds for carrying out the business operations immediately. In case of delay of funds, the staff may give up in their innovation or in carrying out their day-to-day activities. 2. Donor-investors in social entrepreneurship Donor-investors is a concept used to describe an individual or organization that commits its finances to a non-profit organization with a belief in shared values and that they would gain mutual benefit as they benefit the community (Casson 2003). Donor-investors differ from donors in the time of funding, proposition of funding during solicitation and treatment of the donor in a special way. They have a dynamic approach towards funding of nonprofits and always get much involved in the organization to which they present their finds due to their mutual benefit expectation. Charity is not a nice term in social entrepreneurship. Even though it is charity, the term makes social enterprises look needier than just institutions that try to make life of the community look better. Social entrepreneurs and donor-investors try to use terms that make the organization not to look so needy (Casson 2003). This change is the basis of ‘the infinity loop transformation model’ that stresses on innovation from the enterprise. Through innovation, the staff, donors, board and the community around are able to transform the organization form a charity institution to one that pursues opportunities within the community to make their lives better. According to Dees et al (2002), as donors become more engaged in the social enterprises, the staff and board must react to the challenge by transforming their organizations form older methods of bowing to the donors to new innovative and interactive ways of increasing their value to both the donors and the community. References Dees, J. G., Emerson, J., & Economy, P. (2002). Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit. New York: Wiley. Casson, M. (2003). The entrepreneur: An economic theory. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Assignment 4 1. Performance information system (PIS) The minimal elements of a performance information system consists of performance measurement, performance standard, incentives that match performance to standards and periodic performance reports. Before developing the PIS, it is important to know the guiding principles that must form part of the development. First, the organization should know who and what decisions the system will influence. Each system chosen should have a clear match of all the variables that within its area of jurisdiction. Second, the data of measuring should be real, true and dependable. Real data brings comfort at work. Thirdly, the data must be efficient and effective (Melissa & Emerson 2002). They don’t have to exist first or be right but because the organization needs to see and use their value. This makes the data reliable to use in measuring performance. When the organization has the idea of whom and what decisions the data will influence, it becomes easy to develop the PIS system. However, just a slight mistake in data collection can taint the social value of the performance system. For the data to uphold the social value of the PIS, it needs to be accurate, reliable, accountable, economical, sound and rational. These elements of both qualitative and quantitative data ensure cost minimization while maximizing the output of the organization to ensure that it remains socially relevant to the community (Melissa & Emerson 2002). 2. Scaling up and Scaling deep Scaling up refers to the process of taking an organization to the next level by increasing sophistication and level of operations. This can be through the study, development, and implementation of finance, management, policies, and extension and support programs among other things. Scaling deep on the other hand is striving to achieve greater results in the market or home community (Volkmann et al 2012). It is important for a social enterprise to achieve both scaling up and scaling deep in its operations. While striving to expand its operations an organization must first ensure that it has the support of the local community. To achieve the support it must begin by rooting its ideas and picture in the minds of the home community or market. Therefore, scaling up is not better that scaling deep because it depends on scaling deep to achieve its objectives (Volkmann et al 2012). References Melissa A. T, Dees J. G and Emerson J. (2002). “The question of Scale: finding an appropriate strategy for building on your success.” Chapter 10: Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit. New York: Wiley Volkmann, C. K., Tokarski, K. O., & Ernst, K. (2012). Social entrepreneurship and social business: An introduction and discussion with case studies. Wiesbaden: Gabler Assignment 5 1. Strategies of change in nonprofit organizations Because of the complexities and challenges of change, motivation for change is essential in non-profit organizations. The first stage of change called unfreeze involves preparation of the organization to accept the necessity of change (Bryson 2011). This happens by breaking down the status quo to build up a new way of operations. Second to unfreezing the status quo, is change itself. In this stage the staff, donors, board and community all have an idea that change is necessary and beneficial. They therefore resolve on new ways of doing things and embrace the transition positively. Lastly, in the third stage during and after the transition where all the stakeholders embrace the transition the organization can refreeze. This means the organization settles on the new culture with a stable organizational chat, policies, technology and consistent job descriptions among others. This is building stability in developing a new status quo. In all the three stages, not all stakeholders will accept change (Bryson 2011). The organization needs to sensitize such individuals on the benefits of change without compromising their beliefs of status quo. To achieve that, the organization must keep them informed, support, involve the people, create reward system and provide training support to ensure not one individual is trailing behind during the change process. 2. Social entrepreneur as a change agent Social entrepreneurship focuses on charity. They are always agents of change in the society. The social organizations majorly consist of innovative ideas new to the society. They work with central focus of mission relation not wealth creation like the profit making ventures (Bryson 2011). They play the role of change agents by adopting a mission of upholding social value, innovation and exploitation of opportunities to serve their mission, acting boldly even with limited resources and exhibiting heightened accountability for outcomes of their mission. According to Bryson (2011), as the entrepreneur pursues change, there are some very critical steps that they must take into consideration. These steps include, identifying opportunities, developing new ideas to embrace the opportunity, adopting the new ideas to culminate change and looking back to look forward. The most important stage in the change process is the adoption stage since not all people will accept the change (Bryson 2011). During adoption, it is important to involve all the stakeholders to ensure smooth transition for lasting success. 3. Values and ethics within an organization Bowman and Menzel (1998) denote that every organization has its own values and ethics that it upholds and that separate it from other organizations. The values and ethics of an organization exist in its mission, vision, strategy, philosophy and practical operations. These govern the way an organization conducts itself. The management in collaboration with the employees sets the values and ethics of an organization. The management sets the standards while the employees ensure that they standards of the organization are upheld (Bowman et al 1998). It is the function of the executive management to ensure that the organization upholds it values and ethics of conduct. However, this cannot be possible if only the chief operating officer of the organization considers it prudent to uphold the organizational standard. He or she must get support from the staff, the financers, community and all other stakeholders (Bowman et al 1998). References Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Bowman, J. S., & Menzel, D. C. (1998). Teaching ethics and values in public administration programs: Innovations, strategies and issues. Albany, Ny: State University of New York Press. Read More