Strategy Is Not Something That an Organisation Has but Something Its Members Do - Coursework Example

STRATEGIC PRACTICE (Strategy is not) something that an organisation has but something its members do (Jarzabkowski et al. 2007)  Introduction Every organisation has a set of goals it aims to achieve and to meet these goals and objectives; the organisation must work towards achieving them. It is a process involving different aspects of the organisation, including management, employees, the structural operation design and the amount of capital present. Each of these is a critical factor, and they all must work together to produce the desired result. The organisation, therefore, requires a relevant strategy that will ensure it is moving towards meeting its objectives. A plan that will lead and guide the direction in which the progress of the organisation will follow is essential. According to Jarzabkowski et al. (2007), “Strategy is not something that an organisation has but something that members do”. Strategies are influenced by various factors, such as ideas and thoughts, which are keenly put together. These thoughts and ideas may change from time to time and therefore, influence the type of strategy used. Various writers and researchers have tried to analyse and assess critically Jarzabkowski et al.’s (2007) statement on strategy in an organisation. Various theories can also explain the relation between strategy and its existence within an organisation, as well as argue for or against this opinion. Complexity Perspective: New Ways of Thinking about Strategy According to Stuart, the changing times result in an inevitable change in strategy, as the management must keep up with the trends. It is also important for there to be the intellectual governance of an organisation for there to be meaningful strategies that will bring progress. Knowledge has a great impact on the types of strategies used in an organisation and it aids the advancements that may occur. For this reason, Stuart (1998) feels that competitive strategies are more and more being based on intellectual capacity. This has a direct influence on the processes of management and the reforms that may occur. An organisation that can utilise knowledge and information and develop strategic plans for how to move forward has a better chance of success than one that dwells on the older forms of management and strategies. There should be awareness of the views of the customers, as well as of the employees’ views. This requires research and queries regarding the opinions about various aspect of the organisation (Stuart 1998, p. 10). This will also encourage feedback and proposals of better means of running the organisation. The diversity of opinions and suggestions will offer room for the generation of new ideas and strategies that are unique and relevant. With great knowledge and information from the customers and staff members, as well as from the results obtained from research, an organisation is advantaged in various ways. The management will have a variety of different perspectives to consider, including those of the employees. The organisation is also able to keep up with the trends in technology, marketing strategies and profit generation. When management can acquire information from these areas, the plans and strategies employed to achieve them are more reachable. New ways of thinking about strategy are also realised during these processes. This is because of the different ideas from different individuals who have different knowledge and experiences on different matters. The management is also in a position to gather useful information from professionals on various matters. A strategic plan that will effect change is supported with sufficient knowledge on a variety of matters (Stuart 1998). Each generation has new ways of thinking based on the lessons learned from past strategies or innovations on existing strategic plans within the organisation. Improving on past strategies or better yet coming up with brand new ideas for new strategies can benefit an organisation both internally and externally. This is because the new strategy may both satisfy those working within the organisation and work towards adding to the clientele of the organisation while maintaining those customers already in existence. New strategies can, therefore, be derived from evolved old strategies. For instance, past strategies were designed in a manner that dwelled on the predictable nature of circumstances. However, the times are now different, and the market and organisations in the industries cannot quite predict the changes that may occur in the market or society. For this, they must be thoroughly prepared and develop strategies and plans that will enable them to emerge undisrupted by these turbulent changes. Unlike in the past when the methods used were almost the same and were rarely revisited, the current strategies need to be able to keep up with competition in the market and protect the organisation’s long-term survival in the industry. According to Xavier (2002, p. 56), a strategic process that is robust is required to ensure that an organisation maintains its success despite the turbulence and unpredictability. The strategic use of trending platforms, such as the Internet, is, therefore, necessary to ensure the reforms made are guiding the organisation in the right direction. Old strategies did not prioritise the use of platforms, such as the Internet, that would render most past strategy models as not-so-reliable strategies. Hence, there is a necessity for a complexity in the generation of new strategies in organisations. Complex Adaptive Systems: Modelling Complexity A complex adaptive system is one that is made up of a large number of interacting components and it displays a form of structural hierarchical organisation under particular pressures. For a functional strategy to be formed, it must be able to adapt to the various changing times in the industry. These components in the organisation are linked together and they perform separately to lead to the success of the whole corporation. This is in line with the statement that strategies are made and do not merely exist within the organisation. They are factors that are created and must be adjustable and dependable. The strategies then need to keep up with the trends and technologies in the industry and cannot therefore remain as those of the past. They require inventions and innovations. For this to happen, they must consider different opinions and base the conclusion of the strategy to be used on recent research as well. The complexity and adaptive nature of a system determine its effectiveness in leading to the success of the organisation (Newman 2003). It also enables the set goals and objectives to be met, as well as expansion and growth to take place. Remaining with past structural management systems and structures may lead to stagnation or the lagging behind of the organisation, leading to decreased profits. The strategy is a method or plan formulated to guide an organisation or institution towards successfully achieving its main goals and objectives. Strategic thinking, on the other hand, is the capability to formulate these effective plans and methods that will enable the achievement of goals and objectives in an organisation. Strategic thinking has several elements for it to be fruitful. First, there has to be anticipation. Once those in charge focus on the future, they can speculate on various patterns and be prepared for changes and opportunities that may present themselves. Strategic thinking must also be challenging towards presented information and not just accepting of its values. It enables the management to identify various problems that might be in existence before things take a wrong direction. There must also be appropriate interpretations of facts and valuables for strategic thinking to be effective. Viewing and analysing different hypotheses on certain matters will lead to a relevant conclusion. Strategic thinking should also be aided by indecision to avoid making irrational choices and missing valuable opportunities. There should also be the welcoming of different opinions and points of views and suggestions (Newman 2003). This will enable the assessment of matters from diverse angles before arriving at the best course of action. In the end, it is important for strategic thinking to be accompanied by leadership that is open to learning and receiving feedback, as well as able to analyse past failures and successes to learn from them. Complex adaptive systems and modelling enable the use of mathematical techniques in the development of fields that are interdisciplinary in the complex systems. The calculation of each move and the appropriate use of data to manage the systems will lead to a reliable study being formulated. It will be a brand new and safe strategy, unlike those used in the past. It will enable new perspectives and allow the coordination of organisation plans from a new perspective. The angle from which the management will execute their ideas and orders will vary with the changing times, and the modes of dealing with different issues will vary. As a result, the change will be good at enabling the organisation to move forward and become unpredictable to the competition. This may also award them a competitive advantage if they move in the right direction using the appropriate strategies. The mathematical aspects will enable the specialists in the organisation to identify the most likely changes within the industry in a critical and more reliable way by analysing the possibilities and factors that will create a difference. Different strategies will also lead to a more open staff to work for and with the organisation, as they will have the opportunity to express their views on motivation methods and they will have a better rapport with the staff Their strategies will therefore not just be unrealistic but efforts that are workable and goals that are achievable. Looking at things from a different perspective than the past led to moves that were planned and predictable, which may prove to be a better strategy, as it forces everybody else in the organisation to think harder (Newman 2003). This leads to inventions and innovations among the members of the organisation as they brainstorm issues and try to calculate and come up with fresh angles for making progress. According to a study by Newman (2003), by looking at the different network systems, such as the Internet, social networks and biological networks, new techniques and strategies have been recently developed by researchers. Though complex, this research can be used to help the current organisations predict the future moves of their competition. It also shows how current organisations can strategize their plans of progress in a new way by using platforms, such as the Internet and social media, to market themselves. These models are advantageous not only to the progress of the organisation but also to the development of better-governing ideas for management. They can then use these new systems to control properly their finances and properly strategize how they will multiply their profits. The different networks will enable the accurate identification of the target groups and of how to get their attention. The dynamic processes taking place in the system bring a fresh perspective, as they will deal with matters and a target group that is of current times. This goes to prove that strategies are not found within the organisation but are created as growth and expansion happen and as the times continue to change. This argument proves that if an organisation were to depend on past models and strategies of progress, it would not have the appropriate techniques to reach the target groups. They would also have outdated advertisement techniques and backwards technology that would not enable the organisation to make any real progress in the current era. The creation of new strategies, as we move along, is the weapon of progress that enables the current success of companies such as Samsung and Coca-Cola, who remain successful and venture into new worlds successfully. The practice perspective In the past, there was a dominant academic perspective that strategy was something an organisation had. However, the strategy as a practice perspective views strategy as something that the people in an organisation do. To formulate a different and reliable strategy that will ensure the organisation’s management practices the art of strategizing to get results. They, therefore, need to transform their strategies into actions and effect change in the organisation. This strategy has be actualised by action for it to be relevant to the organisation. If I naturally formulated a strategy but did not act upon it, then it might not be very helpful in contributing to the progress and growth of the organisation. Each member of the organisation has to contribute to this growth by adhering to the strategy and when possible, offering their opinions on and suggestions for how to progress. For instance, a strategy may require different forms of management for different parts of the branches of the organisation once it goes international, or there may be different regions that have different beliefs. This strategy will ensure the forms of advertisement used in the differing regions or countries are not offensive to the different cultures and they suit the beliefs of the ethnicities in the region. The proper practice of strategies will also ensure the law is not broken and the rights and freedoms of the various individuals are not violated. If the strategy were something an organisation had, there would not be room for expansion because the changing times would not be considered in past strategies. Change brings with it freshness and new methods of practice. This varies from the management to the activities taken on by the employees in executing the plans put in place. There should be a relevant strategy in the process, as well as a process in the strategy formation. The strategy, being something that an organisation does rather than has, is something that describes the reality of what management is supposed to be like. This is because of the organisation and the direction it is required to take. Individuals within the organisation are involved in the strategy formation process, and they must continue being a part of this process. It enables the management to look properly into the needs of the organisation, and it provides the opportunity for the appreciation of the dynamics of change. This is through the analysis of the process of dynamics and contextual variables of change (Kappler 2007) to gain a clear perspective of organisational life by analysing the interplay between the different perspectives that exist. The research on process strategy has opened up the knowledge of the existence of the input of the organisation and the outcomes it experiences. It shows mainly the impact of the internal life and processes of the organisation and the impact it has on the outcomes and its development. The strategies the organisations come up with strongly depend on the internal input of the organisations. All these factors come together and, as a result, may increase the internal activity of the organisation. This will enable its success if the strategies are properly assembled and executed. Each of these factors will have a major contribution to the result of the organisation. Impact of Strategy on Leadership Leadership also involves not only being in a position of power, but also properly executing roles while in management. Using appropriate strategies, the leadership can lead the organisation into an era of success and expansion. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the management to ensure the strategies they conclude should be used are going to deliver relevant results. This includes the choice of employees they chose to hire: their qualifications and excellence at their job, as well as their dedication and commitment. It is also the responsibility of the employees to support and ensure every move made by the members of the organisation is aimed at promoting following of the strategy. This is because even a great strategy developed by the brightest person can turn into a failure if the organisation’s management does not work towards executing the strategy. It can, therefore, be useless to the progress of the organisation. It is important that the management of the organisation have a vast knowledge of the changing times and of how to make the strategies work for the good of the organisation. The agreement on the strategy to be used by the management is also good for the organisation, as it shows the management as a united front to the employees. This will be effective in ensuring the strategy put in place is followed. The leaders have different levels of influence on the strategic influences to be followed (Morrill 2010, p. 4). A strategic leadership approach is also formulated rather than something the organisation has. This is because the leaders are leading people that are different from those of the past within the organisation, and there have been various changes in the legalities in the sector of employment relations. They are, therefore, responsible for the guiding the rest of the organisation to follow appropriately the strategies put in place (O’Reilly 2010, p. 110). This is crucial to the movement of the organisation in the right direction using modern techniques of management. The argument of Jarzabkowski et al. (2007) that organisations are responsible for performing activities that create strategies instead of the organisations assuming strategies are built already is therefore valid based on the various research and conclusions drawn (Cheng 2002). Each part of an organisation is crucial to the execution of the strategies that have been put in place. This includes the management, employees and capital put into the organisation. The creativity, innovativeness and cooperation of every sector are useful in formulating reliable strategies that will benefit the organisation as a whole. It will enable the making of fresh ideas and unique things that will create progress in the organisation (Mitchell 2015). The laws governing the organisation also have a role to play, where they give a certain percentage of freedom to the employees so they can express new views and propose different methods of running the organisation, as well as new strategies for ensuring the goals and objectives of the organisation are met in the end. In conclusion, it is important for an organisation to look at all the different angles possible for management and strategic planning. This will promote the growth of the organisation as well as its expansion into various sectors. The diversity of activities within the organisation enables it to formulate strategies that will enable it to move forward. It is also helpful that all these individuals can control the direction in which an organisation moves. Proper employee motivation and financial management are crucial to the progress of an organisation. It will enable all the different aspects of the organisation to work in harmony. When all these parts of an organisation functioning together diligently, it is most likely the organisation will have a chance of succeeding in the industry. The management is also required to work together and in coordination to control properly the activities going on in the organisation and the events most likely to occur. As it is inevitable that disputes will occur in the running of the organisation between different sectors and members, it is important for appropriate measures and strategies for dealing with these disputes to be resolved in the end, and it will benefit the organisation as a whole when there is harmony in the organisation. Based on the information acquired and the studies that have been done, the argument that strategies are not found in an organisation, as they are not something it has but rather something it does is correct. The activities performed in the organisation lead to the formulation and execution of a strategy. Work Cited Cheng, YC 2002, Leadership and Strategy. In T. Bush and L. Bell (Eds.), The principles and practice of educational management. London: Paul Chapman. p. 6 Jarzabkowski, P, Balogun, J & Seidl, D 2007 ‘Strategizing: The challenges of a practice perspective’, Human Relations, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 5-27. Kappler, F 2007, ‘A practice-based perspective on strategic change’, Doctoral dissertation, University of St. Gallen. Mitchell, JS 2015, ‘Leadership, Vision, Strategy’, Operational Excellence, pp. 113-125. Morrill, RL 2010, Strategic Leadership: Integrating strategy and leadership in colleges and universities, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Newman, ME 2003, ‘The structure and function of complex networks’, SIAM review, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 167-256. O’Reilly, C 2010, ‘How leadership matters: The effects of leaders alignment on strategy implementation’, The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 104-113. Sanderson, SM 1998, ‘New approaches to strategy: new ways of thinking for the millennium’, Management Decision, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 9-13. Xavier, FB & Hunt, RA 2002, ‘Strategy in turbulent times’, Managerial Auditing Journal, vol. 17, no. 1/2, pp. 55-59. Read More