Little attention has been paid to the strategy‐making processes of small and medium‐sized firms (SMEs), or to the effectiveness of strategic planning in the SME sector. Planning often fails because of implementation problems often associated with SMEs’ lack of capability to determine and overcome potential barriers to strategic planning. This paper examines the concept of formal strategic planning, presents the findings of a critical analysis of the suitability of formal planning for SMEs, and identifies some of the barriers which prevent effective implementation of strategic plans. Suggests that SMEs that engage in formal strategic planning experience fewer barriers to implementation than those that do not and that subsidiary firms tend to place a greater emphasis on formal planning than independent firms. Indicates that the eight barriers to deployment examined are experienced to a lesser degree by subsidiary firms compared with independent firms. However, the differences are not statistically significant. Suggests that apart from the preparation of written strategic plans by subsidiary firms, there is little transferability from the parent firm of influences that impact on the reduction or elimination of barriers to the deployment of strategic plans. Parent firms may wish to encourage their subsidiary firms to think and act as part of a larger group and to make greater use of the more significant resources of the parent firm.

Effective strategic planning in small and medium sized firms

textDeze studie gaat over het in kaart brengen van het denken van de strateeg – het kwantitatief meten van de denkbeelden van leidinggevenden over de beste manier waarop strategische vraagstukken zouden moeten worden benaderd De doelstelling was om een betrouwbaar instrument te ontwikkelen waarmee deze strategische denkbeelden zouden kunnen worden gemeten, op een wijze dat het herbruikbaar zou zijn in een brede scala van cognitieve onderzoeken Het zou een Hofstede-achtig, universeel instrument moeten zijn, dat strategische denkbeelden in kaart zou kunnen brengen over branche- en landsgrenzen heen

Om dit te bereiken werd een conceptueel kader geconstrueerd, bestaand uit tien afzonderlijke dimensies waarlangs de strategiepercepties van leidinggevenden kunnen verschillen Voor elke dimensie werden de twee polen (ook wel strategie perspectieven genoemd) kwalitatief beschreven en daarna omgezet in kwantitatieve meetschalen Tijdens de studie werden deze twintig schalen bijeengebracht in een internet-gebaseerd enquete instrument, de Strategy Profiler, die gebruikt werd om de percepties van enkele honderden managers te meten

Als afronding van de studie werd ook exploratief gekeken naar de mogelijke samenhang tussen allerlei persoonlijke karakteristieken en het hebben van specifieke strategie-perspectieven Er werd gevonden dat enkele contextuele variabelen van managers zoals hun functioneel gebied en nationaliteit, significant gecorreleerd waren met een brede scala strategische denkbeelden Dit resultaat geeft aan dat verder onderzoek naar de invloed van omgevingsfactoren (functie, organisatie, industrie en nationaliteit) op de strategievoorkeuren van leidinggevenden gewenst is

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Mapping the Mind of the Strategist: A Quantitative Methodology for Measuring the Strategic Beliefs of Executives

The integration of sustainability into strategic management education has recently evolved from a marginal issue into one of greater importance and centrality Sustainability-related subjects (eg

Sustainability in Strategic Management Education: The Quest for New Root Metaphors

Sustainability in Strategic Management Education: The Quest for New Root

The ethnographic study reported here examines executive maternity leave as a succession event that manifests itself in a novel transition pattern that I term “temporary executive succession.” In a ...

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/2666996

Managing Maternity Leave: A Qualitative Analysis of Temporary Executive Succession:

Perhaps the greatest strategist of all time was not a business executive but a general. Helmuth von Moltke, chief of the Prussian and German general staffs from 1858 to 1888, issued "directives" to his officers rather than specific commands. These guidelines for autonomous decision making encouraged Moltke's subordinates to show individual initiative. In this article, Hans Hinterhuber and Wolfgang Popp translate Moltke's example into business terms. According to Moltke, strategy is applied common sense and cannot be taught. The authors suggest that good entrepreneurs and managers--along with generals--are born with the qualities that make them successful. But even if managers have the potential to be good strategists, they must develop and hone their natural talents. And CEOs and top management can help by identifying and promoting such talents in their employees. Hinterhuber and Popp have created a questionnaire that helps measure strategic management competence. Managers and entrepreneurs take this test themselves, answering ten questions such as, "Do I have an entrepreneurial vision?", "Do I have a corporate philosophy?", and "Do I have competitive advantages?" Using the questionnaire, company management can evaluate managers being considered for a promotion. At the same time, those who take the test can use it to determine their own performance as strategists. Strategic managers provide subordinates with general guidelines, just as Helmuth von Moltke issued directives to his officers. And outstanding entrepreneurs create a corporate culture in which their vision, philosophy, and business strategies are implemented by employees who think independently.

W Popp

Papers

Are you a strategist or just a manager