Overall Strategy

Question 1

What are the strategy dimensions?

Answer 1

1. Strategy process: (flow of strategy activities)
   The manner in which strategy come about. How, who and when of strategy: how is and should strategy be made, analysed, implemented, changed, controlled, who is involved, when do necessary activities take place?
2. Strategy Content: (result of strategy activities)
   combined decisions and choices that lead a company into the future. WHAT is and should be, dealing with the whole company or units?
3. Strategy Context: (conditions surroundings strategy activities)
   WHERE? In which firm, in which environment are the content and process embedded?

–> each strategic problem is by nature 3 dimensional - process, content, context. The dimensions interact with each other.

Question 2

Structuring the strategic debate:

Answer 2

Strategy process:

1. strategic thinking- logic vs creativity
2. strategy formation- deliberateness vs emergence
3. strategic change- revolution vs evolution

Strategy content:

4. Business Level Strategy- markets vs resources
5. Corporate Level Strategy- responsiveness vs synergy
6. Network Level Strategy- competition vs cooperation

Strategy Context:

7. Industry Context- compliance vs choice
8. Organisational Context- control vs chaos
9. International Context- globalization vs localization

Purpose:
10. Organisational Purpose- profitability vs responsibility

Question 3

Structuring the strategy debates: Strategy tensions

Answer 3

1. Puzzles: one optimal solution point - find the best
2. dilemmas: two either or solutions points - make a choice
3. Trade-off: one optimal solution line - strike a balance
4. Paradox: multiple innovative reconciliations (Versöhnung) - get the best of both worlds

Question 4

Taking a dialectical Approach:

Advantages of opposite perspectives

Answer 4

Out of Antithesis and Thesis there is a better solution within the Synthesis area:

1. Range of ideas: full set of views on a topic
2. points of contention (Auseinandersetzungen): achieve a shaper focus - contrast function
3. stimulus for bridging: willingness to get the best out of both worlds - integrative function
4. Stimulus for creativity: stimulates innovative ideas - generative function