Session 18

1. Session 18 Strategy Implementation

2. Strategic Management Model Company mission & social responsibility External Environment Internal analysis Possible? Desired? Strategic analysis & choice Long-term objectives Generic & grand strategies Feedback Feedback Short-term objectives; reward system Functional tactics Policies that empower action Restructuring, reengineering & refocusing the organization Legend Major impact Strategic control & continuous improvement Minor impact

3. Involves development of support systems that Strategy Implementation Identify short-term objectives Initiate specific functional tactics Communicate policies to empower people Design effective support systems

4. What are Short-Term Objectives? Provide specific guidance for what is to be done, translating vision into action

5. Role of Short-Term Objectives in Implementing Strategy 1.“Operationalize” long-term objectives 2. Raise issues and potential conflicts requiring coordination to avoid dysfunctional consequences 3. Identify measurable outcomes of functional activities to be used to make feedback, correction, and evaluation more relevant

6. Chief Executive Officer Marketing Finance and accounting Manufacturing • Distribution channels • Customer service • Inventory obsolescence • Communications and data processing • Carrying inventory • Production supply alternatives • Warehousing • Transportation Responsibilities • More inventory • Less inventory • Frequent short runs • Long production runs Objectives • Fast order processing • Cheap order processing • Lowest cost routing • Fast delivery • Field warehousing • Less warehousing • Plant warehousing Potential Conflicting Objectives and Priorities

7. Action plans enhance short-term objectives in three ways Relationship of Functional Tactics (Action Plans) to Short-Term Objectives Specificity - Identify functional activities to be undertaken to build competitive advantage Provide a clear time frame for completion Identify who is responsible for each action in the plan

8. Measurable Prioritized Linked to long-term objectives Qualities of Effective Short-term Objectives

9. Examples of Deficient Objectives Examples of Objectives with Measurable Criteria for Performance To improve morale in the division (plant, department, etc.) • To reduce turnover (absenteeism, number of rejects, etc.) among sales managers by 10 percent by January 1, 2001. Assumption: Morale is related to measurable outcomes (I.e., high and low morale are associated with different results). To improve support of sales effort • To reduce the time lapse between order data and delivery by 8 percent (two days) by June 1, 2001. • To reduce the cost of goods produced by 6 percent to support a product price decrease of 2 percent by December 1, 2001. • To increase the rate of before- or on-schedule delivery by 5 percent by June 1, 2001. To improve firm’s image • To conduct a public opinion poll using random samples in the five largest U.S. metropolitan markets to determine average scores on 10 dimensions of corporate responsibility by May 15, 2001. To increase our score on those dimensions by an average of 7.5 percent by May 1, 2002. Creating Measurable Objectives

10. Value-Added Benefits of Short-Term Objectives Give operating personnel a better understanding of their role in a firm’s mission Provide basis for accomplishing conflicting concerns Provide basis for strategic control Motivation - Clarify personal and group roles in a firm’s strategies

11. Key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area to provide the business’s products Translate grand strategies into action designed to accomplish specific short-term objectives What are Functional Tactics?

12. Corporate Strategy Business Strategies Functional Tactics Functional tactics: Marketing Seek only first-run films by outbidding competition in each local market; provide primarily family-oriented movies; and maintain an admission price only slightly above that of local competition. Corporate strategy Achieve 15-20 % annual growth through existing businesses and carefully selected diversification into leisure-oriented, consumer-oriented product/service businesses to absorb increasing cash flow from theater and soft-drink bottling operations. Concentration and market development selective Maintain and selectively expand leading nationwide position in the movie exhibition industry to provide positive cash flow for corporate diversification. Soft drink bottlers Functional tactics: Finance Use lease or sale and leaseback arrangements of each theater to maximize cash flow for corporate expansions; seek profitability through volume, not higher ticket prices. Movie exhibition Functional tactics: Operations Use multiscreen facilities with minimal maintenance requirements and a joint service area to serve each minitheater. Sunkist products Functional Tactics at General Cinema Corporation

13. Time Horizon Specificity Participants • Shorter time horizon of functional tactics contributes to successful implementation by • Focusing attention on what needs to be done now • Allowing functional managers to adjust to changing current conditions • Greater specificity of functional tactics contributes to successful implementation by • Ensuring functional managers focus on accomplishments • Clarifying for top managers how functional managers intend to accomplish business strategy • Facilitating coordination among operating units • General managers establish long-term objectives and overall business strategies • Operating managers establish short-term objectives and functional tactics leading to business level success Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics

14. Characteristics of Functional Tactics in Production/Operations • Viewed as core function of an organization • Involves converting inputs into value-enhanced output • Focuses on decisions regarding • Basic nature of firm’s POM system, • Seeks optimum balance between investment input and production/operations output • Location • Facilities design • Process planning on a short-term basis

15. Functional Tactic Typical Questions the Functional Tactic Should Answer Facilities and equipment • How centralized should the facilities be? • How integrated should the separate processes be? • To what extent should further mechanization or automation be pursued? • Should size and capacity be oriented toward peak or normal operating levels? Sourcing • How many sources are needed? • How should suppliers be selected, and how should relationships with suppliers be managed over time? • What level of forward buying (hedging) is appropriate? Operations planning and control • Should work be scheduled to order or to stock? • What level of inventory is appropriate? • How should inventory be used (FIFO/LIFO), controlled, and replenished? • What are the key foci for control efforts? • Should maintenance be oriented to prevention or to breakdown? Key Functional Tactics in POM

16. Characteristics of Functional Tactics in Marketing • Lead to strategic success of the firm through the profitable sale of products/services in target markets • Clearly identify customer needs that products/services aim to meet • Identify where, when, and by whom products/services are to be sold • Define how firm will communicate with target markets • Directly influence supply, demand, profitability, consumer perception, and regulatory response through pricing

17. Functional Tactic Typical Questions the Functional Tactic Should Answer Product or service • Which products do we emphasize? • Which products/services contribute most to profitability? • What product/service image do we seek to project? • What consumer needs does the product/service seek to meet? • What changes should be influencing our customer orientation? Price • Are we competing primarily on price? • Can we offer discounts or other pricing modifications? • Are our pricing policies standard nationally, or is there regional control? • What price segments are targeting? • What is the gross profit margin? Place • What level of market coverage is necessary? • Are there priority geographic areas? • What are the key channels of distribution? • What are the channel objectives, structure, and management? • What sales organization do we want? Promotion • What are the key promotion priorities and approaches? • Which advertising/communication priorities and approaches are linked to different products, markets, and territories? • Which media would be most consistent with the total marketing strategy? Key Functional Tactics in Marketing

18. Characteristics of Functional Tactics in Accounting and Finance • Time frame of finance tactics varies because they direct use of financial resources supporting the business strategy, long-term goals, and annual objectives • Long-term tactics guide decisions in • Long-term capital investment • Debt financing • Dividend allocation • Leveraging • Short-term tactics guide decisions in • Managing working capital and short-term assets • Accounting-focused tactics have taken on increased strategic significance in last decade

19. Functional Tactic Typical Questions the Functional Tactic Should Answer Capital acquisition • What is an acceptable cost of capital? • What is desired proportion of short- and long-term debt? Preferred and common stock? • What balance is desired between internal and external funding? • What risk and ownership restrictions are appropriate? • What level and forms of leasing should be used? Capital allocation • What are the priorities for capital allocation projects? • On what basis should the final selection of projects be made? • What level of capital allocation can be made by operating managers without higher approval? Dividend and working capital manage-ment • What portion of earnings should be paid out as dividends? • Are things other than cash appropriate as dividends? • What are the cash flow requirements? Minimum and maximum? • How liberal/conservative should credit policies be? • What limits, payment terms, and collection procedures are necessary? • What payment timing and procedure should be followed? Key Functional Tactics in Finance and Accounting

20. Characteristics of Functional Tactics in R&D • Assumed a key strategic role in many firms due to increasing rate of technological change • May be more critical instruments of business strategy in some industries than in others

21. Functional Tactic Typical Questions the Functional Tactic Should Answer Basic research vs. product and process development • To what extent should innovation and breakthrough research be emphasized? In relation to the emphasis on product development, refinement, and modification? • What critical operating processes need R&D attention? • What new products are necessary to support growth? Time horizon • Is the emphasis short-term or long-term? • Which orientation best supports the business strategy? The marketing and production strategy? Organiza-tional fit • Should R&D be done in-house or contracted out? • Should R&D be centralized or decentralized? • What should be the relationship between the R&D units and product managers? Marketing managers? Production managers? Basic R&D posture • Should the firm maintain an offensive posture, seeking to lead innovation in its industry? • Should the firm adopt a defensive posture, responding to the innovations of its competitors? Key Functional Tactics in R&D

22. Characteristics of Functional Tactics in HRM • Assumed increasing strategic importance in the 1990s • Aid long-term success in • Development of managerial talent and competent employees • Creating systems to manage compensation or regulatory concerns • Guiding effective utilization of human resources to achieve both the • Firm’s short-term objectives • Employees’ satisfaction and development

23. Functional Tactic Typical Questions the Functional Tactic Should Answer Recruitment, selection, and orientation • What key human resources are needed to support chosen strategy? • How do we recruit these human resources? • How sophisticated should our selection process be? • How should we introduce new employees to the organization? Career development and training • What are our future human resource needs? • How can we prepare our people to meet these needs? • How can we help our people develop? Compensa-tion • What levels of pay are appropriate for the tasks we require? • How can we motivate and retain good people? • How should we interpret our payment, incentive, benefit, and seniority policies? Evaluation, discipline, and control • How often should we evaluate our people? Formally or informally? • What disciplinary steps should we take to deal with poor performance or inappropriate behavior? • In what ways should we “control” individual and group performance? Labor relations and EEO requirements • How can we maximize labor-management cooperation? • How do our personnel practices affect women/minorities/ • Should we have hiring policies? Key Functional Tactics in HRM

24. Role of Policies in Implementing Strategy • Directives designed to guide thinking, decisions, and actions of managers and employees in implementing strategy • Increase managerial effectiveness by • Standardizing many routine decisions • Clarifying discretion managers and employees can exercise in implementing functional tactics • Should be derived from functional tactics with key purpose of aiding strategy execution

25. Why Policies Empower People 1. Establish indirect control over independent action by clearly stating how things are to be done now 2. Promote uniform handling of similar activities 3. Ensure quicker decisions by standardizing answers to previously answered questions 4. Institutionalize basic aspects of organization behavior 5. Reduce uncertainty in repetitive and day-to-day decision making 6. Counteract resistance to or rejection of chosen strategies by organization members 7. Offer predetermined answers to routine problems 8. Afford managers a mechanism for avoiding hasty and ill-conceived decisions in changing operations

26. Advantages of Formal Written Policies 1. Require managers to think through policy’s meaning, content, and intended use 2.Reduce misunderstanding 3.Make equitable and consistent treatment of problems more likely 4.Ensure unalterable transmission of policies 5.Communicate authorization or sanction of policies more clearly 6.Supply a convenient and authoritative reference 7.Systematically enhance indirect control and organization-wide coordination of the key purposes of policies

27. Bonus Type Description Rationale Shortcomings Stock option grants Right to purchase stock in the future at a price set now; compensation determined by “spread” Provides incentive for executive to create wealth for shareholders as measured by increase in firm’s share price Movement in share price does not explain all dimensions of managerial performance Restricted stock plan Shares given to executive who is prohibited from selling them for a specific time period Promotes longer executive tenure than other forms of compensation No downside risk to executive, who always profits unlike other shareholders Golden handcuffs Bonus income deferred in a series of annual installments; forfeited with executive resignation Offers an incentive for executive to remain with the firm May promote risk-averse decision making due to downside risk borne by executive Golden parachute Executive has right to collect bonus if loses position due to takeover, firing, retirement, or resignation Offers an incentive for executive to remain with firm Compensation is achieved whether or not wealth is created;rewards either success or failure Cash based on internal performance using finance measures Bonus compensation based on accounting performance measures such as return on equity Offsets limitations of focusing on market-based measures of performance Weak correlation between earnings measures and shareholder wealth creation Types of Executive Bonus Compensation