23rd Week Journal

Learning Journal Week 23

1. In your own words and using referenced quotes describe what is meant by the term ‘strategic leadership’?

“Strategic leadership refers to a manager’s potential to express a strategic vision for the organization, or a part of the organization, and to motivate and persuade others to acquire that vision.” Management Study Guide

In other words Strategic leadership is utilizing the strategy to influence the organizational members in the management of employees. It creates the structure in an organization, strategic vision and allocating the resources in the same time they work in an indistinct environment.

Source: http://www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/strategic-planning.html

Strategic leadership main objective is strategic productivity. The leaders encourages the employees to follow he ideas and make greater use of reward and incentive system for encouraging productive and as well as the quality.

2. Identify two interesting similarities and two differences between 5 elements of successful and effective Strategic Leadership model and the Transcendent leadership model.

The two interesting similarities and difference between 5 elements of successful and effective strategic leadership model and the Transcendent leadership model are:

Similarities:

•  The models focus on the changing environment and gain sustaining the competitive advantage.

• Both the models provide benefits to the stakeholders by retaining the quality relationship within the organization as well as outside the organization.

Differences:

•  Five elements of successful and effective strategic leadership model only focus on the leadership for the organization benefits and purpose where as transcendent leadership does not only focus on leadership of organization but also self leadership as well.
• In Strategic Leadership the human resources which is motivated and developed as the main talents where as Transcendent model focus rules, procedures and structure instead of human talent.

Reference:

Management Study Guide., Strategic Leadership - Definition and Qualities of a Strategic Leader. (Online) Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-leadership.htm > [ Accessed on April 29^th 2013]

Lynch R (2009), Strategic Management, 5th edition, Pearson Education Limited

Russell, R.F & Stone, A.G (2002), A review of servant leadership attributes: developing a practical model, leadership and organizational development journal, 23/3, pp. 145 - 157.

Goffee, R. and Jones, G. (2000), "Why should anyone be led by you?” Harvard Business Review, September-October, pp. 63-70.

What makes a good leader., Strategic Leadership. (Online) Available at: <http://www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/strategic-planning.html > [Accessed on 29^th  April 2013]

21st Week Journal

Learning Journal Week 21

What are the benefits and drawbacks of taking an emergent approach to strategy making? 

"An emergent strategy is a pattern of action that develops over time in an organization in the absence of a specific mission and goals, or despite a mission and goals."  Planning Skills

In other words Emergent Strategy is a constant action which is unplanned manner without the goal oriented or intended for initial planning stage.

Advantages of Emergent strategy are:

·         The strategy arises from individuals in an organization responding directly to the market forces.

·         It helps organization to develop solution to the problems that are on the long run.

·         It leads to organization to provide the market actual need and wants.

·         Effective use of informal communication which helps to increase the ideas within themselves.

·         It does require to organization maintain the flexibility particularly at executive level.

Disadvantage of Emergent strategy are:

·         Due to emergent strategy the business could decline because it may depend to develop the strategy.

·         It does not provide genuine alternative.

·         Serves to match and serve as a corrective measure for deliberative strategy.

2. Did Honda Entry strategy demonstrate the characteristics of ‘logical incrementalism’?

“A management philosophy which states that strategies do not come into existence based on a one time decision but rather, it exists through making small decisions that is evaluated periodically. These small decisions are not made randomly but logically through experimentation and learning.” Business Dictionary

In other words a management philosophy in achieving the organizational goal by making effective strategic decision over the period of time in a small portion. It helps to resolve the conflict and is flexible but time consuming.

Yes, as per the case study Honda's entry demonstrate the characteristics of Logical incrementalism.

·         In 1960 Honda export was only 4% however mass production was applied to reduce the cost of production.

·         Honda in 1961 invested on their regional advertisement theme “ you meet the nicest people on Honda”  all over the distribution area.

·         USA had limited people who were attracted toward the use of motorbike.  Honda experiment their product naming “ American Honda Motor company” at the complicated time when motorbike was losing the market.

·         Honda later used the emergent strategy , in which fulfilling the demand of the customer on the light weight products by which the sales level also increased tremendously.

·         The sales of company increase to 77 million by 1965. Slowly company’s share started to increase to 60%.

·         Honda motorbike had been experiencing the hard time during the years where the business went extremely well in the USA.

·         After Struggling for many year s finally the they found a suitable environment to sell the motorbike where there was growing demand  and user i.e. Los Angeles.

In my opinion Honda has followed the “logical incrementalism.

Reference: 

Planning Skills. Emergent Stratgent.(Online)  Available at:< http://planningskills.com/glossary/154.php> > [Accessed on: 17 April 2013]

Lynch,R (2012) Strategic Management 6th Edition, chapter 2

Business dictionary., Emergent strategy. [Online] Available at:< http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/emergent-strategy.html> [Accessed on: 17 April 2013]

Johnson, Whittington and Scholes (2011) Exploring Strategy, 9th Edition, Pearson Education, Chapter 12

Business dictionary., logical incrementalism. [Online] Available at:< http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/logical-incrementalism.html > [Accessed on: 17 April 2013]

Lynch, R (2011) Strategic Management, 6th Edition, Pearson Education, Chapter 1

20th Week Journal

18th Week Journal

Learning Journal Week 18

How can the change kaleidoscope and force-field analysis help an organization to deliver its intended strategy? 

Change Kaleidoscope is a framework which is useful in awareness of change process. It would contain different question about the organization and helps to identify and make judgment necessary to the organization. The organization can constantly and continuously monitor the change process. Strength of the kaleidoscope lies in its identification of the complication in change and the requirement for change designs to be situation responsive. This would help to understand the change process which will help smoothen and controllable in the organization.

Usually the question on following would determine Change Kaleidoscope.

• €       Time
• €       Scope
• €       Preservation
• €       Diversity
• €       Capability
• €       Readiness for change
• €       Power

Source:http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/223/flashcards/731223/jpg/businessch15accap3_1001338472815065.jpg

Force Field Analysis is a method to identify and evaluate the forces that may come against the planned change. This analysis would help to find a alternative solution to achieve the change. With the analysis the organization change can have negative and positive forces impacting on change. In order the organization can identify a solution to achieve its intended strategy.

Source: http://www.austrac.gov.au/elearning_amlctf_programcourse/images/content/ff.gif

In the same manner, change kaleidoscope and force field analysis would help to deliver the intended strategy. 

Change Kaleidoscope of Hewlett-Packard at the time of Meg Whitman's arrival.

Fig: Change Kaledoscope

Reference:

Prowork Project. Change Kaleidoscope. (Online) Available at :< http://www.proworkproject.com/prowork/change-kaleidoscope.html> [Accessed on: 6^th April 2013]

Rob., 2006. The Change Kaleidoscope. (Online) Available at :< http://managementsupport.blogspot.com/2006/05/change-kaleidoscope.html> [Accessed on: 6^th April 2013]

Community and economic Development., Force Field Analysis. (Online) Available at :< http://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/force-field-analysis> [Accessed on: 6^th April 2013]

Austrac., Force Field Analysis. (Online) Available at :<http://www.austrac.gov.au/elearning_amlctf_programcourse/mod5/module_5_implementing_9.html > [Accessed on: 6^th April 2013]