Henry Mintzberg Essay

Business Strategy1.0 IntroductionIn the juvenile eld the views of strategicalal anxiety has changed significantly. It has been criticall(a)y studied and classified as a field of managerial practice that should involve been given more thought. (Knights and Morgan, 1991) There be two essential parts to system, actions that are planned ahead and developed carefully according to many factors once implemented. A proper system created and implement to a go with would give a agonistical advantage over other companies. This report card lead guide the position of the phrase in a wider debate as different scholars have different opinions in outline. It will discuss about the theoretical underpinnings, strengths and weakness in Henry Mintzbergs article Crafting Strategy.2.0 Position and Theoretical UnderpinningsAccording to Levy, Alvesson and Willmott most of the current thinking is anchored by the work of Michael doorman and Henry Mintzberg. (Levy, Alvesson and Willmott, 2003) Henry Mintzbergs Crafting Strategy is based on inquiry that was conducted over numerous years that focused on several organisations that have taken various decisions over a period of time. The decisions make by organisations were taken into account and put together as different types of strategy. His thesis was the crafting image mitigate captures the process by which effective strategies to come to be. However the homework image, long popular in the literature, distorts these processes and thereby misguides organisations that embrace it unreservedly. (Mintzberg, 1987)The article appears to focus on an rising approach to strategy. Mintzberg states, a key to managing strategy is the king to detect emerging patterns and help them take shape. This is suggested through the fact that the role of a manager is not just to preconceive specific strategies butalso to recognize their emergence elsewhere in the fundamental law and intervene when appropriate (Mintzberg, 1987). One of the earlier influential writers of strategy Philip Selznick who back up this theory wrote about the graphic symbol of an organization being separate and integrates commitments to ways of acting and responding. (Selznick 1957) Ghosal, Barlett et al also suggest this point by mentioning its the focus in traditional strategy on value appropriation rather hence value creation. (Ghosal, Barlett et al, 1999)Mintzbergs theory captures a mix of Richard Whittingtons clear and processual school of strategy. This is modelled in the article as the potter is characterized as a craftsman strategist. In Whittingtons model developing and delimit falls under Michael Porters classical deliberate approach to strategy and thinking lies within Henry Mintzbergs approach to emergent strategy. In the view of strategy Porter (1980 1985), Andrews (1971) and Chandler (1962), the prescriptive approach to strategy is shown for its dependency on analysis and planning. This is also view is also supported by G raetz who suggests that strategic thinking is already considered necessary process closely linked to strategic planning. (Graetz, 2002) Wilson goes further by mentioning, strategic thinking should convert strategic planning. (Wilson. L., 1994) Heracleous proposes that strategic planning and strategic thinking is two distinct but related processes, strategic planning is analysis and strategic thinking involves synthesis. (Heracleous, 1998) Many scholars including Mintzberg who emphasizes heavily on the processes of larn, compromising and adjustment is that strategy is a process. He suggests that the planning and then implementing strategy is unsustainable for long term. (Mintzberg, 1990) In 1994 Mintzberg provided some evidence of the sorrow of planning.3.0 StrengthsMintzbergs does identify there is no such thing as purely deliberate strategy or purely emergent one. This is further emphasized when he states all strategy making walks on two feet, one deliberate and the other emerg ent. This suggest that deliberate and emergent is intertwined which is emphasized when Mintzberg mentions, deliberate and emergent strategy form the end points of a continuum along which the strategies that are crafted inthe real world by chance found. (Mintzberg, 1987) Mintzberg treated strategy differently from traditional literatures that only focused on one type of strategy. firearm other scholars associated themselves in four schools of strategy Henry Mintzberg defined ten schools of strategy. (Mintzberg, 1998) Crafting Strategy is positioned in the learning and design school. In this he suggested strategy as a ploy, which gives company a competitive advantage, as the strategy is misleading therefore, unpredictable thus competitors are unable to know what the company is planning. This is supported by Rumelt who mentions one persons strategies are anothers tactics that what is strategic depends on where you sit. (Rumelt, 1979)Crafting strategy shows flexibility and therefore m akes it more prepared to implement. Henry Mintzberg states strategies can be form as well as formulated. (Mintzberg 1987) It suggests that there is no standard approach to strategy thus every company or individual can use it as it is tailored to the company needs. According to Kipping as it is malleable it allows freedom to craft their best strategy (Kipping, 2010)3.1 WeaknessIn this article Henry Mintzberg based his research on mass production companies such as Honda, Volkswagenwerk and General Motors. His conclusions about strategy derived from assessing these major companies whitethorn not be applicable to other companies as some managers are not competent to the strategy. This is mentioned by Noe who states Emergent strategiesrely on the organizations ability to learn from the actual experiences of employees at all levels (Noe et al., 2003)Whittington states mechanisms ensure that the strategy process remains objective rather than being captured by a contingent management fact ion. This suggests that managers are able to draw from extensive and less detectable sources of power. (Whittington, 1993). Mintzberg argues that the reality of strategy is not a planned organizational phenomenon but better characterized as an emergent. (Mintzberg et al., 1998) However Mintzberg fails to address these additional conditions suggested by Whittington thatare thought to be potentially vital points in strategic management.Stoney mentions that In the strategic management model, responsibility for corporate level decision-making rests with a core or strategic elite who are discharged from the day-to-day responsibilities of operational activities, these being devolved to the lowest possible level of control. (Stoney 1998) Supported by Anthony and Dearden mentioning that strategic planning is a function in the executive level that is designed to ensure that the direction is followed as set. (Anthony & Dearden 1976) This will help companies maintain a competitive advantage however as it is only based on executive level views commence ranked staff in the companies is ignored. This is suggested by Alvesson and Willmott who states, broader power relations license the interests and viewpoints of some groups while silencing and marginalizing others. (Alvesson and Willmott, 1996) Henry Mintzberg himself mentions this view by stating senior management sets of broad guidelines and the leaves specifics to other lower down in the organization. (Mintzberg ,1974)As a few of Mintzbergs theory is based on the processual school of strategy in Whittingtons model Levy, Alvesson and Willmott mentions it provides a sceptical perspective on established classical and rational perspectives. (Levy, Alvesson and Willmott, 2003) However it fails to explore in a wider perspective of domination or analyze the managerial assumptions. Alvesson and Willmott further states that in the processual school of strategy, Mintzbergs view of power fails to look within an intra-organizat ional perspective that eschews servant of broader social and political structures. (Alvesson and Willmott, 1966) This suggests that Mintzberg does not take into consideration many other factors that may be chief(prenominal) to his view of strategy.4.0 ConclusionMintzberg does appear to focus most of his ideas towards emergent strategy however he does address that there can be no such thing as just deliberate or emergent strategy. (Mintzberg 1987) They both need to intertwine in order for the strategy to work. Crafting strategy is based on long-term learning, errors become opportunities and limitations stimulate creativity(Mintzberg 1987) This is what causes the moulds streams of decision into patterns as suggested by Hedbery and Jonsson. (Hedbery and Jonsson, 1977)5.0 ReferencesAlvesson, M. and Willmott, H. (1996) Making Sense of counselling A Critical Introduction. London Sage.Andrews, K.R. (1971) The Concept of unified Strategy. Homewood, IL Irwin.Anthony, R & Dearden, J. (197 6), Management control systems. Illinois Homewood Richard D Irwin. B. Hedbery and S. A. Jonsson, Strategy Formulation as a Discontinuous Process, International Studies of Management and Organisation, 7/2 (1977) 90 Chandler, A.D. (1962) Strategy and Structure Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise. Cambridge, MA MIT Press.David Ley, Mats Alvesson, Hugh Willmott. (2003). Critical Approaches to Strategic Management. In Mats Alvesson, Hugh Willmott Studying management critically. Cornwall Sage Publications. 92-110.Graetz, F. (2002). Strategic thinking versus strategic planning towards understanding the complementaries. Management Decision, 40 (5), pg 456-462.Ghoshal, S., C. A. Barlett, et al. (1999). A bracing Manifesto for Management. Sloan Management Review 40 (3) 9-20.Heracleous, L. (1998). Strategic thinking or strategic planning? Long Range Planning, 31 (3), pg 481-487. Kipping. M. & Caillutet, L. (2010) Mintzbergs Emergent and Deliberate Strategies Tracking Alcans Activities in Europe, 1928-2007, Business History Review, 8 (4), pp.79-104. 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A subsequent paper by the author (in process) on the design school of strategy formation shows th e link of Selznicks early work to the writings of Kenneth Andrews in the Harvard policy textbook. K.R. Andrews, The Concept of Corporate Strategy, Revised Edition (Homewood, IL Down Jones-Irwin, 1987).Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York Free Press.R. P. Rumelt, valuation of Strategy Theory and Models, in D.E. Schendel and C. W. Hofer, eds., Strategic Management A New View of Business polity and Planning (Boston, MA Little Brown, 1979), pp.196-212.Stoney, C. (1998) Lifting the lid on strategic management A sociological narrative. electronic Journal of Radical Organization Theory 4(1).Whittington, R. (1993) What is Strategy and Does it Matter? London Routledge.Wilson. L. (1994). Strategic planning isnt dead It changed. Long RangePlanning, 27 (4), pg 12-24.