[Strategic Thinking]

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Table of Contents
LO-01: A Contextual interpretation of the practice of strategy.......................................................2
The review of the changes in strategy:........................................................................................3
Analyse the situation:..............................................................................................................3
Identify the options:.................................................................................................................3
Evaluating the options and selecting best options:..................................................................4
LO- 02: Evaluation of recent initiatives and the value of strategic thinking...................................5
The development model of the strategy:.....................................................................................6
The learning and development model:........................................................................................6
Scanning (Available knowledge for strategic thinking):.........................................................7
Questioning (Gather skill for strategic knowledge):...............................................................7
Conceptualization (The ability for the critical reflection):......................................................8
Testing (Implement and enhance the plan and strategic thinking):.........................................8
Necessity of implementation:..................................................................................................8
Changes over time:..................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10

LO-01: A Contextual interpretation of the practice of strategy.

The strategy is something that planned and designed to achieve the goals of the management
in the long-term process. The practice of business strategy is the way of creating a unique plan
regarding business. The strategy is the choice of objectives and developing them to implement
successfully to make the business success.
Strategic development refers the involvement of taking the decision of the major goals of the
organisation. The top management takes the strategic decision by implementing and analysing
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the decisions and plan. There are some facts for developing the strategy or way of practising
strategy (Armstrong, 2014). These may contribute to creating a developed strategy that will help
to meet all criteria of development for the business. These are:

The direction of the strategy that will run on the proper way avoiding the risky path,
Developing the needed and available resources and adjust for the strategy development.
Minimising the barriers and resistance,
The related parties of the strategy need to identify and reach them,
Overall increase the use of latest technologies to make an advanced strategy (Porter,
2013).

The strategy is needed to develop to advance the development of the mission and vision of the
business. The strategy development may help to focus on the efforts and abilities as well as the
planning of the development. Some important issues are related to the strategy development. For
developing the following facts, the strategy needs to develop time to time. These may:

Use the most advanced way and opportunities to develop,

Use the resource more effectively and efficient way,
Eliminate the barriers and enlarge the opportunities,
Develop the vision of the business (Bryson, 2011).

There are some approaches to strategy. These approaches need to develop the profitability and
gain competitive advantages. Strategy development has three major parts. The changes may
occur in the policy or strategy, but the employees may not change.

The review of the changes in strategy:

The strategy process directly involves in three major activities. These steps that have changed the
business strategy to develop the business position to the current situation.

Analyzing the
situation

Identified the options

Evaluating the options

and selecting best
options

Figure 01: The strategic changes process (Source- Own)

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Analyse the situation: The issues of the business are needed to analyse first. The business may
need to analyse. The SWOT analysis, PEST and other tools may be used to develop the strategy.
The environment of the business was also analysed to develop a strategy. Besides these factors
the stack holders and competitors was analysed to improve the strategy. So the parts of the
analysing are:

Analyse the organisation,

Analyze the environment,
Analyze the competitors,
Analyse the customers and stakeholders.

Identify the options: Developing the strategic decision there were some options that were
evaluated by the strategic thinkers. The possible opportunities for the strategic are evaluated in
the stage. There are many parts in the stage. Like:
Brainstorm: Brainstorm is an important tool to find the possible solutions for the problems. The
problems are needed to evaluate by ensuring the competitive advantages by brainstorming.
Opportunities and Threat: There are many opportunities regarding strategic thinking. The
opportunities and threats may be finding and evaluate by SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis will
provide the opportunities and threats of the strategic option.
Solve problems: In the SWOT the threats may be found. These threats are needed to solve. The
possible solutions of the problems are described here. Brainstorming helps to find the solutions
considering the situations (Pherson, 2016)
Evaluating the options and selecting best options: The best solutions of the problems are
selected to implement. The solutions may not equally effective to the strategy. The effectiveness
and value of the options are evaluated here.
Evaluate options: The options are identified to evaluate. The best options are gathered to
evaluate for further steps.
Choosing the best one: The options that were evaluated are compared and choose a best one to
implement. The best options for the problem are selected in step.

Implement the strategy: The strategy management team finally implements the selected option.
The implementation of the strategy may be a success or sometimes faces difficulties (Mills,
2014).
The current business situation is running by the implementation of the strategy of the previous
times. The strategy of the business was taking by following the above stages. The strategy
process has great impacts on making an effective strategy. Thus business implemented the
strategy following the steps and gained competitive advantages to reach current situation.
The necessity of implementing the strategic thinking:
The necessity of implementing the strategic thinking has great values in the organisation like
ASDA. The implementation has some important issues. It is very much important for the success
of the strategic plan as well as the business. The necessity of implementing the strategic thinking
is briefly describing below:
Allocation of resources: The needed resources may not be available. While implementing the
thinking, it will ensure the availability or lacking of the necessary resources. ASDA may think of
developing the inline selling systems. But it may not have a necessary human resource to handle
the changes.
Changing environment and tradition: The business environment or the tradition of the buyers
may change. The buyers in online may prefer to buy products from social networking sites
rather the websites now. These changes may affect the planning to develop the online system by
ASDA. So the choice of the buyers may change, and implementation let us know the facts easily.
Matching with the competitors: The implemented issues may compare to the competitors of
the organisation ensure the competitive advantages. The matching process needs a proper
implementation of the thinking.
Improvement of the thinking: The system may have some critical issues. These issues may be
identified through the implementation of the thinking. So removing these faults it needs to
implement the plan successfully.

Thus the successful implementation helps to make the strategic thinking possible to apply in the
business. The implementation will enable the strategic thinking to be real in the organisation.
Strategy helps to develop to gain the sustainable development of the business. Sustainable
development refers the development of the needed strategies and implementation of those to the
business to meet the needs of the stakeholders and manage the future needs of the business
successfully. Strategy develops the business when it is practised properly in a proper way in the
business. Some development of the business related to the practice of the strategies is describing
below:
The management process and the business success so much depend on the business strategy. The
strategy needs to modify and update time to time to enjoy the benefits from it. The business
strategy describes the customers needs and expectation. The strategy develops the future needs
and the way of success. The current business needs a developed strategy and develops it to
ensure the success of the business. For long time growth, current business needs a developed and
successful strategy (Kavcic et al., 2014)

LO- 02: Evaluation of recent initiatives and the value of strategic thinking.
The economy and the types of business and other issues of business are changing very fast
globally. The strategic evaluation of ASDA was also changed rapidly in the period of 2005 to
onwards. The strategy and the strategic thinking, as well as the strategic management, need to
change and develop as the changed situation and environment was not experienced before. The
strategic issues should be flexible as it needs to change time to time when facing change in the
global world.

The development model of the strategy:

There are many models of changing strategic development over time. Here the development
model of Ellen F. Goldman and Andrea Casey (2010) will be briefly discussed. The model will
show the development over time from 2005 to present time with relevant examples. The model is
concerned and considered four major issues: Scanning, questioning, conceptualising and
testing (Hunger, 2013).

The leadership has some vision of changing the mission and strategies that help to cope with
changing situation. The leadership focuses on the purpose of the changing situation and tries to
drive the changing vision of the situation. The strategy may involve some issues to change.
Strategic thinking is the panel of experts to develop the strategies for the organisation. The
absence of the strategic thinking causes different critical issues of the organisation. The learning
and development process developed by Goldman and Casey is describing below:

The learning and development model:

The learning and development model of Goldman and Casey was developed in 2010. The model
has major four stages of learning and development.

Figure 02: Learning and development model by Casey and Goldman (Sourcewww.researchgate.net)

Scanning (Available knowledge for strategic thinking): The first criteria are to scan for the
available knowledge of changing the effects and issues of the global world. The individuals can
scan to know the change of the related parties. The process mainly involves in two major works:
How the thinkers think and how the environment is changing. The change in policies,
environment, regulation rules, technological change and many updates of the factors. Strategic

thinkers may evaluate these to scan and find the change for having understood the facts (Burns,
2014).
As per example, in the previous years, the online purchase system of ASDA was not so much
developed. The availability of the internet and the knowledge has enabled the online systems
developed. The strategic thinkers may find the change in the system. So the needed change in
strategy for a change in the system will be taken by the strategic management. The group
discussion, meeting with the strategic team may help to know the facts well. So ASDA started
providing online purchase system from 1998.
Questioning (Gather skill for strategic knowledge): The finding change in the system or other
factors need to filter and develop for further steps. The gained information or knowledge filters
first. Then the related parties or selected parties are needed to query. The information that was
gathered needs to analysis to develop the skill of the thinkers. The theories and culture may
develop and provide necessarily improved information to the organisation. Developing the
information or knowledge, leaders or managers may receive feedback and suggestion for the
development. The change in demand and concept over this period may consider and discuss to
develop the strategy.
As per example, the online purchase system that is needed to add in the system may develop by
the strep. The online purchase system should have a link to the website of ASDA. The website
will link the users to the shop now option. The development process may involve the
management and strategic team. The strategic team or management team may provide help and
suggestion for required changes. The developed process will be easier than before by questioning
the knowledge to the related and skilled team.
Conceptualization (The ability for the critical reflection): The latest change in regulation or
other major factors influence the strategic change. The related parties of the business may change
their regulation and other issues that may affect the strategic issues of business. The political
issues and the government issues in business, the technological change in business, and the
economic changes are the issues to consider before strategic changes. Changing the strategic
thinking, leaders may use the issues to merge the concept of the strategic change. From 2005 to

present time, many technological issues have been changed. So these issues need to consider
before implementing the concept of changing strategy (Anon, 2016)
As per example, the technological change in the last few years is significant. To develop the
online purchase system of ASDA, the organisation needs to develop the system first. The
technologically advanced system like the use of a server or individual domain by the
organisation should be developed before. The online system of ASDA has some lacking. The
design of the site and the use of space as well as the tabs need to modify for make it effective and
attractive to the users.
Testing (Implement and enhance the plan and strategic thinking): Before final implementing
the developed strategic system, it needs to test time to time. The strategic thinking is the thinking
process of the time to time changing the strategy by using creative strategy and behaviour. The
change in time periods needed to find how and what change is going through the business.
Before implementing the strategy, the system should be reviewed and the others systems to make
it a success. The strategic decision may be tested by reviewing the same issue from others is
important in part (Stacey, 2015).
Necessity of implementation:
When ASDA will change the system or improve it, the customers may confuse about the new
system. Besides these, the improved one may have some issues to analyse first. So the
improvement of the system by ASDA should be tested and implemented to secure way. The
changes in ownership may have some new strategy to gain the market. The new management
may have a new vision to gain the goals. So, the implementation of the new strategy or any
changes is very much necessary to implement successfully.
As per example, the development of the purchase site of ASDA may develop or implement by
review the other businesss system first. The advantages and the lacking of that system may help
to implement the developed system successfully. The lacking may be removed, and advantages
may be included successfully to make a successful system. Developing the online system of
ASDA the management may run it as testing the effectiveness of the improvement.

Changes over time:

ASDA a multinational grocery shop is a British company. ASDA is one of the largest grocery
companies in the UK. The strategic changes over a period of ASDA were remarkable. The
ownership of ASDA was changed many times. The ownership affects the strategy of the
company many times. As the ownership changed many times, the CEO of ASDA was also
changed. The strategy of ASDA and the market condition changed random time. ASDA met
economic boom and did well from 2006. But the market condition was fluctuating in those years.
In 2007 the market share was fluctuating in the last session. From then the market position is
second in the UK market, and the market strategy, as well as the position in Wal-Mart, is
changing time to time. The change in business was seen in those years. The major changes in
strategy, its effects and importance are described briefly below:
The value of the strategic management is much important for the modern business. The
business of todays world is hugely different from the traditional one. The strategic development
of the business, especially for the modern time, has great impacts on the business. The value and
importance of the strategic management over time is describing below:
The importance may be categorised into two categories: Financial benefits and nonfinancial
benefits. These benefits directly help to survive and develop the vision of the business over the
period. In the scenario the strategic change from 2005 to onwards top present time are:
Strategic thinking and management helped to know the future needs and problems of the
business,
Provided objectives and direction to the employees and management,
Faced market position and faced top class competitors,
The economic boom was seen many times, but the market fails also happened,
The core strategies were changed by the ownership changes,
The strategic thinker's teams also changed by the authority,
Better performance and output than nonstrategic business,
Improved decision making and effective result,
Saved the cost and help to develop future budget,
Minimised the future threats and increase the opportunities,
Better decisions to gain the objectives,
Developed the skill of the strategic team,
Encouraged the team as well as the employees to do better works,
Better allocated of resources and time management,
Better vision to face the problems of management (Betz, 2016)
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Organization cannot cope with the better mission and vision without strategic thinking. The
business will run successfully when the strategic thinking is better than other business. By
developing the strategic thinking overtime period, the business has survived from 2005 to present
time. By understanding the vision and mission of the business, the strategic thinking may
develop more successfully for gaining competitive advantages and run a business successfully.

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