WHAT IS STRATEGY?

A dictionary will tell you that the term 'strategy' refers to an action plan or course of action. In other words, how a particular objective might be achieved. In a management context, the word 'strategy' has become interchangeable with 'long term planning' and is used to describe an activity that senior managers perform to achieve the organisation's goals. Johnson and Scholes, for example, in Exploring Corporate Strategy, define the strategic plan as: '.the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term: ideally which matches its resources to its changing environment and, in particular, its markets, customers and clients so as to meet stakeholder expectations." Strategic management is a term that is used to describe the process of making decisions and taking actions to achieve the organisation's goals. The process of strategic management is a continuous process involving the adjustment of the organisation's resources, the environment in which it operates and the aims of the organisation. In its simplest form, it can be shown thus: Another way of showing this, which highlights the elements within the five basic stages of strategic management, is thus: Set objectives Evaluate Monitor & Review Select strategies Implement