Avoid the Breakdowns Between Planning and Implementation

Sandy, William

doi:10.1108/eb039440

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Moreover, for high levels of coordination and cooperation, how similar senior marketing executives ideas are with that of the ideas of mid‐level marketing managers in terms of the marketing strategy in question has been recognised as key in the creation of an atmosphere conducive to effective marketing strategy implementation (Noble and Mokwa, 1999). The importance of “championing” has been discussed in a wide range of literature (Marginson, 2002; Noble and Mokwa, 1999; Sandy, 1991; Hutt et al , 1988). Nutt (1983) explains that champions serve many purposes, including mobilising firm resources, generating momentum for the marketing strategy and making sure that the goals of the marketing strategy are clear to all those charged with implementation duties.…”

Section: Contextual and Process Characteristics Of Strategic Market Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

In pursuit of the “ideal approach” to successful marketing strategy implementation

Thorpe

Morgan

2007

European Journal of Marketing

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PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to consider how firms set about strategising in marketing and the nature of their implementation effort. Prior research has not considered the alternative means of implementation that firms display in practice.Design/methodology/approachA model is developed from a mid‐level (marketing) managerial perspective by comparing three groups of strategy implementation types (“change”, “collaborative”, and “cultural”) against five contextual and process characteristics of marketing strategy implementation.FindingsContrary to literature that has recommended bottom‐up marketing planning, the findings show if the firm displays an implementation environment characterised by hierarchical structures and strong top‐down influences, then marketing strategy implementation will be more effective.Research limitations/implicationsMore analysis of the daily lives of mid‐level employees is essential to improve the understanding of the key implementation success factors. Also, more research is needed on the influence of firm factors, such as culture, structure and management style, in determining the context for implementation.Practical implicationsThe strategic paradox in the results suggests that there is a need for a degree of top‐down imposition, yet it also suggested that fostering the cooperation of mid‐level marketing managers through bottom‐up initiatives is required in the implementation process.Originality/valueProvocatively, the paper concludes that the movement to restructure corporate hierarchies should not amount to a rejection of hierarchy as an organising principle in terms of implementing marketing strategies more effectively. The data indicate that a hierarchical implementation style will positively enhance the performance of those strategies.

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Section: Contextual and Process Characteristics Of Strategic Market Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

In pursuit of the “ideal approach” to successful marketing strategy implementation

Thorpe

Morgan

2007

European Journal of Marketing

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“…The importance of "championing" in implementation has been discussed in a range of literature (e.g., Sandy 1991). Hutt, Reingen, and Ronchetto (1988) suggest that champions are particularly important in the implementation of relatively radical or unusual marketing strategies.…”

Section: Strategy Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Role involvement is defined as the extent to which a manager participates in the "shaping" of his or her role, including involvement in strategy formulation and later interactions with superiors to determine the exact nature of the role. Although several authors have presented prescriptions advocating involvement of middle managers in the formulation of strategy (e.g., Hambrick and Cannella 1989;Sandy 1991), little has been offered in the way of theoretical support. A cognitive interpretation of Quinn's (1980) "logical incrementalism" may provide insight.…”

Section: Role Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing Marketing Strategies: Developing and Testing a Managerial Theory

Noble

Mokwa

1999

Journal of Marketing

177

150

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Implementation pervades strategic performance. It is a critical link between the formulation of marketing strategies and the achievement of superior organizational performance. Research conducted in this area generally has suffered from a lack of conceptual and empirical grounding. Furthermore, implementation research often ignores the mid-level managers, who are intricately involved in most implementation activities. The authors integrate a broad literature review and a grounded theory-building process to develop a model of important factors that influence the implementation of marketing strategies from a managerial perspective. They test this model in a study of mid-level marketing managers in two different organizations. The results provide insights into the nature of implementation in marketing and suggest future research opportunities.

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“…Many authors identify the impact of communication quality between managers and staff on strategy cognition, and therefore implementation (Argyris, 1989;Sandy, 1991;Workman, 1993;Kim and Mauborgne, 2005). Different authors have focussed on vertical communication between leaders and staff (Fidler and Johnson, 1984;Robertson and Gatignon, 1986;Johnson and Frohman, 1989) and horizontal communication between peer groups (Hambrick and Cannella, 1989).…”

Section: Communication Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Group model building and mental model change

Scott¹

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This thesis explores the individual and group processes that occur in qualitative group model building, mostly using applied research in New Zealand government departments. System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of systems over time. Originally, system dynamics practitioners would advise corporate managers on business decisions. To improve the adoption of these proposed interventions, some practitioners experimented with involving client groups in the modelling process, now commonly referred to as "group model building". Researchers not only discovered that group model building supports client commitment to implementing the conclusions of the modelling process, but also noted a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal changes in participants. However, group model building literature remains unclear on what these changes are, and how they occur. In Chapter 2, a literature review explores what intrapersonal and interpersonal factors predict effective strategy implementation. An observational study was conducted, and suggests that group model building workshops can have a positive impact on the intention to implement strategy. Several cognitive biases were proposed to explain this effect. Group model building literature claims mental model change and mental model alignment as outcomes, but it is not clear that the evidence supports these claims. Mental models are relatively enduring structures, and previous studies only evaluate changes observed immediately after the group model building workshop. Chapter 3 follows participants in four group model building workshops over a 12-month period. The results demonstrate that participants change their decision preferences through the workshop, and that without reinforcement these changes persist for 12 months, suggesting mental model change. Participants' preferences also become and remain more alike, suggesting enduring mental model alignment. Individuals whose mental models are more aligned are more likely to agree, and this can be an important outcome where decision groups are expected to build shared understandings over time. The I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the General Award Rules of The University of Queensland, immediately made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968.

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Avoid the Breakdowns Between Planning and Implementation

Abstract: There are eight areas in a business plan where energy is often wasted. Here's how to spot the gaps that prevent plans from being put into action.

Cited by 16 publications

References 0 publications

In pursuit of the “ideal approach” to successful marketing strategy implementation

In pursuit of the “ideal approach” to successful marketing strategy implementation

Implementing Marketing Strategies: Developing and Testing a Managerial Theory

Group model building and mental model change

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