Implementing strategic initiatives: a framework of leading practices

Abstract

Purpose -Recent operations management research suggests that adopting and implementing the right practices are essential to attaining "world-class" performance. The purpose of this paper is to report the leading operations management practices and the strategy deployment framework that emerged from a qualitative study that addressed the question of how managers implement strategy in an organisational excellence environment. Design/methodology/approach -Group work with managers responsible for implementing strategic initiatives was followed by case studies of seven organisations via in-depth semi-structured interviews. A survey questionnaire strengthened the validity of the constructs of strategy deployment that were identified in the case analyses. Findings -In total, seven strategy deployment constructs were identified and linkages between them are described. The 50 leading deployment practices indicate a mix of hard and soft management skills applied across the seven constructs. Practical implications -The leading deployment practices have the potential to raise the performance of organisations by improving the implementation of strategic initiatives. The framework is relevant to the deployment of both corporate and business unit strategy such as manufacturing or operations, and should be of interest to managers in these areas. Originality/value -Researchers have noted for more than a decade that no generally accepted framework of operations management practices has emerged for strategy implementation. Most strategy studies have focused on strategy formulation, content, or on project/programme management. There have been few multiple case studies of leading strategy deployment practices in diverse organisations from both private and public sectors.

A Middle Management Perspective on Strategy Implementation

“…One middle manager admitted that change is difficult: "Implementation represents change and, for some, change is very difficult." Because the purpose of developing new strategies is normally linked to an organization's future vision to gain a competitive advantage, it is likely that executing those strategies requires changes in current organizational processes, systems, structures, and culture (Saunders, Mann, & Smith, 2008). Therefore, when implementing planned strategies, change seems inevitable.…”

Project Portfolio Management Capabilities of Strategic Initiatives and PMO Practices In Strategy Implementation: A Perspective of Dynamic Capability in Banking Industries in Indonesia

“…For this study, the author applies the Porter's typology as it is widely used. Saunders et al (2008) argue that all organizations experience a common challenge when implementing a new strategic initiative. It is how to successfully manage the changes that will…”

“…Some researchers found that organizations fail to execute up to 70 percent of their strategic initiatives (Beer & Nohria 2000;Miller 2002) as cited in Saunders et al (2008). Meanwhile, Hrebiniak (2006) argues that it is difficult to formulate the strategy, but it is even harder to execute or implement the strategy throughout the organization due to lack of execution of know-how and the ability to confront difficult organizational and political constraints that stand in the way of effective implementation (Neilson et al 2008in Smith 2011Slater & Olson 2000in Smith 2011).…”

“…Smith (2011) argues that there are several guidelines for successful strategy implementation, such as building a capable organization, marshalling resources, instituting policies, and procedures, adopting best practices and continuous improvement, instilling information and operating systems, providing rewards and incentives, instilling a corporate culture and leadership. Meanwhile, Saunders et al (2008) study seven constructs of strategy deployment in his research, such as communicating the initiative, achieving buy-in, aligning implementation, learning, creating infrastructure for deployment, understanding the business drivers, and identifying deployment options. For the purpose of this study, the combination of seven constructs of Saunders et al (2008) and eight guidelines from Smith (2011) are considered to be selected.…”

Benchmarking Projects: How to Apply It on Non-Industrial Projects

“…ISSN 2326-0297 2015 The best way for an organization to find the suitable benchmarking type as shown in Figure 1 above is to determine whether they want to focus on financial results or meet the expectation of customers. Adopting and implementing the right practices is essential to attaining world-class performance (Saunders, 2008).…”