Names: Mamba Ntokozo Clement

Student ID: 202004605

Course: BSc – IT (IDE) (Year 1)

Module: BUS 134

QUESTION 1

Strategic management process is the steps that you will go through to figure out
where you want to take your organization, how you are going to get there and
whether or not you are succeeding. It also a process undertaken by an organization
to develop a plan for achievement of its overall long-term organizational goals.

There are six steps of strategic planning:

a) Goal establishment – here the organization define goals, establish strategies

for achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and coordinate
activities.
b) Environmental scanning – Environmental scanning refers to a process of
collecting, scrutinizing and providing information for strategic purposes. It
helps in analyzing the internal and external factors influencing an
organization. Management should evaluate environmental analysis
continuously.
c) Strategic formulation – here the managers decide how to get employees to
do the work. It involves the leadership and how to influence employees to be
as productive as possible, and dealing with employee behavior.
d) Strategic evaluation – it involves monitoring the actual performance,
comparing the actual performance to what was planned and taking corrective
 action if necessary. Evaluation makes sure that the organizational strategy as
well as it’s implementation meets the organizational objectives.
e) Strategic implementation – strategic implementation deals with putting the
organization’s chosen strategy into action to achieve the goals set. Strategy
implementation includes designing the organization’s structure, distributing
resources, developing decision making process, and managing human
resources.
f) Strategic control – it controls the strategic implementation to be in line with
the strategic plans.

QUESTION 2

Reasons why managers are reluctant to set goals:

a) Unwilling to let go of the usual

b) Knowledge on how to goal
c) Fear of failure of due to the transparency of goal setting
d) Failure to priorities

How to overcome goal setting reluctance:

a) Encouragement and support

b) Exposure to higher level goals
c) Participation and involvement in the entire process
d) Learning and development

QUESTION 3

a) Decreased transfer time

b) Jobs can be learned in less time
c) Production efficiency
d) People have greater job choice
e) Ease to purchase specialized equipment.

QUESTION 4

Five Direct action factors:

a) Customers – Patronage is very important to existence of the organization.

The manager must continuously strive to keep old and new customers.
b) Suppliers - require attentive communication, payment, and a strong working
relationship to provide needed resources. They supply the organization with
inputs.
c) Competitors – these are organizations that compete among themselves, they
usually offer same products. In determining the appropriate marketing
strategy, the manager will have to consider not only the target customers but
also competitors
d) Economic – this concern will touch the health of the economy in terms of
inflation, income levels, gross domestic product, employment and job
outlook. Managers are required to devote time and resources to forecast on
the economy.
e) Socio – Cultural Variables – organizations can only flourish if they consider
society’s customs and values in the planning and implementation of their
activities.
QUESTION 5

Narrow span control Wide span control

1. There are a smaller number of There are a greater number of
employees reporting to a employees reporting to a manager
manager
2. There is less employee It allows more employee autonomy
autonomy in decision making in decision making so there is
as compared to wide span of increased morale and motivation.
control
3. Supervision of fewer Supervision of many employees
employees compared to wide compared to narrow
span
4. Narrow span control allows Wide span control gives employees a
closer supervision of chance of independence from
employees supervision because the manager
doesn’t have time to supervise a large
group.
5. More costly Less costly
6. Communication barrier Fast and clear communication
between upper and lower
 management
7. Close and good relationship Close and informal relationship may
between supervisor and be impossible
subordinates is possible