SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HAND OUTS

• Networks are a ‘as a set of nodes and the set of ties representing some
relationship, or lack of relationship, between the nodes’ (Brass, 1995). The things
that are connected are usually called nodes. A node might be a person, a computer
or even a hyperlinked text. The connections between hubs are called “associations”
and here and there called “edges” (Mabagos, 2017). The structure assumed by
nodes and ties is defined as the Social Structure, where individual actors’ actions
within the network are influenced by attributes of an actor and by the net of
relations in which the actor is embedded (Vera & Schupp, 2006; Chaudhary &
Warner, 2015

Networks are analyzed in terms of density, hierarchy, multiplexity,

interdependence and embeddedness (Kilduff and Tsal, 2003):

1. Density- The density of a network is based on the number of connections

between and among the actors. According to Kilduf and Tsai, the higher the
number, the denser the system. The density of a network depicts the potential
associations in a system that are genuine associations while a potential
connection is an association that could possibly exists between two “hubs”
paying little respect to regardless of whether it really does.

2. Hierarchy- Actors in the network can pull their investments in social relations
by establishing relations with a diverse set of groups in the community
(preferably groups that are not connected to each other), rather than
establishing all of their relationships with members of one group.

3. Complexity- Complexity is the extent to which a link between actors served a

multiplicity of interests in the community. The more complex relations have
 considered have higher tie strength. Complexity also represents the extent to
which two people are bound to each other in different social grounds.

4. Interdependence- The ties in the network can be useful in facilitating change

and reform. The interdependence of social ties in a community produces benefits
for actors and members. Interdependence facilitates cooperation and creates social
capital necessary for the progress of the community. Social capital is the
accumulated benefits as a result of the maintenance of a positive relationship
between different groups and associations in the community.

5. Embeddedness- The networks of relations within each person is rooted include

family, friends, and acquaintances. To be sure, business associations
themselves are held together by formal relations of power as well as by casual
connections that interface individuals crosswise over departmental and
progressive limits

Strategic Analysis Corporate Finance Institute (2021), defines strategic

analysis as process of conducting research on a company and its operating
environment to formulate a strategy.

The definition of strategic analysis may differ from an academic or business

perspective, but the process involves several common factors:

1. Identifying and evaluating data relevant to the company’s strategy

2. Defining the internal and external environments to be analyzed
3. Using several analytic methods such as Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT
analysis, and PESTE analysis.

Furthermore, the Corporate Finance Institute provided explanation about the

strategic analysis process:

1. Perform an environmental analysis of current strategies From the beginning,

organizations require to complete an environmental analysis of its current
strategies. Internal environment considerations include issues such as
operational inefficiencies, employee morale, and constraints from financial
issues. External environment considerations include political trends,
economic shifts, and changes in consumer tastes.
 2. Determine the effectiveness of existing strategies A key purpose of a
strategic analysis is to determine the effectiveness of the current strategy
amid the prevailing environment. Strategists must ask themselves questions
such as: Is our strategy failing or succeeding? Will we meet our stated goals?
Does our strategy align with our vision, mission, and values?

3. Formulate plans If the answer to the questions posed in the assessment

stage is “No” or “Unsure,” the organization needs to undergo a planning
stage that aim to propose strategic alternatives. Strategists may propose
ways to keep costs low and operations leaner. Potential strategic
alternatives include changes in capital structure, changes in supply chain
management, or any other alternative to a business or management
process.

Strategic Thinking is defined as the individual’s capacity for thinking conceptually,

imaginatively, systematically, and opportunistically with regard to the attainment of
success in the future (Strategicthinkingcoach.com, 2013).

Strategic Thinking Coach explained elements of strategic thinking:

1. Success Oriented. The word “success” needs to be considered in the context of the
usual meaning of the word strategy; that is, some field of competition where the strategy
exploits advantage and leads to a desirable outcome for the strategist. For example,
success in a game involves winning within the boundaries of a set of game rules. Success
in a military encounter might define the victor as the entity who holds the field at the
conclusion of the battle. Success in business might be defined as penetrating a new
market. Success in a political campaign might be defined as winning an election.

2. Future Oriented. Strategic thinking involves looking towards the future with an
appreciation that present-moment decisions will have impact on the future. The future
may be very different from the status quo. Strategic thinking must consider the outputs
of what is commonly called “futurology” or “strategic foresight.” A strategic thinker takes
into account the past and present, as part of the inputs for considering the future.

3. Cognitive. Strategic thinking employs mental process that are conceptual

(abstractions, using analogy to translate across contexts), systematic (composed of
different components with interfaces that interact to produce intended or emergent
behaviors, pattern finding, and connecting situations that are not obviously related),
imaginative (creative and visual), and opportunistic (searching for and grasping new
information and value propositions). The strategic thinker applies all of these cognitive
processes in the orientation towards future success.
 4. Only Individuals Can Practice Strategic Thinking. Any kind of thinking is
governed by the mind, or more specifically the brain. Commonsense tells us that
individuals – even people who are genetically identical – think differently and have
different learned responses to coping with the world around them. It follows from that
reasoning that organizations do not practice strategic thinking because there is no single
brain or mind at work.

Intuitive Thinking “Intuition is seeing with the soul.” -Dean Koontz Canadian
psychologist Gordon Pennycook as cited by Dr. David Ludden (2018), posits that all of us
are intuitive thinkers. As we solve problems and make decisions in our daily lives, we let
our emotions guide us. And that’s a good thing because our “gut feelings” have been
honed over evolutionary history to help us quickly and effortlessly achieve good enough
outcomes.

Oxford Dictionaries define intuition as “the ability to understand something instinctively,

without the need for conscious reasoning.”

Exploringyourmind.com (2018), identifies four kinds of intuitive thinking.

1. Emotional intuitive thinking. This has to do with your ability to immediately pick up
on other people’s personality traits or emotional states. You can see who they are, or
how they are, without them having to say anything.

2. Mental intuitive thinking. This is about finding an immediate answer to a problem,

without analyzing it. It’s very common in people with jobs that require quick decisions,
like firefighters or bomb technicians.

3. Psychic intuitive thinking. This means having the ability to choose the best path to
overcome a personal difficulty, without putting much mental effort into it. It also means
being able to pick up on social and work-related dynamics.

4. Spiritual intuitive thinking. This has to do with states of “enlightenment” or

“revelations”. They’re more of an experience than a fact. Buddhists talk about this kind
of intuition more than anyone else, which has given it a mystical quality