CULTURAL

ASPECTS OF
STRATEGY
CHOICE
S T R AT E G I C M A N A G E M E N T
INTRODUCTION
• GENERATION OF
ALTERNATIVE
STRATEGIES.
• ESTABLISHMENT OF
LONG-TERM
OBJECTIVES.
• CHOOSING THE
STRATEGIES FOR
PURSUING.
• THE ALTERNATIVE
THAT HELPS ACHIEVE
 CULTURE
Culture is basically the sum total of all
shared, often subconscious assumptions
learned by a group through history. The
evolution of culture can be traced back to the
original reason for existence of the
organization. It forms over cumulatively over
time in a very pragmatic manner.
THE CULTURAL
ASPECTS
IT INCLUDES A SET OF SHARED BELIEFS,
VALUES, ATTITUDES, NORMS,
HEROES, HEROINES AND PERSONALITIES THAT
CUSTOMS,
DESCRIBE
• Viewing THE FIRM.
strategic management from the point of view of
culture is always beneficial. This is because success is
frequently dependent on the kind of support that a firm’s
culture provides to a strategy.
• Strategies are more attractive if they require few cultural
changes. This is because considerable effort and time might be
required for incorporating extensive changes
• If the strategies of a firm are support by cultural products like
values, beliefs and rituals, then the changes can be
implemented by managers easily and smoothly.
THE CULTURE AND
POLITICS OF STRATEGY
CHOICE
• It is beneficial to view strategic management from a cultural perspective
because success often rests on the degree of support that strategies
receive from a firm’s culture.
• If a firm’s strategies are supported by cultural products such as values,
beliefs, rites, rituals, ceremonies, stories, symbols, language, heroes, and
heroines, then managers often can implement changes swiftly and easily.
• Strategies that require fewer cultural changes may be more attractive
because extensive changes can take considerable time and effort.
• In the absence of objective analyses, strategy decisions too often are
based on the politics of the moment. With development of improved
strategy formulation tools, political factors become less important in
making strategic decisions.
 01 ONE
Political maneuvering consumes
valuable time, subverts organizational
objectives, diverts human energy, and
results in the loss of some valuable
employees.

02 TWO
Political biases and personal preferences
get unduly embedded in strategy choice
decisions.
POLITICAL TACTICS FOR
STRATEGISTS
All organizations are political. Unless managed, political maneuvering
consumes valuable time, subverts organizational objectives, diverts
human energy, and results in the loss of some valuable employees.
Sometimes political biases and personal preferences get unduly
embedded in strategy choice decisions. Internal politics affect the choice
of strategies in all organizations. The hierarchy of command in an
organization, combined with the career aspirations of different people
and the need to allocate scarce resources, guarantees the formation of
coalitions of individuals who strive to take care of themselves first and
the organization second, third, or fourth. Coalitions of individuals often
form around key strategy issues that face an enterprise. A major
responsibility of strategists is to guide the development of coalitions, to
nurture an overall team concept, and to gain the support of key
individuals and groups of individuals.
POLITICAL TACTICS FOR
STRATEGISTS
A. Equifinality: give flexibility to use different techniques.
It is often possible to achieve similar results using different means or
paths. Strategists should recognize that achieving a successful
outcome is more important than imposing the method of achieving it.
It may be possible to generate new alternatives that give equal results
but with far greater potential for gaining commitment.
B. Satisfying: achieving satisfactory results with acceptable
strategies.
Achieving satisfactory results with an acceptable strategy is far better
than failing to achieve optimal results with an unpopular strategy.
C. Generalization: shifting focus from specific to general ones.
Shifting focus from specific issues to more general ones may increase
strategists’ options for gaining organizational commitment.
POLITICAL TACTICS FOR
STRATEGISTS
D. Higher-order issues: postponed short-term in favor of long term.
E.g., focus on survival and give concession to union on wage
increase.
By raising an issue to a higher level, many short-term interests can be
postponed in favor of long-term interests. For instance, by focusing on
issues of survival, the airline and automotive industries were able to
persuade unions to make concessions on wage increases.
E. Political access on important issues
Strategy and policy decisions with significant negative consequences for
middle managers will motivate intervention behavior from them. If
middle managers do not have an opportunity to take a position on such
decisions in appropriate political forums, they are capable of
successfully resisting the decisions after they are made. Providing such
political access provides strategists within formation that otherwise
might not be available and that could be useful in managing intervention
TACTICS TO AID STRATEGIES
• Choose methods that afford
employee commitment.
• Achieve satisfactory results with
a popular strategy.
• Shift from specific to general
issues.
• Focus on long-term issues and
concerns.
• Involve middle level managers
in decisions.
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Strategic Management