MINTZBERG 5

P'S STRATEGY
MODEL

D O N E B Y: E R G A S H E VA
GULASAL
 CONTENT:

1. What is Mintzberg’s 5Ps strategy

2. How to use 5Ps strategy

3. Examples of 5Ps strategy

4. References
Mintzberg’s first wrote about the concept in
1987. Each of the 5 Ps represents a different
approach to strategy. They are:
1. Plan.
2. Ploy.
3. Pattern.
4. Position.
5. Perspective.
Human nature insists on a definition for every concept. The field

of strategic management cannot afford to rely on a single

definition of strategy indeed the word has long been

used implicitly in different ways even if it has traditionally

been defined formally in only one.

Explicit recognition of multiple definitions can help

practitioners and researchers alike to maneuver through this

difficult field.
 PLAN EXAMPLE :

If you were Building aMosque, you should define:

How Big this Mosque would be.
What Style it would have (Muslimic style, etc).
Its Width.
The number of Domes and Interior Design it
would have. etc.
 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never forget these two essentials:
1. Plans should be ready to tackle future
problems
2. They need to be developed purposefully
and consciously
 PLOY - SECOND P OF STRATEGY

When Companies define their Strategy, they:

List and Analyze the different available
Tactics.
Study which Tactics can be employed.
Adapt and Adopt the
appropriate Management Methods.
Make sure that your ploy is useful and attractive
for the clients so that they prefer your
business instead of considering what others in
the industry are offering.
Example: A grocery chain might threaten to
open a new store so that a competitor doesn’t
move into the same area.
 PATTERNS - THIRD P OF STRATEGY

When Companies define their Strategy, they:

Look for Past Successful Operations.
Analyze what Practices can be Replicated and to
what extent.
Try to put together different Successful and
Replicable Approaches.
 PATTERN
Take advantage of patterns that have been implemented
before and have achieved the desired result. Instead of
reinventing the wheel, this approach allows you to develop
a strategy quickly using tried and true methods.
When it comes to strategic planning, being aware of these
patterns, both intentional and unintentional, allows you to
use them to strengthen your plans.
Example: Continually hiring staff who have a background in
customer service will automatically lead to a stronger
customer service division
 POSITION
This approach looks at your position within the marketplace and
how you want to position yourself. Identifying your
competitive advantage helps you to make decisions that support
your place in the market.
Example of Position
After successfully serving in the electronics
industry, Apple entered into the media and music industry. With
their music platform iTunes, Apple has managed to position
themselves as the leading qualified entertainment services
provider for its customers.
 PERSPECTIVE
If you are concerned about creating a powerful business image
(and of course you should be), never compromise over how
your business works for the world.
Whenever any strategy is applied, your ultimate focus should
be to maintain an excellent reputation for your organization.
For this, you must train each and every employee working
for the organization, as well as emphasize the importance of
implementing a collective mind approach.
 EXAMPLE OF PERSPECTIVE
As one of the most famous fast food chains in the
world, McDonald’s provides quality food at a
reasonable cost with quite a lot of similarities for
their customers. McDonald’s has been quite
successful in maintaining the quality of their
products and services, thus ensuring to keep a
positive perspective among their customers.
1. RF. Drucker, Management: Tasks Responsibilities Practices
(New York, NY: Harper& Row, 1974), p. 104.

2. C. Von Clausewitz, On War translated by M. Howard and R

Raret (Rrinceton, NJ:Rrinceton University Rress, 1976), p. 177

3. J. Von Newmann and O. Morgenstern, Theory of Games and

Economic Behavior (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,
1944), p. 79.
4. W.F. Glueck, Business Policy and Strategic
Management,
3rd Edition (New York, NY:McGraw-Hill, 1980), p. 9.6.
Random House Dictionary.

5. M.E. Porter, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for

Analyzing Industries and Com-petitors
(New York, NY: The Free Press, 1980).

6. C. Schelling, The Strategy of Confiict,

2nd Edition (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Uni-versity Press,
1980).