BU7204 SM Assignment April 2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BU7204 SM Assignment April 2014 - Essay Example esents a comparative study of the schools of thought model formed by Henry Mintzberg, which is utilised to categorise strategic management fields for companies and the Strategic Lenses provided by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2008). The paper outlines each one of these models and assists understanding and applicability through industry examples. The comparative study at the end tries to assess the relevance and applicability of each thought. Henry Mintzberg’s 10 schools of thought is a framework that is used to elaborate on the concept of strategic management. The schools have been described and a critique of insights is presented under each category. The 10 schools of thought mention ways in which strategies are to be formulated (Mintzberg, Lampel and Ahlstrand, 2005). These schools of thought discuss methods that are to be deployed while framing a company strategy. As per this school of thought, formulating a strategy is a deliberate process that begins with the conception of unique and clear notions. The tools such as, SWOT and Ashridge Mission model, are used to assess the external and internal environment of business. This strategy is best suited for stable business environments, but eliminates relevance of the external business environment (Ambrosini and Collier, 2007). Under the planning thought, strategy formulation is a formal procedure where strategic execution is preceded by a rigorous analysis of the context. This strategy involves a great deal of brainstorming and promotes innovative thought. For example, Clear shampoo used a popular football icon to communicate and market its male shampoo, Clear Men. Here strategy formulations happen as a process of analysis where business is compared with industry standards and strategies are formulated to improve market position. The strategy aims towards changing or altering the present company position in market and perception in the minds of consumers. Toyota shifted its positioning to a manufacturer