Get premium membership and access questions with answers, video lessons as well as revision papers.
Strategic plans are broad plans developed by top managers to guide the general direction of the firm. They follow from the major goals of the firm and indicate what business the firm is in or what business it intends to be in. Strategic plans therefore indicate how or where the firm will position itself within the environment.
Characteristics of strategic plans include:
They are long term compared to all other plans.
They provide a basis for more detailed plan and for day-to-day managerial functions.
They are made by top-level management.
They deal with fundamentals of basic problems by providing answers to questions such as ‘what is our business?’ ‘what business ought we be in?’ and ‘who are our current and potential customers?’
They help to integrate and unify the actions of the organization over time.
They provide guidance and boundaries for operational plans.
Operational plans are unlike strategic plans in that they are made at low levels of management and they focus mainly on current operations and efficiency. Such plans provide details of how the strategic plans will be accomplished.
Operational plans can be divided into two main types:
(i) Standing plans that are standardized approaches for dealing with recurrent and predictable situations e.g. policies, rules and regulations.
(ii) Single use plans, which are developed to achieve specific purposes and are dissolved once these have been achieved e.g. projects, programs and budgets.
Below are the main differences between strategic and operational plans
- Operational plans mainly focus on operational problems while strategic focuses on longer-term survival and development.
- Operational plans face present resources environmental constraints while strategic is concerned with future resources environmental constraint.
- Operational plans deals with information relating to present business while strategic deals with future opportunities.
- For operational plans, rewards are mainly current efficiency and stability but for strategic plan, they are the development of future potential.
- Organization in operational planning is bureaucratic but it is very flexible and entrepreneurial in strategic.
- Leadership for operational plans, problem solving is reactive, relying on past experience and analysis but it is very flexible for strategic plans. Operational plans are low risk but strategic plans are very high risk.
Kavungya answered the question on April 27, 2021 at 05:48
- How can management overcome barriers to effective implementation of innovation and change in an organization.(Solved)
How can management overcome barriers to effective implementation of innovation and change in an organization.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- The manager is frequently faced with the task of introducing change in the organization.
What are the reasons for innovation and change in the organization?(Solved)
The manager is frequently faced with the task of introducing change in the organization.
What are the reasons for innovation and change in the organization?
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Liberalization has opened the doors to global expansion.
a) Outline the difficulties an organization may encounter when seeking global expansion.
b) What skills should a manager posses...(Solved)
Liberalization has opened the doors to global expansion.
a) Outline the difficulties an organization may encounter when seeking global expansion.
b) What skills should a manager posses in order to overcome difficulties?
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Your organization has identified a need in the market, which it seeks to satisfy through new product.
a) State and describe the stages in new product...(Solved)
Your organization has identified a need in the market, which it seeks to satisfy through new product.
a) State and describe the stages in new product development.
b) What factors contribute to the success of new product development?
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Identify and explain the sources of managerial power.(Solved)
Identify and explain the sources of managerial power.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Explain the responsibilities of a production engineer in an organization.(Solved)
Explain the responsibilities of a production engineer in an organization.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Write short notes on the following:
i) Job production
ii) Mass production
iii) Batch production(Solved)
Write short notes on the following:
i) Job production
ii) Mass production
iii) Batch production
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Ngura works as a research and development manager in a manufacturing firm. He joined the firm five years ago as a research assistant. The organization...(Solved)
Ngura works as a research and development manager in a manufacturing firm. He joined the firm five years ago as a research assistant. The organization for which Ngura works has a policy whereby vacant positions are filled from within the organization.
Management relies on the outcome of performance appraisals to identify employees for promotion. The appraisals are carried out annually. The appraisal exercise of the organization has not been dome objectively and superiors have been awarding grades arbitrarily. Many of the employees have been awarded high grades even when their performance does not deserve high grades.
Early in the year, the position of the head of the research and development department fell vacant and employees were encouraged to apply for the job. Ngura felt capable of performing the job, applied and was invited for an interview. Consequently he was awarded the promotion and took up the post of head of research and development department.
It has become apparent that Ngura is not very co-operative with staff in other departments. In his own department he over delegates to his subordinates because he is incapable of handling the tasks involved in the higher job. There have been occasions when assistants have not completed work to the satisfaction of management but when asked to explain, Ngura explains that employees know what is expected of them and they should therefore work, for they are paid for it.
Required:
a) State and explain the guidelines that management should have followed to ensure the success of the performance appraisal.
b) Identify and explain the weaknesses in Ngura’s style of management and suggest measures that should be taken to address the weaknesses.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Managers charged with putting a company on a growth trajectory can pursue its existing markets (customer sales) or enter new markets and can emphasize its...(Solved)
Managers charged with putting a company on a growth trajectory can pursue its existing markets (customer sales) or enter new markets and can emphasize its existing products or develop new products.
Using Ansoff’s classic product/market matrix, discuss the risks and rewards of the four growth alternatives.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Explain ten major forces that have been responsible for the sweeping changes and re-organizations that have been taking place in Kenyan firms in the recent...(Solved)
Explain ten major forces that have been responsible for the sweeping changes and re-organizations that have been taking place in Kenyan firms in the recent past.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Modern trends and practices call for firms to pursue wider objectives in addition to the global profitability. Explain the concept of corporate social responsibility and...(Solved)
Modern trends and practices call for firms to pursue wider objectives in addition to the global profitability. Explain the concept of corporate social responsibility and discuss the various components that a socially responsible firm should address.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- Leadership is a dynamic process in a group or organization whereby one individual influences the other to contribute voluntarily to the achievement of the group...(Solved)
Leadership is a dynamic process in a group or organization whereby one individual influences the other to contribute voluntarily to the achievement of the group or the organization’s objectives in a given situation.
Discuss this statement with reference to different types of leaders.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- One of the functions of management is decision making.
Discuss various types of decisions taken by managers and explain the steps that should be followed to...(Solved)
One of the functions of management is decision making.
Discuss various types of decisions taken by managers and explain the steps that should be followed to arrive at the right decisions.
Date posted: April 27, 2021. Answers (1)
- A key element in the effective implementation of corporate strategies is the design of the organizational structure of the firm or the organization.
Discuss each of...(Solved)
A key element in the effective implementation of corporate strategies is the design of the organizational structure of the firm or the organization.
Discuss each of the following types of organizational structure:
a)Holding Company structure;
b)The Functional structure;
c)The matrix structure; and
d)The multi-divisional structure.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- The principal of Management by Objectives was first coined by Peter F. Druker in the 1950’s. Describe the principle and its merits and demerits in...(Solved)
The principal of Management by Objectives was first coined by Peter F. Druker in the 1950’s. Describe the principle and its merits and demerits in the organizations.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- For successful management, managers must come up with objectives before commencing operations. Explain what is meant by the term ‘objectives’ and describe the characteristics that...(Solved)
For successful management, managers must come up with objectives before commencing operations. Explain what is meant by the term ‘objectives’ and describe the characteristics that good objectives should have.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- Many forward-looking organizations have an explicitly stated mission which is always displayed in a conspicuous place.
Explain the benefits of a mission statement(Solved)
Many forward-looking organizations have an explicitly stated mission which is always displayed in a conspicuous place.
Explain the benefits of a mission statement
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- Kirkland Ltd. is a multi -national company that has recently launched its operations in your country. The company wants to immediately conduct research in order...(Solved)
Kirkland Ltd. is a multi -national company that has recently launched its operations in your country. The company wants to immediately conduct research in order to devise the most suitable organizational structure for its operations.
Discuss the various options available to the company indicating the advantages and
disadvantages of each option.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- Marketing experts around the world have generally agreed that there are a number of clearly identifiable variables that comprise of building blocks of marketing. These...(Solved)
Marketing experts around the world have generally agreed that there are a number of clearly identifiable variables that comprise of building blocks of marketing. These variables have been labeled “Marketing Mix” elements.
Identify these elements and discuss the concept of product as it relates to each of them.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)
- The ideas and concepts of management thought as conceptualized by Max Weber crystallized to what came to be known as a bureaucratic system.
Discuss Weber’s propositions...(Solved)
The ideas and concepts of management thought as conceptualized by Max Weber crystallized to what came to be known as a bureaucratic system.
Discuss Weber’s propositions and discuss their applicability in today’s organizations.
Date posted: April 26, 2021. Answers (1)