Illustrative Strategic Management School

Explanatory Strategic Management

Introduction

Strategic management is the study of how companies can achieve success and have a sustained competitive edge. The field of Strategic Management has been dominated by a handful of schools of thought that have been developed over time, each of which have their own unique approaches, insights, analyses and explanations of strategic management. The Explanatory Strategic Management School is one of these schools of thought, and its approach is based on the idea that management is a dynamic process, comprising of a number of interacting factors which make up the thinking, decision making and action that occur in organizations. This school of thought stands apart from traditional strategic management schools of thought in its emphasis on analyzing the qualities of organizational activities in order to better understand the strategic situation of the organization. This paper will provide an overview of Explanatory Strategic Management, covering its key theories, techniques, processes and approaches.

Overview of Explanatory Strategic Management

Explanatory Strategic Management is based on the idea that management involves a complex interplay of forces that interact to determine organizational success. While traditional strategic management schools of thought focus primarily on maximizing performance and profitability, Explanatory Strategic Management takes a broader approach by focusing on the dynamics of the organizations decision making process. This school of thought holds that the quality of management is not necessarily determined by a single factor or strategy, but rather by the interaction of many different factors. According to this school of thought, analysis of the context of an organization and its environment can provide valuable insight into the organizations strategic situation.

Explanatory Strategic Management seeks to understand and explain strategic management by using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. It examines the internal and external environmental factors that influence the way decisions are made and then uses this analysis to develop strategies that are tailored to the specific needs of the organization. This approach is designed to identify the various forces which shape organizational dynamics and provide the necessary evidence-based strategies that can be implemented to ensure successful results.

The emphasis of Explanatory Strategic Management is on analyzing and understanding the complexities of the organizational environment and making sense of the various dynamics at play. This involves analyzing a variety of data, including financial reports, customer surveys, and employee evaluations. The goal of Explanatory Strategic Management is to enable organizations to identify and understand the factors which influence their success and then to develop strategies which are tailored to the specific needs of the organization.

Analysis Techniques

Explanatory Strategic Management uses a variety of analysis techniques to gather data and information from the organizations environment. These techniques include the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the organizations internal and external environment and provide evidence-based strategies for achieving success.

Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative analysis involves the use of interviews, observations, and focus groups to gather information from people within the organization. This information is then analyzed to identify patterns and trends in the organizations decision making process. This type of analysis is particularly useful for uncovering deeply embedded information and understanding the organizations culture.

Quantitative Analysis

Quantitative analysis involves the use of quantitative techniques such as regression analyses and factor analysis to assess the performance of the organization. This type of analysis can be used to identify trends in the organizations performance and can help to uncover potential areas of improvement.

Processes

Explanatory Strategic Management involves a number of steps and processes which are designed to identify potential areas of improvement and develop evidence-based strategies for achieving success. These processes involve:

• Defining and analyzing the strategic decision making process: This involves identifying the variables that have an impact on the organizations decision making processes. This may include understanding how stakeholders influence the decision making process as well as how the environment has an impact on the organization.

• Analyzing the organizational environment: This involves analyzing the factors that influence the organizations performance. This may involve examining the competitive environment, the regulations and laws that govern the organization, the organizations marketing strategy, and the factors that influence the organizations operations.

• Developing strategic objectives: This involves developing objectives which are tailored to the needs of the organization. These objectives should be goals which are measurable, achievable, and relevant to the needs of the organization.

• Developing an action plan: This involves creating an action plan which outlines the tasks and activities that will be needed to achieve the organizations goals. This action plan should be tailored to the needs of the organization and should be implemented using appropriate resources and skills.

Conclusion

Explanatory strategic management is a school of thought that seeks to understand and explain the complexities of organizational dynamics. It emphasizes the analysis of the context of an organization and its environment in order to better understand the organizations strategic situation. The philosophy of this school of thought is based on the idea that management is a complex interplay of forces that interact to determine organizational success. To this end, Explanatory Strategic Management makes use of qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques as well as various processes to analyze the organizations internal and external environment and develop evidence-based strategies for achieving success.

Descriptive School of Strategic Management

Strategic management is a discipline that studies the management of organizations through the elaboration of strategies that help them adapt and respond to a changing environment. The Descriptive School of Strategic Management is a school of thought dedicated to the systematic study of the processes of formulation and implementation of strategies. It considers managerial decisions within the context of corporate strategy, including action plans and execution, and is complementary to the normative school of strategic management.

The descriptive school of strategic management pays particular attention to the process of strategy formation and execution rather than on abstract norms, values and principles. The underlying assumption of the descriptive school is that decisions are shaped by the organizational context and the strategies of individual managers. The research in this field focuses on understanding how an organization develops, adapts, and implements its strategies by focusing on the decision-making processes that underlie strategic decisions and their effects on the organization.

This school emphasizes the importance of understanding the context in which organizational decisions are taken, including the organizations competitive environment, the goals and values of management, and the internal capabilities and limitations of the organization. The descriptive school also focuses on the ways in which factors such as structure, culture, and human resources influence decision making and implementation. In addition, the descriptive school pays attention to the implementation process of strategies, including managing implementation barriers, measuring performance and results, and measuring the degree of success of a strategy.

The descriptive school of strategic management offers a framework for the study of strategic management that is focused on the understanding of the processes of formulating and implementing organizational strategies. It provides a comprehensive perspective on strategic management and enables practitioners and researchers to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of how organizations develop, adapt, and implement their strategies.