Discussion Replies: 300 WORDS EACH REPLY
You will be required to post a substantive reply of at least 300 words each to a minimum of
TWO classmates’ threads.
You must use at least 1 peer-reviewed reference published within the past 4 years (and
not used in the original posting) in your response. The reference must be from the library
(see guidelines above).
Do not simply revisit what was discussed in the thread, but add information from the
unique article you researched on the concept and compare the findings. Did the findings
of the article you found and the articles used in the original thread agree, disagree,
address different aspects of the concept?
Only the substantive part of the response will be counted toward the word count.
Use APA format and write in 3rd person
POST 1.
Definition: The key term Logan has chosen to write about is Strategic Planning. Our textbook M: Management by Bateman and Konopaske states, “Strategic planning involves making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies” (Bateman & Konopaske, 2022, p.34).
Summary: The article Logan would like to summarize is Process Considerations for Strategic Planning: Phase #1, Contextualization and Information Gathering by Stephen P. Hundley and Caleb J. Keith. This article takes an in depth look at the first phase of strategic planning, contextualization and information gathering. This phase is extremely important due to the impact it has on shaping the rest of the phases and this phase itself. “Elements in this phase provide the foundation for an effective and engaging planning process: recognizing the need and context for strategic planning; involving appropriate stakeholders in the strategic planning process; scanning the external environment and identifying peer and aspirant benchmarks; and conducting a situational analysis” (Hundley & Keith, 2023, pp. 2). The article explains where step one begins with why strategic planning begins in the first place. This can come from different reasons such as completion of former goals or visions, organization restructures, or change in leadership. From here the article moves into who needs to be involved in the strategic planning process, such as the appropriate stakeholders. These appropriate stakeholders range from the president or CEO of the company to department leads. Once the new reason for strategic planning has been established and the appropriate team has been assembled, gathering of information must take place. This involves researching peer organizations and the market to see where the operating level is at. “As a complement to the environmental scan those involved in strategic planning should also identify peer and aspirant benchmarks as a source of useful comparative information” (Hundley & Keith, 2023, pp. 7). Lastly the article finishes with conducting a situational analysis. “Collectively, an examination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats provides a holistic view of the context in which strategic planning occurs (Hundley & Keith, 2023, pp.10).
Discussion: The article summarized above agrees with the textbook definition given. This is supported by, “Strategic planning is a process by which institutions, organizations, and other entities indemnify goals and objectives along with strategies to achieve them” (Hundley & Keith, 2023, pp.2). This article relates to the textbook information by expanding upon the process of strategic planning. The process is broken down into four parts, and Logan was able to learn and gain a better understanding of what exactly strategic planning involves. The second article for discussion is, The strategic Planning Process and Strategic Plan by Joseph A. Iraci. This article also agrees with the textbook definition by stating, “A strategic plan is a firm’s road map of what it wants to achieve over the next several years” (Iraci, 2021, pp.3). Both articles agree that a current situation must be understood, to have aa good starting point to then give an end goal. This article does differ from the summarized article by conducting the current situation analysis first compared to last in the summarized article. Where the second article helps to improve upon the first is discussing how exactly the plan is formulated. Formulating a strategic plan is a large task that can become difficult. This is where having stakeholders that can critically think is incredibly important. The article defines critically thinking by, “Critical thinking is an analytical process based on fact and observations that allows fact-based decisions” (Iraci, 2021, pp. 26). The reason having stakeholders being able to critically think is also given to us by the article, “People who cannot think critically will fail to spot opportunities and marketplace changes” (Iraci, 2021, pp. 26). On top of critical thinking there is also strategic thinking. This is defined as, Strategic thinking is a disciplined process that applies analytical skills toward creating a compelling plan for the future” (Iraci, 2021, pp. 31). Critically thinking will allow the stakeholders to correctly make decisions based off of fact in coordination with strategic thinking will allow them to them to formulate a plan based off of those decisions. The stakeholders would start with the issues or goals that the company wants to fix or complete; make critical decisions on how to solve or complete them; then use strategic thinking to formulate a plan to implement those decisions. The combination of these two articles has given Logan the new knowledge on how to exactly execute strategic planning in four detailed steps, instead of just know what strategic planning is. This will prove to be a great resource in daily life in his work center when faced with issues that require long term solutions.
Biblical Integration: Logan believes that strategic planning is a very Biblical concept. We can see God as the greatest strategic planner of all time. He knows everything that has been and that will be. God sending his son to save us of our sins knowing what would happen, to ultimately save mankind from sin; is the greatest strategic plan of all time. His goal was to save mankind from the original sin and thus set out a plan to accomplish that long-term goal. The Bible directs us to plan in the verse Provers 21:5, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Holy Bible). When strategic planning happens, those involved must be diligent and keep the Lord in mind when making these plans. Ensuring that the gospel is glorified in everything that we do.
References:
Bateman, T. S., & Konopaske, R. (2022). M: Management (Seventh ed., p. 13).: McGraw Hill LLC. https://prod.reader-ui.prod.mheducation.com/epub/sn_273a/data-uuid-925420ff76fc45398f083a00af50cf4e
Links to an external site.
Holy Bible. (n.d.). https://www.biblegateway.com/
Links to an external site.
Hundley, S.P. and Keith, C.J. (2023), Process Considerations for Strategic Planning: Phase #1, Contextualization and Information Gathering. Assessment Update, 35: 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1002/au.30337
Links to an external site.
Iraci, J. A. (2021, November). THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND STRATEGIC PLAN. The RMA Journal, 104(3), 52. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A683925559/GBIB?u=vic_liberty&sid=summon&xid=2e97cf5c
Definition: The key term Logan has chosen to write about is Strategic Planning. Our textbook M: Management by Bateman and Konopaske states, “Strategic planning involves making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies” (Bateman & Konopaske, 2022, p.34).
POST 2.
Definition
Benchmarking is the choice to review processes and data from best-in-class companies to drive innovation and mitigate weaknesses (Alosani & Al-Dhaafri, 2021, p. 932).
Summary
A study by Mohammed Saleh Alosani and Hassan Saleh Al-Dhaafri (2021) was conducted searching for the impact that benchmarking had on the public sector [specifically on the Dubai Police Force]. The authors sought to find the interaction that innovation culture had on benchmarking, and in turn, how that affected organizational performance. Innovation culture is a requirement for benchmarking. To act on a company’s weaknesses, there must be a culture supported that yearns for that needed change. Surveys were sent out to middle management in the police. The purpose of the survey was to “examine the relationship between benchmarking and police performance (Alosani & Al-Dhaafri, 2021, p. 931)”. It was noted that innovation was not widely accepted in the public sector. Most benchmarking was found in private companies. 252 surveys out of 338 sent out were returned. Through the questions that were asked, researchers found that benchmarking aided members of the police force in grasping the best practices pointing towards further innovation. Additionally, it was found that the innovation culture was propelled by the implementation of benchmarking. Since there is little record of benchmarking in the public sector, more studies are needed in other settings to further the data collected here.
Discussion
Benchmarking is a tool that: sets quality standards, is driven by innovation and culture, requires quality data, and produces new ideas. First, benchmarking sets quality standards. As companies come into further contact with shortcomings or weaknesses in business practice, a choice can be made to search out others that are succeeding in that area. When information is shared between companies, as was found in a research article by Morse et al (2020), it paves the way for more standardized information. In their research, Morse and colleagues studied a benchmarking framework that had been developed around public transportation. Information was shared between busing companies as long as they fit certain criteria. With this framework and reference to the article mentioned in the previous section, it can be surmised that, with the spreading of business practices, it increases points related to a standardization of information and processes.
Second, benchmarking is driven by innovation and culture within a business. There must be a focus that is centralized around building a culture and identity towards innovation. Without a proper culture, not only will a company forgo the benefits of benchmarking, but it will diminish the viability of the company itself. Gathering information necessary to a specific weakness allows a company to plan and act on other efficient processes that may lie outside of that company to fix that given weakness. A company that is successful employs workers that desire success and growth for that company. As benchmarking is used, larger amounts of data, aiding in searching and removing weak practices, allows for that growth and success. For that data to be collected a strong innovation focused culture is necessary.
Third, benchmarking requires quality data. For there to be proper corrective action taken, companies must put a requirement on the type of data collected. In reference to Morse et al. (2020), they found that, in studying the framework of the transportation system that shared data with each other, a board was formed. This board [The American Bus Benchmarking Group (ABBG)] established certain requirements for bus companies to share their data. The ABBG found that they needed to keep, as an example, the companies to a specific number of buses (2020, p. 1539). This requirement was noted as a focus towards the quality of the data. For information to be taken from companies with different fleet sizes, data would be skewed due to the ability for each company to serve different numbers of riders.
Lastly, benchmarking paves the way for new ideas. Data and process collection allows for management to view different actions by companies that may have never been considered. This allows for fresh ideas and more efficient practices within company policy. As companies are able to learn specifics from each other, it can allow for a wider variety of growth and success.
Biblical Integration
Ephesians 2:3 discusses what we all once were before Christ saved us “among them [the sons of disobedience] we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, children of wrath, even as the rest (New American Standard Bible, 2023)”. This passage allows for all Christians to view what they were before Christ. It wasn’t until our choice to search for new information [the saving of our souls] that we were able to correct our most destructive weakness [life apart from God]. It was then that we were able to be made well. “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [Romans 12:2] (New American Standard Bible, 2023).”
References
Alosani, M. S., & Al-Dhaafri, H. S. (2021). An empirical examination of the relationship between benchmarking, innovation culture and organisational performance using structural equation modelling. TQM Journal, 33(4), 930- 964. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-02-2020-0034
Links to an external site.
Morse, L., Trompet, M., Barron, A., Anderson, R., & Graham, D. J. (2020). A benchmarking framework for understanding bus performance in the US. [Framework for understanding bus performance] Benchmarking, 27(4), 1533-1550. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-08-2019-
Links to an external site. 0367
New American Standard Version Bible. (2023). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb20/mar/6/31/s_963031.Definition