Developing Organizational Vision & Strategic - Assignment

ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
Document Information
Unit Description ATHE Assignment Answers/ Year:2017
Unit Subject Developing Organizational Vision and
Strategic Direction
Unit Reference Unit A/615/2677
ATHE Learner Name Samer Ellaham
ATHE Learner ID 19488
Task 1
1.0 Introduction
A vision statement lays down an organization`s long term aspirations and goals clearly and in
detail. The main intention of a vision statement is to inspire and induce the workforce by
providing an image of the path and destination of the organization. It also provides a reality
checkpoint for the decision makers of the firm (Mayfield, Mayfield and Sharbrough 2015).
A vision is the future goal of an organization. It is an important aspect of the organization, which
can be used to achieve and align the organizational goals accordingly. Strategy implementation is
a challenging task and it is always not possible to implement a strategy, as there is an existence
of certain factors that tend to have a negative influence on the implementation (CIPD 2017).
This report analysis the meaning of Vision and its importance in the business. It also throws light
on how this vision created can be communicated to the stakeholders and the obstacles faced
during this communication process (Sonenshein and Dholakia 2012). The aim is also to identify
the various negative factors influencing the strategic implementation of the firm and how can a
firm combat against these.
1.1 Relationship between vision, strategic direction, and strategic planning
Very often, the mission statement and the vision statement are confused with one another.
However, this is not the case (Hartmann et al. 2012). A mission statement gives details about the
sector in which the company operates in and sets out the key purpose of the organization. It gives
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ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
precise details about how a company operates and how the employees need to play their role to
help the company in achieving its operations.
Both the vision and the mission statement comprise the strategic management process. Once the
vision and mission of the organization is clearly defined, based on them the key decision makers
can set their objectives and start the strategic planning process.
The vision of the organization which is presented in the vision statement ensures that each
element of the strategic management process is well aligned with the firm`s goals and objectives
(Stead and Stead 2013). These clearly defined visions are used to communicate their aims to the
stakeholders.
1.1.1 Roles Played by Vision
The vision statement plays a key role in:
 Communicating the objectives of the organizations to the stakeholders, - Stakeholders are
those parties which play a key role and influence the organization. Those who are able to
associate with the vision statement, tend to associate better with the company (Brzezinski
2012).
 Inform strategy development- They tend to form the bridge between mission and
strategy. They tend to help the organization in making new developments based on the
visions.
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ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
Figure 1: Role of vision and mission (Source: Strategicmanagement.net. 2017)
 Develop the measurable goals and parameters, which shall help the organization,
measure its success- Vision also tends to provide a guide to the objectives portraying the
failure or success of the actions of the organization.
The main objective of a vision is to determine what the organization wishes to achieve in the
end. It is a statement or a view that expresses and organizations ultimate objective. The vision of
an organization is created by the consensus of the key decision makers. It forms a mental image
of future to which the members can relate (Kohles, Bligh and Carsten 2012).
1.1.2 Vision comprises of:
 The core ideology-which stresses on the core values and the core purpose of the
organization. It identifies the permanent character of an organization, which remains with
it until the end.
 Envisioned future- It is the futuristic goal of the organization. It is a detailed description
of the main achievement of the organization
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ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
A good vision is extremely important because:
 it is inspiring and motivating
 It provides a common sense of purpose to the members
 It is unique and competitive
 It fosters creativity and risk taking
 It concentrates on long term thinking
 It represents the integrity of the members.
In simple terms, a vision can be used to send out the message regarding what the
organization stands for and the key principles that guide them to make strategic decisions
(Rothaermel 2015).
1.1.3 Examples
The vision of China Telecom is to place the consumer first and the service which it provides,
foremost. They achieve this goal by providing premium quality telecommunication services,
which are backed by the unbeatable reliability and security; their teams are committed and
attentive. They have a unique approach to provide extraordinary solutions and technical support.
Their main objective is to satisfy the customers.
The telecom company in Namibia named Telecom Namibia has set its vision on the aim to
become Namibia`s most used, high performance information communication technology
provider of world class standards.
Cellnex telecom in Europe has a highly effective team with a workforce of 1300. Their vision is
to become the European leader in telecommunications infrastructure solutions.
Thuraya telecommunications company`s vision is to become the preferred provider of unified
connectivity.
Huawei`s mission statement is to build a company which turns out to become an integral part of
Canada`s information and communications technology ecosystem thus reflecting their
commitment to Canada (Huawei 2017). They have invested huge amount of money in Research
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ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
and Development and partnered with leading research institutions throughout Canada and aims
to become Canada`s top ICT company.
Saudi Information Technology co. Ltd`s vision statement is to become the premier IT Company
in Saudi Arabia, thus providing world class solutions to our customers, meeting their needs and
serve them beyond their expectations (Sit.com.sa 2017). They want to benefit the communities in
which they operate to deliver superior returns to the investors.
1.2 Factors affecting the Vision of the Organization
There are four main factors affecting the vision of the organization are Ideology, Purpose, Core
values and the Leadership (Rothaermel 2015).
 The ideology elaborates on the belief system and the enduring characteristic of the
organization. It controls and inspires the vision of the organization. It is the spirit and
soul of the firm. A sound ideology leads towards a clear vision.
 The purpose is the main reason of existence of a firm. It captures the soul of the firm and
provides the basis for a clear vision (Strategicmanagement.net. 2017). A purpose is
ideology driven.
 The core values are the universal framework of behavior of an organization. They tend to
justify the reason behind existence of an organization.
 Leadership tends to have an influence on the spirit, direction and discipline of an
organization. Actual leadership is driven by purpose, ideology and core values.
Other factors also influencing the formation of Vision include:
 Organizational Direction- Organizational Direction also tends to have an impact on the
set vision of an organization. The direction, which an organization aims to lead into,
tends to affect the vision of the organization.
 Competitors- Competitor Vision has a major influence on the vision of the company. The
competitor often tends to provide a source of inspiration for the company and they
understand which points to avoid while engaging in the formation of a vision.
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ATHE - Unit A/615/2677: DOV&SD- Assignment Answer-Student: Samer Ellaham
/ID:19488
 Socio-Ethical- The socio-ethical condition of a country also tends to have an impact on
the vision of the organization. Many organizations aim to serve an organization and
therefore, tend to affect the thinkers.
 Political- The political scenario of a country also affects the vision for example , the
Saudization regulation in Saudi Arabia will influence the vision of local service
companies in Saudi that relay mainly on Human resources in generating the company’s
revenue
1.3 Building a Support of Organization`s Vision and Strategic decisions.
It is extremely important for any firm to have a clear and sustainable vision, which has been
described as a statement that guides the chief decision makers, managers and the employees in
working towards a similar goal. The primary question asked by a vision statement is to define
and determine what the business wants to become. It is not a lengthy statement but usually a one
line which is clear and a memorable statement that expresses the company`s long term
placement. Since money rewards are successful in motivating the employees partly, the vision
statement tends to increase their motivation (Managementhelp.org 2017).Explaining to
employees and keeping them well informed also helps them understand the vision. Once they
bond with the vision, they may become ambassadors of their company. An organization may also
connect to consumers and they may become ambassadors. Word of the mouth is usually positive
and does not cost much. Uber is an example of drivers and customers sharing positive
information about the company. With Google and Facebook many click are needed until one
really results in purchase, while recommendations from friends and family (which cost nothing)
usually drive people more easily to purchase. LEGO is also the company which employees even
brand ambassadors (people who on social media represent values of the company).
Vision is the aim goal of the company. The vision of a company plays a key role in formulation
and strategic planning. The strategic planning is based on the goals laid down in the vision of the
company. It is to achieve this goal laid down that the whole them of strategic planning is
directed. A vision tends to influence the workers as well as the decision makers in an
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