Strategic Management Analysis

Running head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS1
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
Analysis and systematic evaluation of the situation......................................................2
Needs for the change......................................................................................................3
Impact on the culture......................................................................................................4
Effectiveness of the leadership styles and the techniques used by leaders....................5
Success levels of the changes.........................................................................................6
Suggestion of two initiatives that can improve implementation of the strategy............7
Comments related to difference in leadership style in a different situation...................7
Conclusion......................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................9

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS2
Introduction
Leadership can be defined as the ability that is developed by an individual or a group
to influence the followers or the other members of the organizations as well. The sound and
effective decisions within an organization are mainly made by the leaders and this is able to
support the goals that can be achieved by them. The leaders are found in various aspects of
the society from the business to politics and region to the organizations that are community
based. The effective leader mainly possesses different characteristics that include strong
communication, management based skill, self-confidence, innovative and creative thinking
and the openness to the changes as well (Akinbode and Al Shuhumi 2018).
The report will be based on the analysis of leadership qualities that have been
depicted by the leader in the provided situation. The changes that had been initiated by Paul
Polman, the CEO of Unilever in the year 2009. The effectiveness of changes and impact of
the changes on organizational culture will also be an important part of the analysis that will
be made in the report.
Analysis and systematic evaluation of the situation
Unilever had started its operations in the industry in 1930 after Margarine Unie and
Lever Brothers had started working with each other. The merger of two established
companies in their own industries had led to the development of Unilever. The two
headquarters of the organization are located in the UK and the Netherlands. The situation that
was being faced by the organization was mainly related to the weak markets and economic
headwinds that had played a significant role as well (Binci, Cerruti and Braganza 2016).
Although the company had experienced a sales growth, the levels of turnover of the
organization were quite low. The negative changes that had taken place in the currencies also
had an adverse impact on Unilever and the profitability levels of the firm as well (Choi, Kim

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS3
and Kang 2017). The economic pressure had been able to play a major role in the ways by
which Unilever has tried to maintain its position in the competitive industry. The major
challenge faced by Unilever is mainly based on the ways by which progress can be
maintained and the organization can improve its operations despite the economic conditions
(Bligh, Kohles and Yan 2018).
Needs for the change
The type of change that is mainly required and had been planned by the CEO Paul
Polman is the revolutionary change that is based on deep cultural changes that are required in
the organization. The major need related to implementation of changes in Unilever was
mainly related to the lack of growth of the revenues of the company from the year 2005 to
2014 (Fortune.com 2019). The lack of proper growth of the turnover of Unilever has been
able to influence the revenue levels in a huge manner. The relative performance levels and
returns provided to the shareholders had also been influenced in a negative manner due to
changes that taken place in the economic conditions (Fiaz, Su and Saqib 2017).
Unilever was not able to gain a rank among the top 50 most admired companies in the
Fortune magazine in comparison to its competitors Procter & Gamble, Nestle and L’Oreal
who had received the ranks of 5, 27 and 37 respectively. The growth strategy that had been
implemented by the previous CEO of Unilever had also been criticised due to huge lack in
the revenues gained by the company. The changes were mainly required in the business
strategy that had been implemented by Unilever. The split up of the company was also
required in order to ensure the growth of the firm in the industry (Geier 2016). The business
level strategy that had been implemented by the organization was based on three major
elements that include
 Continual development of the improved and new products.