Report on Strategic Management and Sustainability at AstraZeneca

This report provides an analysis of AstraZeneca's strategic management and sustainability practices. It examines the company's key business strategies over the past five years, including SWOT and PESTLE analyses, and assesses its resources and capabilities using the Ansoff Matrix. The report evaluates how AstraZeneca implements environmental sustainability and innovative thinking to enhance its competitiveness. It also highlights the company's responses to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure. The analysis considers market development, product development, market penetration, and diversification strategies employed by AstraZeneca to achieve long-term growth and sustainability. Desklib offers a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and study resources.

Strategic management and
sustainability-2

Table of Contents
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
The key business strategies of company over past five years................................................1
The resources and capabilities of company over past five years............................................4
Evaluate how AstraZeneca implement environmental sustainability and ways of thinking to
become more competitive.......................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Strategic management is a procedure that is followed by an organisation in order to develop
and design adequate plans and policies with this ability to achieve standardised target and
objective is perceived with attentiveness. It ultimately assist a business to attain competitive edge
as by following different stages such as goal setting, strategy formulation, analysis, strategy
monitoring and implementation (Zeemering, 2018). In addition, sustainability within strategic
management working practice of a firm get affect through people, profit and planet in prospect of
future. Moreover, it refers to the strategy and policy development which seeks towards
competitive advancement as per advancing core values towards sustainability. The report below
is based on AstraZeneca that is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and
biotechnological organisation with having headquartered in Cambridge Biomedical in
Cambridge, England. The report below comprise of different strategies that is used by an
organisation over past years, resource and capabilities that is aligned with business strategies and
environmental sustainability that assist to become more competitive.
MAIN BODY
The key business strategies of company over past five years
The business strategies is usually a combination of various initiative and target that is
standardised by business in order to perceived better competitive advantage from the aggressive
competition. As the globe is facing a tough situation due to pandemic attack of COVID 19 and
due to this working and business environment of many of the industries get affected on both
direct and indirect manner (Pfarrer and et. al., 2019). In this pharmaceutical company also get
affected as they have subject with higher pressure that is even get more as from the recent
months as many of the individual get affected with the virus and need a proper medication and
other alternatives for survival. In this companies such as AstraZeneca rethinks and encompassed
several strategies as by analysing need of marketplace and evaluation strategies that is
incorporated by other competitors.
SWOT analysis: It is an analysis that provides adequate information about the various
strategies and initiatives that is taken by the business in order to gain higher profitability
(PESTEL and SWOT Analysis of AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals, 2021). It is a framework that
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assists AstraZeneca and its management to design and develop better working environment and
it is as briefly explained below as:
Strength: It is one of the largest and leading firms in pharmaceutical industry and have a
numerous strength which thrive better positive in marketplace. It protects the business to advance
its market share and its values that assist to penetrate working standards in suitable manner. The
company having high level customer satisfaction with this having strong relation with customers
as with brand equity also increases. AstraZeneca have a successful track in product development
and innovation thus ability to gain better return on investment also advance with perfection.
Weakness: It reflects those areas that are needed to be improving such as there is
adequate gap in between the range of product and services that is sold by AstraZeneca that
foothold the market capability (Sullivan, Thomas and Rosano, 2018). The product forecasting is
not accurate thus the company face issue about inventory management both in channel and in-
house as well. AstraZeneca also not able to integrate its business with any other firm as its
merger with SME turns into a failure. The financial planning of the company is also not strong
thus profitable ration is imbalanced.
Opportunity: The technological advancement brings numerous opportunities for the
business as in which working practice and its suitability both gets affected. For this company
uses pricing strategy that enable to maintain loyal customer base as with this value proposition
also enhanced in balanced manner. The shipping charge is reduced with this ability to enhance
working practice as by boosting certain benefit is attained with easiness. The impact of COVID
19 enhance the customer spending over medication even though at economic recession as well.
The stable cash flow provides opportunity in terms of investment and adoption of new
technology standards as well as free trade agreement of government provides easy access to enter
into new marketplace.
Threat: The growing competition within pharmaceutical companies that is resulted with
local distributer is the biggest threat for AstraZeneca as it somehow reduces the profit margin.
Industry is having intense competition through which working stability is increases and
profitability gets reduced on continuous basis (Cavaleri and Shabana, 2018). As per the
pandemic condition it is hard to manage and control proper channel and networking that aid to
attain adequate supply which affects profitability of business.
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Thus company is using the pricing strategy which they have pursue over a longer period
of instance and in this working capability and its productivity both get controlled over a
sustained period of time. In support of this strategy working efficiency and its effectiveness both
get controlled which assist to measure long term effectiveness and efficiency in productive
manner. On the other hand, AstraZeneca make adequate changes as per analysing the current
situation of pandemic with this worked on to advance network and connection so that ability to
provide better services at needed location is perceived with higher attentiveness.
PESTLE analysis: It is an analysis that provides adequate information about the various
factors that has direct and positive impact over the working conditions of business and it is as
briefly described below as:
Political It is a factor that has significant impact over long term productivity of the business as with this
operating efficiency in healthcare department is exposed as by processing various risk related
to politics. The instability of politics enhances the level of corruption that also enforce legal
framework for this profitable range is getting affected on regular basis.
Economic It is related to the inflation rate, interest rate, foreign exchange rate, saving rate which
aggregate the demand and investment of the customers (Ansoff and et. al., 2018). For this,
AstraZeneca has direct impact over competitive advancement and affects many other factors as
well such as inflation, growth rate, consumer spending and many. The economic infrastructure
of the country is much balanced that offer adequate platform to the AstraZeneca to perform its
fundamental basis on continuous period of instance.
Social It is related to the share belief and values through which working possibility and its
attentiveness both get affected. In this AstraZeneca worked as per designed accurate message
for all and with this provide better healthcare facilities to all. It enhances the working
efficiency and productiveness of business in terms of culture improvisation as by following
environmental consciousness.
Technological It is the most disrupting factor under which AstraZeneca uses adequate network of
transportation which provide accurate chance to get over from various challenges and practices
in favoured mode. It has positive impact over offering of business with this health structure
also get emphasises in productive manner.
Legal The legal aspect protect the intellectual property which robust the market working and its entry
through which organisation could easily maintain lead. Thus AstraZeneca assure to provide
medicine with prior prescription and along with that also assure to follow intellectual property
law, employment law, data protection, health and safety law and many others as well.
Environmental In this different norms and values get followed by AstraZeneca that is in prospect of
environmental and liability laws (Farley and Smith, 2020). The make assure to regulate the
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working as per maintain adequate balance in between climate and effective utilisation of
resources for that it is easy to achieve long term sustainability with attentiveness.
In relation to this working consequences of AstraZeneca get processed in beneficial mode
as it assist to attain higher competitive benefits. As company is in good condition in terms of
value and market share through which possibility to achieve long term sustainability and
adequateness is processed on regular manner. For this possibility to work on continuous manner
is affected on regular period of instance.
The resources and capabilities of company over past five years
The resources and capabilities is processed as per concern to advance working
proficiency through which possibility to attain higher competitive advantage as by making
effectual utilisation of all required resources.
Ansoff Matrix: It is a framework that is used to develop strategic planning with this
sustained profit is processed as per concern to attain long term future growth and development.
In support of this profitable strategies are developed in order to attain standardised growth as by
making accurate support of various initiatives and it is as briefly explain below as:
Figure 1https://www.calltheone.com/en/consultants/ansoff-matrix
Market development: It is a strategy that is used to develop or enhance market
competency and it involve creation of new market with offering of current product and services.
For this AstraZeneca worked on to expand its working over various places and regions or might
have chosen an international platform and towards domestic market as well (Sroufe and
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Gopalakrishna-Remani, 2019). It expands the working possibility which also drives sales and
profit credibility of business in adequate manner.
Product development: It is a strategy that is used by the business as by making accurate
enhancement and changes over offered products and services. For this management and
company make research and development in order to analyse the market competency and its
attentiveness. In this AstraZeneca could have added new features to its already sold products and
services in balanced manner. It assists the business to make profitable advancement over the
productivity and profitability of the business in précised manner.
Market penetration: It is a strategy that is used to advance the sales as by offering
suitable products and services within the already operated business environment and it is
processed as by offering several benefits and advancement in better manner. It is also be a form
that assists the business to improvise customer base and for this AstraZeneca make different
alternative with this possibility and probability to achieve long term sustainability is perceived in
timely constrained.
Diversification: It is a radical form of development and growth through which possibility
to achieve long term sustainability is pertain over a longer period of instance. In this business get
involve to create and develop completely new product and services under which better
productiveness is achieve within completely new marketplace (Barnett, Henriques and Husted,
2018). In this failure is quite distinct although the ability to attain higher pay off is worth for the
organisation if ability to maintain sufficient financial basis.
AstraZeneca is a pharmaceutical organisation and have worked more collective to attain
higher competitive advancement and it is attained as by inducing various strategies and
initiatives through which possibility to achieve long term growth is perceived with balanced
mode. It is informed that company is having better financial condition but didn’t able to manage
and control working as by merging or during development of networking. In the current situation
of pandemic of COVID 19 it is essential that pharmaceutical organisation worked collectively in
order to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure. For this AstraZeneca worked on the strategy
such as market development and in support of this company is able to advance its working as by
developing higher competitive advantage. In this capability to work with already present product
and services at new market places are increases. This has positive impact over the working
possibility and profit generation of business through which possibility to attain higher
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competitive advancement within timely constrained it developed in progressive manner
(Suriyankietkaew and Petison, 2019). In past time company worked within the limited places and
not able to expand its business effectively and after a year’s AstraZeneca starts change its
strategy implication with this probability to work with better attentiveness is processed in
controlled manner.
Evaluate how AstraZeneca implement environmental sustainability and ways of thinking to
become more competitive.
As per view point of Firas Kittaneh, 2021; Environmental sustainability refers to the
responsibility for conserve the natural resources as well as protect the global ecosystems for
supporting a health or wellbeing in present and future time. In context to Astra Zeneca Company,
their Sustainability in AstraZeneca is all about utilizing their capabilities to produce most
significant affect where community requires it in health (Schilling and Shankar, 2019). company
work to the integrate based sustainability into each concept of their enterprise to support future
based proof their business to be elastic in the challenging times, supporting ensure they can
continue to the deliver life by providing medicines to customers and patients.
Their sustainability strategy is a guided by the materiality based assessment. This
procedure determines the area that is very essential to AstraZeneca as well as their stakeholders,
providing them the better opportunity to get most favourable impact. Company have 16 material
to focus areas, that are grouped in three major interconnected priorities, entrance to healthcare,
protection of Environment, transparency and Ethics
Three major strategies, that can provide as main drivers to execute the environmental
sustainability in a company that are risk assessment, enhancing profits or sharing the credit with
decision takers as well as who are influences them.
Risk Assessment: This is essential to achieve better growth of business and increase the
competition in market by taking risk (Velikorossov and et. al., 2020). Company can explore new
countries and expand business. Through risk taking company can build strong image in market
and become a more competitor in different marketplace.
Profit Increasing: Profits are major driver of the existence. If company have an best idea
and resources that will be the contribute to that as well as support environment also, company
will have fewer resistance than the unprofitable thought. Mostly, environmental measures are
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that increase revenue is due to the price reductions or most of prices reductions are for permanent
basis. A way to react this price cutback is by the accumulating of previous years
Sharing credits: A project always requires support before, while performing business
task and after it execution; if the people are don’t have faith in it, than they will not drive it
forward. Sharing credits and implementing is most important strategy for company’s
sustainability.
There are various ways of thinking to become more competitive in context to Astra
Zeneca Company that are; It is most important for company to know other competition in market
and understand in well manner about their procedures, management and other factors. Know
customers and their demands as well as needs from company so that company can make focus on
their demand and needs. Industry must differentiate themselves from others so that they can
understand where they need to focus and make improvements (Durand, Paugam and Stolowy,
2019). Set up the marketing strategies so that they can effectively and efficiently reach the
targets. In current scenario it is important to target new markets so that their reaching rate will be
increase. Expanding business can assists in reach to potential customers and increase
productivity as well as profitability of company.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above report that business strategy is always has a
positive impact over the working consequences of business under which working proficiency and
its productiveness is controlled in beneficial manner. In this strategic framework is used by the
businesses through which possibility to attain and attract higher working standards is processed
in timely constrained. In addition, there are various framework that is used by an organisation
such as SWOT and PESTLE under which adequate framing is developed through which rate of
profit generation is increases in balanced mode. Moreover, the resource capability is analysed
with support of Ansoff matrix that assist to gain long term sustainability as by selection most
suitable practices. At last, environment sustainability is implemented which aid to induce
adequate changes through which better competitive advantage is achieved in progressive mode.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ansoff, H.I. and et. al., 2018. Implanting strategic management. Springer.
Barnett, M.L., Henriques, I. and Husted, B.W., 2018. Governing the void between stakeholder
management and sustainability. In Sustainability, stakeholder governance, and
corporate social responsibility. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Cavaleri, S. and Shabana, K., 2018. Rethinking sustainability strategies. Journal of Strategy and
Management.
Durand, R., Paugam, L. and Stolowy, H., 2019. Do investors actually value sustainability
indices? Replication, development, and new evidence on CSR visibility. Strategic
Management Journal, 40(9), pp.1471-1490.
Farley, H.M. and Smith, Z.A., 2020. Sustainability: if it's everything, is it nothing?. Routledge.
Pfarrer, M.D. and et. al., 2019. Sociocognitive perspectives in strategic management. Academy of
Management Review, 44(4), pp.767-774.
Schilling, M.A. and Shankar, R., 2019. Strategic management of technological innovation.
McGraw-Hill Education.
Sroufe, R. and Gopalakrishna-Remani, V., 2019. Management, social sustainability, reputation,
and financial performance relationships: An empirical examination of US
firms. Organization & Environment, 32(3), pp.331-362.
Sullivan, K., Thomas, S. and Rosano, M., 2018. Using industrial ecology and strategic
management concepts to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 174, pp.237-246.
Suriyankietkaew, S. and Petison, P., 2019. A retrospective and foresight: Bibliometric review of
international research on strategic management for sustainability, 1991–
2019. Sustainability, 12(1), pp.1-1.
Velikorossov, V.V. and et. al., 2020. Strategic management.
Zeemering, E.S., 2018. Sustainability management, strategy and reform in local
government. Public Management Review, 20(1), pp.136-153.
ONLINE
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