Strategic Opportunities and Constraints: Board & Executive Management

This report delves into the strategic opportunities and constraints that boards and executive management encounter when charting the future direction of an organization. It emphasizes that the ability to strategically plan is crucial for success in today's dynamic business environment. The report discusses strategic opportunities such as clear vision and goals, technological advancements, and the use of analytical tools like SWOT and PESTEL analyses. It also explores constraints, including a lack of skilled leadership, inadequate planning systems, resource limitations, and funding challenges. The report highlights the impact of these opportunities and constraints on the future direction of organizations, stressing the importance of understanding the business environment and aligning plans with the organization's mission and vision. The analysis underscores the need for proactive management to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate constraints for effective strategic planning.

Running Head: STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE
BOARD AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 1
Strategic Opportunities and Constraints Faced By the Board and Executive Management When
Planning the Future Direction of the Organization
Name:
Institution Affiliation:

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 2
Executive Summary
The strategic opportunities together with constraints faced by the management of
organization when planning for the future direction of an organization depend on the kind of
operations in the market. Potentially, any operation can be the barrier to efficient planning. In the
current business society, most businesses and their leaders are faced by dynamic challenges in
the process of planning for the future operations. Therefore, in the present globalized society,
leaders and their organizations need strategic thinking. They can attain such thinking by focusing
on evolving appropriate approaches to allow them to be strategically competitive in the process
of planning of the future direction of organizations. Therefore, principal target of this research
paper is to examine some of the strategic opportunities together with constraints faced by
different boards and executive management in the
Introduction
Strategic planning concentrates on the transformation as well as the development of the
organization. The strategy of planning for future operations is known to be the major driver that
improves operations of the organization from its present position to the chosen future. Strategic
opportunities form the essential process that can help in improving process of establishing
enduring business directives (Nakauchi & Wiersema, 2014). Moreover, the idea of planning for
future operations of the organization by board alongside executive management of the process
that is useful in determining the different organizational aim and developing premise concerning
the present business environmental setting (Hong, 2016). It also focuses on selecting the right
course of action to use, initiating different activities needed to transform the plan into action, as
well as evaluation of the outcome of prospect and present operations.

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 3
Critical analysis and discussion
Strategic opportunities faced by board and Executive management when planning the
future direction of the organization
Unique challenges in their operations always face most board and executive management
are faced by unique challenges in their operations The use of specific strategies has for an
extended period been used to get different business operators off the ground as they plan for their
future operations. Some of such specific strategies consist of identification of strengths of
products, adjusting pricing for different products, or acquiring a new set of business in the
competitive business society (Caldwell & Ndalamba, 2017). Some of the strategic opportunities
in the course of the plan of operations of an organization by board alongside executive
administration comprises of development of fundamental business values, development of the
apparent organizational mission, vision, and the aspiration, advancement in technological usage,
and appropriate business opportunities. Other opportunities in a business setting are the
availability of the necessary resources for planning, huge customer base, and correct schedule as
set by the team responsible for planning practices (Verbano & Crema, 2015). Presence of cost
leadership as a strategic opportunity is essential in the process of planning for prospect operation.
It comprises of the idea of establishing the network of business so that the cost of planning of
operations can be less than the cost used to support operations during competition with other
competitors.
Appropriate vision and goals of operations

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 4
Organizations with a clear vision and operation mission have an advantage in the market
as they focus on improving their operations. Appropriate vision is a vital strategic opportunity as
it helps a different team of management to understand what is needed of them in every aspect of
their operation (Ogwu, Pimenidis, & Kozlovski 2018). The goals help board and executive
management to understand and use desired approaches to plan for an effective way to improve
their future operations. Availability of setting clear goals and operational vision by the board and
executive management helps in executing desirable outlines. Such outlines can then be effective
in improving improve operations of the organization to match every new technique present in the
business community (Thompson & Kohon, 2016). Besides, appropriate strategies on adequate
goals help in improving the operations of the company as a management team focus on ensuring
that the company operates in line with the new advancements both in technology and needs of
different customers in the global marketplaces.
Advancement in technological usage
Presence of technology needed for planning of operations remains n to be one of the
significant opportunities that improve the process of planning for prospect operations of
organizations. The board together with executive management can use technological ideas and
devices to plan for effective techniques that can improve their operations in a modern way to
match different needs have targeted and their esteem clients (Nakauchi & Wiersema, 2017). The
use of technological ideas and equipment can help the organization to advertise their services as
well as goods thus reaching a range of customers that would further be attracted to their services
or customers. The attraction of huge customer base y the company through the use of such
technological applicants can help in improving the manner on how board and executive

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 5
management plan for their future operations (Mackey & Barney, J 2013). For instance, the
management team can understand different needs and desires that targeted customers have on
their services and goods. Hence, such gathered information can form the foundation of different
plans that they boards and executive management set in place to aid in improving operations.
Presence of analysis tools in operations such as SWOT, PESTEL, and Porter’s Five Forces
The strategic tools form the effective techniques that board and executive management
can use to understand the business forces, settings, and customer needs before they embark on
the process of planning for prospect operations. In most instances, these strategic tools such as
PESTEL together with SWOT offer the basic ideas that are useful in the process of
understanding different elements that can be used to improve implementation process of different
techniques in operations (Kerimov, 2018). The chance of using such tools by management team
can aid them in having appropriate understanding of what is required during the process of
planning prospect directions of companies and know what it is required of them to achieve the
much-needed actions to improve future operations of a given company in the society. According
to sediments by Patrakhina (2015), SWOT analysis and even other tools such as Porter’s five
forces among others help in showing what an organization and its team of management need to
focus on in order to improve their market dominance in the current competitive society. There is
a need for every board and executive management to understand such business tools and how
they operate in order to ensure that every operation in their businesses is well taken care of
without fail.
Constraints faced by board along with Executive administration when planning the future
direction of the organization

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 6
Constraints in operations of board alongside executive administration limit what
organization can attain in the process of planning for the prospect operations. For instance, an
organization may have such a massive investment in machinery that it cannot afford new
equipment (Hagen & Liddle, 2017). Besides, labor contracts can also be significant constraints in
future operations of organization. Other prospect constraints faced by the board together with
executive management when planning the future direction of organization comprise of
government regulations, the shortage of managerial talents, together with the scarcity of raw
materials for planning and operations (DeVaro & Boyd, 2015). Other common constraints
comprise of dynamic and complex environments, reluctances to achieving operational goals,
resistance to operational change, as well as technical issues.
Lack of appropriate leader
The lack of qualified and skilful leader for the course of improving operation is one of the
major setbacks in the process of planning for future operations. Being an operational leader
during planning is more than just the title, but it relies on what an individual can offer to improve
the planning and implementation processes (O’Shannassy, 2017). Ike (2016) recorded that
unskilled board, as well as executive management, can hinder the process of planning as most
business operators will be unable to understand what is needed at every stage of the plans. Such
ideas or concerns in most cases do lead to slow development planning making the organization
to lag in its operations, implementation, and use of different strategies during the process.
Lack of an appropriate system for planning

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 7
Having the appropriate system set in area to support the advanced approach is a crucial
element for the success of every board as well as executive management in the process for
planning for future operations of any given company. The right systems that an organization
might lack and have essential usage comprise of hardware or software systems (Donaghy-
Spargo, 2016). Other systems could comprise of things as simple as the process of fulfillment of
a chain of different events. Lack of resources I place to support the course of planning for future
operations by the board along with executive management has been seen to draw back operations
of organizations in the current competitive society that varies with changes daily due to ever-
advancement in technology being used to support operations. According to Mackey & Barney,
(2013), lack of new client retention management program often makes the process of planning to
be hard in nature. In some instance, lack of technical know-how on how to upgrade the computer
system and implementation of new programs by the management team forms another constraint
in the process of planning. The lack of such needed systems can always lead to an overload of
computers that make planning process to be slow or otherwise lead to crashes together with
freezes making planning y use of technological devices as needed to be tough.
Inadequate funding together with resources
With a great plan by the board and executive management, lack of adequate resources
can make the process of planning for future operations to be tough as management team lack the
necessary elements to execute their plans efficiently. In most instances, the constraint of lack of
adequate and necessary resources negatively impact idea used to plan for marketing, acquisition
of talent to support the ideas of prospect operations (Ogwu, Pimenidis, & Kozlovski, 2018). It

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 8
also affects the programs meant for distribution as most individuals lack the right funds to use in
purchasing needed elements for operations.
How opportunities and constraints impact the future direction that the organizations take
The need to have appropriate knowledge and skills regarding strategic opportunities that
affect operations of board alongside executive administration in course of planning for prospect
actions of corporation is significant in enhancing the operations of organizations. Such changes
in business society greatly help most operational managers of organizations to be able to set a
vision for an operation that is in line with the mission and vision of their operations
(O’Shannassy, 2017). The need to understand opportunities and constraints is useful in ensuring
that every plan before its execution understands the business environment without having to use
extra funds to conduct different researchers on how to improve the processes. Strategic
opportunities can assist the management of various organizations together with their directors to
concentrate on appropriate techniques. They also concentrate on ideas on how to enhance the
procedures that they use to set goals for the planning of their operations (Nakauchi & Wiersema,
2014). Such ideas of improving the manner of setting the goals always focus on being in line
with the schedule for each activity as well as the amount of budget as set by the management of
the organization.
The need to examine different constraints that affect operations of organizations can be
essential in enhancing how organization operates leading to improvement in their business output
and reduction in business inputs. The example of such significance of the identification of
constraints is that it can aid businesses and their management to improve on the manner that they
use to establish the necessary process to attain diverse objectives (Hagen & Liddle, 2017). By

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 9
understanding the strategic opportunities and constraints, board and executive management in an
organization can ensure that needs together with requests of every customer is taken into
account. In general, understanding strategic opportunities and constraints can be useful in
planning for future operations of the organization. It can aid management team to concentrate on
activities that have workers and clients on the mind by improving their operations (Nakauchi &
Wiersema, 2017). They can then formulate the best approaches to make every operation to be
realistic and attainable leading to timely achievement of set objectives during the planning of
different operations.
Conclusion
It is apparent that, introduction of tactical planning for future operations of an
organization always raises all sorts of barriers that inhibit the capacity to move ahead. Effective
planning for future operations of the organization is a skill that needs constant planning together
with developments while eliminating most of the constraints that negatively affect the course.
Every idea of planning by board together with executive administration needs to focus on unique
business culture and distinctive traits that can be useful in improving business operations. Even
in case, a leader is able to perform well, he or she still needs to focus on being a consistent
motivator, project manager, as well as an evaluator of the implementation strategy during
operation. Leaders can then formulate the best approaches to make every operation to be realistic
and attainable leading to timely achievement of set objectives during the planning of different
operations.

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 10
References
Bacon, N. (2015). Working Together in a Community Garden: Justice in CTC, EG, TTL.
International Review Of Mission, 104(2), 217-231. doi: 10.1111/irom.12097
Caldwell, C., & Ndalamba, K. (2017). Human Resource Professionals as Strategic Leaders — A
Behavioral Opportunity for Improving Information Management. Journal Of Values-
Based Leadership, 10(1). doi: 10.22543/0733.101.1174
DeVaro, J., & Boyd, B. (2015). When your errors are your only hope: Testing “Hidden
Hypotheses” in mediation studies in strategic management. Strategic Organization,
14(1), 73-89. doi: 10.1177/1476127015604511
Donaghy-Spargo, C. (2016). Synchronous reluctance motor technology: industrial opportunities,
challenges and future direction. Engineering & Technology Reference. doi:
10.1049/etr.2015.0044
Hagen, R., & Liddle, J. (2017). Changing strategic direction for executive development in the
public sector. International Journal Of Public Sector Management, 20(4), 325-340. doi:
10.1108/095135507102750048
Hong, J. (2016). Strategic Alliances, Externalities, and Financial Constraints. SSRN Electronic
Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2810896
Ike, O. (2016). Core Values for Responsible Leadership: The Relevance of Ethics for Religion
and Development. The Ecumenical Review, 68(4), 463-471. doi: 10.1111/erev.12251

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 11
Kerimov, V. (2016). The Use of a SWOT Analysis for Strategic Management Decisions in
Agricultural Holdings. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2791093
Mackey, T., & Barney, J. (2013). Incorporating opportunity costs in strategic management
research: The value of diversification and payout as opportunities forgone when
reinvesting in the firm. Strategic Organization, 11(4), 347-363. doi:
10.1177/1476127013481447
Nakauchi, M., & Wiersema, M. (2014). Executive succession and strategic change in Japan.
Strategic Management Journal, 36(2), 298-306. doi: 10.1002/smj.2255
Nakauchi, M., & Wiersema, M. (2017). Executive Succession And Strategic Change: The Impact
Of The Board In Japanese Companies. Academy Of Management Proceedings, 2017(1),
1-5. doi: 10.5465/ambpp.2017.65869483
O’Shannassy, T. (2017). Associate editor reflections on the Progress in and Future of strategic
management research in Journal of Management & Organization. Journal Of
Management & Organization, 23(4), 473-482. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2017.31
Ogwu, K., Pimenidis, E., & Kozlovski, E. (2018). Funding bright ideas in the dark continent.
Strategic Management, 23(2), 33-41. doi: 10.5937/straman1802033o
Patrakhina, T. (2015). SWOT-analysis as a tool for strategic planning of an educational
organization. On-Line Journal "Naukovedenie", 7(2). doi: 10.15862/08pvn215

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FACED BY THE BOARD AND
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 12
Thompson, L., & Kohon, J. (2016). Developments in rail organization in the Americas, 1990 to
present and future directions. Journal Of Rail Transport Planning & Management, 2(3),
51-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jrtpm.2016.02.001
Verbano, C., & Crema, M. (2015). Linking technology innovation strategy, intellectual capital
and technology innovation performance in manufacturing SMEs. Technology Analysis &
Strategic Management, 28(5), 524-540. doi: 10.1080/09537325.2015.1117066