Strategic Planning: E-business, Finance, and Organizational Structure

This homework assignment delves into various aspects of strategic planning, covering topics such as dynamic capabilities in e-business, differentiation strategies of online retailers, and flexible organizational structures. It explores financial strategy evaluation, project management parameters, and the phases of goal-based strategic planning. The assignment also addresses risk management, the relationship between organizational structure, control systems, incentives, and culture. Furthermore, it examines the structures of high-tech and small manufacturing companies, business schools, and universities. The assignment also covers matrix structures, business and IT/IS alignment, challenges in IT/IS alignment, and Information Systems Strategy development. Finally, it analyzes how managers plan their IS/IT use and the benefits they gain.

Strategic Planning

Table of Contents
1. Current Thinking 2000’s includes dynamic capabilities. Identify three examples of dynamic
capabilities in three different firms operating in the e-business domain. ..............................4
References..............................................................................................................................4
2. Choose three different online retailers and highlight two examples of differentiation in
each.........................................................................................................................................5
3. Using your library resources such as FAME and Google, find an organization that exhibits
the characteristics of flexible forms of organizing: decentralization; flatter, less hierarchical
structures; cross-functional project teams; interorganizational networking; globalization of the
business...................................................................................................................................6
4 (a). Should any resources from outside the finance organization be recruited to help identify
and evaluate alternative strategies? Why or why not? ..........................................................6
4 (b). How should potential strategies for the finance organization be evaluated? ...............7
5. Identify the five highly interrelated parameters that define a project. What happens if one of
these parameters is changed? .................................................................................................7
6. Outline the four phases of goals-based strategic planning. ...............................................7
7. How would you respond to a project team member who feels that risk management is a
waste of time because the future cannot be predicted? Instead, this person prefers to react to
problems as they occur...........................................................................................................8
8. What is the relationship among organizational structure, control systems, incentives and
culture? Give some examples of when and under what conditions a mismatch among these
components might arise. ........................................................................................................8
9. What kind of structure, controls, and culture would you be likely to find in (a) a high-tech
company and (b) a small manufacturing company? .............................................................9
10. What kind of structure best describes the way your (a) business school and (b) university
operate? Why is the structure appropriate? Would another structure fit better?....................9
11. When would a company choose a matrix structure? What are the problems associated with
managing this type of structure? How might these problems be mitigated?........................10
12 (a). What the concept of business alignment and IT/IS alignment is..............................10
12 (b). How the concept can be used....................................................................................10

12 (c). How it might add value to the executive and their organization..............................11
13. Look for any public or private organisations and list the main challenges they face when
attempting IT/IS alignment and offer solutions to such challenges. ...................................11
14. Look for any public sector organizations and discuss why they may experience difficulties
in developing an Information Systems Strategy...................................................................11
15 (a). How do the manager/owner(s) plan their IS/IT use? ...............................................12
15 (b). How does this compare with what is suggested by the literature? .........................12
15 (c). What benefits do they gain from their IS/IT?...........................................................12
15 (d). What are their plans for the future development of their IS/IT?..............................12

1. Current Thinking 2000’s includes dynamic capabilities. Identify three examples of dynamic
capabilities in three different firms operating in the e-business domain.
Amazon
 Amazon includes a scope of resources that impart to their capabilities.
 Their quality is to manage and preserve in their marketplace orientation has been
create effectively with the enhancement of resources.
 The company includes their resources in an exceptional fashion to create core
competencies and the subsequent demonstration of their capability(Aljuhmani,
and Emeagwali, 2017).
Ebay
 The strategic abilities of the company advert to a enterprise power to successfully
utilise competitive plan of action.
 strategic susceptibility of the Ebay is required by a amount of shareholders for
various aim.
 Ability apparent by fresh structure of doing work.
Ali Baba
 The company allows customers to communicate with sellers freely.
 In the company everything is traceable.
 They have specific framework of business.
References
Aljuhmani, H.Y. and Emeagwali, O.L., 2017. The roles of strategic planning in organizational
crisis management: The case of Jordanian banking sector.International Review of
Management and Marketing,7(3).

2. Choose three different online retailers and highlight two examples of differentiation in each.
Basic points Ebay Amazon Alibaba
Origin San Jose, California Bellevue, Washington Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Business structure multi divisional hierarchical(Cohen,
2017).
Chinese political
References
Cohen, R.S., 2017.Air force strategic planning: past, present, and future. RAND PROJECT AIR
FORCE SANTA MONICA CA SANTA MONICA United States.

3. Using your library resources such as FAME and Google, find an organization that exhibits the
characteristics of flexible forms of organizing: decentralization; flatter, less hierarchical
structures; cross-functional project teams; interorganizational networking; globalization of
the business.
The company that changes their structure on the particular time period that is Amazon. Amazon
is the company that modify their business structures like Hierarchical corporate structure,
malleability of the enterprise and stableness in the apical management. The company Amazon
modify their business framework according to the needs and time because the organisation
structure incorporate several little units that trade with different feature of the company. The
structure hierarchical has formed because of the vast sizing of the company. This can be defined
that because of the organisation stickiness to company variegation scheme in an assertive way,
their model or structure of organizational will stay impulsive, being dependent to definite
alteration in a daily demeanor(Russo, 2017).
References
Russo, A., 2017. The student city: Strategic Planning for Student Communities in EU cities.
4 (a). Should any resources from outside the finance organization be recruited to help identify
and evaluate alternative strategies? Why or why not?
John Hopkins Medicine wants to enhance their business and they want to achieve their targeted
goals and objectives of the business. So the YES the company have to obtain finance from
outside because for good enhance and development and for Investigation, improvement,
acquisitions, recruiting and for some further business activities and operations a company
needed money. If these types of finances aren't supply by the earnings exclusive, acquiring
external funding will be mandatory for the company to execute their operations .Otherwise, a
company with enough of maturation possible will be gravely restricted and potentially never
recognize their actual potential (Baleghizadeh, and Shahri, 2017).

4 (b). How should potential strategies for the finance organization be evaluated?
The capability to change the scheme at the correct instance can figuratively rescue or destruct a
company. There are some instant when it is captious to measure company scheme. For
evaluating their business strategy the company will have to check some moments like objectives
are achieved or modified, consumers requirements, creativity and invention, abilities and many
more.
References
Baleghizadeh, S. and Shahri, M.N.N., 2017. The effect of online planning, strategic planning and
rehearsal across two proficiency levels.The Language Learning Journal,45(2), pp.171-
184.
5. Identify the five highly interrelated parameters that define a project. What happens if one of
these parameters is changed?
There are five highly interrelated parameters When they refers to the undertaking management,
and the factors are scope, time, cost, quality and quantity theses parameters are most essential.
They five parameters will be very needed and important for the any project like time defines the
task deadline is enchained to be one of the most essential factor. For cost is a company may
required to assure that the form of financial gain and outgo is achieved potentially so that the
company decide that adequate currency for the project. For quantity in some project there is no
factors of quantity. Quality factors is also much important for the project because that defines the
project capabilities(Dutta, Gupta, and Tiwari, 2018).
References
Dutta, G., Gupta, N., Mandal, J. and Tiwari, M.K., 2018. New decision support system for
strategic planning in process industries: Computational results.Computers & Industrial
Engineering,124, pp.36-47.
6. Outline the four phases of goals-based strategic planning.
Different business have aim regime that justify why the they are in the marketplace, what are
the quality and design of the goods and what are their target industry and consumers. Strategic
management is the continuous procedure that a company use to examine inner procedure and
resources that provide and present these goods. Here are four major forms a company should
used with every planning and plan of action, and the company decision-makers have to realise
the objective and aim of every phase. The four main phases are formulation a plan, execution of

strategies, evaluating the strategy's outcomes, alteration and elaboration(Sax, and Andersen,
2019).
References
Sax, J. and Andersen, T.J., 2019. Making risk management strategic: Integrating enterprise risk
management with strategic planning.European Management Review,16(3), pp.719-740.
7. How would you respond to a project team member who feels that risk management is a waste
of time because the future cannot be predicted? Instead, this person prefers to react to
problems as they occur.
The risk management is not a waste of time we know that we can not predict the future but we
can control the uncertainties. Risk direction and management in task include distinguishing,
specify, and managing and maintaining hazard. Each task and projects gave some few chances of
uncertainties. This is very unachievable to take out and finish the each risks, But through risk
management we can control and determine and pull off them to forestall task failure. The risk
management or a risk program is the only method to acquire task approval, as it shows and
explained the uncertainties and risk as well-distinct so this why risk management is very
important because it support the project or the company to minimise the chances of risk
(Christensen, 2017).
References
Christensen, P.H., 2017. A post-global financial crisis (GFC) framework for strategic planning,
assessment and management decision making for US sustainable commercial real
estate.Journal of Property Investment & Finance.
8. What is the relationship among organizational structure, control systems, incentives and
culture? Give some examples of when and under what conditions a mismatch among these
components might arise.
Organisational structure defines the activities of the company like project allocation,
coordination and many more. Control system helps the company to manage and control the
structure of the company. Incentive is something that inspire or obtain something to do or act in a
definite manner. Culture is something or characteristics of a specific unit of individuals ,
language, religion, music and many more. There are some conditions that create problems
between these like discriminative factors that create issues and barrier between organisational

structures, control system , incentives and culture and the other one is Covid19 pandemic also
create problems for these factors , because of covid19 they are badly affected by this(Chan,
2019).
References
Chan, E., 2019. Student research and publication: strategic planning for inclusion using a
systems mapping approach.Frontiers in psychology,10, p.6.
9. What kind of structure, controls, and culture would you be likely to find in (a) a high-tech
company and (b) a small manufacturing company?
A high tech company will applied goods unit structure because they gives invention, cognition
mutuality, and malleability. So for big level companies a product group structure is best to use
because it gives many flexibility and stable environment to the company. A small manufacturing
company will have to use functional structure because that will help them to utilise units of
individuals that can applied and utilise their ordinary expertness and occurrence to finish a
project. So they for better advancement they have to use functional structure it is more beneficial
for them(Hoffman, Bechtold, and Snyman, 2016).
References
Hoffman, D.L., Bechtold, D., Murphy, A. and Snyman, J., 2016. Strategic Planning and Field
Based Consulting.Small Business Institute Journal,12(1), pp.1-9.
10. What kind of structure best describes the way your (a) business school and (b) university
operate? Why is the structure appropriate? Would another structure fit better?
For business school functional structure is best for their structure. A structural system is a
ordinary kind of organizational structure in that the company or school is separate into littler
used that is settled on differentiated structural sphere, like IT, funds, or marketing. For
university operate national and private universities, colleges of each kinds of integrated key
authorization or potency structures , involving a governing committee , a corporate executive
and chancellor , a cohort of disposal leaders ,and domain legislature. So for colleges and
universities there are every kind of and each type of key authorities structure are available
(Lundberg, and Willis, 2016).
References

Lundberg, R. and Willis, H.H., 2016. Deliberative risk ranking to inform homeland security
strategic planning.Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,13(1),
pp.3-33.
11. When would a company choose a matrix structure? What are the problems associated with
managing this type of structure? How might these problems be mitigated?
When the organisation select a matrix structure so there are various kind of problems that facing
by the company during that time like communication barrier in the company when in the
company the communication disorder held between the employees so in that time of period a
company select the matrix structure. The factor is when a company choose and want to achieve
short terms goals for that time of period a company choose matrix structure so that will help the
company to communicate better in the company and when there is no clear and proper formation
of bidding in the company, when mental emphasis of constant change (Manoli, Katsiardi and
Assimacopoulos, 2017).
References
Manoli, E., Katsiardi, P., Arampatzis, G. and Assimacopoulos, D., 2017. Comprehensive water
management scenarios for strategic planning.
12 (a). What the concept of business alignment and IT/IS alignment is
IT alliance is the procedure in which a company system apply information technology
(IT) to accomplish their target business goals.. The company must see information technology
as an tools and equipment to transmute the company (Tikhomirov, and Frenkel, 2017).
12 (b). How the concept can be used
The concept of business alignment is play big role in enhancement of the business and for
the market growth. This concept used as firstly the company need to understand mission, vision,
and strategy and the objectives of the company then they have to analysis the learnings goals and
development plan.

12 (c). How it might add value to the executive and their organization
Information technology surrogate invention in enterprise. Invention consequence in
smarter apps, built information retention, quicker process, and broad Invention.
References
Tikhomirov, B.I. and Frenkel, 2017. On Unified Socio-Economic Policy and Strategic Planning
[О Единой Социально-Экономической Политике И Стратегическом
Планировании].Economic policy,4, pp.82-117.
13. Look for any public or private organisations and list the main challenges they face when
attempting IT/IS alignment and offer solutions to such challenges.
IT alignment have been for few periods, and constant to be, a leading demand for IT
employers. The thought of “positioning” the IT grouping with the remain of the company is a
relentless mystifier that origin several IT employers to mislay slumber.
And yet, contempt the implacable attending to this subject from a huge arrangement of adviser
and different, a lucid employed guide or mixture doesn’t seem to be any much apparent. IT
alliance is a invented conception sounding for a applicable mixture(Prange, and Hennig, 2019).
References
Prange, and Hennig, 2019. From Strategic Planning to Strategic Agility Patterns.Journal of
Creating Value,5(2), pp.111-123.
14. Look for any public sector organizations and discuss why they may experience difficulties in
developing an Information Systems Strategy
Public federal authority generality have a bigger amount of competitive objectives; national
system go through a assortment of shareholders, for example, payer, citizens, and further
public work companies and private sphere companies etc. every with what may be agree, or odd,
opposed finish (George, and Desmidt, 2018).
References
George, B. and Desmidt, 2018. Strategic-decision quality in public organizations: An
information processing perspective.Administration & Society,50(1), pp.131-156.

15 (a). How do the manager/owner(s) plan their IS/IT use?
The managers plan their IS/IT like firstly they analysis the objectives and mission of the
project then they plan the project strategies then they organize , control and implement their task.
They create better communication between the group members of the project.
15 (b). How does this compare with what is suggested by the literature?
If we compare the earliest time of period and this time there is much advancementand
development has been seen . Information technology create more development in the companies
and more better advancement (Briney, 2016).
15 (c). What benefits do they gain from their IS/IT?
Better enhancement of the business, more knowledge , better skill, on time with more
effectively and efficiency transportation of the products.
15 (d). What are their plans for the future development of their IS/IT?
Their plans for future is that they want to adopt more technologies and advancement.
They want to create their company more digitalised.
References
Briney, K., 2016. Strategic planning for research data services.Bulletin of the Association for
Information Science and Technology,42(4), pp.39-41.