Strategy Lenses Evaluation: Understanding Strategy in Business Context

This essay, "Strategy Lenses Evaluation," examines different approaches to strategy development, focusing on the lenses of experience, design, and ideas. It begins by introducing the concepts of deliberate, incremental, and emergent strategies, highlighting their roles in achieving organizational objectives. The core of the essay delves into the three strategy lenses: strategy as experience, which relies on past successes and failures; strategy as design, which emphasizes a logical, analytical approach; and strategy as ideas, which promotes innovation and diverse perspectives. The essay evaluates each lens, discussing their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the essay critiques the experience lens for potential rigidity and the ideas lens for possible biases. The conclusion emphasizes the dynamic nature of organizations and the need to blend different strategic lenses for effective planning, with a design-based approach as the foundation.

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September, 27th 2017

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Strategy Lenses Evaluation
Introduction
Everyday activities require some form of organization or pre-planned duties to be
accomplished. The success of investment depends on well-calculated strategies. In a business set
up, supervisors and managers cannot risk acting out of impulse since this may endanger the
business (Adner, 2012). When all factors are held constant, the decisions made are to ensure set
objectives are achieved. This does not rule out the possibility of an eventuality occurring thereby
prompting the management to develop different strategies. It is necessary to understand planning
processes, which include deliberate strategy, incremental strategy, and emergent strategy since
they are used to secure the objectives of an institution.
The deliberate strategy is a formal strategic planning process. It is rational since it
evaluates strategic choices, alternatives and current position analysis. It involves other planning
techniques like SWOT analysis (Betts, 2014, p. 45). The deliberate strategy is, therefore, the
blueprint that formal businesses have to clearly show how they would achieve their objectives.
The incremental strategy involves making small changes gradually over time to an
already existing strategy. It is aimed at keeping the entity afloat and takes care of the small
organizational and environmental changes the organization is operating in.
Emergent strategy is an urgent plan used in response to unforeseen situation demanding
an immediate action (Steiner, 2014). Organizations may develop new strategies to respond to
unexpected opportunities. These strategies may not have been captured in the initial formal plan.
Strategy Lenses
A strategy is a model of organized activities especially in an organization that has been
planned to achieve some given objectives. Some strategies could be short term or long term.
Strategic plans for companies could be covering ten or more years in the future (Steiner, 2015).
Some scholars have defined strategy as a pattern of activities adapted to organizations'
operations, scope and resources that seek to achieve given objectives (Dransfield & Needham,
2014, p. 77)
Johnson and Scholes have brought in another view of strategy development as they have
broadened it in three different ways. In their approach, they have employed the use of the term

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strategy lenses to describe strategy development. In their words, strategy is viewed as an
experience, a design and ideas (Whittington, et al., 2013, p. 88)
Strategy as an experience
The experiences received in the past are taken as the guide for the future plans since the
past failures and successes will influence the future strategies. Organizations’ decisions will be
determined by their past experiences of the senior management. In this lens, precedence set will
influence the future decisions (Freedman, 2013). Analysis of the current environment of
operation has little influence over decisions made. This strategy relies heavily on assumptions in
coming up with strategies. It is run by the senior management who stick to the culture of the
entity.
Strategy as design
This approach views strategy development as a design. It asserts that strategy
development is a logical process. The opportunities and constraints of an entity are carefully
determined through analytical and evaluative techniques e.g. the SWOT analysis. After
considering the forces that influence the organization, a strategic plan is established (Jackson,
2014, p. 56) This perspective considers strategy as a carefully thought out plan, a result of logical
and analytical planning. The strategy is therefore planned at the senior managerial level then
trickle down to the lower hierarchical levels, after which it is implemented. Viewed in its totality,
it is similar to the deliberate planning process. This lens, suggests that strategies should be
established after evaluating the available resources, the environment of operation visa viz the
objectives of the entity. This design is spearheaded by the top management in the organization.
Strategy as ideas
This lens views strategy development as innovation and a result of the diversity of ideas.
This approach emphasizes the need for promoting diversity in organizations. This will largely
lead to a generation of new and diverse ideas. This view is fundamental since the people
involved in the day to day running of the organization will have an opportunity to table their
ideas (Ngeleza, 2012). This arrests the view that new ideas are not often generated by the senior
management. Since people who carry out their jobs every day meet challenges in their line of
duty, the dynamism in the environment is best understood by them. They are of help in coming
up with original ideas that shall help deal with their immediate responsibilities.

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This approach relies on radical new ideas that come from people who bear responsibility in the
organization. They all compete for the support of the management, this makes individuals come
up with well thought out ideas that will win the confidence of the managerial staff who will
finally see it implemented (Steiner, 2015).
Strategy as a discourse
This lens views strategy in terms of communication. The language is seen as a resource
used by executives to shape strategic analysis to their personal views. It enables managers to
develop and sustain the power that establishes their legitimacy. In this, they gain influence.
Strategy Lenses Evaluation (Criticism)
Strategy as an Experience.
Kind of planning has its own shortcomings. According to Steiner, (2015), this design is
inaccurate as top-level management are not in touch with the daily developments. The general
landscape of business and the environment of operation is dynamic. Whereas it may serve as to
caution against losses based on managers’ past experiences, there are chances that changes which
occur often in the business environment may have slipped their attention. Sticking to this
strategy may disastrous. Developments that require the drastic change in strategies may remain
unaddressed since the organization is not flexible to accommodate new strategies.
This model, therefore, makes the management to be rigid and very conservative. The
decisions are made with little reference to evaluating the current business environment and
analyzing the company's, resources. Strategy as experience is embedded with the risk of failing
to act and adjust according to environmental changes since strategies are based on past
experiences.
Strategy as Ideas
In view of strategy as ideas, everyone in the organization has an opportunity to air his
ideas, in the event that managers have their favorite colleagues; the organization may easily be
swayed in a given school of thought. This can disadvantage the organization especially if the
same has come from one who is not professionally trained in the given field of concern.
Supremacy battles can be waged between employees as everyone would be lobbying for their
favorite theory to win the managerial confidence. This will affect the unity of the organization
(Dransfield, 2012)

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Some ideas that emerge from the propagators may not have the adequate scholarly back
up as some may be limited to a company's operation. This makes it difficult for an authoritative
scientific analysis. It may result in trial and error of ideas.
Strategy as a Design
Strategy as a design is a rigid strategy to well-structured hierarchical organizations. In
entities where the senior managers do not give instructions to employees, this design will not
achieve the set objectives, given that the executive develops and follow it to its implementation.
Conclusion
Organizations are dynamic entities. Studies show that companies that plan are more
successful than those that don’t plan. In relation to the three lenses of strategy development, for
the management to realize the set objectives, a clear-cut model has to be established. The pattern
of activities adapted to organizations resources and operations is necessary. Strategies focus the
organizations to look ahead as it provides direction. It is evident that no single strategy will
guarantee success. It is prudent for organizations to blend the three strategic lenses in developing
plans. Strategy as a design, when well thought out and implemented should form the backbone of
our strategies as we use the other models to blend and come up with a super strategy.
References
Adner, R., 2012. The Wide Lenses: A New Strategy for Innovation. New York: Penguin.

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Betts, R. K., 2014. Lenses and Landmarks. Princeton: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs, Princeton University.
Dransfield, R., 2012. Corporate Strategy. Chicago: Heinemann.
Dransfield, R. & Needham, D., 2014. Business Studies. Fourth ed. New York: Penguin.
Freedman, L., 2013. Strategy: A History. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Jackson, D., 2014. Essential to strategic management. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ngeleza, B., 2012. A Critique Of Prescriptive Views In Strategic Management. Research Gate,
IV(10), pp. 1-2.
Steiner, G. A., 2014. Strategic Planning. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Steiner, G. A., 2015. Essentials of Strategic Planning. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Whittington, R., Johnson, G. & Kevan, S., 2013. Educational Leadership: Context, Strategy, and
Collaboration. New York: CRC Press.