STRATEGY ANALYSIS AND CHOICE

OUTLINE

The Nature of Strategy Analysis and Choice

A Comprehensive Strategy-Formulation Framework
The Input Stage
The Matching Stage
The Decision Stage
Cultural Aspects of Strategy Choice
The Politics of Strategy Choice
The Role of a Board of Directors

OBJECTIVES

After studying this paper, you should be able to do the following:

1. Describe a three-stage framework for choosing among alternative strategies.

2. Explain how to develop a TOWS Matrix, SPACE Matrix, BCG Matrix, IE Matrix, and
QSPM.
3. Identify important behavioral, political, ethical, and social responsibility considerations in
strategy analysis and choice.
4. Discuss the role of intuition in strategic analysis and choice.
5. Discuss the role of organizational culture in strategic analysis and choice.
6. Discuss the role of a board of directors in choosing among alternative strategies.

PAPER OVERVIEW

Strategic analysis and choice largely involve making subjective decisions based on objective
information. This paper introduces important concepts that can help strategists generate feasible
alternatives, evaluate those alternatives, and choose a specific course of action. Behavioral aspects of
strategy formulation are described, including politics, culture, ethics, and social responsibility
considerations.

EXTENDED PAPER OUTLINE WITH TEACHING TIPS

I. THE NATURE OF STRATEGY ANALYSIS AND CHOICE

A. Focus on establishing long-term objectives, generating alternative strategies, and selecting

strategies to pursue.

B. The Process of Generating and Selecting Strategies

1. Strategists never consider all feasible alternatives that could benefit the firm, because
there are an infinite number of possible actions and an infinite number of ways to

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implement those actions. Therefore, a manageable set of the most attractive alternative
strategies must be developed.
2. Identifying and evaluating alternative strategies should involve many of the managers
and employees who earlier assembled the organizational mission statement,
performed the external audit, and conducted the internal audit.
3. Alternative strategies proposed by participants should be considered and discussed in
a meeting or series of meetings.
VTN (Visit the Net): http://www.csuchico.edu/mgmt/strategy/module1/sld050.htm cautions against
planners usurping the responsibility of line managers in strategic planning.

Tip: The Mindtools website {http://www.mindtools.com/planpage.html} provides more than 30 pages

of narrative about how and why to do strategic planning. Planning templates are provided.
II. A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY-FORMULATION FRAMEWORK
A. Important Strategy-Formulation Techniques
1. Important strategy-formulation techniques can be integrated into a three-stage
decision-making framework. The tools presented in this framework are applicable to
all sizes and types of organizations and can help strategists identify, evaluate, and
select strategies.
2. The framework described above has three stages:
a. Stage 1: The Input Stage
b. Stage 2: The Matching Stage
c. Stage 3: The Decision Stage
3. All nine techniques included in the strategy-formulation framework require
integration of intuition and analysis.
VTN (Visit the Net): http://www.csuchico.edu/mgmt/strategy/module1/sld022.htm gives the purpose
and characteristics of objectives.

III. THE INPUT STAGE

A. The Input Stage includes the External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, the Competitive
Profile Matrix (CPM), and the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix.

B. Procedures for developing an EFE Matrix, an IFE Matrix, and a CPM were presented in
earlier documents.

C. The input tools require strategists to quantify subjectively during early stages of the
strategy-formulation process. Making small decisions in the input matrices regarding the
relative importance of external and internal factors allows strategists to generate and
evaluate alternative strategies more effectively.

IV. THE MATCHING STAGE

A. The Matching Stage
 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice 86

1. The Matching Stage includes the Threats-Opportunities-Weaknesses-Strengths

(TOWS) Matrix, the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix, the
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix, the Internal-External (IE) Matrix, and the
Grand Strategy Matrix.
2. Any organization, whether military, product-oriented, service-oriented, governmental,
or even athletic must develop and execute good strategies to win.

VTN (Visit the Net): http://www.csuchico.edu/mgmt/strategy/module1/sld024.htm gives example

objectives.

B. The TOWS Matrix

1. The TOWS Matrix is an important matching tool that helps managers develop four
types of strategies:
a. SO strategiesuse a firms internal strengths to take advantage of external
opportunities.
b. WO strategiesare aimed at improving internal weaknesses by taking advantage
of external opportunities.
c. ST strategiesuse a firms strengths to avoid or reduce the impact of external
threats.
d. WT strategiesare defensive tactics directed at reducing internal weaknesses and
avoiding external threats.
2. A schematic representation of the TOWS Matrix is provided in the other planning
documents.

3. There are eight steps to construct a TOWS Matrix:

a. List the firms key external opportunities.

b. List the firms key external threats.
c. List the firms key internal strengths.
d. List the firms key internal weaknesses.
e. Match internal strengths with external opportunities and record the resulting SO
strategies in the appropriate cell.
f. Match internal weaknesses with external opportunities and record the resulting
WO strategies.
g. Match internal strengths with external threats and record the resultant ST
strategies.
h. Match internal weaknesses with external threats and record the resulting WT
strategies.
VTN (Visit the Net): http://www.planware.org/strategicsample.htm provides a sample strategic plan
as well as the basis for a TOWS matrix.

C. The SPACE Matrix

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1. The SPACE Matrix, another important Stage 2 matching tool. Its four-quadrant
framework indicates whether aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive
strategies are more appropriate for a given organization.
2. Depending on the type of organization, numerous variables could make up each of the
dimensions represented on the axes of the SPACE Matrix.

3. The steps to develop a SPACE Matrix:

a. Select a set of variables to define financial strength (FS), competitive advantage

(CA), environmental stability (ES), and industry strength (IS).
b. Assign a numerical value ranging from 1 (worst) to 6 (best) for the variables that
make up the FS and IS dimensions. Assign a number between 1 (best) to 6
(worst) for variables that make up the ES and CA dimensions.
c. Compute an average score for FS, CA, IS, and ES by summing the values given
to the variables and dividing by the number of variables included in each
dimension.
d. Plot the average scores for FS, IS, ES, and CA on the appropriate axis in the
SPACE Matrix.
e. Add the two scores on the x-axis and plot the resultant point on X. Add the two
scores on the y-axis and plot the resultant point on Y. Plot the intersection of the
new xy point.
f. Draw a directional vector from the origin of the SPACE matrix through the new
intersection point. This vector reveals the type of strategies recommended for the
organization.

1. Aggressive
2. Competitive
3. Defensive
4. Conservative

D. The BCG Matrix

1. The BCG Matrix graphically portrays differences among divisions (of a firm) in terms
of relative market share position and industry growth rate.
2. The BCG Matrix: Divisions in the respective circles in the BCG Matrix are called
question marks, stars, cash cows, and dogs.
3. The four quadrants represent the following:
a. Question MarksDivisions in Quadrant I have a low relative market share
position, yet compete in a high-growth industry. Generally these firms cash needs
are high and their cash generation is low.
b. StarsQuadrant II businesses represent the organizations best long-run
opportunities for growth and profitability. These businesses have a high relative
market share and compete in high growth rate industries.
 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice 88

c. Cash CowsDivisions positioned in Quadrant III have a high relative market

position, but compete in a low-growth industry. Called cash cows because they
generate cash in excess of their needs.
d. DogsQuadrant IV divisions of the organization have a low relative market share
position and compete in a slowed or no-growth industry; they are Dogs in a firms
portfolio.
E. The IE Matrix.
1. The IE Matrix positions an organizations various divisions in a nine-cell display.
2. The IE Matrix is similar to the BCG Matrix in that both tools involve plotting
organization divisions in a schematic diagram; this is why they are called portfolio
matrices.

3. Differences between the IE Matrix and the BCG Matrix

a. Axes are different
b. IE Matrix requires more information about divisions than BCG
c. Strategic implications of each matrix are different
F. The Grand Strategy Matrix
1. In addition to the TOWS Matrix, SPACE Matrix, BCG Matrix, and IE Matrix, the
Grand Strategy Matrix has become a popular tool for formulating alternative
strategies. All organizations can be positioned in one of the Grand Strategy Matrixs
four strategy quadrants.
2. The Grand Strategy Matrix is pictured in the other planning documents.

3. It is based on two evaluative dimensions: competitive position and market growth.

V. THE DECISION STAGE

A. The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)
1. Other than ranking strategies to achieve the prioritized list, there is only one analytical
technique in the literature designed to determine the relative attractiveness of feasible
alternative actions.
&3. This technique is the QSPM, which comprises Stage 3 of the strategy-formulation
analytical framework. This technique objectively indicates which alternative strategies
are best.

4. Six steps to developing a QSPM:

a. Make a list of the firms key external opportunities/threats and internal

strengths/weaknesses in the left column of the QSPM.
b. Assign weights to each key external and internal factor.
c. Examine the Stage 2 matrices and identify alternative strategies that the
organization should consider implementing.
d. Determine the Attractiveness Scores (AS).
e. Compute the total AS.
89 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice

f. Compute the sum Total AS.

B. Positive Features and Limitations of the QSPM
1. A positive feature of the QSPM is that sets of strategies can be examined sequentially
or simultaneously. Another positive feature of the QSPM is that it requires strategists
to integrate pertinent external and internal factors into the decision process.
Developing a QSPM makes it less likely that key factors will be overlooked or
weighted inappropriately.
2. The QSPM is not without some limitations. First, it always requires intuitive
judgment. Second, it can only be as good as the prerequisite information and
matching analyses upon which it is based.

VI. CULTURAL ASPECTS OF STRATEGIC CHOICE

A. Culture includes the set of shared values, beliefs, attitudes, customs, norms, personalities,
heroes, and heroines that describe a firm.

B. All Organizations Have a Culture

1. It is beneficial to view strategic management from a cultural perspective because
success often rests on the degree of support that strategies receive from a firms
culture.
2. If a firms strategies are supported by cultural products such as values, beliefs, rites,
rituals, ceremonies, stories, symbols, language, heroes, and heroines then managers
often can implement changes swiftly and easily.
3. Strategies that require fewer cultural changes may be more attractive because
extensive changes can take considerable time and effort.

VII. THE POLITICS OF STRATEGY CHOICE

A. In the absence of objective analyses, strategy decisions too often are based on the politics
of the moment. With development of improved strategy-formulation tools, political
factors become less important in making strategic decisions.

B. Tactics to aid in strategy:

1. Equifinality
2. Satisfying
3. Generalization
4. Focus on Higher-Order Issues
5. Provide Political Access on Important Issues

VIII. THE ROLE OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A.&B. A director is one of a group of persons entrusted with the overall direction of a
corporate enterprise. A board of directors is a group of persons elected by the
ownership of a corporation to have oversight and guidance over management and to
look out for the shareholders interests.
 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice 90

C. Business Weeks annual board of directors evaluation posited that good boards of
directors actively perform the following responsibilities:

1. Evaluate the CEO annually.

2. Link the CEOs pay to specific goals.
3. Evaluate long-range strategy.
4. Evaluate board performance.
5. Compensate board member only in company stock.
6. Require each director to own a large amount of company stock.
7. Ensure no more that two board members are insiders.
8. Require directors to retire at age seventy.
9. Place the entire board up for election every year.
10. Limit the number of other boards a member can serve on.
11. Ban directors who draw consulting fees or other monies from the company.
12. Ban interlocking directorships.
VTN (Visit the Net): http://www.csuchico.edu/mgmt/strategy/module1/sld054.htm elaborates on the
role of the board of directors. The website, www.apeo.org/guide/, provides details about strategic
planning in a church and http://www.financenet.gov/financenet/fed/docs/strat.htm gives the strategic
plan for many government agencies.

ISSUES FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

1. How would application of the strategy-formulation framework differ from a small to a

large organization?
Answer: The strategy-formulation framework is conceptually identical for both small and large
organizations. However, in large organizations, there are more variables to analyze and forecast.
This makes the strategy-formulation process more complex.

2. What types of strategies would you recommend for an organization that achieves total
weighted scores of 3.6 on the IFE and 1.2 on the EFE Matrix?
Answer: Hold-and-maintain-type strategies are appropriate for an organization that scores 3.6 on
the IFE Matrix and 1.2 on the EFE Matrix.

3. Given the following information, develop a SPACE Matrix for the XYZ Corporation:
FS = +2; ES = -6; CA = -2; IS = +4.
Answer: This is an interesting exercise for strategists. The directional vector of the SPACE Matrix
lies in the lower right quadrant, indicating that competitive-type strategies are most appropriate.

4. Given the information in the table below, develop a BCG Matrix and an IE Matrix:
Divisions 1 2 3
Profits $10 $15 $25
Sales High (3-4) $100 $50 $100
Relative Market Share 0.2 0.5 0.8
EFE Medium
High (2-2.99)
(20)

Medium (0)
Industry Low (1-1.99)
Growth Low (-20)
Rate 2 3 1
3 2 1
91 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice

Industry Growth Rate +.20 +.10 -.10

IFE Total Weighted Success 1.6 3.1 2.2
EFE Total Weighted Success 2.5 1.8 3.3
Answer:
Relative Market Share

High (1.0) Medium (.50) Low (0.0)

BCG Matrix:

2
IE Matrix: Strong (3-4) Avg (2-2.99) Weak (1-1.99)
IFE

3
High (3-4)

Medium (2-2.99) 1

EFE
Low (1-1.99)
2

This assignment works well as a take-home exercise.

5. Explain the steps involved in developing a QSPM.

Answer: There are six basic steps involved in applying QSPM:

Make a list of the firms key external opportunities/threats and internal strengths/weaknesses in
the left column of the QSPM.
Assign weights to each key external and internal factor.
Examine the Stage 2 matrices and identify alternative strategies that the organization should
consider implementing.
Determine the AS.
Compute the total AS.
Compute the sum Total AS.

6. How would you develop a set of objectives for a school of business?

Answer: A school of business should develop a set of objectives and strategies in the same way as
any other type of organization. That is, a mission statement would need to be established, an
external and internal audit performed, and strategy-formulation techniques used to effectively
develop a set of objectives and strategies.

7. What do you think is the appropriate role of a board of directors in strategic management?
Why?
 Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice 92

Answer: Board members should review strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation
reports. As described in the paper, board members are, more and more, being held personally
liable for failed strategies in organizations. Board members should provide input, advice,
suggestions, and comments about strategic-management activities.

8. Discuss the limitations of various strategy-formulation analytical techniques.

Answer: All analytical techniques have limitations. Limitations of strategy-formulation techniques
are described in the paper. However, analytical techniques are greatly helpful in assimilating and
organizing information in a way that enhances strategic decision making. As long as strategists do
not allow analytical tools to dictate decisions, such techniques are helpful. Emphasize to
strategists that discussion of the implications of the various matrices for a particular firm is
exceptionally important. Strategists must go beyond the numbers to the meaning and implications.

9. Explain why cultural factors should be an important consideration in analyzing and

choosing among alternative strategies.
Answer: Cultural factors are an integral part of everyday life in organizations. An organizations
unique culture represents the heart of work. Thus, in choosing among alternative strategies for an
organization, consideration should be given to the different levels of support that proposed
strategies would receive from existing cultural products. Consideration should also be given to
whether cultural changes could be achieved readily.

10. How are the TOWS Matrix, SPACE Matrix, BCG Matrix, IE Matrix, and Grand Strategy
Matrix similar? How are they different?
Answer: The TOWS Matrix, SPACE Matrix, BCG Matrix, IE Matrix, and Grand Strategy Matrix
are similar in that all are matching tools in stage two of the strategy-formulation framework.
These analytical tools differ, in that they focus on different variables. Also, the BCG and IE
Matrices generally apply only to a multidivisional firm, whereas the TOWS, SPACE, and Grand
Strategy Matrices are applicable to all organizations.

11. How would profit and nonprofit organizations differ in their applications of the strategy-
formulation framework?
Answer: The strategy-formulation framework is conceptually identical for both profit and
nonprofit organizations, although the nature of variables would differ for each type of
organization.