summary

1. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
Charles H. Noble
RESUME
Georgiana Alexandra Badoiu

2. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
‘‘ecletic’’
selecting or choosing from various sources
not following only one system,(philosophy, medicine,
etc.)
select & use the best elements of all systems

3. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
Charles Noble
 Is a profesor at University of Tennessee, Knoxville
 Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Industrial
Design
 Has published 29 articles

4. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
 limited knowledge of the nature of strategy implementation
and the reasons for its success
 general lack of existing research on which to base future
efforts
The premise of this study is that there exist a solid basis for
implementation research, but it requires a broadened perspective
and the potential consideration of an eclectic collection of
literature fields.

5. The nature of implementation
Various definitions for implementation
straightforward operationalization of a strategic plan
emphasized more on interpersonal and behavioural elements
Formal definitions of strategy implementation
as an act of control and monitoring
 as synonymous with the execution of the strategic plan
 as a level of planning and involving the allocation of resources and
the resolution of operational issues
as the communication, interpretation, adoption, and enactment of
strategic plans

6. Implementation-Related Research
Structural views
Organizational structure
structures that are more decentralized produces higher levels
of SBU effectiveness
a strategy-structure alignment is a necessary to the successful
implementation
changes in the competitive environment necessitate
adjustments to the organizational structure
Control Mechanisms

7. Implementation-Related Research
Control Mechanisms
A three-stage cycle:
1. planning a target or standard performance
2. monitoring or measuring activities design to reach that target
3. implementing corrections if standards are not being achieved
 strong relationship between the type of control systems and firm
performance.
 the control systems need to be flexible and implies a critical decision

8. Implementation-Related Research
Interpersonal Process Views
strategic consensus
autonomous strategic behaviour
diffusion perspectives
leadership and implementation
communication and other interaction processes

9. Strategic consensus
is a shared understanding and commitment to a strategic
directive between individuals or groups
higher levels of consensus will lead to higher firm performance
diversity of opinions may create a healthier environment that
produces more effective strategic decisions
conflict from the interaction and belief differences between
senior and middle managers
consensus can be assessed along both cognitive and emotional
dimensions
firms must achieve consensus both within and outside the firm
in order to successfully implement business strategies

10. Autonomous Strategic Behaviour
 no strategic consensus managers may deviate from a strategic directive
 Why? Managers think their way is best or deviate for self-serving purposes
 autonomous behaviours can have a deep effect on the success with which a
strategic plan is implemented and the nature of the strategy
 Effects: can redirect a strategy, delay its implementation, reduce the quality of
its implementation, and even totally sabotage the effort
 middle managers try to maintain their power and status (flat structure)
 turbulent business environments requires new managerial responses,
managers capable to improvise under conditions of change
 a certain doze of autonomous strategic behaviour may be benefit.

11. Diffusion Perspectives
strategies are initiated by senior managers and communicated to
line workers through middle managers
the reputation of the sponsoring senior executive is an important
factor in facilitating organizational adoption
some organization members are predisposed to adopt an
innovation with little prodding, whereas others will wait for formal
directives
the more radical the changes required by the implementation effort,
the slower may be the rate of organizational adoption

12. Leadership and Implementation
 Need of a driving force - CHANGE AGENT
 Line-level employees may use delay or prevent attempts toward
change that they find particularly threatening or disagreeable
Five general leadership styles in strategy implementation:
1. The commander model
2. The change model
3. The collaborative model
4. The cultural model.
5. The crescive model
 organizational change result from the collective learning of entire
organization, not from fixed programs and formal plans for change

13. Communication and Interaction
Processes
 significant informal processes
 a successful strategy implementation must include
obtaining broad-based inputs and participation at the formulating stage
carefully and deliberating assessing the obstacle to implementation
 making use of the array of implementation levers
selling the strategy to everyone who matters
 steadily fine tuning, adjusting an responding as events and trends arise
breakdowns in implementation when the strategic initiative is not well organized
defensive routines as limitation to learning and that often drive to perceptual
gaps (eliminate this defensive routines)

14. The State of Implementation
Research
 Implementation is a complex phenomenon, including elements such as internal
and external resource negotiation, political processes such as jockeying for
influence, and a shaping and adoption process at multiple levels in the
organization
 In successful implementing organizations
 managers may engage in self-interested behaviours, but “maverick”
behaviour may be needed as it breaks established organizational routines
 achieving consensus inside and outside the firm
 involvement in the strategy process
 must be fluid in their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and
new strategies and able to adjust organizational structures, leadership style
and culture.

15. Future Implementation Research
Research should focus on understanding better the factors influencing strategy
implementation and middle managers
 More studies are also needed on the influence of aspects such as culture,
organizational structure and management style on strategy implementation
success.
Research on identifying the key factors that influence individual commitment,
performance and strategy implementation is expected.
Development for measures such as middle manager involvement in the strategy,
autonomy in implementation, and the “newness” of the strategy are recommended.
 Conceptual models must be developed to enable strategy implementation to
achieve an identity of its own as a valid and distinguishable area of study