Professor Nikos Leandros

nleandr@panteion.gr
Chair Department of Communication, Media and
Culture
Panteion University

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results
of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every
victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the
enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
- Sun Tsu

"If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for 20
years grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow men".
- Chinese Proverb

STRATEGIC PLANNING
An organization's process of defining its strategy,
or direction, and making decisions on allocating
its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to
determine the direction of the organization, it is
necessary to understand its current position and
the possible avenues through which it can
pursue a particular course of action

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Tries to ensure that business operations are:
Efficient in terms of using as few resources as
needed
Effective in terms of meeting customer
requirements
It involves working closely with departments and
administration to improve the alignment of
strategy, performance measures, and processes
to improve visibility and predictability of
operations

ALTERNATIVE THEORIES &

PERSPECTIVES

 Henry Mintzberg examined the strategic process

and concluded it was much more fluid and
unpredictable than people had thought. Because
of this, he could not point to one process that
could be called strategic planning. Instead
Mintzberg concludes that there are five types of
strategies (the 5 P of Mintzberg):

(1) Strategy as Plan a direction, guide, course of

action intention rather than actual
(2) Strategy as Ploy a maneuver intended to outwit a
competitor
(3) Strategy as Pattern a consistent pattern of past
behaviour realized rather than intended
(4) Strategy as Position locating of brands, products,
or companies within the conceptual framework of
consumers or other stakeholders
(5) Strategy as Perspective strategy determined
primarily by a master strategist

 There are two main approaches, which are

opposite but complement each other in some
ways, to strategic management:
(1) The Industrial-Organizational model (IO)
looks at the structure of the industries within
which firms operate. Strategy as an adaptation to
the external environment

(2) The Resource Based View (RBV) approach

examines the core resources that a firm has at its
disposal. The RBV model focuses on the
rareness, non-substitutability, value and
uniqueness of the organization's core resources.
Hamel and Prahalad declared that strategy
needs to be more active and interactive; less
arm-chair planning was needed. They
introduced terms like strategic intent and
strategic architecture. Their most well
known advance was the idea of core competency.

 Michael Porter introduced many new concepts

including; 5 forces analysis, generic strategies,
and the value chain. In 5 forces analysis he
identifies the forces that shape a firm's strategic
environment. It is like a SWOT analysis with
structure and purpose. It shows how a firm can
use these forces to obtain a sustainable
competitive advantage.

Philip Selznick introduced the idea of matching the

organization's internal factors with external environmental
circumstances. This core idea was developed into what
we now call SWOT analysis

Porter's generic strategies

(1) Cost minimization
(2) Product differentiation
(3) Market focus

Company development strategies

(1) Vertical integration
(2) Horizontal integration
(3) Diversification (related and unrelated) of
products and markets
(3) Internationalization

Methods
(1) Franchises - Alliances
(2) Mergers and acquisitions
(3) Joint ventures
(4) Organic growth

Advantages-Disadvantages
(1) Economies of scale
(2) Economies of scope
(3) Personal power and wealth
(4) Non-economic advantages (political influence)

The New York Times Groups

response to the challenges
posed by technological
transformation and economic
crisis

OBJECTIVE:

To help participants understand problems facing

companies and propose solutions and new strategies.
ESTIMATED

TIME: 1 hour

MATERIALS:

Internet access, paper and pencil

DESCRIPTION:

Analyze the challenges facing a traditional

media company (New York Times Group) and discuss strategic
thinking and planning.

http://www.nytco.com/investors/financials/annual_reports.html

Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C. (1994) Competing for the Future.

Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Mintzberg, H. (2000) The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning.
London: Prentice Hall.
Porter, M. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and
Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.
Thompson, A. and Strickland, A. (2001) Strategic Management.
Concepts and Cases. New York: McGraw Hill.

Climate Change and

Sustainable Development

OBJECTIVE:

To help participants understand a global environmental

problem and propose measures and activities for sustainable
development

ESTIMATED

TIME: 1 hour

MATERIALS:

Internet access, paper and pencil

DESCRIPTION:

Case study two presents a global problem (climate

change) that requires strategic thinking and action at international
and local level. Corporate governance should promote environmental
responsibility as an integral part of sustainable development.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/

Dresner,

S. (2008) The Principles of Sustainability. London:

Earthscan.
UNDP, Human

Development Report, 1990-2012. URL,

http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/
United

Nations (1987) Report of the World Commission on

Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Official
Records of the General Assembly, A/42/427

Dias Media Group

OBJECTIVE: To help participants understand problems

facing companies and propose solutions and new
strategies.
ESTIMATED TIME: 1 hour
MATERIALS: Internet access, paper and pencil
DESCRIPTION: Analyze the challenges facing a media
company and discuss strategic thinking and planning.