Strategy Implementation and Control
Simultaneous pressures for decentralization to be locally responsive and central- ization to be maximally efficient are causing interesting structural adjustments in most large corporations. This is what is meant by the phrase “think globally, act locally.” Companies are attempting to decentralize those operations that are culturally oriented and closest to the customers—manufacturing, marketing, and human resources. At the same time, the companies are consolidating less visible internal functions, such as research and development, finance, and information systems, where there can be significant economies of scale.
End of Chapter SUMMARY Strategy implementation is where “the rubber hits the road.” Environmental scanning and strategy formulation are crucial to strategic management but are only the beginning of the process. The failure to carry a strategic plan into the day-to-day operations of the workplace is a major reason why strategic planning often fails to achieve its objectives. It is discouraging to note that in one study nearly 70% of the strategic plans were never successfully implemented.76
For a strategy to be successfully implemented, it must be made action-oriented. This is done through a series of programs that are funded through specific budgets and con- tain new detailed procedures. This is what Sergio Marchionne did when he implemented a turnaround strategy as the new Fiat Group CEO in 2004. He attacked the lethargic, bureaucratic system by flattening Fiat’s structure and giving younger managers a larger amount of authority and responsibility. He and other managers worked to reduce the number of auto platforms from 19 to 6 by 2012. The time from the completion of the design process to new car production was cut from 26 to 18 months. By 2008, the Fiat auto unit was again profitable. Marchionne reintroduced Fiat to the U.S. market in 2012 after a 27-year absence.77 Unfortunately, Fiat struggled to gain any traction in the U.S. market. Despite a strong marketing campaign and a number of cars designed