Levels of StrategyFebruary 12, 2010 By Hitesh Bhasin Leave a CommentStrategy may operate at different levels of an organization -corporate level, business level, and functional level.Corporate Level StrategyCorporate level strategy occupies the highest level of strategic decision-making and covers actions dealing with the objective of the firm, acquisition and allocation of resources and coordination of strategies of various SBUs for optimal performance. Top management of the organization makes such decisions. The nature of strategic decisions tends to be value-oriented, conceptual and less concrete than decisions at the business or functional level.Business-Level Strategy.Business-level strategy is - applicable in those organizations, which have different businesses-and each business is treated as strategic business unit (SBU). The fundamental concept in SBU is to identify the discrete independent product/market segments served by an organization. Since each product/market segment has a distinct environment, a SBU is created for each such segment. For example, Reliance Industries Limited operates in textile fabrics, yarns, fibers, and a variety of petrochemical products. For each product group, the nature of market in terms of customers, competition, and marketing channel differs.There-fore, it requires different strategies for its different product groups. Thus, where SBU concept is applied, each SBU sets its own strategies to make the best use of its resources (its strategic advantages) given the environment it faces. At such a level, strategy is a comprehensive plan providing objectives for SBUs, allocation of re-sources among functional areas and coordination between them for making optimal contribution to the achievement of corporate-level objectives. Such strategies operate within the overall strategies of the organization. The corporate strategy sets the long-term objectives of the firm and the broad constraints and policies within which a SBU operates. The corporate level will help the SBU define its scope of operations and also limit or enhance the SBUs operations by the resources the corporate level assigns to it. There is a difference between corporate-level and business-level strategies.For example, Andrews says that in an organization of any size or diversity, corporate strategy usually applies to the whole enterprise, while business strategy, less comprehensive, defines the choice of product or service and market of individual business within the firm. In other words, business strategy relates to the 'how' and corporate strategy to the 'what'. Corporate strategy defines the business in which a company will compete preferably in a way that focuses resources to convert distinctive competence into competitive advantage.'Corporate strategy is not the sum total of business strategies of the corporation but it deals with different subject matter. While the corporation is concerned with and has impact on business strategy, the former is concerned with the shape and balancing of growth and renewal rather than in market execution.Functional-Level Strategy.Functional strategy, as is suggested by the title, relates to a single functional operation and the activities involved therein. Decisions at this level within the organization are often described as tactical. Such decisions are guided and constrained by some overall strategic considerations. Functional strategy deals with relatively restricted plan providing objectives for specific function, allocation of resources among different operations within that functional area and coordi-nation between them for optimal contribution to the achievement of the SBU and corporate-level objectives. Below the functional-level strategy, there may be operations level strategies as each function may be dividend into several sub functions. For example, marketing strategy, a functional strategy, can be subdivided into promotion, sales, distribution, pricing strategies with each sub function strategy contributing to functional strategy.
What is Ford's business level strategy?
Maximise profits.
Related diversification
business level strategy
Functional-level strategy according to the text - Organizational Theory, Design, and Change by Gareth R. Jones, is a plan of action to strengthen an organization's functional and organizational resources, as well as its coordination abilities, in order to create core competencies.
INTRODUCTION: - To understand the process of strategic management the concept should be understood and controlled. The term strategy is derived from the Greek word “STRATEGOS”  Generalship. The actual direction of military force, as distinct from governing its deployment. The word strategy means “ THE ART OF GENERAL ”. Based on the studies and views by various experts and management gurus Strategy in business has taken various connotations. Definition: William Glueck, a Management Professor defined it as “A unified, comprehensive and integrated plan designed to assure that the basic objectives of the enterprise are achieved”. Alfred Chandler defined Strategy as:- “The determination of the basic long term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of the courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals”. Thus strategy is: - a. A plan / course of action leading to a direction. b. It is related to company’s activities. c. It deals with uncertain future. d. It depends on vision / mission of the company to reach its current position. STRATEGY: 1. Before making a decision managers have to look into the course of deciding since Strategy involves situations like: - a) How to face the competition. b) Whether to undertake expansions/diversification c) To be focused/ broad based d) How to chart a turn around e) Ensuring stability/should we go in for disinvestments etc 2. An establishment and successful company would start to face new threats in the environment. This is due to its success and emergence of new competitors. It has to rethink the course of action it has been following. This is called strategy. 3. With such rethinking and environment analysis, new opportunities may emerge and be identified. 4. To make use of these opportunities, the company might fundamentally rethink and reason the ways and means, the actions it had been following in the past. These are called “ strategies “. 5. For a company to survive and to be successful strategy is one of the most significant concepts to emerge in the field of management. According to Alfred chandler the determination of basic long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of the course of action and the allocation of resources for carrying out these goals. William Glueck defines strategy as “a unified, comprehension and integrated plan designed to assure that the basic objectives of the enterprises are achieved”. 6. Michael Porter views strategy as the “ core of general management is strategy”. Managers must make companies flexible, respond rapidly, benchmark the best practices, outsource aggressively, develop core competencies; infact should know how to play new roles everyday. Hyper competition is a common phenomenon that rivals copy very fast. 7. Companies can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference it can preserve and deliver greater value at a reasonable cost. 8. Strategy rests on unique activities –“ The essence of strategy is in the activities – choosing to perform things differently and to perform different activities than rivals”. 9. Strategy is long term. If company focus is only on operational effectiveness. It can become good and not better. Overemphasis on growth leads to the dilutions of strategy. Growth is achieved by deepening strategy. 10. Strategy is the future plan of action, which relates to the companies activities and its mission/vision i.e. when it would like to reach from its current position. 11. It is concerned with the resource available today and those that will be required for the future plan of action. It is about the trade off between its different activities and creating a fit among these activities. LEVELS OF STRATEGY: 1. When a company performs different business/ has portfolio of products, the company will organize itself in the form of strategic business units (SBU’s). 2. In order to segregate different units each performing a common set of activities, many companies are organized on the basis of operating divisions/decisions. These are known as strategic business units. CORPORATE LEVEL FUNCTIONAL LEVEL STRTEGIES [CORPORATE] SBU1 SBU2 SBU3 (SBU LEVEL) FUNCTIONAL LEVEL STRATEGIES 3) Strategies are looked at  Corporate level  SBU level 4) There exists a difference at functional levels like marketing, finance, productions etc. Functional level strategies exist at both corporate and SBU level. It has to be aligned and integrated. 5) CORPORATE LEVEL STRATEGY: It’s a broad level strategy and all its plan of actions is at corporate level i.e. what the company as a whole. It covers the various strategies performed by different SBU’s. Strategies needs should be in align with the company objective. 6) Resources should be allocated to each SBU and broad level functional strategies. To ensure things there would need to have co-ordination of different business of the SBU’s. 7) For most companies strategies plans are made at 3 levels. a) FUNCTIONAL STRATEGY b) SOCIETAL STRATEGY c) OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FUNCTIONAL STRATEGY: As the SBU level deals with a relatively. Smaller area that provides objectives for a specific function in that SBU environment are marketing, finance, production, operation etc. SOCIETAL STRATEGY: Larger Companies like conglomerates with multiple business in different countries needs larger level strategy. 1) A relatively smaller company may require a strategy at a level higher than corporate level. 2) It’s how the company perceives itself in its role towards the society/ even countries in terms of vision/ mission statement/ a set of needs that strives to fulfill corporate level strategies are then derived from the societal strategy. OPERATIONAL LEVEL STRATEGY: In the dynamic environment & due to the complexities of business strategies are needed to be set at lower levels i.e. one step down the functional level, operational level strategies. There are more specific & has a defined scope. E.g. Marketing Strategy could be subdivided into sales Strategies for different segments & markets, pricing, distribution etc. Some of them may be common & some unique to the target markets. It should contribute to the functional objectives of marketing function. These are interlinked with other strategies at functional level like those of finance, production etc MISSION/VISION LEVEL CORPORATE LEVEL FUNCTIONAL LEVEL STRTEGIES [CORPORATE] SBU1 SBU2 SBU3 (SBU LEVEL) FUNCTIONAL LEVEL STRATEGIES OPERATIONAL LEVEL Corporate level is divided from the societal level strategy of a corporation S.B.U Level are put in to action under the corporate level strategy. Functional Strategies operate under SBU Level. Operational Level is derived from functional level strategies Conclusion: These are the levels at which strategies are formulated. Strategy is a plan or an action leading to a particular direction. We have corporate level Strategy and Strategic Business Unit level to fulfill the objectives of the company.
it is the action plan of the company
Corporate level strategy is apprehensive with the strategic decisions a company makes that have an effect on the whole business. Financial performance, Mergers and Acquisitions, human resource management and the distribution of resources are well thought-out element of corporate level strategy.
Pepsico's corporate level strategy is expansion strategy.
Make no change to the company's current activities. stick to smartphone division.
Levels of StrategyFebruary 12, 2010 By Hitesh Bhasin Leave a CommentStrategy may operate at different levels of an organization -corporate level, business level, and functional level.Corporate Level StrategyCorporate level strategy occupies the highest level of strategic decision-making and covers actions dealing with the objective of the firm, acquisition and allocation of resources and coordination of strategies of various SBUs for optimal performance. Top management of the organization makes such decisions. The nature of strategic decisions tends to be value-oriented, conceptual and less concrete than decisions at the business or functional level.Business-Level Strategy.Business-level strategy is - applicable in those organizations, which have different businesses-and each business is treated as strategic business unit (SBU). The fundamental concept in SBU is to identify the discrete independent product/market segments served by an organization. Since each product/market segment has a distinct environment, a SBU is created for each such segment. For example, Reliance Industries Limited operates in textile fabrics, yarns, fibers, and a variety of petrochemical products. For each product group, the nature of market in terms of customers, competition, and marketing channel differs.There-fore, it requires different strategies for its different product groups. Thus, where SBU concept is applied, each SBU sets its own strategies to make the best use of its resources (its strategic advantages) given the environment it faces. At such a level, strategy is a comprehensive plan providing objectives for SBUs, allocation of re-sources among functional areas and coordination between them for making optimal contribution to the achievement of corporate-level objectives. Such strategies operate within the overall strategies of the organization. The corporate strategy sets the long-term objectives of the firm and the broad constraints and policies within which a SBU operates. The corporate level will help the SBU define its scope of operations and also limit or enhance the SBUs operations by the resources the corporate level assigns to it. There is a difference between corporate-level and business-level strategies.For example, Andrews says that in an organization of any size or diversity, corporate strategy usually applies to the whole enterprise, while business strategy, less comprehensive, defines the choice of product or service and market of individual business within the firm. In other words, business strategy relates to the 'how' and corporate strategy to the 'what'. Corporate strategy defines the business in which a company will compete preferably in a way that focuses resources to convert distinctive competence into competitive advantage.'Corporate strategy is not the sum total of business strategies of the corporation but it deals with different subject matter. While the corporation is concerned with and has impact on business strategy, the former is concerned with the shape and balancing of growth and renewal rather than in market execution.Functional-Level Strategy.Functional strategy, as is suggested by the title, relates to a single functional operation and the activities involved therein. Decisions at this level within the organization are often described as tactical. Such decisions are guided and constrained by some overall strategic considerations. Functional strategy deals with relatively restricted plan providing objectives for specific function, allocation of resources among different operations within that functional area and coordi-nation between them for optimal contribution to the achievement of the SBU and corporate-level objectives. Below the functional-level strategy, there may be operations level strategies as each function may be dividend into several sub functions. For example, marketing strategy, a functional strategy, can be subdivided into promotion, sales, distribution, pricing strategies with each sub function strategy contributing to functional strategy.
What is Ford's business level strategy?
The difference between corporate and business level strategy is that their operations are inter-industry and intra-industry respectively. Whereas corporate level strategy is concerned in what business to deal with, business level strategy is concerned with how to compete within a particular business.
Discuss Panera's business level strategy
The default domain functional level provides the highest functionality with no backwards compatibility is windows 2003 functional level
difference between business level strategy and corporate level strategy?