Strategic planing

Many formal organizations formulate and implement strategic plans to secure their relevant, if not, competitive futures. These plans must be transformed into practical, measurable, time bound functional and annual goals and milestones. Intervening between these long-term plans are long and short-term objectives, and grand and generic strategy choices. What are the elements of long-term objectives and grand strategies? What is their purpose? How do they work? Please demonstrate the process of developing long-term objectives and grand strategies in an organization of your choosing.  Then, explain how in building a strategic plan, an organization may have greater flexibility and clarity about its future than by ignoring the planning process altogether. Use theories and concepts from the academic literature to support your recommendations.

Question #2-Divergent Thinking 

In operations management theory, operations safety in operations and product quality are seemingly found to be at odds with one another. The argument might be offered that one cannot have both safety in operations and quality product reliability due to the complexities of manufacturing and the resulting costs of production becoming prohibitively large in a commodities market (discount retail market).  The argument might be further complicated by the proposition that quality is only assured with heavy internal auditing and inspection which also has the unintended consequence of slowing down the whole manufacturing process. In your response offer a solid analysis of the theoretical paradox that one must have either inexpensively and safely manufactured goods or goods of high quality with higher potential safety challenges that come along with more complex and expensive manufacturing—but not both. Suggest from the analysis what might be the valid points of both sides in the argument and then resolve the matter by suggesting the optimal approach you would recommend in a manufacturing organization based on the safety vs. quality challenges. Use theories and concepts from the academic literature to support your recommendations.

Question #3-Informed Decision Making 

Identify and describe an American company of your choice that has come under the public criticism and governmental scrutiny for its marketing practices that have resulted in complaints of unfair and exaggerated product benefits claims. There are many organizations from which to choose, from pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firms to financial institutions. You have been hired by that firm to re-establish not only its credibility in the market place, but to overcome its challenges as to brand dilution and tarnished public image and once again position it to flourish as a growth business organization. In your response, develop a new marketing plan to reposition the company. What are the major requirements the organization must achieve before it becomes competitive and relevant once again? What investigation, analysis and decision process would you take the organization through to achieve its place in the market once again? Use theories and concepts from the academic literature to support your recommendations for the organization new positioning plan. Support your analysis with current research.