The strategic control process is indeed closely related to the strategic planning process and typically involves monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting strategies to ensure they align with organizational goals.
Get the full solved assignment PDF of MCO-023 of 2023-24 session now.
The strategic planning process typically consists of three phases:
- Formulation:
- Activity: During this phase, organizations define their mission, set objectives, and develop strategies to achieve those objectives. This involves analyzing the internal and external environment to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis).
- Implementation:
- Activity: After formulating strategies, organizations move to the implementation phase. This involves putting the formulated strategies into action, allocating resources, and executing the plans. It may also include organizational changes, communication strategies, and the development of supporting structures.
- Evaluation and Control:
- Activity: The evaluation and control phase is where the strategic control process comes into play. Organizations monitor the implementation of strategies, measure performance against objectives, and take corrective actions as needed. This phase ensures that the organization stays on track and adapts to changes in the internal and external environment.
The Strategic Control Process in Detail:
- Monitoring: Regularly tracking the progress of strategic initiatives, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other relevant metrics.
- Measurement: Assessing actual performance against planned objectives to identify any variances or deviations.
- Evaluation: Analyzing the reasons for variances and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented strategies.
- Feedback: Providing feedback to decision-makers and stakeholders based on the evaluation, highlighting areas of success and areas that require adjustments.
- Adjustment: Making necessary adjustments to strategies, tactics, or resource allocation to address identified issues and improve future performance.
Interconnectedness:
- Continuous Process: Both strategic planning and strategic control are continuous processes. While planning sets the course, control ensures the organization stays on that course or makes necessary adjustments.
- Adaptability: The strategic control process allows organizations to adapt to changing circumstances, learn from experiences, and refine their strategies over time.
- Feedback Loop: The evaluation and control phase provides feedback that informs future planning, creating a feedback loop that fosters organizational learning and improvement.
In summary, the strategic control process is an integral part of the broader strategic planning process. It ensures that strategies are effectively implemented, monitored, and adjusted as needed, contributing to the organization’s ability to navigate a dynamic and ever-changing business environment.