This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: Explain the difference between a firm's vision and its mission. How might these impact the actions ... (Read 116 times)

KimWrice

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 579
Explain the difference between a firm's vision and its mission. How might these impact the actions of an organization?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is strategic management? List and explain each step in the strategic management process.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

bookworm410

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 341
Answer to Question 1

Answer: A company's vision is a general statement of the company's intended direction that shows in broad terms what a company wants to become. A vision statement is future-oriented while a mission statement is oriented in the present. Mission statements indicate what a company is doing right now while vision statements are what a company strives to become. The vision statement will impact how the organization plans for the future and what it focuses. The mission statement is the plan for what the organization is doing in the current time period and day to day.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: Strategic management is the process of identifying and executing the organization's mission, by matching the organization's capabilities with the demands of its environment. The steps are as follows:
Step 1: Where are we now as a business?Here the manager defines the company's current business and mission. Specifically, what products do we sell, where do we sell them, and how do our products or services differ from our competitors'?
Step 2: The second step is to ask, Are we in the right business given our strengths and weaknesses and the challenges that we face? To answer this, managers audit or study both the firm's environment and the firm's internal strengths and weaknesses. Prudent managers periodically assess what's happening in their environments. You need to audit the firm's environment and strengths and weaknesses. You can use the environmental scanning worksheet or the SWOT chart.
Step 3: Decide what our new business should be in terms of what we sell, where we will sell it, and how our products or services differ from competitors' products and services. This step is where vision statements and mission statements are developed.
Step 4: Translate the desired new direction into strategic goals. At Ford, for example, what exactly did making Quality Job One mean for each department in terms of how they would boost quality? The answer was laid out in goals such as no more than 1 initial defect per 10,000 cars.
Step 5: The manager chooses strategiescourses of actionthat will enable the company to achieve its strategic goals. For example, how should Ford pursue its goal of no more than 1 initial defect per 10,000 cars? Perhaps open two new high-tech plants and put in place new, rigorous employee selection, training, and performance-appraisal procedures.
Step 6: Strategy execution, which means translating the strategies created into action. This means actually hiring (or firing) people, building (or closing) plants, and adding (or eliminating) products and product lines.
Step 7: The manager evaluates the results of his or her planning and execution. Things don't always turn out as planned. All managers should periodically assess the progress of strategic decisions.





 

Did you know?

One way to reduce acid reflux is to lose two or three pounds. Most people lose weight in the belly area first when they increase exercise, meaning that heartburn can be reduced quickly by this method.

Did you know?

Sperm cells are so tiny that 400 to 500 million (400,000,000–500,000,000) of them fit onto 1 tsp.

Did you know?

In 1835 it was discovered that a disease of silkworms known as muscardine could be transferred from one silkworm to another, and was caused by a fungus.

Did you know?

To maintain good kidney function, you should drink at least 3 quarts of water daily. Water dilutes urine and helps prevent concentrations of salts and minerals that can lead to kidney stone formation. Chronic dehydration is a major contributor to the development of kidney stones.

Did you know?

A cataract is a clouding of the eyes' natural lens. As we age, some clouding of the lens may occur. The first sign of a cataract is usually blurry vision. Although glasses and other visual aids may at first help a person with cataracts, surgery may become inevitable. Cataract surgery is very successful in restoring vision, and it is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library