The,linearity,trap,marketing,N marketing The linearity trap in marketing
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}One may feel satisfied to think that the elements of strategicmanagement (i) reaching some agreement on corporate objectives; (ii) findinga plan to achieve the objectives; and (iii) arranging and allocating theresources required to implement the plan can be approached sequentially. Itwould sound acceptable, in other words, if one could deal first with the noblequestion of goals, and then address the mundane question of means.But in the world in which strategies have to be implemented, the threeelements are interrelated. Means typically determine ends while ends typicallydetermine means. The objectives that an organization might wish to pursue arelimited by the range of feasible approaches to implementation. (There willusually be only a few approaches that will not only be technically andadministratively possible, but also satisfactory to the full range oforganizational stakeholders.) In turn, the range of feasible implementationapproaches is determined by the availability of resources.In a typical strategy session participants are likely to be asked todo blue sky thinking where they pretend that the usual constraints resources, acceptability to stakeholders , administrative feasibility havebeen taken, the fact is that it rarely makes sense to fly oneself away from theground in which a strategy will have to be implemented. Its probablyimpossible to think in any meaningful way about strategy in an unconstrainedenvironment. Our brains cant process unlimited possibilities, and the veryidea of strategy only has meaning in the context of challenges or obstacles tobe overcome. Its at least as rational to argue that acute awareness ofconstraints is the very thing that stimulates creativity by forcing us toconstantly reassess both means and ends in light of circumstances.The key question, then, is, "How can individuals, organizations andsocieties deal as well as possible with ... issues too complex to be fullyunderstood, given the fact that actions initiated on the basis of insufficientunderstanding may lead to significant regret?"The answer is that the process of developing organizational strategymust be repetitive. It involves toggling back and forth between questions aboutobjectives, implementation planning and resources. An initial idea aboutcorporate objectives may have to be altered if there is no feasibleimplementation plan that will meet with enough level of acceptance among thefull range of stakeholders, or because the necessary resources are notavailable, or both.The essence of being strategic thus lies in a capacity for"intelligent trial-and error" rather than linear adherence to finallycontained and detailed strategic plans. Strategic management will add littlevalue -- indeed, it may well do harm -- if organizational strategies aredesigned to be used as a detailed plan drafts for managers. Strategy should beseen, rather, as laying out the general path - but not the precise steps - bywhich an organization intends to create value.
The,linearity,trap,marketing,N