APA Business and Management

Any topic (writer’s choice)

Professional paper
200-250

Please summary what I have learned from what I have wrote below

1.

I support the view, there is relationship between strategic creation and implementation. In fact, it has been demonstrated that organizational culture advances or promotes strategy formulation and its proper execution (Janicijevic, 2012). Many reasons support this perspective. One of the justification is that organizational culture permits improved scrutiny of business environment which leads to better or enhanced strategic decisions (Janicijevic, 2012). Culture is found to support to cognitive structures that exist in an organization thereby allowing staff to comprehend internal and even external conditions of the business for enhanced strategic ideas (Janicijevic, 2012).

Organizational culture similarly promotes unity of perceiving strategic plans and objectives.(Janicijevic, 2012). In this view, staff are enabled to act and understand strategic decisions in collective and unified approach. As a consequence of this, effectiveness is achieved in strategic implementation. (Janicijevic, 2012). Equally, organization culture acts as an instrument for promoting change in organization (Janicijevic, 2012).

Chang is vital variable with regard strategic thinking (Janicijevic, 2012). Indeed, organization culture creates appropriate attitudes as well as values that permit employees to accept and adopt strategic changes (Janicijevic, 2012). Also strategy and organizational culture are said to have a mutually conditioned relationship (Janicijevic, 2012). In this regard, the two factors do not subscribe to independent or dependent variable relationship (Janicijevic, 2012). In different illustration, it can be said to be inseparable variables.

As a result, strategic planning cannot cause culture in organization or the other way round. Because of this these two variables are said to mutually support each other in promoting organizational performance (Janicijevic, 2012). All these findings, demonstrate and affirm that culture that is entrenched in a particular organization aids or enhances strategic formulation and application.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

2.
Hi Koenrnaad & Everyone,

I agree that turning the organization culture in to an enriching instrument to the future and not lending it to a lock-in is critical. The understanding is that business environment is constantly changing and to remain competitive a business has to come up with dynamic ideas in order to succeed (Winkler & Zerfass, 2016). Culture that considers the future is therefore vital (Winkler & Zerfass, 2016).

In this view, the organizational culture should be able to promote dynamic or new strategies for tapping emerging opportunities (Winkler & Zerfass, 2016). While it is accurate to claim that the past or traditional culture of an organization should be guiding the tool that informs strategic planning, higher performance is achieved when it permits flexible and progressive strategies thinking (Winkler & Zerfass, 2016). Lock-in as it applies to organizational culture implies rigidity (Hedgren, 2013). In this view, past culture and traditions becomes the only framework in which strategies are planned and implemented (Hedgren, 2013).

Since rigidity exists, the organizational does fully tap in to emerging business ideas and opportunities (Hedgren, 2013). As evident in RIT case, it is demonstrated that using the past experience to new opportunities leads to higher performance. Although RIT is part of Rothschild Investment group, it managed to differentiate itself as a divergent entity because it used business experience of the past to create new methodologies that made it effective and one of the popular investment funds.

All these reasons and situations illustrate that strategy together with culture are important concepts that permits and supports managers to create and sustain organizational viability and productivity and efficiency.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

3.

Hi James & Everyone,

Aetna is company that evidently used organizational culture as tool for realizing competitive advantage. In the year 2000 the company was really struggling with in many fronts (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). The reputation of the company was on the downside spiral, revenue were being lost in millions, cumbersome process coupled with unwise business decisions worsened the situation for Aetna(Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Many of these problems were attributed to the traditional culture of the organization which has existed for many decades (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012).

The companys culture promoted steadfastness which encouraged employees to be risk- averse, content with mediocrity, and apprehensive of outsiders (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). However, this changed in 2001 when Jonh Rowe became the CEO of the company (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Although Rowe understood that change was needed in the companys culture, he also acknowledged a progressive or incremental interventions will be appropriate strategic perspective (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012).

He engaged employees in identifying the Aetnas problems and allowed them to be part of the strategic cultural shifts (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Rowe preserved the cultural strengths of the company while introducing the new Aetna which was a culture change that would see the company expand from its core perspective of cutting costs to widening customer base through strong brand communication (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012).

The important part is that, these shifts in culture was characterized by small interventions (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Indeed, Rowe did not perceive it as cultural shift but small interventions that are meant to lead to behavioral changes that could allow the company to align itself with environmental changes in health insurance industry (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012). Through these interventions, the pride of the company was restored and its competitiveness as a health insurance organization was revitalized (Katzenbanch, Steffen, & Kronley, 2012).

Aetna case therefore demonstrates that preserving the traditional strengths of an organizational culture while effecting new incremental changes is a significant strategy for attaining competitive advantage and keep pace with business environmental changes affecting a particular industry.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

4.

Hi Khadija & Everyone,

Simon Property Group is one of the organizations that I am familiar with that lacks diversity. I have a family friend who works as a real estate consultant for this organization, and I frequently visit and spent time with him in his workplace. From my observation, this company does not prioritize diversity and it is clear that there is a huge gap in representation in terms of race. Minority groups are at the disadvantage in this case as few of them have been employed. Indeed, in my view, merely 2% of the Simon Property Group workforce are minorities. Critically, lack of diversity in this organization takes two types of orientations.

The first is racial perspective where whites make the majority (95) percent of the total employees. The second view involves gender where women are dis-proportionately represented. These orientations with regard to lack of diversity is confirmed by the lack inclusion especially in leadership roles within the organization. Therefore, I would argue that the hiring practices of this organizations fosters lack of diversity which is unjust decision.

By undermining diversity in the workplace, the company risks losing benefits that come with this concept. It has been demonstrated in studies that workplace diversity is linked to increased financial returns (Curtis, 2019). In this view, diverse teams and leaderships are found to make better decisions and achieve optimal performance (Curtis, 2019).

This phenomenon has been confirmed in organizations that have placed in top quartile in terms of diversity increases their revenue by between 15 to 35 % (Curtis, 2019).

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

5.

Hi Fatih & Everyone,

In what ways the culture could assist the implementation of the strategy?
Organizational culture determines the means through which the management runs an organization. It is inclusive of the norms, values, and shared beliefs. To implement new strategies, a correlation between the cultures with these new strategies is essential for the development of an organization. Therefore, organizational culture possesses certain advantages in implementations as follows:

1. Stability of a plan being implemented
Stable cultures foster partnerships, teamwork, cooperation, and unity between employees. This enhances commitment between employees and helps in focusing on the goals of a given strategy. This, in turn, promotes a firm in becoming more productive and reduces the resistance of regulations and rules or the external factors that limit the success of strategy implementation (Aanya, 2015).

2. Unification of goals
Unified, flexible, and reliable cultures will meet strategy implementation and influence it positively through the alienation of the goals and objectives in a given strategy. Unification of goals in the organization further assists in attaining the domino effect, which ensures that every task in the firm is performed by every employee or worker of the organization, and strategic significances are achieved (Aanya, 2015). This allows strategy implementation to integrate with the structures, systems procedures, processes, and policies that help in making these implementations.

3. Process implementation
Culture helps strategy implementation through efficient and effective utilization of the technologies use in the facilitation of goal attainment leading to meeting customer
needs (Aanya, 2015). This is the reason why processes and strategy implementation of activities.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

6.

Hi Rubing,

Google is one of the companies that have a very outstanding culture, and this has enabled us to create a good working environment for its employees. The company has attributed its success to the culture it has put in place. According to the company’s culture, it aims to ensure that the workers are happy and also maintaining the productivity of the company.

Mainly, this is how the organizations that are changing the world are operating, and this has enabled them to survive during the tough periods. Laszlo Bock, who is the head of operations in the company, understands that science and people are the ones who contribute greatly towards the company operations. As a result of this, the company has invested heavily in its recruiting, developing, and retaining employees. Having been recruited, the employees are provided with better services that serve as a motivating factor (Tran, 2017). With this culture of treating its employees as important people, this has enabled them to invest their skills in the company, and this has enabled them to counter the stiff competition in the market.

Despite the culture incorporated by the company adding more costs to the company, this has discouraged employees turnover, and this has resulted in continuity in its operations despite a decline in the economy. Also, the company is saved from spending more money on recruiting new employees since it can retain its workers.

Having been ranked as the best company to work for, this has saved Google from losing its highly talented workers who are being poached by its competitors despite them being promised better allowances (Tran, 2017). It is thereby evident that the company has been able to survive in the competitive environment it is operating in as a result of its culture.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi

7.

Hi Katherina  & Everyone,

The organization’s culture sets the base for a strategy for any organization. An organization’s approach can be implemented successfully only when it is aligned with the organization’s culture. An association is likely to function more effectively and competently in the international markets if the strategic implementation of the firm is aligned with its culture. They were learning of the firm guides the managers to work as a team as well on an individual level to initiate create strategic initiatives. These initiatives might be rebuilding old partnerships and creating new ones to continue giving the best services and goods in the international markets.

Process implementation is a culture that embraces the strategies of an organization. These processes involve the utilization of the necessary technology to attain the goals of the organization. During process implementation, the company has its focus on meeting the customer’s wants most rightly. Using modern technology in the process implies that consumers are sure of acquiring high-quality goods (Rose, 2018). The culture of the firm sometimes is neglected when most critical needs of the firm and problems are met. Process implementation comes into place at these moments to maintain and uphold the firms strategies and culture.
The strategy of an organization can be enhanced through property stability. A culture of stability is a culture that systematically supports strategy implementation.

This culture involves unity, cooperation between the workers, teamwork, and partnership at the place of work (Rose, 2018). These values, when embraced in an organization, it motivates the workers to focus on productivity rather than resisting to external and internal regulations and rules.

Regards,
Mohammed Alblooshi