Gunn and Williams, 2007 - Strategic Tools

8 important questions on Gunn and Williams, 2007 - Strategic Tools

How can strategic tools be described?

As concepts, analytical frameworks, techniques and methodologies that assist managers (and strategy consultants) in making decisions.

What is according to Whittington (2004) strategy? And what does he conclude from this perspective?

Strategy is something that people do. From this perspective, strategy can be seen as a social practice.

How do strategic tools assist managers in making decisions?

Because they are methods of simplifying and representing a complex situation.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

What are the three main reasons why understanding of strategic tools usage is important?

  1. It indicates the motivations of managers when using strategic tools;
  2. It will be suggestive of the dissemination processes (proces of sharing research findings with stakeholders) underpinning the application of tools;
  3. It assists academics and practitioners in moving away from normative, rational approach to a more humanistic, practice-based approaches to the understanding of tool usage.

What is the distinction that is made by the authors between different types of managers and which tools do they match to these managers? List the 4

  1. Academically trained managers: theoretically informed tools;
  2. Professionally trained managers: industry-specifying tools;
  3. Stakeholder aware managers: stakeholder related tools;
  4. Competitor aware managers: competition tools.

What are the 3 tools that stand out in terms of their use by all organisations?

  1. SWOT;
  2. Benchmarking;
  3. Critical success factor analysis.

What is important to know when looking at the competitors? Which 2 questions should be asked?

Knowing who the competitors are and which role they can play by creating a misbalance and jeopardising the approach for growth.

In terms of the SWOT analysis, when a company says it wishes to expand, what is it that the company should have enough in order to make that possible?

Strength (also taking into account the weaknesses (gaps that need to be compensated)).

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo