Planning And Strategic Decision Making

3. The acronym SWOT stands for an organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is strategic planning method that evaluates the internal and external performance of an organization to see if it’s favorable or unfavorable to achieve whatever objective you are set out to accomplish. Strengths and weaknesses usually arise from the internal aspect of an organization, whereas opportunities and threats evolve from external components. By performing a SWOT analysis it provides information to managers to help formulate a successful strategy to achieve goals.

threaten their ability to survive. The SWOT analysis is where an organization will find the

A SWOT analysis is also an important aspect of the strategic plan as it helps management anticipate challenges, take advantage of opportunities and mitigate risk (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2014). These are key elements that

Another approach to strategy development begins with an analysis of external and internal factors, followed by some visioning, then planning. Including in the analysis phase is often a “SWOT,” a thorough examination of internal Strengths and Weaknesses, as well as external Opportunities and Threats. SWOTs are praised for capturing both the positive (strengths and opportunities) and negative (weaknesses, threats); and organizations embrace this approach with the hope of gaining a “balanced” analysis of itself, inside and out (Hetzel and Silbert, 2007).

“A SWOT Analysis is the most used tool for audit and analysis of the overall strategic position of the business and its environment. Its principal purpose is to identify the strategies that will create a firm-specific business model. The plan aligns the organization’s resources and capabilities to the requirements of the environment in which the firm operates. The analysis is to evaluate any potential and limitations and the probable/likely opportunities and threats from the external environment. The results provide the positive and negative factors inside and outside the firm that affect the success.” A SWOT analysis is conducted to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats to the organization. ("SWOT

Strategic planning can dictate the success of any organization if properly planned as well as the failure of an organization if not implemented as planned. Strategic planning is all about making choices. It is a process designed to support leaders in being intentional about their goals and methods. Simply stated, strategic planning is a management tool, and like any management tool, it is used for one purpose only—to help an organization do a better job. This portion of the strategic plan will explain why an

Primarily, one must consider how to prepare adequately and constructing a strategic thinking and decision-making. Secondly, optimizing a SWOT analysis can also help identify challenges, weaknesses, and threats to an organization. Bryson (2001) stated in order to determine internal strengths and difficulties for the organization to monitor resources (inputs), present strategy (process), and performance (outputs). In alignment with an organization's structure, new opportunities are identified and achieved through short, long-term goals, and integrating a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis allows one to explore the organizations, environments opportunities, along with threats, organizational strengths, weaknesses and challenges. Granted, organizational shift and cultural changes within the ARC also has caused for accountability and transparency to emerge, which is also a challenge. However, continual goal setting for the entity will provide thorough guiding principles to overcome challenges and view how future performance plans will fit within the mission of the

In his article, “The Fall and Rise of Strategic Planning,” Henry Mintzberg (1994) provides his views on the process of strategic planning. He offers that most companies and organizations start a strategic planning process with little understanding of the definition or actual purpose of planning. He tends to admonish much of the conventional understanding concerning strategic planning and proposes his interpretations. He states that “the most successful strategies are visions, not plans” (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 107).

The 142 studies were examined for trends, issues, uses of SWOT, and value-added in long-term planning. Specifically, studies were sought that indicated sole use of SWOT analysis or if SWOT was used in combination with other long-range strategic planning tools. The authors next used affinity diagrams to group and classify the collected studies using summaries on index cards. Affinity diagrams are a popular text clustering technique used to categorize large number of seemingly disparate comments ([41] Dobrzynski, 2007; [106] Levesque and Walker, 2007; [132] Plain, 2007; [196] White et al. , 2002; [117] Mango, 2006). The affinity diagram methodology was chosen due to its importance as an interpretative, qualitative approach to research, allowing for investigation and emergence of multiple contextual variables or classification schemes.

SWOT analysis is a popular analysis tool used in different situations that include not just business and marketing but also project planning and personal career development (Chapman 1995-2012). As for the strategic planning, Kenneth Andrews popularized his idea that good strategy means keeping a fit between the external situations a firm faces and the internal capabilities (Hill and Westbrook, 1997). The format the SWOT analysis presented is a 2x2 'internal/external' matrix, in which questions and relative answers can be listed for analysis (chapman 1995-2012). And according to Hill and Westbrook (1997), the output of SWOT analysis comes from meetings facilitated by consultants or managers to contribute the final analysis. Brainstorming can be used for filling in the sections to answer the questions. In addition, similar arguments should be concluded and ranked according to their answers in meetings (Rauch, 2007). As for the newly developed analysis, the TOWS matrix matching the various factors enables companies to stimulate new strategic initiative (Dyson, 2004).

Every organisation must plan every action it intends to take, in the short-term as well as in the long-term. The company, on the basis of the objectives set by the top management of the organisation should plan for growth, expansion, restructuring of business or otherwise. Every company needs to plan out its strategies according to its future plans in order to avoid surprises and to overcome any challenges they may have to face. Therefore, without planning, the organisation cannot achieve any of its goals.

SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable to achieving that objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies.[1]

SWOT analysis is the predominant methodical tool used for strategic planning. “SWOT analysis is a simple structured approach to evaluating a company's strategic position when planning, to identify the company's strengths and weaknesses and to compare these to opportunities and threats in the environment” (Piercy and Giles 1989). SWOT analysis gives a helpful perspective about the company as it helps in exploring the company’s strengths and find solutions to problems, identify the numerous opportunities and finds best initiatives to channel the threats.

SWOT Analysis is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. It is a strong tool, but it involves a great subjective element. It is best when used as a guide, and not as a prescription. Successful businesses build on their strengths, correct their weakness and protect against internal weaknesses and external threats. They also keep a watch on their overall business environment and recognize and exploit new opportunities faster than its competitors.

Future- oriented: Strategic management encompasses forecasts, what is anticipated by the managers. In such decisions, emphasis is placed on the development of projections that will enable the firm to select the most promising strategic options. In the turbulent environment, a firm will succeed only if it takes a proactive stance towards change.