Mintzbergs 5 Ps for Strategy (1987) presents an incomplete view of the Essay

Mintzbergs 5 Ps for Strategy (1987) presents an incomplete view of the topic - Essay Example Strategy formation is seen as a conception process in planning. Plan represents the alternative course of action, a set of guidelines to deal with situations (Mintzberg, 1987a). Strategy encompasses leaders establishing organization direction based on a course of action that is predetermined. This means that planning involves integrating the whole set of decisions and formalizing them before implementing them. Planning is executed through systematic process that characterizes the planning aspect. Taking Coco cola Inc, as an example of corporation, it has acquired growth through acquisition strategy. This has been one of the major plans by the corporation to achieve competitive advantage. Mintzeberg (1987) suggested that explicit and systematic procedures if followed may surface strategy making process. This may be achievable through formulating a plan. The organization needs to position itself by ensuring its strategy making is driven by being ahead of the competitors. This is in other words is known as positioning strategically. Regarding perspective, strategy making is guided by the meanings that come along with particular practices and behavior in an organization. Boyd and Reuning (1998) attempted to come up with planning operationalization and with regard to this tested empirically some indicators of a consistent plan such as statement showing the mission of an organization, trend analysis, ad organization’s competitors’ analysis, the long term and short term goals, and evaluation of ongoing operations of an organization. This planning model has been tested and proved to be valid and reliable. It thus clearly shows Mintzberg’s view as incomplete. In order to strategically, reach a better quality of outputs, managers are guided by appropriate methodologies and analytical tools. According to Zahra and Dess (2001), these analytical tools take the form of SWOT analysis. These abbreviations stand