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Strategic planning in competitive environments
Abstract
Private voluntary social welfare organizations (PVSOs) are operating under increasingly competitive conditions. Strategic planning (SP) is a management tool designed to meet those conditions. An exploratory study of 154 PVSOs examined management's reasons for adopting strategic planning, the attention given to external analysis, and the degree of change and satisfaction achieved. What emerges from the study is that PVSOs are not freely choosing SP as a tool to reconcile the organization with a competitive environment, the purpose for which SP was designed. Although two-thirds of the large organizations and one-third of the smaller organizations reported experiencing direct and/or indirect competition, that fact had little to do with a decision to adopt SP. The PVSOs in the sample chose SP because they were required or urged to do so by external agencies. External analysis received the least attention. One-half of the organizations achieved major change that was associated with high levels of satisfaction. Widespread stakeholder participation and the use of consensus strategies detracted from both major change and high satisfaction outcomes. (Journal abstract, edited.)
Journal
(1988)
vol12
no3
pages25-43
Categories
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Financial Management
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Strategic Planning
