<p>Strategic management has long been viewed as the concept and process that link an organization</p><p>and its environment together (Leibold, Probst & Gibbert, 2002). It consists of the</p><p>analysis, decisions and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain</p><p>competitive advantages (Dess, Lumpkin & Taylor, 2005).</p><p>Within the history of strategic management research there has been an unbalance between</p><p>the internal and the external perspective. During the 1980s Michael Porter, one of the most</p><p>prominent strategic management researchers, and his Five Forces model focused strictly on</p><p>the external competitive environment (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel, 1998). Further, in</p><p>the 1990s the focus shifted from external to internal along with Jay Barney’s development</p><p>of the resource based theory in 1991 (Barney, 1991). The issue of excluding one or the</p><p>other perspective has now started to be acknowledged and researchers today are striving</p><p>for developing models integrating both perspectives. However, theoretical models existing</p><p>today that combine the two perspectives are complex and hard to apply in practice for</p><p>managers within the business world.</p><p>In order to address the complexity of the strategic management concept we have chosen to</p><p>develop a model with the purpose to connect and relate the external and internal perspectives</p><p>by conducting an in-depth analysis of a chosen company. The model also strives to be</p><p>easily communicated, applicable and understandable for managers and employees on different</p><p>levels within the organization. This leads us to the purpose of this thesis: “to develop</p><p>a simplified model that combines the external and internal perspective of strategic management</p><p>and apply this to a chosen company”.</p><p>The research was conducted through a case study based on the authors’ participation in a</p><p>PBM (Project Based Module) - project. The model was tested on the company in question</p><p>by analyzing the company’s internal and external environment with the means of analysis</p><p>tools such as PEST-analysis, strategic group analysis, threshold analysis and the SWOTanalysis.</p><p>To conclude it is important to balance an organization’s internal efforts with the external</p><p>market conditions and avoid excluding one or the other from the strategic management</p><p>process. Combining the two perspectives results in identifying the current capabilities and</p><p>competences and the direction of how to use these in order to meet market demands and</p><p>gain competitive advantage.</p>

abstract: The study explores the differing roles that a top management team (TMT) and a board play in providing a firm the knowledge to improve its absorptive capacity. Building on the distinction between potential and realized absorptive capacity, initially posited by Zahra and George (2002), I argue that a firm's board of directors and its TMT both act to fill the critical role of knowledge gatekeepers identified by Cohen and Levinthal (1990). But, they play different roles in a firm's efforts to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit novel information. The engagement of board members with environmental planning through personal experiences as well as prior and current ties shapes the ability of the firm to acquire (i.e., identify and obtain) and assimilate (i.e., analyze, understand, and evaluate) valuable external knowledge. However, because they lack the required in-depth knowledge of the firm's internal operations, they are unable to complete the gatekeeping role. The latter stages of that role depend on the abilities of the TMT to transform (i.e., internalize and converse) and exploit (i.e., use and implement) that knowledge, which depends heavily on their engagement with environmental activities through prior experiences. Thus, the board and TMT are only able to fulfill the roles of knowledge gatekeeper collectively. I develop a set of hypotheses from this core proposition, which I test using the participation of U.S. firms in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Extremely detailed data on 354 firms from 2008 to 2015 allows me to examine multiple sequential processes, including the decision to participate in the CDP performance relative to the core CDP goal, current internal systems, policies as well as plans, and capabilities to breakdown emissions along various production processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018

Background The Covid-19 pandemic has been a big influence for everybody since it entered in the spring of 2019. However, no research has been done on how different strategic leadership has influenced the organizational adaptation during this time.   Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of strategic leadership in organizational adaptation due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research is based on a single case study that explores Åhléns AB and its subsidiaries Åhléns Outlet and Designtorget.   Method This is a qualitative study that is performed by using a single case study design, where one organization is examined to fulfill the purpose of the study and aim to develop an in-depth understanding of the research subject.   Conclusion Based on the conducted research that has been done, it can be drawn to the conclusion that the transcendent leadership style has influenced organizational adaptation. The organization has become more transparent as well as more flexible as an organization due to the leadership. By combining a task-oriented approach with a relationship-oriented approach such as, a leader can set up greater structured goals and pursue new initiatives in line with external changes.

Bakgrund: Ledare behöver ofta ta ställning till och hantera nya digitala verktyg. Oftast faller de företag som inte hänger med i digitaliseringens snabba svängar mellan stolarna. Även ledarskapet genomgår en omvandling i och med digitaliseringen. Enkelheten i att kommunicera och dela information bidrar till att utmana hierarkier och funktioner i organisationer. Nu ökar användningen av teknik, inte minst på grund av den pågående Covid-19-pandemin. Det krävs av ledare att hitta nya sätt att fatta beslut på när arbetssituationen inte längre ser likadan ut som tidigare. Med hjälp av scenarioplanering kan ledare förbereda sig på de mer komplicerade besluten. En scenarioplanering handlar om att planera för möjliga utfall i framtiden baserat på det man vet i nuläget. Genom att skildra möjliga utfall hinner ledare planera och förbereda sig om något av dem inträffar. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att närmare undersöka vilken påverkan den ökade digitaliseringen kommer få på framtidens ledarroll samt att bidra till en ökad förståelse för hur digitaliseringen förändrar synen på ledarskap och rollen som ledare. Frågeställning: Hur kommer digitaliseringen påverka framtidens ledarskap? Hur kan ledare fatta beslut för att anpassa sig till digitaliseringens utveckling? Hur kan scenarioplanering användas som verktyg för att underlätta ledares beslutsfattande? Metod: Arbetet utgår från en abduktiv ansats med växelverkan mellan teori och empiri. Det empiriska resultatet är framtaget genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer som sedan transkriberats och genomgått en form av tematisk analys där likheter och skillnader i intervjuerna pekats ut. Empiri och resultat: Empirin utgörs av intervjuer av experter respektive ledare. Expertintervjuerna bidrog till skapandet av scenariokorset och ledarintervjuerna bidrog med ett arbetslivsperspektiv på scenarierna. De fyra scenarier som tagits fram baseras på drivkrafterna kontroll och användning av framtida teknik. När scenarierna diskuterades med ledarna tog de bland annat upp att de hade föredragit mellanvarianter på scenarierna framför ett renodlat scenario. Slutsats: Genom att skapa scenarier svarar uppsatsen på hur digitaliseringen kan påverka framtidens ledarskap. Ledarna såg hellre en kombination av två scenarier istället för att ett scenario inträffar. Med kontinuerligt arbete kan scenarioplanering vara ett effektivt verktyg i den strategiska planeringen och beslutsfattandet. / Background: Leaders often need to take a stand on and manage new digital tools. Most often, the companies that do not keep up with the rapid turns of digitalization fall between the cracks. Leadership is also undergoing a transformation with digitalization. The simplicity of communicating and sharing information helps to challenge hierarchies and functions in organizations. Now the use of technology is increasing, not least due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Leaders are required to find new ways to make decisions when the work situation no longer looks the same as before. With the help of scenario planning, leaders can prepare for the more complicated decisions. Scenario planning is about planning for possible outcomes in the future based on what is known at present. By depicting possible outcomes, leaders have time to plan and prepare if any of them occur. Purpose: The purpose of the essay is to investigate in more detail the impact that increased digitalization will have on the future leadership role and to contribute to an increased understanding of how digitalisation changes the view of leadership and the role as a leader. Issue: How will digitalization affect future leadership? How can leaders make decisions to adapt to the development of digitalization? How can scenario planning be used as a tool to facilitate leaders' decision-making? Method: The work is based on an abductive approach with an interaction between theory and empiricism. The empirical result is produced through qualitative semi-structured interviews which then were transcribed and underwent a form of thematic analysis where similarities and differences in the interviews were pointed out. Empirical data and results: The empirical data consists of interviews with experts and leaders. The expert interviews contributed to the creation of the scenario cross and the leader interviews contributed with a working life perspective on the scenarios. The four scenarios developed are based on the driving forces of control and use of future technology. When the scenarios were discussed with the leaders, they mentioned, among other things, that they had preferred intermediate variants of the scenarios over a pure scenario. Conclusion: By creating scenarios, the essay responds to how digitalisation can affect future leadership. Leaders would rather see a combination of two scenarios instead of one scenario occurring. With continuous work, scenario planning can be an effective tool in strategic planning and decision-making.

“Exploring the Impact and Roles that Strategic Government Leadership Plays in the Adoption and Use of eHealth in Low Resource Countries: A Quantitative and Descriptive Study of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as a Health Regulatory Agency”. MSc eHealth Defense Candidate: Victor Gbenro Governments of low resource countries (LRCs) have embraced and leveraged the potential benefits Information Computer Technology (ICT) brings to the healthcare sector, taking various steps to adopt and use eHealth to improve healthcare delivery despite recognized challenges. LRCs have been identified as most challenged with the implementation of policies that can drive the development of critical sectors. Despite the development of policies and frameworks in these countries, many still struggle to deliver on their health goals. It is yet to be fully understood to what extent professional health regulatory agencies (PHRAs) understand their roles in effective regulation, as it would relate to medical education, professional conduct and registration of practitioners. The Healthcare workforce is one of the core building blocks of any health system and the regulation of the workforce is central to the provision of quality healthcare services. PHRAs provide strategic leadership through existing legislation, policies, and frameworks and are themselves adopting the use of ICT in a range of applications. These include the registration and licensure process of practitioners, and training and retraining of practitioners through continuing professional development activities. In 2016, the Nigerian government approved the implementation of it National ICT Strategic Framework for health and empowered its agency, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) which is an agency in the ministry of communication to provide the required leadership, governance, and stewardship in coordinating and improve upon the use of ICT in all key sectors of the country. This study was undertaken to understand the role PHRAs like the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) a regulatory body for the professions of medicine and dentistry in Nigeria provides Strategic Government Leadership (SGL) in the adoption and use of eHealth tools through policies and legislation in the health sector. The study also assessed the knowledge and perception of employees of the (MDCN) on existing eHealth policies and legislation and of their relevancy or adequacies in providing effective regulation. The study answers the research questions i) does a relationship exist between SGL and capacity for eHealth innovation and technological/ infrastructural development? ii) What are the measures taken and the importance of the security and privacy of practitioner records to PHRA? and iii) Does SGL, as demonstrated through policy development, affect the adoption and use of eHealth by employees of the PHRA? A systematic literature review was performed, and a structured questionnaire was administered to MDCN professional staff. The results were subjected to statistical analysis to investigate relationships between the dependent variable (SGL) and 14 independent variables representing the 15 constructs from the questionnaire. A regression model found four significant predictors of the value of the dependent variable. A study of other related PHRAs is recommended to improve the suitability of the framework proposed, considering the limitations of this study. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The vast quantity of leadership literature discusses factors that may contribute to leader development. However, strategic leaders—defined as those individuals in key positions at the organizational apex—are a subsection of the research that deserves more attention. In particular, what sets these leaders apart or enables them to excel is an area of particular interest and is explored in this dissertation. The purpose of this study was to understand the process of leadership development, specifically through the experience and beliefs of successful senior leaders. The study addressed the following questions: 1. How do strategic leaders for the federal government describe effective leadership? 2. How do they explain the development of effective strategic leadership? 3. How do the described behaviors of strategic leadership compare to the Executive Core Qualifications established for civilian federal government leaders by the Office of Personnel Management? To answer the research questions, the study employed grounded theory as the primary analytic procedure. The subjects interviewed were from areas of the federal government dealing with national security, predominantly Department of Defense. Both military and civilians subjects participated. Data were analyzed qualitatively and a conceptual model of strategic leadership behavior was developed. Finally, implications and suggestions as to how to foster the development of such capacities are offered. The findings show, as did earlier behavioral research, that the two aspects of task and relationship are important to successful leaders. In this case, both functioned predominantly in the leaders' behavior, but under the fabric of their contextual experience built on their own self-efficacy and relations with others. It follows that more attention paid to developing self-mastery and strong relationship skills are in order. Since studies on military leadership vice civilian federal service are more likely, the findings were examined in relation to the established qualifications for senior civilian leaders, revealing a gap. While the qualifications for senior executives are behavior oriented, the research indicates a need for stronger focus on personal development, growth as an individual, and contributions made to the development of others. The relationship aspect of leadership does not receive the proper emphasis. / Ph. D.

<p>Communication in professional settings is essential to arriving at end results. Managers use speech acts to delegate, instruct, and in other ways get subordinates to perform everyday tasks. The present study aims to investigate how speech acts are performed using different politeness strategies, how these politeness strategies affect the motivation in subordinates, and how politeness can be used strategically in specific situations. The results indicate that politeness strategies used by managers are important for the motivation of subordinates and that different situations and different individuals call for different politeness strategies. Thus it is necessary for managers to make conscious and strategic linguistic choices adapted to specific situations and individuals.</p>

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva samt analysera styrningen av strategisk implementering på Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa. Syftet är dessutom att förklara och förstå styrning utifrån begreppen: strategi, strategiskt ledarskap, beslutsfattande och strategisk implementering. Teoretisk referensram: Studiens huvudområde är styrning av strategisk implementering. För att beskriva styrning har vi brutit ner styrning till begreppen: strategi, strategiskt ledarskap, beslutsfattande och strategisk implementering. I referensramen får läsaren en förståelse för uppsatsens huvudområde utifrån redan existerande teorier. Metod: Denna studie tillämpar ett hermeneutiskt synsätt och en induktiv ansats där empiri går mot teori. Resultatet av denna studie togs fram genom en kvalitativ metod med hjälp av personliga intervjuer på Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa. Empiri: Empirin sammanställdes genom fem personliga intervjuer med aktörer från Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa. Intervjuer genomfördes med stöd från framtagna intervjuguider. För att säkerställa trovärdigheten har samtliga intervjuer godkänts av respektive respondent före publicering i denna studie. Slutsats: Vår uppfattning är att den strategiska implementeringen på Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa styrs främst av ägarna och hotelldirektören. Vi har i slutsatsen även kommit fram till att personalen på Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa involveras i beslutsprocessen, genom att få komma med åsikter och idéer. Vår uppfattning är även att de strategiska beslut som rör företagets och avdelningarnas mål samt visioner fattas av ägarna och hotelldirektören. / Objective: The objective of this study is to describe and analyze the management of strategic implementation at Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa. Further, the purpose is to explain and understand management based on the concepts of strategy, strategic leadership, decision-making and strategic implementation. Theoretical framework: This study focuses on the management of strategic implementation. To describe management, we have broken down the term management into the concepts of strategy, strategic leadership, decision-making and strategic implementation. The theoretical framework gives the reader an understanding of the main subject of this thesis based on existing theories. Methods: This study applies a hermeneutic perspective and an inductive approach in which the empirical evidence is analyzed against the theoretical framework. The result of this study was developed through a qualitative research method and interviews were conducted with employees from Varbergs Stadshotel &amp; Asia Spa. Empirical evidence: The empirical data used I this study was compiled through five interviews with employees from Varbergs Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa. The interviews were conducted using interview guidelines developed by the authors of this study. To ensure credibility, all the interviews were approved and proof read by the respective respondent prior to publication of this study. Conclusion: In our opinion the strategic implementation of Varberg Stadshotell &amp; Asia Spa is primarily controlled by the owners and the hotel manager. We have also reached the conclusion that the staff at Varberg Resort &amp; Spa is involved in the decision making process, by being allowed to express their opinions and ideas. Further, our research shows that the owners and the hotel manager make the strategic decisions relating to the hotel ́s and departmental goals and visions.

Agriculture has always been a very volatile industry, mainly due to fluctuating commodity prices (specifically white maize) and irregular rainfall patterns. Furthermore, the agricultural industry is confronted with finite resources of which limited arable land and water scarcity are among the most troubling. Many agribusinesses in the industry have also achieved a level of maturity as far as market share is concerned, leaving little room for further growth. On the other hand, most of these agri-businesses are organisations with shareholders and investors demanding acceptable and sustainable returns on their investments. This situation invariably creates challenges relating to growth, profitability and sustainability. One of the few ways of addressing this problem is for stakeholders in the industry to combine their resources, capabilities and efforts through consolidation strategies, like acquisitions, mergers and strategic alliances, among others. This includes an extended presence and involvement throughout the value chain by means of forward and backward integration. The aim of such consolidation activity is to improve the long-term sustainability of agri-businesses and the agricultural industry as a whole. Agriculture is extremely important in terms of its contribution to the national economy, employment and job creation, earning foreign exchange through exports and improving food security and safety as well as the affordability of and access to food. Agri-businesses fulfil the functions of handlers, processors and marketers of agricultural produce, suppliers of production inputs and services including mechanisation solutions and support as well as being financiers of farmers and farming activities. However, there are too many role players and intermediaries involved in the agricultural industry which only aggravates the problem of limited growth potential within the industry. This study focuses on one of the leading agribusinesses in the industry while at the same time aiming to obtain the opinions of other industry stakeholders regarding the desirability of such consolidation strategies, the nature and extent thereof and the probability of successfully executing such strategies within the industry. Qualitative empirical research was performed by using a semi-structured interview schedule and conducting personal or telephonic interviews with a selection of executives, directors and other senior managers of several agri-businesses, regulators and controlling bodies associated with the South African agricultural industry. The themes covered included growth and sustainability, strategic leadership, consolidation as strategy, the different consolidation approaches, consolidation methods to be used, motives for consolidation, possible legislative restrictions on consolidation, the steps in the consolidation process and the preferred business approach to execute a consolidation strategy. The results of the empirical study indicated that consolidation does support growth and sustainability and that sound strategic leadership is of strategic importance to agri-businesses. The majority of participants confirmed that consolidation does form part of their current strategies and agreed that a combination of the three different consolidation approaches will be most effective in the execution of a consolidation strategy. Of the different consolidation methods, strategic alliances was the most preferred method as well as being selected as the method most likely to successfully achieve industry consolidation. Value creation was the overwhelming choice as being the primary motive for consolidation and was also selected as the motive with the highest probability of achieving success in consolidating the agricultural industry. The restrictive nature of the South African Competition Act (89 of 1998) and the competition authorities was highlighted by the responses obtained from the interviewees. Even though the negotiation phase was described as the most important step in the consolidation process, the results showed that is critically important to accommodate all the different steps in the process to ensure the success of the entire consolidation project. Finally, there was no clear preference regarding the business approach to apply in executing a consolidation strategy, being either a focuses business approach or an integrated business philosophy. The recommendations contained suggestions to increase consolidation activity among stakeholders in the industry and to develop and establish sufficient consolidation skills and capacity to aggressively pursue a consolidation strategy. It was also suggested that agri-businesses should reverse previous decisions to limit shareholding within these organisations. Any consolidation approach and consolidation method which is based on willing and amicable participation of the parties involved, benefits these stakeholders and the industry. These transactions must hold some benefit or value for those parties involved as well as other stakeholders in the industry. The principle of embracing the competition authorities and the requirements of the South African Competition Act (89 of 1998) as part of the consolidation process was strongly advocated. Ultimately, the business approach which best supports the organisation’s strategy is the obvious choice, but the reality is that it might include characteristics of both an integrated and a focussed approach. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Agriculture has always been a very volatile industry, mainly due to fluctuating commodity prices (specifically white maize) and irregular rainfall patterns. Furthermore, the agricultural industry is confronted with finite resources of which limited arable land and water scarcity are among the most troubling. Many agribusinesses in the industry have also achieved a level of maturity as far as market share is concerned, leaving little room for further growth. On the other hand, most of these agri-businesses are organisations with shareholders and investors demanding acceptable and sustainable returns on their investments. This situation invariably creates challenges relating to growth, profitability and sustainability. One of the few ways of addressing this problem is for stakeholders in the industry to combine their resources, capabilities and efforts through consolidation strategies, like acquisitions, mergers and strategic alliances, among others. This includes an extended presence and involvement throughout the value chain by means of forward and backward integration. The aim of such consolidation activity is to improve the long-term sustainability of agri-businesses and the agricultural industry as a whole. Agriculture is extremely important in terms of its contribution to the national economy, employment and job creation, earning foreign exchange through exports and improving food security and safety as well as the affordability of and access to food. Agri-businesses fulfil the functions of handlers, processors and marketers of agricultural produce, suppliers of production inputs and services including mechanisation solutions and support as well as being financiers of farmers and farming activities. However, there are too many role players and intermediaries involved in the agricultural industry which only aggravates the problem of limited growth potential within the industry. This study focuses on one of the leading agribusinesses in the industry while at the same time aiming to obtain the opinions of other industry stakeholders regarding the desirability of such consolidation strategies, the nature and extent thereof and the probability of successfully executing such strategies within the industry. Qualitative empirical research was performed by using a semi-structured interview schedule and conducting personal or telephonic interviews with a selection of executives, directors and other senior managers of several agri-businesses, regulators and controlling bodies associated with the South African agricultural industry. The themes covered included growth and sustainability, strategic leadership, consolidation as strategy, the different consolidation approaches, consolidation methods to be used, motives for consolidation, possible legislative restrictions on consolidation, the steps in the consolidation process and the preferred business approach to execute a consolidation strategy. The results of the empirical study indicated that consolidation does support growth and sustainability and that sound strategic leadership is of strategic importance to agri-businesses. The majority of participants confirmed that consolidation does form part of their current strategies and agreed that a combination of the three different consolidation approaches will be most effective in the execution of a consolidation strategy. Of the different consolidation methods, strategic alliances was the most preferred method as well as being selected as the method most likely to successfully achieve industry consolidation. Value creation was the overwhelming choice as being the primary motive for consolidation and was also selected as the motive with the highest probability of achieving success in consolidating the agricultural industry. The restrictive nature of the South African Competition Act (89 of 1998) and the competition authorities was highlighted by the responses obtained from the interviewees. Even though the negotiation phase was described as the most important step in the consolidation process, the results showed that is critically important to accommodate all the different steps in the process to ensure the success of the entire consolidation project. Finally, there was no clear preference regarding the business approach to apply in executing a consolidation strategy, being either a focuses business approach or an integrated business philosophy. The recommendations contained suggestions to increase consolidation activity among stakeholders in the industry and to develop and establish sufficient consolidation skills and capacity to aggressively pursue a consolidation strategy. It was also suggested that agri-businesses should reverse previous decisions to limit shareholding within these organisations. Any consolidation approach and consolidation method which is based on willing and amicable participation of the parties involved, benefits these stakeholders and the industry. These transactions must hold some benefit or value for those parties involved as well as other stakeholders in the industry. The principle of embracing the competition authorities and the requirements of the South African Competition Act (89 of 1998) as part of the consolidation process was strongly advocated. Ultimately, the business approach which best supports the organisation’s strategy is the obvious choice, but the reality is that it might include characteristics of both an integrated and a focussed approach. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.