Corporate strategic management assignment on advanced corporatestrategy while handling of COVID-19
Question
Task: How do you connect theories and practice in a real-life situation to establish the SAFe-criteria in your corporate strategic management assignment? Can strategic perspective help Writtenborg University deal with Covid-19 pandemic?
Answer
Introduction to corporate strategic management assignment
The following corporate strategic managementassignmentis prepared to assess the concept of corporate strategic management. Corporate strategy is a process that helps to establish the business values, motivate employees, set objectives and goals and other business procedures can be managed through the corporate strategies to achieve success in the workplace. Apart from that, a case study is given for this corporate strategic managementassignmentto analyse the Covid-19 pandemic at the WrittenborgUniversity through corporate strategic management. However, this corporate strategic managementassignmentwill highlight SAFe criteria, comparison between the pre and post-Covid-19 period, strategic agility, and strategic resilience to denote future actions. Based on this context, leadership strategy, roles and styles are going to discuss in this corporate strategic managementassignment.
1. SAFe-criteria in the case of WUAS’ handling of COVID-19
Figure 1: Framework of SAFe
(Source: Schondelmeyeret al.2021)
According to Schondelmeyeret al. (2021), SAFe-criteria are a key strategic choice that forces the business to evaluate each and every aspect of its operations and take appropriate action in a corporate strategic managementassignment. Finding the best possible strategic options in corporate strategic managementassignmentis done by using SAFE. SAFE is used to determine whether a strategy adequately addresses the main strategic issues that an organisation is facing. In the phase of SAFE, S stands for the suitability, which is used to assess challenges an organisation is facing, A stands for acceptability, wherein it determines if the strategy is meeting the stakeholders' expectations (Wittenborg.eu, 2022). F stands for feasibility, which examines practicality, and E is associated with evaluation. Evaluation in the corporate strategic managementassignmentunderpins determining the best course of action because the findings of each assessment frequently indicate multiple future courses of action. In a nutshell, it is the final stage where strategies are determined to take future action (Schondelmeyeret al.2021). WUAS was developed to foster excellence in learning and teaching of “International Business and Management.” Along with fostering an environment wherein ethics, diversity, and internationalisation are used to serve as the cornerstone of successful, worldwide-focused learning for both faculty and students (Wittenborg.eu, 2022). However, with the arrival of COVID-19, it restricted the operations of WUAS. The activities of the classroom for each field were disrupted. In light of the need to tackle the situation in times of COVID, SAFe-criteria are applicable to the university. The organisational performance was increased due to proper assessment of challenges and turning to strategic action to tackle the situation. In such phases of corporate strategic managementassignment, Suitability applied to challenges, which included delivering learning to international students for sectors such as the hospitality and tourism sectors in times of COVID, where strict lockdown was initiated and social distancing was at par. Acceptabilityin the corporate strategic managementassignmentrefers to WUAS maintaining the protocols of Covid-19 to prevent deaths. Feasibilityin the corporate strategic managementassignmentrefers to applying practicability (Wittenborg.eu, 2022). In times of Covid-19, using sanitizer and mask were essential along with maintaining the social distancing. Some Practicability testing was done. This is in the form of virtual learning to maintain social distancing (Wittenborg.eu, 2022). The administrative team of the WUAS, a non-profit enterprise, was allotted the task of maintaining the practicality of the protocols. The Evaluationin thecorporate strategic managementassignmentreferred to reaching a decision which made every function of the organisation run smoothly. The vaccine is the solution to resume all the activities that were stopped due to COVID. The following in the corporate strategic managementassignmentare the strategic options initiated by the WUAS to increase its organisational performance:
Comparison to Post-Covid
Wittenborg’s Munich “Campus Director” motivates the students for vaccination. Each student as well as the staff was given access to the self-test kits. To tackle the COVID situation in the corporate strategic managementassignment, the strategy for post-covid was that everything would be returned to position. Each classroom had a social distance of about 1.5 metres. Teachers would be provided with laptops through “Moodle and teams”. Initiation will be made for virtual learning to have Covid-proof classrooms (Wittenborg.eu, 2022).
2. Analysis of strategic agility and strategic resilience principles on themes
Principles of strategic agilityin the corporate strategic managementassignment
According to Xing et al. (2020), strategic agility principles include innovation to improve corporate business performance. Through this innovative procedure, a company or organisation can develop their internal business structure to establish an entrepreneurial team. HR managers and leaders are focused on this principle so that they can cover all strategic functions to bring upgraded operations for sustainable development. It is also found in the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat strategic agility has been increasing attention from the management community and strategy. By aligning with this context, Nurjaman (2020) mentioned that strategic agility puts effort to improve business or other educational performance. Moreover, corporate strategic managementassignmenthelps to implement a strategic environment to proceed with the business or educational tasks.
Principles of strategic resilience
According to Al Balushi (2020), strategic resilience principles refer to implementing readiness for operational resilience and difficult conditions. Through this principle, businesses or other authorities can change their poor organisational structure to attain success even in critical situations. Apart from that, self-discipline, confidence, resourcefulness, flexibility and other relevant factors related to strategic resilience. On the contrary, Sharifi and Yamagata (2018) argued in the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat all resilience can help to improve the planning procedures by conducting community development, handling stakeholder management, enhancing the sustainable development goals and appropriate actions are included in this principle.
Application of principles to the themes
Wittenborg is a well-renowned university; this educational institute has faced severe effects of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. It has found in the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat the strategic direction of Wittenborg has been affected by this critical circumstance. It is found that Wittenborg University is majorly affected due to this pandemic effect. Poor social distancing manner is applied; nevertheless, facemask wearing becomes mandatory and other pandemic restrictions have been implemented (Wittenborg.eu, 2022). As a result, all students become unable to focus on their academic projects; mainly, the applied science department has faced major issues during practical classes. This situation created a critical situation for this university as per the corporate strategic managementassignment.
However, by applying strategic agility and resilience principles in the corporate strategic managementassignment, this university can improve poor health management practices. In context of the corporate strategic managementassignment, strategic agility can improvise the strategic ability by changing poor performative structure. Besides that, university authorities can also include the management community to develop their academic institutions to address the pandemic effects. Based on this context of the corporate strategic managementassignment, Arokodare and Asikhia (2020) opined that strategic agility influences to the handling of financial and non-financial aspects, workplace environment and maintaining superior performance. Hence, Wittenborg can change their poor health management practices to attain success to address the severe pandemic effect of their institute.
Additionally, they also use strategic resilience to bring readiness for any uncertain risks. In future, other pandemic outbreak effects may come to this university; due to this reason, they need to implement strategic resilience to deal with uncertain risks. Based on this strategy in the corporate strategic managementassignment, Tocci (2020) mentioned that educational authorities need to attain change management structure, performative structure, innovation procedures and health development procedures so that Wittenborg can cope up with critical situations for academic development. Hence, it is clear from the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat proper corporate strategy management is required for this university to improve their poor performance in regard to managing pandemic effects.
3. Application of strategic leadership roles, and leadership styles of Wittenborg management on strategy-making
Leadership management is an essential part to manage organisational development which helps to mitigate uncertain obstacles and poor performative structure for organisational development. By following the module, leaders of this university need to implement “kaleidoscope and forcefield analysis” to change the strategic structure of this academic institution. Usually, the leadership role is making sense to contribute to the complicated practice. With the help of this procedure in the corporate strategic managementassignment, a leader can change the organisational structure. Eventually, Ganon-Shilon and Schechter (2019) mentioned that the leadership role plays a vital role to change the organisational structure where performance, innovation, behaviour and other relevant things are included to improve professional practices.
On the other hand, Kadiyonoet al. (2020) opined that leadership style is also important to mitigate relationship issues that often be found in the organisation. Usually, transformational leadership strategy has managed these issues. Based on the case study, Wittenborg has faced difficulties during the pandemic outbreak. Apart from that, they need to take the help of leadership strategies, roles and styles to improve their poor performative structure. According to Whittington et al. (2019), a strategic leadership role helps to control the top managerial functions, embodying change, modifying the vision strategy, adopting unfolding events and creating a chain among international corporations so that they can handle all academic operations to enhance the performance of this university.
It is found in thecorporate strategic managementassignmentthat the transformational leaders are focused on systematic project management, job performance, quality of health management and other relevant aspects are needed to manage academic development. From this discussion, it is found that leadership management is essential for all types of organisations. However, Wittenborg University was unable to manage the Covid-19 pandemic situation and their organisation has become in conflict to progress their academic projects. Mainly students have faced critical situations due to a lack of leadership management as per the corporate strategic managementassignment. Based on this context, Xieet al. (2018) mentioned that leadership style majorly reflects the innovative atmosphere so that the transformational leadership procedures are needed to include enhancing the developed quality. By applying this strategy in the corporate strategic managementassignment, this university can change their poor performance by implementing academic innovation, developing healthcare intervention, changing the Covid-19 pandemic aspects and many other operations that can be maintained through these transformational leadership procedures.
Recommendation
Undoubtedly, risks and challenges are the part of every business, when they come, it reinforces the business to extract the best capabilities within themselves by tackling hurdles. Covid was a great challenge on the part of Writtenborg where it had to come up with the best solution to tackle the hurdles created by COVID-19. It is evident from the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat many changes are brought and undertaken in the field of teaching and development however, there are many things needed to be done to sustain the business sphere and increase its organisational performance (Schondelmeyeret al.2021). Following are the recommendations that can be followed by the university to improve its performance.
Incorporation of agile leadership in the corporate strategic managementassignment
Incorporating an agile leadership style into the forefront of the operations of Wittenborg, it will be able to manage its sections such as the marketing department, international office, housing department, medical counsellor, and others. In this process, the chief focus of HR managers and leaders is on their leadership style for establishing high-performing teams and coaching administrative teams to achieve common goals so they can cover all strategic functions and bring about improved operations for sustainable development.
Increasing awareness for maintaining safety protocols
The chief action of the Wittenborg will be to increase the awareness about vaccination at a high level. This is because vaccination tends to be a question mark for many individuals. Incorporating campaign wherein international students will get vaccination benefits education and awareness will likely improve the capacity of the Wittenborg.
Embracing change management
Due to COVID-19, multiple changes need to be accepted by the enterprise and it often happens that the enterprise resists change management. Thus, it would be beneficial for Wittenborg when it will incorporate change management into its system, it will reduce risks, and costs and improve its productivity. Adaptability to virtual learning at a high level will be an effective part of the change management process.
Conclusion
It can be concluded in the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat corporate strategy is significant for the survival of a business. No business can sustain without making a strategy. It paves the way for the identification of risks and allows deep insight into the way these challenges can be mitigated by developing a strategy. The conducted study has highlighted that a strategy can always be built and prepared to overcome business risks and challenges through the SAFe framework. In addition, it tended to evaluate the leadership style and its role efficiency of the organisation. Lastly, it can be said in the corporate strategic managementassignmentthat proper leadership roles and styles are effectively helping to improve the Wittenborg University so that they can take initiatives for further pandemic or uncertain risks. In that situation, strategic agility, resilience and leadership strategies help them to attain academic success.
References
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Arokodare, M.A. and Asikhia, O.U., 2020. Strategic agility: Achieving superior organizational performance through strategic foresight. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 20(3), pp.7-16.
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