Strategy Schools of Thought

Deloitte most likely employs a strategy of sharing a common set of guidelines or goals across multiple levels of staff and management and throughout multiple departments in order to simplify and clarify what the company is attempting to accomplish. Such generic strategies are supported by Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, & Lampel (2009), and given the great quantity of data analyzed in order to accomplish reaching that conclusion, the solution should carry great weight. As the CEO of such a company, it is necessary that one adopt a strategy of continuation, one that supplies a congruous through-line with the current manner of accomplishing tasks. Carlopio (2009) says as much in different words, discussing “how to use many of the principles, processes and tools of the design profession to create innovative organizational strategies that can help organizations stand out from the pack” (p. 155), as do Hatchuel et al. (2010), who “develop a discourse of strategic management as design, using a conceptual base drawing upon the work of Michel Foucault, as an alternative to the prevailing strategy discourse (strategy as ‘economizing’)” (p. 3), and in so doing reject the narrow scope of previous strategies in favor of a broader approach similar to that taken by Deloitte. However, it is obvious that in spite of the innovation Deloitte has thus far undertaken, there is much more to do in regards to implementing said strategic innovation and strategic partnerships.

In order to progress further, Deloitte must change the ways in which its strategy is implemented so that even workers at the lowest level need not become “drones” due to a lack of comprehension of the overarching, large-scale strategy. McCauley (2012) provides a relevant call to action by pointing out that if lower-level staff members are not thoroughly integrated into the system, leaders, too, will be lost: “Given today’s dynamic and information-laden strategic environment, senior leaders cannot possibly possess the depth and breadth of information essential for informed decision making. Leaders depend upon their staffs to provide analysis, assessments, and insights into the operating environment.” This is a view supported by O’Connor (2009), who emphasizes the human element of which any CEO must be aware in order to maintain sufficient understanding to fulfill the functions of that position. 

References

Carlopio, J. (2009). Creating strategy by design. Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, 3(5), 155.

Hatchuel, A., Starkey, K., Tempest, S., & Le Masson, P. (2010). Strategy as innovative design: An emerging perspective. Advances in Strategic Management, 27, 3-28.

McCauley, D. (2012). Strategic thinking: Providing a competitive edge. Small Wars Journal 11(8).

Mintzberg, H., & Ahlstrand, B. Lampel., J. (2009). Strategy Safari (2nd ed.). Essex, United Kingdom: Harlow.

O'Connor, M. K., & Netting, F. E. (2009). Organization practice: A guide to understanding human service organizations. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.