Strategy Formulation and Resources

So far, the nature of business and military strategy has been considered and the underlying paradigms discussed. A general similarity has been observed between the process in both fields, and no differences have been observed. One conclusion that can be drawn is that in both military and business fields, strategy can be characterised as being about decision (Mintzberg, 1978; Pettigrew, 1977; Quinn, 1978). There is the problem that there does not seem to be a universally accepted definition of ‘decision’ (Groner et al., 1983), but the general view of it being a discontinuity or definable point in the development of human affairs at which a choice has to be made will suffice here. The strategy is intended to achieve the aims of the organisation or, put another way, to enable it to ‘win’, however that is defined. The value of the decision is the extent to which it satisfies the stated aims or objectives. A test of the process leading to the choice of the course of action is the extent to which it results in an optimal decision.