Strategic Management Process: Steps, Components & Examples
This paper examines the strategic management process as a framework for guiding organizational performance. It outlines six sequential steps — establishing mission and objectives, external analysis, internal analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and evaluation — and identifies five essential components of strategic management: environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, evaluation, and control. The paper also applies these concepts to British Airways as a real-world case study, illustrating how merger strategies, technological innovation, and communications partnerships reflect sound strategic management practice. The discussion demonstrates why strategic management is critical for organizational survival and long-term success.
- Introduction to Strategic Management: Defines strategic management and its foundational purpose
- The Six Steps of the Strategic Management Process: Sequential steps from mission-setting to evaluation
- Core Components of Strategic Management: Five essential components including scanning and control
- British Airways: Strategic Management in Practice: How British Airways applies strategic management concepts
- Conclusion: Summary of strategic management importance for organizations
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper uses a clearly numbered, step-by-step structure that makes the strategic management process easy to follow and reference, which is particularly effective for an introductory-level audience.
- It grounds abstract theoretical concepts in a concrete, recognizable real-world example — British Airways — giving the framework practical relevance and demonstrating applied understanding.
- Consistent citation of a single authoritative source (Wheelen and Hunger) throughout the process steps signals academic grounding and supports each claim with a textbook reference.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the technique of theory-to-application scaffolding: it first builds a theoretical framework (the six steps and five components of strategic management), then applies that framework to a case study. This two-part structure — "here is the concept, here is it in action" — is a foundational approach in business and management writing and helps readers connect abstract models to practical outcomes.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a definition of strategic management, then progresses through six labeled process steps in sequence. It follows with a synthesized list of five core components and brief explanations of each. The final section shifts to the British Airways case study, illustrating mergers, technological firsts, and communications strategy. A brief concluding paragraph ties the case back to the theoretical framework introduced at the outset.
Introduction to Strategic Management
Strategic management entails the steps taken and combination of managerial decisions that determine the future performance of a particular company. It encompasses the four pillars of management. Strategic plans provide a framework for the entire company to use and apply. The strategic management process consists of steps that shape implementation, strategic planning, and evaluation (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004).
References
Wheelen, T. and Hunger, D. (2004). Strategic Management and Business Policy. Prentice & Hall, New Jersey.
Knight, B. (2008). Strategic management of British Airways Company. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://bizcovering.com/business/strategic-management-of-british-airways-company/
Wheelen, T. and Hunger, J. (2007). Concepts in strategic management and business policy: Achieving sustainability. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
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