Chapter 3: Planning and Strategic Management

Complete set of links to companies

Access the web sites of Procter and Gamble and Sears, two companies mentioned in Chapter 3 (found on pages 67 and 70 of your text, respectively). (On the Sears home page, click on "About Sears" to access corporate information.) Then answer the following questions:

1. Can you determine the goals of each organization based on the information available at its web site? If so, what are the goals?
2. Based on Porter’s generic strategies, how would you describe each organization’s strategy?

Internet Exercise

The US government, including the President, legislators, and the departments of the executive branch, are responsible for planning the future of one of the world’s most powerful countries. Annually, the US President prepares a budget, which acts as a "blueprint" for the upcoming years, describing national goals and the funds which will be committed to help meet those goals. Look at George W. Bush’s 2002 Budget. In particular, note the President’s Message, which communicates Bush’s major goals for the country. After viewing the web site, answer the following questions:

1. President Bush’s message contains which kinds of goals for the US? (Choose from: mission, strategic goals, tactical goals, or operational goals. The message may contain more than one kind of goals.) Why did you make this choice?
2. In what ways is the President’s budget similar to goals set by corporations? In what ways is it different?
3. After the President develops the national budget proposal, Congress must vote to accept or reject it. In what ways does this process create obstacles to effective planning and decision making? In what ways does this process increase effectiveness?

Explore Further

In order to see how the federal planning and decision making process works at all levels of government, choose one of the policy initiatives from the President’s budget. Then, on the budget web site, select the agency that is responsible for carrying out that initiative. Finally, go that agency’s web site and explore the impact of the President’s budget statement on that agency.

For example, one of the President’s policy initiatives is "Reform the Immigration System." The Department of Justice is one of the federal agencies responsible for carrying out that reform. Finally, the Department of Justice’s web site shows their breakdown of anticipated expenditures for fiscal year 2002.