罗宾斯《管理学原理》教师手册fom6_im03.docVIP

PART 2: PLANNING CHAPTER 3 - FOUNDATIONS OF PLANNING LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading this chapter students should be able to: Define planning. Explain the potential benefits of planning. Identify potential drawbacks to planning. Distinguish between strategic and tactical plans. Recognize when directional plans are preferred over specific plans. Define management by objectives and identify its common elements. Outline the steps in the strategic management process. Describe the four grand strategies. Explain SWOT analysis. Describe how entrepreneurs identify a competitive advantage. Opening Vignette SUMMARY Toyota is a good example of a company who succeeds because of strong planning efforts on the part of the company’s management. For years, Toyota has been competing very strongly in the automotive industry, and has seemingly gone in directions that are completely opposite of American automobile manufacturers. First, Toyota made fuel efficient cars while “Detroit” produced gas guzzlers. Then, when Ford and GM moved towards making more fuel efficient cars, Toyota started producing larger, more luxurious vehicles---ones that matched shifting US consumer preferences. Now, nearly three decades later, Toyota is again going in the opposite direction. Toyota is diversifying and expanding its offerings, while Ford and GM are selling off various aspects of their businesses and are struggling to survive. Toyota is engaging in efforts that capitalize on their “technological and intellectual assets to enrich society”---and is moving into markets that appear to have little linkage to its primary business. For example, Toyota is now in the business of building prefab houses. They are also growing sweet potatoes, and are operating in health-care support services. Also, Toyota is dabbling in developing composting materials that reduce odor from manure in fertilizers. It is also gaining strong market holds in the roof garden business.