Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control, Third Edition

■ Summary

Developing a view of the future is a clear step in the development of strat-
egy. Without it we are merely planning for the past. There is a range of fore-
casting techniques available to planners. Scenario planning is a useful way
of identifying the important issues facing by a company. It can also help
mangers achieve a greater understanding of how the market they operate
within actually works. This ties in well with the idea of market sensing. The
crucial step is then to motivate managers to develop creative approaches
to deal with future issues the organisation may face. Formulating elegant
strategies to address the future, that this part of the strategic analysis has
identified, is the next significant step in the planning process.

■ References

Aaker, D., Strategic Market Management, 4th edn, Wiley, Brisbane, 1995.
Aguilar, F. J., Scanning the Business Environment, Macmillan, New York, 1967.
Alpert, M. and Raiffa, H., A Progress report on the training of probability asses-
sors, in Kahneman, D., Slovic, P. and Tversky, A. (eds), Judgement under
Uncertainty: Heuristic and Biases, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1982.
Dalrymple, D. J., Sales forecasting practices from a United States survey,
International Journal of Forecasting, 3 , 1989, 379–392.

Developing a future orientation 127

Good

soldier Maverick

Adapter Rebel

Shares cultural beliefs and values

Low

High

High Conformity to structure Low

Figure 6.6

Individual’s fit in

corporate culture

(Source: Adapted

from Sathe, 1988)