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Want to improve strategic execution? Simons says levers

Want to improve strategic execution? Simons says levers Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe four levers that managers can use to effectively implement strategy. Design/methodology/approach – Draws on the performance management literature, in particular Simons' levers of control framework, to describe and illustrate practical examples of diagnostic, belief, boundary, and interactive controls. Findings – To fully realize the potential of their firm's strategy, managers need to get the levers to work in concert. Failure to accomplish this may result in underperformance, a loss of reputation, or even extinction. Practical implications – To successfully implement their firm's strategy, managers must: get employees to buy into the firm's belief system; delineate those activities that may place their firm in jeopardy and declare these off limits to employees; communicate strategy to employees by developing metrics, setting targets, and aligning incentive; and become personally involved in those decisions which relate to strategic threats and opportunities in order to shape the firm's future direction. Originality/value – Provides current examples of each of the four levers and articulates how they need to inter‐relate with one another. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Business Strategy Emerald Publishing

Want to improve strategic execution? Simons says levers

Norman T. Sheehan
Journal of Business Strategy , Volume 27 (6): 9 – Nov 1, 2006
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References (7)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0275-6668
DOI
10.1108/02756660610710364
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe four levers that managers can use to effectively implement strategy. Design/methodology/approach – Draws on the performance management literature, in particular Simons' levers of control framework, to describe and illustrate practical examples of diagnostic, belief, boundary, and interactive controls. Findings – To fully realize the potential of their firm's strategy, managers need to get the levers to work in concert. Failure to accomplish this may result in underperformance, a loss of reputation, or even extinction. Practical implications – To successfully implement their firm's strategy, managers must: get employees to buy into the firm's belief system; delineate those activities that may place their firm in jeopardy and declare these off limits to employees; communicate strategy to employees by developing metrics, setting targets, and aligning incentive; and become personally involved in those decisions which relate to strategic threats and opportunities in order to shape the firm's future direction. Originality/value – Provides current examples of each of the four levers and articulates how they need to inter‐relate with one another.

Journal

Journal of Business Strategy – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 1, 2006

Keywords: Management strategy; Business excellence; Performance measures; Control systems

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