Deliberate and emergent strategies, often used in strategic planning, have distinct origins. While deliberate strategies are the result of careful development and selection, emergent strategies typically emerge after a company responds to unexpected circumstances, meaning that such techniques are more rushed and not data-supported (Abraham, 2012). Therefore, an emergent strategy can be highly helpful in testing and approbating a pathway created as a reaction to an unforeseen event to be used as a basis for future strategic planning.
When attempting to deploy an emergent strategy, company executives should consider utilizing measurement tools to support the change. Establishing a reward system could be an excellent option for ensuring the achievement of necessary objectives and maintaining an appropriate level of motivation among the employees (Abraham, 2012). Another possibility is to initiate a budget planning procedure in order to measure the funds available at the moment and ensure that these resources are distributed according to the current needs (Waddock & Steckler, 2016). This action is also necessary to create a stable organizational environment, as changes can result in financial disbalance and loss.
However, the executives might also opt to ignore the use of emergent strategies, which can lead to such devastating circumstances as a lack of adaptability and decreased inefficiency. Although deliberate strategies are preferred due to their coherency and data support, emergent strategies are an excellent choice in situations where a quick response from the company is vital (Waddock & Steckler, 2016). Thus, negating the need for emerging strategies can reduce the corporation’s agility, limiting the opportunities for introducing a temporary method of addressing the present circumstances.
A company that recently integrated an emergent strategy is Groupon, which used this technique to secure its financial stability in 2020. Initially, the organization’s aim was to offer customers discount coupons for local shopping; nevertheless, this system soon became difficult to use (Collis, 2016). Groupon changed its approach, defining the company as an experiences marketplace that facilitates the exchange between both buyers and vendors (Groupon Merchant, 2020). By doing so, the enterprise has reacted to the decreased interest in coupons and shifted its goal, successfully accounting for the rising demand for online marketplaces.
References
Abraham, S. C. (2012). Strategic management for organizations. Bridgepoint Education.
Collis, D. (2016). Start-ups need both agility and direction. Harvard Bussiness Review.
Groupon Merchant. (2020). The Experiences Marketplace: Groupon’s new strategy explained for business owners. Web.
Waddock, S., & Steckler, E. (2016). Visionaries and wayfinders: Deliberate and emergent pathways to vision in social entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(4), 719–734. Web.