In recent years, a perspective of the sustainable competitive advantage capability of an organisation is seen to be a reflection of internally coordinated operations of respective departments that make up the organisation, coupled with the entire organisations external interactions with various stakeholders. Our organisation, Evolve Revolve International Limited is built upon the synergy of our expertise, experiences and networks (see Appendix, i), on which we seek to take advantage of our core competence resources to secure favour within the market and hence win customer satisfaction by the unique solutions we proffer for various private and public sector clients. Consequently, it is highly vital that there exists clarity within the organisation as to what direction we are heading, various boundaries of individual departments and sensitivity towards investment decisions, consulting advice and evaluations of internal and external communication processes in relation to operations and project executions. As suggested by Chan and Mauborgne (1997), the ability for managers of organisations to make sense of how they do business distinguishes the organisational growth they experience in comparison to rival or competing companies.
The new competitive foreign investment environment has prompted analogies between competition among governments for foreign investment and competition among organisations for market share, with countries adopting strategies that parallel those of private companies. As such, thinking strategically needs to serve at the core of our organisational processes geared towards attracting investable funds, recognition and seizing of opportunities, and providing services to prospective and current investors if required. These may depend upon the ability of leading our staff to develop projects, exploit networks and our knowledge resource. Hence, a sound internal and external awakening programme should combine functions of project development, image-building with those of investment-generation, so as to optimise the use of our limited resources. This discussion paper seeks to review the efficacy of our internal and external leadership processes, highlighting issues that might not be within the attention scope of the Board of Directors. It is anticipated that this paper should serve as a stepping stone to refocusing our organisations mission and streamline priorities considering current changes occurring within the global playing field. We shall look into our business theory, inter-departmental processes, strategic leading and knowledge management, stakeholder management and finally possible organisational strategic alliances.
Our Business
"Why are we here? Who would miss us if we weren't?" are few questions asked by Goran Carstedt (2007); which we may view as logical questions to be asked on regular intervals to managers within organisations to justify their existence by giving reasonable answers. A reflection of our mission statement "To be a first class global organisation dedicated to unlocking and harnessing the undoubted potentials of emerging markets" (see Appendix), furthermore, we could presume that within emerging markets our clientele of young entrepreneurs, organisations in crisis, existing and potential investors might miss us if we do pack up. As such, reason demands that we refocus our minds to our internal processes and how we harness them to manage stakeholders within and externally, thereby understanding what kind of effect we have as an organisation on the society, i.e. essentially understanding our business theory. Peter Drucker (1994) was of the opinion that the business theory of an organisation is an ever changing aspect which could become outdated when it is not properly observed, pinpointing how the external environment, organisational mission and core competencies could affect a company's theory.
Contextualising our circumstance in Nigeria given the political instability, dwindling crude production, fallen national credit rating, crisis within the Niger Delta region and the overturning of formerly issued development licences/contracts coupled with the levels of corruption within government agencies and regulatory bodies (Wilhelm, 2009) is reducing investor confidence exponentially. Therefore, proper internal coordination of our inter-departmental processes may serve as a cushion for such effects and could result in improved performance including increased investor confidence, though this cause could be facilitated by management applying directed levels of discourse in order to yield the desired results. Though seemingly abstract, discourse is a "powerful way to explore processes of organising and, particularly, the fragility of, and struggles within, organisational life" (Hardy and Palmer, 1999). If strategically utilised, chances stand that it may improve leading and following processes within our organisation as a whole and serve as a strategic resource in itself. As opposed to our departments operating in an apparently isolative nature as currently experienced with a number of subtle power groups that are more informed than others within the organisation (Aliyu, 2009) we propose a process depicted below in Fig 1. It should be understood that the processes are presented as discrete elements with well defined links and interconnections. However, in practice they may overlap and interact in ways that are not completely detailed here.
Fig 1: Proposed Inter-departmental discourse channel and structure
Accordingly, the mission of Evolve Revolve as it relates to our intention of promoting foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country, given current environmental and economic conditions within Nigeria warrants fundamental reappraisal of information circulation in the office. Looking at figure 1 above we could consider our project development and consultancy abilities as products we provide having a number of processes involved, in which theories involved in execution feed into internal resource development (knowledge domain/base). This in turn yields new discourse and knowledge within the organisation that will serve as a means to facilitate services we offer in investment networking as well as improve project development and consultancy. Streamlining these processes, communication links and knowledge relating to all projects/internal stakeholders forms a stream of income for the office generated from findings given the right discourse, therefore promoting a new attitude within the office. Moreover, provided the right managerial thrust is applied to this structure not only will it improve coordination and increase income, but it will implement direction and pace causing an increase in the confidence of existing and new clients; reinforcing our personnel for them to properly handle following-knowing, knowing-leading, leading- knowing and learning processes. These of course cannot be properly understood without proper knowledge sharing and knowledge management within the organisation
Strategic Leading and Knowledge Management
Strategic leading processes are concepts which form a virtual foundation of how pace is set with the right direction while knowing what to do next and ensuring participation within the organisation or group in concern, giving rise to the adaptation and assimilation of new insights and an appreciation of how to coordinate affairs (Fredricks, 2009). In line with the increasing requirement for companies that utilise their organisational capacities to expand their network base in order for them to stay ahead of rivals, according to Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002) many "managers are trying to implement third-generation strategies through second-generation organisations with first-generation management". Where third generation strategies could be understood as innovation, insight within markets, second generation organisations may be functional hierarchical structured mentalities and first generation management the inability of managers to coordinate and reap benefits of their available resources. Consequently, the pace and direction that proceeds from the management is in conflict with the organisational structure and hence the employees. In order for us at Evolve Revolve to prevent our company from falling into such situations, it is highly required that management creates a platform where a clear understanding of leading and followership is enacted. Since it goes a long way in affecting prospects with potential clients, sufficient information should be laid out to promote problem solving. A generic illustration of leadership processes that could be witnessed from within departments to how the organisation should operate as a whole is given below, while it is encouraged for all employees to participate in decision making within the organisation. It should be understood that the processes here are equally presented as discrete elements with well defined links and interconnections. However, in practice may overlap and interact in ways that are not completely detailed here.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2 above depicts the task of management constructing and controlling the details on our organisation website and media which leads potential clients with problems to our door step. Similarly, informed leading of operations in our departments taking note of core competencies, procedures and technicalities.
Fig .3
Fig. 3 above helps us understand the flow in leading and following process within our departments and how knowledge and learning takes effect.
Fig. 4
In Fig. 4 we have sought to illustrate an integrated company process layout in which management decisions leads (informs) the inputs on our website and what is heard on other forms of media in the market, they equally inform the functions our project development, global investment networking and consulting departments and hence management responds relative to outcomes of these units respectively. In the case of the 'potential client', he is lead in by the website and other forms of media in which he contacts our employee (front desk) in person or by mail who will enter levels of discourse trying to understand the problem and find out if we can solve the problem. Our front desk is informed by the departments and which he reports back to who interact with each other, thereby learning from each other and knowing what to do next (whether to accept or reject the proposal) all undergoing the leading, following, knowing and learning processes. Essentially, gaining one more client and stakeholder at a time and if it is required other external stakeholders could be contacted in order to piecemeal the solution to be offered. Departments may take turns in leading processes or procedures depending on the project at hand.
Accordingly, in order to gain an appreciation of the impact of discourse and leading processes in our organisation it is required that we look into how we share and manage knowledge. "Evolve Revolve having a culture of sharing knowledge through meetings, brainstorming sessions and lots of conversations within the organisation, while only making use of a simplistic support of technology" (Umar, 2009), could be improved by utilising a formal approach of knowledge management and sharing. Knowledge that is realised from personal experience and could somewhat be considered part of a staffs subconscious (tacit), for example the process of consulting can be transferred into document format (explicit) for the benefit of other staff within the organisation. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) created an SECI model that we could utilise to gain an understanding of how knowledge is shared and created especially since in many consultancy organisations knowledge serves a core asset (Hansen, Nohria and Tierny, 1999).
Fig. 5. The SECI model
Leading our staff to become more involved in critical and strategic thinking, decision making, innovation and learning could be encouraged through meetings with management where they are empowered and granted such avenues. In Fig. 5 above the act of socialisation refers to the transfer of knowledge through meetings and or brainstorming sessions in our case, acquired through observation or demonstrations also known as the transfer of tacit knowledge. Externalisation could benefit our organisation as documentation of tacit knowledge to create explicit knowledge for the purpose of storing or sharing. Furthermore, the harmonisation of different documentations to create new knowledge is known as combination which is later assimilated by staff members to become tacit once again and so the cycle continues.
In leading our staff to a position of improved confidence and competence it is important that we learn to harmonise the importance of discourse, giving direction and pace, ensure followership and promote learning. This should go a long way in helping us manage our operations and stakeholders more efficiently.
Stakeholder Management
Harnessing our core competence is not the only important asset we need to focus on because there are individuals or groups that are affected or can affect decisions we make within our organisation known as stakeholders (Jones and Wicks, 1999); hence, "effective stakeholder management, like all management, is a difficult and uncertain process" (Harrison, Bosse and Phillips, 2010) which we will have to learn to execute effectively. Our business involves interaction with a lot of stakeholders, like staff, management, investors, government agencies, suppliers and many more as the circumstance may warrant and can evidently affect our performance.
Fig. 6
The importance of these stakeholders cannot be overlooked as they equally provide useful information that build on our internal resource development as identified in Fig. 1. Therefore, thinking strategically we need to manage the influence of these stakeholders on our performance. It is interesting to know that some stakeholder relationship is based on a lot of trust in our organisation (Uduehi, 2009) which may result in internal and external stakeholders. Where each stakeholder may identify their own sense of value derived from associating with us as different gains.
Fig. 7
Internal stakeholders might have personal grudges or hidden agendas likewise external stakeholders if not monitored properly and the right ones identified. As identifying stakeholders proves important, the classification would be of better use to us and can act as a guide on how to deal with them in ensuring they receive what they define as value to them in the right proportion. An adapted model from Harrison, Bosse and Phillips (2010) managing for stakeholders and value creation may serve as a foundation for a more focused approach for management and the leading of staff to a more controlled stakeholder pool.
Fig. 8
The reason why this model in Fig. 8 might serve its purpose is that all stakeholders continue to remain incentivised at all times. Hence, not only increasing commitment but ensuring there is a win-win situation enjoyed by all parties. Stakeholder management remains a key resource given our nature of business and all areas of discourse, processes and knowledge management play positive roles in ensuring it is handled properly.
Organisational Strategic Alliances
In trying to streamline all our internal processes and external interactions, there is likelihood for either an internal gap to be created or an external opportunity to be harnessed in which we might not have sufficient resource to tackle. Using a resource -based view approach Bing-Sheng Teng (2007) identified the benefits of strategic alliances to organisations like ours by forming an inter-organisational mutual understanding targeted at achieving a collective strategic objective (Parkhe, 1993) with another organisation. Pinpointing organisations desire for innovation, corporate venturing and strategic renewal; can be acquired through strategic alliances resulting in a win-win situation for both parties.
Fig. 9: A resource-based framework of corporate entrepreneurship and strategic alliances; adapted from (Teng, 2007)
Following from Fig. 9, a strategic alliance when well planned out can help us maximize resources by providing a more cost effective way of capacity building for our staff to enable creativity and provide certain expertise that might be lacking for some projects. Therefore, leveraging on such partnerships as joint ventures, R&D alliances or learning alliances could help us in sustaining a competitive advantage if properly analysed.
The combination of the processes and adaptations provided so far in this discussion paper could go a long way in improving our business performance as a whole. Thereby, granting us an opportunity to attain a position of improved customer satisfaction, increased available investable funds, increased revenue, greater employee commitment and possible increased market share.
Fig. 10: Source: adapted from 06v2 on metrics (Fredricks, 2009) Business model.
Going by Fig. 10, if areas within this paper is followed we should be able to create an organisation with employees thinking strategically and are more efficient and happy at the same time.
Conclusion
The increase in demands for lucrative locations for investments and the thirst for cutting edge projects provides us with ample room for growth and organisational improvement. While our organisation is performing above average, a reformation and reorientation of our mindsets could take us to higher heights.
The market is rapidly changing and by the earth's revolution brings the worlds evolution,
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