S/B/120. Dissertation. Effective strategic management: A case study of Marks and Spencer

At the time of writing, despite a 4.9% fall in underlying sales on a comparable trading basis (Financial Times, 2005), Marks and Spencer remain adamant their recovery is still on track. This exploratory case study of the prolific organisation explores the relationship between effective strategic management and perceived increased organisational performance. An array of research methods, including focus groups with stakeholder participants were used to gain an up to date perspective on the organisation’s performance. The type of market the organisation operates in demands an emergent strategy to deal with the changing aspirations of stakeholders, which is at odds with its current planning procedures and cost cutting maximization. This study concludes that if Marks and Spencer is to achieve its statements of intention and its desired performance level it will have to start listening to its stakeholders. Indeed the organisation must stop trying to be everything to everyone and truly go back to concentrating on its core competencies. Ideally this will go hand in hand with exploiting the potential reservoir of goodwill at its disposal from stakeholders alike. Fundamentally, Marks and Spencer must concentrate its efforts further in displaying effective strategic management.