Schools of thought

• The Design School


  Strategy formation as a process of conception, strategy as a unique plan, chief executive officer creates and leads the strategy formulation process, simple and informal, based on judgement and thinking
• The Planning School


  Strategy formation as a formal process, strategy divided into smaller sub-strategies and programs, lead role played by the planners, process of strategy formation is formal and deliberate
• The Positioning School


  Strategy as the organisation's planned generic positions chosen by analysing competition and industry, strategy formation done by the analysts, process of strategy formulation is analytical, systematic and deliberate
• The Entrepreneurial School


  Strategy formation as a visionary process, strategy as a result of personal and unique perspective often aimed at the creation of a niche, strategies formulated by the entrepreneur or leader, process of strategy formation is instinctive, far-sighted and largely deliberate
• The Cognitive School


  Strategy as an individual concept, a result the mental perspective, strategy formation done by the thinker-philosopher, strategy formation is mental and emergent process
• The Learning School


  Strategy formation as an emergent process, strategy seen as a unique pattern, process of strategy formation is new, informal and unorganized, strategy formation done by learner within the organisation
• The Power School


  Strategy formulation as a negotiation process, a political and cooperative process, strategy formation performed by anyone in power (micro level) and the whole organisation (macro level), process of strategy formation is chaotic, may lead to conflict, aggression and lack of cooperation
• The Cultural School


  Strategy formation as a collective process, strategy considered as a unique and collective perspective, strategy formulation done by collectivism displayed within the organisation, process of strategy formation is ideological, constrained, collective and deliberate
• The Environmental School


  Strategy formation as a reactive process, strategy as something generic, occupying specific positions or niche in relation to the environment, strategy formulation is passive, imposed and emergent, environment regarded as an entity and plays a major role in strategy formation
• The Configuration School


  Strategy as a transformation process, matches any process discussed under the nine schools of thought, process of strategy formation is integrative and sequential, could also incorporate other elements pointed out under the nine schools of thought
• Strategic management as a broader concept of management, considers all the managerial problems, issues, the processes of solving them and also many other variables that operate in a problem-solving environment