This paper provides a critical analysis of the article When Leaders Fail to Execute Strategy: Insights from Marketing Research by Bradley Winn published in the journal People + Strategy. The given article reviews the newest study in the field of strategy implementation. This study was published by Charles R. Greer, Robert F. Lush and Michael Hitt in the journal Academy of Management Perspectives. In their study, the researchers tried to use a marketing approach for HR to implement strategies.
In his article, Winn (2017) points out that the reviewed study is based on the service-dominant logic perspective which is a marketing approach. It is stated that top management uses human resources which should successfully complete the tasks to achieve the goals of implementation. According to the new study, service-dominant logic should be used to improve the chances of successful implementation of the strategy. The author of the article makes an overview of service perspective components which are the base of service-dominant logic.
It is mentioned that many marketing professionals are shifting from product-dominated logic to service-dominant logic. This logic is proved to be positively associated with customer’s expectations and increase strategy implementation. The author provides an overview of the key areas where service-dominant logic can be embedded. According to the authors of the new approach, service-dominant logic is oriented to examining the customer’s needs and building relationships rather than using commercials to sell products. The reviewed study points out that the same approach can be used in the management of human capital to improve strategy implementation.
The author of the article states that executives and leaders are very good at developing new strategies, but cannot implement any of them (Winn, 2017, p. 52). He points out that the reviewed research confirms difficulties in strategy implementation which is stated to be more challenging than a strategy design. The author is rather logical and mentions the statistics according to which over sixty percent of strategies could not be implemented successfully. Still, he fails to provide enough support to his statements. He does not use any other sources which can support his point of view. Winn references only the interview with one of the authors of the new study and the article about the mentioned research.
It appears that the authors of the reviewed study might be right about their suggestions as service-dominant logic is proved to be helpful in many areas. There are constant researches on the nature of service-dominant logic and its practical use. It is possible to say that the newest research by the authors of the reviewed article can provide fresh perspectives on service-dominant logic approach. Although it is impossible to say whether they will be successful enough, there is no reason to state that such kind of approach cannot be used by the executive managers of some companies.
The article written by Winn as an attempt to review a new study in the field of strategy implementation based on service-dominant logic approach seems to be informative and gives a general understanding of the new study. However, the author’s attempts to critique the study are not provided with the arguments that are strong enough to support his position. Still, the author made an informative review asking the right questions about the lessons that can be learned from marketing. It is possible to state that the author should be less emotional in his statements and provide some credible sources to support his point of view.
Reference
Winn, B. (2017). When leaders fail to execute strategy: Insights from marketing research. People + Strategy, 40(4), 52-54