1st Edition

Developing a Successful Subsidiary Strategy A Step-by-Step Toolkit for Managers

By Paul Lyons Copyright 2024
240 Pages 27 B/W Illustrations
by Productivity Press

240 Pages 27 B/W Illustrations
by Productivity Press

240 Pages 27 B/W Illustrations
by Productivity Press

Most books on business strategy approach the subject from a corporate perspective, covering topics such as the vision for the business, the marketplace, competition and differentiation. However, the reality is that most managers work in sub-units or subsidiaries of the business and they are not involved in corporate strategy formulation. Their strategic concerns are with the positioning and... Read more

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION

The right time for strategy

Objectives and origins

Contents and structure

PART I: CORPORATIONS AND THEIR SUBSIDIARIES

Chapter 2. THE VIEW FROM THE TOP

Subsidiaries within global supply chains

Subsidiary management dilemmas for HQ

Summary

Chapter 3. SUBSIDIARY EVOLUTION

Why bother?

Evolution phases

Evolve what?

How to evolve

Summary

PART II: INTROSPECTION AND ANALYSIS

Chapter 4. WHAT WE DO: ANALYSING OUR CHARTERS

Charter identification

Analysis of charter evolution

Analysis of charter strategic positioning

Charter innovation

Summary

Chapter 5. HOW WE DO IT: ANALYSING OUR CAPABILITIES

Sustained Competitive Advantage

Identifying capabilities

Analysing capabilities

Summary

Chapter 6. WHERE WE DO IT: ANALYSING OUR ENVIRONMENT

Framing the macro environment

Environmental change

The Global environment

The Marketplace

The Local environment

The Corporate environment

Anticipating inflection points

Summary

PART III: CHOICES AND ENABLERS

Chapter 7. MAKING STRATEGIC CHOICES

Why are we doing this?

What do we want to be famous for?

How should we position our strategy?

What will success look like?

How can we get there?

What support are we looking for, and when?

Summary

Chapter 8. EXERTING INFLUENCE

Politics

Power

Trust

Decision-Making

Behaviours

Stakeholder management

Summary

Chapter 9. MANAGING THE CHANGE WITHIN

Change what?

The change process

Governance

Summary

Chapter 10. PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Define boundaries

Delegation, not abdication

Develop clear sourcing strategies

Velvet glove and iron fist

Governance

What might the future hold?

Summary

Chapter 11. CONCLUSION

INDEX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Appendix A: TOOLKIT

Charter evolution analysis (adapted from Delany)

Charter portfolio analysis (influenced by the BCG Growth Matrix)

Capability identification and assessment of sustained competitive advantage

Analysing capabilities using the SWOT framework

Assessment template for environmental changes

Macro environmental impact analysis

Bringing it all together – Charters, Capabilities, and Macro environmental influences

Mapping the political terrain

Mapping power-dependence relationships

Stakeholder management planning

 

Biography

Paul Lyons has practical experience in business unit and subsidiary management from his 30 years with IBM. During this time he managed large international shared services centers and was consistently successful in growing these by adding more value to the corporation. He also worked at a headquarters level and oversaw international business units operating from Bulgaria, India, Ireland, The Philippines, Poland and the United Kingdom. He supported clients at a CxO level in planning and executing their organizational strategies. Throughout this time Paul maintained a deep interest in strategy formation at a business unit level - with an emphasis on how units can optimize their contributions and positioning within the internal networks of their parent organizations. He studied this topic at Masters and PhD level in Trinity Business School, Dublin. In recent years he has supported a large number of multinational subsidiaries in the formation of their strategies and developed a range of tools that have proved highly effective for these management teams.