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CHAPTER 6 • STRATEGY ANALYSIS AND CHOICE 177

FIGURE 6-2
The Strategy-Formulation Analytical Framework

STAGE 1: THE INPUT STAGE

External Factor Competitive Internal Factor
Evaluation (EFE) Profile Evaluation (IFE)
Matrix Matrix (CPM) Matrix

STAGE 2: THE MATCHING STAGE
Strengths-Weaknesses- Strategic Position and Boston Consulting Internal-External Grand Strategy
Opportunities-Threats Action Evaluation Group (BCG) (IE) Matrix Matrix
(SWOT) Matrix (SPACE) Matrix Matrix

STAGE 3: THE DECISION STAGE
Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)

All nine techniques included in the strategy-formulation framework require the inte-
gration of intuition and analysis. Autonomous divisions in an organization commonly use
strategy-formulation techniques to develop strategies and objectives. Divisional analyses
provide a basis for identifying, evaluating, and selecting among alternative corporate-level
strategies.
Strategists themselves, not analytic tools, are always responsible and accountable for
strategic decisions. Lenz emphasized that the shift from a words-oriented to a numbers-
oriented planning process can give rise to a false sense of certainty; it can reduce dialogue,
discussion, and argument as a means for exploring understandings, testing assumptions,
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and fostering organizational learning. Strategists, therefore, must be wary of this possibil-
ity and use analytical tools to facilitate, rather than to diminish, communication. Without
objective information and analysis, personal biases, politics, emotions, personalities, and
halo error (the tendency to put too much weight on a single factor) unfortunately may play
a dominant role in the strategy-formulation process.

The Input Stage

Procedures for developing an EFE Matrix, an IFE Matrix, and a CPM were presented in
Chapters 3 and 4. The information derived from these three matrices provides basic input
information for the matching and decision stage matrices described later in this chapter.
The input tools require strategists to quantify subjectivity during early stages of the
strategy-formulation process. Making small decisions in the input matrices regarding the
relative importance of external and internal factors allows strategists to more effectively
generate and evaluate alternative strategies. Good intuitive judgment is always needed in
determining appropriate weights and ratings.

The Matching Stage

Strategy is sometimes defined as the match an organization makes between its internal
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resources and skills and the opportunities and risks created by its external factors. The
matching stage of the strategy-formulation framework consists of five techniques that
can be used in any sequence: the SWOT Matrix, the SPACE Matrix, the BCG Matrix, the
IE Matrix, and the Grand Strategy Matrix. These tools rely upon information derived
from the input stage to match external opportunities and threats with internal strengths
and weaknesses. Matching external and internal critical success factors is the key to
effectively generating feasible alternative strategies. For example, a firm with excess
working capital (an internal strength) could take advantage of the cell phone industry’s