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CHAPTER 7 • IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES: MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS ISSUES 239

It is surprising that so often during strategy formulation, individual values, skills, and
abilities needed for successful strategy implementation are not considered. It is rare that a
firm selecting new strategies or significantly altering existing strategies possesses the right
line and staff personnel in the right positions for successful strategy implementation. The
need to match individual aptitudes with strategy-implementation tasks should be consid-
ered in strategy choice.
Inadequate support from strategists for implementation activities often undermines
organizational success. Chief executive officers, small business owners, and government
agency heads must be personally committed to strategy implementation and express this
commitment in highly visible ways. Strategists’ formal statements about the importance of
strategic management must be consistent with actual support and rewards given for activi-
ties completed and objectives reached. Otherwise, stress created by inconsistency can
cause uncertainty among managers and employees at all levels.
Perhaps the best method for preventing and overcoming human resource problems in
strategic management is to actively involve as many managers and employees as possible
in the process. Although time consuming, this approach builds understanding, trust,
commitment, and ownership and reduces resentment and hostility. The true potential of
strategy formulation and implementation resides in people.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
An ESOP is a tax-qualified, defined-contribution, employee-benefit plan whereby employ-
ees purchase stock of the company through borrowed money or cash contributions. ESOPs
empower employees to work as owners; this is a primary reason why the number of ESOPs
have grown dramatically to more than 10,000 firms covering more than 10 million employ-
ees. ESOPs now control more than $600 billion in corporate stock in the United States.
Besides reducing worker alienation and stimulating productivity, ESOPs allow firms
other benefits, such as substantial tax savings. Principal, interest, and dividend payments
on ESOP-funded debt are tax deductible. Banks lend money to ESOPs at interest rates
below prime. This money can be repaid in pretax dollars, lowering the debt service as
much as 30 percent in some cases. “The ownership culture really makes a difference, when
management is a facilitator, not a dictator,” says Corey Rosen, executive director of the
National Center for Employee Ownership. Fifteen employee-owned companies are listed
in Table 7-13.

TABLE 7-13 Fifteen Example ESOP Firms
Firm Headquarters Location
Publix Supermarkets Florida
Science Applications California
Lifetouch Minnesota
John Lewis Partnership United Kingdom
Mondragon Cooperative Spain
Houchens Industries Kentucky
Amsted Industries Illinois
Mast General Store North Carolina
HDR, Inc. Nebraska
Yoke’s Fresh Market Washington
SPARTA, Inc. California
Hy-Vee Iowa
Bi-Mart Washington
Ferrellgas Partners Kansas

Source: Based on Edward Iwata, “ESOPs Can Offer Both Upsides,
Drawbacks,” USA Today (April 3, 2007): 2B.