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The research question is “How can firms approach synchronization in strategic planning?”, aiming to investigate opportunities for improved synchronization within strategic planning. The focus is on roadmapping, as a relatively simple, flexible and widely used method that includes time as an explicit dimension. The adopted methodology is a process approach, consisting of literature review, exploratory interviews, practitioner interviews, and case studies with large multinational firms based in the UK that are familiar with roadmapping. As a result, four types of synchronization have been identified and discussed, including generic forms of each type, illustrated with industrial examples from the case studies.

Synchronization plays an important role in strategic planning, especially for large multi-business firms, in avoiding parallel duplicate efforts and improving synergies. The focus is on (technology) roadmapping as it is a simple, flexible, and popular method that covers three core dimensions relating to synchronization in strategic planning: function (horizontal), system hierarchy (vertical), and time. This research aims to identify the enablers of the synchronization process, and to develop, test and refine a Synchronization Assessment Framework (SAF). The adopted methodology is a process approach, consisting of three phases: development (literature review), improvement (in-dept case study), and validation (case studies). As a result, five groups and 13 enablers or critical factors of synchronization processes were identified, and a SAF was developed, leveraging the identified enablers and the roadmapping structure (know-why, know-what and know-know), leading to practical guidelines for a company.

Roadmapping is an established visual mapping method used widely in a variety of organizations. It navigates technology and strategic planning in a structured manner for improved strategy development and decision-making. However, roadmapping implementation can be challenging particularly when initiating in corporate organizations due to the broad range of stakeholder involvement. This paper examines the background history and lessons learned from IHI Corporation, a leading Japanese heavy industry manufacturer, to provide insights regarding how roadmapping implementation can be initiated effectively in corporate settings. Using the roadmapping maturity model for analysis and discussion, this paper contributes to both industrial practice and academic understanding of roadmapping implementation maturity.

Applying social network theory to family business, founder centrality has been generally shown to positively affect top-management-team congruence and, as a consequence, firm performance. This study applies social network and strategic leadership theory to an examination of founder centrality in family businesses. It focuses on family businesses in Kenya, and examines the impact of the founder's influence on management team congruence in the three strategic areas of culture, vision, and goals. The discussion considers the research findings in Kenya of a negative influence of founder centrality on management team congruence and firm performance. The study concludes with a presentation of some possible reasons for this dynamic in developing countries like Kenya, where family business is prevalent, and in which the founder plays a central role.

This article explores the Singapore approach to the strategic development of innovation manpower for the achievement of a knowledge-based economy. The country has placed a great emphasis on the development of science and technology in selected areas since the late 1980s. Substantial resources have been allocated to the promotion of innovation activities and the development of research scientists and engineers. However, the shortage of R&D manpower remains an emerging issue. In addition to encouraging local science and engineering graduates to pursue R&D as their life-long career, both public research institutions and private industry have been recruiting international talents. Furthermore, a number of strategic measures such as R&D assistance schemes, the reform of traditional education systems, cross-sector collaborations and the development of international R&D networks have been implemented in order to strengthen the technological core competence of the country.

This paper deals with the practice and requirements of strategic foresight in biotechnology firms. Processes and the degree of method application of strategic foresight are less investigated in small- and medium-sized enterprises. Based on case study research of 30 biotechnology companies in Germany, six different approaches of strategic foresight are identified. The study shows how strategic foresight is organised, which methods for strategic foresight are implemented, who is responsible for strategic foresight, what the main characteristics of the different approaches are, and how the strengths and weaknesses of strategic foresight practice in biotechnology firms can be characterized. Furthermore, firms' requirements for suitable foresight processes and methods are identified within the scope of case study research.

Drawing upon the resource-based view and agency theories of family businesses, this study examines the role of strategic planning in developing non-family members’ innovative capabilities and the effect of strategic planning on family businesses’ performance mediated by those capabilities. It was found that strategic planning positively affects the business’ performance, it helps non-family members develop their innovative capabilities which have a positive effect on the performance of the business mediating the relationship between strategic planning and performance.

A survey was distributed to Lebanese family businesses for data collection. This study contributes to theory and practice; it suggests more fields of studies and helps family firms’ owners in improving the business’ performance.

Government agencies, like individuals, can "lose sight" of the impacts of their policies on natural and social systems. Environmental impact analysis (EIA), strategic environmental analysis (SEA), and strategic planning are all aspects of analyzing and projecting the impacts of various management decisions on the public and on natural systems. Integrated river-basin management is another aspect of this type of planning. Integrated management requires several basic conditions. Among these are clear communications among all the actors involved in managing the basin's water resources, one or more sets of data which are shared by all decision-makers, and tools by which the decision-makers can evaluate policies (impact assessment).

In the Souss Massa River Basin in Morocco, the result of un-coordinated policies for economic development has led to declining water tables as well as potentially damaging surface and groundwater pollution. The Government of Morocco (GOM), recognizing the need for coordinated and integrated water management, passed a law creating new River Basin Agencies. Aiding those agencies and their partners in developing integrated management is the objective of the USAID-sponsored Souss-Massa Integrated Water Management (SIWM) project. The project activities have been designed to develop and support communications, data sharing and model building within the institutions in the Souss-Massa Basin as a demonstration for all Moroccan river basins but space and time constraints require a more pointed discussion. The focus of this paper is on capacity building for strategic planning and integrated management being undertaken and, to the extent possible, some of the lessons learned.

As the underutilization of research reactors around the world persists as a primary topic of concern among facility owners and operators, the IAEA responded in 2013 with a broad range of activities to address the planning, execution and improvement of many experimental techniques. The revision of two critical documents for planning and diversifying a facility's portfolio of applications, TECDOC 1234 “The Applications of Research Reactors” and TECDOC 1212 “Strategic Planning for Research Reactors”, is in progress in order to keep this information relevant, corresponding to the dynamism of experimental techniques and research capabilities. Related to the latter TECDOC, the IAEA convened a meeting in 2013 for the expert review of a number of strategic plans submitted by research reactor operators in developing countries. A number of activities focusing on specific applications are either continuing or beginning as well. In neutron activation analysis, a joint round of inter-comparison proficiency testing sponsored by the IAEA Technical Cooperation Department will be completed, and facility progress in measurement accuracy is described. Also, a training workshop in neutron imaging and Coordinated Research Projects in reactor benchmarks, automation of neutron activation analysis and neutron beam techniques for material testing intend to advance these activities as more beneficial services to researchers and other users.

Shifting power balances on the Eurasian continent present both challenges and opportunities for further trilateral cooperation among Russia, India, and China (RIC). The call for a new Asia-Pacific security architecture underscores the strategic importance of a closer trilateral relationship. From a macro perspective, the current international system and regional structure offer favorable conditions for building a strategic RIC trio, yet at the micro level, major barriers will largely remain with regard to the domestic politics, public perceptions and policy implementation of the three countries. Only by strengthening strategic planning and operational cooperation while drawing lessons from the development of other multilateral cooperation mechanisms, can the three countries advance their strategic ties to a new level.

The chapter uses a trifocal analytical model to appraise the direction of Bangladesh’s war of independence. The provisional government, in Mujib’s absence, projected its legitimacy on the basis of 1970 elections, as Mujib was the mandated leader. It was set up, accordingly, with his trusted lieutenants, who named him as President, so was the name of provisional capital, Mujibnagar. The liberation war was based on the ideals, strategic blueprint and the ground rules, as per Mujib’s wishes. The entire milieu of leadership was set as he would have approved. The approaches of diplomacy adopted were inclusive of soft power ideals, defection of diplomats, both for publicity and public opinion mobilization nationally and internationally. As the occupation forces faced crushing defeat, Pakistan did play end-games yet found no option but to surrender, as of December 16, 1971, and released Bangladesh’s founder, incarcerated in Pakistan during the war period.

The purpose of this chapter is to position SEAM as a strategic planning approach with tools to implement the strategy using narratives in the firms. Using three case studies, we show how the strategy is fed from multiple sources and multiple voices and how the imaginary is transformed into concrete actions that are implemented and evaluated. Then, we define the main characteristics of the SEAM strategic planning storytelling process.

Last years the amount of information about data of Libraries' management is increasing rapidly. This fact is making very difficult the analysis that is concerning decision making about improvement of services.

A new methodology for the quality analysis of Greek libraries is described in this paper. The goal is the recognition current state of resources management and the achievement of an effective and efficient decision-making and strategic planning.

The study examines the library operation, its services to users, management of the library's internal procedures, human resources and the cost effective manner to allocate the budget.

Usage and analysis by an efficient way of all types of data that are involved in Library's operation, usage of evaluation indexes about quality of services in Libraries and the combination of their results gives very important conclusions for their structure. This fact leads to establish an efficient strategic planning in any occasion.

The term "structure" of a Library includes not only the internal organization of offered services to users, but also the organization of all the procedures in the Library. Also, includes efficient management of human resources and efficient planning and management of budget allocation.

This paper describes ways of data and knowledge mining from a large amount of operational data that are used in services and organization of modern Libraries. The purpose is the extraction of useful conclusions from data mining's procedure that will cause improvement of all offered services and the efficient organization and operation of modern Libraries (e.g. improvement of collection's material, improvement of services in specific types of users, strategic planning of efficient budget allocation for material's acquisition).

Implementations of this methodology refers to evaluation of Library's collection in connection to material's subject categories, departments that are served, type of resources, type of users and studying interests of them.

Another implementation of this method refers to the effects that can be appeared in case of disproportionate fluctuation of one part of Library's collection (e.g. growth of electronic resources in relation with printed resources, or growth of one subject category in comparison with others), These effects are influencing sometimes not only Library's internal organization but also offered services to users and staffs practice and knowledge in new activities.

In this chapter, basic life-intelligence, and the evolution and co-evolution dynamics of eco-systems are further examined and compared to certain processes in human organizations. A special reference on human thinking systems as intelligence/consciousness sources, information decoders, information processors and complex adaptive systems (CAS) is re-emphasized. In addition, the significance of connectivity, communications, engagement, and orgmindfulness is analyzed with respect to the Abilene paradox, defensive routines and dialogue, as well as the human agent-agent/system micro-structure and micro-dynamic. The individual local self-centric (local self-enrichment processes) and the global orgcentric (global forces) evolutionary dynamics of intelligent human organizations (no global optimality) and their interacting agents (no optimal rationality) are investigated more explicitly with the exploitation of the certain complexity properties. It is observed that local order (stability of agents and networks/subsystem) is highly critical in human dynamic. It is beneficial to recognize that the intelligent complex adaptive dynamic (iCAD) driving an intelligent human organization (iCAS) is not similar to complex adaptive dynamic (CAD) in totality. This recognition provides a significant foundation and better understanding of the intelligent human organizational micro-structure and dynamic.

Essentially, there is a vital need for the transformed mindset, thinking, values, and expectations of human agents (leaders, actors, and non-actors) to be better synchronized. The intelligent person model (an ideal set of attributes) is introduced to substantiate the criticality of new vital characteristics of the human interacting agents in intelligent human organizations. Primarily, intelligent persons (a new category of agents, in particular, intelligence leaders and synergists) are concurrently intelligence/consciousness-centric, complexity-centric and network-centric. The new set of attributes includes high self-powered, intrinsic leadership, information decoding, smarter evolver, emergent strategist, and futurist capabilities. For instance, such a person is in a better position to function as a smarter evolver and emergent strategist that helps to bind a group (network, community, corporation, nation) of human thinking systems more optimally by elevating the quality of collective intelligence in the organization through better mindfulness, orgmindfulness, symbiosis, self-transcending constructions, co-evolution; deeper recognition of the characteristics of the rugged landscape and red queen race; innovative exploitation of relativistic complexity, and possessing futuristic thinking. Apparently, the presence of intelligent persons/agents will lead to a redefinition in leadership and governance strategy.

In this chapter, the intelligence-associated evolution and co-evolution dynamics of eco-systems are examined and compared to the processes of human organizations as stipulated in some existing organization theories. A special focus on businesses as complex adaptive systems is also included. The individual local self-centric and the global org-centric evolutionary dynamics of intelligent organizations and their interacting agents are more explicitly investigated. Subsequently, the intelligent person model is introduced to substantiate the needs to transform. How the intelligent person function as a smarter evolver helps to bind a group of human thinking systems and elevate the collective intelligence of the organization through mindfulness, orgmindfulness and co-evolution is also analyzed. (For better understanding, some concepts that are introduced earlier are further reinforced and better integrated in this chapter.)