ABSTRACT
The third strategic focus, doing the corporate analysis, is the foundation for the focus on choice of alternatives, and it can be the foundation for the focus on framing the corporate picture. While the generation of alternatives or scenarios provides direction, it is not itself the choice. This is a critical stage in strategy formation and the method chosen to do the analysis determines the structure of the answers and affects the outcome. This is the essence of the content and process of engaging in the task of doing the corporate analysis. In relational terms across the four levels, the task of doing an analysis involves the complex involvement of senior management and organizational members in technical analytic activities that are also highly political. In this chapter we first describe the technicalities of doing analysis and then we explore the organizational processes by which the technical elements are done and the role they play in the change process.
