Business Analysis Topic — Applications of Critical Thinking to Strategy Change”.

Applications of Critical Thinking to Strategy Change
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Table of Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u 1.0Introduction PAGEREF _Toc467578992 h 32.0Critical Thinking in the Context of Strategy Change PAGEREF _Toc467578993 h 32.1Techniques of Critical Thinking & their Implementation on Strategy Change PAGEREF _Toc467578994 h 32.2Detrimental Effects of Critical Thinking on Strategy Change PAGEREF _Toc467578995 h 82.3How Critical Thinking Techniques may be Applied Inadequately PAGEREF _Toc467578996 h 93.0Case Study of Nintendo PAGEREF _Toc467578997 h 103.11985 Strategy to Enter US market PAGEREF _Toc467578998 h 103.2Release of Pokémon Go PAGEREF _Toc467578999 h 124.0Discussion and Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc467579000 h 145.0References PAGEREF _Toc467579001 h 166.0Appendix PAGEREF _Toc467579002 h 186.1Appendix 1 PAGEREF _Toc467579003 h 186.2Appendix 2 PAGEREF _Toc467579004 h 196.3Appendix 3 PAGEREF _Toc467579005 h 20

IntroductionCritical thinking has the potential of ensuring that the change in strategy within a given organization is implemented effective. There are different techniques of critical thinking that can be employed with strategy change in mind. One such strategy is thinking through issues. Other critical thinking strategies that are employed ensuring that information used isn’t taken at face value. Other critical thinking techniques as observed in this paper provide a picture as to how to effectively implement strategy change. However, the implementation of strategy change has its issues.

This paper delves into the actual application of critical thinking to strategy change. The ways in which strategy change provides for the needed solutions is that it provides the individuals implementing the change with an effective map that will help in strategy change. The introduction of different strategies by Nintendo depicts the application of critical thinking with regards to strategy change. This paper serves to identify the different ways in which companies can employ critical thinking in an effective manner and thus ensure that the solutions that are identified result in the general realization of results that catapult the company in question onto a better standing.
Critical Thinking in the Context of Strategy ChangeTechniques of Critical Thinking & their Implementation on Strategy ChangeThe first critical thinking technique that is applicable to a change strategy is thinking through the issues faced by the organization in question. This strategy provides the company with an opportunity to collect data that is revenant to the issue in question and then make a comparison to the solution being suggested (Paul & Elder, 2013). However, it is important to note that this technique is only applicable if the risks involved are to be considered first (Paul & Elder, 2013). The decisions being made in this case are therefore informed and will allow for the selection of the most appropriate action (Underwood, 2015). In the case of strategy change, the appropriate action will involve a change that provides improvements rather than risks.
It is important to ensure that the information being used in the making a strategic change within an organization or by an organization is valuable (Underwood, 2015). This means that the individuals who are tasked with making the crucial decisions should never take any information at face value. Therefore, the strategy team has to ensure that the information, with which they are basing the change, does make sense (Underwood, 2015). This involves ensuring that they do not supersede their intuition or common sense. Certain instances only require that an individual determines that their experience and education tell them that the information being depended on is bogus. It could be a red flag if the information does not satisfy one’s intuition.
Another critical thinking technique that would provide for an effective element in the process of strategy change is the implementation of the seven steps of decision making. His can be considered to be a thinking-on-paper technique as it allows for a step by step strategy in the collection of the facts needed then following a predetermined strategy in the selection of the solutions needed to address the change needed (Nosich, 2012). The steps include a collection of facts, the making of assumptions, an identification of options, and the use of logic and common sense. The last steps involve incorporating one’s feelings, making the final decisions, and eventually modifying the changes in question depending on the reality on the ground.
The scientific method is a critical thinking strategy that allows the individual implementing the system to determine how a given situation or problem works. The scientific method involves the selection of a hypothesis, making prediction based on that hypothesis, having a controlled experiment based on that hypothesis, taking the observations into consideration, and finally developing possible solutions (Halpern, 2014). This strategy is especially effective whenever the solutions being suggested can be implemented in a small scale and thus provide a possibility for experimentation. The solutions also allows for the discovery of possible issues with a given solution, thus making it more effective in failure prevention.
Critical thinking is applied because it provides one with the capacity to see a given situation from different angles. Therefore, a strategy that allows for the identification of different viewpoints should help in identifying different issues that might crop up. One of the questions that one needs to ask themselves is the different perspectives that the challenge in question can be viewed from (Groarke & Tindale, 2012). Identifying the different viewpoints first should provide the individuals making the decisions for strategic change with definitive options for different solutions that can be implemented in the realization of an eventual solution. This strategy also involves the identification of the cause and effect of the solutions in question.
It has been found that implementing critical thinking techniques in conjunction with problem solving techniques will ensure that solutions are attained more effectively in comparison to just implementing critical thinking techniques (Groarke & Tindale, 2012). As it has been mentioned earlier, critical thinking is more effective when one thinks on paper. One of the ways in which one can think on paper is by applying the problem solving steps. The first step is to define the main objective, then structure the steps to be followed in solving the problem in question (Groarke & Tindale, 2012). One can use previous acquired knowledge while visualizing he results they require and expect. The process would require one to frame the desired objective, meaning that one needs to decide properly defining the objectives. The next step would be to collect facts, determine options, pick a solution, and finally modify final solution based on the lessons learnt.
A critical thinking technique that is essential in the development of change strategy comes in the form of implementing the Pareto principle. According to this principle, eighty percent of output is obtained from twenty percent of certain input (Nosich, 2012). Therefore, any change strategy that is to be implemented should be focused on the specified parameters. For instance, the twenty percent input should be refined to ensure that that the services that are offered provide the required results. It would also be prudent to ensure that the energies of the organization, and thus the desired change, are implemented in an area of business that generates more income in comparison to other areas. This strategy also ensures that the change strategy isn’t focused on areas of the organization that do not deliver the results expected of the organization. The solution that is eventually identified provides optimum results and thus growth to the organization implementing it.
A technique that will provide the desired result with regards to the change strategies that are required of a given organization include the implementation of both divergent thinking and converge thinking. Divergent thinking relies on thought experiments that would provide solutions to a specified thought process (Halpern & Riggio, 2013). On the other hand, convergent thought process focuses on a thought process that combines specified ideas and facts in order to come up with a definite solution. The two thinking strategies should help in the determination of unconventional solutions. The solutions that are realized and thus the change strategy that an organization would implement based on the two ideas lies in the realization that new solutions provide an organization to conquer new frontiers.
Another critical thinking technique that has often been observed with the realization of solutions to problems that one may have not realized includes thinking out loud. This involves a personal talk on the issues that one may be facing with regards to the strategies in question. The implementation of this strategy involves the identification of a location of solitude and privacy. This should allow one to have constructive realization of a solution that emanates from the process of identifying the different issues that one identifies. This strategy ensures that the solutions that one identifies are based on the issues that one finds rather than interjections from other people (Neck, Houghton, & Murray, 2016). This strategy is also effective because it allows for the realization of previously hidden problems that one may have overlooked in the determination of a change strategy.
Active listening is a profound element in the critical thinking process. This technique should provide those in leadership positions with the methods to determine how best to identify the solutions based on the different parameters that one may have identified in the process of communicating with shareholders. Active listening is a crucial element of critical thinking because it provides one with the ability to identify the different ways of solving the problem as well as allows for the input of those who are more experienced in different areas that are associated with the change in question (Parker & Moore, 2014). It has also been determined that active listening provides the participants with reason to provide better input that would be crucial in developing effective change strategies.
Conflict resolution, implemented in a cooperative fashion, is considered to be an effective critical thinking technique that allows for the implementation of a change strategy that benefits all those who are associated with the change process. One of the solutions that are associated with this strategy involved the inclusion of the different parties with the sole purpose of identifying common ground (Salmon, 2012). Change strategies have often been found to create divisions between those who may have thought that their solution is better than those of other involved parties. However, the decision to identify the areas of commonality rather than the differences has always ensured advancement of all those involved rather than the obliteration of one party. This is a critical thinking strategy that benefits change processes that may encounter difficulties.
Detrimental Effects of Critical Thinking on Strategy ChangeOne of the detrimental effects of critical thinking on strategy change is that it may entirely focus on one area of change while the change in question is dependent on many other areas that may remain unforeseen to the implementation team until actual implementation commences. This will result in wastage of both resources and time. This detrimental effect is entirely based on the assumption that the critical thinking strategy employed is either myopic or did not factor in any other contributing elements to the issues in question (Groarke & Tindale, 2012). Therefore, the change strategy implemented would be biased as opposed to being all round.
It has also been found that critical thinking may result in the wastage of both time and energy in the realization of solutions. This is because it provides one with the excuse to continue over thinking about issues that may or may not be present in the implementation of strategy change. This has been found to be especially the case an urgent need for the introduction of new strategies is needed. The introduction of new strategies that is dependent on critical thinking has been found to need continued deliberation and thus ensuring more time is spent in the identification the said solutions (Nosich, 2012). This means that an opportunity to implement the strategy and thus the realization of the benefits of these changes may be lost. Critical thinking may be detrimental in that it may result in the realization of some negative effects of a new strategy and thus deter any implementation of new strategies. This means that critical thinking can instead of moving the organization in question forward, instead push the organization to remain in a position that initiated the need for the strategy change in the first place (Salmon, 2012).
How Critical Thinking Techniques may be Applied InadequatelyCritical thinking can be implemented inadequately if the different steps that are associated with critical thinking are not followed to the letter. For instance, if the process of collecting facts is not collected completely, there has been found that there could be an instance where the information that is presented to those who are expected to provide the solutions needed may result in the development of a strategy that is flawed (Parker & Moore, 2014). The lack of observing the different facts that are required to identify the different solutions that are essential in developing a feasible strategy is a way in which critical thinking can falter in the development of strategy changes.
It has also been found that a lack of involving the right individuals and shareholders in the process of critical thinking can result in the development of solutions that are exclusive rather than inclusive. The reasoning behind this type of critical thinking implementation has been found to be the myopic view of some individuals in management who may be found to not see the need of incorporation (Bowell & Kemp, 2014). It has also been found that there are instances where there is little or no involvement of other participants from the market who could help shape strategy.
Wrongful implementation of divergent and convergent thinking has also been found to provide strategy change solutions that are not applicable in the real word. This is especially the case where divergent thinking has been employed. This type of thinking almost always depends on the implementation of solutions that are considered radical. This comes about from the development of solutions that fit one’s thought process but have not been tested against the realities of life (Neck, Houghton, & Murray, 2016).
Case Study of Nintendo1985 Strategy to Enter US marketThe 1985 strategy by Nintendo to penetrate the US gaming market was preceded by the application of critical thinking techniques as well as the application of experience in the industry (Altice, 2015). Their individual lack of experience in the US market caused the company to require an acquisition of a company that is located in the US; this was Atari (Altice, 2015). However, there were clashes between the two companies regarding issues such as Coleco. The two companies also tussled over Donkey Kong. The critical thinking that was applied in the strategy being employed was to incorporate a better experienced partner in the process with the aim of achieving better results upon penetrating the US market.
The process of learning from experience has been found to be one of the reasons as to why Nintendo developed a strategy that would avoid the mistakes made by Atari. The mistake that Atari and other gaming companies had created during this period was the introduction of games into the market that did not provide the gamers with the quality that they expected. As a result of this trend, the gaming market in the US almost collapsed (Malik, 2014). The way the company ensured that the approach into the US market would involve the inclusion of those games that were only seen as being effective and thus provide the required standard that was expected of the students in question.
Nintendo’s entry into the US market was characterized by the renaming of the company that would distribute the gaming console Famicon from Nintendo to Nintendo Entertainment System. The implementation of critical thinking skills here is evident from the fact that the company was trying to avoid the issues that are associated with the gaming industry. Companies such as Atari are seen to have destroyed the gaming industry and thus provided a bad name other companies in the gaming industry (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The renaming of the company was a clever tactic to avoid the negative publicity associated with gaming companies. The eventual solution was to identify the eventual solution that would ensure that game Famicon penetrated the US market.
Another strategy the company employed that incorporated in their entry into the US market was the introduction of a policy that third party companies could only introduce five games in a year. The reduction was necessitated to ensure that all the companies that delivered games in the US under the name Nintendo Entertainment System delivered the highest quality of gaming products are delivered to the market (Altice, 2015). The critical thinking techniques that were employed into this strategy ensure that there is continued effective implementation of strategies that ensured the growth of NES in the US market. The solution suggested here ensures that the different gaming consoles and the games introduced in the organization provide the best quality.
Another strategy employed by Nintendo was the testing of their products in New York before spreading these products to the rest of the country. This is essential in strategy change as it ensures the testing on new strategy before it is implemented in other areas of the country. It also allows for the company to learn from any mistakes they may make in the process of implementing the change in question.
Release of Pokémon GoThe introduction of Pokémon Go was the true implementation of strategy change by Nintendo. The strategies that were introduced into the gaming industry as a new concept included he reliance on mobile devices as opposed to reliance on individual consoles as was the case with other gaming products. The strategy of providing the product based on community access was also a crucial change in strategy that provided Nintendo with an edge in the development of the game (Dorward, Mittermeier, Sandbrook, & Spooner, 2016). It has also been found that the company availed the game for download over the internet as opposed to purchasing the DVD version of the game playable on consoles. The game was also developed such that it required the physical movement of individual players, which was also a radical change in strategy.
The first strategy, the introduction of a game playable on mobile devices was a brazen change in strategy that ensured that the company could tap into a wider market as in comparison to its competitors. The company also ensured that the strategy to test out the game among specified communities before releasing the game to the rest of the society was implemented. This strategy determined the feasibility of the new strategy that the company had chosen to employ before releasing the product to other users (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The company also implanted critical thinking techniques in the development of the strategy to allow for the downloading of the game over the internet. As a result of the new strategies, market penetration increased for the company.

Discussion and ConclusionImplementing critical thinking would require effective application of the different critical thinking techniques that have been identified in this paper. One of the techniques that have been identified is that the individuals implementing critical thinking should not take anything at face value. This has been found to work with identifying the different steps of decision making and later implementing levels of critical thinking with this in mind. The scientific method has also been found to determine some of the steps that could be taken in resolving strategy change issues that are associated with organizations introducing change.
The paper has also determined that the appreciation of different viewpoints should allow for the growth of the organization after implementing critical thinking that is appreciative of the different viewpoints. It has also been pointed out that problem solving coupled with the realization of the different viewpoints will help in resolving the different issues that one may associate with the failure of strategy change. As a result of this ideology, it became obvious that the Pareto principle should play a vital role in the introduction of new strategies to the organization in question.
The use of divergent and convergent thinking has also been found to factor in the quality of resolutions that are identified by those who choose to implement the said techniques in the realization of the effective strategies. This, however, can only work when the strategies being implemented are applied after implementing active listening by those implementing the change in question. Other than active listening, it has been found that implementing cooperative conflict resolution should ensure that the solutions that are identified are effective for those who choose to follow this route in developing the new strategies.
Effective implementation of critical thinking has been determined in the Nintendo case studies provided herein. The first case study, Nintendo’s entry into the US market, is characterized by the selection of strategies that are preceded by the implementation of critical thinking. The company leans on other companies’ experience before entering the US market. Nintendo also strives to reduce the production capacity of 3rd party companies with the aim of increasing productivity. The company also enters the market after renaming themselves in the premises of America in order to avoid negative publicity associated with gaming companies. The implementation of critical thinking is also visible in the testing of the product in New York before selling the product in the rest of America.
The implementation of critical thinking is also profound in the release of Pokémon. Nintendo introduces the game to mobile devices as well as allows players to download the game online from acknowledged stores. The implementation of this strategy is preceded by testing the product among specified members of the gaming community. It is clear to see that the case studies depict an effective implementation of the different critical thinking techniques. It is through these techniques that one is able to resolve some of the issues faced by Nintendo in the two scenarios that are presented herein. The common ground realized in this paper is that critical thinking is highly beneficial to strategy change. However, it has also been determined that critical thinking techniques, when wrongly implemented, can cause destabilization of strategies that have been employed in the development of solutions meant to improve the functionality of a given organization.

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AppendixAppendix 1
The above image depicts how strategic change can be implemented with the aim of introducing change in an organization.
Appendix 2
This diagram depicts the different techniques of critical thinking that can be implemented with an aim of effecting strategy change.
Appendix 3
The above diagram shows the different factors to consider while implementing critical thinking with the aim of implementing strategy change.