OPERATIONAL STRATEGY: DEFINITION OF THE TERM AND ITS PLACE IN THE PYRAMID OF ENTERPRISE STRATEGIES

Abstract

The article presents the main results of the conducted scientific research in the field of operational management. It was established that in order to solve the urgent tasks of achieving strategic development by enterprises and farms in difficult conditions (quite a high level of competition; functioning in conditions of uncertainty; the need for immediate response to global and local changes, which lead to the need for rapid adaptation to new realities; the need to ensure modernization, digitalization, innovative development, quality improvement, rationalization of both production and management of enterprises in general, etc.) it is absolutely necessary to form and implement an effective set of strategies, one component of which is an operational strategy. The task of clarifying its essence, types, constituent elements, approaches to formation, sequence of development and implementation are really appropriate and require detailing. First of all, the term "operational strategy" needs to be specified. A thorough review of modern developments and achievements of scientists and practitioners dedicated to the definition of operational strategy was carried out. Despite significant scientific work, it is concluded that the considered definitions are abstract; some of them either do not give a clear understanding of its subordination, or do not outline its place in the general system of strategic management of the enterprise. Thus, the main purpose of the article is to formulate a definition of the term "operational strategy" based on the emphasis of its essential features and specifying its place in the general pyramid of strategies. As a result of the research, based on identifying a set of essential features by using the supporting techniques of logic, as well as taking into account the content of the supporting (basic) terms (strategy and operational management), the definition of the term "operating strategy of the enterprise" was formulated and specified. The main essential features of this term have been established, such as: decisions on issues of general policy and plans for the use of resources; support/ensure long-term competitive strategy; achievement of strategic competitive advantage; a plan for using the firm's resources. The place of the operational strategy in the general pyramid of strategies is specified: it is developed at the third level of management in accordance with the competitive strategy and is equal to other functional strategies of the enterprise.