Definition: The Combination Strategy means making the use of other grand strategies (stability, expansion or retrenchment) simultaneously. Simply, the combination of any grand strategy used by an organization in different businesses at the same time or in the same business at different times with an aim to improve its efficiency is called as a combination strategy.
Such strategy is followed when an organization is large and complex and consists of several businesses that lie in different industries, serving different purposes. Go through the following example to have a better understanding of the combination strategy:
* A baby diaper manufacturing company augments its offering of diapers for the babies to have a wide range of its products (Stability) and at the same time, it also manufactures the diapers for old age people, thereby covering the other market segment (Expansion). In order to focus more on the diapers division, the company plans to shut down its baby wipes division and allocate its resources to the most profitable division (Retrenchment).
In the above example, the company is following all the three grand strategies with the objective of improving its performance. The strategist has to be very careful while selecting the combination strategy because it includes the scrutiny of the environment and the challenges each business operation faces. The Combination strategy can be followed either simultaneously or in the sequence.
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