Actor-objective Analysis
Relevance:
Actor-objective analysis attempts to estimate relationships between actors and the convergence/divergence of their associated objectives and strategies in order to help a certain actor to set its own strategy of alliances and conflicts.
Description:
In comparison to the hardly applicable game theory models, the main advantages of actor-objective analysis are its highly operational nature and its application to various strategic games, actors and their associated objectives.
A main strength of this method resides in the shorter time required for analysis in comparison to the structural analysis. However, it has two important limitations: i) the difficulty of gathering the necessary information with regard to the other actors' confidential strategic projects and ii) the unrealistic assumption of a coherent behaviour of actors.
Procedure:
The method comprises seven phases:
- delineating the environment’s dimensions and their main trends;
- identifying the major actors and building up the actor-strategy table;
- identifying their implicit/explicit strategic games, intentions and objectives;
- positing the actors according to their objectives and abilities to play a role in the game, and detecting the convergences/divergences;
- ranking the priorities and objectives of each actor (assessed positions);
- assessing the relationships between actors;
- analysing the convergences and divergences between actors;
- elaborating strategic recommendations and key future issues.
Data sources:
- Collecting information on the environment, actors and their intentions, objectives and capacity of playing a role in a specific strategic game
Definitions:
None
References:
• Godet, M. (20001a), Manuel de prospective stratégique, Dunod, Paris.
• Godet, M. (2001b), Creating Futures: scenario-building as a strategic management tool, Economica-Brookings, Paris.