THE DIMENSIONS OF STRATEGY: A STUDY CASE OF UNILEVER?S RESPONSIBLE UMBRELLA STRATEGY

The strategy concept has been acknowledged as one of the most important factors that might contribute to an organization's succes as it might be perceived an expression of the company's ability to adapt, change and responde properly to the overall dynamic business environment. Besides understanding what a strategy is, another important topic that should be considered in order to properly comprehend the concept, is related to the question how strategies are developed? Therefore, the objective of this study is to explain the dimensions of strategy, respectively the strategy process, content and context utilizing a qualitative approach. Within this scope, an analysis of Unilever's overall strategy has been provided, revealing the main reasons why the organization has chosen to be perceived as responsible (strategy context) and which actions have been taken by the firm in order to consolidate its company image and reputation (strategy process and strategy content). The results reveal a constant effort made by the company in order to consolidate its position in the fast-moving consumer goods market worldwide. Additionally, the results sustain that the organization has used the concept of businesses responsibility and the firm's inheritance in a strategic manner.