What is the 7-S Framework? Description
The 7-S Framework of McKinsey is a management model that describes 7 factors
to organize a company in a holistic and effective way. Together these
factors determine the way in which a corporation operates. Managers should
take into account all seven of these factors, to be sure of successful implementation
of a strategy. Large or small. They're all interdependent, so if you fail
to pay proper attention to one of them, this may effect all others as well.
On top of that, the relative importance of each factor may vary over time.
Origin of the 7-S Framework. History
The 7-S Framework was first mentioned in the journal "Business Horizons" in an article "Structure Is Not Organization" by Robert H. Waterman, Thomas J. Peters and Julien R. Phillips in June 1980. It appeared also in "In Search of Excellence" by Peters and Waterman, and was taken up as a basic tool by the global management consultancy company McKinsey. Since then it is known as their 7-S model.
The meaning of the 7 Ss
Superordinate Goals (also called Shared Values).
The interconnecting center of McKinsey's model is: Superordinate Goals (Shared Values). This term includes higher elevation concepts of what an organization wants to achieve, stands for and what it believes in: purpose, vision, mission, shared values, central beliefs
and attitudes. Compare:
Strategic Intent
Strategy
Plans for the allocation of a firms scarce resources, over time, to reach
identified goals. Environment, competition,
customers.
Structure
The way in which the organization's units relate to each other: centralized,
functional divisions (top-down); decentralized; a matrix, a network, a holding,
etc.
Systems
The procedures, processes and routines that characterize how the work should
be done: financial systems; recruiting, promotion and performance appraisal
systems; information systems.
Staff
Numbers and types of personnel within the organization.
Style
Cultural style
of the organization and how key managers behave in achieving the organization's
goals. Compare:
Management
Styles.
Skills
Distinctive capabilities of personnel or of the organization as a whole.
Compare: Core Competences.
Strengths of the 7-S Model. Benefits
- Diagnostic tool for understanding organizations that are ineffective.
- Guides organizational change.
- Combines rational and hard elements with emotional and soft elements.
- Managers must act on all Ss in parallel and all Ss are interrelated.
Book: Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga - The McKinsey Mind: Understanding
and Implementing the Problem Solving Tools and Management Techniques -

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7S Checklist with Questions for Each S Firm Analysis, Organizational Analysis Here's a list of questions you can use to analyze an organization in terms of the 7S Framework:
STRATEGY:
- What is ou (...)
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Categorizing the S-es in McKinsey's 7-S Model Strategy, Strategic Change, 7S Implementation The seven S's can be broken down into:
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How to Identify Potential Problem Areas in 7S? Strategy, Strategic Change, 7S Implementation You can create a 7S Confrontation Matrix with all 7 S-es listed both horizontally and vertically. In the cells or inters (...)
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Improved 8S Framework for Strategy Execution Strategy, Strategic Change, 7S Implementation As the business environment becomes more complex and more changeful, James M. Higgins suggests the introduction of the ‘ (...)
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Various sources of information regarding the 7-S Framework. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops.
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Original Article Introducing the 7S Framework History of 7S Framework The 1980 Business Horizons article "Structure is Not Organization " by Robert H. Waterman, Jr., Thomas J. Peters and Jul (...)
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McKinsey's Approach to Problem Solving Consultancy, Organizational Analysis and Change Presentation about some of McKinsey's thoughts on problem solving, thereby including the 7S-model of McKinsey. Besides t (...)
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7-S Framework Analyzing the state of an organization Presentation about the 7S framework. (...)
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Compare with the 7-S Framework:
Causal Model of Organizational Performance
and Change |
Ashridge Mission Model
| Strategic Alignment
| McKinsey Matrix
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