In the field of management , strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by an organization 's managers on behalf of stakeholders, based on consideration of resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organization operates. Michael Porter identifies three principles underlying strategy: [10]. Corporate strategy involves answering a key question from a portfolio perspective: "What business should we be in. Management theory and practice often make a distinction between strategic management and operational management , with operational management concerned primarily with improving efficiency and controlling costs within the boundaries set by the organization's strategy. Strategy is defined as "the determination of the basic long-term goals of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals.