McKinsey 7S model
The 7S model examines alignment between strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff and skills. It highlights that changing one organisational element can require changes in others. It is useful for diagnosing implementation and performance-management problems, but the categories do not prove a causal relationship or prescribe a single best configuration. Explain the links relevant to the scenario and the people and control consequences of proposed changes.
Worked example
A new customer-focused strategy is unlikely to work if systems reward only departmental volume and staff lack the skills or authority to resolve customer problems.
Common mistake
Do not treat the model as seven independent checklist boxes or assume changing the formal structure alone completes implementation.
Where it appears in your exams
| Qualification | Exam | Relationship | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCA | APM | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |