Peter & Waterman’s 7S framework

The 7s framework identifies seven factors of an organization that need to be aligned in order for an organization to perform well. The model groups the factors into hard and soft ‘S’s. The hard ‘S’ are more tangible, easily to define and easy to influence than the soft ‘S’.

Hard “S”:

Strategy: the plan devised to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition.

Structure: the way the organization is structured and who reports to whom.

Systems: the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in to get the job done.

Soft “S”:

Shared Values: called "superordinate goals" when the model was first developed, these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work ethic.

Style: the style of leadership adopted.

Staff: the employees and their general capabilities.

Skills: the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the company.