The common differences between strategies and tactics are as follows:
- Strategies are often developed at higher level management
- Uncertainties are usually greater with strategies
- Strategies are concerned with issues of greater importance
- Strategies are broad an have fewer details
- The range of alternatives for strategic choices is usually much wider
- Strategies are for longer time horizons
- Tactics may be developed with greater routine and regularity, strategies may be quite ad hoc
- Strategies require large amounts of diverse data, from many potential sources
- Strategic problems may be more unstructured
Tactics support strategy and are means by which it is put into effect. Tactics may be specific projects or a continuation of ongoing activities. The difference between tactics and strategies may depend upon one’s position in the organisation hierarchy – one person’s tactics may be another’s strategies. For instance, a choice to finance the firm by new share issues may be tactical to the CEO, but of strategic importance to the Chief Financial Officer
Source: Henley Business School