Which strategy refers to part of a firm's strategic plan that is not executed due to unexpected events?

The term that accurately describes a part of a firm's strategic plan that remains unexecuted due to unexpected circumstances is known as an unrealized strategy. This concept refers to planned actions or initiatives that were intended to be undertaken but ultimately not implemented because of unforeseen events or changes in the environment.

Consider the strategic planning process, where organizations outline intended strategies based on a set of assumptions about the market, resources, and other external factors. However, when unexpected events occur—such as economic downturns, shifts in consumer behavior, or global crises—certain strategies may need to be shelved or altered. These unexecuted strategies represent unrealized potentials that the firm originally envisioned but couldn't bring to fruition.

In contrast, the other terms refer to different aspects of strategic planning. Intended strategy is what a firm plans and hopes to execute, while realized strategy represents what the firm actually implements. Emergent strategy refers to the strategies that develop over time in response to unexpected circumstances and can be seen as adaptations to the intended strategy. Therefore, unrealized strategy specifically captures the notion of intended plans that did not materialize due to unforeseen events.