Final answer:
The CEO determines strategic direction by specifying the company's vision and outlining strategic actions needed to achieve it, which are key aspects of guiding a company into its future state and aligning organizational resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
c. determining strategic direction
When a CEO specifies the company's vision and the strategic actions necessary to realize that vision, they are determining strategic direction. This involves not just setting long-term goals but also outlining the approach the company will take to achieve those objectives. A CEO with a clear strategic direction will guide the company toward its future state by aligning resources, setting priorities, and steering the entire organization toward the envisioned outcomes.
As part of establishing a strategic direction, the CEO may also consider ethical practices and may embrace an entrepreneurial mindset, but those are not the primary focus in this context. Emphasizing ethical practices would pertain more directly to the moral principles that guide the company's decisions and actions. Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset is about having an innovative and risk-taking approach to business. However, when talking about setting a vision and outlining steps towards it, the concept at play is the determination of strategic direction.