Strategy Scriptions: On sociomaterial devices staging strategy formulation European Management Journal

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Abstract

Strategy formulation can be viewed as an entanglement of social and material elements, developing sociomaterial strategy devices. Devices contribute to arranging and staging occasions of strategy formulation. The article investigates which arenas are staged for strategy formulation, which types of strategy devices are involved, how they enable or constrain strategy formulation and explores the dynamics between the devices and arenas. Using In an ethnographic study of strategy process and particular strategy formulation in a Danish textile company, three staged arenas are identified. A series of devices is purposely mobilised by management. and consultants. First, one central device, based on a balanced scorecard, is staging the managers as active strategists in a more traditional strategy workshop, with the employees as distanced spectators. Second, the employees are staged in an open space workshop, and this device enables the employees to become active strategy practitioners together with managers. Third, the employees and managers are staged as strategy practitioners in strategy project work, and the devices compartmentalize and stage detailing strategy work where the strategy groups first is making strategic choices, then chose a strategy and then making and action plan. Most project groups worked as expected, one group constituting a rare exception, as staging and the mobilisation of devices lead to unanticipated events, triggering extraordinary management activity. Our study shows that a strategy process is not built on one dominant strategy devices, but more, and further that the strategy devices is a combination of sociomaterial strategy devices
Original languageEnglish
Article numberMs. No. EMJ-D-14-00233
JournalEuropean Management Journal
ISSN0263-2373
Publication statusSubmitted - 2014
Externally publishedYes

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