Strategy and Organization: Realizing Strategic Management

Description

Examining some of the new and emerging issues in strategic management, Loizos Heracleous offers a fresh approach to the established ideas of strategy. Beginning with the historical development of the strategy field, including the influence of industrial organisation and the resource-based view, he develops a new perspective labelled an 'organisational action' view of strategy. This approach is theoretically underlain by organisation theory and takes seriously such issues as the role of agency, the need for a longitudinal focus on process, the complexities of strategy implementation, and organisational facets such as strategic choice, organisational culture, organisational discourses and learning. Combining theoretical subtlety with an applied orientation, Heracleous examines topical areas such as corporate governance, inter-organisational networks, and organising for the future. With original research and extensive surveys of the strategy literature, combined with a strong practical orientation, this book is ideal for MBA students, strategy researchers and the more thoughtful practitioner.

Dr Heracleous is Associate Professor of Corporate Strategy at the School of Business, National University of Singapore.

'At last! A clear, concise and convincing exposition that integrates strategy formation with organizational behavior and action ... This is a superb book for those interested in new and different ways of thinking about organization strategy, change and behavior. It would be an excellent addition to graduate courses in strategic management, organization theory and behavior, and organizational change.' Robert J. Marshak, Distinguished Adjunct Professor, School of Public Affairs, American University 'Rarely has a book offered such an effective bridge between two distinct discourses as this one. Dr Heracleous opens the wide vista of strategic management to the large numbers of theorists of organization who view it as a foreign country, showing how current thinking on strategy grows organically out of insights on the nature of organizations, leadership, environment, politics and culture. A remarkably erudite book which is going to become a standard reference for many years to come.' Yiannis Gabriel, Professor of Organizational Theory, Imperial College, London 'For a consultant and practitioner in strategy implementation and the management of organisation change, this book provides valuable challenges to some aspects of conventional thinking, and fascinating insights into the reality of strategic management.' Brian Langham, Hay Group 'It is rare to see a book on strategy that engages so well with the field of organization studies ... It should prove a rewarding read for researchers, students and practitioners alike.' Professor Cynthia Hardy, Department of Management, University of Melbourne 'Heracleous employs an accessible style in his book and brings a remarkable range of sources in social theory and organization studies to his argument for a new 'organization action' view of strategic management. Highly original and inspirational, this book will be of invaluable interest to researchers, postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students in the fields of strategy and management, organization theory, and organizational behaviour.' Andrew Chan, Associate Professor, City University of Hong Kong In this refreshing lucid book on 'Strategy and Organization: Realizing Strategy Management' Professor Loizos Heracleous applies organizational theory to strategic management. In the process, he critically reviews conventional strategic thought and develops the many building blocks of an ' organizational action' view of strategic management, providing a valuable reference for students of both strategic management and organization theory. But his greatest contribution is the analytical synthesis of strategy and organization theory, which he accomplishes in a systematic and methodical yet easily accessible writing.' Theodore Panayotou, Harvard University and Cyprus International Institute of Management 'Strategy is a serious business and this is one of those rare books that treats it in a fittingly serious way. Heracleous provides an authoritative overview of a lively and central discipline. His book will be valued by all serious students of strategy and by teachers and researchers wanting to understand where the discipline has come from and where it is going today.' Richard Whittington, Professor of Strategic Management, Said Business School, University of Oxford 'Strategy and Organization is a theoretically-rigorous examination of current issues and debates in Strategy. Dr Heracleous does an excellent job in combining organization theory with existing theories on strategy to develop a new perspective on strategy and produce a very readable and useful book.' Constantinos Markides, Robert P Bauman Professor of Strategic Leadership, London Business School 'This book has all the things I admire in good organizational scholarship: it is grounded in a process epistemology, it explicitly focuses on agency and praxis, and adopts a dynamic view of how organizations behave and strategies are made.' Haridimos Tsoukas, The George D. Mavros Research Professor of Organization and Management, Athens Laboratory of Business Administration (ALBA), Greece and Professor of Organization Theory and Behaviour, University of Strathclyde Editor-in-Chief of Organization Studies