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This book offers a systematic critique of the scientific discourse of strategic management. It uncovers scholars' unquestioned assumptions and shows that by upholding these assumptions reseachers obscure the paradoxical nature of strategic reasoning. To uncover the paradoxes of strategic management the author refers to the philosophy of Jacques Derrida. He exposes the paradoxes that inevitably occur when theorizing about corporate strategy along the dimensions strategy context, process, and content and shows how these paradoxes can enrich future thinking about strategic problems. The analysis is completed by a discussion of theoretical and practical implications which highlight the need to research strategy not as something an organization has, but as something an organization does. Such a 'practice perspective' gives reference to the paradoxical ground that strategic management rests on and enriches scholars' ability to reflect on practitioners' tasks while 'doing' strategy in organizations.
List of contents
to the Study.- Strategic Management as a Field of Study.- The Dominant Logics of Strategy Research.- Deconstruction and the '(N)either/(N)or'.- Strategic Realities - The Role of Paradox.- The Deconstruction of Strategic Realities.- 'After Derrida' - Strategy-as-Practice.- Final Reflections - Retrospect and Prospect.
Summary
This book offers a systematic critique of the scientific discourse of strategic management. It uncovers scholars' unquestioned assumptions and shows that by upholding these assumptions reseachers obscure the paradoxical nature of strategic reasoning. To uncover the paradoxes of strategic management the author refers to the philosophy of Jacques Derrida. He exposes the paradoxes that inevitably occur when theorizing about corporate strategy along the dimensions strategy context, process, and content and shows how these paradoxes can enrich future thinking about strategic problems. The analysis is completed by a discussion of theoretical and practical implications which highlight the need to research strategy not as something an organization has, but as something an organization does. Such a 'practice perspective' gives reference to the paradoxical ground that strategic management rests on and enriches scholars' ability to reflect on practitioners' tasks while 'doing' strategy in organizations.
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From the reviews:
"The book is well structured and its argument flows logically and coherently. … The book therefore is structured quite conventionally to aid a wide range of readership. … Overall, this book is a novel, refreshing and important contribution to the generally unreflective and programmatic approach widespread in strategy research. It is a scholarly text characterized by theoretical reflection of the highest quality that is notably missing in much of management academia in general." (Andreas Rasche, Organization Studies, Vol. 29, 2008)
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From the reviews:
"The book is well structured and its argument flows logically and coherently. ... The book therefore is structured quite conventionally to aid a wide range of readership. ... Overall, this book is a novel, refreshing and important contribution to the generally unreflective and programmatic approach widespread in strategy research. It is a scholarly text characterized by theoretical reflection of the highest quality that is notably missing in much of management academia in general." (Andreas Rasche, Organization Studies, Vol. 29, 2008)
