Re-Reading The Term “Strategy”

Authors

  • Onur Dirlik Akdeniz University
  • Duygu Aydin-Unal Akdeniz University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/ijbsr.v4i4.470

Keywords:

Strategic management, strategy, management studies

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to understand the denotations and connotations ascribed to the term “strategy”, which is critical to the strategic management field. On the basis of the term, it has been appeared that the field takes mostly a normative position and could not escape from producing analytical tools for managers because of having a managerialistic focus since the 1960s, beginning of the field. This article provides a reader with re-reading the term “strategy” from a different point of view.

The methodology of this study is based on qualitative content analysis of the selected articles. The results show that the strategic management field is still dominated by a managerialistic view. Therefore the knowledge and analytical tools are produced by the orders of managers which create asymmetric power relations in the field.

This study analyzes the basic articles published in SSCI. It would be more comprehensive view to broaden the article pool. Although analyzing articles published on SSCI is widely accepted criterion, it also causes limitations. Besides, the books written on strategy are not included in this study.

The major claim of this study is suggesting a need of new view towards the strategy. It aims to create an argument on the main terminology of the field. These kinds of studies contribute to the evolvement of the field.

Author Biographies

  • Onur Dirlik, Akdeniz University
    Onur Dirlik is a research assistant and a Ph.D. student in Akdeniz University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. His research interests are gathered around institutional theory, business systems in Turkey, and critical studies. He intends to improve himself in multidisciplinary studies.  Onur Dirlik can be conducted at: onurdirlik@akdeniz.edu.tr
  • Duygu Aydin-Unal, Akdeniz University
    Duygu Aydın Unal  is a research assistant and a Ph.D. student in Akdeniz University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. Currently, she is writing a dissertation about consumption culture in Turkey and discourse. She can be conducted at: duyguaydin@akdeniz.edu.tr

References

Barca M. (2005), “Stratejik Yönetim Düşüncesinin Evrimi: Bilimsel Bir Disiplinin Oluşum Hikayesi”, Yönetim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5 (1), 7-38.

Barca M. (2009), “Stratejik Yönetim Alanındaki Çalışmaların Yeniden Sınıflandırılması”, in 17. Ulusal Yönetim ve Organizasyon Kongresi, Eskişehir.

Bilgin, N. (2006), Sosyal Bilimlerde İçerik Analizi, Siyasal Kitabevi, 2. Baskı, Ankara.

Chakravarthy B. and Doz Y. (1992), “Strateji Process Research: Focusing on Self-Renewal”, Strategic Management Journal,13, 5-14.

Dyer J. H. and Singh H. (1996), “The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage”, Academy of Management Review, 23 (4), 660-679.

Fahey, L. and H. K. Cristensen (1986), “Evaluating the Research on Strategy Content”, Journal of Management, 12 (2), 167‐84.

Geray, H. (2004), Toplumsal Araştırmalarda Nicel ve Nitel Yöntemler, Siyasal Kitabevi, Ankara.

Grant R. (1991), “ The Resource Based Theory of Competitive Advantage: Implication for Strategy Formulation”, California Management Review, Spring, 114-135.

Harfield, T. (1998), “Strategic Management and Michael Porter: A Postmodern Reading”, Electornic Journal of Radical Organisation Theory, 4 (1), 1-11.

Kuhn, T. (2003), Bilimsel Devrimlerin Yapısı, Alan Yayıncılık, 6. Baskı, İstanbul.

Mintzberg H. (1987), Crafting Strategy, Harvard Business Review, July-August, 65-74.

Mintzberg H. (1987), “The Strategy Concept I: Five Ps For Strategy”, California Management Review, 30 (1), 11-24.

Mintzberg H. (1978), “Patterns In Strategy Formation”, Management Science, 24, 934-948.

Hızıroğlu, M., Dil, E., and Dinçer, M. A. (2009), “Eleştirel Stratejik Yönetim Çalışmalarının Ekseni: Kuram ve Uygulamaya Yönelik Eleştiriler Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme”, Ulusal Yönetim ve Organizasyon Kongresi, Eskişehir.

Levy, D. L., Alvesson, M., and Willmott, H. (2003), “Critical Approaches to Strategic Management”, Studying Management Critically, 92-110.

Montgomery, C. A. (1988), “Introduction to the Special Issue on Research in the Content of Strategy”, Strategic Management Journal, 9 (3), 189‐97.

Nerur, S. P., Rasheed, A. A., and Natarajan, V. (2008), “The Intellectual Structure Of The Strategic Management Field: An Author Co-Citation Analysis”, Strategic Management Journal, 29, 319–336.

Porter, M. (1996), What is Strategy, Harvard Business Review, November - December, 61-78.

Porter, M. (1987), From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy, Harvard Business Review, May- June, 2-21.

Stoney, C. (1998), “Lifting the Lid on Strategic Management: A Sociological Narrative”, Electronic Journal of Radical Organisation Theory, 4(1), 1-35.

Yıldırım, E. (2007), “Örgüt Kuramında Yeni Gelişmeler: Postmodern ve Eleştirel Bakış”, in Sargut, A. S. and Özen, Ş. (Ed), Örgüt Kuramları, Ankara: İmge, 379-406.

Chandler, A. D. (2003), Strategy and Structure: Cheapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise, Beard Books, Washington D.C.

Downloads

Published

2014-04-23

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 4 (2014): April

Section

Article

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).