Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Strategy consensus and social practice: a perspective from public sector managers

Strategy consensus and social practice: a perspective from public sector managers The purpose of this paper is to investigate consensus formation among the top and middle managers during the strategy process. Specifically, the paper seeks to gain insight into the role of strategic consensus during the transition between strategy formulation and implementation.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a social practice perspective and a single case study approach, we undertook semi-structured interviews of twenty-seven managers working in a Kuwaiti Ministry. Data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsWe found that social interaction among individuals with similar characteristics and shared understanding fosters consensus. Factors such as alignment of strategic priorities, managerial flux and centralized control contribute to the extent to which strategic consensus is achievable. Additionally, managerial turnover and lack of empowerment hamper the development of shared understanding. Finally, that consensus on strategy content is insufficient for effective intergroup communications.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the strategic consensus literature from a social practice perspective as it provides new insights into the dynamics between top managers and middle managers. Significantly, it highlights the importance and need for common understanding, as well as communications prioritization among managers for consensus development and successful implementation of organization strategy. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Strategy and Management Emerald Publishing

Strategy consensus and social practice: a perspective from public sector managers

Download PDF
16 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/strategy-consensus-and-social-practice-a-perspective-from-public-yFKsD8Dl22
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1755-425X
DOI
10.1108/jsma-11-2020-0327
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consensus formation among the top and middle managers during the strategy process. Specifically, the paper seeks to gain insight into the role of strategic consensus during the transition between strategy formulation and implementation.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a social practice perspective and a single case study approach, we undertook semi-structured interviews of twenty-seven managers working in a Kuwaiti Ministry. Data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsWe found that social interaction among individuals with similar characteristics and shared understanding fosters consensus. Factors such as alignment of strategic priorities, managerial flux and centralized control contribute to the extent to which strategic consensus is achievable. Additionally, managerial turnover and lack of empowerment hamper the development of shared understanding. Finally, that consensus on strategy content is insufficient for effective intergroup communications.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the strategic consensus literature from a social practice perspective as it provides new insights into the dynamics between top managers and middle managers. Significantly, it highlights the importance and need for common understanding, as well as communications prioritization among managers for consensus development and successful implementation of organization strategy.

Journal

Journal of Strategy and Management – Emerald Publishing

Published: Oct 20, 2021

Keywords: Strategic consensus; Strategy implementation; Social practice; Top and middle managers; Public sector

References

  • Consensus and link structure in strategic performance measurement systems: a field study
    Aranda, C.; Arellano, J.
  • Organizational restructuring and middle manager sensemaking
    Balogun, J.; Johnson, G.
  • Strategic consensus in operations strategy
    Boyer, K.; McDermott, C.
  • The evolving definition of what comprises international strategic management research
    Bruton, G.; Lohrke, F.; Lu, J.
  • Strategic consensus on manufacturing strategy content: including the operators' perceptions
    Edh Mirzaei, N.; Fredriksson, A.; Winroth, M.
  • Planning and participation as determinants of strategic planning effectiveness: evidence from the Arabic context
    Elbanna, S.
  • Creating cross-functional strategic consensus in manufacturing facilities
    Feger, A.L.R.
  • Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research: notes on the Gioia methodology
    Gioia, D.; Corley, K.; Hamilton, A.
  • Meta-analytic review of employee turnover as a predictor of firm performance
    Hancock, J.; Allen, D.; Bosco, F.; McDaniel, K.; Pierce, C.
  • Performance appraisal procedural justice: the role of manager's implicit person theory
    Heslin, P.; van de Walle, D.
  • Survey and explain the role of sensemaking in successful strategy implementation in Iran's automotive companies
    Hosseini, S.; Hossein, S.; Kordnaiej, A.; Ahmadi, P.
  • Strategy as practice: a review and future directions for the field
    Jarzabkowski, P.; Spee, A.
  • Strategizing: the challenges of a practice perspective
    Jarzabkowski, P.; Balogun, J.; Seidl, D.
  • The potential role of mindsets in unleashing employee engagement
    Keating, L.; Heslin, P.
  • The lack of consensus about strategic consensus: advancing theory and research
    Kellermanns, F.; Walter, J.; Lechner, C.; Floyd, S.
  • The contingent effect of constructive confrontation on the relationship between shared mental models and decision quality
    Kellermanns, F.; Floyd, S.; Pearson, A.; Spencer, B.
  • To agree or not to agree? A meta-analytical review of strategic consensus and organizational performance
    Kellermanns, F.; Walter, J.; Floyd, S.; Lechner, C.; Shaw, J.
  • Materializing Strategy: the blurry line between strategy formulation and strategy implementation
    Leonardi, P.
  • Strategic practices as enablers and disablers of championing activity
    Mantere, S.
  • Consensus formation during strategic change
    Markóczy, L.
  • Sampling knowledge: the hermeneutics of snowball sampling in qualitative research
    Noy, C.
  • Knowledge sharing, sustained relationships and the habitus
    Obembe, D.
  • Strategy communications and transition dynamics among managers: a public sector organization perspective
    Obembe, D.; Al Mansour, J.; Kolade, O.
  • The future of strategic planning in the public sector: linking strategic management and performance
    Poister, T.H.
  • Do group and organizational identification help or hurt intergroup strategic consensus?
    Porck, J.P.; van Knippenberg, D.L.; Tarakci, M.; Ates, N.Y.; Groenen, P.J.F.; de Haas, M.
  • Behavioral strategy
    Powell, T.; Lovallo, D.; Fox, C.
  • The interface of the top management team and middle managers: a process model
    Raes, A.; Heijltjes, M.; Glunk, U.; Roe, R.
  • The international experience in private sector development: lessons for Kuwait
    Ramadhan, M.; Al-Musallam, M.
  • TMT strategic consensus in Mexican companies
    Ramos-Garza, C.
  • The strategic implementation process: evoking strategic consensus through communication
    Rapert, M.; Velliquette, A.; Garretson, J.
  • Avoid the four perils of CRM
    Rigby, D.; Reichheld, F.; Schefter, P.
  • The impact of strategic dissent on organizational outcomes: a meta-analytic integration
    Samba, C.; van Knippenberg, D.; Miller, C.C.
  • Senders' bias: how can top managers' communication improve or not improve strategy implementation?
    Shimizu, K.
  • Middle managers' roles after a hospital merger
    Solstad, E.; Petterson, I.J.
  • Effect analysis on strategy implementation drivers
    Sorooshian, S.; Norzima, Z.; Yusof, I.; Rosnah, Y.
  • Strategic consensus mapping: a new method for testing and visualizing strategic consensus within and between teams
    Tarakci, M.; Ates, N.; Porck, J.; van Knippenberg, D.; Groenen, P.; de Haas, M.
  • Strategic alignment: a missing link in the relationship between strategic consensus and organizational performance
    Walter, J.; Kellermanns, F.; Floyd, S.; Veiga, J.; Matherne, C.
  • Top management team strategic consensus, demographic homogeneity and firm performance: a report of resounding non-findings
    West, J.; Schwenk, C.
  • Completing the practice turn in strategy research
    Whittington, R.
  • The strategy process, middle management involvement, and organizational performance
    Wooldridge, B.; Floyd, S.