Insights into the development of strategy from a complexity perspective

Gregory, Amanda; Ronan, Mark

Abstract

This paper provides an account of an ongoing project with an independent school in the UK. The project focuses on a strategy development intervention which, from the start, was systemic in orientation. The intention was to integrate simple systems concepts and approaches into the strategy development process to: address power relations in actively engaging a wide range of stakeholders with the school’s strategy-making process; generate a range of good ideas; and make the strategy-making process transparent in order to inspire stakeholder confidence in, and commitment to, it and its outcomes. This paper describes how seeking to meet these aims entailed a series of workshops during the course of which an awareness of the relevance, in our interpretation, of Complex Adaptive Systems concepts grew.

Citation

Gregory, A., & Ronan, M. (2015). Insights into the development of strategy from a complexity perspective. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 66(4), 627-636. https://doi.org/10.1057/jors.2014.27

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 4, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Dec 21, 2017
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: May 3, 2016
• Journal: Journal of the operational research society
• Print ISSN: 0160-5682
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-9360
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 66
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 627-636
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jors.2014.27
• Keywords: Strategic development process; Strategic planning; Complex adaptive systems; Systems; Social constructivism
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/437595
• Publisher URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jors/journal/v66/n4/full/jors201427a.html
• Additional Information: This is the authors accepted manuscript of an article published in Journal of the operational research society, 2016, v.66 issue 4.