Thinking Strategically In Turbulent Times: An Inside View Of Strategy Making Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It has been said more than once that managers don't solve problems as much as manage messes. The authors of Thinking Strategically in Turbulent Times take a close look at how managers deal with the mess of moving their organizations into the future in the context of a turbulent environment. The heart of the book consists of well-written case studies of Hewlett Packard, Los Angeles County, and the California State University system. For each organization, there is a discussion of how managers try to make sense of the turbulence in their environment and how they view the organization's approach to strategy formulation. More importantly, the authors try to capture how managers think strategically in practice and, through the quotes from strategic decision makers they present, largely succeed.
The book definitely deserves 4 stars based on the excellent empirical material presented. I have withheld the 5th because I was hoping for a little bit more in the way of analysis. The introductory chapter is a good presentation of the literature on turbulence and the emergent theory of strategy. However, I would like to have seen a more critical treatment of this literature which is littered with overstatement, false dichotomies and straw men, but perhaps that is a different book.
The final chapter provides helpful summary observations about the cases and a sense of future research requirements. Especially interesting here is the discussion of similarities and differences across sectors as to how managers deal with the pace of change. Again, I would like to have seen a little more that would guide managers in dealing with strategy formulation in the face of rapid change. At some point managers need to reach into the mess and pull out a problem they can solve and they need all the help they can get. Nevertheless, by showing how managers adapt in very complex organizations this book can help other managers think through their own particular situation.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Thinking Strategically In Turbulent Times: An Inside View Of Strategy Making

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Thinking Strategically In Turbulent Times: An Inside View Of Strategy Making