Asymmetric competition: decision processes shaping the future

Abstract

Presents a practical exploration of business manoeuvre theory, examining the application of a developing military war fighting doctrine and how this can be transferred to the business mindscape in order to influence future planning. Suggests that attackers have strategic advantage over defenders and describes decision processes and complementary systems designed to support aggressive attack. Argues that decision makers broaden their attention from a dual focus on product innovation and increased market share, to include processes and tactics aimed at undermining and destabilising a competitor’s C2 (command and control). Also calls for an increase in the study of competitive behaviour and the study of decision processes and psychological operations (“psyops”) as they occur under time and resource constraints within the combative business environment.

Recovering the Divide: A Review of Strategy and Tactics in Business and Management

“…What appears to be missing at present is a clearer link of these ideas with contemporary examples of strategic and tactical manoeuvring and other forms of guerrilla warfare in organizational practice (e.g. Mackay et al 2014;McCabe 2009;Pech and Slade 2003). Without these links, the rich insights that may be offered by both sociological and processual views face the danger of being side-lined as obscure and arcane.…”

“…Mackay et al . ; McCabe ; Pech and Slade ). Without these links, the rich insights that may be offered by both sociological and processual views face the danger of being side‐lined as obscure and arcane.…”

“…Such cyclical models go some way towards acknowledging feedback processes between abstract strategy formulations and insights travelling from the bottom up (Eisenhardt 1990;Lax and Sebenius 2012). In cyclical models, environmental complexity and uncertainty are addressed through tighter coupling and interlocking of strategic and tactical activities (Dinwoodie et al 2012;Sull 2007); commitment to regular sampling of the environment and adjustment to revise contingently; and 'fit' of strategy and tactics based on practical experience (Dahlander and Magnusson 2008;Ghemawat and Levinthal 2008;Harris 2000;Pech andSlade 2003, Sull et al 2015).…”

“…In cyclical models, environmental complexity and uncertainty are addressed through tighter coupling and interlocking of strategic and tactical activities (Dinwoodie et al . ; Sull ); commitment to regular sampling of the environment and adjustment to revise contingently; and ‘fit’ of strategy and tactics based on practical experience (Dahlander and Magnusson ; Ghemawat and Levinthal ; Harris ; Pech and Slade , Sull et al . ).…”

Towards control using strategic navigation in turbulent organisational environments

“…They argue that traditional approaches to strategic planning and decision-making are often not appropriate and suggest that organisations could adopt what they describe as a 'manoeuvre warfare' approach, which is "a strategic approach that is more in keeping with the turbulent quantum dynamics of the twenty-first century business landscape" (p.178). Pech and Slade (2003) extend the idea of manoeuvre warfare and propose the concept of asymmetric competition, a situation where notions of predictability, stability and traditional measurement no longer have relevance. In this regard an organisation "must be able to change direction or alter its line of focus quickly and effectively without stalling (crashing in the process).…”