Strategic planning and organizational flexibility in turbulent environments

Abstract

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to address a key issue in literature on management and foresight: the author explores how firms might cope with the increased turbulence of the business environment. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a multiple case study of major firms of the energy and the mobile communication industries. Findings – The focus is on strategic foresight and organizational flexibility: the author introduces the concept of “boundary uncertainty” and investigates its managerial implications. Originality/value – The main contribution of this paper is to expand our understanding of environmental uncertainty and to reinvigorate the study of strategic decision making in turbulent industries. The author provides descriptive data on the foresight approaches that some of the world’s largest and most influential companies used throughout the 2000s for remaining aligned with their fast-paced environments, and thus informs the debate between the “planning” and the “learning” schools of strategic management.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic marketing decision-making: a research agenda

“…• Applicability of AI-supported decision-making to transformational decisions e.g. switching to a new business model or dealing with "wicked" problems (Foss and Saebi, 2018) or in turbulent environments (Vecchiato, 2015). • How to maintain innovativeness in strategic marketing decision-making and planning in an AI-driven world.…”

Dynamic Strategy in a Turbulent Business Environment

“…Turbulence can be best described as 'unpredictable uncertainty for strategic planning purposes' [3]. Environmental uncertainty is believed to arise when managers are not 'confident that they understand the major changes and events in their industries' [4]. Such an environment has also been regarded by some scholars as 'hypercompetitive' and it was taken to refer to 'an environment of fierce competition leading to unsustainable advantage or the decline in the sustainability of advantage' [5].…”

Ennakointi osana investoineiden maitotilojen strategista suunnittelua

“…He myös toteavat ennakointimenetelmien poikkeavan toisistaan koulukunnasta riippuen ja painottavat ennakointimenetelmien valinnassa eri vaihtoehtojen syvällistä pohdintaa, jotta vältetään riskit esimerkiksi tietyn skenaarion valinnassa (Tilley ja Fuller 2000). Vecchiato (2015) keskittyy kuvaamaan artikkelissaan kahden suuryrityksen harjoittamaa ennakointia ja niiden lähtökohtien eroja. Molemmissa yrityksissä on määrätietoisesti tehty ennakointityötä, joka on ohjannut yritysten valintoja painopisteissä mm.…”

“…tuotekehityksen osalta. Tässä artikkelissa todetaan (Vecchiato 2015) ennakoinnin olevan keino varautua ja löytää työkaluja mahdollisien kehityskulkujen toteutuessa, ei niinkään toimia ennusteena tulevasta. Fidlerin (2011) näkökulma yhdistää ennakoinnin ja strategisen johtamisen.…”