{"title":"Strategic inertia and renewal: Contrasting responses to market changes","authors":"Luis Perini , Jorge Carneiro , Kent D. Miller","doi":"10.1016/j.lrp.2024.102441","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The academic, consulting, and practitioner-oriented literatures present many examples of companies that have failed to adapt their strategy in the face of a changing competitive arena, even when their top managers and executives acknowledged the need for change—and had a reasonable idea of what ought to be done. By means of an in-depth study of two polar cases of large companies from the fast-moving consumer goods sector, this study sheds light on the complex intertwined causes that lead some companies into strategic inertia, while others engage in strategic renewal. Our theoretical framing of possible causes of inertia encompasses cognitive schema, power and politics, emotions, and communication. Our findings provide credible evidence that strategic inertia (or renewal) is the outcome of conjunctural causation, so that a similar initial cause may result in different outcomes depending on the processual interaction with other contributing factors at the organizational, group, and individual levels. The conjunction of various causes can lead a company's managers to adhere rigidly to their sources of past success or, alternatively, embrace novel pathways despite short-term uncertainty and anxiety.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18141,"journal":{"name":"Long Range Planning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Long Range Planning","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024630124000281","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The academic, consulting, and practitioner-oriented literatures present many examples of companies that have failed to adapt their strategy in the face of a changing competitive arena, even when their top managers and executives acknowledged the need for change—and had a reasonable idea of what ought to be done. By means of an in-depth study of two polar cases of large companies from the fast-moving consumer goods sector, this study sheds light on the complex intertwined causes that lead some companies into strategic inertia, while others engage in strategic renewal. Our theoretical framing of possible causes of inertia encompasses cognitive schema, power and politics, emotions, and communication. Our findings provide credible evidence that strategic inertia (or renewal) is the outcome of conjunctural causation, so that a similar initial cause may result in different outcomes depending on the processual interaction with other contributing factors at the organizational, group, and individual levels. The conjunction of various causes can lead a company's managers to adhere rigidly to their sources of past success or, alternatively, embrace novel pathways despite short-term uncertainty and anxiety.
期刊介绍:
Long Range Planning (LRP) is an internationally renowned journal specializing in the field of strategic management. Since its establishment in 1968, the journal has consistently published original research, garnering a strong reputation among academics. LRP actively encourages the submission of articles that involve empirical research and theoretical perspectives, including studies that provide critical assessments and analysis of the current state of knowledge in crucial strategic areas. The primary user base of LRP primarily comprises individuals from academic backgrounds, with the journal playing a dual role within this community. Firstly, it serves as a platform for the dissemination of research findings among academic researchers. Secondly, it serves as a channel for the transmission of ideas that can be effectively utilized in educational settings. The articles published in LRP cater to a diverse audience, including practicing managers and students in professional programs. While some articles may focus on practical applications, others may primarily target academic researchers. LRP adopts an inclusive approach to empirical research, accepting studies that draw on various methodologies such as primary survey data, archival data, case studies, and recognized approaches to data collection.