Executive environmental scanning and strategic uncertainty: the impact of institutional context

Abstract We examined perceived strategic uncertainty (PSU) and environmental scanning among Hong Kong, Nigerian, and U.S. executives. We posit that PSU and scanning will vary in ways that can be explained by the different institutional contexts, that is, the national environment, within which the decision-makers are embedded. We found that Nigerian decision-makers perceived greater strategic uncertainty in the political/legal, economic, and sources of resources sectors. Hong Kong and U.S. executives, however, perceived greater levels of uncertainty in the technology sector. Furthermore, U.S. decision-makers perceived greater strategic uncertainty in the socio-cultural sector. We discuss the research and managerial implications of the results.