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Stratography: The art of conceptualizing and communicating strategy

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  • Cummings, Stephen
  • Angwin, Duncan

Abstract

Representations of strategy tend to either be so generalized as to have little real meaning for employees, or go into such detail that people struggle to understand what is really required. The problem is this: a strategy not understood by those charged with implementing it is as bad as, or even worse than, not having a strategy at all. In 1983, a classic Business Horizons article by Karl Weick highlighted the importance of using graphical approaches to overcome strategy relation challenges; however, since then, little has been written regarding how managers might accomplish this successfully. Our article argues that individualized drawings of strategy, or what we term 'stratography,' could enable more effective conceptualization and communication of the strategic complexity that organizations face and the paths they are seeking to follow. Herein, we employ the latest thinking in cartography, educational philosophy, optics, graphic design, and military protocol to outline seven good practices of effective stratography.

Suggested Citation

  • Cummings, Stephen & Angwin, Duncan, 2011. "Stratography: The art of conceptualizing and communicating strategy," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 54(5), pages 435-446, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:54:y:2011:i:5:p:435-446
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Weick, Karl E., 1983. "Misconceptions about managerial productivity," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 47-52.
    2. Sarah Kaplan, 2011. "Strategy and PowerPoint: An Inquiry into the Epistemic Culture and Machinery of Strategy Making," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 320-346, April.
    3. C. S. Marsh, 1926. "General Lee and a School of Commerce," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(5), pages 657-657.
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    Cited by:

    1. Siebelink, Remco & Hofman, Erwin & Halman, Johannes I.M. & Nee, Ingo, 2021. "Roadmapping: (Missed) opportunities to overcome strategic challenges," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 501-512.
    2. Ferreira, Fernando A.F., 2018. "Mapping the field of arts-based management: Bibliographic coupling and co-citation analyses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 348-357.
    3. Berthinier-Poncet, Anne & Podmetina, Daria & Robbins, Peter, 2025. "The art of innovation: How arts-based initiatives can nurture innovation dynamic capabilities," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

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