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Reinstating the radical: Trajectory, debates, and proposals for strategy as practice

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  • Li, Qian
  • Jarzabkowski, Paula

Abstract

Strategy as practice (SAP) has developed from a relatively radical idea emphasising situated and knowledgeable strategy practices to a well-recognised field explaining a wide range of strategy activities and practices. Despite this remarkable trajectory, SAP continues to be shaped by ongoing onto-epistemological debates. This essay follows the call to embrace SAP’s early roots in social practices and proposes reinstating the radical in SAP research. We briefly review SAP’s trajectory, showing how advocates and critics have co-constructed the field as it is today. Based on this review, we identify two ongoing debates of intentionality and the macro–micro divide and highlight the onto-epistemological nature of these debates and the methodological challenges to move beyond the debates. Finally, we propose three research ‘bridges’ across these debatesto further advancethe radical SAP agenda and its growth as a vibrant intellectual community open to a wide range of research and phenomena as part of the field’s continuous process of becoming.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Qian & Jarzabkowski, Paula, 2025. "Reinstating the radical: Trajectory, debates, and proposals for strategy as practice," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:187:y:2025:i:c:s0148296324005599
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115055
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    References listed on IDEAS

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