Towards a More Accurate Conceptualisation of Strategic Management: Incorporating Its Social Context

Strategic management is a highly complex and ambiguous activity performed by and through the people of an organisation. However, it is researched in a scientifically detached manner that conceptualises it in an oversimplified manner that does not account for the highly emotional and relational social context of its practice. One gets the sense that, upon establishment of the strategy team, its members can work together easily to solve the organisation’s various strategic problems by formulating and implementing a strategy with the support of everyone at the organisation. This occurs in a cold and emotionless manner, as if the social interactions of the strategy team and other organisational members are irrelevant. In practice, however, that oversimplified and socially deficient view of the strategic management activity results in a cognitive style that only serves to exacerbate the complexities and ambiguities of the activity, thereby causing an untenable and stressful conflict within and between strategy team members and beyond. In fact, it often leads people to experience psychological harm, making it highly unlikely that competitive advantage may be achieved. Therefore, my goal in this chapter was to produce a more accurate conceptualisation of strategic management as practised by its people. This was achieved by incorporating its social context, which was based upon the emotional, relational, and tribal nature of peoples’ evolutionary history as Homo Sapiens. It has resulted in a substantially new conception of the activity, which could explain why some organisations achieve the highly sought-after but often elusive sustainable competitive advantage, while many organisations do not.