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Strategy Workshops
Their Contribution to Strategy Development and Decision Making
Amongst other projects, Professor Gerry Johnson is involved in studying a common but under researched organizational phenomenon - strategy workshops or away days and the role they play in strategy development in organizations. These are episodes of organizational practice that bring together the use of common strategy tools within the political context of group interaction that has been a concern of much strategy process research. The project has taken a number of directions and will result in a number of outputs as follows.
A Survey of the Incidence, Purpose and Outcomes of Strategy Workshops
Project Leader
Gerard Hodgkinson
Gerry Johnson
Project Members
Richard Whittington
Mirela Schwarz
Project Description
This was a joint research project by Professor Gerry Johnson and Gerard Hodgkinson, Professor Richard Whittington and Dr Mirela Schwarz in collaboration with the Chartered Management Institute.
This survey examined the frequency, purposes and perceived outcomes of strategy workshops and has been published both as a joint report by AIM and the CMI, and a paper appeared in Long Range Planning (Hodgkinson et al., 2006)
Modes of Engagement
In collaboration with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the survey instrument, a structured questionnaire, was distributed in summer 2004 to a stratified random sample of 8000 CMI members. A total of 1337 usable returns were received, a response rate of 16.71%. However, roughly one third of the returned questionnaires, 34.2% were completed by individuals who have never personally taken part in strategy workshops. Consequently a number of the findings reported in the main body of the article are based on a reduced number of 'valid responses'.
The sample is fairly evenly divided in terms of organisational size, with the largest proportion in medium-sized organisations, comprising 251-5000 employees. A wide cross-section of sectors and management functions is also represented in the sample. The sample is also fairly evenly divided in terms of managerial seniority: 30.7% of the participants are directors, 45.7% occupy senior management roles. The remainder are drawn from a range of roles and levels. In total 75.8% of the sample are male (22.5% female).
The questionnaire instrument, comprising of a total of 36 questions, was sub-divided into 6 major sections as follows:
1. Demographic data about the research participants and their organisation (10 questions)
2. The research participant's involvement in strategy workshios (2 questions)
3. The format of the strategy workshops (8 questions)
4. The purpose of the strategy workshops (4 questions)
5. The nature of workshop participants, facilitators and the tools adopted during workshops (5 questions)
6. The outcomes of the workshops (6 questions)
Project Outputs
Events
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Johnson, G., Hodgkinson, G. and Whittington (2005). 'Strategy Workshops: Research Findings from the United Kingdom'. Presentation at the Strategic Management Society Conference, Orlando.
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Johnson, G., Hodgkinson, G. Whittington, R., Schwarz, M., Healey, M. and Prasantham, S. (2005). 'Symposium on Strategy Workshops.' BAM Conference.
Publications
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Hodgkinson, G.P., Whittington, R., Johnson, G. and Schwarz, M. (2006). (forthcoming).The Role of Strategy Workshops in Strategy Development Processes: Formality, Communication, Coordination and Inclusion.' Long Range Planning, 35, 479-496.
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Hodgkinson, G. and Johnson, G. (2005). 'Strategy Workshop: Rallying the Troops'. Accountancy Age Article
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Hodgkinson, G.P., Johnson, G., Whittington, R. and Schwartz, M. (2005). 'The Role of Strategy Workshops: Findings of a UK Survey.'
Theoretical Perspective on Strategy Workshops
Project Description
This research shows the relationship between theories of ritual and ritualisation and strategy workshops. There have been a number of papers presented at leading management conferences (including the AoM, BAM, EGOS and SMS).
There is an AIM Working Paper outlining this argument. There is also a paper that has been submitted to the Academy of Management Review.
Project Leader
Gerry Johnson, AIM Senior Fellow
Project Members
Shameen Prashantham - AIM Researcher
Steve Floyd - AIM Visiting International Fellow
Nicole Bourque - AIM Associate
Project Outputs
Events
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Johnson, G., Floyd, F., Prashantham, S., Bourque, N. and Mintzberg, H. (2006). 'Ritual Theory and Strategy Development Episodes - Practices, Context and Outcomes.' Presentation at the AoM Conference, Atlanta.
Publications
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Johnson, G., Prashantham, S. and Floyd, S. (2006). 'Towards a Mid-Range Theory of Strategy.' AIM Working Paper (WP No. 035-February-2006)
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Strategy Workshops and “Away-Days” As Ritual, with N.Bourque, Oxford Handbook of Organizational Decision Making, eds W.Starbuck and G.Hodgkinson pp 552-564, Oxford University Press, 2008
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Strategy Workshops and “Away-Days” As Ritual, with N.Bourque, Oxford Handbook of Organizational Decision Making, eds W.Starbuck and G.Hodgkinson pp 552-564, Oxford University Press, 2008
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Ritualizing Strategic Thinking: the Effectiveness of the Strategic Away Day, Strategic Direction, Vol 24 No.1 2008 pp 3-5.
Project Description
This research shows the relationship between theories of ritual and ritualisation and strategy workshops. There have been a number of papers presented at leading management conferences (AoM, BAM, EGOS, SMS).
There is an AIM Working Paper outlining this argument. There is also work being undertaken on further papers that develop this theoretical propositions relating to the likely outcomes of strategy workshops. These will consider and explain the effects of stategy workshops and unpack the concepts of ritual and ritualisation in relation to strategy workshops.
Modes of Engagement
The engagement is fieldwork, olbserving strategy workshops. This empirical work will form the basis of further papers in due course. Fieldwork includes, observation of workshops, interviews and focus groups with managers who have attended strategy workshops.
Project Leader
Gerry Johnson, AIM Senior Fellow
Project Members
Shameen Prashantham - AIM Researcher
Steve Floyd - AIM Visiting International Fellow
Nicole Bourque - AIM Associate
Project Outputs
Publications
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Johnson, G., Prashantham, S. and Floyd, S. (2006). 'Towards a Mid-Range Theory of Strategy.' AIM Working Paper (WP No. 035-February-2006)
Events
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28th October - Doing Research on Strategy Process and Practice: Workshop 1
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29th October - Doing Research on Strategy Process and Practice: Workshop
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Spring 2005 - Doing Research on Strategy Process and Practice: A Hands-On Workshop - Strathclyde University
For further information on this project please contact the AIM Fellow Gerry Johnson.
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