Phases in the strategy formation process: an exploratory study of Irish SMEs

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
McCarthy, Breda;Leavy, Brian
Abstract

[Extract] This paper provides a description of how strategies form and evolve in the small to medium-sized enterprise (SME). The results are based on a series of nine case studies and the methodology used involved an intensive, longitudinal, inductive and comparative case-based approach. Although the research undertaken is quite limited and exploratory in nature, a number of important observations may be drawn from the empirical evidence: • the strategy process was planned but also emergent in nature; • the degree of planning undertaken in the foundation phase appeared to be most influenced by the personality of the entrepreneur, the type of business and business context; • the strategy process appeared to follow a phase pattern over time, with firms moving from an early fluid phase to a more defined phase, usually triggered by a crisis or defining episode. Therefore, the degree of planning undertaken was a function of organisational history.

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21

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0332-1118

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2

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26

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Irish Academy of Management

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