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

[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.

IBAR. Irish journal business and administrative research

Irish Business and Administrative Research

21

0332-1118

N/A

2

26