Call for papers Mini Track on Research Methods in Strategy-as-Practice
Track Chair: Professor Ganesh N. Prabhu
The practice of Strategy-as-Practice research has grown considerably among European researchers in recent years. Since 2003, strategy-as-practice research has used a wide variety of both qualitative and quantitative research methods to effectively examine the micro level activities that result in strategy making within and across organisations. Given that micro processes are of concern to strategy-as-practice researchers, these research methods were essentially adapted from parent disciplines like anthropology and psychology that were developed to examine such micro processes within their discipline. As a consequence, the methods used in strategy-as-practice also carried the underlying assumptions that are drawn from these parent disciplines. However strategy-as-practice places higher priority on activities and practices, instead of individuals and organizations and their processes – therefore the underlying assumptions of fields like anthropology and psychology may well be inappropriate for this field. There has also been some ambiguity about the boundary of the strategy-as-practice field leading to many creative adaptations of research methods over time. The field of strategy-as-practice was too young so far to effectively debate on research methods. It is now an opportune time for scholars of strategy-as-practice to re-examine and debate research method issues in the field and to develop an agenda for spurring growth in research on strategy-as-practice that is grounded firmly on understanding activities and practices, rather than individuals and organizations. We invite scholars from various disciplinary backgrounds to contribute papers that debate these issues and add significantly to our understanding of effective research methods to understand the actions and routines that constitute strategising.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
§ Taking stock of research methods in strategy-as-practice
§ Reflecting on research approaches in strategy-as-practice
§ Practical issues in doing research on strategy-as-practice
§ Qualitative research methods in strategy-as-practice
§ Creativity in research methods in strategy-as-practice
§ Proposing new research approaches for strategy-as-practice
For mini track submission details, see the call for papers page