Strategic Management Review > Vol 1 > Issue 1

Strategic Reality Today: Extraordinary Past Success, but Difficult Challenges Loom

Richard A. Bettis, Kenan-Flagler Business School, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, r_bettis@unc.edu , Daniela Blettner, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Canada, daniela_blettner@sfu.ca
 
Suggested Citation
Richard A. Bettis and Daniela Blettner (2020), "Strategic Reality Today: Extraordinary Past Success, but Difficult Challenges Loom", Strategic Management Review: Vol. 1: No. 1, pp 75-101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/111.00000006

Publication Date: 04 Mar 2020
© 2020 now publishers, Inc.
 
Subjects
Strategic Management
 
Keywords
Futurisminterdependencecomplexitylinear regressionheuristicscausalitymachine learning
 

Share

Login to download a free copy
In this article:
Introduction 
Strategic Reality 
Discussion 
Dedications 
Acknowledgements 
References 

Abstract

After quickly reviewing the early history and the subsequent extraordinary success of Strategic Management, we suggest that research in our field today shows signs of settling into a premature institutional equilibrium regarding some vital issues. This equilibrium is inconsistent with strategic reality today on important topical and methodological imperatives the field faces. We suggest that these "strategic realities" must be extensively and thoroughly addressed to ensure our continued success in the future. We also suggest addressing these realities is key to improving our research efforts and their managerial usefulness as we move forward in a rapidly changing world. In other words, they represent important research challenges the business and academic environments present us today. We assert that substantial progress on any subset of these strategic realities over the next 20 years could be an important step toward continued success of our field. We also note that such progress will likely be very difficult.

DOI:10.1561/111.00000006