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Article
Becoming Aware of the Unknown: Decision Making During the Implementation of a Strategic Initiative
Organization Science
  • Ronald Klingebiel, Warwick Business School
  • Arnoud De Meyer, Singapore Management University
Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
3-2012
Abstract

This qualitative study analyzes the decision-making process involved in adapting preconceived courses of action during the implementation of a strategic initiative. We observe that the type of decision-making process hinges on the nature of managers’ emerging awareness of future events. When managers become aware of new uncertainty, the process involves selectiveness, deliberateness, and diligence. By contrast, when managers become aware of new certainty, the process conforms to the problem-solving adhocracy and decision-making messiness emphasized in prior literature. We summarize our findings in a framework, proposing that decision-level differences in awareness and uncertainty can explain the observed variation in strategic decision-making processes during implementation. We also discuss implications for theory on procedural rationality and analytical comprehensiveness.

Keywords
  • strategic decision making,
  • decision-making processes,
  • strategic initiatives,
  • implementation,
  • uncertainty
Identifier
10.1287/orsc.1110.0726
Publisher
INFORMS
Copyright Owner and License
Publisher
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1110.0726
Citation Information
Ronald Klingebiel and Arnoud De Meyer. "Becoming Aware of the Unknown: Decision Making During the Implementation of a Strategic Initiative" Organization Science Vol. 24 Iss. 1 (2012) p. 133 - 153 ISSN: 1047-7039
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/arnoud_demeyer/12/