The document discusses the eclectic roots of strategy implementation research. It summarizes research from various fields like organizational structure, control mechanisms, strategic consensus, leadership, and communication. The research shows implementation is complex involving resources, politics, and adoption at multiple levels. Successful implementation requires flexibility, consensus, involvement, and adapting to change. Future research needs to better understand factors influencing implementation and middle managers to develop conceptual models for the field.

1. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
Charles H. Noble
RESUME
Georgiana Alexandra Badoiu

2. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
‘‘ecletic’’
selecting or choosing from various sources
not following only one system,(philosophy, medicine,
etc.)
select & use the best elements of all systems

3. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
Charles Noble
 Is a profesor at University of Tennessee, Knoxville
 Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Industrial
Design
 Has published 29 articles

4. The Eclectic Roots of Strategy
Implementation Research
 limited knowledge of the nature of strategy implementation
and the reasons for its success
 general lack of existing research on which to base future
efforts
The premise of this study is that there exist a solid basis for
implementation research, but it requires a broadened perspective
and the potential consideration of an eclectic collection of
literature fields.

5. The nature of implementation
Various definitions for implementation
straightforward operationalization of a strategic plan
emphasized more on interpersonal and behavioural elements
Formal definitions of strategy implementation
as an act of control and monitoring
 as synonymous with the execution of the strategic plan
 as a level of planning and involving the allocation of resources and
the resolution of operational issues
as the communication, interpretation, adoption, and enactment of
strategic plans

6. Implementation-Related Research
Structural views
Organizational structure
structures that are more decentralized produces higher levels
of SBU effectiveness
a strategy-structure alignment is a necessary to the successful
implementation
changes in the competitive environment necessitate
adjustments to the organizational structure
Control Mechanisms

7. Implementation-Related Research
Control Mechanisms
A three-stage cycle:
1. planning a target or standard performance
2. monitoring or measuring activities design to reach that target
3. implementing corrections if standards are not being achieved
 strong relationship between the type of control systems and firm
performance.
 the control systems need to be flexible and implies a critical decision

8. Implementation-Related Research
Interpersonal Process Views
strategic consensus
autonomous strategic behaviour
diffusion perspectives
leadership and implementation
communication and other interaction processes

9. Strategic consensus
is a shared understanding and commitment to a strategic
directive between individuals or groups
higher levels of consensus will lead to higher firm performance
diversity of opinions may create a healthier environment that
produces more effective strategic decisions
conflict from the interaction and belief differences between
senior and middle managers
consensus can be assessed along both cognitive and emotional
dimensions
firms must achieve consensus both within and outside the firm
in order to successfully implement business strategies

10. Autonomous Strategic Behaviour
 no strategic consensus managers may deviate from a strategic directive
 Why? Managers think their way is best or deviate for self-serving purposes
 autonomous behaviours can have a deep effect on the success with which a
strategic plan is implemented and the nature of the strategy
 Effects: can redirect a strategy, delay its implementation, reduce the quality of
its implementation, and even totally sabotage the effort
 middle managers try to maintain their power and status (flat structure)
 turbulent business environments requires new managerial responses,
managers capable to improvise under conditions of change
 a certain doze of autonomous strategic behaviour may be benefit.

11. Diffusion Perspectives
strategies are initiated by senior managers and communicated to
line workers through middle managers
the reputation of the sponsoring senior executive is an important
factor in facilitating organizational adoption
some organization members are predisposed to adopt an
innovation with little prodding, whereas others will wait for formal
directives
the more radical the changes required by the implementation effort,
the slower may be the rate of organizational adoption

12. Leadership and Implementation
 Need of a driving force - CHANGE AGENT
 Line-level employees may use delay or prevent attempts toward
change that they find particularly threatening or disagreeable
Five general leadership styles in strategy implementation:
1. The commander model
2. The change model
3. The collaborative model
4. The cultural model.
5. The crescive model
 organizational change result from the collective learning of entire
organization, not from fixed programs and formal plans for change

13. Communication and Interaction
Processes
 significant informal processes
 a successful strategy implementation must include
obtaining broad-based inputs and participation at the formulating stage
carefully and deliberating assessing the obstacle to implementation
 making use of the array of implementation levers
selling the strategy to everyone who matters
 steadily fine tuning, adjusting an responding as events and trends arise
breakdowns in implementation when the strategic initiative is not well organized
defensive routines as limitation to learning and that often drive to perceptual
gaps (eliminate this defensive routines)

14. The State of Implementation
Research
 Implementation is a complex phenomenon, including elements such as internal
and external resource negotiation, political processes such as jockeying for
influence, and a shaping and adoption process at multiple levels in the
organization
 In successful implementing organizations
 managers may engage in self-interested behaviours, but “maverick”
behaviour may be needed as it breaks established organizational routines
 achieving consensus inside and outside the firm
 involvement in the strategy process
 must be fluid in their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and
new strategies and able to adjust organizational structures, leadership style
and culture.

15. Future Implementation Research
Research should focus on understanding better the factors influencing strategy
implementation and middle managers
 More studies are also needed on the influence of aspects such as culture,
organizational structure and management style on strategy implementation
success.
Research on identifying the key factors that influence individual commitment,
performance and strategy implementation is expected.
Development for measures such as middle manager involvement in the strategy,
autonomy in implementation, and the “newness” of the strategy are recommended.
 Conceptual models must be developed to enable strategy implementation to
achieve an identity of its own as a valid and distinguishable area of study