Strategy Breakout Session: Understanding the Field

1. Strategy Breakout Session: Understanding the Field Laquita C. Blockson, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Saint Leo University The PhD Project Conference November 16, 2012

2. Definition of Strategic Management • Strategic management consists of an organization’s movesandapproaches, which are devised by management to produce successful organizational performance. • Managers develop strategies to guide how an organization conducts its business and how it will achieve its target objectives. Source: Thompson & Strickland, 1992

3. Nature of Strategic Management Strategy is an integrative field • It encompasses theoretical aspects of discipline-based fields (accounting, economics, statistics, organizational behavior) • It also encompasses aspects of functional fields (operations management, human resource management, marketing, management information systems, finance) • It is comparable to other integrative fields (business and society/business ethics, entrepreneurship, international business)

4. Strategy Research Streams • Strategy formulation and implementation • Strategic planning and decision processes • Strategic control and reward systems • Resource allocation • Diversification and portfolio strategies • Competitive strategies (e.g., competitive intelligence) • Cooperative strategies (e.g., alliances and joint ventures) • Selection and behavior of general managers (e.g., C-level officers) • Composition and processes of top management teams (e.g., corporate governance) Source: Academy of Management (Business Policy& Strategy division domain statement)

5. WITHIN BUSINESS SCHOOLS Organization Theory Organizational Behavior Human Resource Management Information Systems/Technology Marketing Production/Operations Management/Logistics Business Environment/Ethics Statistics/Quantitative Methods Artificial Intelligence International Business Entrepreneurship OUTSIDE BUSINESS SCHOOLS Economics Engineering Computer Science/ Information Science Public Policy/Law/ Political Science Anthropology Sociology Psychology Philosophy/Philosophy of Science Health Management/ Public Health Education Environmental/Natural/ Hard Sciences Interrelated areas/disciplines within and outside business schools

6. Journals in Strategy Field These are the key/top-tier journals in the Strategy field: • Academy of Management publications • Academy of Management Journal (empirical) • Academy of Management Review (conceptual) • Academy of Management Executive (practitioner) • Academy of Management Learning & Education (pedagogical) • Strategic Management Journal • Administrative Science Quarterly • Journal of Management • Organization Science Strategy scholars also publish in a variety of journals outside the Strategy field, such as… • Journal of International Business Studies • Journal of Business Venturing • Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal • Business and Society • Management Science • California Management Review • American Sociological Review • American Journal of Sociology • Harvard Business Review* • Sloan Management Review* *Practitioner journals that, while prestigious, do not meet publishing requirements for tenure at some schools

7. Secondary Journals These journals, while not top-tier, may help provide you ideas for research topics: • Journal of Business Strategy • Business Horizons • Journal of Applied Management Studies • Journal of Management Education • Journal of Management Inquiry • Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and many more….

8. Academy of Management (AOM) and Management Doctoral Students Association (MDSA) The Academy of Management is the oldest, largest and leading professional association for scholars (i.e., professors; doctoral students and other management professionals) dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about management and organizations. • At the annual meeting and at its regional affiliate conferences, members present their management research and share new ideas about management education and practice. • As a management (Strategy) doctoral student, you will be expected to become an AOM member. Through the Management Doctoral Students Association (administered by The PhD Project), underrepresented minority doctoral students and alumni faculty members provide invaluable support, encouragement and insight to each other. • Each summer, the MDSA holds a conference that meets in conjunction with the AOM meeting. All expenses for minority doctoral student members are covered to attend these meetings, allowing MDSA members to network with leading scholars in the field. • The MyPhDNetwork.org knowledge-sharing site provides daily networking, peer support, mentoring and joint research opportunities for MDSA members throughout their doctoral programs and beyond as they proceed into faculty and administration roles.

9. Salaries for Newly-Minted Strategy Professors(2011-2012 AACSB Salary Survey) • Notes: • The salaries are for 9-month contracts; these figures do not include summer/research support or additional academic funding opportunities • These figures include all AACSB-accredited schools, regardless of size, location, or classification; these figures do not include non-AACSB-accredited schools, which typically offer lower salaries • These figures represent the faculty hired with funds designated/earmarked for Strategy faculty; not all faculty who teach Strategy courses are paid at Strategy faculty market rates

10. Suggestions for Developing your Research Interest (Strategy or otherwise) • Let your passion support your interests – otherwise, you may become disengaged and risk not completing your doctorate! • Conduct an internet and/or library search • Research topic(s) of interest • Find (and read) academic journal articles that address the topic (either directly or tangentially) • Visit www.12manage.com/i_s.html for an extensive list of strategy methods, models and theories • Doctoral program/school of interest • Determine if the school(s) of your choice offer the program of your choice • Schools vary in terms of philosophy and approach – double-check the required courses and opportunities for electives • Ask the school’s doctoral program for a copy/listing of faculty research and publications, if unavailable on the school website • Faculty of interest • Conduct a GoogleScholar or database (e.g., ABI/INFORM or InfoTrac) search for articles the faculty member has written or presentations s/he has made • Be focused, yet open about your research interests • Being too narrow may limit options; however… • Being too broad may give a perception of indecisiveness. • Understand that your research interest will likely change/deepen/broaden as you progress through the doctoral program • Speak with a Strategy doctoral student or faculty member affiliated with The PhD Project for ideas and guidance before applying to programs