This article describes an action research case study based on a UK boat-building company that was in serious difficulty, with the managers ‘stuck’ as to what was their best course of action. The application of traditional strategic management approaches to this case was inappropriate, so another method was developed in order to liberate the managers from their inaction. The outcome was the formulation of a successful strategy that was effectively implemented. The managers agreed that the method was useful for resolving their predicament and it may be relevant in other cases where traditional strategic management is either not suitable or is rejected by practitioners.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ansoff, H. I. and McDonnell, E. J. ( 1990 ) Implanting Strategic Management . Hemel Hempstead : Prentice Hall International .
2.
Bougon, M. G. ( 1992 ) ‘Congregate Cognitive Maps: A Unified Dynamic Theory of Organization and Strategy’ , Journal of Management Studies29 ( 3 ): 369 - 389 .
3.
British Marine Industries Federation ( 1994 ) BMIF Yearbook and Classified Buyers’ Guide . Farncombe : Charles Smith .
4.
Burgoyne, J. and Reynolds, M. ( 1997 ) Management Learning: Integrating Perspectives in Theory and Practice . London : Sage .
5.
Casement, P. ( 1992 ) On Learning From the Patient . London : Routledge .
6.
Chia, R. ( 1997 ) ‘Process Philosophy and Management Learning: Cultivating “Foresight” in Management Education’ , in John Burgoyne and Michael Reynolds (eds) Management Learning: Integrating Perspectives in Theory and Practice , pp. 71 - 88 . London : Sage .
7.
Cunliffe, A. L. ( 2002 ) ‘Reflexive Dialogical Practice in Management Learning’ , Management Learning33 ( 1 ): 35 - 61 .
8.
Cunningham, I. and Dawes, G. ( 1997 ) ‘Problematic Premises, Presumptions, Presuppositions and Practices in Management Education and Training’ , in John Burgoyne and Michael Reynolds (eds) Management Learning: Integrating Perspectives in Theory and Practice . London : Sage .
9.
Dutton, J. E. and Duncan, R. B. ( 1987 ) ‘The Creation of Momentum for Change through the Process of Strategic Issue Diagnosis’ , Strategic Management Journal8 ( 3 ): 279 - 295 .
10.
Eden, C. and Huxham, C. ( 1988 ) ‘Action-oriented Strategic Management’ , Journal of the Operational Research Society39 ( 10 ): 889 - 899 .
11.
Eden, C. , Jones, S. and Sims, D. ( 1983 ) Messing About in Problems . Oxford : Pergamon Press .
12.
Egan, G. ( 1990 ) The Skilled Helper . Belmont, CA : Brooks/Cole .
13.
Egan, G. ( 1998 ) The Skilled Helper: A Problem-management Approach to Helping , 6th edn. Pacific Grove, CA : Brooks/Cole .
14.
Feltham, C. and Horton, E. I. ( 2000 ) Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy . London : Sage .
15.
Gregory, W. J. and Romm, N. R. ( 2001 ) ‘Critical Facilitation: Learning through Intervention in Group Processes’ , Management Learning32 ( 4 ): 453 - 467 .
16.
Habermas, J. ( 1984 ) The Theory of Communication , vol.1. Boston, MA : Beacon Press .
17.
Hampden-Turner, C. ( 1994 ) Charting the Corporate Mind . Oxford : Blackwell .
18.
Heron, J. and Reason, P. ( 2002 ) ‘The Practice of Co-operative Inquiry: Research “With” Rather than “On” People’ , in Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury (eds) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry in Practice . London : Sage .
19.
Huff, A. S. ( 1990 ) ‘Mapping Strategic Thought’ , in Anne S. Huff (ed.) Mapping Strategic Thought . Chichester : Wiley .
20.
Kelly, G. A. ( 1963 ) A Theory of Personality: The Psychology of Personal Constructs . New York : W. W. Norton .
21.
Kemmis, S. ( 2002 ) ‘Exploring the Relevance of Critical Theory for Action Research: Emancipatory Action Research in the Footsteps of Jürgen Habermas’ , in Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury (eds) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry in Practice . London : Sage .
22.
Langfield-Smith, K. ( 1992 ) ‘Exploring the Need for a Shared Cognitive Map’ , Journal of Management Studies29 ( 3 ): 349 - 368 .
23.
Large, M. ( 1992 ) ‘Eco-mapping: How to Avoid Boiled Frogs’ , Management Education and Development23 ( 4 ): 317 - 325 .
24.
Lenz, R. T. and Engledow, J. L. ( 1986 ) ‘Environmental Analysis: The Applicability of Current Theory’ , Strategic Management Journal7 : 329 - 346 .
25.
Martin, W. H. and Mason, S. ( 1989 ) Boating and Water Sports in Britain . London : Leisure Consultants .
26.
Miliken, F. J. and Vollrath, D. A. ( 1991 ) ‘Strategic Decision-making Tasks and Group Effectiveness: Insights from Theory and Research on Small Group Performance’ , Human Relations44 ( 12 ): 1229 - 1253 .
27.
Nelson-Jones, R. ( 2002 ) Essential Counselling and Therapy Skills . London : Sage .
28.
Ogilvie, D. T. ( 1998 ) ‘Creative Action in Dynamic Strategy: Using Imagination to Improve Strategic Solutions in Unstable Environments’ , Journal of Business Research41 : 49 - 56 .
29.
Park, P. ( 2002 ) ‘Knowledge and Participatory Research’ , in Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury (eds) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry in Practice . London : Sage .
30.
Phillips, L. D. and Phillips, M. C. ( 1993 ) ‘Facilitated Work Groups: Theory and Practice’ , Journal of the Operational Research Society44 : 533 - 549 .
31.
Porter, M. E. ( 1980 ) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors . New York : Free Press .
32.
Porter, M. E. ( 1985 ) Competitive Advantage . New York : Free Press .
33.
Reason, P. and Bradbury, H. ( 2002 ) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry and Practice . London : Sage .
34.
Reason, P. and Marshall, J. ( 2002 ) ‘On Working With Graduate Research Students’ in Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury (eds) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry in Practice , pp. 413 - 419 . London : Sage .
35.
Reason, P. and Rowan, J. ( 1991 ) ‘Foreword’ , in Peter Reason and John Rowan (eds) Human Inquiry: A Source Book of New Paradigm Research . Chichester : Wiley .
36.
Rogers, C. R. ( 1998 ) On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy . London : Constable .
37.
Rutter, K. A. ( 1990 ) ‘The UK Leisure Marine Industry’ , internal working paper Transactions 37 - 66 .
38.
Rutter, K. A. ( 1991 ) ‘Towards a Classification of Variables in the UK Boat Building Industry’ , Transactions3 ( 1 ): 72 - 95 .
39.
Rutter, K. A. ( 1994 ) ‘Finding Your Way: Using Action Research and Cognitive Mapping in Strategy Formulation’ , in Derek Adam-Smith and Alan Peacock (eds) Cases in Organisational Behaviour . London : Pitman .
40.
Rutter, K. A. ( 1995 ) Competitive Analysis: UK Leisure Boat Builders and Inland Hire Cruiser Sectors. A Report for the DTI . Portsmouth : University of Portsmouth Business School .
41.
Rutter, K. A. (1999) ‘Strategic Issue Interpretation among Managing Directors of UK Boat Building Companies’, report, Portsmouth.
42.
Smircich, L. and Stubbart, C. I. ( 1985 ) ‘Strategic Management in an Enacted Way’ , Academy of Management Review10 ( 4 ): 724 - 736 .
43.
Stacey, R. D. ( 2000 ) Strategic Management & Organisational Dynamics . Harlow : Financial Times/Prentice Hall .
44.
Weick, K. E. ( 1990 ) ‘Cartographic Myths in Organizations’ , in Anne S. Huff (ed.) Mapping Strategic Thought . Chichester : Wiley .
45.
Williams, T. ( 1994 ) ‘Shuttlers COPE with Delay and Distruption’ , OR Newsletter 13 - 15 .
