Strategy execution remains a critical challenge for organizations worldwide, with up to 67% of well-formulated strategies failing due to poor implementation. This study addresses the lack of comprehensive strategy execution frameworks by developing and validating the CADAP (capability, agility, design, alignment and people) strategy execution framework. Through a systematic bibliometric analysis of 40 years of literature, we identified eight influential frameworks and conducted research on their limitations. Employing a rigorous combination of inductive and deductive approaches, along with gap analysis, we conceptualized a new framework—CADAP strategy execution framework, consisting of five dimensions: capability, agility, design, alignment and people. We substantiated our framework using natural language processing on 534 articles from four top-tier journals and validated it through a case study of a global bank divestiture. Results demonstrate that CADAP provides a holistic approach to strategy execution, with organizations effectively implementing it, showing improved adaptability and performance in complex environments. Overall, this study contributes to management literature by offering an empirically grounded framework for strategy execution, providing a roadmap for organizations to navigate modern business complexities and foster resilience in the global marketplace. Finally, the limitations and possible future research directions are discussed.
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