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Authentic Strategy – Calling for More than Just Good Strategy

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Abstract

The rate of strategic failure reported in the literature has been alarming. Many authors attribute strategic failures to the challenge of implementation. One may, however, wonder whether strategizing is done in a genuine way or just in compliance with certain expectations. This paper argues that many organizations are not serious enough about strategy and do it mainly as a signal of good management or in response to institutional requirements. As a result, these organizations do not have authentic strategies. The paper builds on the strategy literature to argue for the need for more authenticity. It aims to contribute both to theory and practice. First, it introduces and develops the new concept of authentic strategy, presents its components, and distinguishes it from the concept of good strategy. Second, it proposes a self-assessment tool that executives can use to assess the authenticity of their strategy. This tool includes authentic mission, authentic vision, authentic values, core of authentic strategy, and implementation. The paper calls for further empirical research to validate and improve on the self-assessment tool. It also encourages addressing the impact of authentic strategy on organizational performance as an interesting subject for future research.

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... However, neglecting competition in public sector strategy may contradict the very essence of strategy itself (Angwin and Cummings, 2017). Khalifa (2020) defines strategy as a theory of winning, emphasizing that a strategy lacking a logic on how to succeed in the marketplace is not truly a strategy (Jabnoun and Khalifa, 2024). The heightened recognition of the public sector's influence in attracting investment, developing human capital, and enhancing societal well-being has prompted a greater focus on competition and public sector strategies among managers and policymakers. ...
... Jabnoun (2023) observes that many organizations mistake strategy for goals, reducing strategic planning to mere template filling. He calls for the development of authentic strategies that are unique to each organization, rooted in a sound diagnosis, and functioning as levers for organizational performance (Jabnoun and Khalifa, 2024). The lack of authenticity and seriousness of strategies has been addressed by many authors (Liedtka, 2008;Vermeulen, 2017) but there is no tested instrument for measuring strategic authenticity. ...
... Some authors estimate this failure rate to be between 50 and 90 percent (Cândido and Santos, 2015;Sirkin et al., 2005). While some attribute strategic failures to implementation challenges (Hrebiniak, 2006;Niven, 2003), others point to a lack of seriousness about strategy (Rumelt, 2011;Jabnoun and Khalifa, 2024). Tregoe and Tobia (1991) emphasize the distinction between strategy and planning. ...
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The question of bureaucratic effectiveness has been an issue of great concern and disagreement in the field of American politics and public administration. Various "schools of thought" and competing hypotheses vie for acceptance, while case studies are the primary method of empirical investigation. In this article, I use the case survey method to aggregate the collective judgements of previous case-study researchers regarding bureaucratic effectiveness and other key characteristics of U.S. cabinet agencies. I then conduct a preliminary test of competing theories using Maximum Likelihood Estimation. The processes accounted for by the "Political Theory of the Firm" prove most likely to be the correct model of bureaucratic effectiveness. The collection of more data will permit greater sophistication in the analysis and will give us more precise and reliable insights into the factors that systematically produce sound or poor performance in the agencies of America's federal government. © 1993 by The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc.
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Competitiveness is inevitable in highly dynamic and uncertain environments. Business strategy is concerned with how businesses achieve a competitive advantage. Its implementation involves the fit between the organization's business strategy and its internal processes. An appropriate match enhances organizational effectiveness and generates superior performance. A strategic fit between a business strategy and a human resource strategy can help retain and motivate employees and translate into organizational performance and competitive advantage. Based on Porter's generic strategies as business competitive strategies and an extensive literature review, this study proposes and develops three different human resource strategies. We also thoroughly designate three alternatives of reward systems that are suited to each human resource strategy. Through a close linkage among business competitive strategy, human resource strategy, and reward systems, we hope to provide mangers with directions for designing and implementing an appropriate reward systems under various business competitive strategies and help firms to create competitive advantage effectively.
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Purpose – What are the strategies of managers to implement their strategy? What are the strategies to execute organizational objectives? The purpose of this paper is to approach what the authors call the drivers of performance that is the driving forces which impact the performance of a manager in executing his/her objectives. What are the strategies, which you as a manager have to have in order to execute your objectives and to obtain better results with your respective department? The authors discuss the five drivers of performance, that of rules, emotions, initiatives, immediate action and integrity. The research findings are presented with a discussion on the usefulness of the drivers. Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was administered to a population of 484, with a study sample of 180 managers to better understand the underlying drivers of performance in strategy execution. The authors used primarily components analysis to examine the relationship between drivers of performance identified in previous research. Findings – The study found four drivers the performance and management practices of managers. The following driver were found; driver of emotions, (getting a commitment for your objectives), the dimension of taking initiatives (translating the objectives into concrete projects/empowerment), the driver of rules (clarifying and aligning the objectives) and driver of immediate action (taking valued added action and facing emergencies in the execution). Research limitations/implications – The paper found that the fundamental of strategic management such as management leadership in performance and strategy execution could be organized according to four drivers. Additional work will be necessary to generalize the findings to other type of management programs which are related to performance effectiveness. Originality/value – The study sought to contribute a new management direction by identifying four drivers gathering the strategic platforms that managers could employ to organize their performance and strategy execution.
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This article develops a theory in which a firm's adoption of a prosocial purpose can increase profitability by strengthening employees' reputation and identity--leading to higher effort and lower wages--as long as implementing purpose is costly with respect to direct monetary payoffs. Employees who value prosocial action will select into firms with a social purpose, which then become a visible carrier for these employees' identity and reputation.