Practice Genealogy and Its Implications for Strategy as Practice

Abstract

Purpose: To map the converging principles of the various practice theories and present their implications for the research agenda of the strategy as practice. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: The research program of strategy as practice (S-as-P) is an intellectual heir of the studies based upon practices present in contemporary social theory. Field theoreticians reinforce the importance of a self-conscious application of the theory of practice, an ambition that requires an allegiance to the notion of practice. Facing this situation, the contribution of this work is: 1. to enable a first approach with the philosophical assumptions of the theory of practice; 2. to serve as a basis for a thorough examination of the research agenda of S-as-P; 3. to serve as inspiration for scholars to be concerned about the fundamental concepts of their researches. Key methodological aspects: Theoretical essay elaborated from a systematic review of the literature. Summary of key results: Review of critical concepts for the S-as-P (e.g.: notions of social/organizational reality, practice, agency, strategy and articulation of these concepts with influential visions in the field of strategy), showing their unique aspects - facing the procedural approaches in strategy and previous theoretical perspectives in the social sciences that use the word practice - and stimulating the development of research of ethnographic inspiration, cartographic or similar. Key considerations/conclusions: The effort undertaken is an attempt to bring to surface the assumptions that guide the turn of the practice, avoiding the reproduction of theoretical models, without understanding the principles on which they were drawn up.

Leadership as Cultural Practice

“…According to the studies on organizational learning, the practice approach has brought new elements to discussion, such as the role of emotions in the learning process, the political, power and domination influence in the content of learning, and also the interdependence between the processes of learning and organizing (Bispo, 2013a;Flach & Antonello, 2011;Gherardi, Nicolini, & Odella, 1998). As stated in the studies about strategy, the practice approach could recognize, for instance, that the strategy work is widely distributed in the organizations, not only taking into account the participation of the employees at higher hierarchical levels, but also the ones at medium and lower levels, (Jarzabkowski, 2005;Samra-Fredericks, 2003;Silva & Gonçalves, 2016;Vaara & Whittington, 2012;Whittington, 2003).…”