Strategic transformations in the media

Abstract

'strategic' media management as a topic of inquiry. The primary strands of this theme include: an examination of how a highly uncertain media environment has influenced management strategies, business models and profitability (

Are opportunities and threats enough?A development of the labels of strategic issues

“…As this new dynamic framework does not rely solely on opportunity and threat labels but also incorporates ambivalent and amorphous issues, it overcomes some shortcomings in strategic issue diagnosis wherein organisational members miss important opportunities or fail to detect threats due to the limitations of having only two labels. Lastly, this study further highlights the relevant and important role that concepts and theories from strategy can play in enhancing media management (Oliver, 2018;Hasenpusch & Baumann, 2017;Horst & Järventie-Thesleff, 2016;Küng, 2016), gaining a better understanding of contemporary issues facing newspaper organisations, and overcoming these organisations' issues.…”

“…This study targets the specificities of issues facing newspaper organisations to enhance and challenge the existing framework of strategic issues. Thus, this paper extends the current focus on strategy in media management because, to date, there has been a strong focus on dynamic capabilities (Hasenpusch & Baumann, 2017;Maijanen & Virta, 2017;Oliver, 2018Oliver, , 2014. In doing so, this study sheds new light on the challenges newspapers face, and provides a new framework to identify issues for organisations in disruptive business environments.…”

“…The newspaper industry is currently experiencing an extended period of disruption (e.g., Franklin, 2008;Kagermann, 2015;Lewis, 2012;Oliver, 2018). This study highlights some of the current issues facing newspaper organisations, contributing to the ongoing discussion on digitization and other challenges.…”

“…(Franklin, 2008;Kagermann, 2015;McDowell, 2011). The findings of this paper suggest organisations that are experiencing transformation (Oliver, 2018) cannot necessarily fit issues into only one distinctive category of opportunity or threat, but could view some issues as both. Some scholars suggest that organisations do not perceive opportunities related to radical change until the situation is critical, and by then the issues is usually only seen as a threat (Gilbert, 2006).…”

“…Hasenpusch & Baumann, 2017;Horst & Järventie-Thesleff, 2016;Küng, 2016), this paper explores the labelling of strategic issues in media organisations. This allows for conceptual clarification with regards to strategic issues and to highlight the uncertainties that could occur when organisational members interpret strategic issues during periods of transformation (Oliver, 2018). This paper provides a framework of issues labels that can help organisations set up a more flexible agenda and not impose labels of "opportunity" or "threat" on an issue that is ill-defined.…”