Strategy Content and Public Service Organizations

Abstract

Existing classifications of organizational strategy have limited relevance to public agencies. They confuse strategy processes and strategy content, consist of simplistic taxonomies, and do not take sufficient account of the constraints faced by public organizations. In this article we attempt to remedy these problems by developing a strategy content matrix that comprises two dimensions: strategic stance (the extent to which an organization is a prospector, defender, or reactor) and strategic actions (the relative emphasis on changes in markets, services, revenues, external relationships, and internal characteristics). This matrix is used to generate hypotheses on the strategies that are likely to be pursued by public organizations. The need for a clearer understanding of the strategies of public service organizations is urgent. Programs of management reform frequently require public managers to develop new strategies that will lead to better performance. These expectations are clearly seen in the National Performance Review in the United States (Thompson 2000) and in the ''Modernisation Agenda'' in the United Kingdom (Boyne, Kitchener, and Kirkpatrick 2001). The aim of this article is to develop a framework to classify the strategies pursued by public organizations. Strategy content can be defined as the patterns of service provision that are selected and implemented by organizations. In contrast to the case in the private sector, strategy need not be viewed as a ''weapon'' that is used to defeat rivals in a competitive struggle (Greer and Hoggett 1999). Rather, strategy can be interpreted more broadly as a means to improve public services, whether these are provided by one agency or whole networks of organizations (Boyne 2003). Various strategic management frameworks seek to classify the strategies of public and private organizations (Ketchen,

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