Strategy and Leadership Theories 1600-SZD-N-TSP-ZJ

Reading material and schedule
The following schedule is tentative; our progress will depend on the pace of our discussions. Sessions in the PhD program are forums for intellectual exchange, with discussion at their core.

Module I. Theories of Strategic Management (20 hours)
Teacher: Professor Krzysztof Obłój

Traditionally the strategic management field is divided into competitive strategy and strategy process subfields. The Competitive strategy field consists of many theories. Most important describe and explain such issues as industry structure, industry dynamics, intra-industry structure (strategic groups), market entry (first mover advantage, market entry), types of strategy (empirical or theoretical typologies of strategies), competitive advantage – its sources and sustainability.
The Strategy process field consists of theories dealing with such issues as: environmental analysis and sense-making of strategic issues, rational and/or emerging processes of strategy development, strategic decision-making, commitments, resources and capabilities development, interplay of strategy development and variables of culture, structure, technology and time.

Both of these fields have incredibly rich literature that could be accessed by studying mainly the following journals: Strategic Management Journal , Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Management, Strategy Science. And more practically oriented journals like: Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, Harvard Business Review, Business Horizons.

There are also readers, i.e. books, composed of the most important articles in the field. One of them was published e.g by H. Mintzberg et. al. , Strategy Safari, Free Press 2005 , other by B. de Wit and R. Mayer, Strategy: process, content, context, Cengage Learning 2010 (and are revised regularly), and each year the Strategic Management Society publishes new readers.

The situation is even more complicated as concepts from Strategic Management freely travel into the fields of International Business (IB) and Entrepreneurship, that have their own A class journals (eg. International Business Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing) and we observe even some integration of these fields.

The course addresses some of the major theoretical perspectives and current research streams because it is impossible to cover the whole field. In order to make sense of the field, and make it also useful for practical purposes of writing a PhD dissertation, we will divide the course into three parts. Part one starts with the discussion of the origins and early streams of strategic management (SM) research. The second part is devoted to four major theoretical perspectives: Strategic Planning, Strategy Process, Competitive strategy and the Resource-Based View. Part three focuses on new and/or active research streams in SM (especially related to cognitive psychology and international strategies).

Session 1: Introduction: what is Strategic Management field?
The session is devoted to the beauty and insights of exceptionally good theoretical and practical paper in our discipline. Please read both papers and be prepared to discuss them. Also, develop one or two research proposals for discussion based upon propositions, suggestions, hypothesis in these papers.

Levinthal D, March J. 1993. The myopia of learning, Strategic Management Journal, 14: 95-112 (great theoretical paper)
Tripsas, M., Gavetti, G. 2000. Capabilities, Cognition, and Inertia: Evidence from Digital Imaging, Strategic Management Journal, 21(10-11): 1147-1161. (great empirical paper)

Afterwards we will explore the history and nature of strategy management field. It will also explore perhaps the most basic question: where does strategy come from, or what is strategy? And for a moment we will venture into IB field and what CEE research brought into the discipline

Readings:
S. Cummings, W. Daellenbach, 2008, A guide to the future of strategy? The history of Long Range Planning, Long Range Planning 43 (2), 234-263.
Jaklič, Andreja, et al. "Evolution of Central and Eastern Europe related international business research." Journal of Business Research 108 (2020): 421-434.

Complementary reading:
T. Hafsi, H. Thomas, 2005, The field of strategy: in search of a walking stick, European Management Journal, vol. 23, no.5

Session 2: Strategy as a long range planning
This session will explore the classical theory of strategy as a long range planning, its assumptions, model, toolbox and its critique.

Readings:
R.M. Grant, 2003, Strategic planning in turbulent environment: evidence from the oil majors, Strategic Management Journal, 24, 491-517.
P. Brews, D. Purohit, 2007, Strategic planning in unstable environment, Long Range Planning, 40, 64-83.
H. Mintzberg, J.A. Waters (1981), Of strategies: deliberate and emergent, Strategic Management Journal, 6, 3, 257-272.

Complementary reading:
H. Mintzberg, The rise and fall of strategic planning, Free Press, New York 1994

Session 3: Strategy as a process
This session will explore the strategy making process theory and its major assumptions related to organizational learning and decision-making process.

Readings:
Wasowska A., Obloj K. , Ciszewska Mlinaric M. (2016) Vicious and virtuous learning cycles in the internationalization of emerging markets firms, European Journal of International Management, 10 (1), pp.105 – 125
Saebi, Tina, Lasse Lien, and Nicolai J. Foss (2017). "What drives business model adaptation? The impact of opportunities, threats and strategic orientation." Long range planning 50.5: 567-581.
Bingham C., Eisenhardt K. (2011) Rational heuristics: the simple rules that strategists learn from process experience, Strategic Management Journal, 32: 1437-1464.
Ciszewska Mlinaric M, Obloj K. , Wasowska A. (2018), Internationalisation choices of Polish firms during the post-socialism transition period: the role of institutional conditions at firm’s foundation, Business History, 60 (4), 562-600

Complementary reading:
C.L. Wang, H. Chugh (2014) Entrepreneurial learning: past research and future challenges, International Journal of Management Reviews, 16 (1), 24-61.
Ciszewska-Mlinaric M. Wasowska A., Obloj K., (2016) Effectuation and causation: two decision-making logics of INVs at the early stage of growth and internationalisation, JEEMS, 21 (1)
Chandler G.N., DeTienne D.R., McKelvie A., Mumford T. V. 2011. Causation and effectuation process: A validation study, Journal of Business Venturing, 26, 375-390.
Session 4: Strategy as competitive position in an industry
This session will explore positioning theory of strategy, its assumptions, model and toolbox that became a ‘bread and butter’ of consulting industry and favorite theory of managers.

Readings:
Porter M . 1991. Towards a dynamic theory of strategy. Strategic Management Journal 12, 95-117
Baum P., Wally S., 2003, Strategic decision speed and firm performance, Strategic Management Journal, 24, 1107-1129
Porac J. et al. (1995) Rivalry and the industry model of Scottish knitwear producers, Administrative Science Quarterly 40: 203-227
Kostera M., Obloj K. (2010) Archetypes of rivalry: Narrative responses of Polish radio station managers to perceived environmental change, Journal of Change Management, 23, 5, pp.564 – 577
Cattani, L.M.Dunbar, Shapira Z., (2017) How Commitment to Craftsmanship Leads to Unique Value: Steinway & Sons’ Differentiation Strategy, Strategy Science 2 (1), 13-38

Complementary reading
M. Porter, Competitive strategy, The Free Press, 1980, and Competitive advantage, The Free Press, 1985
K. Obłój, Footnotes to organizational competitiveness, Economics and Business Review, Vol. 5 (19), No. 3, 2019: 35-49

Session 5: Strategy as resource and capabilities based perspective
This session will explore Resource Based View that is dominant theoretical perspective at the moment in the strategic management literature

Readings:
Peteraf, M. 1993. The cornerstones of competitive advantage: A resource-based view, Strategic Management Journal,14(3): 179-191
Eisenhardt, K.M., J.A. Martin. 2000. Dynamic Capabilities: What are they?, Strategic Management Journal, 21: 1105-1121.
Obloj, T., Obloj K., Pratt M. 2010. Dominant logic and entrepreneurial firms performance in a transitional market, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 34 (1), 151-169.
Danneels E. (2011) Trying to become a different type of company: dynamic capability at Smith Corona, Strategic Management Journal, 32 (1): 1-31.

Complementary reading:
Newbert, S.L. 2007. Empirical Research on the Resource-Based View of the Firm: An Assessment and Suggestions for Future Research, Strategic Management Journal, 28: 121-146.
Gavetti, G., & Porac, J. (2018). On the origin of great strategies. Strategy Science, 3(1), 352-365.

Module II. Theories of Leadership (10 hours)
Teacher: Aleksandra Wąsowska, PhD

Session 1. Introduction: Leadership as a field of study
The session is dedicated to mapping the field and tracing the historical evolution of the main theories explaining the complex phenomenon of leadership. Please read all the papers suggested below and come prepared for discussion. Additionally, select two of the theoretical approaches and be ready to explain, in 2-3 sentences, how they differ.

Readings:
Zaleznik, A. 1977. ‘Managers and Leaders: Are They Different? Harvard Business Review, May/June, p. 67-78.
Kets de Vries, M. F. 1994 The leadership mystique. Academy of Management Perspectives, 8(3), 73-89.
Kotter, J. P. 2000. What leaders really do. The Bottom Line, 13(1).
Barker, R. A. 2001. The nature of leadership. Human Relations, 54(4), 469-494.
Alvesson, M., & Sveningsson, S. 2003. Managers doing leadership: The extra-ordinarization of the mundane. Human relations, 56(12), 1435-1459.

Session 2. “Old” and “New” theories of leadership
Readings:
Kirkpatick, S. A., & Locke, E. A. 1991. Leadership: do traits matter? Academy of Management Perspectives, 5(2), 48-60.
Bass, B. M., & Steidlmeier, P. 1999. Ethics, character, and authentic transformational leadership behavior. The Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 181-217.
Gardner, W. L., Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., & Dickens, M. P. 2011. Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), 1120-1145.
Maccoby, M. 2004. Why people follow the leader: The power of transference. Harvard Business Review, 82(9), 76-85.

Session 3. Application of theories of leadership in management research
Readings:
Mittal, R., & Dorfman, P. W. 2012. Servant leadership across cultures. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 555-570.
Yammarino, F. J., Spangler, W. D., & Bass, B. M. 1993. Transformational leadership and performance: A longitudinal investigation. The Leadership Quarterly, 4(1), 81-102.
Gabriel, Y. 1997. Meeting God: When organizational members come face to face with the supreme leader. Human Relations, 50(4), 315-342.

Session 4. Critical perspectives on leadership
Readings:
Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. 2019. Warning for excessive positivity: Authentic leadership and other traps in leadership studies. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(4), 383-395.
Gardner, W. L., Karam, E. P., Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. 2021. Authentic leadership theory: The case for and against. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6), 101495.
Lin, S. H., Scott, B. A., & Matta, F. K. 2019. The dark side of transformational leader behaviors for leaders themselves: A conservation of resources perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 62(5), 1556-1582.