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Strategy as practice or parody? A case study of the strategic plan in a university

Alvesson, Mats LU and Sveningsson, Stefan LU (2025) In Scandinavian Journal of Management 41(1).
Abstract

The paper shows, based on a case study of the production of a strategic plan at a fairly traditional university, the problems and potential meaninglessness of working with strategic plans in this type of setting, characterized by strong professional norms. Senior people involved in the strategy work raise strong doubts over, and distancing from, the process and outcome. Possible meanings of the strategic plan, in addition to having a (‘real’) strategy for the university, such as communicating a brand image, identity construction, or producing an image of rational management, backfired. The paper raises doubts about the strategic planning view, but also about strategy in practice or as process. An alternative understanding of strategy is... (More)

The paper shows, based on a case study of the production of a strategic plan at a fairly traditional university, the problems and potential meaninglessness of working with strategic plans in this type of setting, characterized by strong professional norms. Senior people involved in the strategy work raise strong doubts over, and distancing from, the process and outcome. Possible meanings of the strategic plan, in addition to having a (‘real’) strategy for the university, such as communicating a brand image, identity construction, or producing an image of rational management, backfired. The paper raises doubts about the strategic planning view, but also about strategy in practice or as process. An alternative understanding of strategy is proposed: strategy as parody.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Parody, Planning, Practice, Strategy, University
in
Scandinavian Journal of Management
volume
41
issue
1
article number
101392
pages
12 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85211336022
ISSN
0956-5221
DOI
10.1016/j.scaman.2024.101392
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e7e3a9b1-0b03-492e-9aab-ebc989ca5d14
date added to LUP
2025-01-30 12:40:43
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:15:14
@article{e7e3a9b1-0b03-492e-9aab-ebc989ca5d14,
  abstract     = {{<p>The paper shows, based on a case study of the production of a strategic plan at a fairly traditional university, the problems and potential meaninglessness of working with strategic plans in this type of setting, characterized by strong professional norms. Senior people involved in the strategy work raise strong doubts over, and distancing from, the process and outcome. Possible meanings of the strategic plan, in addition to having a (‘real’) strategy for the university, such as communicating a brand image, identity construction, or producing an image of rational management, backfired. The paper raises doubts about the strategic planning view, but also about strategy in practice or as process. An alternative understanding of strategy is proposed: strategy as parody.</p>}},
  author       = {{Alvesson, Mats and Sveningsson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{0956-5221}},
  keywords     = {{Parody; Planning; Practice; Strategy; University}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Management}},
  title        = {{Strategy as practice or parody? A case study of the strategic plan in a university}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2024.101392}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scaman.2024.101392}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}