Collective Mindfulness and Strategy: Integrating the Core Theoretical Streams

Abstract

This paper elucidates the crucial role played by collective mindfulness in strategic decisions and strategizing activities. We unveil some of the micro- processes that take place in the ‘black box’ of strategy making and outline the need to simultaneously address questions such as- who makes strategies (person), what do they do (practices), and how do the person and practices interact with the dynamic environment. Further, we bring forth the complementarities between three emerging and seemingly disparate streams of strategy research, namely- behavioral strategy, strategy-as-practice and the dynamic capabilities perspective and explain how the concept of collective mindfulness may provide a mechanism to integrate them. By highlighting how collective mindfulness can explain finer details of strategy and may act as a central construct to integrate strategy research streams, we seek to stimulate newer lines of inquiry for progressing strategy research. Keywords: collective mindfulness, strategy, behavioral strategy, strategy-as-practice, dynamic capabilities