Dynamics of after-sales managers’ strategizing work: What, why and how

Abstract

The strategizing work of After-sales managers is understudied. This paper therefore investigate how after-sales strategies actually come about in early phases of product development. The study builds on three month observations and 68 interviews. This paper studies a radical vehicle platform project where the participating organizations organized product development through cross-functional project teams. First, this paper penetrates the “black box” of activities that after-sales managers must avail themselves, and the strategy work that after-sales managers perform in practice. Second, we develop a framework explaining and defining the dynamics of after-sales strategizing work. Third, we develop a process model capturing the activities of after-sales strategizing process. Four, after-sales has been given a marginal role in strategy and strategizing. This paper therefore contributes to the strategy-as-practice research stream where we show and elaborate upon the mechanisms in the dynamics of strategy work.