Organizing dualities and strategizing for change

Abstract

This paper examines the role of organizing forms in strategizing for change. It argues that a duality approach aids in understanding how organizing influences and leverages strategizing for change. Three propositions are presented. First, organizing is strategizing. This represents the interaction between organizing and strategizing, where organizing forms enable and constrain strategic change. Second, tension in forms of organizing can be the source of strategic advantage. The main challenge is to develop systems that function best in tension, delivering both efficiency and innovation. A dualities approach emphasizes the need not only to hold fast to routines but also to attempt to subvert them with innovations. It is this combination that facilitates strategic change. Third, heterogeneity in organizing forms offers strategic adaptability by providing increased opportunities for innovation. This paper concludes that despite the appeal of calls for organizations to become capable of constant change, the advantages of flexibility are compromised by the disadvantages of instability and uncertainty. Furthermore, the study of organizing forms reveals that change is continuous at the micro level but discontinuous at the macro level. Thus the relationship between organizing and strategizing can subsequently be non-linear and recursive, with strategic advantages achieved through tension and heterogeneity in organizing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.