Strategic Conversations Research Articles

Reflections on Building an Artificial Intelligence Bot to Prepare Students to Engage in Strategic Conversations During Foresight Fieldwork

ABSTRACTThis paper is primarily based on experientially derived insights about building a bot with artificial intelligence (AI)–in this case, chat generative pre‐trained transformer (ChatGPT)–to prepare students to engage in strategic conversations during foresight fieldwork. The motivation of the exploratory process outlined in this paper is the pedagogical concern of sending students into the field sufficiently prepared to meet the expectations of external stakeholders. The authors explore a in‐class prompt engineering exercise to create a “chief operating bot” (COB) to simulate a C‐suite executive. The student‐faculty team input hand‐selected, industry‐specific, company‐generated documentation, and, after asking ChatGPT to “roleplay” the COO, the student queries this COB in an exploratory fashion embedded in a contained, consequence‐free learning environment. The audience for this paper is faculty responsible for overseeing student engagement experiences like fieldwork, as well as department heads and school deans looking to promote new tools and advance novel applications of AI in their units. The authors explore ways to enhance student readiness for scenario fieldwork based on an exercise drawn from van der Heijden's clairvoyant question, which we refer to colloquially as the “crystal ball thought experiment.” The authors, upon reflection, conclude that the COB can valuably supplement–but not fully replace–face‐to‐face interactions with a COO. Broadly, leveraging AI to create interactive tools like COBs has the potential to transform business education by bridging academic preparation with real‐world demands, enhancing student readiness, advancing AI‐assisted curricula, and contributing to strategic planning and regional development.

How to make strategic conversations more AGIL

PurposeThis article addresses the role of communication processes in the formulation and implementation of strategic planning. It seeks to delineate a structured approach to define the contents of strategic conversations among internal stakeholders, to achieve actionable outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a theoretical approach, derived from Talcott Parsons’ AGIL framework, to conceptualize the contents of strategic conversations in a systematic way. Several examples are proposed to illustrate this framework.FindingsConversations among internal stakeholders in organizations, to be deemed strategic, should be orientated towards the formulation and implementation of priorities, procedures, prospective sensemaking and value patterns, as well as the media of interaction connecting them.Originality/valueThis paper offers original insights for practitioners and scholars aiming to comprehend strategic value in communication processes, thanks to Parson’s theoretical views, which have been seldom used in the strategic management literature. Our framework has the originality to offer a more comprehensive and systematic view of the topics making conversations strategic in organizations.

Conversation Analytics: Can Machines Read Between the Lines in Real-Time Strategic Conversations?

This paper introduces machine learning–based methods designed to measure the evasiveness and incoherence of responses from more-informed individuals during real-time strategic conversations. It tests the efficacy of these methods using the question-and-answer segments of earnings conference calls, where managers are subjected to scrutiny by analysts. The article underscores the largely untapped potential for extracting valuable financial insights from the dialogues between managers and analysts during these calls—a data source that current fintech solutions have largely ignored. Furthermore, the research breaks new ground by integrating machine learning with asset pricing, a promising avenue in light of rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence. From a practical standpoint, the study provides less-informed participants in strategic conversations with tools to identify when their more-informed counterparts are being evasive or incoherent. This ability allows them to pose more incisive questions, leading to better-informed decisions in various fields, including investing and hiring. Moreover, the paper contends that as AI technology continues to evolve, it will compel more-informed parties to adopt greater transparency. This shift will enhance both the efficiency and the transparency of markets and institutions, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

Multilingualism: An African reality

A plethora of studies, locally and internationally, concur that multilingualism is a global phenomenon. Multilingualism has become ubiquitous even in parts of the world where a monolingual stance has been prevalent. However, the hegemony of English is maintained in countries historically colonised by the British Empire. This paper examines the various reasons why multilingualism is not taken into account, especially in South African institutions of higher learning. The qualitative study discussed in this paper utilised only one respondent stationed at a university in South Africa as its participant. Data were collected through a strategic conversation analysis with the student. The results show that the multilingual student treasures his inherent multilingualism and enjoys acquiring more languages into his repertoire. In addition, the results debunk some researchers’ scepticism towards promoting multilingualism for fear of language interference. The findings further indicate the need to recognise the reality of multilingualism in South Africa and Africa, which should be treated as such.

Correlational relationship between strategic conversation and wellness in the workplace - a descriptive study of a sample of employees in the Najaf Directorate of Education

سعت الدراسة الحالية الى الكشف عن طبيعة العلاقة بين المحادثة الإستراتيجية والعافية في مكان العمل. وانطلاقاً مما تقدم نلخص مشكلة الدراسة بالتساؤل الاتي: (كيف يمكن للمحادثة الإستراتيجية لمديرية تربية النجف من تعزيز العافية في مكان العمل)؟ وتجسدت أهمية الدراسة محاولتها لقياس وتشخيص متغيري المحادثة الإستراتيجية والعافية في مكان العمل باعتبارها من الضرورات التي تتحتم على مديرية تربية محافظة النجف الاشرف من تعزيزها ومعرفتها في ظل بيئات ديناميكية. تم اختيار عينة عشوائية من العاملين في مديرية تربية النجف الاشرف، ليكونوا مجتمع الدراسة وبما يحقق الدقة في النتائج المتوخاة من الدراسة ويتناسب مع توجهات متغيرات الدراسة (المحادثة الاستراتيجية، العافية في مكان العمل)، لتكون عينة البحث (122) موظفاً عاملاً في مديرية تربية النجف الاشرف, أظهرت مديرية تربية النجف الاشرف قدرتها على تحسين محادثتها الاستراتيجية من خلال الوعي بميول الاتصال الفردي واستعمال مهارات التدريب القابلة للتطبيق كالاستماع العميق، والتعاطف، والاحترام، والملموسية، والصدق وبحسب ما يقتضي الموقف من سلوكيات، وان تركيزها على الاستماع لما يقال وادراكه وإصدار الاحكام بشكل موضوعي.

409 Awardee Talk: Philosophy and Examples from a Career in Animal Science Education

Abstract Training competent and successful students for career readiness is an ever-changing puzzle. These puzzle pieces include an understanding of the student demographics, consideration of the vision and mission of the department, engagement with alumni, and awareness of opportunities for employment and industry needs. These pieces require the development of a curriculum model that can evolve and respond to these components in a timely way. My career at two universities in roles including Undergraduate Coordinator and Director of Undergraduate Advising has given me the privilege to teach and work with nearly 5,000 students while addressing these puzzle pieces. Students enter with a limited understanding of career opportunities within Animal Sciences but are eager to learn more and are seeking opportunities to do so. As faculty, we can provide meaningful high impact experiences for our students, both inside and outside of the classroom, that also directly align with our appointments and expertise in research, teaching, and Extension. Success requires creating a departmental culture that fosters creativity and a willingness to experiment with new ideas and practices. These high impact experiences provide our students with greater awareness and appreciation for career possibilities that they had not considered before. As the Undergraduate Coordinator, I lead strategic conversations and planning with our faculty to discuss how our departmental core courses and supporting coursework prepare our students professionally. This includes discussion of our annual program assessment, identifying areas of strengths, where our resources may be limited, and how we are teaching to inspire, challenge, and meet the needs of our students. As we all strive to continually improve academic excellence within each of our programs, we must remain nimble and arrange the puzzle pieces to best serve our students.

Internal openness? How and why managing directors in SMEs involve employees in strategic conversations

PurposeThis paper investigates the ways managing directors (MDs) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involve employees in strategic conversations. The paper examines how managers interact with employees in strategic conversations, and why the managers do so (or do not), to generate empirically grounded knowledge about the nature of internal openness in SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a general inductive approach and is based on in-depth interviews with 60 Swedish MDs with development and growth ambitions.FindingsThe paper develops a model of employee involvement in strategic conversations based on the nature and intensity of the MD–employee interaction. A key finding is that SMEs exhibit wide variation in terms of employee involvement, from virtually no employee involvement to, in some cases, far-reaching company democracy. The reasons for this variation are complex, but personal preferences and company size are shown to have an impact, as does, to some degree, ownership structure. In contrast to existing research, the limitations and drawbacks of involving employees in strategic conversations are outlined.Originality/valueThe study provides important insight into MDs' views and practices of internal openness in strategic conversations in SMEs. A model of employee involvement in strategic processes is outlined, and potential limitations of internal openness are highlighted.

The strategic conversation and its role in achieving sustainable economic performance. (An analytical exploratory study of the opinions of a sample of employees in the Iraqi General Insurance Company)

يسعى البحث الحالي الى إختبار علاقة ما بين المحادثة الاستراتيجية والأداء المستدام في شركة التأمين العراقية العامة، والتي تم اختيارها كميدان للبحث ، إذ تبنى البحث في إطاره النظري المحادثة الاستراتيجية كمتغير مستقل، اما المتغير المعتمد تمثل بأداء الاقتصادي المستدام ، وقد تم قياس متغيري البحث بالاعتماد على بيانات الشركة المعدة لهذا الغرض، وتجسدت مشكلة البحث اذ تبرز مشكلة تبرز مشكلة البحث بسؤال جوهري مفاده هل بالإمكان للمنظمة وادارتها ان تحافظ على أدائها الاقتصادي بواسطة المحادثة الاستراتيجية لما يعكسه على الرضا الوظيفي لديهم ؟ ، وتنبثق أهمیة البحث من خلال تركیزها على قطاع التأمین في العراق الذي یؤدي دوراً متقدماً ومهماً في نشاطه الاقتصادي.
 ومن هنا سعى الباحثان الى تحقيق مجموعة من الاهداف أهمها:
 
 التحقق من طبيعة تأثير المحادثة الاستراتيجية في تحقيق الأداء الاقتصادي المستدام في الشركة المبحوثة .
 تقديم التوصيات والمقترحات في ضوء النتائج التي سيتم التوصل اليها من خلال الجانب العملي .
 
 اما اهم استنتاجات يعتبر القطاع التأمين حاليًا قطاعًا رائدًا في الاقتصاد الحديث ، ويعتبر أحد أهم المحركات الرئيسة للاقتصاد، وذلك بسبب دور المهم الذي ينتج عنه تعبئة المدخرات ومساهمتها في تمويل الاستثمارات التي تشكل جوهر النشاط الاقتصادي للبلد، وتمثلت اهم التوصيات البحث "على إدارة الشركة زيارة الاهتمام بالمحادثات المشتركة بين العاملين وحثهم على التحدث عن قضايا المهمة التي تسهم في نجاح الشركة، وخلق فرص جديدة لغرض المحافظة على أدائها الاقتصادي."

Algeria’s cautious return to the world stage

The sharp increase in gas prices and France’s withdrawal from Mali have boosted Algeria’s international profile. As Algeria returns cautiously to the world stage, the French and Algerian presidents are engaging in a serious strategic conversation. This dialogue is however complicated by France’s reluctance to address the question of contamination from nuclear tests carried out in the Sahara in the 1960s. The French military exit from Mali has seen regional countries – rather than the United States and France – taking the lead on enhancing security in the Sahel under the auspices of the Comité d’Etat Major Opérationnel Conjoint (CEMOC), which groups the army chiefs of Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Even so, Algeria is unlikely to be able to fully capitalise on France’s departure and regain the influence, indeed the swagger, it enjoyed internationally in the 1970s and 80s. The reason: Algeria’s failure to enact bold economic reforms, depriving the country of a much more vibrant economy.

MBA futures: Images from Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatories during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper presents key ideas from a Futures study relating to part-time (PT) Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree programmes. The objective of the study was to determine the likely nature of PT MBA programmes approximately 30 years in the future, i.e., 2050, and to do so in the context of an assessment of possible long-term impact of disruptions caused or accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research involved strategic conversations with ten PT MBA Programme Directors or equivalent across seven countries and each of whom was based in Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)-signatory institutions. The findings suggest that MBA programmes of the future are likely to be significantly different to current PT MBAs. To close the learning loop associated with the original term of strategic conversations, higher education institutions (HEIs) are invited to consider the findings to inform strategic conversations within their own institutions in respect of future PT MBA design and provision.

Modeling Non-Cooperative Dialogue: Theoretical and Empirical Insights

Abstract Investigating cooperativity of interlocutors is central in studying pragmatics of dialogue. Models of conversation that only assume cooperative agents fail to explain the dynamics of strategic conversations. Thus, we investigate the ability of agents to identify non-cooperative interlocutors while completing a concurrent visual-dialogue task. Within this novel setting, we study the optimality of communication strategies for achieving this multi-task objective. We use the tools of learning theory to develop a theoretical model for identifying non-cooperative interlocutors and apply this theory to analyze different communication strategies. We also introduce a corpus of non-cooperative conversations about images in the GuessWhat?! dataset proposed by De Vries et al. (2017). We use reinforcement learning to implement multiple communication strategies in this context and find that empirical results validate our theory.

Break Out of Your Technological Comfort Zone by Connecting the Dots

Accelerating the dynamics of technological change presents business leaders with complex innovation risks, be they manifested as opportunities or threats, and challenges to bridge the widening strategy-technology chasm. We propose a decision-support tool in the form of a new strategic lens to make sense of evolving technologies within the context of a company's strategy by transforming both the company's strategic imperatives and the technological landscape to the same functional domain through the use of corpus linguistics and interpretive text networks. This approach facilitates a strategic conversation in a company by leveling the playing field between leadership and technologists in a transparent and inclusive process. We present a real-world case study to illustrate how business leaders can proactively use this tool to create the future.

A strategy map as a framework of a shared mental model for interactive control systems

Nowadays, companies operate in an extremely turbulent environment with conditions of substantial gaps in knowledge about future events (the Knightian uncertainty). Therefore, there is a need for more flexible management control systems. Referring to Simons’ levers of control (LOC) framework, now there is a need to use more extensively belief systems and interactive control systems that would enable the organizational learning process. The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of a strategy map as a framework of a shared mental model for interactive control systems in the context of increasing uncertainty. This article is a review-based study and suggests some preliminary proposals for further research. The review covers the literature on management control systems, levers of control (in the including of interactive controls), balanced scorecards, strategy maps, mental models, and organizational learning. The review is mainly qualitative; however, it is supported to some extent by quantitative bibliometric analysis. This co-word analysis applies VOSviewer v.1.6.17 software. The situation of increasing Knightian uncertainty calls for the more extensive use of interactive control systems. A strategy map fits this new demand - it enables understanding strategic assumptions, structuring the problems, discussing, and gaining knowledge. Therefore, it facilitates innovations, organizational learning, and refining strategies in an ongoing process. A strategy map can be seen as a cognitive mapping tool. It is a set of hypotheses that can be empirically tested through strategy implementation, thereby enabling strategic learning (including so-called double-loop feedback learning). Such a double-loop learning mechanism allows for the iterative crafting of an organizational strategy that could be more resilient in a turbulent environment. To be the basis of an interactive control system, it is crucial for the “buy-in” of the strategy map by employees. Thus, there is a great role in the convergence of mental models of an organization’s members as a result of “strategic conversation”. The product of such an organizational learning process is a common, shared mental model. This model must be developed, disseminated in the organization and accepted by employees, and then refined through active learning.

A strategy map as a framework of a shared mental model for interactive control systems

Nowadays, companies operate in an extremely turbulent environment with conditions of substantial gaps in knowledge about future events (the Knightian uncertainty). Therefore, there is a need for more flexible management control systems. Referring to Simons’ levers of control (LOC) framework, now there is a need to use more extensively belief systems and interactive control systems that would enable the organizational learning process. The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of a strategy map as a framework of a shared mental model for interactive control systems in the context of increasing uncertainty. This article is a review-based study and suggests some preliminary proposals for further research. The review covers the literature on management control systems, levers of control (in the including of interactive controls), balanced scorecards, strategy maps, mental models, and organizational learning. The review is mainly qualitative; however, it is supported to some extent by quantitative bibliometric analysis. This co-word analysis applies VOSviewer v.1.6.17 software. The situation of increasing Knightian uncertainty calls for the more extensive use of interactive control systems. A strategy map fits this new demand - it enables understanding strategic assumptions, structuring the problems, discussing, and gaining knowledge. Therefore, it facilitates innovations, organizational learning, and refining strategies in an ongoing process. A strategy map can be seen as a cognitive mapping tool. It is a set of hypotheses that can be empirically tested through strategy implementation, thereby enabling strategic learning (including so-called double-loop feedback learning). Such a double-loop learning mechanism allows for the iterative crafting of an organizational strategy that could be more resilient in a turbulent environment. To be the basis of an interactive control system, it is crucial for the “buy-in” of the strategy map by employees. Thus, there is a great role in the convergence of mental models of an organization’s members as a result of “strategic conversation”. The product of such an organizational learning process is a common, shared mental model. This model must be developed, disseminated in the organization and accepted by employees, and then refined through active learning.

Covid-19 and female migrants: policy challenges and multiple vulnerabilities

To what extent has Covid-19 policy responses exacerbated the already existing multiple vulnerabilities of female migrants in Southern Africa? Using strategic conversations, the paper explores personal experiences of key conversants, to explore how gender blind policy responses to the pandemic have heightened female migrants’ socio-economic challenges. The paper recommends gender sensitive and context specific policy responses to mitigate the existing socio-economic challenges.

Robust action and scenarios: A rejoinder

AbstractThis article is a rejoinder in response to commentaries written about a 25‐year retrospective on Kees van der Heijden's seminal text Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation. As a means to explore the commentaries and—without irony—bring them into conversation with one another, this piece engages in a thought experiment about the impact of Scenarios as well as the book's author through the sociologically informed notion of robust action from traditional thinking about social embeddedness.

THE IMPACT OF STRATEGIC CONVERSATION ON DEVELOPING WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF A SAMPLE OF EMPLOYEE OPINIONS IN THE NAJAF DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION

The aim of the research is to test the role of strategic conversation through workplace wellness in the educational institution under study. The importance of research for the educational sector is evident in the country, which today is in dire need of development. The educational sector is one of the important sectors in the development of countries, as it may witness prosperity and be reflected in the progress of these countries and placing them in the ranks of developed countries, as well as the repercussions of a development in the well-being of individuals working in the workplace in our educational institutions, especially as they face increased cases of uncertainty. The environment and the need to adhere to the requirements of the strategic conversation. The results indicated that strategic conversation contributes directly to the development of wellness in the workplace. The Najaf Education Directorate’s interest in wellness in the workplace was evident, so it directed the strategic conversation to improve it in general, employing active leadership and participation in the conversation, and awareness of the tendencies of individual communication in improving it, as well as directing these dimensions to improve functional, medical and personal wellness.

Scenarios, strategic conversations, and forecasting: A commentary on Rowland and Spaniol (2021)

AbstractThis commentary revisits an early book review by the author of Kees van der Heijden's influential book, Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation, highlighting the continuing neglect of the role of forecasting in scenario construction. In addition, there still remains considerable ambiguity as to whether scenarios offer more than plausible stories. The review highlights the need to resolve these ambiguities in the scenario research literature through a better understanding of the links between forecasting and scenario construction. The benefit of success would be a greater understanding of long‐term uncertainty.

A timely (and timeless) blend of theory and practice: A commentary on Rowland and Spaniol (2021)

AbstractThe integration of theory and practice is a significant aspect of modern academia. Prompted by Rowland and Spaniol's review and celebration of Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation, I reflect briefly on the impact of Kees van der Heijden and his contribution to the theoretical and practical development of scenario planning research.

Professor Kees van der Heijden: Commentary on Rowland and Spaniol (2021)

AbstractWorking with Kees as his apprentice scenario planner, I have been fortunate to have participated in many scenario workshops, both on the Strathclyde MBA program and with organizations. Alongside these workshops, I am also very privileged to have been an assistant to Kees on a number of scenario projects with organizations in a range of countries. I have learned many things in the time spent with Kees, and consider his book, “Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation” to be the definitive field guide to the art and craft of scenario planning, albeit there have been a plethora of books on the subject since. The objective of this commentary is to discuss from a practical perspective, three things I have learned from my years of experience with Kees which have proved useful in my scenario work with client organizations, namely the elicitation of client views and insights, the value of the “Business Idea” and the scenario development timescale