Everyday Strategic Preparedness : The Role of Practical Wisdom in Organizations

In a world characterized by increased complexity and uncertainty, organizations today struggle to be strategically prepared for unexpected change. Of course, the strategist's job has traditionally involved an attempt to anticipate changes in the environment and to develop capabilities that will allow the organization to continue to thrive under new and different circumstances. But what if change cannot be anticipated with any degree of certainty? And what if change is so complex that its effects and implications can never be fully understood, much less anticipated? What, if anything, can organizations do to become more strategically prepared for unexpected change? This book explores the overall response to these difficult questions and argues that people in organizations become more strategically prepared for the unexpected when they cultivate practical wisdom. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Background and Motivation....Pages 1-9 Strategy and Unexpected Change....Pages 11-12 An Ontological Shift....Pages 13-20 Defining the Problem....Pages 21-24 The Problem in Practice....Pages 25-38 Dealing with the Practical Problem....Pages 39-44 Facing Tactical Risks....Pages 45-63 Making Value Judgments....Pages 65-67 Re-framing the Strategic Response to Unexpected Change....Pages 69-71 A Genealogy of Practical Wisdom....Pages 73-84 An Interpretative Framework....Pages 85-97 Reflecting on the Model: Implications....Pages 99-102 Developing Practically Wise Habits....Pages 103-106 On the Front Lines: the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response (CCPR) at New York University (NYU)....Pages 107-118 The Importance of Play in Organizations....Pages 119-126 Seeking New Directions in Management Education....Pages 127-134 Practical Wisdom as Everyday Strategic Preparedness....Pages 135-136 Reflecting on the Field of Management and Organizational Studies....Pages 137-146 Recommendations for the Field of Preparedness....Pages 147-152 Back Matter....Pages 153-170 "This book identifies and illustrates the role of practical wisdom in organizations, reflecting on its relevance for strategic preparedness. As the need for preparedness stretches the limits of what is thinkable and possible for organizations, the importance of value judgments - that is, ethics - becomes increasingly clear, challenging conventional strategic practice. The ancient concept of practical wisdom provides a framework that can guide managers as they balance ethical demands with demands for practical effectiveness. Practical wisdom can be developed through 'playful' activities such as storytelling, reflective dialogue and aesthetic experience. By cultivating practical wisdom, the authors argue, people in organizations can develop the 'everyday strategic preparedness' needed to deal with a complex and uncertain world."--BOOK JACKET This book identifies, illustrates and reflects over the role of practical wisdom in organizations for organizations' preparedness. As the need for preparedness stretches the limits of what is thinkable and possible for organizations, the importance of value judgements, i, e, ethics, becomes increasingly clear, which challenges conventional strategy practice. The ancient concept of practical wisdom provides a framework that can guide managers as they balance ethical demands with demands for practical effectiveness. Practical wisdom can be developed through 'playful' activities such as storytelling, reflective dialogue and aesthetic experience. By cultivating practical wisdom, the authors argue, people in organizations can develop the 'everyday strategic preparedness' needed to deal with a complex and uncertain world Organizations struggle to be strategically prepared for unexpected change. What if change cannot be anticipated with any degree of certainty? What can organizations do to become more strategically prepared? This book explores the answers to these questions and argues that organizations become more prepared when they cultivate practical wisdom.