Organizational Stewardship & Strategic Change: An Evolutionary Perspective [PhD Project]

Strong candidate sought to study the role of the executive in enabling organizational adaptation and evolution.

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www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/phd

Admission requirements: • a strong first degree (UK level 2.1 minimum) • please see website for English language requirements.

Deadlines: • applications for scholarships – mid-April.

Expressions of interest, alongside a CV, are invited via email to andrey.pavlov@cranfield.ac.uk in the first instance.

See full details on our website.

Much of the work on strategic change is concerned with how executives can re-position their organizations in accordance with their plans. This includes initiating changes, introducing various systems, and overcoming resistance to change. Most importantly, however, this work rests on the assumption that the strategist has a superior understanding of what the organization needs and can predict and control the effect of his or her actions.

This assumption, however, is problematic, as organizations are complex systems, where the effect of any initiative is fundamentally unpredictable. Moreover, it is questionable to what extent executives at the top of the hierarchy actually possess the knowledge to craft effective initiatives. In such a context, therefore, it might be more useful to “enable” rather than “lead” strategic change. The evolutionary perspective on strategy provides an analytical lens for theorizing this alternative approach.

Your work may examine evolutionary processes and the practices that enable or impede them. Mapping the evolution of a strategy or understanding the role of the executive throughout strategic change may be other possible options. This is a relatively new area in strategic management, and the possibilities are boundless.

Supervisors: Dr Andrey Pavlov & Professor Cliff Bowman