Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > The art of stage-craft

Electronic data

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

The art of stage-craft: A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published

Standard

The art of stage-craft: A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change. / Whittle, Andrea; Gilchrist, Alan; Frank, Mueller et al.
In: Strategic Organization, Vol. 19, No. 4, 01.11.2021, p. 636-666.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Whittle A, Gilchrist A, Frank M, Lenney P. The art of stage-craft: A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change. Strategic Organization. 2021 Nov 1;19(4):636-666. Epub 2020 Apr 27. doi: 10.1177/1476127020914225

Author

Whittle, Andrea ; Gilchrist, Alan ; Frank, Mueller et al. / The art of stage-craft : A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change. In: Strategic Organization. 2021 ; Vol. 19, No. 4. pp. 636-666.

Bibtex

@article{e1f5a50f77fe46d69e4c8e8e11023d06,
title = "The art of stage-craft: A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change",
abstract = "This article contributes to our understanding of how organisations change the set of practices and practitioners involved in strategising, what we term the {\textquoteleft}strategy arrangement{\textquoteright}. Drawing on insights from a qualitative study of the introduction and subsequent removal of a new strategy team, we develop a dramaturgical theory of the practices involved in changing strategy arrangements. First, we conceptualise the relationship between the frontstage performances where impressions are generated and the backstage work that takes place to craft and control those impressions. Second, we distinguish between preventive practices designed to {\textquoteleft}stage the show{\textquoteright}, where foresight is used to imagine the impressions of the audience and inform the design of the show, and corrective practices designed to {\textquoteleft}save the show{\textquoteright}, where the desired impression has been discredited and repair is needed to restore the desired impression. Third and finally, we distinguish between the more innocuous backstage practice of rehearsing, the {\textquoteleft}behind the scenes{\textquoteright} work that involves taking up the roles of actor, playwright, director, audience and critic to craft the show, and the less innocuous practice of conspiring, where team members work {\textquoteleft}behind the backs{\textquoteright} of the audience to construct false impressions. In so doing, we seek to advance strategy-as-practice research by developing a dramaturgical theory of practice that captures the theatrical dynamics of strategic change.",
keywords = "Ethnography, Organisational change, Power and politics, Qualitative methods, Research methods, Strategy as practice, Strategic change, Strategy process, Topics and perspectives",
author = "Andrea Whittle and Alan Gilchrist and Mueller Frank and Peter Lenney",
year = "2021",
month = nov,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/1476127020914225",
language = "English",
volume = "19",
pages = "636--666",
journal = "Strategic Organization",
issn = "1476-1270",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The art of stage-craft

T2 - A dramaturgical perspective on strategic change

AU - Whittle, Andrea

AU - Gilchrist, Alan

AU - Frank, Mueller

AU - Lenney, Peter

PY - 2021/11/1

Y1 - 2021/11/1

N2 - This article contributes to our understanding of how organisations change the set of practices and practitioners involved in strategising, what we term the ‘strategy arrangement’. Drawing on insights from a qualitative study of the introduction and subsequent removal of a new strategy team, we develop a dramaturgical theory of the practices involved in changing strategy arrangements. First, we conceptualise the relationship between the frontstage performances where impressions are generated and the backstage work that takes place to craft and control those impressions. Second, we distinguish between preventive practices designed to ‘stage the show’, where foresight is used to imagine the impressions of the audience and inform the design of the show, and corrective practices designed to ‘save the show’, where the desired impression has been discredited and repair is needed to restore the desired impression. Third and finally, we distinguish between the more innocuous backstage practice of rehearsing, the ‘behind the scenes’ work that involves taking up the roles of actor, playwright, director, audience and critic to craft the show, and the less innocuous practice of conspiring, where team members work ‘behind the backs’ of the audience to construct false impressions. In so doing, we seek to advance strategy-as-practice research by developing a dramaturgical theory of practice that captures the theatrical dynamics of strategic change.

AB - This article contributes to our understanding of how organisations change the set of practices and practitioners involved in strategising, what we term the ‘strategy arrangement’. Drawing on insights from a qualitative study of the introduction and subsequent removal of a new strategy team, we develop a dramaturgical theory of the practices involved in changing strategy arrangements. First, we conceptualise the relationship between the frontstage performances where impressions are generated and the backstage work that takes place to craft and control those impressions. Second, we distinguish between preventive practices designed to ‘stage the show’, where foresight is used to imagine the impressions of the audience and inform the design of the show, and corrective practices designed to ‘save the show’, where the desired impression has been discredited and repair is needed to restore the desired impression. Third and finally, we distinguish between the more innocuous backstage practice of rehearsing, the ‘behind the scenes’ work that involves taking up the roles of actor, playwright, director, audience and critic to craft the show, and the less innocuous practice of conspiring, where team members work ‘behind the backs’ of the audience to construct false impressions. In so doing, we seek to advance strategy-as-practice research by developing a dramaturgical theory of practice that captures the theatrical dynamics of strategic change.

KW - Ethnography

KW - Organisational change

KW - Power and politics

KW - Qualitative methods

KW - Research methods

KW - Strategy as practice

KW - Strategic change

KW - Strategy process

KW - Topics and perspectives

U2 - 10.1177/1476127020914225

DO - 10.1177/1476127020914225

M3 - Journal article

VL - 19

SP - 636

EP - 666

JO - Strategic Organization

JF - Strategic Organization

SN - 1476-1270

IS - 4

ER -