Browsing by Author "Masalin, Leena"
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- Yhteisöllinen strateginen toimijuus : tapaustutkimus metsäteollisuusyrityksestä
School of Business | Doctoral dissertation (monograph)(2013) Masalin, LeenaThis case study shows how a communal strategic agency is constructed in the flow of actions and interactions of strategic practitioners who participate in specific strategic practices in a specific business context. In the light of longitudinal qualitative data I illustrate the communal strategic agency through emotional, social and cognitive dimensions. Communal strategic agency can be characterized as the shared willpower of a specific group of individuals, driven by emotional energy and determined to action that will contribute to the success of the organization they work for. The merger context alongside the events and the practices of an executive development program provided an integral part of the research data created through participative observations. Additional data was generated through reflective interviews with 73 program participants, members of the top management team and key executives. I proceeded in the analyses following a combination of grounded theory and narrative approach. The construct of an interaction ritual chain of micro-sociology and the concept of high quality connection of positive organizational scholarship offered elements for creating an analysis framework. Communal strategic agency was constructed within the following episodic strategy practices of the case company: total quality management, executive development programs and organization-wide process of creating corporate values. The work-practices within these strategy practices, including dialogic workshops and strategic group work, offered a wealth of opportunities for face-to-face interaction creating high quality connections between individuals. Respect and trust were transmitted through these connections, bringing forth emotional energy which is integral in the construction of communal strategic agency. Alongside verbal interaction, the rich non-verbal interaction between individuals generated emotional energy. The micro-mechanisms of interaction opened up or closed channels of communication between top management and key executives. Communal strategic agency propelled the forest industry tradition of leading top-down with investment decisions towards a more distributed mode of leadership, where initiatives also flow from bottom-up. This study illuminates the importance of emotional energy in communal strategic agency. It contributes to the research of strategic agency by showing that reciprocal work practices play a crucial role in the construction of agency and that non-verbal interaction is a necessary stimulus for emotional energy. As a managerial implication the research indicates that through the construction of communal strategic agency people internalize strategy, commit to it and act on it. Managers should pay careful attention to the creation of forums and work practices for enabling the construction of communal strategic agency so that the success of the organization can be enhanced