Title: The role of strategy maps in business integration: an interventionist approach

Authors: Carlo Bagnoli; Marco Vedovato; Antonio Costantini

Addresses: Department of Management, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Cannaregio, 873, 30121 Venezia, Italy ' Department of Management, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Cannaregio, 873, 30121 Venezia, Italy ' Department of Management, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Cannaregio, 873, 30121 Venezia, Italy

Abstract: This paper aims to describe how strategy maps contribute to cope with the resistances to strategic transformations, which characterise business integration processes. These maps are created, thanks to the involvement of the most influential organisational actors. The study follows an interventionist research approach, by means of which the researchers worked together with managers: the effort was to create strategy maps and cope with issues. The research site was provided by a company operating in the technological sector, experiencing change from a national dimension to a multinational group, as a result of a few acquisitions. The findings of the interventionist case study show how the persistence of identities, knowledge and practices may interfere with the achievement of effective integration. Further, the study suggests how strategy maps, while providing a visual representation of organisational actors' cognitive frames, are as well able to facilitate mutual understanding and to support strategic development.

Keywords: strategy maps; business integration; interventionist research; organisational identity; strategic change.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2020.106942

International Journal of Management Practice, 2020 Vol.13 No.3, pp.252 - 274

Received: 25 Aug 2018
Accepted: 29 Apr 2019
Published online: 28 Apr 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article