Reconciling structure and agency in strategy -as-practice research: Towards a strong- structuration theory approach

An overwhelming focus of research on the micro agency of strategic actors has led to the literature being characterized as demonstrating a micro-myopia, resulting in a micro-isolationism. This means we know little about how the micro interrelates with the macro in strategy work. We address this problem in our conceptual article which adopts a structurationist stance to explicate how strategy-as-practice (SaP) research could be enhanced and extended by paying equal attention to both agency and structure. Specifically, we advance strong structuration theory (SST), a promising development from Giddens’ seminal work on structuration theory, to show how strategic activity can be understood as an ongoing process of structuration unfolding over time. We argue for the use of both types of methodological bracketing (context and conduct analysis), advocating systematic attention to the interplay between macro-societal and micro-local levels of analysis. Our discussion concludes with guidance for researchers inviting them to undertake empirical fieldwork that overcomes SaP’s current micro-myopia, creating a more balanced corpus of work

On Endogenous Growth: The Implications of Environmental Externalities

This paper uses an endogenous growth model to examine the interaction between trade, economic growth, and the environment. We find that whether trade enhances or retards growth depends on the relation between factor intensities of exportable, importable, and R&D and the relative abundance of the factor R&D uses more intensively. Depending on the intertemporal elasticity of substitution, the long-run rate of economic growth changes with environmental externalities. Concerns about the environment can explain a significant part of cross-country difference in growth rates. For the empirically reported range of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution, countries which care more about the environment grow faster. The effects of trade on the environment and welfare depend on the elasticities of supply for the two traded goods, the terms of trade effect on growth, and pollution intensities. The decentralized and Pareto optimal growth rates are, in general, different. The market growth rate is bigger than the optimal rate the larger the degree of monopoly power in the innovation sector and the stronger the effects of environmental externalities. The policy implications of this divergence are discussed. We also consider numerical exercises to broaden the insights from the analytical results and allow for incorporating pollution abatementEnvironmental Economics and Policy, F11, O31, O41, Q20,

Environment in Three Classes of Endogenous Growth Models

The implications of environmental externalities are studied within three classes of endogenous growth models viz. the linear technology models, the human capital models, and the R&D and innovation models. The long-run rate of economic growth changes when environmental extemalities are introduced; the direction of change depends on the severity of extemalities and the intertemporal elasticity of substitution. The presence of environmental externalities cause the decentralized growth rate to diverge from the efficient rate. Which rate is bigger than the other depends, among other things, on the valuation of consumption relative to environmental quality. Several policy changes to align the two paths are discussed. The models are calibrated to U.S. data.Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development,

A Dynamic CGE Model: An Application of R&D- Based Endogenous Growth Model Theory

An R&D based endogenous growth - applied general equilibrium model is developed from an underlying analytical model which combines Romer's capital variety with Grossman and Helpman's multi-sector open economy model. The transitional dynamics of the analytical model are derived. For numerical implementation, a time discrete empirical model, with an Armington structure, is fit to East Asian data of the social accounting matrix variety. Simulations of trade reform are performed and their static and dynamic effects compared. The transition paths of the state variables are found to have a half-life of five to six periods. A solution of the Social Planner's problem, and interventions which seek to obtain this outcome from the decentralized model are also obtained'.Applied General Equilibrium, Trade, Growth, International Relations/Trade, F11, 031, 041,

A Store Manager's Account of His Company Strategy: A Pilot Study

A growing number of scholars in the strategic management field adopt a humanised approach to research via studying strategists and their strategising activities. However, most research is still centred on middle and top management. The pilot study described here illustrates the importance of looking at strategising among first line managers who are becoming increasingly active strategists in certain modern organisational structures. Besides serving as a pilot study for future piece of research, this study attempts to explore how a retail outlet manager perceived his organisational strategy. It also looks at the connection between some of his daily activities and the company’s strategy. This was achieved with a single case study design and analysis of data set produced from observing weekly meetings and interviewing the manager. This pilot study indicates that the store manager sees two strategies within his organisations - an overall strategy and a localised version of that strategy. Further, he is unaware of his strategic agency and that communication is an important part of strategising. These findings support the need for more studies on strategists and strategising activities and confirm the rationale for conducting a full-scale research using a comparative case study approach

Construction Of Bunds For Oil Storage Tanks

This project is aiming to investigate the current practice of bunds construction for oil storage tanks and provide the most adequate design can be used taking in consideration different criteria and construction aspects. Through this research Analytical hierarchy process were used to analyze the data collected from the current practice in oil and gas industry. In ideal situation constructing earth bund lined with High Density Poly Ethylene will be the best path to take. This research also explains and provides a certain steps that should be followed when building bund for oil storage tank by taking one tank as case study and design bund for it

Front-Line Managers' Strategizing: A Case Study of a High Street Optical Retailer

The present study investigates how Front-Line Managers (FLMs) accomplish strategizing practice and praxes in their day-to-day work at a high street optical retailer (Optica). Despite increasing research on strategizing work, we are still ill-informed about the phenomenon at the lower, non-senior management level. Data was collected over 12 months by interviewing 24 FLMs and four middle managers; by observing FLMs in their stores and during five regional monthly meetings; and by collecting internal documents and external industry reports covering seven years. The data was analysed using thematic coding whereby both the agent’s context analysis and conduct analysis methodological bracketing techniques were mobilised. Findings from the present research reveal that FLMs strategize by carrying out strategy-realising work in the form of localising practices and praxes. The organisation’s strategy constrains the localising work of FLMs, while their professional experience enables it. The organisation’s strategy is drawn up and enacted in the day-to-day work of FLMs when they are localising. The present study claims four main theoretical contributions to the SaP literature. Firstly, it advances strategizing as strategy-realising work by defining strategizing as a social strategy-realising praxis that transposes the abstract strategy statement into the concrete conduct. Secondly, it elaborates on a notion of strategy as a combination of external and internal social structure explaining strategy heterogeneity. Thirdly, this research extends current SaP literature by discussing the role of structural context in the tension between normativity and creativity. Fourthly, it advances a framework illustrating strategy-realising as a structuration process, composed of multiple and overlapping structuration cycles. The framework illustrates how structural context and strategic agency co-depend and co-emerge in strategizing practices and praxis. Methodological contributions are made in two ways. First, the present study offers a critical assessment of employing Strong Structuration Theory to conduct empirical SaP studies. Second, it elaborates a data analysis model that combines abductive logic with the agent’s context analysis and conduct analysis methodological bracketing techniques

Analysis of symmetries in models of multi-strain infections

In mathematical studies of the dynamics of multi-strain diseases caused by antigenically diverse pathogens, there is a substantial interest in analytical insights. Using the example of a generic model of multi-strain diseases with cross-immunity between strains, we show that a significant understanding of the stability of steady states and possible dynamical behaviours can be achieved when the symmetry of interactions between strains is taken into account. Techniques of equivariant bifurcation theory allow one to identify the type of possible symmetry-breaking Hopf bifurcation, as well as to classify different periodic solutions in terms of their spatial and temporal symmetries. The approach is also illustrated on other models of multi-strain diseases, where the same methodology provides a systematic understanding of bifurcation scenarios and periodic behaviours. The results of the analysis are quite generic, and have wider implications for understanding the dynamics of a large class of models of multi-strain diseases