Failing Strategy Implementations

Strategy implementation is recognized as the source of frustrations and the black box of strategic management processes. This chapter summarizes research attempts in defining implementation problems and critical factors. Further on, based on previous empirical results, it suggests an integrated strategy implementation model. We suggest that the core of the integrated model includes factors like resources, communication, people, control mechanisms, operative planning, and time. Strategy formulation is the antecedent of strategy implementation. The relation between formulation and implementation could be influenced by outer and inner environment (culture, structure, and leadership). The basic conclusion is that multiple factors should be considered simultaneously when developing and implementing a strategy.There are two points that ought to be kept in mind when studying strategy implementation process. The first one is the hierarchical level of the respondents included in the empirical research. Namely, most research is founded on responses provided by top managers ignoring middle, low, and nonmanagerial perspectives. The second is to look after different levels the strategy refers to. Most research has been focused on business and less on the corporate level of organizations