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Choice Interactions and Business Strategy

Author

Listed:
  • Pankaj Ghemawat

    (IESE Business School, 08034 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Daniel Levinthal

    (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104)

Abstract

Choice settings are strategic to the extent that they entail cross-sectional or intertemporal linkages. These same factors may impose daunting demands on decision makers. We develop a graph-theoretic generalization of the NK model of fitness landscapes to model the way in which policy choices may be more or less strategic. We use this structure to examine, through simulation, how fully articulated a strategy or set of policy choices must be to achieve a high level of performance and how feasible it is to offset past strategic mistakes through tactical adjustments (instead of alignment). Our analysis highlights the role of asymmetry in the interaction of strategic choices and in particular the degree to which choices vary in terms of being influential, dependent, or autonomous from other choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Pankaj Ghemawat & Daniel Levinthal, 2008. "Choice Interactions and Business Strategy," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(9), pages 1638-1651, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:9:p:1638-1651
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1080.0883
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    16. Baaij, M.G., 2021. "Inside the Black Box of Strategy: Sequential Synthesis," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2021-006-STR, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    17. Daniel W. Elfenbein & Adina D. Sterling, 2018. "(When) Is Hiring Strategic? Human Capital Acquisition in the Age of Algorithms," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 668-682, December.
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    23. Sebastian Kruse & David Bendig & Malte Brettel, 2023. "How Does CEO Decision Style Influence Firm Performance? The Mediating Role of Speed and Innovativeness in New Product Development," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1205-1235, July.
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    25. Stephan Leitner & Friederike Wall, 2015. "Simulation-based research in management accounting and control: an illustrative overview," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 105-129, August.

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