The Persistent Nature of Strategic Thinking: Insights from a Case Study of Strategic Post-Control

The development of theory in the field of strategic thinking has been largely speculative with limited recourse to empirical evidence. Without measurability, the value of strategic thinking theory in practice is compromised. To address this, a Theory of the Structure and Context of Strategic Thinking is proposed which is empirically testable. The hypothesised theory recognises strategic thinking as the interaction of analysis, formation, and the direction of collectives. This minimises the significance of environment in strategic thinking. While contrary to many scholarly explanations of strategic action, this is consistent with the concept of bounded rationality in the managerial cognition literature. The proposed theory is tested through content analysis of a complete body of strategic post-control documentation in a newly formed human services agency. This confirms the dominance of analysis, of strategy formation/formulation, and of groups and teams which enact strategy and inform analysis. In comparing these findings with earlier work, there is evidence of a persistence in the structure of strategic thinking across time and context. As a describable and measurable concept, strategic thinking becomes capable of practical application, particularly in leadership selection and development.