TY  - CHAP
AB  - Managerial constraint is a central theme in strategic management research. Although discussed using a variety of labels (including choice and determinism) and theoretical perspectives (including resource dependence and population ecology), the common question is the degree to which executives have choices or options when making decisions. Two of the most commonly used approaches for discussing constraint are organizational task environments (Dess & Beard, 1984) and managerial discretion (Hambrick & Finkelstein, 1987). These two papers share substantial commonalities in both their theoretical background and operationalization, raising the question of whether discretion and task environment are indeed separate constructs. This chapter reviews both conceptual and methodological issues associated with the use of task environment and discretion. Drawing on a review of published studies and original data analysis, we offer methodological suggestions for future research.
VL  - 3
SN  - 978-0-76231-339-6, 978-1-84950-436-2/1479-8387
DO  - 10.1016/S1479-8387(06)03005-0
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-8387(06)03005-0
AU  - Boyd Brian K.
AU  - Gove Steve
ED  - David J. Ketchen
ED  - Donald D. Bergh
PY  - 2006
Y1  - 2006/01/01
TI  - Managerial Constraint: The Intersection Between Organizational Task Environment and Discretion
T2  - Research Methodology in Strategy and Management
T3  - Research Methodology in Strategy and Management
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 57
EP  - 95
Y2  - 2024/04/24
ER  -