Defining “strategy”: Creating a common language of business terminology

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

The term “strategy” is a difficult concept to define in the language of management. How, for example, is “strategy” distinguishable from “planning”, “management”, or for that matter, “strategic planning”? No single clear definition of the term, as it applies to business theory, exists in current scholarship; different schools of thought define and use these terms slightly differently. This is a problem that Steven French, of Southern Cross University in Australia, addresses in his article “Critiquing the language of strategic management”.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2009), "Defining “strategy”: Creating a common language of business terminology", Strategic Direction, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 9-11. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540910943488