Political realities in strategy

Abstract

With strategy, it is better to imitate the powerful rather than the common or imaginary — and if one applies Machiavelli's clinical stance of cold reality to analyzing the ways of powerful companies, one sees machinations rooted in behavior manipulation and the orchestrating of upper hands. This article works with a political concept of strategy and uses strategy themes of Intel and Microsoft to demonstrate how objectives are achieved through the use of scheme and premeditation. The author works beneath the rhetorical coverings to get at the true behavior in effective strategy. He describes the use of power over another company or over customer groups to get those parties to behave in ways that suit the manipulator, and how the forces of politics play out in the pursuit of corporate goals.

Citation

Avakian, P.N. (1999), "Political realities in strategy", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 42-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054654