METAPHORIC IMAGES OF THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT CONCEPT: RESEARCH ON UPPER- AND MIDDLE-LEVEL MANAGERS

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explain how organizational actors create their own reality with their subjective perceptions and interpretations of organizational phenomena. In this context, strategic management, which is fed from many different disciplines, is examined in terms of what it means for its practitioners. In other words, it is questioned how the concept of strategic management is defined in the eyes of organizational actors.

Method: A qualitative research method was used to achieve the purpose determined in the study, as well as metaphor analysis, which is one of the qualitative research designs evaluated within the scope of discourse analysis. The data obtained from a total of 40 participants were subjected to content analysis and descriptive analysis.

Result: As a result of the obtained data set analysis, it was determined that the participants produced impressive metaphors while defining the concept of strategic management. In addition, it was noted that the participants defined the concept of strategic management with sometimes similar and sometimes almost the same metaphors.

Conclusion: According to the analysis results, the dominant images among the managers match the definition of the concept of strategic management. In addition, it has been concluded that the shared reality among organizational actors is regular, clear and understandable, and that the dominant images in the shared reality are strong. Furthermore, 1) this article reveals how the concept of strategic management defined by academics is perceived by practitioners, 2) it was observed that the participants exhibited consensus rather than conflict in their evaluations of the concept of strategic management, and 3) the different metaphors used are considered as proof that the strategic management field has a lively, active and broad intellectual content.