Configurations of corporate strategy systems in knowledge-intensive enterprises : an explorative study

ing from this wide diversity and complexity of aspects, this research has developed a typology consisting of a small number of clearly differentiated and consistent patterns of natural fit between these building blocks of corporate strategy systems and their contexts: the Informal Shaper, the Catalysing Builder, the Power Positioner, the Centralised Composer, the Synergising Coordinator and the Emergent Evolver. In each of these configurations, the corporate strategy system fulfils a different primary function, i.e. plays a different role in the KIE development process, and accordingly behaves differently. The synthesis (of empirical and theoretical evidence) that we have so created enables a systemic and abstract overview of the whole population of knowledge-intensive enterprises. We have discovered a conceptual frame that allows a knowledge-intensive enterprise to be compared with one of the six ideal archetypes. The typology displays potential theoretical implications mainly in the synthesis for knowledge-intensive enterprises that is provided on the current diverging views of thought in corporate strategy systems. The relevance for consulting and management practice is illustrated by two potential fields of application, namely as an assessment and as a transformation approach. The scope of future research and development that is opened up by this explorative research is interesting and relevant. The conceptual configurations of corporate strategy systems in knowledge-intensive enterprises thus seem to fulfil the criteria of the configuration school and for explorative research, and could over time prove to be one cornerstone for theory building in this domain. If our conceptual configurations will inspire further research and development, then they have contributed to the scientific and empirical progress in this emerging discipline and we have achieved our main goal of this PhD thesis: to provide insight into the corporate strategy system practice of knowledge-intensive enterprises.