企业如何基于多层级悖论选择战略变革方向?

How Does Multi-level Paradox of Firms Affect the Choice of Strategic Change Directions?

企业在动荡环境中选择恰当的战略变革方向对实现变革具有重要意义。已有研究聚焦变革的过程与影响因素,缺少对基于情境选择战略变革方向的关注。战略变革方向选择是变革的起点也是关键一环,但选择过程异常复杂,需要综合考量情境要素。多层级悖论代表不同组织层面既相互矛盾又相互促进的要素间关系组合,是企业在多维复杂情境中选择战略变革方向的重要依据。鉴于此,采用多案例方法分析多层级悖论对企业选择战略变革方向的影响,发现:组织系统中包含处于三个组织层面的四对悖论关系类型,由此构建了组织多层级悖论模型;多层级悖论中不同悖论关系类型凸显代表企业面临不同的矛盾关系情境,其中主要凸显的悖论关系类型代表企业当前状态与最优发展状态之间的方向性差距;识别凸显的悖论关系类型并结合其所在组织层面的特征,判断其代表的矛盾发展困境,能帮助企业选择恰当的战略变革方向。其中“利用式创新-探索式创新”悖论关系凸显代表技术创新模式不适用,应选择以技术为主导的战略变革方向;“商业目标-社会使命”悖论关系凸显代表社企融合不畅通,应选择以统一认知为主导的战略变革方向;“效率-柔性”悖论关系凸显代表组织业务模式灵活性不适用,应选择以高质量为主导的战略变革方向;“直觉-理性”悖论关系凸显代表理想与现实不匹配,应选择以升级各类基础资源为主导的战略变革方向。

It is of great significance for firms to choose the appropriate strategic change direction in a turbulent environment.The existing research focuses on the process and influencing factors of the change,but lacks of attention paid to the context-based choice of strategic change directions.The choice of the direction of a strategic change is the starting point and a key part of the change,but the selection process is extremely complicated and requires comprehensive consideration of contextual elements.The multi-level paradox represents the combination of conflicting and mutually reinforcing elements at different organizational levels,and it is an important basis for firms to choose the direction of a strategic change in multi-dimensional and complex contexts.In view of this,this study adopts a multi-case method to explore the influence of multi-level paradox on the choice of the strategic change direction made by firms.Findings include that①a multi-level paradox model is constructed,including three organizational levels and four pairs of paradoxical relationship types;②different types of paradoxical relationships in the multi-level paradox stand out,representing that the firm faces different situations of contradictory relationship,and the main type of paradox relationship highlighted represents the directional gap between the current and the optimal development states of the firm;and③it is important to identify the type of prominent paradoxical relationships and combine the characteristics of their organizational level to judge the paradoxical development dilemma they represent.They can help firms choose the appropriate direction of a strategic change.Especially,the paradoxical relationship of“exploitative innovation-exploratory innovation”highlights that the technological innovation model is not applicable,and the technology-led strategic change direction should be chosen.The paradoxical relationship of“business goals-social mission”highlights that the process of firms being accepted by the public as social firms is not smooth,and the strategic change direction dominated by unified cognition should be selected.The paradoxical relationship of“efficiency-flexibility”highlights that the flexibility of the organization’s business model is not applicable,and a high-quality oriented strategic change direction should be selected.The paradoxical relationship of“intuition-rationality”highlights the mismatch between ideals and realities,and a strategic change direction dominated by upgrading various basic resources should be chosen.