This paper reviews the idea of emergent strategy in organizations - as presented in the literature on corporate strategy - and offers a conceptual framework to use this notion in actual practice. Under the pressure of brutally intensified competition, present-day organizations throughout the world have been increasingly seeking flexibility and unremitting innovation. The traditional way of strategy making through a cyclical, formal strategic planning process is no longer sufficient to deal with this new situation. Under these conditions, strategy making must be a continuous process, in which emergent strategies (along with deliberate ones) can play a crucial role. But to exploit them, management must master the structures, processes, and techniques by which emergent strategies can be turned into effective strategic behavior.
Corporate strategy; emergent strategy; strategy process; competition; organizational flexibility