OPEN STRATEGIZING AND PERCEIVED UNCERTAINTY: THE STRATEGIC AND CONTINGENTIAL APPROACH IN ADDRESSING THE CRISIS CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT

The goal of this research was to understand how the process of open strategizing occurs facing the uncertainty perceived by the environment turbulence caused by the pandemic of COVID-19. In this context of crisis, the way in which the strategy is opened is impacted by the immediately necessary corrective actions. A case study was carried out in an organization that provides non-essential services and that suffered direct impacts, needing to change its strategies suddenly, operating with limitations and following the recommendations of government decrees. Data collection was carried out through interviews, participant observation and document analysis. From the narrative analysis and comparison of theoretical/empirical patterns of data, we found that open strategizing process occurs in an integrative way, the decisions occur in the middle-up-down sense, integrating people, structure and strategy in a non-linear or structured way, with the adoption of some practices of inclusion and transparency of information at the time when the phenomenon was developing on a large scale, worldwide. The pandemic continues to evolve and uncertainties still predominate in the global, national and local context, challenging decision making while this research is taking place.

Keywords:
Open Strategizing; Uncertainty; Environment; Pandemic; COVID-19